Chapter 14: The Battle on the Pitch

The crowd was still roaring as Jason jogged back to his position after scoring his first goal.

His heartbeat was still racing, adrenaline coursing through his veins.

But he had no time to celebrate.

There were still 60 minutes left to play.

And he could already tell—the other team wasn't happy.

Bianchi, the center-back who had been marking him all game, clenched his fists. His expression was dark as he approached Jason.

"You got lucky," Bianchi muttered, his voice just low enough for Jason to hear. "That won't happen again."

Jason smirked. "We'll see."

Rodrigo jogged over and clapped Jason's back. "Nice finish, bro. But don't relax. These guys are gonna come at us even harder now."

Jason nodded.

He knew it.

The match was far from over.

The Opposition Strikes Back

The next ten minutes were brutal.

The opposing team pushed forward aggressively, flooding the midfield and sending dangerous crosses into the box.

Jason watched from the front as his team's defenders struggled to clear the ball.

Then—

A loose pass.

A mistake.

The ball bounced to the opposing striker at the edge of the box.

Before anyone could react—

Boom!

A thunderous shot flew past Henderson, their goalkeeper, and slammed into the back of the net.

1-1.

Jason clenched his fists as the other team celebrated wildly.

Coach Moreno shouted from the sidelines. "Stay focused! Reset and go again!"

Jason took a deep breath.

Fine.

If they wanted a war, he'd give them one.

Targeted by the Defense

As soon as the game restarted, Jason noticed something.

Bianchi and his partner had changed their tactics.

Instead of just marking him closely, they were double-teaming him.

Every time he tried to receive the ball, one defender would push him from behind while the other stepped in front.

They weren't giving him any space.

Rodrigo tried to play a through ball to Jason, but before he could reach it—

Bianchi shoved him hard.

Jason tumbled to the ground.

The referee waved play on.

Jason shot up, furious. "That was a foul!"

Bianchi smirked. "Not in my book."

Jason exhaled sharply.

They were trying to frustrate him.

Trying to make him lose focus.

But he wasn't going to fall for it.

He needed a new strategy.

The System's Guidance

As Jason adjusted his position, the system activated.

[Striker's Instinct: Tactical Adaptation Activated]

Analyze defensive weaknesses… Scanning…

Best movement pattern detected… Updating…

Jason's eyes flickered with understanding.

The system had found a weakness.

Bianchi and his partner were marking him tightly—but they were too aggressive.

If he could bait them into lunging in, he could turn them inside out.

The Perfect Counterattack

At the 70th minute, Rodrigo received the ball in midfield.

Jason knew this was his chance.

Instead of running forward—

He faked a sprint.

Bianchi reacted instantly, stepping forward to block him.

But Jason had already stopped.

Bianchi was out of position.

Jason spun around the defender and burst into the open space.

Rodrigo saw it.

A perfectly timed through ball split the defense.

Jason sprinted onto it.

The goalkeeper rushed out.

Jason had one option.

He flicked the ball past the keeper with his first touch—

Then chased it down and slammed it into the empty net.

GOAL!

The crowd erupted.

2-1.

Jason clenched his fists and let out a roar.

The defenders?

They looked stunned.

Bianchi shook his head in frustration.

Jason smirked. "I told you—this was gonna be a highlight reel."

Rodrigo tackled him in celebration. "You're a monster, man!"

Jason grinned.

But he wasn't done yet.

There were still 20 minutes left.

And he wanted more.