Chapter 212: Pushing Forward
The crowd got louder during the break. When the players returned for the second half, purple smoke was still in the air. But the Crawley team looked different.
They didn't look defeated anymore.
Now, they looked focused and ready.
Niels stood at the tunnel entrance as they ran out. He didn't need to say anything. The quiet in the locker room and his clear instructions had already done the job.
The change was instant and easy to see.
Fiorentina kicked off, but the narrow diamond wasn't just sitting back anymore.
Dev Patel had changed the most. He played five yards deeper, linking the midfield trio Jamal, Tom, and Nate with the two centre-backs.
Now, he was asking for the ball instead of chasing it. The fancy moves were gone, replaced by quick, short passes that helped keep control of the game.
