AZ Alkmaar refused to let up. They regained possession imdiately, Henriksen nodding a loose ball into Elm’s path.
The midfielder wasted no ti, spotting Altidore peeling off his marker inside the 18 yard box.
[Elm delivers! Altidore’s in position—]
The Arican striker leapt high, twisting his body mid-air to et the cross with a powerful header. The ball flew toward the top corner—
—but Brkić, again, reacted with a fingertip save, pushing it onto the crossbar before Udinese scrambled it clear!
[No way! Brkić is superhuman tonight!]
David groaned. [What do AZ Alkmaar have to do to score?! They are throwing everything at him!]
Marco chuckled. [I don’t know, David. If they can’t beat Brkić, they might need divine intervention!]
The clock ticked past 45 minutes. The fourth official signaled three minutes of stoppage ti. The energy in the stadium was electric, and every fan was on the edge of their seat.
Udinese tried to slow things down, passing the ball around their backline, but AZ Alkmaar refused to back off. They pressed high, forcing a rushed clearance.
The ball fell to Henriksen, who quickly shifted it to Benjamin on the left. He glanced up, saw Altidore making another run, and whipped in a curling cross.
[One last chance before halfti!]
Altidore rose again, eting the ball with his forehead—but it flashed inches wide of the post!
Fweeee!~
The halfti whistle blew. Players dropped to their knees, exhausted, as the crowd erupted in applause for the relentless action.
[What a first half! Udinese leading by a goal to nil against ten-n AZ Alkmaar, but that was end-to-end football at its finest!]
David exhaled. [AZ Alkmaar have been heroic. Down to ten n after Marcellis’ sending off in the 30th minute, yet they’ve been the better team]
Marco nodded. [But Udinese are still in this. And with fresh legs coming in the second half, anything can happen]
The players trudged toward the tunnel, so shaking their heads in frustration, others wiping sweat from their brows.
The crowd roared in appreciation, acknowledging the relentless battle they had just witnessed.
[What a first half that was!]
David exhaled, shaking his head in disbelief. [Marco, that might be one of the most intense first halves we’ve seen this Europa League season]
Marco grinned. [No doubt about it! Ten-man AZ Alkmaar pushing Udinese to the absolute limit. They might be trailing, but they’ve been fearless]
The cara panned to the AZ Alkmaar players walking off the pitch, Benjamin and Altidore were deep in conversation. Alvarado gave a quick thumbs-up to the fans before disappearing into the tunnel.
[Let’s break it down, David. The red card to Marcellis in the 30th minute completely changed the complexion of the match]
David nodded. [Absolutely. It was a tough call, but by the letter of the law, he was the last man. The mont he brought Di Natale down in the 18 yard box, you just knew what was coming]
[And Udinese made them pay almost instantly]
The replay flashed on screen, showing the composed penalty kick that led to Di Natale’s goal. His movent had been perfect to slot it past Alvarado.
[That’s the quality Di Natale brings. Give him half a yard, and he punishes you,] Marco remarked. [But credit to AZ Alkmaar, they didn’t fold]
David whistled as another replay played, this ti of Benjamin’s dazzling run and cutback for Altidore’s offside goal. [This was the mont, Marco. A fraction of a second, and the flag stays down]
[And what a pass from Benjamin,] Marco added. [That kid has vision beyond his years. He’s been the most dangerous player for AZ Alkmaar. Every ti he gets the ball, you feel like sothing could happen]
David leaned forward. [But let’s talk about the real story of the half—Brkić and Alvarado. Two goalkeepers playing out of their minds]
The screen split to show Alvarado’s stunning saves: the fingertip stop against Di Natale’s volley, the crucial one-on-one block against Muriel.
[Alvarado has kept AZ Alkmaar in this,] David continued. [If Udinese had scored a second, this ga might’ve been over]
Then the feed switched to Brkić’s heroics: the incredible reflex save from Altidore’s header, the last-second goal-line block that denied Benjamin.
Marco chuckled. [David, I’m telling you, Brkić must have magnets in his gloves. AZ Alkmaar threw everything at him, and he still has a clean sheet]
David smirked. [So, second half predictions? Can AZ Alkmaar find a way back?]
Marco leaned back. [If they keep playing like this with the sa level of conviction, absolutely. They’re a man down, but they don’t look like it. The question is, can they keep up this intensity for another 45 minutes?]
David nodded. [And Udinese?]
[They’ve been clinical, but they haven’t put this ga to bed. One goal isn’t enough against a team that refuses to quit. If they don’t get a second soon, they might regret it]
***
The AZ Alkmaar players trudged into the dressing room, their jerseys drenched in sweat.
So slumped onto the benches, catching their breath, while others leaned against the walls, frustration evident on their faces.
Gertjan Verbeek strode in, his expression unreadable. He let the tension hang in the air for a mont before clapping his hands sharply. "Sit up. Look at ."
The room fell silent, save for the sound of heavy breathing. Gertjan Verbeek’s gaze swept across his players before he spoke again, his tone calm but firm. "That was a hell of a first half. Down to ten n, and yet we were the better team." He pointed toward Altidore, who was still catching his breath. "You bullied their defenders. Keep making those runs. One of them will pay off."
He turned to Benjamin. "Your deliveries have been spot on. Keep exploiting that left flank. You’ve got their right-back on a string."
Benjamin nodded, wiping sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
Gertjan Verbeek’s expression hardened as he shifted his focus to the whole team. "Listen. We cannot let up, not for a second ti. Udinese are waiting for us to drop our intensity, to give them space. We don’t... We won’t. We keep pressing, we keep fighting until the end."
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