Chapter 75 - 73 - No Longer Watching

Chapter 75: Chapter 73 - No Longer Watching

Rafael found his England shirt waiting on the bench when he entered the changing room at the Centre Sportif de Colovray.

He had seen his name among the starters during Saturday’s meeting, but that hadn’t felt quite the same as arriving on matchday and finding his place prepared.

He set down his bag and picked up the shirt, running his thumb across the England crest.

Seventeen years ago, he had worn that badge without giving much thought to what it meant. Youth international appearances had seemed like another step toward the senior team, something that would naturally happen if he kept performing.

He had eventually become a thirty-four-year-old striker playing in League Two, with people referring to those England appearances whenever they discussed how badly his career had gone wrong.

And now, somehow, he was back.

Rafael smiled as he pulled the shirt over his head.

Around him, the changing room carried on as usual. Players were changing, borrowing tape and getting their equipment ready while the staff moved between the benches. A few of those who had played most of Thursday’s match against Colombia were still complaining about their legs.

Greenwood, who had started that game, was preparing among the substitutes.

England had made several changes to the side, which made sense given the short recovery time between fixtures.

Rafael sat down and began tying his boots.

Across from him, Samuel Alker was adjusting the tape around one ankle. The midfielder had been part of the group Rafael struggled to coordinate with during his first training session, although their understanding had improved over the following days.

Alker finished with the tape and stood to test his movement while Rafael returned his attention to his boots.

A few minutes later, Antwi entered with one of his assistants and gathered the players around the board.

Egypt had drawn their opening match against Korea Republic, and England had already spent time reviewing how they played.

"They’re comfortable when teams come after them," Antwi said. "If we press, everybody goes together. We can’t have three players chasing the ball while the rest of us stand and watch."

He turned toward the midfielders.

"Make yourselves available when we’re building. They’ll jump on a bad first touch, so don’t leave whoever’s receiving with nowhere to go."

His attention moved toward Rafael.

"Rafa, stay available through the middle. Give us something to play into, and when we get outside, make sure their centre-backs have something to worry about."

Rafael nodded.

Antwi continued through the remaining instructions before sending the players out.

The afternoon was bright when England emerged for their warm-up. Rafael joined the attacking group, moving through the passing exercises and short finishing sequences before completing the final accelerations.

He put two attempts beyond the goalkeeper and missed another from a tighter angle before returning to the group.

By the time England walked out for kick-off, Egypt were already gathering near the halfway line.

Rafael took his position between their centre-backs and glanced toward Alker, who was speaking with another midfielder.

The referee checked both teams before raising his whistle.

England kicked off.

Egypt settled into the match faster.

Their midfielders were aggressive whenever England tried to play through the centre, closing the receiving player before he could turn and forcing possession back toward the defence.

Rafael spent the opening minutes moving between the centre-backs, offering himself whenever England managed to escape that pressure.

His first proper involvement came when a pass reached him near halfway.

An Egyptian defender followed him short and leaned into his back before the ball had settled. Rafael widened his stance, controlled it with his right foot and laid it toward Alker.

The midfielder received under pressure and tried to move possession forward, but an Egyptian player stepped across the passing lane and intercepted.

Rafael turned as Egypt attacked the space England had left behind.

Their move eventually broke down near the penalty area, allowing England to recover, but the same problem returned on the next possession.

England could get the ball into midfield. Keeping it there long enough to build an attack was proving harder.

That became apparent when Alker received facing forward a few minutes later.

Rafael checked toward the ball, drawing his marker away from the defensive line, then turned sharply into the space behind him.

Alker carried another touch.

Rafael slowed his run to stay onside, but the midfielder eventually released possession toward the left winger instead.

The resulting cross was cleared before Rafael could reach it.

He jogged back toward the centre-backs as Egypt pushed forward again.

The early chances belonged mostly to the opposition.

Their right winger found room outside England’s left-back and sent a cross toward the far post, where an attacker arrived ahead of his marker but directed his header wide.

A few minutes later, another Egyptian move forced England’s goalkeeper to come forward and smother a loose ball before the striker could reach it.

England eventually produced their first meaningful opening when Tavares escaped down the right.

He exchanged passes with a supporting midfielder and carried possession toward the corner of the penalty area, but his attempt to cut inside was blocked.

The ball bounced toward Rafael near the edge of the box.

He reached it before the nearest Egyptian defender, shifted it across his body and struck with his right foot.

A centre-back threw himself into the shooting lane, and the ball struck his thigh before deflecting away.

Rafael turned as Egypt recovered possession and began carrying it forward.

He had seen enough matches turn against teams that became impatient when their first few attacks failed.

The next Egyptian attack began after England cleared a cross from their own area.

Their midfield collected the second ball near halfway and immediately switched possession toward the right.

England’s defensive line moved across to cover the winger, who received near the touchline with his full-back arriving outside him.

The winger shaped to pass down the channel before returning possession inside.

An England midfielder stepped toward the receiver, but that movement left another Egyptian player free to run between the lines.

The pass found him.

He entered the penalty area with England’s nearest centre-back recovering across his shoulder and sent a low shot toward the far corner.

The goalkeeper dived, but the ball passed beyond his gloves and struck the net.

EGYPT 1–0 ENGLAND

The Egyptian players raced toward the corner while England’s defenders began returning to halfway.

Rafael watched the celebration from near the centre circle.

In his first life, conceding during an England start would have sent him looking for every possible chance to score. He remembered matches where he had abandoned his position to demand possession, convinced that one impressive action could protect his place.

He still felt the urge to do something immediately.

His eyes briefly moved toward England’s bench, where Greenwood sat among the substitutes.

Then he looked back toward the pitch.

There was plenty of football left.

England restarted.

The equaliser didn’t come immediately.

Egypt continued making it difficult for England to progress through midfield, although the balance gradually began changing as England’s defenders became more patient in possession.

Rather than forcing passes into crowded areas, they began moving the ball from side to side until an Egyptian midfielder stepped away from his position.

Alker started receiving with more room to turn.

One of those opportunities allowed him to release Tavares down the right, where the winger drove toward the area and forced Egypt’s goalkeeper into a low save.

England won a corner, but the delivery travelled beyond Rafael and was cleared at the far post.

A few minutes later, Alker received again.

This time, Rafael had already noticed the nearest Egyptian centre-back stepping forward whenever he approached the ball.

He moved toward Alker, bringing the defender with him.

The pass arrived at his feet.

Rather than attempting to turn, Rafael used his right foot to return it first time and immediately moved away from the defender.

The centre-back had followed him several metres out of position and now needed to recover toward goal.

Rafael turned across his outside shoulder.

Alker received the layoff with an Egyptian midfielder closing from his left.

During their first England session, Rafael had repeatedly waited for him to carry the ball before releasing it. He expected another touch now, but Alker opened his body and sent the return pass through the gap between centre-back and full-back.

Rafael was already moving.

The defender turned to chase him, but Rafael had gained enough separation to reach the pass inside the penalty area.

His first touch brought the ball under control as the goalkeeper advanced, lowering his body to narrow the angle.

The centre-back was recovering from Rafael’s left.

Rafael shortened his stride and struck with his right foot before the defender could get across.

The shot travelled low toward the far corner.

The goalkeeper dived, stretching his right hand toward the ball, but he couldn’t reach it.

The net moved.

Rafael stared for a fraction of a second before turning and sprinting toward the corner.

"COME ON!"

He spread his arms as he ran, laughing when Tavares caught him from behind and nearly sent him stumbling.

Alker arrived a moment later, grabbing Rafael around the shoulders as more England players joined them.

Rafael disappeared into the middle of the group, with teammates clapping his back and shouting over one another.

He was still laughing when somebody ruffled his hair.

The England badge was pressed against his chest beneath the arms wrapped around him, and his heart was racing from the sprint.

There had been a time when he could barely make it through a match without wondering how badly his knee would hurt afterward. Now he had sprinted away from an international defender, finished past the goalkeeper and raced toward the corner without a single thought about pain.

Rafael grinned as Alker caught his hand, and the two exchanged a brief embrace.

Then, for one second, he wanted to tell his daughter.

The thought came so naturally that he almost pictured reaching for his phone after the match, waiting for her to answer.

His smile faltered.

Someone touched his shoulder, and Rafael looked toward halfway, where the Egyptian players were already gathering for the restart.

He followed his teammates back.

EGYPT 1–1 ENGLAND

Blue light appeared at the edge of his vision as he crossed the halfway line.

[BONUS OBJECTIVE COMPLETE]

[Register One Goal Contribution]

Rafael dismissed the notification as England prepared to restart.

Egypt threatened again before halftime, but England were now finding possession easier to retain, and the final few minutes passed without another clear opportunity for either side.

The referee eventually blew for the interval.

EGYPT 1–1 ENGLAND — HALFTIME