Football singularity

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[Łódź, Poland – Stadion Widzewa Łódź | Time: 42:50 | U-20 World Cup Final | England 1 - 1 Germany]

The corner flag quivered as the wind picked up slightly, swirling above the electric atmosphere. Germany had just come inches from reclaiming the lead, and the crowd could feel it—the throb of pressure rising once again. As Dean Henderson sat up on the turf, still hugging the ball, a crimson trail of blood trickled from his nose.

"Oh, Dean is bleeding," Paul exclaimed in surprise as the referee blew his whistle, bringing the proceedings to a halt. Moments later, England's medical staff could be seen sprinting onto the field with their med bags.

Dean Henderson sat upright, blood seeping from his nostrils, staining his top lip a vivid red against the bright white of his kit. The keeper's gloves were still wrapped around the ball, and for a second, it looked as though he'd try to wave off the staff. But one of the medics dropped to their knees beside him, already unzipping a pouch and pulling on fresh gloves.

The referee, clearly cautious after the intensity of the last fifteen minutes, urged calmness from everyone. Players milled about, catching their breath, with some wishing they could just head for the halftime break instead of having to wait. Luckily, they were respectful enough not to voice their intrusive thoughts as they patiently waited.

"Credit to Henderson," Eddie Hall murmured over the sound of tactical shouts. "Takes a boot to the face and still smothers that rebound. That's the kind of keeper you'd go to war with."

Paul Gartner replied, "You are right, if he doesn't stop that Wirtz shot, this whole stadium's singing a whole different song right now."

[47]

After a minute of quick attention—nasal plugs, a splash of water, and a nod from the physio, Henderson was back on his feet. The fans behind the goal responded with applause, with even the German supporters joining in to show their sportsmanship. It took a whole five minutes before Dean was declared ready to continue with the referee deciding a drop ball would resume the game.

The referee raised a hand, dropped the ball at Henderson's feet—and play was back on. Despite time already having run over the allotted time for the first half, the fourth official held up a board signalling for an extra 5 minutes due to Dean Henderson receiving treatment.

[+3]

Dean, still with gauze visible under his nose and blood stains streaked faintly across his jersey, took a calming breath before rolling the ball short to Teden Mengi. England looked unlikely to mount a full attack in what little time remained, but that didn't mean they'd sit back. Germany, on the other hand, showed no signs of relaxing.

Mengi received the ball with his back to Jastremski, who gave him a half-hearted press, which reminded him of his presence rather than a threat. He tapped it square to Conor Bradley, who kept it tight and simple—no risks, just control. But Germany's shape was still alive, compact, waiting to pounce on the slightest misstep.

Bradley slid it across to Declan Rice, who turned his body to shield from Wirtz, the German playmaker shadowing him with unnerving poise. Rice checked over his shoulder once, then again, before turning into space and shifting the tempo with a slick pass to Jude Bellingham.

The Borussia Dortmund star took the ball on the half-turn, his touch smooth as velvet, and immediately looked up. Sancho darted inside, pulling Asta with him, creating a brief opening on the left. Bellingham seized it. A no-look pass, rolling diagonally into the channel for Chilwell to gallop onto.

[48]

He latched onto the pass mid-stride just before Simon Asta could get to it, as a foot race erupted between them. The English full-back's momentum gave him the upper hand as he quickly gained a yard of space. They quickly reached the side of the box, and just as Asta committed to a slide tackle, Chilwell whipped in a low cross.

It came in low and dangerous, flying across the six-yard box as a mass of bodies charged in. "Luca Unbehaun," One of the commentators exclaimed loudly as the German keeper came diving out firmly clutching the ball in his grasp.

"Unbelievable save from the German number 1," Eddie Hall commented with excitement as the keeper remained down for quite a while, eating up time. That would prove to be the last significant action of the first half, as two minutes of Germany passing the ball around ended things.

"Well, there you have it, folks, after a fierce back-and-forth battle between these two giants of the footballing world, things are still at a deadlock at the end of the first half." Paul Gartner's voice resounded through the broadcast as the players slowly trudged off towards the sidelines. "England 1:1 Germany"

~~~

[AWAY LOCKER ROOM | GERMANY]

The clatter of boots on the tiled floor echoed as the German players filed into the away dressing room. A few dropped onto the benches, heads bowed, sweat trickling down temples and necks, shirts clinging to torsos like wet bandages. The air inside was a stew of adrenaline and musk, thick with the unspoken knowledge that this final was far from over.

Coach Peter Baum entered last, a clipboard in hand and his jaw clenched. He didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to. His presence alone commanded the room. Assistant coaches hovered near the whiteboard, but everyone's eyes were on Baum.

"Silence," he said, firmly raising his hands to capture everyone's attention. The murmuring died instantly.

He turned toward the magnetic board and snapped a magnet into the middle of the pitch. "Look. That equaliser? It happens. Greenwood made a world-class run, and Chilwell's overlap caught us sleeping. But we are Germany, not victims."

He pivoted to face another group of players, his dark eyes scanning every player. "You are Germany. You adapt. You overcome. And more than anything—Win."

He pointed at Bella-Kotchap and Ehlers. "You two—stay tighter when Bellingham drops deep. He's manipulating space to pull Florian out of position. Don't bite on decoy movements—communicate and trust your midfield screen." He paused for a second, making sure they were paying attention. "Greenwood is not a standout forward that we need to make special adjustments for, so just implement Zonal marking when we have the ball and man-to-man on their counters. And be physical, he is not to get a yard of space without paying the fee."

He turned to Stiller and Tauer. "You've done well containing their width, but now I want proactivity. Win us our space so we can operate, and when Sancho or Saka drift inward, press them before they turn."

His tone sharpened. "Jamie—when you drive at Chilwell, don't hesitate. He's aggressive and overcommits. Get him on a yellow. Use your pace but stay composed in the final ball. One clean cutback and this match flips again." Leweling nodded silently, face still flushed from the first-half effort.

Baum's eyes fell on Rakim next. "Rakim." He paused, turning to make eye contact with the winger. "You've kept Reece James on skates for the first 30 minutes, but now I need you to utilise your chances more, don't go missing on me."

Rakim nodded, beads of sweat clinging to his lashes as he used one of his towels to wipe his face. "Good, I want the wingers cutting in more and mix it up with crosses, into the box, don't be predictable." Coach Baum shifted slightly, eyes scanning the whole room now.

"And Florian," he continued, eyes landing on the creative midfielder who had an ice towel draped across the back of his neck. "Their midfield is pressing you early with Mount and Rice doubling when you drift central. So, change your rhythm. Drop deeper, let Rakim and Jamie stretch the width, then explode into the pocket. If you see Bellingham coming for the trap, drag him with you and let Angelo release it from behind."

Florian gave a small nod, flicking a glance at the board where the assistant coach had begun rearranging magnets into a transitional shape. A subtle tweak created a staggered 4-2-3-1, which prompted the attacking quartet to move as a unit. This left a slight gap behind them that was meant to lure the opposing attacking midfielders to step into those areas for the defensive midfielders to spring the trap.

(clap clap clap) "Listen up," He exclaimed, garnering everyone's attention. "We all know what we need to do, so all I ask from you is to go out there and execute. And score some damn goals so we can end this in 90 minutes."

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To Be Continued...