Football singularity

Chapter 303 303 The Roar of Hampden

[25/05/2019, Glasgow]

The rumble of the crowd grew louder with every mile the team bus travelled. Hampden Park loomed on the horizon, draped in green and maroon banners, with thousands of fans flooding the streets around the stadium. Celtic's green and white dominated one side, while Hearts' maroon surged on the other, creating a sea of colour under the overcast Scottish sky. The buzz of anticipation was palpable, mixed with the tension and excitement for what would be the final trophy of the season.

Both teams fans were convinced that their side deserved this honour and didn't shy away in letting the other side know. Luckily the tension didn't escalate to more than a shouting or singing match as the neon vest of police officers served as adequate warning. After all no one wanted to miss this game after spending a boat load of money to get a ticket the moment their team qualified.

Inside the Celtic team bus, Rakim sat by the window, his headphones on but he wasn't really listening to the music. His eyes were fixed on the distant sight of Hampden, that now seemed like a gladiator arena at the top of Mount Olympus. It was a stage that would allow him to win his first professional piece of silverware allowing him to already be better than a certain English striker. The magnitude of the occasion wasn't lost on him—this was the Scottish Cup final, the biggest stage in Scottish football outside of the league.

His muscles tingled with that familiar pre-match tension, ready to explode after spending the past month Soley focused on improving them. No one had seen his results other than the occasional workout videos he posted but he knew full well just how big his transformation was. After the month of targeted training, he finally managed to raise his strength stat slightly making all the torture he put his body through worth it.

---

[FOOTBALL SINGULARITY SYSTEM]

USER: Rakim Rex

AGE: 15yrs

TALENT ASSESSMENT: Grade - S

Singularity Points: 12400

Position: Winger

(Evaluation: A wunderkind in the truest sense, who has proven his ability to the world throw a boulder into a still pond)

[ USER STATS: Under 23 Grade]

>Physical Fitness: A

Balance and Coordination: S

Speed: B++

Agility: A+

Strength: C+ ->(B-)

Stamina: C++ -> (B-)

>Football Technique: S

>Game Intelligence: A

>Mental Ability: S+

>Singularity Skills: MR ShowTime: Grade -A

---

Looking at his improved stats a bright smile couldn't help its self from appearing on his face. His strength and stamina had been something that had been holding him back for a while, so seeing them both improve a sense of achievement filled his chest. The moment his strength stat upgraded it caused a chain reaction in his stamina allowing it to reach the B- grade.

From what he could feel the rest of his stats where also on the brink of reaching the next level as long as he continued to work on them. Now though he couldn't wait to see how much his hard work would carry over into an actual game. Pulling his Titan Hood over his head he could feel his excitement bubbling over reedy to erupt just looking for an outlet.

Looking around him, he saw his teammates with serious expressions looking solemn as if they were being sent to war. In a way they were being sent to a battlefield, but they were to fussed for his liking. Thus, he decided to find a way to make them relax and get their mood up and enjoy the moment. No matter how old you are you should still enjoy every opportunity you get to win a major trophy.

"Yo James let me pick out a song," he said directly stretching out his hand to the blond figure next to him. Since he was the one connected to the buses Bluetooth speakers, he didn't hesitate in handing him his phone, that was still on the Spotify app.

Scrolling through his playlist, Rakim quickly decided to search up a song in the search tab, Nipsy Hustle Racks in the middle is the song he finally settled on. Rakim tapped on Nipsey Hussle's "Racks in the Middle" and felt the bass immediately take over the bus. Heads turned, and a few eyebrows raised at the sudden shift in mood, but as the beat kicked in, the vibe began to change.

A couple of teammates exchanged glances before they broke into faint smiles, but Rakim didn't care as he went live on his Instagram. The Iconic sound off the late Nipsey Hussle who had died no more than two months ago reverberated through the speakers.

[Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah, I was ridin' 'round in the V-12 with the racks in the middle

I was ridin' 'round in the V-12 with the racks in the middle

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Ay]

As the beat flowed through the bus, Rakim's live stream quickly picked up viewers. His followers were used to these spontaneous moments, and his energy was infectious. Comments started flooding in:

@Biggestfna: Yo, Rax look-in' ready!

@Jonny'sToe: Wasn't this guy supposed to be getting ready for a cup final?

@HulksGreenFiest: You better score if you're playing NIP before the game. RIP King

@RakimsWife: You look cute as always, can't wait till I get you alone so we can $$$4~@£$£$$£$%£63

@NoToSnitching: Em I didn't see shit but if yall want to call the Feds I'll point them in the right direction.

...

Rakim smirked at the screen, giving a quick wave to his fans as he read some of the comments before flipping the camera to show his teammates. A few of them began to bob their heads to the rhythm, loosening up some of the tension in the bus. Others directly got up from their seats singing along to the song already knowing the words by heart given how popular Nip had become after his death. Whilst the Celtic players loosened up and started enjoying themselves to the music the situation at the stadium was just as energetic.

~~~

[Commentators' Booth – Hampden Park]

The sound of thousands of fans filled the stadium as Callum McDonald and Roy Townsley sat in their commentary booth, looking out over the sea of maroon and green. Callum adjusted his headset, speaking to the millions of viewers tuning in to the biggest match of the Scottish football calendar.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Hampden Park, where today two giants of Scottish football meet for the final piece of silverware this season: Hearts and Celtic in the Scottish Cup final," Callum began. "Roy, there's a special energy here today, isn't there?"

Roy nodded, leaning into his microphone. "Absolutely, Callum. Hampden is packed to the rafters, and it feels like the entire country has their eyes on this game. For Hearts, this is a chance to win the cup after a 7 year drought after their win in the 2011/12 season. While Celtic will be looking to complete yet another treble to their trophy cabinet. But both teams have had their ups and downs this season. It could go either way."

Callum shifted the conversation to the tactics. "What do you think we'll see from Hearts today? They've been solid defensively in recent matches, but they'll need to be more than that against Celtic."

"Hearts will likely go with a 4-3-3 setup, and I think they'll look to absorb pressure and hit Celtic on the break," Roy replied. "Watch for Steven MacLean up front—he's a physical presence who can unsettle defences, and they've got pace out wide with Mulraney and Clare. The key for them will be to frustrate Celtic, force them into mistakes, and capitalize on any set-piece opportunities."

Callum glanced at his notes. "And Celtic?"

"Celtic will stick with their 4-2-3-1, with Scott Brown controlling the midfield. But all eyes will be on Rakim Rex. He's been missing from the team sheet since he amazed the world on the Glasgow derby and from what my sources tell me he has been undergoing specialised training when not busy promoting his brand."

Roy grinned taking a second to water his throat before continuing. "I for one am excited to see what the young wunderkind will do to amaze the world again. His speed, his close control—if Hearts give him space, he'll punish them. And with the likelihood of Edouard playing up front, they'll have plenty of firepower. I expect them to dominate possession and try to pin Hearts back early on."

.

.

.

.

To Be Continued...