Soccer Supremo - A Sports Progression Fantasy

He was annoyed with himself, and took it out on Luton, and Pollock in particular. With Luton players all around, because they had stuck to their ’tactic’ of kicking long from kick-off to a congested area, Max turned the match into a giant rondo with Pollock as the ’pillock-in-the-middle’.

Max exchanged passes with Peter, then Zach, then Peter again, then Zach again. Completely taking the piss. Luton were the 5th best team in the Championship!

When the oppo finally got too close, Max clipped the ball a little higher. Joel Reid controlled it, and left it for Max to run onto.

By then, Lewis and Cheb were on the same plane as Gabby and Wibbers, and as Max weaved towards a DM, I felt completely sure he would get past and then we would have a 5-on-4 break!

Max got the angle he wanted and fired the ball towards Gabby, fast enough that Gabby understood the pass was not intended for him. He let it go through his legs, turned, and grappled with a defender. In his haste and desperation to join the attack, Gabby pulled the defender down. One less body in the mixer. Gabby was getting really good at that kind of play, and while the fans and analysts rarely picked up on it, his teammates did. (Military salute; thank you for your service.)

The pass from Max was too hard for the Brazilian, but perfectly weighted for Lewis. He decided to clip the ball first-time, and Wibbers didn’t have to break stride to head the ball into the net.

Luton surrounded the referee, complaining about the alleged foul by Gabby. Foul? What foul?

One of them ended up getting a yellow card. Name taken. (See, Max? I can drop song titles into text, too.)

Our dugout cleared. Hugs for days. Christian Fierce had tears in his eyes - he was going to play at Wembley. I was weepy, too. My parents were with Tiggy and Clive O’Keefe, excited to see me play, even more excited to meet Dieter Bauer.

Max, for all that he was hyped-up and bombastic, was in complete control of himself. The calmest man in the stadium, as the commentators liked to say, though never about Max because they never understood him. He signalled that he wanted to switch to five-at-the-back. He gestured towards us on the bench to calm down.

Then Joe Anka played the Angel song again.

***

Max

Weather Storm

When Angel came back on the big screen, I laughed, but didn’t get riled up. We had the advantage in the tie, and it was time to play smart. Luton would have to come at us, would have to throw bodies at us. We would weather the storm and choose our moment to pick them off.

It took until the 43rd minute for the Hatters to launch a full-scale attack. They got a free kick in a good spot, a wicked angle to fire in a cross. The nervousness that spread around the stands was comical.

Greaves and Mendy are standing over this free kick.

Who will take it?

A line of Luton players are loitering in an offside position.

Greaves signals. The players twirl around like waltzers. So pretty!

Mendy sends in the cross. It’s a good one!

Pollock rises...

But Green gets there first!

The ball’s going to go out for a corner.

Youngster chases after it... and keeps it in.

Best is there to help. He nutmegs Selvik.

Best has given Selvik a torrid time today!

Best rolls the ball to his right, for Youngster to bring out.

Youngster to Alloula.

Roberts. Gabriel. Youngster is joining this attack!

Luton players are desperately trying to get back but there are Chester players everywhere!

Lamarre has it on the left. He’s driving towards the byline. He cuts the ball back towards the penalty spot…

Gabriel runs over the ball.

Roberts runs over the ball.

A beautiful double-dummy.

It’s Youngster...

He can’t miss! Surely he can’t miss!

He doesn’t miss!

The ball nestles into the back of the net.

That’s Chester’s third goal. They are rampant!

Max Best can contain his glee no longer. He sprints to join the celebrations.

It’s Youngster’s first goal of the season! What a time to get it!

Smiles all round in the home ends.

In the away end, fans are streaming out. They might find better things in the concourse.

***

Pascal, until the end of the chapter, with subheadings added by Max