Chapter 137: Control and Chaos

Chapter 137: Control and Chaos Chapter 137: Control and Chaos Saturday, September 15, 2010 Location: Broadfield Stadium, Crawley Matchday 7: Crawley Town vs. Leyton Orient Saturday morning was quiet, but you could feel the tension. The Europa League draw from Tuesday was still fresh in everyone’s mind. At Broadfield Stadium, the pitch looked sharp under the autumn sun. The smell of cut grass was in the air, along with the sound of a coffee van humming near the gate. Niels stepped off the team bus, his boots crunching on the damp gravel, a tight mix of focus and nerves in his chest. Crawley’s 1-0 win over Plymouth had taken them to 11 points from six games, a decent start in League One. Three wins, two draws, one loss, steady progress. But the Europa League was coming fast: Bayer Leverkusen, Fiorentina, Rosenborg, a ridiculous group for a team from the third tier league. Before that storm hit, though, there was Leyton Orient.. tough, direct, always up for a scrap. This was a chance to build momentum before Europe came calling. The media didn’t know whether to be amazed or skeptical. One local paper said, "Crawley’s European adventure awaits, but League One demands focus." Online, fans were buzzing. "Thiago and Dev against Leverkusen? Bold," one post read. Another shot back, "They’re barely getting by in League One, Europe’s gonna destroy them." But in town, belief was strong. The pubs were full, red scarves everywhere. People were starting to dream but the pressure was growing. Niels clutched his old clipboard, packed with notes on Leyton Orient’s direct style. He had a plan: Jamal to shield the backline, Pogba with freedom to create, Tom Whitehall running the show in midfield. About an hour before kickoff, the dressing room was buzzing. Rain tapped steadily on the roof, like a drum that wouldn’t quit. The squad Max, Pogba, Freeman, Thiago, Dev, Nate, Luka, Liam McCulloch, Reece Darby, Zach Morley, Adam Fletcher, Jamal, and Tom Whitehall were spread out on the benches. Some were taping their ankles, others had headphones on, lost in their own world. Niels stood in the middle, calm but firm, his voice cutting through the noise. "This league won’t give us anything," he said. "We take every inch. Leyton Orient will fight, go long, try to break our shape. But we control the tempo. Not them." Niels went over the plan, his eyes moving across the room. "Jamal, sit deep and screen the backline, you’re our shield. Pogba, you’ve got the freedom, keep the ball moving, set the tempo. Tom, you’re the engine, box to box, don’t stop. Dev, Thiago, stretch the pitch wide. Take turns cutting inside to mess with their shape. Max, stay on the shoulder of the last man. Feed off Pogba’s passes or anything coming in from wide. Reece, overlap when you can, but don’t get caught high." The squad nodded, locking in. The excitement of Europe was still there, but they knew League One was a different kind of grind. Max pulled his armband tight and muttered, "Let’s go to work, lads." Dev clenched his fists, ready. You could feel how much he wanted this. The stands at Broadfield were packed with restless fans, red scarves waving under a gray sky. Their chants, "Red Devils!" pulsed like a heartbeat through the air. The pitch shone with rain, the atmosphere thick with anticipation. Niels stood on the touchline, rain droplets gathering on his jacket, clipboard tucked away. Crawley took their positions in red kits, lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation: Fletcher in goal, Liam and Zach at the back, Reece holding midfield, Jamal shielding the defense, Pogba free in the middle, Tom Whitehall running the engine, Thiago and Dev wide, and Max leading the attack. Kickoff: The whistle blew, and Crawley took charge right away. Their passing was sharp, their pressing intense. Pogba controlled the game, casually sending passes wide and switching play with a quick flick of his boot. A commentator’s voice came through the radio: "Watching Pogba is like watching a conductor with his baton, he’s running the show." Jamal stood like a wall in front of the defense, cutting out a dangerous Leyton Orient counterattack and calmly passing the ball to Freeman, who then found Thiago. The crowd erupted, sensing something early, but Leyton Orient’s defense stayed strong, their long balls searching for any opening. Around the 25th minute, Crawley had a good chance. Dev beat his man with a slick step-over and sent in a low cross. Max went for the shot, but a defender dived in to block it. The crowd let out a groan. Leyton Orient stepped up their game, getting physical and testing Crawley’s defense. But the backline Reece, Zach, and Liam stayed calm and solid, not giving an inch. "Stay patient! Keep the formation!" Niels urged from the sideline. The first half ended 0-0. Leyton Orient had been tough, but you could see cracks in their defense. Crawley’s control was careful but looked promising. In the dressing room, the rain hit the roof harder. The squad was sweaty and focused. Niels stood up, his voice calm but urgent. "It’s there, lads. Trust your instincts. Turn up the pace, push harder, break them apart. Thiago, Dev, stretch their defense. Pogba, keep controlling the game. Max, find the space." The team nodded, their energy coming back. Max clapped his hands. "Let’s finish this, lads!" Thiago grinned, bouncing on his toes. "Time to dance." The second half started, and Thiago came alive dancing past his marker with quick step-overs, causing chaos down the right. The crowd roared, their chants growing louder. In the 60th minute, Niels brought Nate on for Tom, fresh legs adding energy on the left. Dev and Nate connected well, their quick one-twos pulling Leyton Orient’s defense apart as the game’s tempo picked up like a brewing storm. In the 65th minute, Crawley finally broke through. Nate burst forward and slipped a pass to Pogba, who didn’t even look his instinctive through ball sliced right through Leyton Orient’s midfield. Reece made a clever overlapping run, catching the defense off guard. He cut the ball back, and Max, timing his run perfectly, blasted it into the bottom corner. 1-0. Broadfield exploded as fans jumped up, scarves waved, and the roar shook the stands. Max spun away, pointing at Pogba and Reece to give them credit, while the bench went wild. Niels clapped quietly, eyes sharp, a small smile of pride breaking through. Leyton Orient pushed back hard, sending long balls again and again. In the 72nd minute, Jamal threw himself in front of a crucial shot, his body like a wall. Liam took charge at the back, shouting orders to keep everyone organized. Fletcher stayed calm and steady, pulling off a big save by clawing a header from a corner, his experience shining through as the crowd cheered his name. The last 10 minutes felt like a siege. Niels brought Kieron on for Dev, hoping his pace could spark some counters. Crawley dropped deeper, the tension rising as the crowd stood, every clearance greeted with cheers. Tom Whitehall, running on empty after more than 80 minutes, tracked back and won a crucial tackle on the edge of the box, sparking a huge roar. Pogba stayed cool, shielding the ball near the corner flag, drawing a foul with a smirk to the crowd, buying time. Fletcher yelled, "One minute! Talk to each other! Don’t let go!" as he punched clear the final cross. The whistle blew, 1-0 to Crawley win. Broadfield shook with noise, chants roaring, red scarves waving like flags of defiance. Max clapped the fans, his face serious but proud, pointing again at Pogba and Reece. Kieron, buzzing from his brief time on the pitch, high-fived kids along the barriers. Thiago, drenched in sweat, grinned wide, his step-overs still fresh in everyone’s minds. Niels quietly fist-bumped each player, his jaw tight, knowing that these tough, tactical wins were the ones that built promotions. At the press conference, Niels stayed calm but firm. "We trusted the system and each other. That’s what counts. The table doesn’t care about style, only points matter." Reporters whispered, "Another Crawley scrape?" but the win pushed them to 14 points from seven games. In the dressing room, Nate joked with Thiago about his step-overs. Jamal rested quietly, sweat-soaked. Reece iced his knee and got a nod from Thomas. Max gathered the team. "Europe or League One, it doesn’t matter. We keep fighting." At the pub, fans buzzed with excitement. "Max’s goal was pure class," one shouted, raising his pint. "Jamal was a rock at the back," another added, scarf around his neck. An older fan smiled, "Niels knows how to get results. We’re on the rise." The town’s faith beat strong, right alongside the team’s. After the game, Thiago and Dev stayed on the pitch, joking and practicing crosses. "Mine’s better," Thiago said. Dev laughed, hitting the bar. "We’ll see about that." Freeman gave Nate a nod. "Nice run, that opened things up." Nate smiled, feeling more confident. Kieron kept practicing shots, with Freeman passing to him. "You’re close," Freeman said. Kieron was determined. "Next time, I’ll score." Zach and Reece worked together on drills, getting better every day. Emma spotted Tom and said, "You ran hard out there. Keep it up." Tom grinned, tired but proud. Saturday night, Niels sat alone in the analysis room, the laptop casting a soft glow on his face as he watched Leyton Orient’s long balls again. Leverkusen’s intense press was on his mind. He thought back to Max’s goal, Jamal’s block, Fletcher’s save things were coming together, but Europe felt like a whole different level. "We’re building," he said quietly to himself, his voice calm but thoughtful. He paused the video on Thiago’s pace, Pogba’s vision, Reece’s runs. The week ended on a high. The Europa League was going to be a tough test, but League One was where they proved themselves. Niels walked off the pitch with his clipboard, already thinking about the upcoming away game at Walsall and how to handle Leverkusen’s pressure. The sky was heavy, but there was a buzz in the air. Crawley was steady, ready for whatever came next. The squad stuck around, laughter carrying through the evening. Max, Thiago, Dev, and Kieron kept practicing under the floodlights, showing they weren’t slowing down. The stands at Broadfield were quiet now, but the town’s energy, full of grit and hope still filled the air, driving Crawley forward.