The trialists were what one could call a mixed bag.

There were a few boys among them who had genuine quality. It was apparent when they warmed up. You could size someone up in the way they received a pass or in the way they made a pass, how they moved when performing certain actions. The outstanding players were probably the ones already on the radar of some clubs. They were probably just considering their options by showing up to this game.

The rest were fillers. It wasn’t that they weren’t good or anything, they just weren’t good enough. They weren’t anything special. They weren’t bad, but it was apparent to anyone watching them that they just weren’t going to make it. "It’s not too late for uni" type of players.

Most of them already knew that they weren’t going to make it professionally, but they probably just wanted to give it their best. Will respected their struggle. In fact, he probably would have been one of them, just playing in another club just a week ago.

Like David promised him, he was in the starting eleven. He was playing as a right midfielder in a 4-4-2 formation. When he saw the team sheet, he felt a wave of anxiety wash over him which later calmed.

If the match was against the trialists that he saw training earlier, then he didn’t have a reason to be scared. If anything, they should be the ones scared of him.

He changed into his jersey and after he wore his soccer boots, he saw a notification pop up in front of him.

[MATCHDAY MISSION]

[Friendly: Middlesbrough U18 vs Trial XI]

[Objectives]

[Primary: Achieve match rating of 8.0 and above]

[Secondary: Complete at least 2 key passes]

[Secondary: Score or assist]

He smiled when he saw the objectives. The system told him to get an average of 8.0 ratings in the preseason so that made much sense as the primary objective, it was the secondary ones that made him smile. Not because he thought that they would be easy, but because he was hopeful about the amount of credits he would get from accomplishing the missions.

David walked in and gave the team a pep talk after which the captain of the under eighteens, a central midfielder called John, added his own bit and then the two teams went out for the match.

The first twenty minutes of the match were quite ugly for Will. Will’s first two touches of the ball were a simple control and pass while his third was a rushed clearance while the defense was under pressure.

After that, things started to get better. The overlay helped a lot. He had gotten comfortable with it over the past week. Of course, he wasn’t relying on it completely, just using it for instructions.

In the twenty-third minute, the ball came to him on the right flank from a throw-in. His marker was very close to him, so he couldn’t turn. He wouldn’t have known this if he didn’t see a shadow through the system overlay. The overlay also showed a shadow moving in from his side, causing a bit of space to open centrally, where Marcus, a central midfielder, was making a diagonal run.

Will faked cutting inside, dropped his shoulder and then dribbled towards the flanks instead, dragging his marker a step wide. That one step was enough. He fed the ball centrally to Marcus before he was completely closed in by the reinforcements that were arriving and then continued his run on the flank.

Marcus played the ball back to Will in a through pass with his first touch, completing a one-two. Will caught the ball at the edge of the box. He took a touch to steady himself before cutting in and drilling a low shot to the near post.

Unfortunately for him, the trialist goalkeeper got a hand to it and pushed it outside for a corner. It wasn’t a goal, but it was one of the closest attempts so far.

He glanced up and found Chloe in the small cluster of observers permitted on the far touchline. She wasn’t exactly looking at him, rather she was scribbling something on her notepad.

The first goal of the match came in the thirty-eighth minute. Hayden, the Middlesbrough U18 left back, won possession in his half of the pitch and immediately sent a through pass to Liam, who was playing the match as the left winger.

Liam skillfully carried the ball to the attacking third, before slipping a low cross into the box. Marcus made a box crashing run from the midfield and managed to get on the end of the cross, smashing the ball into the top corner of the goalpost.

"Goal!" Marcus screamed as the ball went into the back of the net. He ran over to Liam and gave him a high five. He didn’t celebrate again after that. It was just a friendly against trialists. A friendly that they were expected to win. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

For the rest of the first half, Will didn’t do anything special. He received the ball a couple of times, but he made simple back passes to his fullback.

The referee blew his whistle to signify the end of the first half. The two sets of teams immediately stopped play on the pitch and retreated to their respective locker rooms.

"Alright boys. That was a shit first half we played out there," David said after everyone walked inside the locker room. "I even threw in some starters in the lineup to put this match beyond doubt and you’re giving me just a goal before halftime? You bums need to fix up and quick!"

"Liam, you are not fucking Neymar. I promise you, you will not die if you pass the ball a little now and then. Because you’re playing against trialists does not mean you have to try to show off every single time. And Adam, I didn’t play you as a defensive midfielder because I wanted you to escort their players to the goal. Be more aggressive. Push, tackle, get dirty, get a fucking card for all I care, but do something."

"Will. You’re too fucking passive. You’re playing it too safe. Control and pass, is that the only thing you know how to do? Take on your man, excite me. You had it right with your only attempt, more of that please."

David continued ripping into the players, telling them the flaws in their game and how to improve. After he was done, he left the locker room, and the captain gave them another pep talk and sent them out for the second half.