Chapter 93: Make Him Turn II

Chapter 93 -91 – Make Him Turn II

Rafael shouted as he turned towards the travelling supporters, sprinting towards the corner with his arms spread.

The away section erupted, and he had barely reached the touchline when Perrin caught up and threw an arm around his shoulders.

Renaud arrived a moment later, grabbing Rafael in a brief embrace before the other Metz players joined them.

Rafael was laughing as they celebrated, his shirt pulled crooked by one of his teammates, and he raised a fist towards the supporters before jogging back for the restart.

Dunkerque’s right-back was speaking with the nearest midfielder as the home side prepared to resume play.

When Metz next attacked down the left, that midfielder moved closer to the touchline, giving Rafael considerably less room to turn. Rafael received with the right-back approaching, but the second defender arrived before he could carry the ball inside, so he returned possession to his supporting teammate and moved into a different position.

Dunkerque maintained that arrangement for much of the remaining half, with their right-sided midfielder moving across whenever Metz attempted to release Rafael.

It made finding space more difficult, although the visitors occasionally benefited from the extra defender being drawn away from the middle.

One such move ended with a cross from Perrin that was cleared before Renaud could reach it.

The home side responded by pressing higher as the half approached its final ten minutes, forcing Metz to defend deeper and making it harder for them to move possession through midfield.

Around the thirty-eighth minute, Dunkerque created their best opportunity.

Their left winger received after a quick turnover and moved inside to combine with an attacking midfielder near the penalty area. The return pass reached him beyond Metz’s right-back, and he entered the box before the nearest centre-back could close him down.

He struck firmly towards the near post, but Metz’s goalkeeper reacted quickly, getting down to push the shot away before a defender cleared the rebound beyond the arriving striker.

The home supporters responded loudly, urging Dunkerque to maintain the pressure.

Metz spent much of the remaining half defending around their penalty area, with Rafael staying available on the left whenever they managed to clear possession. Dunkerque continued looking for an equaliser, but their final attempts were blocked or intercepted before they could produce another clear chance.

HALF-TIME: USL DUNKERQUE 0–1 FC METZ

Inside the dressing room, the manager briefly reviewed the first half before reminding his players not to leave themselves exposed when attacking.

“We’re getting opportunities when we move the ball quickly, so keep doing that. Just make sure we’re recovering properly when we lose it.”

Rafael listened while completing his recovery routine, and after a few more instructions, the players returned to the pitch.

Dunkerque began the second half with greater urgency, pushing their midfielders forward whenever Metz attempted to build from defence.

Their right-sided midfielder continued helping the full-back against Rafael, and the home side were increasingly willing to commit players beyond the ball. Metz had to be more patient in possession, with fewer opportunities to release their forwards before Dunkerque’s defenders recovered their positions.

Rafael spent the opening minutes looking for space between the right-back and the nearest midfielder.

In the fifty-first minute, he received a pass inside the left channel, with the right-back approaching from the touchline and another defender moving across from the centre.

Rafael cushioned the ball with his right foot and turned his shoulder towards the full-back, using his body to keep the defender from reaching around him.

The right-back stepped closer, expecting him to return possession.

Instead, Rafael pushed the ball forward with the outside of his foot and accelerated between them.

The second defender attempted to close the gap, but Rafael shortened his stride as the challenge arrived, slipping beyond the outstretched leg before the opponent could establish contact.

He emerged facing Dunkerque’s penalty area.

The nearest centre-back had already stepped out to confront him, leaving another defender covering Renaud near the middle. Rafael carried forward for several yards before releasing possession inside to a midfielder advancing through the space behind Dunkerque’s pressing players.

Metz continued the move towards Perrin, who received on the right and found Renaud near the edge of the penalty area.

The striker controlled with his back to goal, turned towards the near post and struck firmly, but Dunkerque’s goalkeeper had already moved across and managed to push the shot away.

The home side cleared the rebound and immediately attempted to counterattack, forcing Metz’s midfielders to retreat as possession travelled towards halfway.

Dunkerque nearly equalised during the following passage, when their attacking midfielder released a forward into the right side of Metz’s penalty area.

The striker reached the pass with a defender recovering behind him, but Metz’s goalkeeper advanced quickly enough to narrow the angle. The attempted finish struck his outstretched leg, and the loose ball was cleared before another Dunkerque player could reach it.

The home supporters were still reacting to the chance when Metz began working possession through midfield again.

Dunkerque had committed several players forward, and their central midfielders were having to cover increasingly large spaces whenever possession changed hands.

Around the sixtieth minute, one of Metz’s midfielders intercepted a pass near halfway and immediately carried forward.

Rafael moved towards the left, calling for possession as Dunkerque’s right-back began retreating.

The midfielder released the ball into his path.

Rafael received facing forward and advanced towards the penalty area, drawing the right-back closer while the supporting midfielder shifted across to block his route inside.

Both opponents were waiting for him to attempt another dribble.

Rafael continued towards the full-back, keeping the ball close enough to threaten a change of direction. As the midfielder stepped across to help, Rafael slipped possession into the central space he’d abandoned.

One of Metz’s advancing midfielders received facing forward, with enough room to look up before Dunkerque could recover.

Renaud was already moving.

He’d been standing between the centre-backs, but as the midfielder looked up, he checked briefly towards possession before accelerating across the nearest defender.

The movement opened a gap between the two centre-backs, and the midfielder released a firm forward pass into it.

Renaud reached the ball inside the penalty area with the goalkeeper advancing to narrow the angle. He took one touch to set himself before striking low past the keeper, sending the ball into the net before the recovering defender could reach him.

USL DUNKERQUE 0–2 FC METZ

Renaud turned towards the travelling supporters, punching the air as he ran towards the corner.

Perrin reached him first, followed by the midfielder who’d supplied the pass, and Rafael joined them as the rest of the Metz players came forward.

Renaud was grinning when he pulled Rafael into the celebration, and the two exchanged a quick embrace before the group began heading back towards halfway.

The travelling supporters were growing louder, their chants carrying across the pitch while Dunkerque’s players gathered for the restart.

Metz had doubled their advantage, but there were still thirty minutes remaining.

Dunkerque responded by advancing more players through midfield, attempting to force the visitors backwards. For a while, Metz had to defend around their own penalty area, although the three central midfielders continued interrupting Dunkerque’s combinations before they developed into clear chances.

Rafael remained on the left, occasionally receiving near the touchline before moving the ball inside. Dunkerque’s right-sided midfielder was still supporting the full-back, but Metz were increasingly content to retain possession rather than force another attack.

As the match approached its final twenty minutes, Rafael noticed movement near the visitors’ technical area.

Caron was warming up.

Renaud had spent much of the evening battling Dunkerque’s centre-backs, repeatedly dropping towards midfield to receive under pressure before turning and making another run towards the penalty area.

He’d worked hard, and with Metz now two goals ahead, the coaching staff were preparing to make a change.

In the seventy-third minute, the ball went out of play, and the fourth official raised the substitution board.

Renaud’s number appeared.

Caron was coming on.

Rafael jogged towards the centre as Renaud approached the touchline. They exchanged a hand slap, and Renaud gave him a brief pat on the shoulder before continuing towards the substitutes’ area.

Caron entered on the left, allowing Rafael to move into the central striker position while Perrin remained on the right.

Metz kept their three-midfielder arrangement behind them.

Rafael took his place between Dunkerque’s centre-backs as play resumed, and the defender nearest him immediately moved closer, placing an arm against his back while watching the midfielder carrying possession.

Rafael checked towards the ball during Metz’s next attack, but the centre-back followed closely enough to prevent him from receiving cleanly.

He moved away again, drawing the defender towards the edge of the area before changing direction and returning between the two centre-backs.

Neither was willing to leave much room behind.

For the next few minutes, Rafael concentrated on staying available whenever Metz advanced, occasionally moving towards the ball before turning and attacking the space around the penalty spot.

Caron was comfortable receiving inside from the left, giving Metz another player who could hold possession while Dunkerque pressed forward.

During one attack, Caron exchanged passes with a midfielder before attempting to find Rafael near the edge of the penalty area, but the nearest centre-back intercepted.

Dunkerque cleared towards halfway, where Metz recovered and began again.

In the eighty-first minute, another attack developed through the middle.

One of Metz’s midfielders received near the centre circle and switched possession towards Caron, who had moved inside from the left touchline.

Caron controlled and carried forward, advancing towards the penalty area while Dunkerque’s midfielders attempted to recover.

Rafael was positioned between the centre-backs.

The nearest defender had stayed close to him since the substitution, occasionally checking over his shoulder whenever Rafael moved towards the six-yard area.

As Caron approached shooting range, Rafael shifted towards the defender’s right shoulder. The centre-back adjusted his position, attempting to remain between Rafael and the ball.

Caron took another touch inside.

Rafael watched him open his body and began moving across his marker as the shot came.

The ball travelled through a narrow opening between Dunkerque’s defenders, forcing the goalkeeper to dive across his goal.

He reached it with one hand, but the save pushed the ball back into the six-yard area.

Rafael was already moving.

The centre-back turned towards the rebound, but Rafael had gained half a step when Caron prepared to shoot, and he reached the loose ball before the defender could recover.

He stretched out his right foot and directed it into the exposed side of goal.

The goalkeeper was still scrambling across the ground when the ball crossed the line.

USL DUNKERQUE 0–3 FC METZ

Rafael turned towards Caron, who was already running towards him from the edge of the penalty area.

The midfielder caught him around the shoulders, laughing as Rafael threw an arm around him. Perrin arrived a moment later, followed by several teammates, and they celebrated together before making their way back towards halfway.

Rafael raised a hand towards the travelling supporters as their celebrations continued behind the goal.

Dunkerque’s goalkeeper retrieved the ball from the net, and the home defenders gradually returned to their positions.

Despite the three-goal deficit, Dunkerque continued pushing forward, and their persistence produced a goal in the eighty-sixth minute.

The home side moved possession towards the left, where their winger advanced before passing inside to an attacking midfielder near the penalty area. He exchanged a quick pass with the striker, whose movement away from the nearest centre-back created enough room for the return to reach him inside the box.

The midfielder struck before Metz’s covering defender could challenge, sending the ball beyond the goalkeeper.

USL DUNKERQUE 1–3 FC METZ

The home supporters responded loudly, and Dunkerque’s players quickly retrieved the ball for the restart.

Rafael stood near halfway with Caron and Perrin as Metz prepared to resume play.

The visitors still held a two-goal advantage, and they managed the closing minutes without allowing Dunkerque another clear opportunity. One cross was cleared by the nearest centre-back, while another attack broke down after Metz intercepted a pass near the edge of their penalty area.

As the match entered stoppage time, Rafael received near halfway with a defender pressing into his back. He protected possession, held off the challenge and returned the ball towards Caron, who had moved closer to offer support.

Caron carried into Dunkerque’s half before drawing a foul from a recovering midfielder.

Metz took their time over the restart, keeping possession until Dunkerque eventually forced the ball out near the touchline.

The referee allowed the final passage to continue before bringing the match to an end.

FULL-TIME: USL DUNKERQUE 1–3 FC METZ

Rafael turned towards the away section as the final whistle sounded.

The Metz supporters were still singing, and several teammates were already approaching him.

Perrin reached him first, catching him around the shoulders before Renaud arrived from the substitutes’ area. The striker congratulated Rafael with a firm handshake and pulled him into a brief embrace, while Caron joined them a moment later.

Rafael was still smiling when the group turned towards the travelling supporters.

The squad walked across to acknowledge them, applauding as the celebrations continued. Several players raised their arms towards the away section before gradually making their way towards the tunnel.

Rafael followed Renaud and Caron inside.

The dressing room was lively by the time he returned from his post-match recovery work, with music playing near the lockers and several players talking over one another as they changed.

Rafael found his place beside Caron and began removing his boots.

Across the room, Perrin was speaking with two defenders while Renaud searched through his bag for something to wear on the journey home.

“Are we getting food on the way back?” Renaud asked.

“There’s food on the coach,” someone answered.

“Good. I’m starving.”

The conversation moved towards the journey, with several players checking how long they had before departure.

The manager entered a few minutes later, waiting until the music was lowered and the players had quietened.

“Well done, everyone. Good result tonight.”

He looked around the room before continuing.

“We did some good things, especially when we moved the ball quickly. We’ll go through the rest when we’re back, but enjoy the win.”

The players listened as he reminded them about their recovery arrangements before leaving them to finish getting ready.

Rafael finished changing and checked his phone while the conversations resumed around him.

Several messages had arrived during the match, including a notification from the club’s official account announcing the result.

The update showed Metz’s 3–1 victory, with Rafael listed as a two-goal scorer alongside Renaud.

Another post contained a short clip of his opening goal.

He opened it and watched the move again, seeing Dunkerque’s right-back shift towards the touchline before Rafael carried the ball inside and finished across goal.

There were already plenty of comments beneath the video, including several supporters discussing his performance, but Rafael didn’t spend long reading them before putting his phone away.

By the time he collected his bag, Renaud and Caron were ready, and he followed them towards the exit.

Outside, a small group of travelling Metz supporters were waiting behind the barriers near the team coach.

A few called towards the players, holding out shirts and programmes for signatures. Renaud stopped first, and Rafael was about to follow Caron towards the bus when someone shouted his name.

“Morales!”

He turned to find a young supporter holding a match programme over the barrier, with a pen already resting across the front.

“Can you sign this?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Rafael stepped closer and signed the programme before handing it back.

“Thanks!”

“No problem.”

Another supporter called his name, and Rafael moved along the barrier to sign a shirt while a man nearby asked whether he could take a photograph.

Rafael agreed, standing beside him for a moment before another voice called from farther down the barrier.

“Two more next week, Rafa!”

A few supporters laughed and cheered, while Rafael raised a hand towards them with a smile.

One of the club staff reminded the players that the coach would be leaving shortly, so Rafael signed one last programme before thanking the supporters and heading towards the bus. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

As he climbed aboard, the young boy he’d stopped for was still showing his signed programme to the people beside him.