The Last Matchup, a short story by Muhammad Raza

 The Last Matchup, a short story by Muhammad Raza

It is the last minute of extra time in a game between SPFC and Krunker United. Both teams are tied 2-2, and a loose ball off of United’s last attack has fallen graciously, almost as a miracle, to SP’s striker, Tenzin Hammock, who is sprinting towards the United goalposts with no one in sight to stop him. 

John Mackeral, United’s midfielder, is not about to quit now though. He recuperates from the last attack and appears before Tenzin as a last-man wall. There is something feral about the way John stares at Tenzin. There are scratch marks on his elbows and knees, his hair is matted, his shirt is dirty, his forehead is gleaming with sweat, and all his remaining energy is devoted to getting the ball off Tenzin’s feet. Tenzin, however, is not perturbed by John’s animal-like appearance. He too has been sprinting to and fro the pitch continuously over the nearly 100-minute game, and with the last remaining life in his legs, he runs straight at John intending to score the final goal. With both teams formations in shambles following consecutive counter-attacks, the winner of this matchup may dictate which team wins the game. 

The crowd roars under the glowing nighttime sky as Tenzin, a skillful dribbler, continually veers right and left in an attempt to feint John and reach the United goalpost. The ball is practically glued to his feet as he cuts inside, outside, inside, outside, skillfully shifting the ball using all the different surface areas of his foot. He takes a sudden step back, luring John in, before exploding past him. 

John, however, is able to cover his lost ground and come back in front of Tenzin. He is oblivious to the oohs and aahs of the crowd, and his eyes are locked onto the ball as a hawk stares at his prey. No matter how dazzling Tenzin’s footwork is, he moves right alongside him as if he is Tenzin’s shadow. Both players violently throw their arms in an attempt to throw the other off balance, with Tenzin perpetually moving the ball in an attempt to thwart his defender. Their elegant and electric one-versus-one, despite them both pushing their bodies to the limits, transcends the realm of mere soccer. To an outsider, it seems as if they are dancing. 

Tenzin rolls the ball with his right foot onto his left, flicks it up, and masterfully kicks it over John’s head. John, with pure animal instincts guiding him, throws himself towards the ball and kicks it out of the air at the same time Tenzin’s outstretched leg tries to control it. The ball flies into the stands

TWEET! TWEET! TWEEEEEET!

Both players snap out of their trance and collapse to the ground as the ref blows his final whistle. There are no victors in this match, but Tenzin’s whole-hearted attempt to break past John and John’s heroic defense of his goal will surely commemorated by both their teams and the fans.