Chapter 76 - 74 - The Other Half

Chapter 76: Chapter 74 - The Other Half

Rafael entered the changing room behind Alker and went straight toward the drinks.

A few places away, one of England’s defenders was speaking with his full-back about the Egyptian winger who had escaped behind them. Another player stood near the medical staff, stretching his calf while answering a question about how it felt.

Antwi waited until most of them had settled.

"Better toward the end," he said. "But we’ve got to stop letting them come straight back at us after we attack."

He gestured toward the defensive half of the board.

"They’re finding too much space when our midfield gets stretched. Don’t give them three passes to run at the back four."

He looked across the forwards.

"Keep their defenders occupied. When the pass inside isn’t there, use the width. We’ve started doing that better."

He finished without turning the interval into a long meeting.

The players used the remaining time to drink, adjust their equipment and speak quietly among themselves.

Rafael sat down and stretched his legs while Alker worked a tight knot loose from one of his boots.

An assistant appeared at the doorway and called for the players to prepare.

Rafael stood, finished his water and followed the others toward the tunnel.

Egypt began the second half aggressively.

Within five minutes, their left winger escaped outside England’s right-back and drove toward the byline, forcing the nearest centre-back to move across before the pass could reach the striker.

England cleared, but Egypt recovered possession and came forward again.

This time, a cross from the right reached an attacker between two defenders.

He directed his header toward the bottom corner, forcing England’s goalkeeper to dive across and push the ball away before a defender completed the clearance.

Rafael watched the goalkeeper climb back to his feet before returning to his position near halfway.

Whenever Rafael dropped toward midfield, the nearest defender stayed close enough to prevent him from turning, while the other remained deeper to cover his movement behind.

On one occasion, Alker found Rafael’s feet and received the layoff, but the Egyptian centre-back anticipated the return pass.

He dropped across Rafael’s running lane, leaving Alker to move possession wide.

Rafael continued into the penalty area while England worked the attack toward the opposite flank.

The ball eventually came back through midfield, where Alker recovered possession and released Kavuma-McQueen on the left.

The winger carried inside, drawing an opponent toward him before finding Rafael near the edge of the area.

Rafael received with a defender approaching from behind.

He shifted the ball across his body and turned into the shooting lane before the Egyptian could close him down.

The goalkeeper had already adjusted his position.

Rafael struck hard with his right foot, sending the shot toward the bottom corner.

The goalkeeper pushed himself across and got a strong hand behind it.

The ball deflected wide.

Rafael followed the attempt before slowing as the referee awarded a corner.

He glanced toward the goalkeeper, who was already getting back to his feet.

Rafael rubbed his palms together and moved toward the penalty spot.

England’s corner came toward the near post, where he attempted to move across his marker. The Egyptian defender reached it first and headed clear.

Possession eventually returned to England’s midfield.

The game remained close, with neither side able to maintain control for long. Egypt looked dangerous whenever they attacked quickly, while England were finding more opportunities to move the ball into the wide areas.

As the second half progressed, the repeated sprints began affecting Rafael’s legs.

He had recovered well from Colombia, but this was his first start of the tournament, and his thighs were growing heavier whenever he accelerated away from a defender.

He loosened his shoulders while waiting for England’s next attack, then moved back across the defensive line as Alker received near the centre circle.

The midfielder released the ball toward Tavares on the right.

Rafael began moving toward the nearest centre-back, who had been following him closely since the equaliser.

The defender came across as Rafael approached.

Rather than dropping toward the pass, Rafael stayed high and moved toward the right side of the penalty area.

The Egyptian followed, keeping close enough to challenge if a cross arrived.

Tavares accelerated around his full-back.

His first touch carried him toward the byline, but the defender recovered quickly enough to prevent a direct delivery.

Tavares checked back and played toward the supporting midfielder.

Rafael moved between the centre-backs.

The defender nearest him took another step inside, while his partner shifted across to cover the space behind.

Rafael glanced over his shoulder.

Kavuma-McQueen was arriving from the left.

As the midfielder received Tavares’s return pass, Rafael made a short movement toward the near post.

Both Egyptian centre-backs stayed narrow.

The midfielder looked up and sent the ball back across the edge of the box.

Kavuma-McQueen reached it in stride.

His first touch carried him away from the recovering defender, and he struck with his right foot before another Egyptian player could close the angle.

The shot passed through the gap between two defenders.

The goalkeeper reacted late, stretching toward the ball as it travelled beyond him and into the net.

England were ahead.

EGYPT 1–2 ENGLAND

Kavuma-McQueen turned and sprinted toward the corner with both arms spread.

Tavares reached him first, followed by Alker and several other players.

Rafael joined them near the edge of the penalty area and clapped the scorer across the back before allowing his teammates to crowd around him.

Kavuma-McQueen was grinning as the others congratulated him, and the substitutes were standing near the technical area.

Rafael returned toward halfway with the rest of the team.

Egypt responded by pushing more players forward.

Their midfielders began moving higher whenever England lost possession, making it difficult to carry the ball out of their own half.

Rafael helped England retain possession when a direct pass reached him near halfway. He controlled under pressure, waited for support and laid the ball back into midfield before turning toward the Egyptian defence.

England moved possession outside, but the attack eventually ended with a cross that was headed clear.

As Rafael jogged back into position, he noticed several substitutes gathering near the technical area.

The fourth official was preparing the board.

Rafael looked toward the clock.

They were approaching the final twenty minutes.

He continued playing until the ball went out near England’s bench.

The board went up.

His number appeared.

Rafael looked toward Antwi, who gestured for him to come across.

He would have preferred another opportunity to score, particularly after the goalkeeper had denied him earlier, but the substitution wasn’t unexpected.

England had another group match coming, several players needed minutes, and his legs were already feeling the effects of the afternoon.

He jogged toward the touchline.

Greenwood was waiting to replace him.

They slapped hands before Greenwood crossed onto the pitch.

Antwi acknowledged Rafael as he approached the bench.

"Good work, Rafa. Get recovered."

Rafael nodded and collected the substitute layer handed to him by a member of staff.

He sat down, took a long drink and watched Greenwood move between the Egyptian centre-backs.

Egypt nearly equalised in the closing stages.

Their right winger found room to deliver a cross from near the byline, and an attacker rose between England’s defenders to direct a header toward goal.

The goalkeeper reacted from close range, stretching both hands above his head to turn the effort over the crossbar.

Several substitutes stood up as the ball went behind.

Rafael remained on his feet while Egypt prepared for the corner.

The delivery came toward the penalty spot, where England’s centre-back won the header and cleared.

Egypt recovered outside the area, but their next attempt was blocked before it reached the goalkeeper.

Another clearance travelled toward Greenwood near the left touchline.

An Egyptian centre-back arrived through his back, but Greenwood managed to bring the ball down and keep possession long enough for a midfielder to move underneath him.

He returned the pass and turned into the channel.

England carried the ball forward, drawing a foul near halfway and giving their defenders time to move up the pitch.

Rafael sat back down.

Egypt continued sending players forward as the clock approached ninety minutes, although their attacks grew increasingly hurried.

England dealt with another long delivery before Greenwood helped retain possession near the corner, forcing Egypt to spend valuable seconds trying to win the ball back.

When they eventually recovered it, their goalkeeper sent a long pass toward England’s area.

The first header went England’s way.

An Egyptian midfielder attempted to return the ball over the defensive line, but the pass was intercepted.

The referee checked his watch.

Then the final whistle sounded.

FULL-TIME: EGYPT 1–2 ENGLAND

Rafael stood as England’s substitutes began walking onto the pitch.

He was smiling when he reached the nearest Egyptian player and offered his hand.

Around him, England’s players were congratulating one another, with several defenders going straight toward their goalkeeper.

Kavuma-McQueen was receiving another round of congratulations near halfway.

Rafael joined the group, briefly caught Alker’s hand and followed the others toward the tunnel.

The changing room was considerably louder than it had been after Colombia.

The players had barely finished returning to their places when confirmation arrived that England had secured qualification for the semifinals with a group match remaining.

Several cheered, while others began discussing the result as they removed their boots.

Kavuma-McQueen was still receiving congratulations for his winning goal, and the goalkeeper had attracted a small group of teammates who were discussing his late save.

Rafael sat down and began removing the tape from his socks.

His legs were stiffening, and he stretched them carefully before reaching for his water bottle.

Antwi entered after several minutes.

"Well done, lads. Two wins, and we’re through."

A few players applauded.

"We’ll go through the game tomorrow, but enjoy the result. Make sure you recover properly because we’ve still got another match before the semifinals."

He reminded those who needed treatment to see the medical staff before leaving, then allowed the players to return to their preparations.

Rafael was packing his equipment when Alker returned from the showers and sat on the opposite bench.

The midfielder reached into his bag for a clean shirt while one of the other players came over with a phone, showing him a replay of Kavuma-McQueen’s winner.

Alker watched it, then looked across at Rafael.

"Have you seen yours yet?"

Rafael shook his head.

Alker took the phone from his teammate and found the equaliser.

Rafael leaned closer as the footage began.

The camera followed Alker’s pass into his feet and the first-time return before catching Rafael’s run behind the centre-back.

He watched himself take the ball into the area and finish across the goalkeeper.

Alker handed the phone back.

"Thought you were going wide when I got the return."

"I nearly did."

The midfielder smiled and reached for his shirt.

Rafael went back to packing his boots while Alker finished dressing.

Several players were already leaving for their recovery work when somebody called from the doorway, asking whether Alker was coming.

"Yeah, give me a minute."

He pulled his shirt down and picked up his bag before looking toward Rafael.

"You heading down as well?"

"Just need to get my legs checked."

"We’re going for food after. Come down when you’re finished."

"All right."

Alker left with the others, and Rafael finished packing before heading toward the medical staff.

It was later, once Rafael had returned to his accommodation and had some privacy, that he called up the System again.

A familiar blue panel appeared before him.

[CAREER MISSION COMPLETE]

[ANSWER THE CALL]

[Primary Objective: COMPLETE]

[Bonus Objective: COMPLETE]

[Goal Contribution Recorded]

[Bonus Reward Available: Composure +0.2]

Rafael selected the reward.

[BONUS REWARD CLAIMED]

[Composure +0.2]

The panel faded.

He still had five unassigned Free Attribute Points from his earlier rewards, but he left them untouched.

Rafael stretched his legs across the bed and shifted his weight, checking the stiffness in his thighs.

Then he reached for his phone.

His mother had sent him a message congratulating him on the goal, followed by a reminder to eat properly and get enough sleep.

He smiled and sent a reply.

Several messages from Metz were waiting beneath hers, including one from a teammate who had shared a short clip of the equaliser.

Rafael opened it.

The footage showed him checking toward Alker, returning the pass and immediately accelerating into the space behind the defender.

He watched the finish once before replaying it from the beginning.

This time, he paid attention to the goalkeeper’s movement.

The keeper had started advancing as Rafael entered the area, and his first touch had given him just enough room to strike before the defender recovered.

Rafael closed the video and placed his phone beside the bed.

The following morning began with recovery.

England’s players worked in groups according to their minutes from Egypt, with those who had played longer spending more time under the supervision of the medical and fitness staff.

Rafael completed his assigned work without rushing.

His legs were still stiff, but he had no injuries or unusual discomfort.

The coaching staff later reviewed the Egypt game and went through the programme for the remaining days.

England still had Korea Republic to face on Wednesday.

With qualification already secured, Antwi explained that the final group match would allow the staff to distribute more minutes while preparing the squad for the next stage.

Rafael listened with the other players before heading out to finish his recovery.

Afterward, he collected his equipment and returned toward the changing room with several teammates.

An updated tournament programme had been placed near the entrance, and players were taking copies as they passed.

Rafael picked one up while walking toward his bag.

The remaining group fixture against Korea Republic was still listed for Wednesday.

Below it, the space reserved for the semifinals had been updated.

England’s name was now printed there.

The opponent had yet to be determined.

Rafael stopped beside the bench and ran his eyes over the new fixture.

Now there was another match waiting beyond the group stage.

He folded the programme and slipped it into his bag.

Alker and several other players were already heading toward the exit.

Rafael picked up his equipment and joined them.