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Chapter 59 - Chapter 59 : Norway Equalizes!

"Joshua King's header was weak and powerless. It posed no threat at all to Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea." Martin Tyler's tone was filled with disappointment.

He continued, "Theodore Bjorn's pass was spot on this time. The ball found striker Joshua King's head perfectly. It's just a shame that this Norwegian forward couldn't gain any advantage in his duel with Sergio Ramos."

The match continued.

Possession remained with the Norwegian players.

Five minutes later, the ball once again found its way to Theodor's feet.

Robert Moreno had done his homework on Theodore and was well aware of his abilities.

Therefore, when Robert Moreno saw Theodore take the field, he immediately instructed midfielder Dani Ceballos to mark him closely.

But judging from the performance over this period, Ceballos clearly couldn't handle Theodore's passing.

At this very moment, the Spanish midfielder once again appeared in front of Theodore.

Theodore looked up and, seeing only Ceballos marking him, chose not to pass immediately.

Instead, he opted for a physical challenge.

In an instant, the two players collided heavily.

Ceballos was completely overpowered. He lost his balance instantly and was sent crashing to the turf by Theodore.

The next second.

"Theodore has knocked Ceballos over. Although Theodore is a young player, his physicality rivals that of a Norwegian veteran. This Real Madrid midfielder is simply no match for Theodore Bjorn."

Martin Tyler continued shouting into the microphone, "Theodore Bjorn still hasn't chosen to pass! He continues driving forward with the ball. Both Norwegian forwards Joshua King and Mohamed Elyounoussi have already charged into the attacking third. Theodore Bjorn now has two passing options. What will he choose?"

As commentator Martin Tyler's voice faded, Theodore made his decision.

However, Theodore passed the ball neither to Joshua King nor to Mohamed Elyounoussi.

Instead, he delivered it to Martin Ødegaard at the top of the penalty area.

Clearly, Theodore had more faith in Ødegaard's ability.

This pass from Theodore not only caught the commentator off guard but also deceived the Spanish defenders.

When the ball landed at Ødegaard's feet, the Norwegian star was completely unmarked, with no defenders nearby to pressure him.

Boom!

After a slight adjustment with his left foot, Ødegaard unleashed a powerful shot.

The ball flew like a meteor, speeding into the Spanish net.

Even though guarding the Spanish goal was the renowned David de Gea, Ødegaard's long-range strike was incredibly powerful.

The ball spin with immense velocity.

Although De Gea had dived to make the save, his hand couldn't reach the ball.

Ødegaard's long-range shot found the back of the net!

One–one! Finally, the visiting Norwegian team had successfully equalized.

"ØDEGAARD! OH MY WORD, WHAT A SPECTACULAR STRIKE! ABSOLUTELY SENSATIONAL!" Martin Tyler roared at the top of his lungs.

"All else pales in comparison. Only Ødegaard stands supreme. The wonderkid of the Norwegian team has breached the defenses of La Roja with a thunderous unstoppable long-range strike. One–one. The Nordic Vikings of Norway have pierced the armor of La Roja. This magnificent goal from Ødegaard once again came from a brilliant pass by Theodore Bjorn."

As soon as Martin Tyler finished speaking, Gary Neville began his analysis.

"When Theodore and Ødegaard took the field, Norway's offense improved by several levels. Moreover, the playing styles of these two young players are completely different from most Norwegian players, which has made it difficult for the Spanish defenders... Judging by the current score, Lars Lagerbäck's tactics are undoubtedly successful—focusing on defense in the first half and unleashing their attack in the second."

At the Mestalla Stadium, Spanish fans held their heads in their hands.

Their eyes were filled with confusion.

They couldn't understand why the Spanish team had suddenly collapsed.

Everything had happened too quickly!

After scoring, Ødegaard didn't celebrate. Instead, he quietly snatched the ball from David de Gea's hands. This gesture from Ødegaard clearly indicated that Norway wasn't aiming for a draw.

They wanted victory.

After the restart, the home team Spain tried to put pressure on Norway's goal but was immediately dispossessed by Theodore Bjorn.

Theodore had been lurking behind Sergio Busquets.

The moment Spanish center-back Sergio Ramos passed the ball to Busquets, Theodore pounced like a tiger descending the mountain.

He charged toward Busquets with lightning speed.

Just as Busquets was about to turn with the ball, he suddenly felt as if he had been struck by a high-speed rock.

The referee didn't call a foul.

The referee for this match was Anthony Taylor from the Premier League.

This referee tends to be lenient when it comes to physical challenges. This inadvertently worked in Theodore's favor.

If it had been a referee from another league, Theodore's challenge would likely have been called a foul.

The next moment, Theodore successfully dispossessed Busquets.

"Theodore Bjorn! He's taken the ball from Busquets. It's no easy task for an ordinary player to dispossess Busquets."

Martin Tyler wanted to praise Theodore further, but on the pitch, Theodore suddenly delivered a long pass.

Boom!

The ball sailed over the heads of several Spanish players and landed perfectly at the feet of Selnæs.

This Norwegian midfielder stands at 188cm tall and his heading ability is exceptional.

At this moment, Selnæs had positioned himself on the edge of Spain's penalty area.

The Spanish player marking Selnæs was Parejo.

But clearly, Parejo was no match for Selnæs in aerial duels.

There was a 6cm height difference between the two!

Unsurprisingly, Selnæs won the ball. Of course, Selnæs couldn't attempt a direct header on goal and instead opted to flick the ball back to Ødegaard.

The moment Ødegaard received the ball, Busquets, Ceballos, and center-back Iñigo Martínez all rushed toward Ødegaard.

Having learned from their earlier mistake, the Spanish players weren't about to give Ødegaard a second chance to shoot from outside the box.

"Ødegaard! Pass! He didn't shoot. Instead, he passed the ball to Theodore Bjorn."

As Martin Tyler's voice trailed off, Theodore in midfield immediately made his move.

Boom!

This time, Theodore didn't pass to Ødegaard but instead sent the ball directly into Spain's penalty area.

Since Spanish center-back Iñigo Martínez had already rushed outside the penalty area at this moment, only Ramos remained defending inside Spain's box.

Meanwhile, Norway's two forwards, Joshua King and Mohamed Elyounoussi, had both charged toward the goal.

In an instant, Theodore Bjorn's long pass landed perfectly in front of Elyounoussi.

Ramos had positioned himself in front of the other Norwegian forward, Joshua King, meaning Elyounoussi was completely unmarked when he received the ball.

Without a doubt, this was a golden opportunity to shoot.

Boom!

The ball... sails straight into the stands.

He missed Norway's best chance of the match to take the lead!

"Ah! Elyounoussi's shot actually went over the bar. That was a sure goal." Martin Tyler was stunned speechless as he watched Elyounoussi's shot fly directly into the stands.

Gary Neville beside him couldn't help but chuckle and said.

"Hehe. It's harder to miss that than to score it. Elyounoussi shouldn't have chosen to volley directly. His best option would have been to control the ball first, then take the shot. He was too hasty."

After regaining his composure, Martin Tyler continued, "Elyounoussi isn't a traditional Norwegian player. He's only 174cm tall and currently plays for AIK in the Swedish Allsvenskan, having scored 5 goals for the team this season. As the current wearer of Norway's number 10 jersey, that shot from Elyounoussi was truly dreadful."

On the live Twitter feed, football fans were mercilessly roasting him.

"My grandma could have kept that shot on target. What right does this Norwegian forward have to wear the number 10 jersey?"

"Just retire already. This is too absurd."

"Elyounoussi shouldn't be in the Norwegian national team, he should be playing in a Sunday league."

"He even missed a shot from point-blank range. It's really painful to watch."

"Wasted another perfect passing opportunity from Bjorn. He really can't carry this team."

In front of the goal, Elyounoussi, who had missed the chance, held his head in his hands, his eyes filled with shock and embarrassment.

Then, Elyounoussi immediately gave Theodore Bjorn a thumbs-up.

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