Chapter 85: No Fear at Wembley

Chapter 85: No Fear at Wembley Chapter 85: No Fear at Wembley Thursday, May 13 2010 May 13 dawned crisp over London, Wembley’s silhouette sharp against the pale sky. The air buzzed with tension. Chelsea fans flooded Wembley Way, waving blue flags and shouting, "Chels-ea!" and "Drogba’s gonna smash ya!" Their confidence was loud and clear. At the hotel, the Crawley squad gathered over strong coffee. Niels took a small group to the pitch at 10 a.m., keeping it short and sharp. Calm but fierce, he said, "They’re giants, no doubt. But giants can fall. We’re not just here to watch, we’re here to make history. This is our moment. Take it." Max’s red pin caught the light. "This is our stage," he growled, voice low and fierce. Thiago’s grin was sharp, almost wild. "We’ll make them regret stepping here." Luka’s eyes cut through the air. "Find the crack. Exploit it. Tear them apart." The bus ride was tense. Chelsea fans jeered, shouting, "Back to League Two, Crawley!" But Ollie waved his "Crawley’s Here!" banner, yelling, "We’re not scared!" Wembley’s pitch was a cool, green expanse, the air sharp with morning dew, Chelsea’s chants echoing faintly from outside. Max stood at the center circle, fists clenched, muttering, "For Crawley." Thiago kicked a ball lightly, chuckling, "This is our momemt." Luka paced the flank, eyes scanning, whispering, "Their gaps, I’ll find ’em." Baxter stood in the box, grinning, "Big, but we can defeat them." Niels watched from the touchline, his voice low, "This is where we prove ’em wrong, lads." Ollie burst toward the goalmouth, spinning his banner, shouting, "Crawley’s not backing down!" From the stands, a Chelsea fan sneered, "Drogba’s gonna eat you alive!" But a Wembley worker’s clap cut through, "Respect, lads. You’ve got guts." The visit was brief no drills, just a moment to own the stage. The squad’s eyes burned with defiance as they turned away. Back at the hotel, Niels ran a 15-minute stretching session in the gym, keeping it light. "Stay loose, lads. Save the fire for tomorrow." Max led slow stretches, his voice steady, "We’re ready for ’em." Thiago stretched with a wink, "Dancing mode, yeah?" Luka moved with precision, his focus a blade. The session was over fast, the squad’s energy saved, their minds on Chelsea’s roar outside. May 13’s evening was for bonding. The squad crowded into the hotel lounge, the air warm with pizza and chatter, low lights casting a cozy glow. Chelsea’s fans ruled London’s streets, their chants "London is blue!" drifting through windows, a constant reminder of who was favored. Niels kept it simple and steady, "They’re the favorites, but we’re Crawley. We’ve got heart, and we’re ready." Max clenched his fists, "Together till the end." Thiago smirked, "Quick and sharp." Luka’s voice was quiet but fierce, "One shot, one strike" Baxter slammed his fist on the table, "Win or lose, we leave it all out there." The room fell quiet, the weight of his words settling in. Niels flicked through some clips on his laptop, then closed it. "We’re more than a team. We fight for this." The lounge felt like a refuge as the squad gathered around pizza, sharing stories that brought them closer. Max smiled softly, remembering his first Crawley goal a scrappy header at sixteen. "This town’s a part of me," he said quietly. Thiago chuckled, talking about weaving through defenders in the streets of Brazil. "Wembley’s just a bigger playground." Luka, usually quiet, opened up about practicing free-kicks in the rain. Nate cheered, "Lu-ka!" Jamal and Harry exchanged old match memories, their faces glowing with smiles. A hotel staff handed over fan gifts a kid’s drawing of Max, a note for Thiago saying, "Dance for us," and a painted pebble with "Luka, score." The squad looked at them with shining eyes. Max carefully taped a note to his bag: "For you, we shall give everything." Niels sent a quick message to Milan: "They’re tough, but we’re ready." Milan’s reply was simple and sure: "You’ve built something special. Now show them." Thiago started a quick game of cards, the room light but charged with quiet focus. Max pulled Niels aside, his red pin catching the soft glow. "This team means everything to me, boss. We’re ready." Niels nodded, his hand firm on Max’s shoulder. "They follow because you lead. Max, you’re the fire that drives them." Luka sat nearby, sketching plays on a napkin, eyes sharp and steady. As the night wound down, they all placed their hands together, Max’s voice steady and full of resolve: "For our town." Glasses clinked softly and outside, Chelsea’s chants thundered, but inside, Crawley’s bond held strong, a shield against the storm. May 14 was quiet. The team rested, muscles loose but minds sharp. Outside, London pulsed with noise Chelsea fans roaring in pubs, their confidence filling the streets. Crawley’s supporters stood firm, their chants smaller but no less fierce, signs held high: "Crawley’s Fight!" Inside, the squad kept to themselves. Luka studied Chelsea’s tactics again, eyes scanning every detail. Thiago and Max sat together, heads bent, words few but heavy with purpose. Niels read messages from fans, the weight of expectation settling in. The calm before the storm. May 15 dawned sharp and clear. London buzzed with tension, Wembley’s massive silhouette cutting the pink morning sky. The squad gathered quietly for breakfast, nerves simmering beneath the surface. Outside, Chelsea’s fans filled the streets, their chants booming like thunder. Crawley’s supporters held their ground voices smaller but fierce, determined. Max caught sight of a painted stone tossed his way, marked "Captain." He held it tight, feeling the weight of the moment. Niels kept the team focused, reminding them this was more than a game it was their chance to make history. No words needed, just the promise in every set jaw and every burning eye. The bus pushed through a blue and red tide. Chelsea roared, "Drogba’s king!" Crawley fired back, "Max’s coming!" Thiago laughed. Luka stared cold, notebook closed. The air thickened as Wembley drew near. Voices dimmed, nerves sharpened. Every heartbeat echoed the same question, could they rewrite the story? An hour before kickoff, Wembley’s locker room buzzed with tension. The crowd’s noise leaked in, Chelsea fans shouting, "London is blue!" The air was heavy with sweat and heat, red jerseys hanging like flags. Niels stood in front of the team, steady and strong. "Chelsea’s the favorite. Their coach is a legend, Drogba’s powerful, Terry’s tough. But we’re Crawley. We’ve beaten tough teams before. Thiago, Nate, stop their wings. Luka, control the midfield. Max, protect the box. We fight for every kid in Crawley." Max tightened his armband and said, "We play with heart." Thiago’s eyes burned, "We strike hard." Luka nodded firmly and said, "We get one clear chance to score, and when that moment comes, we have to strike with everything we’ve got, no hesitation, no second guess." The squad readied in silence. Max tapped the stone on his locker, a quiet vow. Thiago tightened a red ribbon around his wrist, breath steady. Luka crouched by his boots, lacing with calm precision, eyes locked in. No words, just the quiet rhythm of prep snaps of tape, the thud of studs on tile. Niels moved through them with purpose, handing out red wristbands stitched with Crawley. "For the town," he said simply. They slid them on, one by one, fists bumping in a silent pact. Outside, Chelsea’s chants thundered like a storm. But inside, Crawley’s fire burned hotter. Niels stood at the mouth of the tunnel, the stadium’s roar bleeding in. His voice was low but fierce. "You’ve come too far to blink now. This isn’t about who they are, it’s about who we’ve become." Max stepped forward, defiant, his voice rising over the noise. "They think we’re just a name on the fixture list. Let’s show ’em who the hell we are." The squad closed in, hands clenched, heads low. A silent vow burned between them no fear, no mercy, no turning back. Crawley was fire forged in steel, ready to shatter every limit and fight like their lives depended on it. Outside, Chelsea’s giants waited, Drogba, Terry, Lampard, Cech backed by a sea of blue. They had the crowns, the legends, the weight of history behind them But Crawley carried something deeper. No riches, no glory just the kind of grit that doesn’t crack. Hunger shaped by rain-soaked sessions and empty stands. Belief born in the shadows, fed by every hard mile. A fire that refused to die. The tunnel lights flickered. The noise crashed like thunder in that fractured second, everything changed. Crawley burst forth, not as outsiders, but as warriors forged in fire eyes blazing with hunger, hearts pounding, ready to rewrite history on this sacred stage.