"S.S. Troy!" laughed James. "How's it going?"
"It's S.S.C. Troy, you moron," said one of the boys in the wedge. He had black hair that was sloppy and blue eyes. He had braces on and constantly moved his jaw as if he were adjusting something. He was smaller than the man leading them.
"What are you doing here?" asked Lorenzo.
"Who is that?" asked Ian.
"We came to watch the game," the man said.
"Who is that?" asked Ian again.
"You're already annoying us," said Lorenzo.
"Who the fuck is that?" Ian shouted.
They all looked at him.
"Who is that?" asked Immanuel.
"My name is Campo Alvarez," he said.
"Why are you walking up to us?" asked Lorenzo.
"Calm down, man; we just came to say hi," Campo giggled. "How's the 7th tier?"
"The game's starting in a few minutes, Enzo," said Klaus. He pointed to his watch as supporters' distant singing flatlined.
The Waterfront boys turned their backs on them as they walked towards the stadium. Lorenzo turned around, pointing at Campo and staring at him for a few seconds.
"We'll be back," Lorenzo stated. "Mark my words, we are a team of hope. We are the next generation, newer than last season."
"I hope so," Campo laughed. "I can't wait to see you again!"
They headed toward the stadium as the game was about to begin. The boys met up with other teammates before joining the crowd waiting to be let in through security.
"Hey, Lorenzo?" asked Ian.
"Wassup?" Lorenzo answered.
"Who were those guys back there?" Ian asked. "They seemed very happy to see us."
"Those were the boys in orange," interrupted James.
"The boys in orange?" Ian asked.
"Mhm, their crowd screamed it so much it got annoying," James said.
"What makes them so significant?" Ian asked.
"Well, they got promoted, and we got relegated," James said. "This was when we were in the fourth tier."
"Wow, that was awhile ago," Ian said.
"I remember it like it was yesterday," he said.
"Sheesh," Ian said. "How rough was it?"
"Well....." James moved closer to Ian so he could speak to him perfectly through the loud crowd noise. "It started like this."
- September 4th, 2047 -
"Not so much dominance heading into the 60th minute by Troy," said the commentator.
"No, but it looks like Campo Alvarez is scattering the midfield to a more significant extent than in the first half," said the other commentator.
"Campo!" screamed Lumen. Lumen is the fullback for S.S.C. Troy, a fast and small boy playing his first game with the team. He was subbed in the 52nd minute.
Campo passed the ball too hard towards Lumen, but he recovered it, twisting his body to evade the oncoming winger from A.S.C. Waterfront Hoboken. The ball popped up on the grass and toward the Troy keeper.
"Hey!" screamed their manager. "Keep up the formation!"
"Right here!" screamed the right back for Troy.
The ball was back in play as Troy's right back smacked it up the field toward Campo. Campo held his position as he Ronaldo Chopped away from the Hoboken player, Gregor, passing it through two defenders, where a quick and strong striker named Miles Van Der Kash smacked the ball with his weak right foot.
*Ping* - *Ping*
"Oh my, off the crossbar twice!" screamed the commentator.
"How unlucky one must be!" said the other commentator. "The ball was hit with such power that it smacked the ground and hit the crossbar twice!"
Luca, the Hoboken center back, cleared the ball up out of the 18. Hoboken did not communicate much on the pitch. The ball was stolen from an interception by another midfielder named I.Z. Johnson. He scissors kicked and Maradona'd around the Hoboken defense, completely dominating the midfield with Campo.
"Here!" screamed Teemo Suarez. He was a bruiser winger with excessive pace.
The ball was flicked up to him as it overshot a fullback on the Hoboken team who tried to head it away. Teemo swung in, hesitating, and trivela the ball into the box, where Miles was open for a volley at the penalty spot. His left foot rose up, hitting the ball with his laces as it rocketed into the top right corner of the goal.
"OAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Screamed the home crowd as limbs ensued.
"Yes, fucker!" screamed I.Z. "I knew you'd do it."
"Sheesh, these guys suck, huh?" laughed Teemo.
Miles stayed silent but smiled at his team as he high-fived them and jogged back to the circle.
- Present -
"Who's this Miles guy?" Ian asked, walking up the steps to their seat.
"That guy," sighed James. "Sheesh, that guy was insane."
"I didn't see him with Troy, so he must be in Europe or with some big team in the Major League," said Lorenzo. "I only played against him once. That game led to us being relegated, and I moved back down to the academy."
"Sheesh," Ian said.
"To continue," Lorenzo said.
- 85th Minute -
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" screamed the crowd. "The boys are here to stay; they've come so far away! Now guess who's here to kick your ass? The boy in orange; Miles Van Der Kash! Van Der Kash, Van Der Kash, the boy in orange, Miles Van Der Kash!"
"The home fans seem energetic as always!" said the commentator.
"Flares are going off as the rowdy Troy supporters love the way the team is playing," said the other commentator.
"Here!" said Campo. He turned his back on a Hoboken midfielder before passing it to the keeper.
"Slow it down!" screamed the keeper.
Campo ran up to him as the keeper passed it to him.
"Three!" screamed Campo as he darted with the ball so fast. Running like a gazelle past the midfield and smacking the ball towards the right wing. A young boy named Tristan Robertson received the ball and sped up with a smile on his face. By cutting inside, he blitzed the defenders, holding up play in the 18-yard box.
"Your left!" screamed Miles. Tristan pulled back and passed it towards Miles. A space appeared in the middle as Luca tried to step in his way. Miles flicked the ball up but was tripped and fell to the ground holding his leg.
*Bwheeep*
"Penalty!" screamed the commentator. "In the 90th minute!"
"This will surely close out the game," said the other commentator. "There's no reason to go down like that. A silly challenge by the waterfront boys."
Miles got up, dusting off his pants and huffing. Sweat dripped from his chin as I.Z. handed him the ball. He walked over to the penalty spot and set the ball down, twisting it and looking up at the keeper, Lorenzo Beek. Fresh out of the academy at 16, he was a very good shot-stopper. Their first choice keeper was injured, and their second choice keeper wasn't around.
"Step away from the box!" screamed the ref.
"That's never a pen, ref!" screamed a Hoboken player.
"You want a card?" screamed the ref. "Step away from the box!"
The crowd roared behind the net as Miles stepped back. Lorenzo widened himself as if he were trying to make himself bigger in front of a bear. Miles walked back to the ball and fixed it before moving back again.
*Bwheep*
He approached the ball slowly, as if he were pulling a boulder. He patted his feet fast before looking to his right, and Panenka'd the ball directly in the middle. Lorenzo had already moved to his left as the ball floated past him. He stopped his movement and flung himself towards the ball.
"OOOOOAAAAH!" screamed the crowd.
"He did it again!" screamed a Troy player.
"The playoffs will be so easy with him around," screamed another.
Campo ran up to Miles as he looked at the young, defeated Lorenzo sitting on the dirt. He gave him a cheap smile and a thumbs up as the team walked back to the circle to play the small amount of extra time added.
- Present -
"So that's how it was?" Ian asked.
"Mhm," Lorenzo said. "It took me longer to get up from the academy to play with you guys here."
"They sent you down just like that?" Ian asked.
"No one is really safe from being dropped or demoted back if you come up from the academy," Lorenzo said.
"Still harsh," James said. "It wasn't your fault; our team was outmatched that whole season."
"And the season after that," Lorenzo said. "And after that."
"They won the play-offs and were promoted along with Raiders Stamford," James continued.
"Yeesh, those guys are Major League bound, right?" Lorenzo asked.
"They aren't Major League bound," James replied. "They are already in it."
"Black knights were destined to be there anyway," Lorenzo said.
"Black Knights?" Ian said. "That's Raiders Stamford?"
"Those guys, even in the fourth tier, were scary," James said. "A mix of Barcelona's passing and defense, Manchester City's midfield dominance, and prime Real Madrid's attack. Those guys were surely Major League bound from the start of their reorganized management and ownership."
"Seems scary," Ian said.
The supporters in the stadium became restless as the teams left the pitch to prepare. The first professional match Ian will see live is about to change his intelligence and judgment forever.