Winston exchanged a nod with Maximilian before glancing toward Oswin, who nodded back in understanding. The referee blew the whistle.
Play resumed. Maximilian tapped the ball to Winston, who immediately laid it back to one of the center-backs. Westminster patiently circulated possession across the back line, switching the ball from one defender to the other as they searched for an opening. Meanwhile, Winston, Oswin, and Maximilian constantly adjusted their positions, looking for pockets of space while Bush Hill Rangers pressed aggressively from the front.
The left-back finally spotted an opening. He passed to the left midfielder, who redirected the ball first time to the central midfielder. Without taking a touch, the midfielder clipped a lofted pass toward Oswin.
Oswin was already on the move. Pointing into the space ahead of him, he burst beyond the left-back before bringing the ball under control near the corner of the penalty area. Instead of forcing a cross, he cut the ball back toward Winston at the edge of the box.
Winston cushioned the pass with his first touch. He shaped his body as though he were about to shoot. Immediately, two Bush Hill defenders rushed toward him, desperate to block the attempt.
Got you...
At the last second, Winston slipped a perfectly weighted through ball between the defenders. Maximilian timed his run perfectly and burst onto it.
Only Lukas Hickman remained. Hickman stayed tight to Maximilian, using his strength to hold the striker's arm while matching every step as Maximilian tried to position himself for the shot.
Thwack!
The stadium erupted with deafening cheers as the intensity of the match reached another level.
Winston barely acknowledged the roaring crowd. The moment play paused, he opened the Core System. Notification after notification flooded his vision, piling up faster than he could read them. Ignoring everything else, his eyes immediately searched for one thing—his daily challenge.
[User Daily Challenges:]
[Goal assist: 1/1 completed]
[Goal: 0/1]
Winston closed the Core System, a smile creeping across his face.
One challenge completed.
His excitement surged as he jogged back into position. He lightly slapped both cheeks, pumping himself up.
I feel... different.
His ball control had improved dramatically. Before, he would have lost possession under that kind of pressure. Now, controlling the ball felt almost effortless. Even his breathing had changed. His chest felt more open, allowing him to draw in oxygen more efficiently and keep his body supplied during intense bursts of movement. Glancing toward the touchline, Winston caught the head coach giving him a thumbs-up.
He nodded in return.
The Bush Hill Rangers Under-21 players were caught off guard by Westminster's sudden change in tempo. For most of the first half—and even the opening minutes of the second—they had dictated possession, forcing Westminster to chase the ball. That goal had changed everything. Even Lukas Hickman, who had been focused on containing Oswin, found himself reassessing the situation.
Bush Hill had assumed Winston was simply another midfielder brought on to strengthen Westminster defensively. Instead, he had transformed their attack in a matter of minutes. Recognizing Oswin as Westminster's creative outlet, Bush Hill had shifted their defensive focus toward him, committing extra pressure whenever he received the ball. They believed shutting down Oswin would cripple Westminster's attack. What they failed to realize ...was that Westminster had just introduced an entirely new threat.
Fweeeet!
Bush Hill Rangers restarted play by passing the ball to their holding midfielder, allowing the rest of the midfield to spread across the pitch. Their shape quickly resembled an arrow, with the defensive midfielder at its base and the attacking players pushing higher up the field.
The holding midfielder switched the ball to the right midfielder. As a Westminster midfielder closed him down, the Bush Hill player executed a quick Marseille turn to evade the challenge. Bursting into space, he sprinted a few meters before attempting a through ball toward the striker.
Oswin anticipated the pass. He darted across the passing lane just as one of Westminster's center-backs stepped forward and headed the ball clear. The loose ball fell to a Westminster midfielder, who controlled it before quickly finding a teammate in the center. Without dwelling on the ball, the midfielder passed to Winston.
One touch—Winston redirected it to Oswin. One touch— Oswin returned it to the overlapping right-back.
One touch—the right-back immediately fed it back to Oswin, completing a slick passing combination. Receiving the return pass in stride, Oswin accelerated past the Bush Hill midfielder. Another defender rushed in. Oswin spun away with a sharp Marseille turn, escaping the challenge before lifting his head to scan the field.
Both Winston and Maximilian were tightly marked. Lukas Hickman had organized Bush Hill's back line perfectly, leaving neither attacker with any room to receive the ball. Before Oswin could make his next move—Thud!
Fweeeet!
A Bush Hill Rangers defender came crashing into Oswin from behind, sending him tumbling to the ground.
Tweet!
The referee immediately blew his whistle and reached for his pocket.
A yellow card.
Winston hurried over and offered Oswin a hand.
"You okay? That was a nasty tackle."
Oswin brushed the grass from his kit and stamped his boots against the lush green turf.
"Couldn't be better," he said with a grin. "They're getting nervous. I guess your substitution caught them off guard."
The two jogged toward the spot where the referee had placed the ball.
"You taking this one?" Winston asked as he moved into position.
Oswin glanced at the goal. "Of course."
Winston didn't argue. Oswin was Westminster's best free-kick taker. Besides, Winston's mind was occupied with something else.
Just complete the daily challenge...Get the reward points.
The match had entered the eightieth minute. Oswin carefully positioned the ball before taking several steps backward. He raised one arm toward the far post, signaling where he intended to deliver the cross.
Thump!
The free kick curled into the crowded penalty area. Players from both teams leaped into the air. A Bush Hill defender won the first header.
The clearance flew toward the edge of the box—straight at Winston. Without hesitating, Winston stepped into the dropping ball.
Thwack!
His volley screamed through the air before rocketing past the diving goalkeeper and into the back of the net. The stadium exploded. Winston sprinted toward the corner flag, arms spread wide in celebration. As he turned toward the stands.. his eyes locked onto a familiar face. His father—He was on his feet, cheering louder than anyone around him, pumping both fists into the air with a smile Winston had rarely seen.
For a moment, the noise of the stadium disappeared. Warm tears rolled down Winston's cheeks. Dad... came. He had never expected his father to attend one of his matches. In fact, he hadn't even told him he would be playing.
Ever since Winston chose football over academics, a quiet tension had settled between them. His father had once dreamed of becoming a footballer himself. But when Winston's mother became pregnant, those dreams ended. Responsibility came first. He took a job at the harbor through a friend's recommendation, sacrificing his own ambitions to provide for his family. Seeing him in the stands now... Cheering without hesitation... Meant more to Winston than the goal itself.
"Hehehe... what a strike!" Oswin laughed as he jumped onto Winston's back. "That volley was clean! Even the keeper reacted too late."
He patted Winston's shoulder. "Congratulations. The coach is definitely going to think twice before leaving you on the bench again."
Winston looked toward the technical area. The coaching staff were celebrating just as passionately as the players. Although Westminster still had work to do, leveling the score against the league leaders felt like a victory in itself.
Bush Hill Rangers sat at the top of the table. Westminster were third. And now, they had reminded everyone why they belonged in the title race.
Fweeet! Fweeet! Fweeet!
The final whistle echoed throughout the stadium.
Fweerrret! Fweerrret! Fweerrret!
Westminster's players gathered near the center circle, celebrating the hard-fought draw as if it were a victory. Earning a point against the league leaders was no small feat. As the team exchanged hugs, fist bumps, and high fives, Winston spotted Maximilian walking past. With a smile, Winston raised his hand.
"Good game."
Maximilian glanced at him. Instead of returning the gesture, he brushed Winston's hand aside with his shoulder and continued walking without saying a word. Winston stood there for a moment before lowering his hand. He watched Maximilian disappear toward the tunnel.
He's frustrated... He wanted to score today.
Winston couldn't bring himself to be angry. After everything that had happened with the Core System, he understood better than most that every player carried burdens no one else could see.
Maybe we all have challenges we're trying to complete.
With that thought, Winston turned back toward his celebrating teammates and jogged over to join them.
Ding!
The system notification caught Winston off guard. Curious, he opened the Core System and checked his stats. His eyes widened in surprise.
[User Daily Challenges:]
[Goal assist: 1/1 completed]
[Goal;: 1/1 Completed]
Ding!
[Winston Daley Stats]
Name: Daley Winston
Age: 19
Weak Foot: 2
Foot: Right
Profession: Footballer
Team: Westminster F.C. (Under twenty-one team)
Player Rating: 76 +5
Position: Center forward.
Potential: 82 +5
Acceleration
Sprint Speed
Shooting
Passing
Dribbling
Physical
Reward Points: 010
Skills moves: None.
I spent so much time focusing on improving my skills that I completely forgot about my reward points. My overall rating has gone up... and even my potential has increased. A few upgrades should make me even stronger.
"Are you alright, man?" Oswin asked, placing a hand on Winston's shoulder. "You keep spacing out." He chuckled. "I know scoring feels amazing, but I didn't think it'd leave you daydreaming."
Before Winston could answer, another voice interrupted them. "That was a great match."
Both Winston and Oswin turned around. Lukas Hickman stood behind them with a friendly smile. He offered each of them a fist bump. "It makes me wonder why your coach kept you on the bench for so long."
Oswin smirked and folded his hands behind his head. "If we'd played our trump card from the start, we wouldn't have scored those two goals."
Hickman laughed. "Maybe."
He looked at Winston. "You changed the game the moment you came on."
Winston smiled politely. "You weren't easy to play against either. You kept Maximilian under control for most of the match."
Hickman shrugged. "That explains why he looked so frustrated." He paused before adding, "I've studied Maximilian ever since I heard he was demoted from the senior team."
His gaze shifted back to Winston. "But I couldn't study you. You only came on late today, and the last time you played for the seniors was months ago." As the three of them walked toward the tunnel, Hickman congratulated them once more before heading off to his own team's changing room.