Chapter 78: Second Half Fire
Saturday, May 1, 2010
The halftime whistle had cut through the mist like a blade. Now, the crowd's roar had faded to a tense, aching silence.
Around a thousand Crawley fans stood shivering in the away end, scarves clutched tight, hearts pounding with a fragile kind of hope.
The tunnel air buzzed with nervous energy as Crawley prepared to re-emerge, their red shirts glowing faintly in the swirling fog like embers waiting to catch fire.
Max stepped out first.
His eyes scanned the pitch steady, fierce, unyielding.
The moment had found him, and he didn't flinch.
Second Half:
The whistle blew at 4:15 p.m. Crawley's kickoff was sharp, purposeful Max immediately prowling the box like a predator, mist streaking his face, boots slicing through the slick turf with intent.
The fans roared to life.
In the 47th minute, Thiago exploded down the right. His Instinct Lens [Silky Technique] flared to life as he danced past a defender with a graceful stepover.
