The Football Legends System

Chapter 85 - The FA Cup Final had begun

10th Minute — Left Wing, Wembley

Valverde barely looked before threading the line-breaking pass——a low bullet down the left channel.

Nathan was already on the move. Touch tight. Pace perfect.

Thud!

He killed the ball with the outside of his boot and lifted his head.Grealish in front of him. Bernardo Silva sliding in to help. Walker closing the angle.

Three men.

Nathan’s pulse quickened—but not from fear.

From instinct.

Tap. Tap-tap.A feint left. He burst right.

"HAAH!"

Grealish was gone.

Bernardo lunged—swipe!—but Nathan danced over his foot, clipped the ball behind him, then spun into a roulette that cracked through both remaining gaps—

Whirr—ZIP!

Walker reached for him—but only caught air.

Nathan broke through, the ball glued to his foot like magic, and swung a cross with his weaker foot—

"Zirkzee!"

The striker leapt, twisted—

BOOM!

Header!

It flashed just wide of the post.

"OHHHHHHH!!!"

The crowd gasped as one.

Even Guardiola bit his lip. Amorim clapped furiously on the sideline.

Nathan exhaled, jogging back.

His heart thudded in rhythm with the drums of Wembley.He was alive in a different way now.

The Spirit of Neymar wasn’t just in his feet—it was in his breath.

In his blood.

15th Minute

City responded like champions.

Rodri fed De Bruyne in the half-space. The Belgian flicked it on with the outside of his boot.

Slide—BOOM!

Haaland exploded into space, brushed off Varane like he wasn’t there.

Onana was ready.

THUD!

He dove low, one hand stretched.

Saved.

The keeper popped back up like a coil and roared at his defense.

"WAKE UP!"

Even at full stretch, he looked furious.

—

20th Minute

Casemiro picked off a lazy Foden pass and immediately spotted the opening.

He slipped it left to Valverde, who took one touch—

Then fired from 30 meters out!

BOOM!!

Ederson’s fingertips barely grazed it—

CLANG!

Tipped just over the bar!

Corner.

The United bench surged to its feet. Valverde pumped a fist.

Amorim barked from the sideline:

"KEEP THE PRESSURE!"

—

24th Minute

Foden took revenge.

He danced past Dalot, who stumbled. Whipped in a laser cross—

Haaland again!

CRACK!

Header! Just inches wide of the post.

The City end groaned. Haaland pounded the ground in frustration.

The tempo was blistering.

Finals weren’t usually this open—but this was more than a final.

—

29th Minute

Xavi Simons, slick with sweat, turned sharply and pinged the ball wide to Nathan again.

Walker stepped up.

But Nathan had already baited him.

He dropped his shoulder left—

Tap!

Walker bit.

Nathan flicked the ball behind with a reverse drag, spun inside, then slipped a cheeky backheel to Zirkzee who’d peeled off into space!

THWACK!

Zirkzee hit it first-time!

But Ederson was sharp—caught it clean.

"Tch..."

Nathan clenched his fists.

They were getting closer.

He could feel it.

—

30th Minute — 0-0

The air was electric. Like the stormclouds of footballing gods were about to collide.

No goals.

But no breath wasted either.

Every run. Every pass. Every shot—charged with desperation.

And then—the break.

—

33rd Minute

Valverde and Bruno linked like they were tied by thread.

One-two. Three-four.

The rhythm of elite midfielders.

City’s press was disjointed.

Nathan floated wide again, hugging the sideline. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Valverde looked once—sent it.

Thup!

Nathan received calmly.Bernardo Silva approached, teeth gritted.

Nathan didn’t rush.

A beat.A glance.Then—roulette.

Whrrr... CLICK!

Past him.

Rodri stepped up. Bigger. Stronger.

Nathan chopped left, then doubled a stepover, then dragged the ball diagonally across his body.

Rodri reached out—

Gone.

Aké was the final man.

Nathan barely touched the ball—just pushed it forward with a feathered toe tap.

Into the box.

The roar of the crowd started to rise.

"Go on...!"

Nathan inhaled—

Then unleashed it.

CRACK!!

A curling rocket from the tightest angle, kissed with venom and madness.

CLANG!

OFF THE CROSSBAR—AND IN.

Wembley exploded.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Commentator:

"A goal from another planet! Neymar’s flair... Van Persie’s strike... Nathan’s spirit!"

Nathan sprinted to the corner flag, slid on his knees, hands raised to the sky.

Zirkzee tackled him. Bruno wrapped his arms around both. The bench poured out like a red wave.

The scoreboard burned bright:

Manchester United 1 – 0 Manchester City

—

"That’s one. We’re not done."

—

42nd Minute

City weren’t going to lie down.

Foden shifted gears again, combining with De Bruyne on the edge of the box.

De Bruyne turned—

Boom!

Low shot.

Onana blocked it with a diving palm—But it spun out for a corner.

Nathan trotted back, locking eyes with Foden briefly.

No fear. No grin.

The corner came in—high, fast.

Cleared.

But it bounced awkwardly... right to Haaland.

BOOM!!

A low rocket!

Onana dived again!

Thud!

Another save!

But this time—

Tch—no one cleared it fast enough!

Varane stumbled trying to hook it away.

Savinho, fresh off the bench, pounced.

He ghosted past Casemiro. Then skipped past Lisandro.

Left foot. Bottom corner.

Tap—THUNK!

Goal.

The City end erupted.

United players froze.

Varane dropped to a crouch, clutching his head.

Amorim screamed in frustration, slamming his fist into the dugout wall.

—

44th Minute

Nathan stood near the halfway line.

Breathing. Processing.

The high of the goal still echoed in his limbs—but the equalizer had carved right through the euphoria.

Bruno jogged past and clapped his shoulder.

"This ain’t over. You know it."

Nathan nodded.

—

45+1 Minute — Wembley Tunnel

The whistle echoed.

The first half was over.

Players trudged off the pitch, sweat glistening, expressions locked somewhere between anger and disbelief.

Nathan didn’t say a word.

Valverde stormed past, muttering curses under his breath in Spanish. His eyes blazed with fury as he barked at Lisandro and Dalot, "How do we let one chance ruin forty-five minutes of dominance?!"

Behind them, Onana’s voice cut through the corridor.

"Why did you play it like that?!""VARANE—WHY?!"

Varane didn’t respond. He stared at the ground, his jaw clenched.

The tension was suffocating. Nathan could feel it gripping the walls, curling around the boots of every player.

But he kept walking. Step by step.His mind? Already in the second half.

There’s still time.This is just the beginning.

—

Locker Room — Manchester United

The room was quiet. Too quiet.

The sound of cleats scuffing the floor. Water bottles twisting open. Breathing. Nothing else.

Then Amorim stood.

"Focus."

He scanned the players, locking eyes with each of them.

"City aren’t unbeatable. You’re making them look it."

He turned sharply to Varane.

"You handed them that goal. I don’t care if you’ve won the World Cup. Focus. Or I’ll sub you."

Varane didn’t flinch—but his throat bobbed.

Amorim turned to Nathan.

"Keep going. Don’t stop. Take risks. You’re opening them up."

Nathan nodded once, silently.

"Valverde," the coach continued, "don’t let up. Stay aggressive. Stay you."

Valverde grunted. Still steaming.

"Everyone else—raise your level."

Then, he paused... and finished softly.

"You don’t get second chances in finals."

Nathan leaned forward, elbows on his knees, staring down at his boots.

Let’s end this story our way.

—

46th Minute — Second Half Kickoff

Fweeeeeet!!

The whistle blew.

United flew forward.

The game wasn’t waiting, and neither were they.

—

47th Minute

Xavi Simons skipped through midfield like a dancer, slipping between Rodri and Gvardiol, then fed it left.

Nathan collected with a smooth touch, dragged the ball inside, then—

Whip!A dangerous cross!

But Aké rose highest. Cleared it just in time.

Still, the pressure was back on.

—

48th Minute

Bruno.

He picked the ball up 25 yards out. Took one glance.

Then struck.

BOOM!

The ball screamed toward the top corner.

"OHHHH!!"

Just inches over.

Bruno let out a frustrated grunt and jogged back, brushing the sweat from his brow.

"Damn it... it’s coming. It’s coming..."

Nathan looked at him and nodded.

He believed it too.

—

49th Minute

Valverde stole the ball at the halfway line—then launched it forward with a cutting pass.

Zirkzee ran onto it clean.

One-on-one.

THUMP!

He shot low and hard!

Ederson exploded forward—

THUD!

A world-class save! Legs wide. Timing perfect.

The City fans roared.The United fans groaned.

Nathan closed his eyes, then stomped the turf in frustration.

Tch... another chance wasted.

Bruno held his head.Valverde slapped the ground.

But something stirred in the crowd.

"UNITED! UNITED! UNITED!"

The chant wasn’t just support—it was fire.

The feeling shifted.

From disappointment... to belief.