As Tottenham Hotspur's attacking talisman, Christian Eriksen's passing ability had been proven time and time again in the Premier League.
The ball hugged the wet turf tightly, slicing perfectly through the narrow gap between the two Norwegian center-backs.
In a split second, the ball rolled right into the path of Kasper Dolberg.
For the 21-year-old Danish striker, it was a golden opportunity. He could have taken the shot first-time.
Only Norway's goalkeeper, André Hansen, stood between him and the net.
Eriksen's through ball had beautifully torn Norway's defensive line apart.
"He has to score here," Peter Drury called out on the broadcast. "Dolberg shoots... but it's saved. The shot was just too straight and fired right into Hansen's chest. Denmark misses a massive chance to equalize."
Dolberg looked down at the grass, clearly fighting his nerves.
He had just wasted Eriksen's exquisite pass!
On social media, football fans didn't hold back their criticism.
"Dolberg is having a laugh. Kicking it right into the keeper's arms."
"Eriksen must be fuming right now."
"To be fair, that pass from Eriksen was filthy. He's running the show for Denmark."
"Spurs are lucky to have Eriksen. Dolberg, not so much."
Five minutes later, Denmark came knocking again.
Once again, it was Eriksen orchestrating the attack, driving the ball forward from the midfield.
However, having learned from their previous scare, Norway didn't give the Spurs maestro an inch of space this time.
Lars Lagerbäck shouted from the touchline, sending three players to press Eriksen simultaneously.
They aggressively sealed off all his passing lanes.
Theodore, Ole Selnæs, and Markus Henriksen collapsed on him.
Eriksen was brilliant, but he wasn't Neymar, he didn't have the raw trickery to dribble out of a three-man cage.
Under the heavy, suffocating pressure, the Norwegians successfully stripped him of the ball.
Selnæs came away with it. He could have played it safe or tried forcing a pass up to the strikers, but he didn't.
Instead, he looked up and nudged a short pass over to Theodore, trusting the teenager to make the final killer ball.
"Selnæs feeds it to Theodore Bjorn," Peter noted.
Theodore took one touch to set himself. He saw the run, leaned back, and delivered his signature sweeping long pass.
"And there is that vision again," Jim Beglin added as the ball sailed cleanly over the head of Danish center-back Andreas Christensen.
"Martin Ødegaard is through. He receives the ball in stride... he shoots. GOALLLL." Peter Drury announced, his voice rising with the crowd.
"Ødegaard doesn't waste Theodore's pass. He coolly slots the ball into the far corner past Kasper Schmeichel."
"Three to one. Norway extends their lead. A hat-trick of goals for Martin Ødegaard, and a hat-trick of assists for the 17-year-old debutant!"
"These two young stars are putting on an absolute clinic tonight," Beglin praised. "Ødegaard's positioning is top-class. The moment Theodore looked up, Martin was already sprinting into the box. And that pass was weighted to perfection. It takes the suspense right out of this match."
Having completed his hat-trick, Ødegaard was ecstatic.
He sprinted straight over to Theodore, pulling the teenager into a massive hug.
"That was unreal, Theo. Your passing is just brilliant," Ødegaard laughed, catching his breath. "You are the most accurate midfielder I've ever played with."
Excitement filled Ødegaard's eyes.
He looked at Theodore, genuinely struggling to believe the kid was only seventeen.
"Honestly, at your age, I wasn't even half as good as you," Ødegaard admitted. "Your future is bright."
Theodore rubbed the back of his neck, waving off the praise.
"You're the one putting them in the back of the net, Martin. A pass is just a pass without a good finish."
Hearing that, a brief hint of melancholy flashed across Ødegaard's face.
"I'm not the player I used to be," Ødegaard sighed quietly, the adrenaline wearing off for a second.
"I'm grinding it out at Twente in the Eredivisie. I still have my contract with Real Madrid, but every summer, Florentino Pérez just ships me out on loan again. I feel like I've lost my future there."
Theodore gave him a supportive pat on the back. "Sometimes you just need a change of scenery to get your second wind. A permanent move could do you wonders." He paused, thinking for a second.
"Arsenal might be a good fit for your style."
With the score sitting comfortably at 3-1, Lars Lagerbäck decided it was time to shut the game down.
He had seen everything he needed to see from his new debutant.
He was now fully convinced that Theodore would be the beating heart of Norway's midfield for the next decade.
In the 75th minute, the manager made his substitutions. He pulled both Theodore and Ødegaard off the pitch to rest their legs.
The moment Theodore's number went up on the board, the Ullevaal Stadion rose to its feet.
Tens of thousands of home fans gave the teenager a roaring standing ovation.
Up in the freezing stands, Xia Dongguo swelled with pride.
He grabbed his wife's hand, his eyes shining. "Did you see that, Marianne? The entire stadium is standing up for our boy. Theo... has really made it."
Marianne Bjorn smiled warmly, resting her head on her husband's shoulder.
They were just the humble owners of a small local restaurant, but tonight, they were the parents of a national hero!
After Theodore and Ødegaard took their seats on the bench, Norway looked like a different team.
The creative spark was gone.
For the remaining fifteen minutes, they hardly posed any threat to Denmark's goal.
The initiative swung completely back to the visitors.
Christian Eriksen repeatedly delivered dangerous, probing passes into the box, but Norway's defense held their nerve.
Lagerbäck barked at his team to drop deep, parking the bus and setting up a rigid defensive wall to kill the clock.
Finally, the full-time whistle blew.
Norway defeated Denmark 3-1, securing a victory in the Nordic derby.
Theodore had earned his first cap and his first win for his country.
On the bench, Theodore stood up, shaking hands and hugging the coaching staff.
Lagerbäck made a point to walk over to him, a warm smile on his weathered face.
"You played a hell of a game, young man," Lagerbäck said softly. "The Euro qualifiers are right around the corner. Try not to get yourself injured playing in England. When we face Spain and Sweden late this month, you are starting."
"Thank you, boss. I won't let you down," Theodore nodded, feeling a heavy surge of adrenaline.
Starting against Spain meant facing a golden generation of stars—Sergio Ramos, David de Gea, Sergio Busquets.
It was the ultimate test for him.
...
Shortly after the match ended and Theodore retreated to the quiet of the locker room showers, the cold, mechanical sound of the system echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for helping Norway achieve victory! Reward: 2 free attribute points!]
Theodore opened his holographic panel.
Previously, he had dumped his points into Dribbling, bumping it to 71.
But playing against the likes of Eriksen tonight made him realize his close control still needed sharpening.
He allocated both points to Dribbling.
[Dribbling]: 71 -> 73
His updated profile materialized in front of him:
Host: Theodore Bjorn
Age: 17
Height: 183cm (growing)
Weight: 75kg
Position: Midfielder
[Physical Attributes]
Speed: 72
Strength: 86
Jumping: 71
Health: 70 -> 71 (training bonus)
Stamina: 79 -> 80 (training bonus)
[Technical Attributes]
Long Pass: 100
Short Pass: 69
Through Ball: 68
Curve: 67
Finishing: 68
Long Shot: 69
Set Pieces: 69
Heading: 69
Penalty Taking: 68
First Touch: 67
Vision: 84
Breakthrough: 67
Dribbling: 71 -> 73 (attribute bonus)
Interceptions: 65
Tackling: 74
Sliding Tackle: 65
Defending: 67
Rating: 75 -> 76 Level: B Grade
Star Player Skill Cards: Andrea Pirlo Peak Long Pass (Peak), Xabi Alonso Vision (Platinum), Bastian Schweinsteiger Strength (Platinum).
In addition to his Dribbling bump, his grueling daily extra training had naturally raised his Health and Stamina by a point each.
Most importantly, his overall rating had ticked up to 76, solidifying his status as a B-Grade player.
He was now statistically capable of holding his own as a starter in any of Europe's top five leagues.
...
That evening, the Norwegian press had a field day.
Norway Sports Daily: Aston Villa's Midfield Maestro Dominates! The 17-year-old delivers an assist hat-trick in his debut. He and Ødegaard are the future of our midfield.
The Observer Sports: A Hat-Trick of Assists on Debut! The teenager won over the Ullevaal Stadion in just ninety minutes. Next up: Spain on March 24th.
On the major football forums, the fans were just as hyped.
"It's been so long since we've had a midfielder with this kind of grit and vision. And he's only 17."
"Ødegaard, Theo, and Erling Haaland. The future is looking bright."
"Theo didn't back down from Eriksen once. He bullied the shit out of him."
"Theo's passing actually unlocked Ødegaard today. They are a joy to watch."
...
Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away in a quiet apartment in Salzburg, Austria, a tall, blonde young man was watching the match highlights on his phone.
His face was etched with bitter regret.
After watching Ødegaard smash in his second goal off Theodore's pass, he sighed heavily.
"I really wish I was out there fighting alongside them," Erling Haaland muttered to himself.
He stepped onto his treadmill, cranking up the speed, and continued his grueling late-night training.
Haaland knew he had blown his chance when Lagerbäck came to scout him, missing sitters due to nerves.
But seeing Theo and Martin wearing the national colors fueled a fire in his chest.
He knew that as long as he kept scoring in the Austrian league, his call-up was inevitable.
...
Oslo, Norway.
After the match, the national team disbanded, sending the players back to their respective clubs before regrouping on March 20th.
That night, Theodore packed his bags and boarded a late flight back to England. In three days, Aston Villa was set to face Birmingham City away from home.
The Second City Derby.
It was one of the fiercest, most hated rivalries in English football.
He needed to get back to Birmingham and recover as fast as possible.
At 2:00 AM, Theodore dragged his suitcase through the quiet arrivals terminal of Birmingham Airport.
The terminal was mostly empty, save for a few weary travelers.
"Theo! Theodore Bjorn!"
He turned around, blinking through his exhaustion.
A blonde woman with a warm smile was walking briskly toward him, flanked by a cameraman.
"Sorry to ambush you at this hour," she smiled, extending a hand. "I'm Laura Woods from Sky Sports."
Theodore recognized her instantly from the weekend broadcasts.
"Oh, right. Nice to meet you, Laura. Are you up here for the derby?"
"I am," Laura nodded. "But your agent, Jonathan, should have given you a heads-up. Sky Sports secured an exclusive sit-down interview with you tomorrow afternoon ahead of the Birmingham City match."
"He mentioned something about it before my flight," Theodore replied, rubbing his tired eyes.
"Don't worry, we won't keep you now. Go get some sleep," Laura laughed.
She unzipped her tote bag and pulled out two crisp jerseys—a Norway number 16 and an Aston Villa number 33.
She handed them over with a silver sharpie.
"But before you go... mind signing these? I'm genuinely become a fan because of how you play the game."
Theodore smiled, taking the pen. "Of course. No trouble at all."