Chapter 9- Where Did I come From? Where Did I Go?

Cotton Eye Joe...

Anyways..... 

I woke up the next day after the Brighton win feeling ecstatic, if we won and City lost then we could move up to second, though the chances were low, as City had an easy match this week, Luton away. We just had to hope little Luton could hold up against the giants that City were. 

I sat in front of the TV and turned on the match which was due to start at nine o'clock. I went to the kitchen and opened up my pantry, pulling out a few slices of bread, mashing some avocados, and frying an egg, sunny side up, and just as I sat down the match had started, City was away and was quick to show their class, however, the small Luton was doing a swell job at keeping the Blue boys away from their backline, Go On LUTON! It was then that I received a text. 

dad< Hey son, there is a slight problem, and I have a feeling you would like to hear this!>

<Okay Agent Dad! 😁😁 I'm joking, what's the matter?>

<I know I made it sound bad, but you've been called up for a national team!> 

<Woah, let's go, say yes Dad!>

<Three national teams lad, you need to choose!>

<Oh shit! Thats bad.>

Interruption..... 

"GOAL! HAALAND, what a shot from far out, the keeper can only clutch at the ball's after-image!"

Stupid commentators, always pissing me off, I turned the game down and carried on...

<Adri, I'm Portuguese, and your mum is Brazilian, but you were born here in England!> 

<Dad, I don't know, if go with Portugal can play my idol but the team is not that developed enough, even fit in Brazil's playing style, only think of England, I'm lost dad, know...>

<Follow your heart son, look at the files I sent you, and put sign on country you think want to represent, it's always choice, we will support> 

{Files Recieved}

<Thanks Dad, we'll talk later, bye>

I printed the files and laid them out on the tea table in front of me, all in order with the flags positioned toward me, I put it out of my mind for now and turned the sound on the TV back on:

"GOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLL, Adebayo's put it past Ederson as the final whistle blows!!!!" 

What a match, I needed to check the table what this meant for our standing, I picked up my phone and opened the premier league app:

1) Liverpool: 68

2) Man City: 62

3) Man Utd: 61

4) West Ham: 60

5) Newcastle Utd: 59...

Arsenal has fallen from the top five due to another loss, not the first time they've bottled the league anyway. West Ham won their game, of course, we beat Brighton and earned ourselves three points, the problem was that Liverpool was doing way too well, they were running away with the title and sometimes I thought we wouldn't get there, but we had to. 

I picked up one of the files signed it and put it in a mailbox the very same day, I knew this was the right thing to do and that I could proudly represent this nation without worrying. I texted my dad my confirmation. 

<Hey Dad, I've selected my team ****, when do we meet the manager?>

<Nice choice son, **** will help you get better as a player, we meet the manager next week after play derby!> 

That's when I realized that there was a cup match along with a prem match this week, we were facing City in a Manchester derby, for the Quarterfinals of the Carabao Cup. We have to win it, we may have fumbled the FA Cup, but not this one, we need the double crown. 

The following days of rain were long and laborious even without my cruel training, players would stay until late at night to practice, the problem was obvious, and really, the most worried group was the defenders. The problem was Erling Haaland and Phil Foden. 

Haaland:

OVR: 90

Pac: 90

sho: 97

dri: 92

pas: 87

phy: 90

def: 87

Vision: 90

Foden: 

OVR: 88

Pac: 97

sho: 90

dri: 90

pas: 88

phy: 80

def: 80

Vison: 93

I never said the match was going to be easy but I was confident because my growth over these weeks has been stupidly fast, from being 86-rated when playing brighten, the WFA (World Football Association) has deemed me fit to be 88 rated, and a new stat has been introduced into everyone profiles as seen above. This was one of my strongest stats as an attacking midfielder. <*Yeah MC is OP, sue me!*> 

Player: Adrian Randin

OVR: 88

Pac: 97

sho: 90

dri: 90

pas: 88

phy: 86

def: 85 

Vision: 92

Looking a my stats is what fills me with confidence before going into a matchday, and luckily before our double match weekend began, we were hit with amazing news about Liverpool FC. Before we clashed with them this week, Mohammed Salah and Gakpo were out injured, this was great news for us, Salah was their trump card and now he was down and out. 

Day of the match...

The morning was rainy and wet, both the best premonition of what was about to come, and then I realized that City and United shared Manchester, if we saw rain then so did they, are we equally unlucky?

The rain kept hammering down even when I parked at the training center at Old Trafford, from there, I got in the team bus and we flew down the motorway in a few minutes, off to the stadium where we would be playing, not Old Trafford, not the Etihad, but St James's park, the Newcastle united stadium, I think they shuffle the stadiums in a draw to pick where the match would be played, but Newcastle wasn't too far and we reached there on time and filed into the locker room.

We all changed into our red jerseys and this time for the first time I didn't adorn the number eleven, instead, I asked for the usually unavailable number seven. Numbers don't make the player but it raised my confidence and I stood by Bruno as a vice-captain while we went through the day's tactics. We were to stop their style of play, the gegenpress, as early as possible and begin our long-ball style, we midfielders were given the most important task of opening the pitch up and keeping our eyes open, looking for good plays. 

As we walked out into the rain, the seas of fans were equally divided, a red half and a blue half, some black dots in between, probably Newcastle fans, just popping in for the action happening at their stadium. It was now or ever, this team was the best it could be right now, we were in top form, heck I was in immaculate form. 5 goals and 3 assists in just two matches, that's eight goal contributions. I have also kept a clean sheet. 

A toss was held and Bruno won it, allowing us, the red devils to start with the ball, and as the whistle went Rasmus passed it to me and I ran... Like HEll...

<*Hey thanks for reading, I appreciate you, please pretty please, leave a review you amazing readers, thank so much !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*>