FOOTBALL! LEGENDARY PLAYER-Chapter 54: Remember The Name

A raw hush fell over the small Amsterdam arena as the second half kicked off. The Ajax supporters in the stands – here to scout their potential final opponents – were murmuring and relaxed, confident the Belgian side would dispatch the little Utrecht. A few Utrecht parents and fans clustered in one corner, draped in red and white, still singing "Utreg, t'mot!" (Utrecht, you must!) even as the score remained 0-1 against them.

On the pitch, Amani felt the weight of the moment pressing on his shoulders. They needed a win. Thirty minutes to save their tournament dreams on the group table. Every breath he drew was laced with the chill of early spring and the desperation of a team on the brink.

"Utrecht restart play, trailing by a goal," the commentator's voice crackled with anticipation over the livestream. "They've shown sparks of quality, particularly from their young captain, number 37, Amani Hamadi, whose creativity and vision have stood out so far. But the question remains: Can Hamadi and his teammates transform these flashes of brilliance into something tangible on the scoreboard?"

In the 33rd minute, Utrecht surged forward with fierce intent. Amrabat snapped into a tackle, regaining possession instantly and passing quickly to Amani, who turned smoothly. With laser-like precision, he threaded a perfect through ball between Anderlecht's center-back and left-back, precisely into Malik's blistering run.

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Malik raced forward, the crowd rising as he reached the edge of the box until Anderlecht defender Wout Faes desperately lunged, chopping Malik down just inches from the penalty area line.

A sharp whistle rung as screams erupt in the stands. Faes protested vehemently, but the referee was unmoved. Free kick for Utrecht.

Malik won a free kick for the team just outside the Anderlecht penalty area after being scythed down on a driving run. He picked himself up from the turf, grass clinging to his orange-and-black kit, and wiped his hands on his shorts. Even though he was just fouled he had a smile plastered on his face.

Malik, Tijmen, and Amrabat exchanged knowing glances, quiet trust radiating among them. Even Anderlecht's players held their breath as Youri Tielemans eyed Amani with cautious respect.

"Massive moment for Utrecht here. Their captain, number 37, Amani Hamadi, stands poised over the free-kick. He's shown tantalizing glimpses of brilliance all afternoon, but can he produce when it truly matters?"

Amani stepped up to the ball, placing it with care on the imperfect tuft of grass. This is it, he thought, heart thudding. Around him, the world narrowed: the Ajax fans' faithful's chatter was dulling to a low hum, the blood pulsing in his ears. He inhaled the cold air and closed his eyes for a beat, recalling Coach De Vries's words from training: "Compose yourself. See it before you hit it."

When his eyes opened, a steely focus had taken hold. The Matchwinner Mentality trait hummed in his veins, sharpening his senses. He took three quick steps and struck through the ball with his right foot, laces driving through leather. Thump! The contact was pure. The ball arced up and over the wall of purple jerseys with a vicious dip. For a moment, it sailed like a comet against the sky, then it plunged downwards. It plunged toward the far top corner, a cruel trajectory impossible to predict or stop.

The Anderlecht keeper scrambled, backpedaling and flinging himself upward with gloves outstretched. It was too late. The ball whipped under the crossbar and kissed the back of the net with a rustle.

For a split second, disbelief. Then, an eruption. GOAL! A roar tore from the Utrecht supporters' section – small in number but thunderous in passion. Across the stadium, even some Ajax fans jumped to their feet in surprise, hands on heads at the audacity of the strike.

The commentator's voice exploded, pure emotion raw and unrestrained:

"Oh, what a goal! Absolutely sensational from the young captain, Amani Hamadi! Precision, power, composure everything was perfect! He's announced himself on the big stage with a strike of pure class! Remember this name Amani Hamadi!"

Amani stood rooted, his breath caught in his chest as the realization hit: 1-1. His teammates swarmed him, Malik nearly tackling him in a hug. "That's how you do it, Hamadi!" he shouted, face alight with pride. Amani finally let out his breath in a shuddering laugh as adrenaline flooded him. He glanced up into the stands. The Ajax crowd, once nonchalant, were now alert, murmuring among themselves with brows raised – the underdogs from Utrecht were not rolling over.

The equalizer injected life into Utrecht's play and belief into their hearts. Minutes later, the game's tempo redoubled. Anderlecht responded with urgency – crisp passes and tactical movement – determined to reassert control. But Utrecht matched them step for step.

Sofyan Amrabat snapped into tackles in midfield, and Tijmen flew down the wings, stretching the Belgian defense. The Ajax supporters began a sing-song chant for the Belgian side, a rhythmic "An-der-LECHT! An-der-LECHT!" trying to spur the purple shirts on, perhaps eager to see their opponents from Utrecht knocked out. The atmosphere thickened with tension and noise. Every 50-50 ball, every referee whistle drew cheers and groans from opposite sides of the stands.

Fifty minutes in, Amani picked up the ball in the center circle. An Anderlecht midfielder lunged at him, cleats flying. Trigger. Amani dinked the ball past the onrushing boot with a delicate touch, feeling the rush of wind as the player barreled past his shoulder. Trap. Two more defenders closed in fast, shoulders low, eyes on the ball.

Amani's left foot caressed the top of the ball in a feint, his body language screaming pass to the left. The Belgian defenders hesitated, shifting to block the imagined pass. In that heartbeat of space, Amani exploded forward between them. He sliced through the gap, leaving both players flat-footed as the crowd gasped. One of the Ajax fans let out an involuntary "Ooooh!" at the skill.

Amani surged ahead and lifted his head. Utrecht had a three-on-three breaking into the final third. He spotted Tijmen sprinting into a channel on the right flank, a step on his marker. Visionary Pass activated. Amani felt a familiar tingle dance up his spine and the field seemed to illuminate with possibilities. In his mind, the passing lane appeared before it truly opened. Without a second thought, he swung his foot and delivered a curling, visionary through-ball that split the Anderlecht lines.

The ball glided like it was guided by GPS, threading between the scrambling center-backs and curving perfectly into Tijmen's path in the box. Tijmen didn't even need to break stride. He controlled with one touch and, with the goalkeeper rushing out, unselfishly squared the ball across the goalmouth to the wide-open striker at the far post. A simple tap-in, and the net rippled again.

GOAL! 2-1 to Utrecht! The stadium erupted in a mix of jubilation from the Utrecht fans and shock. Utrecht's bench sprang up, fists pumping, while the cluster of traveling supporters lost themselves in delirium, bouncing and chanting Amani's name. Even some neutrals applauded the brilliance of the buildup.

Amani sprinted to join his teammates in celebration, but as Tijmen and the striker basked in the glory, he hung back a moment, clenching his fists with a determined look. He had delivered the vision, but the job wasn't finished. Across the pitch, a few Anderlecht players had sunk hands to hips, eyes wide as they yelled at each other in frustration. In the stands, the Ajax fans' mood had shifted entirely – what started as casual expectancy had turned into anxious chatter. Their earlier chants died down as a flurry of concern rippled among them.

With ten minutes left on the clock, the match's intensity reached a fever pitch. Anderlecht threw everything forward, knowing a draw might eliminate them too. Utrecht's defense stood firm, clearing cross after cross as Ajax's supporters whistled with nervous energy. Each clearance was met with cheers from the Utrecht fans, each Anderlecht attack with held breaths.

Coach Pronk barked orders from the touchline, voice hoarse: "Stay compact! Focus!" Amani, lungs burning, dropped deeper to help his midfield, intercepting passes and launching counters when possible. Every muscle in his legs screamed, but he pushed on, driven by the taste of victory on the horizon.

Then – disaster nearly struck. In the 55th minute, a momentary lapse in the Utrecht defense left an Anderlecht forward unmarked at the edge of the box. A quick cut-back pass found him from Youri, and he unleashed a low drive through a forest of legs. The shot deflected off a defender and wrong-footed the keeper, bulging into the bottom left corner.

In an instant, the roar that went up was primarily from the Ajax-affiliated crowd: a cathartic explosion of noise as the scoreboard flickered 2-2. The Anderlecht players raced to grab the ball out of the net, hope reignited, while Utrecht's boys stood stunned. Amani's heart plummeted.

All their hard work, undone in a heartbeat. He dropped his head, hands on his knees, sucking in cold air as pain and frustration twisted inside him. The Ajax fans were on their feet now, cheering loudly – whether for Anderlecht's goal or at the thought of Utrecht's dreams collapsing before the group stage ended, it didn't matter. The Utrecht supporters fell silent, some holding their heads in their hands.

Amani closed his eyes. Focus. The match wasn't over yet. The scoreline read 2-2, and only five minutes remained. For a draw, perhaps Anderlecht and Utrecht would both crash out with 1 point, which didn't favor any of them – he wasn't sure, and it didn't matter. They needed the win. As he straightened, a DING resonated softly in his mind, so faint amid the noise that only he could perceive it. In the corner of his vision, a golden icon pulsed. A gentle surge of warmth washed through him, steadying his racing pulse.

***

Trait Activated: Clutch Performer.

***

He felt it – a calm focus descending over him like a shroud, dulling the noise of the crowd and sharpening every detail on the field. The panic that had threatened to bloom in his chest moments ago subsided, replaced by an uncanny clarity. The final minutes of a close match... this was his time.

He locked eyes with Malik and Tijmen as they gathered for the restart. Without words, they understood: all or nothing. The ball rolled back into play, and Amani felt almost detached, observing the flow with cool precision even as sweat dripped down his brow. An Anderlecht player tried to press him immediately Amani spun away with a silky drag-back, nutmegging the opponent in the same fluid motion. The crowd roared at the boldness – half in awe, half in outrage. Amani didn't hear the jeers. His entire world was the green of the pitch and the white of the goal that beckoned on the other end.

At 58 minutes, an Anderlecht attack broke down under pressure from Amrabat, who toe-poked the ball away from their striker. The loose ball skittered toward Amani deep in Utrecht's half. He controlled it with one touch, turned, and immediately drove upfield with purpose. One defender sprinted in to close him down near the center circle.

Amani feinted left Trigger, then burst right, leaving the defender lunging at air. Malik was making a run on the left, and two Anderlecht players moved to track him, anticipating Amani's trademark through-ball. But Amani saw a different path. A narrow, precarious path straight through the heart of Anderlecht's formation. His internal clock told him maybe a minute or two remained. Now or never.

He accelerated, pushing the ball ahead and eating up ground. Another defender stepped up, a stout center-back with arms out for balance and determination in his eyes. Amani dropped his shoulder as if to cut inside, then at the last second tapped the ball outside with his right instep. The quick change of direction made the defender stumble, grasping at Amani's jersey but only managing to catch a sleeve as the youth flew past him down the right channel.

Amani felt a tug, heard the fabric rip slightly, but he kept his feet. Advantage played on. He was in space now, 25 yards from the goal, with only one defender between him and the keeper. The din of the crowd faded into a low thrum; he could hear his own breathing, feel the thud of his heart steadied by Clutch Performer's icy focus.

The last defender, the Anderlecht captain, rushed at him desperately, sliding in with a last-ditch tackle. Amani anticipated it as his Visionary Pass ability flickered in his periphery, suggesting a layoff, but he ignored it. Not this time. Instead of passing, Amani nudged the ball forward with the outside of his boot, just out of the defender's reach, and leapt over the outstretched leg. His left boot barely grazed the defender's thigh as he hurdled the challenge.

Time seemed to slow as he landed on the other side of the fallen defender, the goal now gaping just ahead. The keeper had sprinted off his line, eyes wide. Amani took one more touch to steady the ball at the top of the box. He could feel the keeper's presence closing in, hear the crescendo of noise rising again – a mix of screams, shouts, prayers from the stands. His legs were heavy, exhaustion screaming for relief, but he mustered every last ounce of strength.

Amani swung his right foot through the ball. Crack! The shot was a blur – low and fierce. It threaded between the keeper's closing legs with millimeters to spare. For an eternity of a split-second, silence. Then the net rippled violently as the ball slammed into it. GOAL!!!

Confusion. Pure confusion. The Utrecht fans behind the goal went ballistic, jumping and hugging and yelling into the heavens. On the pitch, Amani found himself sprinting toward the corner flag, unable to contain the surge of emotion. He slid onto his knees on the grass, fists clenched and teeth bared in a triumphant roar as Malik and Tijmen caught up to him. Malik practically tackled him to the ground, laughing and shouting incoherently.

"Unbelievable!" someone screamed – it might have been Tijmen, or Coach Pronk, Amani couldn't tell. His mind was a blissful haze. He was at the bottom of a pile of ecstatic teammates now, everyone grabbing at him, ruffling his hair, patting his back. He heard Sofyan Amrabat's voice above the din, hoarse from shouting: "That's my boy! That's my boy!"

Utrecht U17 3–2 Anderlecht U17.

"Absolutely magical!" screamed the commentator, nearly hoarse with emotion. "Hamadi has dribbled half the pitch, past the entire Anderlecht team! Unforgettable! They doubted number 37; they mocked him, but he's silenced everyone with brilliance!"

In the stands, the Ajax supporters' section had gone quiet and pale, stunned by what they had just witnessed. A few here and there offered reluctant applause for the sheer quality of the goal, while others buried their heads in their hands. The small Utrecht group, however, was in raptures – their chant had changed to a victorious "U-ni-ON, U-ni-ON!", a local fan song, and it reverberated across the seating rows.

Amani lay on his back as the teammates finally peeled off him, chest heaving and eyes burning with tears he refused to let fall. He stared up at the overcast sky, every nerve in his body alight. In that moment, he felt alive. He felt... unstoppable. The System's golden glow still tinged the edges of his vision, and he silently thanked it: thank you for this strength. But above all, he thanked himself – for never giving up, for pushing beyond pain and doubt, for this moment he had carved out of destiny with his own two feet.

The referee's whistle pierced through the chaos – one long shrill note signaling the end of the match. Full-time: 3-2 to Utrecht. A final, thunderous cheer erupted from the pitch and the few supportive stands. They had done it. They had really done it. They won against Anderlecht.

***

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