3rd Card Activation
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As 2010 drew to a close, football's hottest debate had shifted to this year's Ballon d'Or.
Who would take home the prestigious award?
Andrés Iniesta?
Xavi Hernández?
Lionel Messi?
Wesley Sneijder?
These four players were the strongest contenders.
Iniesta and Xavi had been instrumental in Spain's World Cup victory. Xavi was the brain behind the midfield, orchestrating play with precision, while Iniesta was the relentless attacker—his crowning moment being the winning goal in the final.
Messi, as always, needed no introduction. The Champions League Golden Boot and La Liga Golden Boot winner, he remained a perennial Ballon d'Or favorite.
Sneijder, however, had arguably been the standout performer of 2010. The Dutch playmaker led Inter Milan to a historic treble, securing the Serie A title, Coppa Italia, and the Champions League. He then carried the Netherlands to the World Cup final, scoring five goals—enough to tie for the tournament's top scorer, though he narrowly missed out on the Golden Boot due to fewer assists.
In the immediate aftermath of the World Cup, many saw the Ballon d'Or as a three-on-one battle—Sneijder taking on the Barcelona trio. He was widely considered the frontrunner at the time.
But six months later, his chances had significantly diminished.
Since the start of the new season, Sneijder's form had dipped. Inter Milan had fallen ten points behind AC Milan in Serie A and were no longer in serious title contention.
More alarmingly, Sneijder had yet to score a single goal this season.
Meanwhile, the Barcelona trio had continued their dominance. Messi, in particular, was racking up goals and strengthening his case.
A defining moment came in the recent El Clásico, where Barcelona humiliated Real Madrid 5-0 at Camp Nou. The performance cemented the Barcelona trio's status in the race, while Sneijder's candidacy lost further momentum.
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December 4 – Scottish Premiership, Round 16
Dundee United traveled to Inverness, a small city in northern Scotland, to take on Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Inverness was most famous for Loch Ness, the legendary home of the Loch Ness Monster—one of the world's most enduring mysteries.
Stories of a massive creature in the loch date back over 1,500 years, making it one of Scotland's most famous myths. Countless sightings and photographs had fueled global speculation, though most had been debunked.
Despite multiple scientific investigations, no conclusive evidence had ever been found. However, Loch Ness's deep, murky waters and complex underwater terrain made it the perfect place for legends to thrive.
But today, Dundee United wasn't in Inverness for mythical creatures—they were here to win.
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This was no ordinary league match. Inverness and Dundee United were direct rivals for European qualification.
At the start of the matchday, Inverness sat 4th in the table with 25 points, while Dundee United was 6th with 23 points.
That made this a six-point game.
A Dundee United win would leapfrog them over Inverness by a point.
A Dundee United loss would widen the gap to five points, making a top-four finish much harder to reach.
Beyond that, this was a revenge match.
In the first half of the season, Dundee United suffered their worst defeat of the campaign—a humiliating 4-0 loss to Inverness at home. Losing to a newly promoted side in such fashion had been unacceptable.
Now, they had a chance to set things right.
Inverness, though new to the top flight, had a history of upsetting Scotland's biggest teams. Even during their years in the lower leagues, they had pulled off cup victories over Celtic, Rangers, Hearts, and Motherwell.
This would be no easy match.
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From the opening whistle, Liam Carter was highly active on the right flank.
"Carter calls for the ball—he's making a move down the right wing."
"He's up against Chris Hogg—Carter takes him on... oh, a stepover! He's past him!"
Liam had always played a direct, English-style game—relying on pace and quick changes of direction rather than elaborate dribbling tricks.
But today, he was showing off a new skill set, much to the commentators' delight.
Although his first cross didn't quite find its target, Liam was still satisfied.
During the recent two-week break, he had dedicated himself to intensive free-kick training, aiming to improve his "Moon Scimitar" technique and unlock a new ability.
Yesterday, he finally achieved 33% synchronization with the technique, triggering the activation of his third ability card.
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The third unlocked ability was called:
"Cycling Prince" (Denílson)
This granted him the dribbling talent of Denílson, Brazil's infamous flair player.
At 45% synchronization, it would provide a 15% increase in dribbling stability.
Denílson was one of the most technically gifted dribblers of his generation. Though his career never fulfilled its promise, his raw skill was undeniable.
In the 1998 World Cup, he was one of Brazil's key attacking threats—second only to Ronaldo.
That tournament earned him a world-record transfer to Real Betis, where he was expected to lead the club to glory.
Unfortunately, Denílson never adapted to European football. His flashy dribbling was ineffective in the faster, more structured game, and he often played as an individual rather than a team player.
Betis' gamble failed—they were relegated just two seasons later.
Despite his unfulfilled potential, his dribbling talent was undeniable. Many regarded him as the best 1v1 dribbler of his era.
When Liam first unlocked this ability, he had concerns—it came from an underachiever.
But after just a few practice sessions, he realized how powerful it was.
Even at just 18% synchronization, he had already mastered the stepover—a move that previously felt unnatural to him.
Tonight's match against Inverness was his first chance to test it in a competitive game.
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"Carter on the ball again—another stepover! He beats Hogg once more!"
This time, he used a simple acceleration to glide past his marker.
Hogg was now a nervous wreck. He had no idea how to deal with Liam's new tricks.
For the first 30 minutes, the match became Liam Carter vs. Chris Hogg.
Time and time again, Liam burst past his opponent, completely dominating the right flank.
The Inverness defender looked mentally shattered, unsure whether to anticipate a dribble, a stepover, or a simple sprint.
Liam grinned.
This new ability was going to be fun.
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