Chapter 17: Maia's Trouble (Edited)

Still 19 September 2019, Adams Park (Wycombe Wanderers stadium)

"Good Afternoon, everyone! I'm Charles with my fellow Billy, and welcome to Adams Park for the League One game from Sunderland TV. We have a thrilling match ahead between Sunderland AFC and Wycombe Wanderers, and I'm excited to bring you all the live action and analysis. Stay tuned as we dive into what promises to be an exhilarating encounter."

"Let's view the players sent by the two teams. The eleven starters for Wycombe Wanderers are: 1 Ryan Allsop, 3 Joe Jacobson, 5 Anthony Stewart, 19 Jack Grimmer, 21 Wesley Darius Charles, 4 Dominic Gape, 7 David Wheeler, 10 Matt Bloomfield, 22 Nick Freeman, 26 Rolando Aarons, 20 Adebayo Akinfenwa."

"For Sunderland AFC, they are: 1 Jon McLaughlin, 3 Luke O'Nien, 4 Jordan Willis, 2 Conor McLaughlin, 3 Denver Hume, 27 Ben White, 11 Lynden Gooch, 15 Alex Spencer, 19 Aiden McGeady, 9 Charlie Wyke, 22 Will Grigg."

"Wow Charles, we can see that Sunderland has completely changed from players to coach to formation compared to before."

"You're right Billy, that was a shock when the club officially designated the 26-year-old Alex Spencer as a player-coach. He successfully became the youngest coach for a League One club in history."

"Alex is really bold. First of all, he promoted the reserve team player Ben White and then he directly played him. He benched the two defensive midfielders Max Power and Grant Leadbitter. He then added another forward Will Grigg and changed from the more defensive 4-2-3-1 formation to the more offensive 4-1-3-2 formation."

"Anyway, we will see after the game if Alex's bold move would be the beginning of the rise of a new generation coach or if it would mark the sinking of Sunderland AFC."

Ding!

Maia was at home watching the game since Alex said he wanted her to watch his first live game when they were at the Stadium of Light. While she was watching the introduction seriously, she was interrupted by the beep of a telephone. Looking carefully, it was Alex's phone.

It was a new message notification, the sender was Champ Dula. The message was short with only a "Good luck" plus an emoji of a heart.

Maia, who was originally concentrated waiting for the referee to blow the whistle for the start of the game, immediately felt like she was poured on by a basin of cold water.

She knew who this Champ Dula was because Dula is the nickname Alex gave to his second ex-girlfriend. Speaking of it, Alex's first ex-girlfriend didn't have a good relationship with him after their separation. Every now and then, she would write a song criticizing him or playing the victim, making him look like a villain.

As for his relationship with his second ex-girlfriend after their separation, it was a little too good, because even in her interview last month, she said that she still can't forget Alex even though they are separated. She said that she chose her career over love but even now, she isn't sure if it was a good choice. She publicly declared that even now, she loves Alex very much and she is seriously considering abandoning her career and returning to him.

It was because of this reason that Maia directly came to Alex after the end of the filming without returning to Argentina first and visiting her family. She was a little insecure in herself; how can she compare with a big star with 30 million followers on Instagram?

It was also because of this reason she was under pressure after exposing her relationship with Alex. The British people feel that she is like a third person destroying a love story. What's more complicated is that Alex's second ex-girlfriend is born in England and is half British, while Maia is from Argentina. Everyone who watches football knows how the British hate the Argentinians after Diego Simeone's trick against Beckham.

Although something in Maia's body urged her to click and read the content of the discussion between Alex and his ex-girlfriend, she remembered very clearly Alex telling her that anything can be trampled but not his honor.

Also, as her love mentor, her father told her that in a love relationship, either you trust or you end the relationship. If you have any doubt about your boyfriend, let him know and make things clear. If he can't give you a sense of security, then it means he is not for you.

Maia finally decided to return her attention when the game was about to begin, although she could only watch the game absentmindedly now.

The referee Kevin Johnson blew the whistle for the beginning of the game between Sunderland AFC and Wycombe Wanderers. Regardless of the game's outcome, it will be historic as it sets the record for the youngest coach to lead a game in League One.

The game kicked off under clear skies at Adams Park. Alex passed the ball to Ben, then looked around at the position of everyone on the field.

It must be said, after playing about seven games with Wycombe Wanderers in the simulation, Alex is more than familiar with their players. He could see from their expressions that they must be a little relaxed, looking down on Sunderland AFC, especially after the coaching change.

Alex immediately thought of the best possibilities to deal with them. The first one was to catch them off guard and score a goal before they became careful, and the second was to dominate possession of the ball, making them a little impatient, then score a goal.

After only two seconds of reflection, Alex opted for the second option. By dominating possession, Sunderland could control the game's tempo, allowing him to implement his game plan effectively and reducing the risk of hasty mistakes that could arise from rushing to score an early goal.

He thought that maintaining possession frustrates the opponent and can lead to them making mistakes out of impatience. This psychological edge can create more clear-cut opportunities for Sunderland to score.

Since Wycombe Wanderers were underestimating Sunderland, keeping the ball and moving it around could lure them into a false sense of security. They wouldn't adjust their intensity until it was too late, giving Sunderland the perfect opportunity to strike.

Dominating possession applies continuous pressure on the opponent's defense. This sustained pressure is more likely to result in defensive lapses, which Sunderland can exploit to score goals.

A more crucial aspect is that controlling the game helps build team confidence and momentum. It allows players to settle into the game, especially after a significant change like a new player-coach taking over. This stability will lead to more coherent and effective attacking play.

After 15 minutes into the game, the Wycombe Wanderers players were finally impatient. They are now the second-ranked team in the league, but how could they be dominated by the weak and unstable Sunderland AFC?

Alex, who was playing as a deep-lying playmaker, took control of the field with his precise passing and vision, setting the tone for Sunderland's play and distributing the ball efficiently to the flanks and forwards.