A perfect arc

Barcelona didn't seem fazed at all after the unexpected goal against them.

They were still up by two goals, and with less than twenty minutes left on the clock, they were pretty much cruising to a win.

Neymar restarted the game at the center circle, passing the ball to Iniesta, who firmly controlled it under his feet, scanning the field and assessing the positions of both teams.

As the formidable trio, MSN (Messi, Suarez, Neymar), approached the opponent's box, Iniesta suddenly picked up the pace, easily sidestepping Ethan, the closest midfielder.

Kroos quickly stepped in, using his body to block Iniesta's path.

Seeing trouble brewing, Ronaldo and Benzema quickly dropped back to stand between Iniesta and MSN, cutting off the connection to the front line.

Messi, noticing the shift, decided to drop back near midfield to collect the ball—a typical Barcelona strategy.

They planned to exploit Messi's exceptional dribbling and the trio's intuitive wall-passing play, slicing through the defense with precise short passes.

As Messi got into position, Iniesta was ready to pass, completely unaware of Ethan, who he had just bypassed but who was now making a comeback.

"Watch your back!"

Messi called out just in time, but it was a tad too late.

Before Iniesta could make the pass, Ethan's toe poked the ball away.

Kroos, quick on the uptake, controlled the ball and sent it flying down the right flank to Bale, who had already taken off.

Bale... no, not a flatfish, Bale took the ball in stride, pushing it forward and then passing it to himself three seconds later.

Alba could only watch helplessly as Bale's retreating figure grew smaller in the distance.

In crucial moments like these, you have to rely on Masche.

As Barcelona's main center-back, his defensive experience was invaluable.

Already on a yellow card, the wisest move was to block Bale's path to the baseline and steer him towards Pique.

Together, they could easily disrupt Real Madrid's counterattack.

Though letting a left-footed player cut inside was risky, it was better than facing a straight red.

It's all on you now, Pique.

Masche reassured himself internally.

As expected, Bale opted to cut inside.

However, Pique tripped Bale, earning a second yellow and a red, and was sent off.

The referee awarded Real Madrid a free kick just outside the box, 16 feet to the left of the arc.

"Ref, he's diving, he's diving, I didn't even touch him!"

Pique protested vehemently, spreading his arms wide, insisting he was wrongly accused and that the card was absurd.

The referee, tired of the complaints, blew his whistle sharply and pointed sternly towards the sidelines.

"Get out!!!"

Realizing the referee meant business, Pique could only trudge off the field, disgraced.

As he passed the Real Madrid players, he couldn't resist taunting them: "Good luck losing, bunch of losers."

"And that Yankee, don't think scoring one lucky goal puts you in my league. I've seen right through your so-called skills."

"Pfft, let's see how long before Real kicks you out."

Man, this guy's got issues.

Ethan was speechless,he couldn't recall ever offending Pique to warrant such hostility.

Anyone would think he'd done something horrific to Pique.

"Don't mind him, he's just a trash-talker, likes to mess with people's heads."

Pepe pulled Ethan aside, waving goodbye to Pique with a mocking gesture.

With Pique gone, the referee signaled for the game to continue.

As before, once Barcelona set up their wall, Ronaldo stood over the ball, breathing in and out, getting into the zone.

Seeing Ethan approach, he smiled and asked, "How about you take this free kick?"

He was curious to see what this American player was really made of.

"Sure."

Ethan wouldn't refuse,he had been planning to ask Ronaldo for the chance to take the free kick anyway.

In the ESPN studio, Taylor chuckled, "Looks like Real Madrid got a taste of success with that last free kick, and they're letting Ethan take this one too."

Adrian, leisurely sipping tea, added, "It's rare for Ronaldo to step aside for a free kick. Even if it doesn't go in, Ethan's got a story to brag about when he gets back home."

As a well-known sports broadcaster in the U.S., Adrian had his sources. After Ethan scored that stunning free kick earlier, he'd asked a friend to dig into Ethan's recent situation in Europe.

Learning that Pérez was planning to terminate Ethan's contract after the game and that Ethan had been in touch with several clubs back home, Adrian didn't think much of his prospects.

"Ha, I've already taken off my shoes, just waiting for Ethan to score."

"I've got my stinky socks ready too."

Back on the field, Ethan had more time to compose himself compared to his last free kick. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, repeating the process three times before making his move.

From just about 3 feet away from the ball, Ethan took a short run-up and kicked the ball towards the Barcelona goal. The short run-up made it hard for the goalkeeper to predict the ball's path, though it also meant the shot would be slower.

Unlike the fast, unpredictable "knuckleball" free kicks, this type focused on the trajectory and angle of the ball, demanding high precision from the kicker. Messi often used this type of free kick to breach opponents' defenses, and now, it was Ethan's turn against Barcelona.

This time, Ter Stegen guessed the direction of the ball correctly and reacted instantly. However, Ethan aimed for the theoretical "sweet spot" – the top left corner.

Even with Ter Stegen's best efforts, he could only watch as the ball flew past his fingertips and into the net.

The whistle blew, and the referee pointed to the center circle, signaling the goal as the crowd erupted in applause like a tidal wave. The free kick was spectacular, flawless in both its trajectory and angle, a perfect arc.

"Beautiful, stunning, mesmerizing," hardly seemed enough to describe it.

The big screen replayed the goal repeatedly, letting viewers worldwide savor its exquisite beauty.

"Oh my God, what did I just see? A free kick double?!"

"It's unbelievable, this American has just scored twice against Barcelona with free kicks, like he's possessed by a god, no, he is the god at this moment."

"He has to stay at Real Madrid, a talent like this belongs here."

Real Madrid fans showered him with praise, quickly forgetting their earlier mockery when Ethan first took the field.

Some more passionate fans couldn't contain their excitement and started shouting at the Barcelona supporters, venting the frustration of being suppressed throughout the game.

Barcelona fans wanted to retort but seemed reluctant to discredit Ethan, instead shifting the focus to the score.

"Stupid Madridistas, wake up, you're still one goal behind."

"With less than ten minutes left, you can't turn this around."

"And don't get too cocky, Real only has a short-term contract with that American genius. After the game, we'll suggest to our club to bring him back to Barcelona."

This was a heavy blow for the Real Madrid fans. They might accept a temporary defeat, but the idea of their newfound hero wearing a Barcelona jersey and scoring against them was unbearable.

The already fierce rivalry intensified, leading to heated exchanges and eventually physical confrontations among the fans.