The scoreboard displayed England 6 – 4 Italy, and the crowd was on their feet, chanting loudly as the clock approached 90 minutes. The players on both sides were drenched in sweat, their movements slower but still determined.
Italy, refusing to surrender, launched one final assault. Matteo Conti orchestrated the attack, threading a pass to Montolivo on the left wing. Montolivo sprinted past Sawyer and crossed the ball into the box. The delivery was perfect, finding Cristiano La Rosa, who leaped above Archer to meet it with a powerful header.
The ball rocketed toward the goal, but Evan, England's goalkeeper, dived full stretch and punched it clear. The clearance fell to Milo, who quickly booted it upfield to relieve the pressure.
---
The 90th minute ticked over, and the fourth official raised the board: 4 minutes of added time. Groans and cheers echoed in equal measure as the game entered its dying moments.
