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#More than 10 Chapter ahead on my : /TrikoRex
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CJ dos Santos once again rose to the occasion, wanting to make up for his earlier mistake leaping high to punch the ball clear just before it could reach Moukoko's forehead. The clearance, however, was poor, landing only just outside the box. Wirtz pounced on the loose ball, blasting a thunderous shot back towards goal.
The ball shot toward the goal like a bullet, but Mark McKenzie had anticipated the attempt. He hurled himself fearlessly into the line of fire, his chest absorbing the ferocious strike before collapsing to the ground. The ball ricocheted away toward the right flank, where Timothy Weah immediately scooped it up and started surging forward.
The Americans roared to life, understanding that these were the final moments, and they had nothing left to lose. Weah tore down the flank, his blistering pace leaving Katterbach trailing behind. He executed a deft feint to the outside before cutting inside, dodging an attempted tackle from Angelo Stiller.
A one-two exchange with Reyna left the German midfield gasping, their defensive shape crumbling under the intense American counterattack. Weah drilled a powerful low cross into the penalty area, seeking out Matteo Smith, who was charging toward the near post.
Lars Lukas Mai threw himself across the path of the ball, his outstretched leg deflecting the cross upward, causing it to spin awkwardly through the air. Luca Unbehaun rose high, arms stretched wide and managed to punch it clear—just barely.
The ball found its way to Christian Pulisic, who immediately curled a shot toward the far corner from the edge of the box. But Bella-Kotchap, like a man possessed, dove low and blocked the strike with his shoulder, sending it skidding out for a corner. Some American players tried to call for a handball, but the defender had his arms locked onto his body and the referee had clearly seen it hit the top of his shoulder.
Pulisic hurriedly placed the ball at the corner flag, his expression fierce and determined. His teammates crowded the German box, bodies jostling and pushing for position. As the ball whipped in, Richards soared above everyone, his head making clean contact. But Luca Unbehaun's positioning was immaculate. The German keeper reacted instantly, diving to his right to catch the header with both hands. With a deep, frustrated sigh, he rolled the ball out to Vagnoman who immediately launched a long ball forward.
Germany, sensing an opportunity to kill the game off completely, pushed forward mercilessly. Rakim danced past Musah and McKennie, with a piece of dizzying footwork and nimble manoeuvring. His long strides carried him swiftly into the final third before threading a precise ball through to Kevin Shade, who made an incisive run into the box from the left side.
One-on-one with CJ dos Santos, he tried to curve the ball around the keeper's outstretched arms. But CJ in a show of brilliance, dropped to the ground quickly, deflecting the ball with a strong right hand. The rebound trickled back to Moukoko at the edge of the box who struck it first time toward the open goal. However, Richards came in clutch with an instinctive slide tackle deflecting the ball out of the box. The German bench groaned, their hands on their heads as the American defence stood firm once more.
The board went up, indicating one minute of additional time as the Germans could see the finish line of this hard-fought game. The American fans screamed themselves hoarse, knowing their last chance was upon them. McKenzie, though utterly exhausted, somehow mustered the strength to launch one final long ball forward.
The pass soared into the German half where Matteo Smith was waiting, tightly marked by Bella-Kotchap and Mai. But Smith rose high above them both, winning the aerial duel with a powerful header that flicked the ball down to Pulisic's feet. Pulisic twisted his way past Asta, his footwork swift as he threaded a beautiful pass to Reyna just outside the box. Reyna cut inside sharply and attempted a low drive toward the near post, but Luca Unbehaun reacted magnificently, parrying the shot out wide.
The ball spun toward the left wing where Weah beat Vagnoman for the ball not bothering to control it as he sent a one-time cross into the box. Everyone leapt for the ball—defenders, attackers, even Luca Unbehaun who had stormed off his line. But the ball evaded them all as it curved back out but around the edge of the back post, the figure of Matteo Smith appeared running out.
The striker jumped forward into the air right foot which had been kicking forward now whipped back with venom. The back of his heel connected furiously connected with the ball with a soft thud and in the next moment, it pierced the goal. The stadium fell silent as no one dared to breathe, no one dared to believe what they had just witnessed but the soft thud of Simon Asta's knees hitting the ground brought them back to life.
"MATTEO SMITH HAS DONE IT! HE'S DONE THE IMPOSSIBLE!" Jamie Oliver roared, his voice shaking with pure exhilaration. "An outrageous finish! A goal for the ages! The USA has snatched an equalizer in the absolute dying moments of extra time!"
Paul Gartner was speechless, his mouth agape. "What can you even say about that? An impossible strike at the most desperate of moments. Matteo Smith has written his name into this tournament, and I dare say footballing history!"
The American players mobbed Matteo, shouting and embracing him with unrestrained joy. The crowd's deafening cheers mixed with chants of "USA! USA!" as they celebrated the miracle that had just unfolded before their eyes. The scoreboard now read: Germany 3 – 3 USA. With no time left, the referee blew his whistle, signalling the end of extra time. The stadium shook with noise, echoing with the roars of jubilant American fans and the stunned silence of German supporters. The match was not over yet. It was time for penalties.
The match had reached its boiling point, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Their fans, a sea of red, white, and blue, erupted in raucous delight. Meanwhile, the German players wore expressions of disbelief and anger, their minds struggling to comprehend how they had allowed such a stunning goal in the final seconds of the match. Players from both sides tried to catch their breath, some collapsing to their knees, others stretching out cramped muscles. The trainers rushed out to provide last-minute massages and water as coaches barked out instructions and words of encouragement.
Rakim stood in silence at the side of the field following the goal and didn't even notice when Coach Baum approached him. "Keep your head son. What's done is done. We've still got penalties to deal with. It's time to put this game to bed,"
Rakim, his chest heaving as he took in deep breaths, nodded fiercely. "You're right let's put this game to bed."
Coach Baum clapped Rakim on the shoulder before turning to call the rest of the team over. Despite all of them being tired they still dutifully jogged over to hear their coaches game plan the '11-meter duel'. "Alright, listen up! We've worked too hard to let this slip away. We go into these penalties with a clear mind. Stay calm, pick your corner stick to it, and put the ball in the back of the net. Let's do this!"
On the other side of the field, Coach Ramos spoke to his players with equal intensity. "You've come this far, and no one thought you'd even make it here. Everything you've done has led to this moment. Believe in yourselves and make history."
The crowd's volume barely diminished even as the minutes ticked away. Anticipation mounted, nerves tingling as the referee and captains from both sides gathered for the coin toss to determine who would shoot first. The referee flipped the coin high into the air, all eyes locked on the small piece of metal. It hit the ground, bounced once, and settled. Germany won the toss and elected to go Second.
Jamie Oliver's voice filled the air. "And here we go, folks. It's all down to the nerve-racking lottery of penalties. Who will hold their composure and rise to the occasion?"
Paul Gartner added gravely, "We've seen tremendous bravery, skill, and resilience from both teams. But now, it's all about who can keep their nerve. The psychological battle begins now."
The players lined up at the halfway line, arms draped over each other's shoulders as their teammates prepared to step up for the shootout. The tension was palpable, the air thick with expectation. Everything that had transpired over the previous 120 minutes came down to this.