Chapter 610: Chapter 610 DFB-Pokal Final (END? Part 2)
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[120+3]
Rakim and Haverts exchanged a few more words as they continued to scan the chaos in the box. Players tussled for position, looking to attack the space around the six-yard box. Deciding on a plan, they both stepped back, Havartrz with the right-footed inswing and Rakim with the left-footed out swing.
Silence descended as they awaited the referee’s go-ahead, which, after a few warnings to some rowdy players, he did. (Fweet) Havartz moved first, raising a hand as he closed in on the ball, prompting Tapsoba at the furthest right side of the cluster of bodies to pull back to the edge. His marker didn’t follow him as he moved to cover another player as Haverts sped up toward the ball.
The German came to a sudden stop a couple of steps in front of the ball, tricking the wall into movement. Before they could react, Rakim closed in on the ball with pace, his foot whipping the ball into the air. It catapulted at pace, curving past Perišić’s shoulder on the left side of the four-man wall.
The ball spun viciously through the Berlin night air, curling wickedly away across the penalty spot as the bodies of players who had been at the edge of the box raced in side like a tide. Neuer, in front of his goal, stepped up but quickly stepped back after realising how sharply the ball curved. Players jumped into the air, necks craned to reach it first, but none at the front managed to reach it.
Towards the middle, the ball bent back outwards descending, as it skimmed just over Boateng’s head before plunging down toward the far post. Tapsoba, who had peeled away as planned, had a clear path completely unmarked. He launched himself forward, right foot first, meeting the ball with a thunderous strike.
Neuer, who had already been shifting across his box, flung out his left hand instinctively, but he could only graze the ball with his fingertips. The power was too much, and the ball ricocheted off his glove and smacked into the roof of the net. "GOAL! Leverkusen have surely won it now!" Derek Rae roared, his voice echoing in disbelief. "Edmond Tapsoba, the towering centre-back, boots it in with authority! In stoppage time of extra time, Leverkusen lead Bayern 5–4!"
The Leverkusen players erupted in joy as they scrambled to chase after the Burkinabé footballer who had raced off to the sidelines. Throwing off his top, his muscles glistened under the flood lights as he slid on his knees, kicking up grass before being tackled by his teammates. Pandemonium ensued as players from the bench rushed to celebrate with them, piling bodies on top of one another.
"I genuinely thought he was going for goal, given his track record, and from the looks of it, Neuer expected the same." Stewart analysed as the Leverkusen players celebrated to their hearts’ content. "That’s a goal Tapsoba will remember for a long time to come, and the Bayern players will be wondering when they’ll wake up from this nightmare."
The camera cut instantly to the Bayern bench, where Flick was frozen in disbelief, not knowing what to do next. They were already in the added minutes of extra time, not to mention that the momentum had been completely knocked out of their souls. Tobias Welz was forced to blow his whistle several times, even booking a few players, or excessively celebrating as he wrestled both teams to the restart.
[120+5]
The whistle went to restart, and Bayern charged forward immediately. Thiago and Goretzka combined to ping a sequence of passes at speed in midfield, as they drove forward. They quickly broke past the first lines of Leverkusen defenders who had dropped back before Thiago slid the ball to Perišić on the left. The Croatian bombed down the line using his pace to skip past the more tiered Bender and whipped in a dangerous cross toward the six-yard box.
Lewandowski flung himself at it, colliding with Sven Bender mid-air, but neither of them could even get close as Hradecky flew up fist-first. With a powerful punch, he catapulted the ball out of his box as he crashed into the two players. Kai picked up the rebound using his body to shield it from Kimmich before launching it up the field with a powerful clearance.
His clearance felt like the final release of pressure as the ball sailed high, spinning under the Olympiastadion floodlights, before landing deep in Bayern’s half. Alaba chased it down, but with no support around him and no time left on the clock, all he could do was hook it back toward midfield. Goretzka tried to bring it under control, but Demirbay was on him immediately, snapping into the challenge, forcing the ball out for a throw-in.
Tobias Welz glanced at his watch one last time, raised the whistle to his lips, and brought it to a deafening close. "IT’S OVER!" Derek Rae’s voice boomed across the broadcast. "Bayer Leverkusen have done it! In one of the greatest DFB-Pokal finals you will ever see, they have beaten Bayern Munich 5–4 in extra time! Edmond Tapsoba is the man of the hour as he secures glory for Leverkusen here in Berlin!"
Stewart Robson sounded almost out of breath. "What a night, Derek. What a match. Both teams went at each other like warriors, goal after goal, chance after chance. Both teams from the first minute gave it their all, but tonight belongs to Leverkusen as they break a 27-year-old silverware drought."
"What a way to break that dry spell with a game that fans will tell their grandchildren about," Derek commented as down below on the field, the Leverkusen celebrations ensued with joyful chants as they congratulated each other on a job well done. "I feel like we had this conversation a few weeks ago, when the roles of victors and losers were reversed when the two clashed over the Bundesliga title.
Rakim, after a round of celebrating with Wirtz and Diaby, walked toward the Bayern players, taking in the moment as he calmed his breathing. They had finally won a piece of silverware, and what that really meant to the club had yet to really sink in his mind. Finding Gnabry sitting on the turf, he stopped in front of him, casting a shadow over him, prompting the latter to look up.
"Congratulations," the Bayern winger said, his voice barely audible above the celebrations as he grasped Rakim’s outstretched hand. "You deserved it tonight."
Rakim helped pull him to his feet, both players sharing a quick side hug before separating. "Thanks, man. This was some game that could have gone either way," Rakim replied, patting Gnabry on the shoulder before the German trudged toward his defeated teammates.
Across the pitch, similar scenes were unfolding as Leverkusen players sought out their Bayern counterparts. Some had National teammates with whom they shared a friendship, while others were just friends or showcased their sportsmanship. Havertz found Müller sitting near the centre circle and offered his hand.
"Twenty-seven years," Havertz said quietly to Müller. "We’ve waited twenty-seven years for this." Müller nodded, forcing a smile despite the pain. "Enjoy it, kid. Nights like this don’t come often." He paused, looking around the stadium. "You played like champions tonight."
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To Be Continued...