Become A Football Legend

"FWEEE!" the referee's whistle blew.

Lukas took one look at the ball, another at the goal, and started his run up. He hit the ball cleanly with his left foot and the wall jumped immediately.

Schlotterbeck, who was on the outermost part of the wall, felt the ball slightly brush hair as it curled around the wall. The whole crowd seemed to hold its breath as it continued on its path, unimpeded.

Kobel sprinted into action, diving at full stretch towards his right to get something on the ball.

But it was fruitless.

BANG!

The goal frame reverberated as the ball hit the intersection between the crossbar and the left post before nestling in the net.

"OH MY WORD! What a goal! Lukas Brandt has put Frankfurt ahead just before half-time! Wonderful free kick! Kobel stood no chance!"

Lukas ran over to the left corner-flag facing the fans. Immediately he went past the flag, he stopped, put his hands together as if in prayer, and bowed to them.

He raised his head with a huge smile on his face as the crowd screamed in celebration and his teammates rushed.

Kobel shook his head, retrieved the ball from the net, and launched it toward the center line to restart the game.

Schlotterbeck, who had given away the free kick and was now in the referee's books due to that foul, stared at Lukas and wiped away the sweat beads forming on his forehead with his shirt.

Back on the bench, the staff and the substitute players who had just gone crazy from Lukas's goal were now getting seated. Toppmöller remained standing as he looked at Lukas and his team walking back to their own half to continue the match. "We have a superstar on our hands," he thought with a slight grin forming on his lips.

The half-time whistle blew soon after the restart, and Lukas walked to the dressing room together with the other players and coaching staff.

"The referee brings the first half to a stop in this gripping game. Frankfurt lead Dortmund 2 - 1 with a beautiful free kick from the first time starter, Lukas Brandt. There are still 45 minutes to go, and Dortmund will need a strong second half to avoid extending their losing streak."

Inside the home team dressing room, Toppmöller stayed quiet as Chaibi, who was on the bench for the match, passed out hydration drinks to the players sitting and catching their breath.

Lukas opened the bottle and took a gulp as a medic checked his body for any lasting pains.

"I'm fine. Thank you," he responded to the staff's question about his ribs from the clash with Schlotterbeck. Lukas pressed the area he had been hit and didn't feel any sharp pains, just the general trainwreck feeling associated with being hit with such force.

Toppmöller studied Lukas's reaction, ready to bring in Larsson if Lukas showed any signs of injuries. Fortunately, though, the medic who had been checking Lukas gave Toppmöller a nod to let him know Lukas was alright.

"Good game out there, boys," the coach started speaking after the medic moved on from Lukas. "We played the first half well. Although we shouldn't have conceded that goal, we were the best team in attack. Now I need you guys to put on a defensive masterpiece too. Don't let a goal in because they will come at us with full force from the start of the second half."

He turned to Ekitike and Knauff, who were listening while taking the hydration drink, "Hugo, Ansgar, I need both of you to stay up high. Make them cautious of sending their defenders into our half for long."

He turned to Götze, "Mario, if you see them push up the field, play it over the to Hugo and Knauff." The players nodded as they received specific instructions on what and what not to do.

Finally, he turned to Lukas, "Keep up what you're doing. Keep moving so they don't know where you'll attack from. Keep them guessing."

"Yes, coach," Lukas responded while nodding slightly.

The players came out to the field a few minutes later and the game resumed.

"And we're off to the second-half of the clash. Guirassy kicks off for Dortmund. Sahin will need his men to start this half strongly — his job might be in jeopardy otherwise.

Emre Can with the ball, Can to Bensebaini down the left. Bensebaini to Gittens down the line. He beats Kristensen. Can he find Guirassy down the middle? Yes he can! Serhou Guirassy one-on-one with Trapp. WHAT A SAVE! Trapp has just kept his team in the lead! Dortmund has come knocking, and it seems it's only a matter of time before they get a goal," the commentator exclaimed.

Dortmund's plan was clear from the onset of the second half: throw everything we've got at their defense, they are bound to crack. But Toppmöller already knew that would be their plan, so he watched the game calmly as his team absorbed the pressure.

Lukas was deep in his own half, man-marking Felix Nmecha, who was causing trouble for the defense, as Frankfurt saw less and less of the ball as the half progressed.

The game was virtually over, though, at the 67th minute.

Groß played a pass to Nmecha around the edge of the penalty arc of the Frankfurt half. The pass, however, lacked pace, and before it got to its destination, a blur of white flashed by.

It was Lukas. He poked the ball out of Nmecha's reach and sprinted forward with the ball. Ansgar and Ekitike saw the dispossession and immediately started running to create options for Lukas. They knew that with Lukas on the ball, the counterattack was definitely on. The Dortmund defenders who were all in Frankfurt's half, started pedaling backwards with Frankfurt's attack now bearing down on them.

Lukas got to the half way line in what seemed like the blink of an eye. Can who was waiting at the center line tried to slow him down. Lukas took one look at him, and without having to break his stride raised his left foot around the moving ball, then his right, and his left again — a very clean step over. Can tried to guess Lukas's direction, sticking his foot to the left, but Lukas was always going to go the opposite way, he just needed Can to commit.

"And he's left Can in the dust! He wastes no time, does he? Lukas beats the Dortmund captain with magical footwork. He's not stopping. He has options to both sides. Wonderful pass to Ekitike. Anton fully stretched, but still unable to stop the pass from it's target. Ekitike shoots!"

The ball had landed to Hugo Ekitike just at the edge of the left side of the penalty box. He took one touch to push it away from Bensebaini, and blasted it towards goal.

Kobel stood strong, his hands firm as the shot stung his palm and deflected back into play.

Fortunately for him, the shot from Ekitike was directed towards the near post, which he had covered.

Unfortunately for him, though, the deflection fell directly in the middle of the penalty arc, and one boy who had continued his run even after making the pass to Ekitike was just arriving to its landing point.

Schlotterbeck, with both hands tucked behind his back, threw himself in the way of the ball with no regards for his own safety — he knew Lukas was about to hit a mean volley because of the way the ball bounced nicely in front of him.

"Great save from Kobel! It falls nicely for Lukas. A volley?! Oh my goodness! LUKAAAS! The young man has struck again. Wonderful skill! Wonderful trickery! The defence stood no chance!"

A/N: How're y'all doing? Stay strong. Stay safe. Love y'all.

-Writ