The ball rolled out for a corner kick. Benjamin jogged toward the flag, but the referee had already stopped play. Both benches were active. Players were warming up on the sidelines.
Substitution time.
Steve McClaren had seen enough. His team was hanging on by a thread. He needed fresh legs and new ideas.
He called Wisgerhof over first. The midfielder looked exhausted. His shirt was soaked through with sweat. His legs were heavy from chasing Benjamin around for twenty minutes.
"Good work, lad," McClaren said, patting him on the shoulder. "Get some rest."
Wisgerhof nodded and jogged toward the bench. In his place came Fer, the young Dutch midfielder. Fresh legs. Fresh energy.
McClaren wasn't done. He looked down his bench and called for another change.
Ola John was struggling on the left wing. Every time he got the ball, Johansson was there to take it away. The fullback had read his game perfectly.
"Ola, come off," McClaren shouted. "Well played."
