The two days passed quickly. Now, the atmosphere at The Brick Community Stadium was tense. The roar of the crowd, the typical FA Cup ambiance, and the pressure filling the air were all part of this big match.
FA Cup Second Round: Wigan Athletic vs Bradford City.
The long whistle was about to blow. The pyers stood in the center of the field, their eyes full of determination. Reinhart stood in front of the pyers, "Today is a tough day. Your opponents now are no longer the easy-to-beat League Two teams. Your opponents today are a reflection of who you will face next season."
"Prove that you deserve promotion this season. Face your opponents and defeat them. That's my only message."
Then Beatrice spoke with enthusiasm, "Come on, guys, you can definitely do it!"
Because Beatrice had lightened the mood, there was no longer any tension in the Bradford pyers' eyes, only one thing: the belief to win.
With that, they walked onto the field, standing amidst the cheers of the Wigan supporters.
[Commentator 1] "Welcome to The Brick Community Stadium! Tonight, the atmosphere is electric as we're about to witness one of the most anticipated duels in the FA Cup Second Round: Wigan Athletic versus Bradford City! Two teams with incredible fighting spirit, two contrasting pying philosophies, and only one will advance to the next round!"
"Wigan tonight lines up in a 5-3-2 formation, a very solid system emphasizing a steel defense and quick transitions. The five defenders starting tonight are Trevor Matthias on the left, Harrison Bke, Dom Coyle, and Ryan Stenson in the heart of the defense, and Jorge Vesco on the right. These five are known for their towering height, extraordinary physical strength, inexhaustible stamina, and speed that can silence any counter-attack. They are not just a wall, but also a spear when needed."
"In midfield, Wigan relies on three versatile midfielders. Benji Aric, the strong defensive midfielder who breaks up attacks and reads the game well. Alongside him, there's Noah Cantrell, a tempo setter who never runs out of ideas, and Julian Deno, a box-to-box pyer who can initiate attacks and relieve pressure."
"And in the forward line, there are two strikers who cannot be underestimated: Marco Delvanni, a physically imposing striker but very skillful in aerial duels, and Kendall Osei, a fast striker with an incredible goalscoring instinct. They will be a real threat to Bradford's defense throughout the match."
[COMMENTATOR 2] "But make no mistake! On the other side, Bradford City comes with full confidence, bringing a unique 3-2-4-1 formation that is very offensive. A system that emphasizes ball domination, wide py, and constant pressure from the first minute!"
"Between the posts is Mark Johnson, the veteran goalkeeper who has been a key pilr throughout this season. Bradford's three main defenders—Thomas Rhield, Tom Shield, and Conrad Walsh—are ready to break down every attack with precise tackles and solid communication."
"In the defensive midfield, there's a tough duo: Ismael Boukari and Eden Mirza, two pyers who are not only strong defensively but also adept at initiating attacks from deep. They are the tactical heart of this formation."
"The left wing is occupied by Lucas Lecir, an explosive young pyer with amazing crossing accuracy, while on the right wing is Mike Langkhsear, who has performed consistently in recent matches and always puts constant pressure on the opposition."
"In the attacking midfield positions are two creative and tricky pyers: Lucien Ito, who often troubles opposing defenses with his strange movements, and Duvant, a fmboyant pyer with extraordinary ball control and a high attacking instinct."
"And leading the attack is a true predator, Mathias Alvez, a striker who has already scored around 19 goals in just 8 league games! An incredible record, and tonight he is once again the main threat."
[COMMENTATOR 1] "This is a csh of two worlds! Wigan with their collective defensive strength and high efficiency, against Bradford with an attacking spirit that flows through every line. A battle between iron and fire, structure and creativity!"
[COMMENTATOR 2] "And we can already feel the atmosphere—the appuse of the spectators, the singing of the supporters, and the rising tension before kickoff. Grab your snacks, fasten your seatbelts, because tonight... the FA Cup will once again write an unforgettable story!"
Finally, the whistle blew to start the first half. At that moment, the Wigan pyers stayed deep in their own defensive area, giving Bradford possession of the ball.
[COMMENTATOR 1] "And the match begins! Bradford immediately tries to take control of the game with aggressive ball possession... But look at this—Wigan isn't fazed at all! They're waiting, defending very neatly and disciplinedly. This is truly the steel defense we predicted earlier."
[COMMENTATOR 2] "That's right. Every space seems to disappear as Bradford's attackers try to enter the final third. Look at Duvant... forced to turn back, no opening. Lucien too, every time he tries to dribble inside, he's immediately swarmed by two pyers. Mathias Alvez hasn't even touched the ball in a dangerous area once!"
On the sidelines, Beatrice seemed to bite her lower lip, her eyes scanning every pyer's movement as if putting together a living puzzle. Reinhart stared at the field without saying much, only occasionally nodding slightly.
On the field, frustration began to set in.
Mathias, the predator, was seen raising his hands in frustration several times, asking for a ball that never came. Duvant began to py deeper, trying to find the ball himself. Lucien was quite frustrated at failing to find any openings.
However, among them, one person experienced deep frustration. He was Eden, the midfield maestro.
He himself kept failing to deliver passes and create space. He repeatedly looked towards the bench, thinking Reinhart would be disappointed in him. Again and again, Eden instead delivered passes that went nowhere. This was the first time Eden's mentality was truly tested.
[COMMENTATOR 1] "We can see the mental pressure starting to haunt the Bradford pyers. They are used to attacking freely—but tonight, they seem trapped in an endless maze. There have even been many strange passes from Eden."
[COMMENTATOR 2] "And—OH LOOK AT THIS! A QUICK COUNTER-ATTACK FROM WIGAN!"
The peak of Eden's frustration began with a mispced pass. Eden, too hasty, passed in the middle of the field, unaware that Julian Deno was behind him. Cleverly, he stole the ball.
After winning the ball, the running Julian then pyed a direct pass to Noah Cantrell, the ball flowing quickly to Kendall Osei on the left wing. With terrifying speed, Osei cut inside, fooling Tom Shield before sending a ft ball into the center.
At that moment, Conrad and Thomas tried to close down the space. However, Osei was very difficult to stop. Osei, seeing Julian running into the center, immediately passed to him.
Where Julian calmly feinted past the onrushing Ismael and id off a ft pass towards the right where Delvan was running. Then disaster struck.
[COMMENTATOR 1] "DELVANNI!!! WITH A QUICK SHOT!!! GOOOOAAAAALLLLL!! WIGAN LEAD 1-0!!"
The stadium erupted. The Wigan supporters, who dominated the stadium, stood up, once again showing who they really were.
For the next few minutes, the Bradford pyers still struggled to score. They couldn't even break through Wigan's defensive line.
The manager's satisfied face was visible as he watched the Bradford pyers' frustration, unaware that the real monster had only just begun his move.
On the bench, after seeing the Bradford pyers' mental state, Reinhart turned to Beatrice. They exchanged gnces, and Reinhart simply said, "You know what to do."
Beatrice stood up, her eyes shining. She began to shout towards the field.
BEATRICE (shouting loudly amidst the stadium noise): "LUCAS AND MIKE, GET INTO THE CENTER! DUVANT, LUCIEN—TO THE SIDES! MATHIAS, DROP! DROP AS A TARGET MAN! AND EDEN, COACH WANTS YOU TO BE THE ORCHESTRATOR!"
The pyers looked surprised to hear those instructions. However, they immediately smiled. The moment they had been waiting for had finally begun.
And Eden, hearing that, smiled again. He realized that the coach would not abandon him.
And slowly, the transformation began...