Starlight FC VS Watford FC
The atmosphere in the stadium was electric as both teams began their warm-up.
The stands were quickly filling with fans, their voices growing louder with excitement.
Watford's youth team, in their iconic yellow and black jerseys, moved with confidence as they completed their warm-up routines on the field. Starlight FC, in their blue jerseys, looked just as focused and determined.
After the warm-up, both teams returned to the tunnel, the anticipation building as they prepared to step onto the field for the match. The players could feel the weight of the moment, knowing that this game was crucial for both sides.
A few minutes later, the teams were back on the field, lined up and ready for the match to begin.
The referee stood in the middle, holding the coin for the toss. Anouar, representing Starlight FC, and Knight, Watford's captain, stood beside him, both eager to see who would get the first possession.
The coin was tossed, and it landed in favor of Watford. They chose to start with the ball, and the players moved into their positions.
Hughes, Watford's offensive midfielder, stood over the ball, ready to make the first pass as the referee blew the whistle.
The shrill sound echoed across the stadium, and Hughes took the first touch, quickly passing the ball to his teammate. The match had begun.
The match began with Watford displaying their usual confidence, stringing together short, sharp passes that demonstrated their technical quality.
Just ten minutes into the game, they created their first dangerous opportunity. Enzo Pereira, Watford's talented left winger, skillfully dribbled past two Starlight players before delivering a precise cross into the box.
The Watford striker, timing his jump perfectly, met the cross with a powerful header. The ball flew towards the goal but just skimmed over the crossbar, missing by inches.
Kay watched from the sidelines, his heart skipping a beat. The attack came from Watford's left side, the very area he had worked so hard to neutralize.
It was a sign that his players hadn't fully settled into the match yet, and that worried him.
He quickly stood up and called out to Anouar, who was running near the bench.
"Anouar! Tell them to start applying the tactic now!" Kay's voice was firm, and Anouar nodded, relaying the message to his teammates on the field.
As the match continued, the intensity remained high, but neither team managed to create any clear-cut chances.
Watford, despite their early promise, struggled to break down Starlight's defense. Busquets, managing the technical area on the opposite side, grew increasingly puzzled.
His team, usually so dangerous in the final third, couldn't seem to organize any significant attacks.
What confused him even more was that his players were consistently pushing the ball down the right side of the field, rather than the left, as he had instructed.
On the other side, Kay felt a sense of satisfaction as he watched his team execute their defensive plan effectively.
The tactic of leaving space on the right had worked perfectly, luring Watford's players into attacking away from their stronger left side.
Starlight's defense held firm, closing down spaces and pressing players aggressively, preventing Watford from creating any real danger after that first chance.
However, while Kay was pleased with how his team was defending, he couldn't help but feel frustrated with their offensive play.
Whenever Starlight won the ball back, they rushed their passes, making hurried decisions that led to mistakes.
The players seemed eager to counter-attack, but in their haste, they failed to create any meaningful chances.
Kay noticed this and began to worry. His team needed to calm down and show more composure on the ball.
The match was still in its early stages, and there was plenty of time left. But if they wanted to take control and put pressure on Watford, they needed to be more patient and precise when they had possession.
Seeing that his team was struggling to create any real chances, Kay knew he had to make a change.
He quickly called out to his players, instructing them to use the Crossfield Strike tactic they had practiced in training. Kay believed that scoring the first goal would help them calm down a little bit.
The moment came in the 32nd minute. Desmond intercepted a pass from one of Watford's midfielders after pressing on him on the right wing.
Without wasting a second, he looked up and spotted Turner on the right wing, completely unmarked.
Desmond launched a long, accurate pass across the field, the ball sailing over the heads of Watford's players.
Turner controlled the ball expertly with his first touch, but instead of rushing forward to take on Watford's left fullback, who was already closing in on him, Turner made an unexpected decision.
He looked up and saw Sam positioned just outside the penalty box. Calmly, Turner played a low pass across the field following the steps for a Crossfield Strike.
Sam had been waiting for this exact moment. As the ball rolled towards him, he took one step to set himself and then unleashed a powerful shot with his right foot.
Knight, Watford's strong center-back, noticed Sam's intentions too late. He tried to close down the space, but by the time he reached Sam, the ball was already on its way.
The shot was a beauty. The ball arched through the air, curving perfectly towards the top right corner of the goal.
Watford's goalkeeper could only watch in despair as the ball flew past him, too fast and too precise for him to react.
The sound of the ball hitting the back of the net echoed through the stadium, followed by an explosion of cheers from the Starlight fans.
The referee's whistle blew, echoing throughout the stadium, as he signaled the first goal for Starlight FC.
The scoreboard now read 1-0 in favor of Kay's team, and the crowd erupted into cheers. On the sidelines, Busquets was momentarily stunned by what had just happened.
It wasn't just the goal itself but the sheer quality of it. A strike of that level, from a player under 16, showed the remarkable work Kay had been doing with his team.
As the match resumed, Starlight FC played with renewed confidence. The pressure to score was lifted, and they began to control the game more effectively.
Their passes were more precise, and their movements more coordinated. They weren't rushing anymore; they were playing with the composure of a team that knew they had the upper hand.
In the 40th minute, something caught Kay's eye. Busquets was on the sidelines, deep in conversation with Oliver Mason.
It was clear that Busquets was giving him specific instructions, likely to counter the tactics that had been so effective for Starlight FC.
Kay watched closely, already having noted Mason's playing style during the earlier minutes of the match.
He realized that Mason's game had a striking resemblance to how Busquets himself played during his career; calm, calculated, and with a talent for creating deceptive passing angles.
Mason, much like his mentor, was exceptional at pretending to pass in one direction while quickly switching to another, opening up space and creating opportunities for his teammates.
As Kay observed, he noticed a subtle shift on the field. Something had changed in those few moments since Busquets and Mason had talked.
Watford, who had struggled to create chances earlier, suddenly managed to launch two promising attacks from the left side.
This was concerning. Until now, Starlight FC had kept Watford's dangerous left side at bay, limiting them to just one significant chance early in the half.
But now, within minutes, Watford had found a way through twice. Kay's mind raced as he tried to figure out what had changed and how they could counter this new threat.
See you in the next chapter...