Hickman and Danilo fist-pumped each other.
"You've got a good team. I've been keeping an eye on the players you've recruited," Danilo said, placing his hands on his hips.
"You too. You've recruited some good players. I've seen them play lately," Hickman replied.
He grinned, "So, based on our challenge, I hope you didn't forget that you'll be buying me lunch for a month when I win."
"When you win, huh? You wish. I'll be the one winning this match, so make sure you prepare to buy me lunch for a month," Danilo said, chuckling and shaking his head.
"We'll see," Hickman replied.
The two walked toward the referee. After the coin toss, Danilo suddenly threw his fist into the air.
"Yes!"
The referee furrowed his brow, while Hickman simply shook his head. "By the way, what formation are you playing?" Danilo asked once the coin toss was over.
"A 4-2-2-2 formation," Hickman replied as he walked toward his side of the field.
"What a coincidence. I'm also playing that formation," Danilo said before walking toward his own half.
"Great minds think alike. My game plan will win," Hickman said, waving toward Danilo.
The referee blew his whistle.
Danilo and his team started the match.
They began their build-up from the back, with Danilo immediately taking control of the tempo. He was a dual archetype. His Tempo Setter was one of his strongest archetypes, while his Libero role often caught players off guard whenever he switched into it.
After receiving the ball, Danilo looked around his own half before gesturing for his teammates to spread out. Some players immediately moved into the pockets of space around the field.
Danilo spotted one of them and passed the ball into his path.
A midfielder making a run down the flank quickly controlled the ball before passing it to the central defender beside him. The defenders continued circulating the ball toward the flanks, deliberately avoiding the center of the pitch.
On the other side, Hickman watched the movement carefully.
Back in high school, he had earned the nickname 'Hickman Wall' because of his defensive ability. The midfielders on Danilo's team pushed forward along both flanks. On the left, the attacking midfielder carrying the ball suddenly cut inside and entered the left side of the penalty box.
Hickman's fullback and central defender immediately closed him down, boxing him in. The midfielder looked for an opportunity to cross the ball into the box, but the pressure was too intense. He lost possession.
Hickman's players quickly exchanged passes before Hickman launched an aerial ball toward Elijah, who was playing as a Deep-Lying Playmaker. Elijah quickly controlled the ball and passed it toward Oswin, who had moved into position to receive it.
Winston, playing as a Target Man, began weaving behind Danilo. Danilo had already read the movement and allowed the other central defender to follow Oswin toward the middle.
Elijah passed an aerial ball toward Winston when he received a pass from Oswin, but Danilo shuffled across and headed it toward his fullback, who had dropped deeper to provide an outlet.
The fullback controlled the ball against the pressure around him, deliberately slowing the tempo before passing it back to Danilo, who had also dropped deep. Danilo immediately switched the ball toward the left fullback. The fullback passed it into a midfielder attempting to make a run into the pocket on his side. Bongani read the movement and slid in with a perfectly timed tackle.
The ball came loose.
Danilo's midfielder recovered it and quickly passed it back to Danilo.
Danilo carried the ball toward the center of his own half, periodically glancing up to check the movement of his teammates as they weaved into Hickman's defensive half.
Then he spotted an opening—with another aerial pass, Danilo switched the ball toward the right flank.
The right winger sprinted toward the far corner of Hickman's side. Instead of running directly into the penalty box, Danilo's striker moved along the edge of Zone 14, waiting for an opening. The striker and midfielder exchanged quick, short passes, attempting to pull Hickman's fullback and central defender out of position.
For a moment, it worked.
The midfielder eventually slipped the ball toward the striker, who attempted to dribble into the box. But Hickman had already read the play, his defensive instincts kicked in. He stretched out his leg and intercepted the pass before immediately carrying the ball out of the box.
Without wasting time, Hickman passed it toward a midfielder standing inside his own half. The midfielder's first touch was decisive, he blasted the ball toward Bongani, who was already making a run down the right flank.
Elijah pushed forward.
Oswin drifted toward the left side, Winston jogged through the center. Danilo immediately dropped deeper into his own half, anticipating the counterattack. Bongani took the ball and dribbled past the fullback before sprinting toward the far side of the penalty box.
He lowered his body and sent a low cross into the box. Danilo used his lean frame and body strength to shield the ball from Winston before clearing it back toward the center of the field.
The match had barely begun, yet both sides had already shown exactly why their defensive reputations had brought them this far.
The second half resumed with Winston starting the play. He passed the ball to Elijah, who quickly moved it to Hickman. Hickman exchanged passes with the defenders on either side of him, circulating the ball for several minutes. Their plan was to draw Danilo's team forward and create gaps in their defensive shape.
However, after realizing that Danilo wasn't taking the bait, Hickman decided to change the approach. He launched a long pass toward Elijah.
Elijah used his body to trap the ball before turning and sending another long pass toward Bongani. Bongani quickly played an aerial pass toward Oswin, who was already pointing toward the space in front of him.
With his newly developed explosive speed, Oswin quickly trapped the ball with the outside of his foot before driving toward the penalty box.
Winston moved backward, waiting for a quick pass. The box was crowded, so he knew there was little room for him to make a run. With a quick glance, Oswin used a stutter step and sudden change of tempo before sending a low pass toward Winston. He didn't want to wait for the ball to settle at his feet.
Winston immediately blasted the ball toward goal.
Danilo and the other defenders reacted instantly. They threw themselves into the path of the shot, blocking it and deflecting the ball out for a corner.
Oswin grabbed the ball and jogged toward the corner flag.
As he prepared to take the corner, Danilo remembered the match he had watched between Eli and Ethan. He had learned something from the way Ethan's team defended corners. Danilo and his defenders began moving away from the crowded penalty area, leaving more space than Winston expected.
To anyone who hadn't watched Eli and Ethan's match, it might have looked like a strange defensive tactic. In reality, Danilo's team was using the same approach deliberately. They were trying to lure the attackers into thinking the penalty area was open before quickly closing them down.
Danilo and two of his defenders exchanged glances before nodding.
Meanwhile, Winston and Hickman began making confusing runs, weaving around one another in an attempt to lose their markers. Soon, only Winston, Hickman, and one of their teammates remained in the area they had targeted.
Danilo had watched Winston's matches from the beginning. At first, he had wanted to recruit Winston for this challenge, but after realizing that Winston and Hickman had become friends, he decided to let him go.
Winston and Hickman both waved their arms toward Oswin.
Oswin nodded.
He took a few steps back before striking the ball. And it curled sharply through the air, dipping toward the far side of the penalty box. Danilo and his defenders had already begun moving when Oswin prepared to take the kick.
Hickman suddenly stepped outside the penalty area before backpedaling toward the far side of the box. The unexpected movement caught Danilo and the other defenders off guard.
They watched as the ball sailed over them and toward Hickman, who was completely unmarked. With a quick tap of his head, Hickman redirected the ball toward Winston in the middle of the box.
This was the tactic Hickman had come up with.
He knew Danilo was far better than him when it came to heading the ball away, so instead of challenging Danilo directly, Hickman had positioned himself to receive the first header and redirect it toward Winston.
Winston jumped.
He met the ball with his forehead and headed it toward the goal. Danilo's goalkeeper reacted instantly. Using his goalkeeper reflexes, he threw himself sideways, stretching his arms and legs as wide as possible to make himself bigger.
The ball struck him in the face, it ricocheted away and rolled toward Zone 14. Elijah rushed toward the loose ball and loaded up for a quick shot. The ball sailed over the crossbar and slammed into the Federation Football Association's guard fence.
Danilo and his defenders immediately hugged one another, celebrating the save their goalkeeper had just made. The second half continued much like the first. Both teams took turns attacking each other's penalty areas, creating chances and testing the opposing defenses. Neither side was willing to give the other an easy opportunity. When the ninety minutes finally came to an end, the score remained level.
The match ended in a draw.
"Well, that was fun. Too bad there was no winner," Danilo said, giving Hickman a hug.
"You've actually improved. You've strengthened your defensive prowess, too," Hickman said, wiping the sweat from his face with his jersey.
"You too. I guess being friends with that striker, Winston, has improved your prowess as well."
The two looked toward Winston, who was surrounded by Oswin, Elijah, and Bongani.