A Smiling Jerimiah

The beginning of the second half wasn't really different from how the first half ended. Jermaine Walter Academy sat back in their half of the pitch and invited the press from Jeremiah Hayes Football Institution, allowing the latter to get a few shots away in the first few minutes. Unfortunately for them, it seemed like the spirit of Manuel Neuer had entered the opposition goalkeeper as he managed to pull off so many mind-blowing saves.

"Fuck," Jason cursed as his shot was saved by Manuel Jason (Jermaine Walter Academy goalkeeper). It was a long-range effort, but he still thought it was going to end up as a goal. It had everything—it was powerful, it had a very good curve, and it was placed in a decent area. Logically speaking, no normal teenage goalkeeper should have been able to save that kind of shot, and yet here Jerry was, holding his head and running back to his position.

[What a save by Manuel Jason. I think the Jermaine Walter Academy players would surely look to him as their savior. Since the second half began, he's pulled off all sorts of saves.]

[I'm sure so many of the scouts watching will be thrilled with his performance. He's done a lot to help his team.]

Jason's luck continued to hold through the second half as he made a few more extraordinary saves to deny Jeremiah Hayes Football Institution the equalizer. By the seventieth minute, however, his luck ran out.

70'

Jermaine Walter Academy tried to go on the counter after another failed attempt at goal by Jeremiah Hayes Football Institution. Charles Foster stole the ball from Lewis Carver and played a one-two with his brother Oliver Foster (Jermaine Walter Academy central midfielder) to escape the player pressuring him.

He had quite a bit of space in front of him and continued to run down the wing until he was pressured again. Seeing that the opposite flank was free, he attempted a cross-field pass to James Bennet (Jermaine Walter Academy right midfielder), who was unmarked. Unfortunately, his pass was intercepted by Miles Heath, who played a pass to Jerry in the central area of the pitch. Jerry had dropped deep to help in defense.

With his first touch, Jerry used his backheel to flick the ball to his right. Zach was already making a run and managed to latch onto Jerry's pass. After receiving the ball, Zach went on a run down the left flank. Rather than using tricks, he relied on his pace to get past a few Jermaine Walter Academy players, only slowing down once he reached the edge of the penalty box.

He found himself one-on-one with Geovani Van Bruge. Seeing that Zach had slowed down, Jerry gestured for the ball, planning to use a one-two to bypass Geovani. However, Zach had other plans. His legs flashed over the ball as he executed a few stepovers, teasing a rush into the box and causing Geovani to shift his position inside. With a burst of speed, Zach moved the ball outside and sprinted down the wing, using his left leg to send a mid-length cross into the box.

As soon as Jerry saw Zach run down the wing, he rushed into the box. He wasn't playing as a false nine but as a true striker in the match, so if he wasn't in the box to convert such chances, then he was to blame.

By the time Zach delivered the cross, all the other Jeremiah Hayes Football Institution players were tightly marked by the Jermaine Walter Academy defenders. Jerry's sudden storm into the box was an unaccounted variable, leaving him unmarked. He managed to use his backheel to flick the ball into the near post before any of the Jermaine Walter Academy defenders could react.

Jason, unprepared for the quick shot, could only watch as the net bulged and Jerry ran off, celebrating the goal.

[And Jeremiah Hayes Jr. has managed to find the back of the net! A really good run from Zachary Cole there to get himself to the edge of the penalty box. He unselfishly runs down the wing to deliver a cross, and Jerry, unmarked, storms into the box to flick it into the back of the net.]

[Beautiful counterattack and a beautiful finish from Hayes to put the cherry on top of the fantastic football we've just watched from these young men, who have deservedly pulled a goal back.]

Jerry didn't care that this was just a local tournament. He forgot all about that, as well as the scouts watching. The only thing he remembered was that he scored, and it was a very important goal.

He ran toward a random section of the stands, which happened to be where the supporters of Jermaine Walter Academy were seated. He performed a sliding knee celebration in front of them, using his right hand to cover his ear and putting his left thumb in his mouth, copying his favorite player Bruno Fernandes' celebration.

Inside the VIP section of the stands, Jeremiah Hayes had a huge smile on his face as he watched the goal.

"Who knew you were such a proud dad? Look at how you're smiling," James chuckled as he saw Jeremiah's reaction to Jerry's goal.

"Why shouldn't I smile? It's a beautiful goal. It has everything—a striker's instinct, a striker's finish... It's a midfielder's celebration, but that's alright."

"You really want your kid to become a striker, huh?" James said with a smile while watching the Jeremiah Hayes Football Institution players celebrate Jerry's goal.

"He has to be one. I was a striker, so he has to be a striker too," Jeremiah replied. "And as you've seen, he'd make a killer striker, if only he weren't always trying to get played as a ten."

James smiled at Jeremiah's response. "I stand by what I said last match, though... He'd make a killer attacking midfielder, or a winger, if he's properly trained from what I saw in the first half of this match."

Jeremiah didn't respond to James' comment; he simply continued watching the match in silence.