Chapter 667: Nassim’s Decisive Penalty!

FWEEE!

"A push from SC Verl’s number 4, Daniel Mikic, against Schalke II’s number 21, Nassim Boujellab! On-site decision: a penalty kick for Schalke II and the second yellow card turned to a red card for Daniel Mikic! He is out!"

The referee didn’t hesitate in his announcement, not even consulting the linesmen first before pointing toward the penalty spot. From his perspective, everything was so obvious here. It was a professional foul made in desperation, and honestly, he should give a straight red card since Nassim was alone in SC Verl’s penalty box.

The only saving grace here was that Nassim’s position was slightly closer to the byline, and in that difficult angle, the threat Nassim possessed was not that much in the referee’s mind.

However, the Moroccan winger didn’t mind this decision. After all, he knew well enough that Daniel Mikic was the one who rammed him and got a yellow card because of it at the beginning of the game, so the result was quite the same now.

No, his focus was on the penalty kick in front of him, as he carried the ball quietly to Luca Schuler, who was waiting outside of the box.

"What? You want to take it?" The striker asked.

"Can I?" Nassim asked back.

He knew that the striker was the team’s main executioner, and it was bad to create a conflict for just a penalty kick in the middle of the game like this. However, the Moroccan winger felt like it was he who fought for it, so he should have the right to execute it on his own.

Fortunately, Luca Schuler was not an egoistical maniac who was chasing a goal. The boy just shrugged, saying, "Sure, just make sure you slot it in right, okay? If you fail to score, the boss will be furious later."

Nassim shuddered lightly when he remembered the coach’s anger earlier during the break. Honestly, that thought alone was enough to make him hesitate, wanting to give up the chance to the striker. However, the boy gritted his teeth, looking at the opponent’s goal with eyes burning in determination.

’What the hell am I afraid of right now? As long as I score this, I will be okay!’

On the opponent’s side, no one paid attention to the interaction between Nassim and Luca Schuler. They just stood silently, getting slightly depressed by the situation in front of them right now.

They had been dominating the second half, trying to chase the goal for a lead, and yet, it was they who suffered a penalty kick? Then, to make it worse, one of their defenders also got sent off because of that reckless foul, making everything more difficult for the team.

Honestly, it was as if the God of football itself didn’t want to let them win the game today.

"Come on! This is not the time to think about those messy things!" Their captain, the team’s left back, clapped so loudly to gain his teammates’ attention. "Lange, we will leave it all to you! Come on, you can do this!" He patted the goalkeeper’s shoulder solemnly.

The goalkeeper suddenly felt the weight of the world on his shoulder. Poor man, he looked like he was about to pass out on the pitch. He knew full well that if he failed to save the penalty, the team would probably lose the game today. Unfortunately, he had no way to run, so the man gulped all the nervousness inside him and nodded quietly at his teammates.

"I’ll try my best, but don’t blame me if I fail, okay?" He joked weakly.

Soon enough, the penalty box was cleared away, only leaving that goalkeeper and Nassim standing in the spotlight. Higo also moved a little bit forward, even getting closer to the center line to take a better look at this penalty kick.

It was definitely not the best decision he made, because if somehow the penalty was saved and the opponent got a chance to launch a quick counterattack, Higo would be at a disadvantage. However, the goalkeeper trusted Nassim on that penalty spot, so he wasn’t really that worried about a possible counterattack after this.

’Come on, Nassim... At least, don’t make me look stupid here...’ He murmured secretly, clenching his glove-covered fists tightly.

Well, Nassim didn’t know that behind him, the goalkeeper was eyeing him like a hawk. However, the Moroccan winger was quite calm, looking at the goal intently. Silence followed as even people on the stand could be seen being anxious, waiting impatiently for the referee to blow the whistle. Soon enough...

FWEEE!

Once Nassim heard that shrieking voice, he started his run-up, approaching the ball calmly before swinging his right foot hard.

BAM!

He didn’t even look at the place where he aimed the ball at, just completely focusing on the opponent’s goalkeeper. This was enough to shake off the man’s mentality, and he failed to read the penalty. The man went to the left side when the ball itself was going in the opposite direction. As a result, it went straight to the back of the net, giving Schalke II the lead they had been waiting for.

"YES! Come on, Nassim!"

"This is it! This is what we are waiting for!"

"WHO IS OUR PRINCE?!"

"NASSIM! NASSIM! NASSIM!"

The Moroccan winger just spread his arms wide, enjoying the cheers coming from all over the stadium for him. The others followed, laughing excitedly while also celebrating the goal together with the main protagonist himself.

"Goddamnit, Nassim! You almost gave me a heart attack here!" Brackelmann chuckled while also rubbing the winger’s head fondly.

"Hah! I have never doubted you, Nassim! Good job!" Luca Schuler grinned, accepting the high-five from the goal scorer.

Back on Schalke’s territory, Higo could also be seen raising both hands in the air, celebrating the goal with the defenders around. Inwardly, the boy couldn’t help but feel so relieved, as if a big burden was lifted from his shoulders.

’Now that we are on the lead and they are down by one player, everything should be easy, right?’