Chapter 261: [261] "GOOD GAME, NICE GAME"

Hadj made contact, directing a powerful header toward the crossbar. The ball skimmed the top of the net, landing on the roof of the goal for a goal kick.

Minute seventy-six.

FC C?te d’Azur attempted to build from the back. The home goalkeeper played a short pass to his center-back. The defender looked up, searching for a pass through the center of the pitch.

Idriss Konaté initiated the press. The Valois striker closed the distance rapidly, forcing the center-back to turn his hips and play a rushed pass out to his left-back.

Bachra Goza was waiting. The Spanish teenager, relieved of his defensive duties and operating with pure attacking intent, surged forward. He anticipated the pass, stepped across the fullback, and intercepted the ball cleanly.

Bachra drove into the penalty area, isolating the remaining center-back. He executed a flawless croqueta, shifting the ball rapidly from his right foot to his left, shattering the defender’s balance. Bachra opened his hips and fired a firm shot toward the near post.

The goalkeeper kicked his leg out, making a desperate kick-save to deny the fourth goal. The ball rebounded out to the edge of the box.

Cillian Doyle arrived, securing possession and recycling the ball backward to Klaus.

SC Valois settled into a methodical possession rhythm. They utilized the four-man midfield to circulate the ball across the width of the pitch, draining the clock and forcing the exhausted C?te d’Azur players to chase shadows.

Minute eighty-one.

Desperation consumed the home side. The C?te d’Azur manager screamed from the touchline, demanding his players push higher and force a turnover.

A C?te d’Azur midfielder abandoned his position, sprinting recklessly toward Klaus Becker. Klaus simply dragged the ball backward, shielded it with his massive frame, and played a safe pass to Zack Florez.

Zack received the ball and immediately faced a double-team. Two C?te d’Azur players converged on the eighteen-year-old, attempting to trap him against the touchline. Zack did not attempt to dribble out of the pressure, instead he scanned the pitch, located Hugo Blanc operating in the central pocket, and scooped a delicate pass over the heads of the pressing defenders.

Hugo trapped the ball flawlessly on his chest, dropping it to the ground. The teenager spun away from a recovering midfielder and drove a pass forward to Idriss.

Idriss caught the pass with his back to goal. He engaged the C?te d’Azur center-back exactly as Luc had instructed him. Idriss widened his stance, dropping his hips and using his upper body strength to pin the defender in place. He held the ball for three seconds, allowing Bachra and Dário to initiate their attacking runs, before laying a short pass off.

The Valois attack flowed relentlessly. They did not score a fourth goal, but the continuous pressure prevented C?te d’Azur from launching a single meaningful offensive transition.

Minute eighty-six.

FC C?te d’Azur managed to win a free-kick near the halfway line. The home side pushed all of their outfield players forward, loading the Valois penalty area for a desperate, long-range delivery.

The C?te d’Azur playmaker launched a high ball toward the penalty spot.

Pinto, with his confidence restored by his earlier crucial intervention, did not wait for Hadj or Amadou to clear the danger. Pinto ripped himself away from the goal line. He charged through the crowded penalty area, his eyes locked onto the dropping ball.

"Keeper’s ball!" Pinto roared for his defenders to hear.

He launched his body into the air. He extended his arms above the tangle of heads and snatched the ball cleanly out of the sky.

Pinto landed firmly on his feet, clutching the football tightly to his chest. He did not immediately distribute the ball. He stood in the center of his penalty area, glaring at the C?te d’Azur strikers who had attempted to challenge his airspace.

The home crowd fell silent once more. The final shred of hope they possessed, the belief that the Valois backup goalkeeper would crack under pressure, was definitively extinguished.

Pinto had conquered his weakness.

On the Valois bench, Luc allowed himself to relax fully against the plastic seat. He crossed his arms over his chest, watching Pinto roll the ball out to Leo Hernandez.

The changes Henri had made was working. The introduction of Hadj neutralized the crossing threat. Zack’s elevation into the midfield suffocated the central space. The offensive freedom granted to Dário and Bachra pinned the C?te d’Azur fullbacks deep in their own half.

The system was functioning with perfection.

Minute ninety.

The fourth official raised the electronic board, indicating three minutes of stoppage time.

The stadium began to empty. Thousands of local supporters abandoned their seats, streaming toward the exits, refusing to watch the final minutes of their team’s capitulation. The only noise remaining in the arena was the relentless chanting of the SC Valois away fans, their voices heard from the vacant tiers. ℴ

SC Valois held possession in the C?te d’Azur half. Klaus passed to Hugo. Hugo tapped it to Cillian. Cillian rolled it to Zack.

They did not attempt to attack the goal. They simply passed the ball in a wide circle, executing a training ground rondo drill against a completely demoralized opposition. The C?te d’Azur players stopped pressing. They stood near the center circle, their hands resting on their hips, waiting for the misery to end.

The clock ticked past the ninety-second minute.

Zack Florez received the ball on the left flank. He looked up, assessing the lack of pressure. He played a slow pass backward to Leo Hernandez. Leo cycled it to Amadou Fall. Amadou passed it to Hadj.

The three center-backs knocked the ball between themselves, completely unchallenged.

The referee checked his watch. He brought the whistle to his lips.

Piii. Piii. Piiii.

The final whistle echoed across the stadium.

The match was officially concluded. FC C?te d’Azur 1 - SC Valois 3.

The SC Valois players on the pitch raised their arms in victory. Klaus Becker immediately walked over to Pinto, pulling the goalkeeper into a massive embrace. Amadou Fall and Hadj exchanged high-fives, celebrating their flawless defensive shift in the final minutes.

Luc unstrapped the ice pack from his knee. He stood up from the bench, grabbing his training jacket. The pain in his neck was no more. He had deep satisfaction of securing three vital points on the road.

Luc walked out of the dugout, stepping onto the grass to join his teammates in saluting the travelling fans before heading home.