Pirlo and his teammates continued drawing Bongani's players toward one flank.
One of Pirlo's midfielders suddenly made a run down the opposite flank. As he approached the halfway line, Pirlo spotted the movement and sent a lofted pass toward him. The midfielder brought the ball under control and accelerated down the flank.
Hickman immediately recognized what they were trying to do and adjusted his position accordingly. The left-back allowed the midfielder to advance, waiting for the right moment to apply pressure.
As the midfielder reached the byline, the left-back closed him down, forcing him toward the edge of the field. The midfielder hurriedly attempted a cross, but the left-back stretched out his leg. The ball struck the back of his leg and ricocheted backward.
Hickman reacted quickly. He collected the loose ball and sent a long pass toward Elijah, who was positioned in the middle of the field. The moment the ball reached Elijah's feet, he flicked it over the approaching midfielder.
Their formation immediately shifted into a 4-3-3.
As the creative midfielder, Elijah quickly moved into the heart of the field. He glanced up and spotted one winger sprinting down the flank while Bongani made a run down the opposite side. Without hesitation, Elijah played a curling through ball toward the winger, who had slipped behind the defenders.
The winger stretched out his leg and brought the ball under control, but the awkward touch caused him to stumble forward before he regained his balance. Meanwhile, Bongani and the central striker sprinted into the nine-yard box, preparing for an aerial delivery.
Bongani used a body feint inside the box, drawing one of the defenders toward him.
The central striker leaped above Pirlo's defenders and connected with the incoming cross, directing his header toward the near post.
Bang!
The ball struck the post and rebounded back toward the edge of the nine-yard box. Elijah had remained outside the box, acting almost like an extra defender. Bongani had instructed five players to enter the nine-yard box whenever they reached this position, leaving Elijah to cover the space outside.
The moment the ball rebounded toward him, Elijah stepped forward and blasted it toward the goal. With the nine-yard box crowded with players, Pirlo's goalkeeper initially struggled to see the ball's trajectory.
Then, in an instant, he saw it.
The ball was already flying toward the top-right corner. The goalkeeper reacted a fraction too late. He leaped and managed to punch the ball away. However, the clearance did not go out for a corner. Instead, the ball dropped back into the crowded box.
Pirlo's defenders immediately used their bodies to shield the ball, stretching their arms out to hold off Bongani and his teammates as they surged forward.
The goalkeeper scrambled across the grass, desperately reaching for the loose ball before anyone else could get to it.
Disappointed, Bongani and his teammates quickly returned to their positions.
Pirlo's goalkeeper held onto the ball for a few minutes before finally getting to his feet and throwing it toward the right-back. The right-back passed it to the center-back, who then played it to the center-back beside him. The ball remained at the back as Pirlo's defenders calmly exchanged passes among themselves.
Pirlo's game plan was becoming clear.
He wanted to tire Bongani's team by dominating possession—ideally keeping the ball for ninety percent of the match and forcing Bongani and his teammates to chase it around the field. But Bongani and his team were unaware of the tactic. To them, constantly pressuring Pirlo's team meant forcing them deeper into their own half until they eventually made a mistake.
Bongani and the three attackers pressed Pirlo and his forwards, who struggled to find a way through the pressure. Whenever they were approached, they passed the ball back toward their defenders.
The cycle continued.
Bongani's formation eventually shifted back into a 3-5-2 as his players pushed forward to maintain the pressure. Pirlo's team remained calm. Whenever Bongani's attackers approached, they simply passed the ball backward and continued circulating possession.
The first half continued like this until the referee finally blew the whistle.
"This match is boring," Oswin said, leaning his head against his hand. "I thought this Pirlo player would pressure Bo since he had been planning this match for a while."
"I think he's toying with Bongani," Winston replied. "The ball possession is meant to tire Bongani and his team out. I think the second half will be interesting." He took a long gulp from his water bottle.
"You think so?" Oswin asked, shifting his gaze toward Bongani and his teammates, who were huddled together. "I hope Bo didn't take the bait."
Winston yawned and stretched his arms. "I think he knew. He was probably just playing along with Pirlo's first game plan. Didn't you notice that Bongani was heavily marked? Pirlo is actively keeping an eye on him. I think the second half will be engaging,"
"Damn, I wish Daemon hadn't recruited me. I'd love to play," Oswin said as he stood up. "I'm going to get some more bottles of water. These energy bars are drying out my mouth."
The second half began, and Pirlo's team immediately shifted into a wide 4-3-3, with one central midfielder pushing forward behind the main striker. Their two wingers stayed extremely wide, while the other two central midfielders remained closer together in the middle.
Their attacking approach was similar to Bongani's. Whenever they reached the final third, they intended to crowd the nine-yard box with several players. Pirlo received the ball and immediately passed it to the advanced central midfielder, who quickly returned it to the defenders.
Unlike in the first half, Pirlo and his teammates didn't retreat. They pushed forward and positioned themselves inside Bongani's half. The defenders began the buildup by moving the ball toward the left flank. The left-back received it before passing to the central midfielder, who had dropped toward the flank to support the play.
The midfielder controlled the ball and looked for a free teammate.
There was none.
Two of Bongani's players had already closed him down, boxing him in and forcing him to pass the ball back toward his own half.
Bongani's 3-5-2 formation was doing exactly what he intended.
The three midfielders and the wingers dropped deeper, forming a long defensive line across the middle of the field. Bongani was one of those midfielders, constantly watching for an opportunity to intercept. Pirlo's defenders tried again, this time switching the ball toward the right flank.
Once again, the midfielder was met by two players who immediately closed him down. The midfielder struggled to find an outlet, just as he turned his body to pass the ball backward, Bongani stepped in.
Tap!
He stole the ball from the midfielder who was already struggling under pressure from the other two players. Bongani immediately pushed the ball forward and charged into the attack.
His formation transformed in an instant.
The 3-5-2 shifted into a 4-3-3 as the five midfielders surged forward into their attacking positions. One of the midfielders on the flank dropped back into the defensive line, creating the fourth defender.
Bongani sprinted down the flank and played the ball toward Elijah.
Elijah received it with two midfielders closing in from either side. He used a quick body feint, making one defender shift to his left before dragging the ball toward his right. In the same motion, he sent a long pass toward the winger making a run along the edge of the box.
The winger reached the ball near the byline and immediately sent a low cross across the face of goal. Bongani and the central striker charged into the nine-yard box. Two more midfielders followed them, flooding the penalty area.
All of them launched themselves toward the cross, one after another, they slid in, desperately trying to make contact with the ball.
They all missed—except Bongani.
With a last-second slide, Bongani stretched out his leg and connected with the ball. The unexpected touch caught Pirlo's goalkeeper completely off guard. The goalkeeper scrambled across the goalmouth and desperately dove toward the ball, but it had already slipped beneath him.
Thwack!
Winston and Oswin stood up with their fists raised before clapping their hands together.
After they finished celebrating, Pirlo restarted the game with a hardened expression. He had been taken aback. He thought he had exhausted Bongani's team during the first half, but they had adapted.
Pirlo passed the ball to the central midfielder, who quickly sent it back to the defenders. The defenders exchanged passes again, but this time Bongani and his team pushed deeper into Pirlo's half, making it difficult for the defenders to find a pass into midfield.
With no clear option, they passed the ball back to their goalkeeper, who launched it toward the midfielders. One of Pirlo's midfielders leaped and headed the aerial ball toward his teammate, who was already running down the flank.
Bongani and his attackers scrambled to get back into position.
Pirlo saw the opening.
His team quickly launched a counterattack with four attackers surging forward while three defenders remained behind to cover them. Pirlo and his teammates began exchanging quick, triangular passes.
Hickman kept his eyes on Pirlo, while the other two defenders marked the two wingers. The midfielder stayed behind the triangle, controlling his pace and waiting for the right moment to join the attack.
As they approached the edge of the penalty area, Hickman suddenly slid across Pirlo's path.
Pirlo reacted instantly, he struck the ball with a knuckle shot.
The ball slammed into Hickman's thigh, changing its trajectory and sending it toward the goal at an awkward angle. The goalkeeper scrambled to react, but the sudden change in direction made the shot almost impossible to follow.
The ball flew toward the top corner, ricocheted off the inside of the post, and went in.
Thwack!