Chapter 25: Munchen’s Arc #6
Another chilly day in Munchen, especially cold, made even pain in Max's ankle feel less painful. He and his friend were having a silent walk toward the academy, which was already visible from thousands of meters away. They had their backpacks on them and wore warm clothes. Both had nothing to speak about today.
Dennis was quite mad at Max for hiding his injury for so long; he knew well that if it isn't treated in time, it can result in a terrifying outcome. Personally, he can't tell Max what to do since he's never been in a situation like his and doesn't know what he would do either. After all, if he doesn't pass the selection in the academy, Max will have to search for some other options.
It would be sad for them to play separately, at least in their adolescent years; they were inseparable for a long time. 'I don't want Max to have a worse injury either, so what am I supposed to do?'
The question was whether he should personally tell his friend's parents or wait until they both pass the selection and later treat his leg.
"Sigh…" Dennis shook his head; they'd have tougher matches coming up soon, and his mind should be focused solely on them.
Max, who looked up at his taller fellow, noticed the concerned expression on his friend's face. It sparked a worry in him as well, so a minute couldn't pass as he was already asking Dennis if everything was alright.
"Everything is alright with me; I'm just thinking about who I'll have on my team. I didn't stay long there, remember? Besides, I've never seen the roaster either. By the way, with whom am I on a team? You should know."
"If my mind does not change…" Max put his hand on the chin and recounted everyone, "I don't know most of them; however, the guy from Stuttgart who got called out after you also received a black vest."
"The guy with the most assists? That's ironic, I won't lie. I had hoped that we'd be reunited as one team again; it's a shame that didn't happen. It was just a few games, but I still can't get over your style of passing; you at least know what I like to do."
"I'm still too far away from them, though, and I fear those guys are better. All they do is literally just give passes; how can they enjoy the game like that?" Max laughed.
"There are more reasons for you to uphold your level and get better; you sure know these coaches prefer versatile players. Wait for the moment we form a team together, and it'll be a piece of cake. I guarantee you that."
The two friends had given each other a fist bump before entering academy territory. The second stage of the selections will start today, with more people getting kicked out in a matter of days.
… … …
The sound of skin sliding into the clothes echoed throughout the changing room as everyone was putting on their gear and boots. The coach stood nearby while looking at his new team, inspecting each with a curious glance.
It was an exciting bunch that had to be put together as a team; he can't make them just go out and play.
His eyes turned to Dennis. 'Exceptional talent; a very capable striker, no doubt. However, egoist… if I don't build the game around him, I won't be able to bring anything out of him.'
Then his eyes turned to another star player on the team, who wasn't from Munchen but from a neighboring city.
'Noah Braun, a very good passer from Stuttgart, also took first place here. He is also quite egoistical for his age, but if I manage to link up those two. I have no doubt in the ability of this team to win every game.'
It was a fact that other teams had more balanced lineups, but he'll have to work this out somehow. The coach had some time to organize a practice and see what these players were capable of.
He clapped his hands and got everyone's attention: "You all changed your uniforms; now it's time to listen to me. I'll be your coach from now on; call me just like that Coach. There's no need to be shy with me; give everything you think straight. Now, the first question from me would be, if all of you are familiar with our game plan?" The coach pointed at the board, where eleven magnets were placed around the drawn field.
The singular position that was most noticeable was a center forward; there were no wingers at all.
"We'll be playing this way, and I don't want to hear any excuses right now. I created this formation according to the statistics we received, and I observed all of your games. If you show yourself, then we may discuss other options to return you to your favorite position. Not like you'll have a different job…"
Naturally, everyone felt weird except for Dennis, who remained in his position. None of the teammates had a particular wish to play his position; they all had different ones, of course, but how come he was the only forward? They couldn't just accept the fact and looked competitively at Dennis.
They still had a limited role in the attack and more in defense. There were already plenty of defenders. They couldn't protest, though.
So after seeing them just remain silent, Coach once again clapped his hands."Now, get up and go to the field. We'll have a lot to discuss and train on." He gestured for them all to go outside, while he grabbed another mini-board for himself.
… … …
The sharp boots clanked on the ceramic floor. The players were getting out of the building on the pitch, and from there they could already see cloudy weather that promised a very cold day. There was a different vibe in training in such weather.
Dennis felt flared up inside; he wanted to get even better than he is right now. He wanted to acquire a ticket to the path of betterment, and this academy could provide him with that. His ambitions from a very young age were big.
His fired-up eyes could also notice the burning desire in everyone's gaze; people around him also wanted the same. 'So much desire…so much desperation…'
Previously, forty-four people left the academy, and there were no guarantees they would be able to pass the next. The youth wanted to show themselves fully and remain here at all costs. For this,
'They would have to fight.'
The coach had anticipated this fearlessness from his team, all of them were the same, and having experienced the fear and nervousness, the only thing they could do now was remain concentrated.
Bastard Munchen created one of the most heinous selection courses to select the best of the best.
'Show me, what you are capable of.'
… … …
They soaked in their own sweat, but their own lips to blood, and they drained themselves till they couldn't breathe properly. Their faces were shrunken, almost unrecognizable in the cold weather without fear of catching the fever.
Every participant was like that—drained on the very first day they conducted the training. Has anybody told them that the second stage will start tomorrow? Nobody did, as this was another test from the staff. In the professional world, there are no excuses for an athlete who has the responsibility to represent the club.
Even if there is a game in two days back-to-back, no one will give them a rest, they'll have to perform.
"Pass!"
"Shoot!"
Through their last breaths, they were calling out to each other, trying to grab at any chance to show their good sides. Dennis, Noah, Max, Lukas, and many more, so many of them, yet only 24 will remain…
"Truly, a shame, but we are required to raise professionals…" The coaches walked alongside the field where Team Black was training in mini football. "Even if they remained, they wouldn't have any playtime."
"They'd be eaten alive by monsters like them." Their eyes had landed on several players who had taken the highest places in the first stage of the selection.
Noah, the player with the most assists. Dennis, the striker with the most goals. Nobody in their right mind would put other players in similar positions near them. They would get consumed by the enormous egos both of them had. The competitive spirit among them was just too large.
"Just give me the damn pass!"
Even during the game, their egos were so apparent due to their avoidance of playing football with each other. Noah purposely left out Dennis as a striker and instead waited for others to open up and give them the pass instead. Also squandering very good opportunities to score the goal.
This time, when ignored, Dennis had enough of it, "You are doing this on purpose, right? That's how you plan on playing the damn game?"
Noah hasn't even given him a proper glance; he just walked past him and told him a few words that got engraved in Dennis' mind forever. "I can create goals without people like you…" It felt like a declaration of war, with the way it was phrased, the confidence it exuded, and the intent behind it.
It was just a mini-football game to get to know each other well. It served its purpose; everyone understood each other's character. However, the improvement in their plays was barely visible. The fact that most people understood what Noah was doing and on purpose left Dennis out of their game said a lot.
They were extremely envious. One person against an entire team is never a good sign, so the coach had to act by calling Noah out of the game and having a very strict dialogue. One thing that Dennis learned from today,
was to establish authority.
… … …
Max and Dennis were walking from a tiring day at the academy, coated in their warm clothes. Suddenly, their chat was interrupted by a sudden person, Lukas Schmidt. His appearance was… startling,
"Oh, well, who do I see here? For the first time, it seems I'll have to walk with you guys today."
Max widened his eyes, "Lukas, it's nice to meet you again. You had a very nice performance today; we watched your game. Must be feeling nice as well." Some days have already passed since this stage started. They had a lot of opportunities to watch each other's matches.
"I can say the same," Lukas nodded while looking precisely at Dennis, "I've also watched some of your games, and as always, Dennis was playing like a beast. Although, more controlled this time around. Is there a particular reason for that?"
The question didn't seem very out of place, and Dennis just shrugged as if to say he had no idea, which definitely wasn't the right answer. He clearly knew how to control his playstyle. The coach has told him some stuff in the locker room outside of everyone's eyes.
His request was for Dennis to play this way, to see how far the team would go in the first round, and then show them how it's really done.
"You also noticed? That's strange indeed." Max put his hand on his chin and recounted the memories of Dennis' previous games with Team Black.
The moment when Dennis was being ignored most of the time in their match against Team Yellow.
.
"Pass!"
The football rolled over the grassy field smoothly and reached the left corner of the opponent's half. Noah had high-accuracy passes at all times, which was extraordinary. Dennis felt a little bit jealous of all the people who received passes from the guy at all times.
The score was down 0-1 though, and Team Black was losing this time around. Each half was only twenty-five minutes, much less than an actual football match's 45 minutes. They had to act fast since quite some time passed in the first half.
Their game required more... contribution; however, Noah's ego was preventing the team from scoring a goal rather than benefiting it. So, when he gestured to his coach to tell him how much time they had in their pockets, he was shown five fingers… Noah became somewhat concerned.
He dashed to their opponent's box, intending to do something himself because all of his teammates were under duress. He called out to receive a pass, which he got immediately, unlike Dennis.
'I'm being cornered…'
Noah faked a shot and cut the corner he was pushed into. His great skills with the football showed their glory, tricking an opponent into opening his legs too widely. The ball just went past them, and his attempts to grab an enemy by the vest failed.
Breathing intensified, and the heartbeat was somewhat aggressive. Footballers usually don't hear their steps on the field because grass makes them almost unhearable. But Noah felt at the time like he was running on the ceramic floor with boots.
The nervousness of also showing himself as weak in front of the coaching staff of the academy where he was enrolling also clouded his mind.
So he shot with an unclear mind, not even having a proper aim at the goal. Expectedly, as he came in swinging his leg for so long, Noah couldn't outspeed the goalkeeper's reflexes. The shot was going nowhere near the corners. His shot was easy to block.
So the goalkeeper jumped right at the ball, getting out of the goal line by one step to cut the angle more. Slap! The football smacked onto the gloves, and although he couldn't grab the ball with two hands, it was still a save.
Because of his previous actions, the football fell to the ground and rolled away from the keeper. The dangerous part for goalkeepers when they don't fully grasp the shot is, and always will be, the opposing striker.
Bang,
Before the defenders could kick the ball out of their box to the safe zone, someone else whom they had forgotten burst into the scene and added another shot. This time, the goalkeeper couldn't jump once again, and the ball had no issues just smashing into the net.
'Fuck…' Noah immediately cursed seeing the person. Due to their complete disregard for Dennis for an entire match, the opposing team also paid no mind to him. Which created the current situation.
The score is now 1-1; Dennis scored an equalizer.
Noah stood there watching the striker run at the football and pick it up, saying, "Go back to our half, dumbasses!" Dennis cursed his own teammates out as he craved victory even in this match.
"You think you can score in one minute, huh? Don't make me laugh; look at their faces." Noah pointed out their teammates, who seemed satisfied with what they had already gotten. They were basically playing just to get this thing over with.
Dennis grabbed Noah by the collar and pulled him, "And so, look at the opponents; do they look any different to you? You told me you could score without someone like me... So I gave you time, but you couldn't prove it. So now just shut up."
"It's still one minute, you dumbass."
"And you should keep the ball rolling until the whistle is blown," Dennis scoffed angrily. "I'm so fed up with this, I'd punch you right here, but I want you to give me a pass. I'm the only one who could possibly score here, I'm your sole option."
He let go of the collar and freed Noah, and for the last time, he glared into his eyes very intently, showing his seriousness in this matter.
.
"I came to a compromise with someone else… the coach wanted me to play this way since most of the time, I was just unable to do it all alone and my teammates were not participating." Dennis admitted the change in his playstyle, awkwardly scratching his neck.
"That explains a lot. For us to play in professional clubs, we need to have professionalism in us. Listening to the coach is pretty important. We are playing a sport with eleven players on the team. Nobody wants unprofessional cunts in their game."
Max blinked. Why would Lukas look at Dennis like that? He couldn't possibly address him personally, right?
Dennis sighed, "There is only one club that wouldn't want a player like me... and that's a nightclub.
I'm still underage."
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