The first half has ended. Go Ahead Eagles 0:1 FC Eindhoven.
The locker room is silent, with only heavy breaths filling the air.
It feels as if the atmosphere in the room is too thick to breathe in.
Sweat runs down Arghana's temples, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
He feels his body growing tired, but what weighs heavier is the pressure choking his mind.
"Stop sleepwalking!
If we don't wake up soon, we'll be the laughing stock again!"
Sjoerd Overgoor's loud voice echoes, full of anger.
Xandro Schenk's piercing gaze locks onto Arghana.
No words are spoken, but Arghana knows exactly what it means.
He failed in the first half. He has to do more. He has to be better.
However, Erik ten Hag doesn't scold or press.
The coach simply stands in front of them, his eyes observing each player one by one.
"Don't put too much pressure on yourselves.
Keep fighting, you can do it!" he says, with a voice that carries more than just a command.
It's belief.
As the players prepare to return to the field, Ten Hag approaches Arghana.
His hand rests lightly on the young midfielder's shoulder, gentle yet full of strength.
"You don't have to be the hero," he says, his voice low but firm.
"Sometimes, what's most important isn't how great you are, but how you keep the team moving forward.
Be the wheel that keeps them on course. Play with a clear mind."
Arghana nods.
But inside him, the storm still rages.
Is he good enough?
Can he turn this around?
==
The second half begins.
Go Ahead Eagles increase their attacking intensity.
Yet, Arghana is still trapped in his own thoughts.
Every decision feels heavier.
His passes are too cautious, his movements less aggressive.
His body feels slower, and every duel becomes harder to win.
==
Minute 62.
Quincy Promes is fouled just outside the penalty box.
Deniz Türüç grabs the ball and prepares to take the free kick.
Arghana moves into the penalty area, looking for position.
The ball soars high.
He jumps—too low!
But Sjoerd Overgoor is behind him, heading the ball perfectly!
GOOAL!!
The stadium erupts in cheers.
The score is now 1-1.
Arghana clenches his fist, but it's still not enough.
Time is running out.
==
Minute 69.
Arghana delivers a nearly perfect cross.
The ball curves sharply into the penalty box, but Kolder fails to connect!
Frustration begins to burn in his chest. This isn't the time to play it safe.
==
Minute 79.
His legs feel heavy.
His breath is quickening.
The cheers of the crowd flood his ears, growing more distant… more faint…
Then, it happens.
A hollow feeling spreads through him.
His eyes widen, but the world seems to slow.
The movements of the players, their facial expressions, the direction of the ball—it all opens up before him.
Focus.
In that instant, something inside him awakens.
He sees the movements of the opposition even before they happen.
He can read the game with an clarity that's almost unreal.
It's as if his brain has absorbed thousands of hours of match footage and condensed it into a single moment.
The ball comes. Without thinking, his body reacts.
Deniz Türüç passes it to him.
A defender from Eindhoven closes in.
Arghana doesn't hesitate.
With a simple move, he shifts the ball to the side, executing a sharp body feint—the defender is fooled!
Nutmeg!
The ball slides smoothly through the defender's legs, and Arghana races past him at full speed.
The field opens up before him.
The crowd roars again, but this time, he's unaffected.
Everything feels so clear.
On the sidelines, Erik ten Hag watches with wide eyes, his hand on his head.
As if he can't believe what he's just seen.
Arghana clenches his fist.
Not out of frustration.
But because of a new confidence flowing through his veins.
He knows.
He can change the course of the game.