Seeing an opportunity from the freekick, Maddox didn’t hesitate. "Noah," he called, his voice firm as he waved the boy over. "You’re taking it."
Noah Perring nodded, giving no excuses or grand gestures, just a quiet determination as he walked to the ball, his glasses reflecting the stadium lights like twin beacons.
He placed the ball down with the care of a surgeon prepping for a critical procedure, his small frame steady despite the pressure. The Crestford wall lined up, their bodies tense, while the goalkeeper barked orders, his gloves snapping nervously as he adjusted his position.
Noah stepped back, took three deliberate strides, and struck the ball with his instep. The shot soared—clean, precise, and almost too perfect, arcing over the wall and dipping just before the crossbar.
The keeper leapt, his fingertips brushing the leather, but it was futile; the ball nestled into the top corner with a soft—thud—.
[> "OH MY GOODNESS!" "NOAH PERRING. That is OUTRAGEOUS!" "A goal and two assists. Player of the Match, no question." "And now it’s 6–4. Is this actually happening?" "UNBELIEVABLE." "This match looked dead at halftime. Silvergate has scored five unanswered goals!" "The final whistle is seconds away, Maddox has made this a thriller." <] Dave added, the tension in his voice mirroring the crowd’s.
Fweeee! Fweeeee! Fweeeeeeeee!~
The referee’s final whistle cut through the night, signaling the end of an extraordinary comeback that fell just short.
The scoreboard froze at Crestford Colts 6 – 5 Silvergate Youth Sailors, a result that stunned the stadium into a stunned silence, broken only by the ecstatic cheers of the Silvergate faithful.
The Sailors had lost the match, but they had found their heartbeat—a pulse of pride and resilience that echoed through their ranks.
The Silvergate bench exploded in a tumult of mixed emotions—frustration at the narrow defeat, yes, but also a fierce pride in how they had gone toe-to-toe with the league’s best team in the second half.
Players hugged, some sank to their knees in exhaustion, others clapped for the fans. Maddox’s eyes swept over them, a swell of emotion tightening his throat. The system chimed, showing the post-match result.
[Player of the Match – Noah Perring +2 Internal Value.
Recognition Bonus Unlocked
Internal Value +4 → Total: 16
Coach Grade: D → D+]
Maddox looked up toward the press box, where he could already imagine the barrage of the questions brewing. "Why was this kid benched all season?" they’d ask.
"Was it a mistake—or total failure on Eric Maddox’s part?"
"Is Eric Maddox the one who finally saw his potential, or just the beneficiary of someone else’s oversight?"
But those concerns could wait. For now, he turned his attention to the pitch.
He walked forward, his boots crunching against the grass, and extended a hand toward Noah Perring. With a rare smile, he ruffled the boy’s sweat-dampened hair. "Hell of a debut," he said, his voice warm with genuine admiration.
Noah blinked up at him, his glasses fogged with exertion, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "Thanks, coach," he replied, his voice soft but brimming with a sense of accomplishment.
Maddox then turned to the rest of his squad, clapping his hands once to gather their attention. "We lost the game," he said, his voice rising with conviction, cutting through the noise of the departing crowd.
"But you earned your respect today. Every. Single. One of you." His eyes met theirs—sweaty, breathless, smiling—and he saw the fire he’d kindled, the belief they’d forged in the crucible of this match.
Their comeback fell just short but leaving an indelible mark. The defeat stung, but for the first time since his transmigration into this strange new world, Maddox felt something he hadn’t in decades—a sense of belonging, a sense of beginning.
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A/N– Hey Fellow Tacticians!
This book is officially participating in WSA 2025! This is a big moment for the novel, and I’d love your support as we aim for the rankings!
If you’ve been enjoying the story so far, now’s the perfect time to show some love. Please don’t forget to vote with Power Stones and Golden Tickets! Every single one helps push the book higher and motivates me to write more Chapters.
Thank you... (^_-)