Chapter 73 - 71 - Back in the Shirt

Chapter 73: Chapter 71 - Back in the Shirt

Colombia were moving before England’s first pass had properly settled.

Their striker curved across the receiving centre-back and shut off the easy return across defence, while a midfielder stepped high enough to take away the pass inside. England went right instead, but the full-back received with a winger already closing and returned the ball before he could turn.

The next pass had to go long, where a Colombian centre-back rose above Greenwood and headed it straight back into midfield.

Rafael leaned forward on the bench as Colombia carried the second ball toward England’s box.

A loose pass five minutes later gave their left winger room behind England’s right-back. He drove the ball hard across the area, forcing the goalkeeper down before the runner arriving through the middle could reach it. The touch pushed the ball loose, but an England defender arrived first and cleared.

Colombia recovered outside the area and worked it back across the pitch. Their next shot travelled through enough bodies that the goalkeeper saw it late and had to push it away with both hands.

The substitutes beside Rafael had gone quiet.

England began escaping the pressure once one of the centre-backs started carrying beyond Colombia’s first line instead of releasing possession as soon as someone approached.

He stepped into midfield and found the player Rafael had struggled to time during his first England session.

The midfielder settled the pass, carried another touch and raised his head.

Greenwood had stayed level with the nearest defender.

Only then did he come short.

The pass arrived into his feet, Greenwood returned it first time and moved back toward the area while England worked possession outside.

The right winger showed toward the ball rather than running behind, received into his feet and returned possession inside as Greenwood adjusted around the centre-back.

A defender eventually headed the cross clear.

England collected again.

Several minutes later, the same midfielder received between two Colombian players and used his second touch to draw another man toward him before moving the ball right.

Greenwood came toward possession at the same time as the winger, pulling one centre-back away from the middle, but the ball travelled inside instead.

England switched the attack across the pitch.

Their left-sided attacker entered the area before Colombia could finish moving over and drove a low shot across goal.

The goalkeeper got down but couldn’t keep it out.

Rafael rose with everyone on the bench as England’s scorer ran toward the corner.

ENGLAND 1–0 COLOMBIA

Colombia had the ball on the centre spot before most of the England players had finished jogging back.

They continued pressing whenever England tried to build, and one poor pass in midfield found them with both full-backs already beyond the ball.

A Colombian midfielder reached it first and played quickly into the left channel.

The winger attacked before England could rebuild their shape. One centre-back moved across to slow him, and the pass slipped inside before the challenge arrived.

The receiving attacker moved the ball across the recovering midfielder with his first touch and struck low with the second.

England’s goalkeeper pushed off toward the far corner.

The ball reached it first.

ENGLAND 1–1 COLOMBIA

Antwi stepped closer to the technical area and called something toward England’s midfield while the players returned to halfway.

Rafael stayed seated and watched Greenwood take his position again.

A direct pass reached him several minutes later with the centre-back pressed tightly through his back. Greenwood widened his stance, brought the ball down and waited for support before laying it into midfield.

He moved away immediately.

England switched to the opposite side and worked a shooting chance outside the box, forcing Colombia’s goalkeeper low to his right.

The next good opening came when Greenwood stayed high. Both centre-backs remained narrow around him and left England’s right winger enough room to receive inside the area, although his effort climbed over the bar.

Colombia still broke quickly whenever England lost possession badly, but the game had started to stretch less around every turnover.

England found their second just before halftime.

Greenwood checked toward the ball and brought the nearest centre-back with him. The pass reached his feet, and he cushioned it into the path of the midfielder moving behind before turning toward the box.

England moved possession left.

The cross came toward Greenwood, but the defender recovering beside him got there first and could only head the ball toward the edge of the area.

An England attacker met it before Colombia could step out.

The shot passed through two bodies and found the right corner.

Greenwood turned toward the scorer as the bench rose again.

ENGLAND 2–1 COLOMBIA

The halftime whistle came shortly afterwards.

Antwi waited until bottles had been passed around before speaking.

"We’re getting through the first pressure better, but we’re still giving them transitions we don’t need to give them. If the next pass isn’t there, keep it until something else opens."

He looked across the midfielders.

"And when we lose it, move straight away. We’ve had too many people standing and watching after the ball goes."

He continued toward the defensive group while an assistant spoke quietly to several substitutes.

Rafael heard his name among those being sent outside early.

Almost half the bench went with him.

They moved through a short warm-up, exchanged passes and returned inside before England came out for the second half.

Colombia threatened again within minutes of the restart when their right winger cut inside the full-back and bent an effort toward the far corner. The goalkeeper got across and pushed it wide.

England answered when a midfielder carried through the centre and released a runner into the left side of the box, but the shot travelled across goal and beyond the far post.

Rafael had only just sat back down when the assistant turned toward him.

"Rafa, get yourself ready."

He stood and pulled off the substitute layer as he moved toward the technical area.

Greenwood remained through the middle.

Rafael completed two short accelerations along the touchline before returning when the assistant called him closer.

The ball went out near the bench shortly after the hour.

The fourth official stepped forward with the board.

Greenwood’s number appeared.

He jogged across without slowing to question it, exchanged a few words with Antwi and continued toward Rafael.

"Go on."

They slapped hands.

Rafael crossed the line.

For a moment, the England shirt pulled at a memory he had not needed during the week. At seventeen the first time, every youth call-up had seemed like another step toward a future he already considered promised.

The referee restarted before the thought went any further.

Rafael moved between Colombia’s centre-backs.

Blue light appeared at the edge of his vision.

[ANSWER THE CALL]

[PRIMARY OBJECTIVE COMPLETE]

[Competitive England U18 Appearance Recorded]

[Reward Available: Free Attribute Point ×1]

[Bonus Objective: Register One Goal Contribution]

[Status: ACTIVE]

Rafael dismissed it and watched England recover possession near midfield.

The same midfielder from his first training session turned with space ahead.

Rafael saw the channel behind the nearest centre-back and started toward it, but the extra touch came before the player looked forward.

Rafael shortened his run and stayed onside.

The ball went wide instead.

He adjusted with the attack.

Colombia were already pushing more players forward in search of another equaliser. Their full-backs stepped higher whenever possession settled, while the midfield arrived more aggressively behind the first pass.

The spaces appeared once England got through them.

A Colombian attack ended with England’s goalkeeper collecting a cross.

He looked up and sent the ball long toward Rafael near halfway.