Chapter 14: Matchday
28 November, 2009
Niels was woken by a phone call early in the morning. It was still dark outside, and only a little light was coming through the blinds.
He reached for his phone and answered without looking at the number.
"Niels?"
He knew the voice. It was one of the board members.
"I know today is important," the man said. "Things haven't been easy, and we know that. But we've been keeping an eye on how you've handled everything."
Niels stayed quiet. He wasn't sure what to say.
"You've had a lot thrown at you lately," the man continued. "Probably more than most people could deal with."
He paused for a moment.
"But you've handled it well. Better than we thought you would."
The words stayed with Niels. He couldn't tell if they made him feel better or put more pressure on him. Maybe both.
"You're young, Niels. That's true. But you understand the game. You always have. If you hadn't been injured, maybe you'd still be playing. But things are different now. Your future is here, not on the field. We can see that. I think you can too."
Niels didn't answer.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. He could hear birds outside his window. The morning was slowly beginning.
"You have something," the man said. "And I mean that. Tonight, we need you to show it. Of course, we want to win. But we also want to see what you're capable of."
He took a breath.
"Once the match is over, we'll talk. Your contract, your future, all of it."
Niels nodded without thinking, even though the man couldn't see him.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
"No. Thank you," the man replied. "Now go make it count."
The call ended.
Niels lowered the phone and sat there for a moment. The room was quiet again, but he couldn't stop thinking about what he had just heard.
Niels got to the stadium early. Frost covered parts of the pitch, and the grass felt hard under his boots. On matchdays, the stadium always felt different. It was quiet at first, but there was a sense that something was about to happen.
The dressing room was empty. The players' kits were already set out, and the lights above him made a soft buzzing sound.
Niels walked over to the tactics board and looked at it for a while. He picked up the marker, then put it back down.
There was nothing left to add.
The plan was clear. Everyone knew what they had to do.
Now it wasn't about tactics or another speech. They just had to believe in themselves and go out there.
More players started coming into the dressing room, and the mood changed. Nobody was joking around anymore. Everyone was quiet and focused. They all knew how important the game was.
It wasn't just another match or another cup game.
Milan was leaving after tonight. It would be his last game on the sideline. For a lot of the players, he was more than their manager. He was the person who had given them a chance when other people had written them off. He had trusted them even when they were struggling.
Luka was the first one to say something.
"We do this for him."
Dev gave him a pat on the back and nodded. Reece nodded too, looking more serious than usual.
Niels knew they were all thinking the same thing, but he still spoke.
"Play for him," he said. "And play for each other. That's how we win tonight."
Kickoff was getting closer.
The floodlights were already on, lighting up the stadium and making everything feel louder and faster. The stands were full. Fans had their scarves around their necks, shouting and singing as they waited for the game to start.
Niels stood in the tunnel with his hands in his jacket pockets. His heart was beating hard.
A few steps behind him was Milan. He was wearing his coat and looked a little pale, but he was there. His eyes moved around the stadium, taking everything in.
Milan looked at Niels. Niels looked back.
They nodded at each other. Neither of them said anything. They didn't need to.
Then the referee blew the whistle.
The match was underway.
The opening fifteen minutes were rough for Crawley.
"Wycombe have started very well here," Tom said. "Crawley can't seem to get out of their own half."
Wycombe were pressing hard from the start. Every time Crawley got the ball, a Wycombe player was already closing them down. Crawley struggled to put passes together and kept giving the ball away.
"They need to settle down," Ben said. "They need to slow the game down and get themselves back into it."
Niels stayed on the sideline, watching closely. He kept calling to the players, telling them to stay calm and stick to the plan. He looked composed, but inside he was nervous.
Milan was watching from the director's box. He looked tired and a little pale, but his eyes never left the pitch. This was supposed to be his last game, and it had started badly.
Then Crawley slowly began to find their way into the game.
Luka dropped deeper to get on the ball. Dev started finding more space and making better runs. Reece stayed wide on the right, which gave Crawley more room to attack.
It started to work.
Then came a throw-in near the right side.
Luka took it quickly, flicking the ball back with his heel. He got it again a second later and turned forward without slowing down.
"Luka has spotted Reece," Tom said. "He's crossed it early!"
Luka sent the ball into the box.
Reece had already made his run. He got in front of his defender, took one touch to control the ball, and then hit it.
The ball went straight into the net.
"GOAL! Crawley have scored! One-nil!"
1-0.
Ben shouted as the ball hit the net.
"Reece! Crawley are in front! What a goal!"
The crowd went wild. People jumped out of their seats, and the players on the bench were already running down the touchline.
Luka was shouting and celebrating. Dev jumped up beside him, almost losing his balance.
Reece was quickly surrounded by his teammates near the corner flag. They all piled on top of him.
Milan stood up in the director's box. He watched the celebration with a big smile and slowly nodded to himself.
Niels stayed where he was. He didn't celebrate much. He just clenched both fists and took a deep breath.
That goal came from the work they had done all week. More importantly, the players had started to believe in themselves.
But Wycombe responded quickly.
"Wycombe hit the post!" Tom shouted.
Ben followed. "Crawley need to stay calm here. They're under pressure again."
A free kick went just wide. Then a corner was sent into the six-yard box, but Crawley managed to clear it before anyone could get a shot away.
For a few minutes, Crawley were hanging on.
Then Luka got the ball again.
"Luka with a great pass!" Tom shouted.
He saw Dev making a run down the right and played the ball between two defenders. Dev reached it and carried on into the box.
He looked up once and sent the ball across goal.
Whitehall was waiting.
He met it first time and put it into the net.
2–0.
"Whitehall! It's two!" Ben shouted. "Crawley are in control now!"
The stadium went crazy.
Fans were on their feet, waving red scarves and shouting. Some were singing while others were just cheering as loud as they could.
Then a chant started.
"Mi-lan! Mi-lan! Mi-lan!"
At first, only a few people joined in. Within seconds, the whole stadium was singing it.
The chant moved from one stand to another until almost everyone was taking part.
Niels stayed on the touchline. He didn't look up towards the director's box.
He didn't have to.
He knew Milan had seen the goal. He knew Milan was watching.
Halftime
The referee blew the whistle, and the players headed back towards the dressing room.
They were tired and covered in sweat, but they were in good spirits. Reece was smiling as he tried to catch his breath. Luka had his arm around Dev, who still looked surprised by how well things had gone.
Whitehall pointed towards the fans and then at the badge on his shirt.
Niels walked behind them. He wasn't smiling or celebrating. He was just thinking about the first half.
It had been a difficult start, but they had managed to turn things around.
For the first time, Niels felt like he was beginning to find his place here.