Chapter 472 - 78 — Wembley Brace II

Demien created the clear chance he still needed in the sixty-eighth minute, Stones finding Phillips, Phillips sending it to Demien between Baccus and Irvine.

He received with Baccus on his back, cushioned one touch into Maddison, and ran beyond Baccus before Irvine could close him.

Maddison returned it.

Watkins started centrally then bent behind Burgess, and Demien shaped toward Rashford before using the outside of his boot to send Watkins through instead.

「LEGENDARY SKILL ACTIVATED」 「Luka Modrić — Outside-of-Boot Laser」

Watkins reached the box and shot low.

Ryan blocked it with his right leg.

「MATCH MISSION PROGRESS」 「Clear Chances Created: 3/3」

Demien grabbed the back of his head.

Watkins turned and mouthed he saved another one across the pitch.

Demien answered with a frustrated laugh rather than any complaint about the striker — the match had turned properly enjoyable now, pressure and all.

"England have real control with Phillips sitting behind Demien," the commentator said, "and it’s freed him to attack the space around Baccus and Irvine at will."

Demien’s second goal began in the seventieth minute, Australia now two down and pushing several yards higher out of necessity.

Irvine pressed Phillips harder because Australia couldn’t just protect the box anymore.

Phillips received from Stones and found Demien before Irvine could reach him.

Baccus started toward him.

Demien played first time into Maddison and kept running, and Maddison returned it before Baccus could turn.

Australia’s midfield was behind him now.

Watkins made a hard diagonal run toward England’s right, dragging Souttar several yards from the center.

Rashford held width on the left, keeping Strain from narrowing.

Burgess saw Demien accelerating and started dropping.

Demien didn’t ask for the ball to feet this time.

He drove straight into the channel between Souttar and Burgess.

「LEGENDARY SKILL ACTIVATED」 「Michael Owen — Boy Wonder」 「STATS ACTIVE」 「Acceleration: 99 | Sprint Speed: 99 | Positioning: 97」

Maddison saw the run and threaded the return between Burgess and Souttar.

Demien met it in stride.

Ryan came off his line immediately.

Demien took one controlled touch to his right, forcing Ryan to keep sliding across the six-yard box.

Burgess tried to recover from behind.

Demien opened his body and finished low across Ryan toward the far corner before the defender could reach him.

「STATS ACTIVE」 「Finishing: 99 | Composure: 99」

The ball rolled past Ryan’s hand and into the net.

England 3 — 0 AustraliaDemien Walter 72’ (Assist: James Maddison)

The second celebration ran bigger than the first, Demien laughing as he turned for the corner because a Wembley brace had just landed.

Maddison got there first and jumped into his side.

Rashford arrived shouting about the run.

Watkins grabbed him around the neck. "Now we both have two."

Phillips reached them last from midfield, pointing at Maddison for the pass before slapping Demien’s chest.

Demien looked toward the stands and let himself absorb it for a few seconds before Henderson and the referee pushed the group back toward the restart.

"His first came from beating pressure and striking from range," the commentator said. "His second came without the ball at his feet at all — attacking the line at full pace and finishing inside the box. That’s the complete package on show tonight."

Southgate applauded once from the technical area, exchanged a few words with Steve Holland, and turned his attention straight back to England’s shape rather than lingering on it.

Australia didn’t stop competing at 3-0.

They made their own triple change in the seventy-fourth minute — Miller for Strain, Borrello for Goodwin, Bos for Duke — the fresh legs pushing higher immediately, Miller on the right, Bos attacking from the left, Borrello working across England’s center-backs trying to split Stones from Dunk.

England made one more change too, Foden coming on for Maddison around the seventy-fifth minute, the new eleven reading Johnstone, Trent, Dunk, Stones, Trippier, Phillips, Demien, Bowen, Foden, Rashford, Watkins.

Foden received between Australia’s lines almost immediately and found Watkins, who tried to return it to Demien — only for Irvine to step in front and launch Australia forward instead.

Australia attacked through Bos in the seventy-seventh minute, Bos finding Irvine, Irvine switching to Miller, Miller crossing toward Metcalfe, Dunk heading it clear.

Demien had already started moving toward the second ball before it dropped.

Baccus got there first and tried to knock it back into the box, and Demien stretched across the lane and cut it out.

「LEGENDARY SKILL ACTIVATED」 「N’Golo Kanté — Everywhere at Once」 「MATCH MISSION PROGRESS」 「Defensive Recoveries: 5/4」

He sent it straight to Rashford rather than admire the interception.

Rashford broke into open grass with Burgess backing off, and Demien started joining the counter, then pulled up after a few strides — Phillips had stayed deep, and England didn’t need both central midfielders committed forward at 3-0.

Rashford cut inside and shot over.

Around the seventy-ninth minute, Irvine picked up a yellow stopping Foden from turning through midfield, and Demien caught Baccus’s eye afterward, both Australian central midfielders now carrying cards.

Baccus’s look back made clear he didn’t find it remotely funny.

Australia nearly pulled one back in the eightieth minute, winning a corner on England’s left.

Bos curled it toward the far post, Metcalfe attacking it with real momentum beyond Dunk, and his header beat Johnstone and struck the post, the rebound spilling back into the box.

Demien got to the second phase before Baccus could and cleared it toward the touchline rather than risk controlling it inside his own box.

He bent over with both hands on his knees for a breath, then straightened and shouted at the defensive line — a 3-0 lead was no excuse for almost conceding.

Southgate looked to the bench, and in the eighty-second minute the fourth official raised Demien’s number, Bellingham stripping off ready to come on.

WALTER — OFFBELLINGHAM — ON

His first reaction was satisfaction rather than anything close to disappointment — more than eighty minutes played after a brutal club schedule, England three goals up, two of them his own.

Wembley started applauding before he’d even reached the touchline, the ovation building as he crossed it, and he raised both hands above his head and let himself smile rather than pretend it didn’t matter.

Watkins reached him first and tapped his chest.

Foden gave him a shove toward the sideline because the substitution was taking too long.

Demien laughed and jogged the last few yards.

Bellingham met him at the line, and they slapped hands.

"Leave one for the rest of us next time," Bellingham said.

"You had eighty minutes to warm up," Demien said.

Southgate gave him a firm handshake. "Excellent. Start recovery," was all he said, nothing about Tuesday in it at all.

Demien sat beside Henderson with an electrolyte drink, watching Bellingham and Phillips settle into the midfield together, Phillips staying deep, Bellingham immediately pushing beyond him.

When Australia attacked, Phillips checked Irvine’s position before ever moving toward the ball.

Demien noticed exactly how naturally he prioritized it, and understood again why the Italy question stayed legitimate.

Australia made their last changes around the eighty-third minute, Mabil on for Boyle, Behich on for Rowles, still attacking despite the scoreline — Mabil running directly at Trippier, Miller delivering another cross, Stones heading clear, Borrello challenging Dunk for the second ball, Phillips dropping into the box to block the follow-up.

"The scoreline’s harsher than the contest," the commentator said. "Australia have created enough tonight that England’s clinical second half has made this look more comfortable than it’s actually felt."

In the eighty-seventh minute, Souttar won a header against Stones and sent it over the bar, and Demien, watching from the bench, followed the flight and exhaled when it cleared.

England produced one more counter in the eighty-ninth minute, Bellingham winning it and finding Rashford, Rashford driving forward with Watkins running centrally, Rashford shooting instead of squaring, Ryan saving low.

Demien laughed from the bench when Watkins turned and complained at Rashford — the exact same striker argument he’d had himself an hour earlier.

The fourth official signaled stoppage time.

Miller crossed toward Souttar, Dunk winning the first header, Phillips clearing the second, and Foden shielded the ball near the touchline and won a foul, finally letting England slow the whole thing down.

The referee blew for full time.

Fweeeeeetttttttt! Fweeeeeetttttttt! Fweeeeeetttttttt!

England 3 — 0 AustraliaDemien Walter 51’, 72’ — Ollie Watkins 57’

Demien was off the bench before the whistle had fully finished, walking onto the pitch toward Watkins and Maddison rather than waiting for anyone to come to him.

Watkins pointed at the scoreboard. "I still got one in after the post."

"Still fewer than me," Demien said.

"Midfielders aren’t supposed to keep score against strikers," Watkins said.

Ryan shook hands with Johnstone.

Souttar gathered several defenders before heading toward their traveling support.

Baccus and Irvine swapped words with a few England players after ninety minutes of battling through the middle, Australia’s disappointment written plainly across them — the scoreline harsher than the performance had deserved.

The Wembley announcer confirmed Demien as Player of the Match.

He stopped walking for half a beat at the sound of his own name over the speakers, then smiled when Watkins shoved him toward the presentation area.

「NATIONAL TEAM MATCH MISSION COMPLETE」 「England 3 — 0 Australia」 「Minutes Played: 82」 「Goals: 2」 「Direct Goal Contributions: 2/1」 「Line-Breaking Actions: 7/6」 「Clear Chances Created: 3/3」 「Defensive Recoveries: 5/4」 「Pass Completion: 94%」 「MAJOR ACTIVATIONS」 「Press Resistant」 「Johan Cruyff — Turn Innovator」 「Luka Modrić — Outside-of-Boot Laser」 「N’Golo Kanté — Everywhere at Once」 「Jay-Jay Okocha — So Good Twice」 「Dipping Power Shot — EPIC」 「Toni Kroos — Metronome」 「Ball Winner」 「Michael Owen — Boy Wonder」 「BONUS OBJECTIVE」 「Strengthen Italy Selection Claim — COMPLETE」 「Reward: +75 MP」 「Bonus Reward: +5 SP」

He read the Italy line for an extra second.

Completing it only meant he’d strengthened his claim.

The decision still belonged to Southgate, and the panel didn’t pretend otherwise.

He closed it when an England media staffer called his name.

A photographer positioned him with the award, and he held it up for the cameras while his teammates kept applauding the supporters behind him.

Watkins passed behind the photographer, held up two fingers toward Demien, and disappeared down the tunnel.

Phillips was several yards ahead of him in the tunnel, heading for the dressing room.

Demien caught up to him.

Neither mentioned Italy.

An England staff member came out carrying the recovery schedule and handed a copy to each of them.

Saturday: Recovery.

Sunday: Italy Tactical Preparation.

Demien looked at Phillips.

Phillips was already looking back at him.