Theodore immediately positioned himself to block Alireza Jahanbakhsh.
Then, he used his body to engage in a physical duel with the winger. Although the Brighton winger was physically strong, Theodore's ability to hold his own in challenges was even more impressive.
Moreover, Theodore had just come on as a substitute, so his stamina was fresh.
In contrast, Jahanbakhsh's energy had reached its limit.
He had no way to go toe-to-toe with Theodore.
In this physical contest, Theodore overpowered Jahanbakhsh. Not only did he knock the player down, but he also won possession of the ball.
Immediately after, Theodore glanced up toward the penalty area and lifted his foot to make a pass.
Instantly, all the Brighton players tensed up. Since Theodore came on, he had received the ball only twice. And it was precisely those two passes that helped Aston Villa equalize the score—one was an indirect assist, and the other a direct assist.
At that very moment, upon seeing Theodore about to make a pass, the Brighton players rushed toward him trying to prevent the delivery.
The Brighton player closest to Theodore at the moment was midfielder Yves Bissouma.
He attempted a sliding tackle toward the teenager, trying to stop the pass.
But Bissouma's tackle was a split second too late.
It did not affect Theodore's delivery.
Thump.
In the blink of an eye, the ball crossed the halfway line and swiftly descended toward the penalty area. As Aston Villa's star striker, Tammy Abraham was already prepared.
However, Brighton's defenders were also in position. Lewis Dunk was tasked with marking Abraham, while the other center-back, Shane Duffy, was responsible for marking Jack Grealish.
Additionally, full-back Martín Montoya was also in front of Abraham, applying pressure.
Inside the penalty area, Theodore's pass once again landed precisely on Abraham's head, not a hair's breadth off.
Seeing this, Abraham used almost all his strength to jump for the ball, but Brighton's defenders did not give him an easy chance.
Both Dunk and Montoya used all their strength to challenge him. In the end, Abraham failed to connect cleanly.
Instead, Dunk managed to head it clear.
The ball flew out for a corner kick, giving Aston Villa a crucial opportunity.
At the same time, the assistant referee raised the board for added time.
Four minutes.
Aston Villa had only four minutes left.
"Push up! Everyone push up for the corner kick! We must score!"
On the sidelines, Dean Smith shouted for the center-backs to push forward.
Theodore slowly walked over to the corner flag.
He would take this corner kick himself.
In the stands of Villa Park, over forty thousand die-hard Villa fans fell silent. The fans stopped clapping and cheering, instead fixing all their attention on the teenager.
This was a moment of universal anticipation.
"Theodore Bjorn steps up to take the corner kick," Gary Weaver noted on the Sky Sports broadcast.
"Since coming on, he has already provided one assist and one indirect assist. Can the teenager create one last piece of magic?"
...
"Theo, it's all on you, man!"
"If Theo's pass can help Villa take the lead, I'm buying his shirt right now!"
"So nervous! Go Theo!"
"Stay calm, kid!"
"If they score now, it seals the game!"
After the referee blew the whistle, Theodore didn't take the kick immediately.
Instead, he delayed for three seconds.
One. Two. Three.
Three seconds later, he touched the ball with his right foot.
He didn't send the ball into the penalty area. Instead, he passed it to Grealish near the sideline.
"A short corner!" Weaver's voice carried a hint of tension and excitement.
On the field, after receiving the ball, Grealish glanced up at the penalty area.
Then, he passed it again.
Still not sending the ball into the box, he gave it right back to Theodore. By now, Theodore had moved to the right edge of the penalty area line.
He was left unmarked.
Brighton's players had focused almost all their attention inside the penalty area, overlooking the teenager.
At that moment, several Brighton defenders rushed out of the penalty area without hesitation, trying to block the pass.
Boom!
Theodore struck the bottom of the ball with his right foot once more. This time, the ball finally flew into Brighton's penalty area, heading straight for the far post.
Abraham, lurking at the back post, jumped ahead of defender Duffy.
In an instant, the ball met Abraham's head!
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLL!" Weaver shouted. "Abraham! The Championship's top scorer has secured the win for Aston Villa! Aston Villa has taken the lead! And another assist from Theodore Bjorn!"
After scoring, Abraham was overwhelmed with emotion, taking off his jersey to celebrate.
Aston Villa's players rushed to Abraham, patting his head in celebration.
Fans across the stadium was shouting non stop!
"Yes! I knew Theo would help us win!"
"Theo is so composed!"
"I really want to know how he practices his passes! They're so damn accurate!"
"He really passes wherever he aims! Unbelievable!"
"Two assists, one indirect assist... he contributed to all three goals!"
"Speechless! His skills are good enough for a top club now!"
...
The game wasn't over yet.
After the restart, Brighton's players launched a fierce attack toward their opponent's goal. As the team's offensive core, midfielder Stephens received the ball and, without hesitation, sent a long pass into the penalty area.
His intention was clear: to find the tall striker Glenn Murray.
In tonight's match, Murray had already scored twice and was in excellent form. But by now, Murray had long run out of stamina. Moreover, after Aston Villa scored the winning goal, the whole team had retreated to defend in their own half.
At this moment, Murray was surrounded by Aston Villa defenders.
He simply had no way to complete the header.
In the end, Brighton lost the match.
Three to two, as Aston Villa emerged victorious!
After the match, Theodore was unsurprisingly named the Man of the Match.
...
After the match ended, Theodore did not celebrate with his teammates.
Instead, he returned to the locker room to freshen up.
Ten minutes later, after packing his belongings, he promptly left Villa Park.
He then took a taxi to the airport.
The reason for his urgency was that he needed to get to Norway as soon as possible. In two days, Norway would face Spain in their first Euro qualifier match.
Originally, Theodore was supposed to join the national team yesterday, but Aston Villa did not release him.
The club insisted that he play in this FA Cup match before allowing him to leave.
Theodore couldn't say much about it.
After all, both sides had their reasons.
While Theodore was on his way to the airport, the post-match press conference for Aston Villa vs. Brighton officially began.
Dean Smith, during his interview with reporters, once again lavished praise on his performance.
"The main reason Aston Villa managed to defeat Brighton at home was Bjorn," Smith said.
"With three passes, he tore apart Brighton's defense. I've said it many times: he is the most talented player I've ever seen. Recently, many Premier League and other European clubs have contacted our sporting director to inquire about his price, but I want to make it clear: Theodore is the club's greatest treasure. He is the cornerstone of the team's future."
Later, Brighton's head coach, Chris Hughton, also spoke to reporters.
As the losing side, Hughton appeared quite disheartened during the press conference.
He said in a tone of deep disappointment, "The team's performance in the first half was nearly perfect. We controlled the game for a while, but unfortunately, everything changed after their No. 33 player came on. It's hard to believe he's only 17 years old."
After saying this, Hughton shook his head helplessly.
...
After the match, numerous English media outlets once again began praising Theodore and Aston Villa.
Daily Mail: "Championship side Aston Villa eliminates the Seagulls, Brighton, advancing to the FA Cup semifinals! They are the only Championship team among the final four!"
The Times: "The miraculous teenager once again becomes Aston Villa's savior! Two assists in ten minutes! Helps Aston Villa defeat the Seagulls!"
Sky Sports: "Theodore Bjorn proves his worth against a Premier League team! Two assists make him the key contributor to the team's victory!"
On fan forums, countless Aston Villa fans were praising him nonstop.
"I don't even know what to say! Theo is truly incredible. This is the first time I've seen such an amazing player. Even Messi and Ronaldo have to step aside!"
"Who would believe it? A player like this is only 17 years old!"
"Theo is phenomenal. His passes are always so precise. If he keeps up this form, it won't be long before top clubs are scrambling to sign him!"
"Sigh! The English FA must be kicking themselves for letting Norway have him!"
...
The next day.
Oslo, Norway.
At the Norwegian Sports Center Stadium, the Norwegian national team held their final training session.
After today's training session, the players would board a flight to the Iberian Peninsula.
At eight in the morning, after waking up and freshening up, Theodore headed straight to the training ground.
According to Coach Lars Lagerbäck's schedule, the morning training session wouldn't start until nine-thirty, but he arrived at the training ground more than an hour early.
When he got there, he saw a tall player practicing penalty kicks.
This player wasn't just tall—he also had flowing golden hair.
Although Theodore only saw him from behind, he recognized him instantly.
"Haaland!" Theodore called out toward the training ground.
The tall player stopped his shooting motion and turned to look at him.
"Theo! I didn't expect you to come to the training ground early too." Haaland slowly walked over to him.
Although Haaland had never met Theodore before, he had watched the previous friendly match between Norway and Denmark.
Plus, Theodore had already become a household name in Norway.
Naturally, Haaland knew who he was.
"Huh, I thought Coach Lars Lagerbäck didn't call you up to the national team?" Theodore's words made Haaland look embarrassed.
"Uh... I was specially recruited by the coach as a late addition," Haaland said, scratching the back of his head.
After missing the last national team roster, Haaland felt ashamed and became determined to improve.
He trained frantically to adjust his form.
In the last three club matches, Haaland averaged two goals per game.
His red-hot form impressed Norwegian head coach Lars Lagerbäck. Additionally, Theodore's injury status had remained unclear.
To be safe, Lars Lagerbäck decided to specially recruit Haaland into the national team as a precaution.
On the training ground, after chatting with Haaland for a bit, Theodore took the initiative to invite Haaland to train together.
At the same time, he also shared his playing habits with Haaland.
Theodore knew very well that given the current strength of the Norwegian national team, defeating the Spanish national team would rely heavily on Haaland's performance.
He needed to develop good chemistry with Haaland as quickly as possible.
...
The next day, at eight in the morning, the Norwegian national team's flight landed on time in the Spanish city of Valencia.
After a brief rest, the players began preparing for the evening match.
Soon, time flew by and the sky gradually darkened. The sea breeze on the Iberian Peninsula grew somewhat chilly.
At six in the evening, the buses of both the Norwegian national team and the Spanish national team arrived at the Mestalla Stadium.
An hour later, both teams announced their starting lineups.
To the surprise of all Norwegian fans, three exceptionally talented young players were not in the starting lineup.
Martin Ødegaard, Theodore Bjorn, and Erling Haaland were all on the bench.
In contrast, Spain fielded their strongest lineup to face Norway.
This left many Norwegian fans dissatisfied.
On Twitter and Norway's largest sports forums, numerous fans posted threads questioning Lars Lagerbäck's starting lineup.
"Is this a joke? Theo isn't starting? Ødegaard isn't either?"
"Is Lagerbäck intentionally trying to throw this match?"
"Lagerbäck should resign immediately!"
"If Norway loses, I'm really going to blast Lagerbäck!"
"Theo and Haaland are in scorching form in the league, yet they're not even starting? What is Lagerbäck thinking?!"
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