CHAPTER 37: PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

For a full ten seconds, the universe seemed to hold its breath.

The Apex stadium, which had been a cauldron of noise, fell into a state of collective, open-mouthed disbelief.

Players from both teams just stood there, staring at the referee, then at the bewildered David Kerrigan, then back at the referee, as if trying to solve a complex math problem.

Ethan was right there with them.

He felt like his brain had been unplugged and plugged back in too quickly.

He had gone from a commanding 11 vs 10 advantage to a chaotic 10 vs 10 scramble in the time it takes to tie a shoelace.

On the pitch, Grant Hanley was the first to recover.

He stomped over to the shell-shocked Kerrigan, who was still pleading his innocence to the stone-faced referee.

"What did you say to him?" Hanley demanded, his voice a low, dangerous growl.

"Nothing!" Kerrigan insisted, his face a picture of wounded theatricality. "I just asked him if he needed directions to the nearest opticians!"

"You absolute muppet," Hanley muttered, shaking his head as he dragged his now-dismissed winger towards the touchline.

"I don’t believe what I am seeing!" the commentator finally roared back to life, his voice cracking with sheer, unadulterated glee. "This is not football, this is pure theatre! In the space of a minute, we’ve had a horror tackle, a straight red card, and a second sending off for what I can only assume was a particularly poor attempt at comedy! David Kerrigan’s debut for Apex United has lasted 60 minutes and has included one assist and one of the most bizarre red cards in living memory! Ethan Couch looks like he’s aged ten years in the last thirty seconds!"

Ethan did feel ten years older.

He watched Kerrigan trudge down the tunnel, still protesting his innocence.

The chaos agent had done his job, perhaps a little too well.

He looked at Leo’s avatar in the opposite dugout, and even from a distance, he could see his friend was laughing his head off.

But then, his managerial brain kicked back in.

The shock faded, replaced by cold, hard calculation. 10 vs 10.

The game was wide open now. The pitch was a vast expanse of green space waiting to be exploited.

"James!" Ethan snapped, turning to his assistant. "Change it. 4-3-2. Hanley and Gibson as the two center-backs. The midfield three stays as they are. Jonny," he yelled at Jonathan Rowe, "you and Emre play as two narrow attacking midfielders behind Viktor. Like a Christmas tree. Let’s control that midfield!"

The players on the pitch adapted, shifting into the new shape.

The game restarted, and the change in dynamic was immediate.

With both teams a man down, the disciplined formations of the first half dissolved.

It was now a basketball game on grass, a frantic, end-to-end battle of counter-attacks.

And in that chaos, one player began to thrive.

In the 68th minute, Emre Demir, now operating in a more central role, picked up the ball. He glided past one challenge, then another.

He looked up and saw Viktor Kristensen making a sharp, arcing run off the shoulder of the last defender.

Emre threaded a pass that was so perfectly weighted it seemed to defy physics, curling it right into Viktor’s path.

The 16-year-old was clean through. The keeper rushed out.

This time, there was no hesitation. No ’Low Big Match Importance’.

He took one touch and, with a calmness that belied his age, slotted the ball into the bottom corner.

2-0!

"And Apex United double their lead! A goal of sublime quality! A moment of genius from Emre Demir, and a finish of ice-cold precision from the debutant, Viktor Kristensen! The 10 men of Apex are running riot!"

Viktor celebrated with a simple, powerful pump of his fist before pointing straight at Emre, acknowledging the perfect pass.

The partnership was blossoming right before Ethan’s eyes.

Bolton were broken. Their spirit, already dented by the first goal and the red card, was now shattered.

Their attacks became desperate and predictable.

Apex, on the other hand, was playing with a joyous freedom.

In the 75th minute, Jonathan Rowe picked up a loose ball on the right. He drove at his new opposing full-back, did a quick step-over, and whipped in a cross.

It was cleared, but only as far as Viktor, who had cleverly held his position on the edge of the box. The ball came to him at an awkward height.

Without thinking, he adjusted his body and hit a stunning, dipping volley.

The ball flew like a tracer bullet, smashing into the net before the keeper could even react.

3-0!

"OH, WHAT A GOAL! VIKTOR KRISTENSEN WITH A VOLLEY OF VICIOUS POWER AND TECHNIQUE! That is an absolute stunner! Two goals on his debut for the 16-year-old Dane! The Apex fans are in dreamland!"

The Apex players mobbed Viktor, who looked almost as shocked as everyone else.

He had scored a tap-in and a worldie.

He was showing the world exactly why Ethan had gambled on him.

Ethan just stood on the sideline, a wide, proud smile on his face. He had seen the potential in the stats, but this was something else. This was real.

The final ten minutes were a victory lap.

The Bolton players just wanted to go home. The Apex players were hungry for more.

In the 89th minute, they put the final, glorious exclamation point on the performance.

A Bolton attack broke down, and Kenny McLean won the ball back. He played a quick pass to Emre, who turned and saw Viktor already on his bike, sprinting into the vast, open space of the Bolton half.

Emre launched a long, searching ball over the top. It was a footrace between Viktor and the last, exhausted Bolton defender. There was only ever going to be one winner.

Viktor’s ’Pace’ and ’Acceleration’ attributes were on full display as he left the defender in his dust.

He bore down on goal. The keeper came rushing out.

The entire stadium was on its feet, screaming for him to shoot, to complete the hat-trick.

Viktor looked up. He saw Emre, who had sprinted the length of the pitch to support him, unmarked to his left. The smart play was to pass, to give his teammate a simple tap-in.

But this was his moment.

He feigned the pass, causing the keeper to lean just slightly to his right.

Then, with a deft little touch, he chipped the ball with his left foot, lifting it delicately over the sprawling keeper and into the empty net.

3-0 became 4-0. And a debut brace became a debut hat-trick.

The final whistle blew just as the celebrations were dying down.

The Apex players lifted Viktor onto their shoulders, parading their new hero in front of the adoring home fans.

Ethan watched, a feeling of profound, unshakeable belief settling in his heart.

He had faced chaos, managed a crisis, and seen his high-risk youth project deliver a performance of breathtaking quality.

He had found his striker.

As the players headed down the tunnel, a final, golden notification appeared in his vision, a reward that meant more than any three points.

[Player Development: Viktor Kristensen’s ’Low Big Match Importance’ trait has been challenged by a ’Hat-Trick on Debut’ performance.]

[Trait Status Update: ’Low Big Match Importance’ has been removed.]

[New Trait Acquired: ’Clutch Performer’.]