The goal caused the Racing team coach to lose his mind; due to his screaming and stepping outside his designated technical area, the referee cautioned him with a yellow card in the seventh minute amid a massive roar from the crowd. The fans were chanting and cheering, refusing to accept that the City team had scored against them—and what a goal it was, from outside the penalty area. It was a magnificent strike that made Jon's heart race intensely. Jon appeared shouting to his players: "No retreating! Beware of retreating!" while alerting the captain to the necessity of maintaining the "twenty-minute tactic."
On the other side, Racing was pressing heavily on the City team's midfield and defense. In one of the attacks, they were a stone's throw away from scoring the equalizer if not for the goalkeeper's intervention, which saved his team from a certain goal.
In the twelfth minute, as the attacks and pressure continued, an equalizing goal seemed only a matter of time. The ball reached Tommy in the kind of space he loves, and in a brilliant technical display that made the crowd rise in anticipation, the slim player managed to bypass two defenders with ease. He opened up the far corner and prepared to shoot. Everyone thought he would strike, but with a quick, subtle glance backward, he slipped a through ball between the defenders' legs, leaving Richard one-on-one with the keeper. With a wonderful touch, Richard lifted the ball with the tip of his boot, sending it looping over the goalkeeper, who lost his balance and fell to the ground, watching the ball enter his net in a way he had never imagined in his life.
The second goal was scored. Time passed, and in the final minute of the agreed-upon twenty minutes, due to an unintentional mistake, the ball struck the hand of the center-back, Saki. The referee did not hesitate to award a penalty kick to Racing. The fans rejoiced as the team's star and top scorer stepped up. He stood behind the ball, ran forward, and with a thunderous shot, scored to reduce the deficit. The goalkeeper had no chance against such a strike; it was powerful and reignited the enthusiasm of the team and the fans to come back and achieve victory.
The twenty minutes ended well for Jon, but the match felt as if it were starting anew. He told the players: "Now we have another twenty minutes in the same manner. Come on, come on, maintain your focus and play as one."
The match continued with nothing changing: pressure from Racing and defensive resilience from the City team, until the thirty-third minute arrived, when Sarr's team managed to score the equalizer by exploiting a precise cross that left the goalkeeper with no chance to intervene.
The first half ended in a draw. It was a very difficult match; the City team was competing bravely and defending resolutely against a strong side with distinguished professional players, all while playing on their opponent's ground, with a crowd urging them on frantically to secure the runner-up spot that guarantees promotion to the second division alongside the capital team, which sits alone at the top.
Inside the Racing locker room, the atmosphere was very tense. The coach had lost his temper; he thought the match would be easy and that they could settle it in the first half. But things were different this time. They were playing against a composed team focused on a single goal, striving to achieve a dream that, until recently, had been far from reality due to internal issues. Sarr said: "Is this reasonable? Who are they to score two goals against us like this? The second half starts in a few moments. Please push forward in attack and shoot from outside the penalty area. We will overwhelm them with long-range shots. Also, focus on the crosses—focus on the crosses! They are weak at dealing with them. And one more thing, keep in mind that if you lose today, we will all undoubtedly be targets of harsh criticism, so do what is required of you and do not let them near the goal again. Beware of the flanks; their entire attack is built on the wings."
On the other side, Jon was drinking water, sitting on a chair with a smile. He said: "I predict something for you: we will defeat this team today. Things have gone excellently. Now, the twenty-minute plan will work even better, so they will press us heavily—certainly more than in the first half. Therefore, I ask everyone for patience, and more patience. The coming minutes will be very difficult. But there is a change, Richard: you will swap positions with Tommy. When we have the ball, go to Tommy's position, and Tommy will not move to yours. It will be a strong attack from the right; both of you will play on that side. But we will only use this setup once every eight minutes to maintain our focus. As for our defense, I urge caution regarding crosses; they are a major weakness. No ball is allowed to pass, and the goalkeeper must come out immediately to intercept any cross."
"That is all. We hope the second half goes in our favor. Now, to the pitch!"
The referee blew the whistle to start the decisive second half. Racing entered with fierce determination to achieve a commanding victory. They had the ball; player number seven broke down the left flank, bypassed the defense, and succeeded in delivering the first cross of the second half. It was high and precise. Fortunately, the goalkeeper came out and managed to intercept it, but the ball was not cleared well. Player number eight managed to score the third goal for Racing from the very first attack of the second half, putting them ahead three goals to two.
Jon was calling for the players to stay calm, telling the captain: "Just tell the players to be calm, nothing has happened."
In the fifty-third minute, Richard succeeded in bypassing the defense and went one-on-one with the keeper. He shot, but unfortunately, it hit the left post and went out for a goal kick.
The team returned to defense. The attacks of the home side were at their peak. Possession was almost total until the sixty-fifth minute, when Jon substituted player number six with player number twenty-two.
From his first touch, he managed to get the ball to Richard and sprint into space. Richard returned the ball to him. Here, the player received the ball, with Tommy open on his right. He pretended he was going to pass to Tommy, but with an amazing dribble, he bypassed the defender in front of him. Now, he had an excellent angle for a curling shot. Everyone thought he would bend the ball into the corner, but no one knew how Tommy managed to slip behind him. He passed the ball to him without even looking, in a dramatic moment where Tommy found himself alone with the keeper. He struck the ball powerfully, scoring the third goal and securing the equalizer for his team. In those moments, Jon was seen running and jumping with joy like a young man in his twenties; he believed in victory in this match—he was certain.
Jon's team continued to defend despite the high pressure Racing exerted on them. Sarr did not accept the draw, and his team's play became scattered and unfocused. They had many opportunities but failed to capitalize on them.
Jon continued urging his team to keep defending and exploit counterattacks, one of which almost resulted in a winning goal, but the goalkeeper made a fine save.
The minutes ticked away. The crowd felt a sense of uncertainty, as if asking: "What happened to our team? Isn't this the weak City team that was supposed to be relegated to the bottom tier?"
In the eighty-eighth minute, a one-two play led to Tommy earning a direct free kick in a prime scoring position. It was the kind of opportunity that does not come twice.
Tommy placed the ball and prepared for the shot of a lifetime—that's how Tommy and the rest of the players saw it. They placed their hands on their hearts in a breath-holding moment. Exhaustion and fatigue had taken their toll; it was a very difficult match. Everyone waited for Tommy to shoot, hoping it would be the shot of salvation, the moment of relief after long effort and patience.
Jon, on the bench, was no longer able to stand. He sat on the ground next to the coaching staff. The emotions were intense. Come on, Tommy, save them all from this feeling. Come on, turn fatigue and exhaustion into joy and happiness. Will he do it? Will he score? Will the City team triumph? Or will the match end in a shocking result?