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Chapter 389: Devil Mode... On III

Oporto was currently losing to Vitoria de Guimares by two goals and the end of the first half was just minutes away.

Despite being in the backseat, they hadn’t given up hope and were still playing as well as they could, trying to find a goal that would help increase the morale and hope for the second half, and soon it seemed like luck had finally fallen in their favor as they started an attack.

Corona made an incisive run behind his marker to receive a through pass from Otavio and on getting the ball under control, he dashed forward with it, beating his marker for pace and reaching the right side of the penalty box.

Instead of crossing the ball like everyone was expecting, he instead decided to cut in and he entered from the side.

The players in the middle were still expecting a ball from Corona, but to everyone’s surprise, Corona drew even closer to the goal, using the opportunity presented by the other defenders marking the strikers.

Once he was close enough he took the shot, shocking everyone expecting a pass.

The ball flew at the goal, but the Guimares goalkeeper reacted promptly and dived for the ball, stopping it with his palm but he wasn’t able to hold on to it because of the stinging power behind the shot and the ball flew towards Taremi in the center.

The goalkeeper immediately spread his body as wide as he could to cover as much of the post as he could and he jumped at Taremi.

The goalkeeper’s decision ended up as the right one as Taremi shot the ball at goal, but the ball was deflected once again and the ball flew back to the right where Corona still stood and he immediately smashed the ball into the back of the net.

All of this happened in less than three seconds.

{GOAL!}

{Oporto! They have one bac-! Oh, the flag is up!}

Everyone’s attention fell on the assistant referee whose flag was raised, seemingly calling for an offside.

The Oporto players immediately ran to the referee to debate the decision, but the referee paid no heed to their shouts and focused on verifying the call and a few seconds later, he got a response.

Corona had been offside when Taremi had taken the rebound shot at goal, hence the goal would not stand.

The Oporto players and their fans were distraught as the referee informed them of his decision and while the players had to quickly get back into play, the fans watched the replay of the goal and saw the scene of Corona’s offside position during the goal.

It was clear enough that he was offside and no sane person would debate it.

The Oporto team immediately tried to take the ball once again and continue their search for a goal, but the referee’s whistle to end the first half blew shortly after and play stopped as the players of both teams trudged off the field.

The players of both teams headed to their locker rooms.

Without it needing to be said, it was more silent than a graveyard in the Oporto locker room as the players engaged in a staring contest with their manager for almost a full minute.

After staring at his players with annoyance for a full minute, the Oporto manager got to doing his job and began pointing and correcting his players’ mistakes on the pitch while also making the necessary changes to the game plan.

Finally, he made a change to the line-up and Taremi came off for Mylo.

Before this match, Mylo had been on fine scoring form and the manager was hoping for Mylo to still have some of that juice left in him. It would be of great help to the team in the coming second half.

After making all the changes that were required, time was already running out and the players soon headed back to the field to continue the match.

Through all this, Jason just watched, his face listless, but his emotional state unknown.

Strangely, he didn’t feel angry seeing the manager put Mylo on the pitch as he knew that there was not likely to be a change.

Jason could not deny that Mylo was a good striker who could punish a goalkeeper if the ball ever reached him, and he had enough space to get away. At the same time, Jason also knew that that was all Mylo was good for.

He did not have enough talents elsewhere on the pitch.

In game terms, Mylo was a player with ample strength, good finishing, and good positioning, and he also had just enough agility to enable him to reach the ball when he was making a run.

With these skills, Mylo had created a playing style, that made full use of his attributes.

He would always stand very near to his marker, continuously looking for a space to run in-between the defense, and once the ball reached any of his intelligent teammates who could ensure the ball reached him, Mylo would make his move and get right beside his marker, holding them off while always ready to make a run.

Jason could not deny that it was an ingenious playing style, but more than anything, Jason knew the weakness behind it, and that made him able to predict the second half’s outcome if Mylo was supposed to be the one saving the team.

****

*Fweeeeeee*

The second half began and Oporto immediately picked up where they left off trying to take their first step towards a comeback while everyone else watched the match with rapt attention.

Barely minutes after the second half’s whistle, an almost unseen grin appeared on the edge of Jason’s lips.

It was a grin filled with malice and not one you would expect to see on someone whose team was losing, but Jason couldn’t help it.

Like mentioned earlier, Jason knew Mylo’s weakness on the pitch and it simply translated into one phrase.

Mylo was a striker… a literal striker of the ball.

He struck the ball at the goal, but if there was no ball, what could he strike?