Chapter 241: [241] "MATCHDAY d’Azur 3"

The ball rolled smoothly across the turf, passing over the halfway line and finding the feet of Hugo Blanc.

The young maestro collected the kickoff with an effortless trap. He did not look forward to initiate a rapid attack. He knew exactly what Henri had drilled into them all week. SC Valois was the away team, operating in a hostile environment, fielding a backup goalkeeper who was terrified of leaving his line.

The priority was not an immediate strike. The priority was establishing control over the tempo.

Hugo opened his hips and pushed a grounded pass to Klaus Becker.

The big midfielder received the ball on his favored foot. He took a single touch to settle the momentum of it, lifting his head to scan the formation developing in front of him.

FC Côte d’Azur did not surge forward like rabid dogs as one would expect.

They did not implement a high press designed to force a turnover deep in the Valois half. Instead, the opposing eleven dropped back. They assembled into a rigid, traditional 4-4-2 block.

Two distinct lines of four players positioned themselves ten yards apart, creating a compact grid that spanned the width of the pitch. Their two strikers hovered just a few yards ahead of the midfield line, acting as roadblocks rather than aggressive hunters.

They were daring Valois to try and pass through the center. They wanted to compress the space, force an error, and funnel the play wide.

Klaus recognized the setup instantly. He did not force a pass into the congested midfield. He swung his right leg and drove a firm, thirty-yard switch out to the left back flank.

Zack Florez trapped the ball cleanly on the touchline. The eighteen-year-old left-back checked his shoulder, assessing the distance of the nearest Côte d’Azur attacker. The opposing player maintained a strict distance of five yards, refusing to commit to a press that might pull him out of his defensive structure.

Zack held the ball for two seconds, drawing the player only a step closer, before slipping a short and simple pass forward to Dário Ferrão.

Dário received the ball with his back to the Côte goal. As per Henri’s defensive instructions, the Portuguese winger was the only forward allowed to maintain a high starting position during the defensive phase.

He was the designated outlet. But right now, in the first minute of sustained possession, he was isolated against two defenders. The Côte d’Azur right-back stepped up, applying heavy pressure, while the right-sided central midfielder shifted over to cut off any inside pass.

Finding no avenue for progression, Dário utilized the sole of his boot to drag the ball backward, executing a quick pivot to shield it from the fullback. He played a safe, recycling pass back to Zack Florez.

Zack immediately passed it inward to Amadou Fall.

The tall center-back controlled the ball near the edge of his own defensive third. He looked across the pitch toward his defensive partner, Leo Hernandez. Amadou rolled a slow pass to Leo, methodically resetting.

The clock ticked past the sixty-second mark.

SC Valois had not advanced the ball past the opposition’s midfield line, but they had successfully completed consecutive passes.

Luc remained positioned high up the pitch in the central attacking zone. He stood between the two massive Côte d’Azur center-backs. His job was to prevent them from stepping up to compress the midfield space. It was not a glamorous role. It required constant exertion even when the ball was yards away.

The center-back on Luc’s right side, a veteran wearing the number five jersey, stepped close and drove a forearm into the center of Luc’s back. It was a clear foul with aggressive intent, a message designed to test the captain’s physical resilience after his highly publicized injury.

Luc did not stumble though.

He engaged and pushed backward against the defender’s mass.

Luc threw his left shoulder backward, connecting solidly with the center-back’s chest, creating a foot of separation.

"Is that all you have?" Luc asked quietly, not turning his head, keeping his eyes tracking the ball as it circulated the backline.

The center-back grunted, stepping back into the physical contact, hooking his arm illegally around Luc’s waist. The referee, positioned twenty yards away, completely ignored the grappling... obviously he’d deny he ever saw it at all.

This was the standard operating procedure in Ligue Alpha. The area may be a warzone, but the officials only blew the whistle for blatant violence.

Down in the Valois half, Leo Hernandez pushed the ball forward to Cillian Doyle.

The Irishman received the pass on the half-turn, his cleats digging into the grass as he surveyed the pitch. He attempted to drive through the center circle, utilizing his raw power to break the first line of the Côte d’Azur block. He took three aggressive strides forward, pushing the ball ahead of him.

Instantly, the two opposing central midfielders came inward, snapping the space shut. They abandoned their flat shape for a fraction of a second to create a double-team, converging on Cillian from both sides.

Cillian realized the danger immediately.

He did not attempt to force a dribble through the closing gap and instead chopped his right boot across the ball, executing a sharp, ninety-degree turn, shielding the ball with his broad shoulders.

He took a heavy shoulder barge from the nearest midfielder, absorbed the impact, and laid the ball off to Klaus Becker.

The stadium crowd began to whistle. The high-pitched sound cascaded down from the tiers. It was the universal footballing expression of severe impatience. The local supporters wanted their team to press. They wanted tackles, interceptions, and attacks.

They were frustrated by the sterile, methodical passing sequences SC Valois was using to kill the clock and dictate the rhythm.

The Côte d’Azur manager stood on the very edge of his technical area, waving his arms frantically. He was not ordering his team forward. He was screaming at them to maintain their discipline. He knew that the moment his players broke rank to chase the ball, the Valois midfield would carve them open.

Minute two expired. The ball continued to cycle.