My Ultimate Gacha System-Chapter 181 - 175: Away Arrival II

Chapter 181: Chapter 175: Away Arrival II
England’s warm-up was tighter and quieter by contrast, moving through passing drills and dynamic stretching with efficiency rather than flair, and the difference in approach was deliberate because Carsley’s teams never tried to match opposition intensity during warm-ups, they saved their energy for the ninety minutes that actually mattered.
Demien completed his sprints along the touchline and felt his muscles activate properly while the cool Munich evening air filled his lungs, and when he finished he glanced once toward the pitch taking in the sight of the stadium filling rapidly with supporters still streaming through the entrances, and then he turned back toward the bench area and sat down beside Owen Blake and Daniel Huxley.
The camera crews moved along the touchline capturing footage for the broadcast, but they focused primarily on the starters going through final preparations, and neither the cameras nor the crowd lingered on the substitutes because attention naturally gravitated toward the eleven players who’d be starting the match, and Demien accepted that reality without resentment because he understood how football worked.
7:25 PM - Pre-Match
The squads returned to their dressing rooms for final preparations, and the England players sat in focused silence while Carsley delivered brief last-minute reminders about set piece positioning and transition organization, and when he finished the team captain Jamal Whitmore stood and clapped once.
"Right, lads. Away match, hostile crowd, tough opposition. We’ve prepared well. Trust the system, trust each other. Let’s go show them what England’s about."
The response was collective and controlled—no wild shouting, no excessive emotion, just professional acknowledgment—and the team filed back toward the tunnel where Germany’s squad was already assembling in their distinctive white home kits with black and red trim.
The two teams lined up in the tunnel side by side, and Demien stood near the back of England’s group beside the other substitutes while ahead of him the starters adjusted shin guards and retied boots for the final time, and the German players beside them looked confident and composed in a way that came from playing in front of home support.
The referee and his assistants appeared between the two lines holding the match ball, and stadium officials began coordinating the walk-out sequence, and the noise from above intensified as the crowd sensed the teams were about to emerge.
"Auf geht’s!" one of the German players called, and his teammates responded with unified enthusiasm.
England’s group stayed quieter, and the contrast in energy was obvious but not concerning because different teams approached matches differently, and Carsley’s squad had learned that controlled focus often beat vocal intensity over ninety minutes.
The official gestured forward, and the tunnel doors opened, and the two teams walked out into a wall of noise that seemed to press down from every direction.
7:30 PM - Kickoff
Commentary Booth
"Good evening and welcome to the Stadion an der Grünwalder Straße in Munich for tonight’s U23 international friendly between Germany and England," the lead commentator’s voice carried over the broadcast. "A step up in intensity from Friday’s comfortable England victory over Italy, and the atmosphere here suggests the Germans are taking this very seriously indeed."
"Absolutely, Martin," his co-commentator added. "You can feel the difference even through the television. This crowd is here to make life difficult for England, and Germany’s starting eleven looks strong across the board."
The screen switched to display both team’s formations as the commentator continued.
"Let’s take you through the starting lineups for both sides."
Germany U23 - Home (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper:
Lukas Reimann
Defense:
Hezii_2G (RB) - Jonas Kübler (CB) - Marvin Schott (CB) - Felix Brandt (LB)
Midfield:
KingD2605 - Moritz Keller - Timo Hahn
Attack:
Leon Weiss (RW) - Noah Richter (ST) - Sebastian Krüger (LW)
"Germany lining up in their traditional four-three-three," the commentator explained. "Strong midfield trio with KingD2605 sitting deeper, Keller and Hahn providing box-to-box energy. Up front, Richter leads the line with pace on either side from Weiss and Krüger."
England U23 - Away (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper:
Aaron Whitfield
Defense:
Elliot Ford (RB) - Harvey Keane (CB) - Ben Rowe (CB) - Calum Price (LB)
Midfield:
Jamal Whitmore - Leo Merrick
Attack:
Reece Darlow (RW) - Kayden Muir (CAM) - Javier Crane (LW)
Striker:
Mason Teller
"England responding with their four-two-three-one shape that served them so well against Italy," the co-commentator noted. "Whitmore and Merrick anchoring, Kayden Muir pulling the strings in the number ten role. Same system, but tonight they’ll face much stiffer opposition."
The camera panned across both benches briefly, and the commentator mentioned the substitutes available.
"On England’s bench tonight: Walter, Huxley, Mitchell among others. Lee Carsley has options if he needs to change things."
The players took their positions on the pitch, and the referee moved to the center circle with the match ball, and the stadium noise reached a crescendo as kickoff approached.
Germany’s captain and England’s captain met at the center for the coin toss, and after a brief exchange the referee pointed toward one end indicating Germany had won and would kick off.
The anthems had already been played during the pre-match ceremony, and now the only sound was the hostile roar of eighteen thousand German supporters anticipating their team’s victory, and the England players spread across their defensive shape while Germany’s forwards positioned themselves for the opening whistle.
The referee raised the whistle to his lips and checked his watch one final time.
The stadium held its breath.
Fweeeeeetttttttt!!!!!
Germany kicked off and immediately played it backward to their midfield, and the match was officially underway.
1’ - 5’ |
Germany’s opening approach was aggressive and direct as they pressed England’s buildup play from the first whistle, and their front three closed down England’s center-backs with coordinated movements that suggested they’d prepared specifically to disrupt England’s possession-based approach, and immediately the difference from Italy’s passive first-half performance became apparent.
From the bench Demien watched Germany’s pressing shape form quickly—their striker Noah Richter cutting off the central passing lane to Whitmore, their wingers Weiss and Krüger angling their runs to force England’s center-backs wide, and their midfield trio stepping up aggressively to close space in the middle third—and England’s initial attempts to build from the back broke down twice in the opening three minutes as hurried clearances went long rather than risk losing possession in dangerous areas.