Chapter 36 – Fighting to the Final Breath
Kick-off.
The ball rolled, and Sunderland came like wolves—fast, direct, hungry.
Right from the first whistle, they pressed like men possessed.
Boom! A crunching tackle in midfield. Tyler just barely got his foot out in time.
Thud! A loose pass zipped across the grass, forcing Graham into a desperate clearance.
The crowd at the Stadium of Light roared. The home fans felt blood in the water.
Marco growled under his breath. "They're rabid today…"
Nathan didn't reply. He was already scanning the pitch, calculating the angles, the space behind the full-backs, the weight of the wind against the ball.
His mind wasn't just playing football.
It was mapping war zones.
Minute 13.
Sunderland broke through on the right flank. Their winger beat Luke clean—cut inside—laid it off—
CRACK!!
A thundering shot exploded toward the far corner.
The sound of the ball hitting the post echoed like a cannon blast.
CLANG!!
