FOOTBALL! LEGENDARY PLAYER

AFAS Stadion, Alkmaar

The rivalry was real, and Amani could feel it the moment Utrecht's bus pulled into the AFAS Stadion parking lot. AZ Alkmaar supporters lined the route, their chants and banners making it clear that last season's cup semifinal defeat still stung.

The sea of orange and red scarves waved menacingly in the afternoon breeze, while drums thundered a hostile rhythm that seemed to echo through the very walls of the bus. For Amani, returning to the scene of one of his greatest triumphs felt different this time - he was no longer the surprise package, but a marked man with a target painted firmly on his back.

The atmosphere outside was electric with anticipation and barely contained aggression. Supporters pressed against the barriers, their faces painted in team colors, their voices hoarse from hours of pre-match singing.

Some held banners with Amani's name crossed out in red, others displayed messages that left no doubt about their intentions for the afternoon. The young midfielder could feel their eyes following him as he stepped off the bus, their collective gaze heavy with expectation and malice.

"They'll be coming for you today," van der Maarel warned as they walked toward the stadium. "Every tackle will be harder, every challenge more aggressive. That's what happens when you become the main threat."

The captain's weathered face carried the wisdom of countless battles on pitches across Europe. His words weren't meant to intimidate, but to prepare. This was the reality of professional football at the highest level - success bred attention, and attention bred targeted aggression from opponents desperate to neutralize your influence.

The captain's words proved prophetic from the opening whistle. AZ's game plan was obvious and brutally effective - press Amani relentlessly, deny him space, and force Utrecht's other players to create.

It was a tactical approach that many teams would adopt this season, and one that would test his development as a complete player. The home crowd roared their approval every time an AZ player closed down the young midfielder, their collective voice becoming a weapon designed to unsettle and intimidate.

The first twenty minutes were a masterclass in defensive organization from AZ, their players moving like a well-oiled machine with one singular purpose. Every time Amani received the ball, two or three players converged on his position with the precision of a military operation.

The system's enhanced awareness helped him avoid the worst challenges, his peripheral vision alerting him to incoming tackles and allowing him to release the ball just before contact. But the constant pressure was limiting his ability to influence the match, forcing him into quick, safe passes rather than the penetrating runs and creative through balls that had made him famous.

The physical intensity was unlike anything he had experienced in his breakthrough season. Players arrived late into challenges, their studs catching his ankles and shins with what appeared to be calculated precision. The referee's whistle provided some protection, but the message was clear - this would be a war of attrition, and AZ intended to win it through sheer physical dominance.

"This is different from last season," he thought, feeling the weight of being Utrecht's primary target. The previous year, he had been the unknown quantity who could surprise opponents. Now, every team had studied his game and developed specific plans to neutralize his threat.

AZ took the lead in the twenty-eighth minute through a well-worked set piece, their preparation clearly focused on exploiting any momentary lapse in Utrecht's concentration.

The goal came from a corner kick that had been practiced countless times on the training ground, the ball finding its way through a forest of bodies to nestle in the bottom corner with devastating precision.

The stadium erupted in a cacophony of sound that seemed to shake the very foundations of the building, orange smoke billowing from the stands as thousands of voices united in celebration.

Utrecht's equalizer came in the fifty-first minute, and it showcased the team's growing tactical maturity. With Amani heavily marked, Yassin Ayoub stepped up to provide the creative spark, playing a perfectly weighted through ball to Jacob Mulenga who finished clinically.

The goal was significant not just for the scoreline, but for what it represented - Utrecht were no longer a one-man team. When their star player was neutralized, others could step up and provide the necessary quality.

His best moment came in the seventy-eighth minute, a trademark run from deep that split AZ's defense and created a clear chance for Alexander Gerndt. The striker's shot was saved brilliantly by the AZ goalkeeper, but the move showcased Amani's ability to create something from nothing even under intense pressure.

The 1-1 draw felt like a victory given the circumstances. Utrecht had shown they could compete away from home against quality opposition, even when their star player was specifically targeted.

"That's a big step forward for us," van der Maarel said after the match. "Last season, if they stopped Amani, they stopped us. Today we showed we have other weapons."

---

**15 September 2013 - Galgenwaard Stadium, Utrecht**

Two weeks later, Utrecht faced RKC Waalwijk at home, and Coach Wouters decided it was time to give the other members of the Four Horsemen their first taste of Eredivisie action. Malik and Tijmen were named on the bench, while Sofyan Amrabat earned his first start in central midfield alongside Amani.

The pre-match atmosphere was electric, with Utrecht supporters excited to see their young stars in action together. For Amani, it felt like a homecoming - finally playing alongside one of his closest friends in competitive action.

"Ready for this?" Amani asked Sofyan as they completed their warm-up routine.

"Been ready since we were twelve," Sofyan replied with a grin. "Let's show them what the Four Horsemen can do."

The early exchanges revealed the immediate chemistry between the two friends. Sofyan's defensive work and intelligent positioning created the perfect platform for Amani's creativity, while Amani's movement and passing opened up spaces that Sofyan could exploit with his late runs into the box.

Utrecht's opening goal came in the twenty-third minute, and it was a perfect example of their enhanced midfield partnership. Sofyan won the ball with a perfectly timed tackle, immediately played it to Amani who was already moving into space, and then continued his run to receive the return pass in the penalty area.

Sofyan's finish was composed and clinical, sending the Galgenwaard into raptures as the youngest member of the Four Horsemen scored his first professional goal.

"SOFYAN AMRABAT!" roared the commentator. "The Four Horsemen are finally riding together in the Eredivisie!"

The celebration was pure joy, with Amani the first to reach his friend and embrace him in congratulation. From the bench, Malik and Tijmen were on their feet applauding, their pride in their friend's success evident despite their own desire to be involved.

The second goal came just before halftime, and it showcased Amani's growing maturity as a playmaker. Instead of trying to create something spectacular, he played a simple but perfectly weighted pass to Édouard Duplan, who finished expertly from close range.

The second half brought the moment everyone had been waiting for - Malik and Tijmen's Eredivisie debuts. Wouters introduced both players in the sixty-fifth minute, completing the Four Horsemen's first appearance together in professional football.

The crowd's reaction was deafening, with chants of "FOUR HORSEMEN! FOUR HORSEMEN!" echoing around the stadium as the friends took their positions on the pitch.

"This is it," Amani thought, feeling a surge of emotion as he looked around at his three closest friends. "This is what we dreamed about in the academy."

The final twenty-five minutes were a showcase of everything special about their partnership. Malik's pace and directness on the right wing created constant problems for RKC's defense, while Tijmen's intelligent movement and clinical finishing added a new dimension to Utrecht's attack.

Though no more goals came, the performance was complete. Utrecht controlled the match, the Four Horsemen demonstrated their exceptional chemistry, and the crowd gave them a standing ovation as they left the pitch together.

"That's just the beginning," Wouters said in his post-match interview. "When those four play together, they create possibilities that individual talent alone cannot achieve. The chemistry is remarkable."

In the changing room afterward, the Four Horsemen sat together in quiet satisfaction, each processing the significance of what they had achieved. From academy dreams to professional reality, they had taken another crucial step on their journey together.

"One down, many more to go," Malik said, speaking for all of them.

"Together," Amani replied, and the word carried the weight of everything they had shared and everything they hoped to achieve.

For Amani, this felt different from his individual success the previous season. Seeing his friends succeed, watching them take their first steps in professional football, felt almost as rewarding as his own achievements. The pressure of being Utrecht's sole creative force was lifting, replaced by the joy of shared responsibility and collective ambition.

The season was still young, the Europa League beckoned, and the Four Horsemen were finally ready to ride together toward whatever challenges lay ahead. The boy from Mombasa was no longer alone in his journey - his brothers were beside him now, and together they were ready to take on the world.