My Ultimate Gacha System

Less than a minute later, Watkins hit the post.

Australia pushed higher off their own goal kick and tried to build through Baccus, and Demien closed him from the side and forced a loose pass toward Irvine.

Henderson won it and knocked it to Demien, who found Maddison immediately between Australia’s midfield and defense before their back five could retreat.

Maddison turned with his first touch.

Watkins started between Souttar and Burgess, then curved behind Souttar the instant the defender stepped toward Maddison, and Maddison slid him through with a precise ball.

Watkins raced clear.

Ryan came off his line and narrowed the angle.

Watkins took it around him toward the left side of the box, the goal wide open now but the angle tight, and rolled his finish toward the far corner.

The ball struck the inside of the post, ran across the face of goal, and stayed out.

Wembley had already started celebrating before it hit the post, and the whole stadium groaned as one when it came back off.

Watkins stood beside the goal for a second, staring at it.

"That run was perfect," Demien told him, reaching him first.

"I don’t need the run praised when the finish stayed out," Watkins said.

"Another one’s coming if you stop arguing and get back into position," Demien said, and Watkins didn’t argue that part.

Maddison came over more carefully, nothing to celebrate in a chance that had gone begging.

"England have created very little," the commentator said, "but their best moment came the instant they won the ball back before Australia could reset their five."

The midfield battle turned physical in the thirty-second minute.

Baccus followed Demien as England built through Henderson, and Demien released Bowen before he could reach him, continuing his run beyond the midfielder — only for Baccus to stretch out his leg late, well after the ball was gone, and catch him around the ankle.

Demien hit the ground hard and rolled once before stopping.

The whistle went immediately.

He sat up and looked at Baccus.

"Your foot was still there," Baccus said.

Demien got to his feet and took a step toward him, and Henderson wedged himself between them before it could go further.

The referee showed Baccus yellow.

Demien tested the ankle, rotating it, putting weight through it — sore where the studs had caught him, nothing unstable, nothing sharp.

The booking changed the duel outright.

Baccus couldn’t attack his first touch recklessly anymore, so Irvine started closing earlier instead, trying to stop Demien turning into ground Baccus now had to protect more carefully.

Colwill picked up his own yellow minutes later, catching Boyle after being beaten for pace near England’s left, the referee stopping play without hesitation.

"Watch — he’ll go at that same side now you can’t commit freely," Demien told him before the free kick, and Colwill nodded, filing the warning away.

Goodwin’s delivery was headed clear by Dunk.

Australia threatened again from a long free kick in the thirty-sixth minute, Henderson conceding it near halfway to stop a quick transition.

Goodwin sent it deep, Metcalfe attacking the space between Colwill and Tomori, and his header flew straight at Johnstone, who caught it clean against his chest.

Johnstone held the ball up, demanding England push outward instead of letting Australia collect another second ball.

Demien checked the stadium clock — this no longer felt like a controlled English friendly.

Demien produced his own best attempt of the half in the thirty-eighth minute, Dunk finding Henderson, Baccus approaching more cautiously now with the booking hanging over him.

Demien dropped outside him and took Henderson’s pass facing forward.

Irvine stepped toward him.

Demien played into Maddison and accelerated beyond Irvine before he could turn, and Maddison returned it first time.

Watkins pinned Souttar centrally.

Grealish held Strain wide on the left.

Bowen occupied Rowles on the right.

A lane opened twenty-two yards from goal.

Demien took one touch into it and drove a low shot toward Ryan’s far corner.

Ryan got down fast and pushed it wide with a strong hand.

Demien stopped with both fists clenched, stared at Ryan, then clapped once in irritated respect before turning for the corner.

"Baccus’s booking gave him room to face goal there," the commentator said, "but Ryan’s kept this scoreless."

Maddison’s corner was headed clear by Souttar ahead of Dunk, and Demien collected the second ball outside the box, restarting through Trent rather than forcing another shot.

Strain picked up a yellow of his own in the fortieth minute, dragging Grealish back by the shirt after being beaten inside near the touchline.

Trent took the resulting free kick.

Souttar won the first header and sent it toward halfway, and Demien beat Irvine to the second ball and moved it on to Bowen, keeping England inside Australia’s half.

Bowen crossed early toward Watkins, but Burgess got there first and headed clear before Ryan could even be tested.

Australia produced another direct warning in the forty-third minute, Ryan going long toward Duke, Duke backing into Tomori and flicking it toward Boyle.

Boyle accelerated beyond Colwill, who couldn’t commit fully with his yellow already showing.

Demien tracked Irvine centrally while Henderson closed on Boyle, and Boyle tried to find Irvine with the cutback.

Demien reached the lane and deflected it behind for a corner.

「MATCH MISSION PROGRESS」 「Defensive Recoveries: 2/4」

Australia took it quickly, denying England the time to fully reset — Souttar attacking the near side, Dunk winning the header out to the edge of the box, Strain collecting and giving it straight back to Boyle rather than shooting.

England pinched narrow, expecting another cross, and Grealish followed Boyle inside without tracking Strain still standing free outside him.

Australia nearly took the lead in the forty-fourth minute.

Boyle received near the left edge of the box, Colwill covering the run toward the byline, and Demien followed Irvine centrally because the midfielder was drifting toward the penalty spot.

Boyle used quick footwork to open the angle and rolled the ball across the area toward Strain, arriving from the opposite side.

Grealish turned late and couldn’t reach him.

Demien saw Strain only after the pass had already gone beyond his own recovery line.

Strain struck toward the exposed side of Johnstone’s goal.

Dunk threw himself across the goalmouth and blocked it before it crossed.

The Australian end rose, certain it was going in, and Wembley held its breath for one full beat before Dunk’s block sent the England stands into a relieved roar.

Dunk landed in the six-yard box, pushed himself straight back up, and shouted at the players in front of him.

"Watch Strain’s run!" Demien called toward Grealish, pointing.

"Boyle came inside and dragged me with him," Grealish said.

"We still need someone on the far wingback," Demien answered.

"Defend the corner — now," Henderson cut in, ending it there.

Australia crowded the box again, Boyle swinging it toward Souttar, and Johnstone came off his line, punched it clear through traffic and out of the area.

Demien reached the drop before Baccus and cleared it toward Watkins near halfway, and Watkins held it up long enough for England’s line to move out before Rowles forced him into touch.

England got one last look in first-half stoppage time.

Dunk found Henderson, who sent it to Demien.

Baccus, still carrying his yellow, couldn’t challenge recklessly.

Demien carried it into Australia’s half, and when Irvine stepped toward him, he released Grealish outside Strain — but Australia’s wingback recovered fast and blocked the first cross.

Grealish retrieved it and gave it back to Colwill, England recycling rather than force one last hopeful ball.

The referee blew for halftime.

England 0 — 0 Australia

Australia’s players gathered briefly near the center circle, Souttar applauding Strain’s run despite the blocked finish, Baccus talking to Irvine while pointing back toward Demien, working out between them how to keep sharing the pressing job now that Baccus was booked.

England left less comfortably.

Dunk walked beside Tomori, still going over the untracked wingback.

Colwill looked frustrated, aware of how much the yellow had limited him against Boyle.

Watkins shook his head once, still thinking about the post.

"We’re taking one pass too many after we escape Baccus," Demien said, walking beside Henderson and Maddison, the tactical problem following him straight into the tunnel.

「HALFTIME MISSION UPDATE」 「Line-Breaking Actions: 4/6」 「Clear Chances Created: 1/3」 「Defensive Recoveries: 2/4」 「Direct Goal Contributions: 0/1」 「Bonus Objective — Strengthen Italy Selection Claim: Pending」

Demien sat down and let his breathing settle, the ankle Baccus had caught still sore but rotating freely enough not to worry about.

Southgate opened with Australia’s chances rather than England’s possession, three frozen images already up on the screen.

The first showed Demien and Maddison standing in the same passing line during the opening phase.

The second showed England’s midfield collapsing toward Boyle while Strain stood free outside Grealish.

The third froze on Strain’s shot a split second before Dunk’s block.

"James, stay beyond their first midfield line," Southgate said. "Stop dropping into Demien’s buildup space." He turned to Grealish. "Watch Strain every time Boyle comes inside." Then to Henderson and Demien together: "Only one of you follows Irvine on the wide attacks. The other has to take the arriving wingback, or the second ball."

He moved to the attacking board next, sliding Trent’s marker higher, Demien’s just inside him, Grealish still wide against Strain, Watkins pulled away from Souttar toward the far-post space behind Burgess.

"Demien, you draw Baccus and Irvine to the right," he said. "Trent switches before their midfield can recover. Jack receives while Strain’s still running backward. Ollie, you’re attacking the far post now instead of standing central against Souttar. James, stay outside Demien’s lane and arrive late for the cutback, once the switch has already gone."

He slid the ball magnet from Demien’s marker across the board, tracing the diagonal all the way to Grealish and Watkins, then tapped Demien’s position once.

"You move them," he said. "Jack and Ollie finish it."