Olić's first touch was clumsy and awkward, almost like an eight-year-old practising basic control. On the surface, it looked painfully amateurish.
But he eventually brought the ball under control near the edge of the penalty area and lifted his head.
Mourinho had repeatedly told him in training that vision was the most important part of passing.
Players who kept their heads down would never become truly good footballers.
Why?
Because they could not see the game around them, and that made them selfish.
Olić looked up.
The first thing he saw was a wall of blue-and-white shirts.
Damn it. Reading players everywhere.
Then, from the corner of his eye, he spotted a red shirt making a run in the distance.
But the player was still too far away.
A defender was already closing him down.
Olić understood his own limitations.
His technique was not good enough for him to beat an opponent in tight space the way Hleb could.
So he simply knocked the ball forward along the byline and carried it into the penalty area.
It was a desperate decision, but it immediately disrupted Reading's defence.
The goalkeeper did not dare rush out, while the nearest centre-back pressed him closely.
Drogba was still charging forward, but Olić had no idea when he would arrive.
He could not wait any longer.
Olić used his body to hold off the centre-back, nudged the ball slightly with his left foot to create space, and then struck it with all his strength.
At that moment, he was not thinking about anything complicated.
Rather than lose possession, he might as well take the chance.
Perhaps there was still the smallest possibility of scoring, no matter how unlikely it seemed.
The shot did not travel exactly where Olić intended.
Instead, it flew hard toward the goalkeeper at the near post.
That was not entirely accidental.
Olić had hoped the goalkeeper might fail to hold it cleanly.
The height of the shot created a problem.
The goalkeeper hesitated, unsure whether to bend and catch it.
By the time he realised how quickly the ball was arriving, it was already upon him.
Instinctively, he raised a leg to block it.
But his judgment was wrong.
The ball squeezed through the narrow gap between his body and the near post.
The goalkeeper turned helplessly and watched it strike the far side-netting.
Goal!
It had actually gone in.
Olić had scored.
Almost everyone inside the stadium stared in disbelief.
Who could have imagined that the player who had just produced such an awkward first touch would score from an almost impossible angle?
Was there anything more unbelievable?
Even Olić himself could not accept it at first.
He immediately dropped to his knees and covered his face with both hands.
For a moment, he wondered whether he was dreaming.
He would never have believed he could score from such a narrow angle.
"You little madman!"
Drogba arrived from behind and threw himself onto Olić, knocking him to the ground.
"That was beautiful, Ivica! Absolutely beautiful!
"Do you realise you've just scored a world-class goal?"
Olić was still overwhelmed and could only shake his head blankly.
Then he felt the weight on top of him growing heavier as one teammate after another piled into the celebration.
Every player was laughing.
Every New Manchester United supporter was laughing.
Soon, the travelling fans improvised an Olić Song.
Curtis had one.
Drogba had one.
Čech had one.
Several other New Manchester United players had also received the same treatment.
Olić had always envied them and wondered when the supporters might sing for him.
Now he finally had a song of his own.
After struggling free from beneath his teammates, Olić ran toward the away end.
He did nothing except stand there and listen.
The Olić Song grew louder and more passionate.
It was the supporters' reward for everything he had given.
Olić began to cry.
After all his years in football, it was the first time he had ever shed tears on the pitch.
...
At the back, Terry leapt high into the air the moment Olić scored and immediately embraced Kolo Touré.
The Ivorian, who had only joined that season, was an excellent player.
He had already established himself as New Manchester United's first-choice right-back, and now he was performing superbly in central defence as well.
His understanding with Terry had been excellent.
Terry believed Mourinho would trust him even more in the future.
After releasing Touré, Terry turned to find Čech.
The young goalkeeper looked confused and almost lost.
"Hey, Petr, what's wrong?" Terry asked as he ran over and embraced him.
Čech shook his head.
"Did... did we score?"
Terry burst out laughing.
"Of course we did, Petr! Can't you see everyone celebrating?
"We've turned it around. We're winning!"
As Terry spoke, tears began to gather in his own eyes, but he forced them back.
His teammates were incredible.
Every one of them.
Look at Čech.
He was still so young, yet his concentration had been extraordinary.
Since replacing Almunia, he had denied at least five or six close-range chances that had looked certain to become goals.
His performance had been magnificent.
He had also saved a penalty and immediately launched the counterattack that led to New Manchester United's equaliser.
He had been so focused on defending that he had not even realised his own team had scored.
From another perspective, Terry also felt guilty.
It was the pressure created by the defence's shortcomings that had forced Čech into such relentless concentration.
"We're winning, Petr. We're winning!"
Terry wrapped both arms around Čech's waist and lifted him from the ground.
Touré, Bosingwa, and Abidal quickly joined them, surrounding Čech as they celebrated.
On the touchline, the coaching staff were also embracing one another.
Under such difficult circumstances, and with only ten men, New Manchester United had somehow come from behind.
It was almost impossible to believe.
In the stands, Ethan first embraced Curtis, Walsh, and the others beside him.
Then he turned and wrapped Mourinho in a tight hug.
"Magnificent, José. Your team is absolutely magnificent!"
Mourinho was equally emotional and held Ethan tightly.
"No, Boss. Not my team.
"Not my team. It's our team.
"Our team!"
He was so excited that his words came out in fragments.
But none of that mattered.
They were simply too happy.
Too overwhelmed.
...
"Absolutely brilliant!" Scarlett exclaimed.
"No one could have expected that goal.
"Olić, a player best known for his running and work rate, has just scored from an almost impossible angle.
"Alongside Petr Čech, he has produced another astonishing moment for New Manchester United in this match."
The Red Rebels had been under pressure for nearly the entire game.
They had defended stubbornly, endured silently, and refused to surrender.
One player had been sent off.
Two penalties had been awarded against them.
Still, they had kept fighting.
And now they had completed the comeback.
"This is a magnificent turnaround," Martin Tyler said.
"With this kind of momentum, I find it difficult to imagine any League Two side defeating New Manchester United this season.
"They have been so impressive that I almost feel they do not belong in this division.
"They should be in League One, in the Premier League, perhaps even representing England in European competition."
"The players, the tactics, the technique, the fighting spirit, the effort.
"They possess everything a great team requires.
"They are impeccable."
"From Steve Bruce to José Mourinho, two managers have continued to instil their own football ideas into this extraordinary and legendary club, refining it step by step."
Martin Tyler paused, deeply moved.
"Scarlett, you are incredibly fortunate.
"You have witnessed this club from its birth through its growth, and perhaps you will continue watching until it reaches full maturity."
"I believe New Manchester United can say something proudly after this match.
"They are not an imitation of the Red Devils.
"They are New Manchester United.
"They are the Red Rebels, a club with its own identity and its own unmistakable character."
"I am grateful to Granada Television for inviting me," Tyler continued.
"It has allowed me to witness the rise of a remarkable club at close range.
"No matter how many years it takes New Manchester United to reach the Premier League, and no matter how far they ultimately go, from this moment onward, I, Martin Tyler, am a New Manchester United supporter.
"All because of this match."
...
Very little time remained.
After falling behind, Reading completely lost the will to respond.
New Manchester United, by contrast, were carried forward by the momentum of the comeback.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, they began taking the initiative and repeatedly threatened Reading's goal.
They even came close to scoring several more times.
When the referee finally blew the full-time whistle, the Madejski Stadium became a celebration for the Red Rebels.
Many Reading supporters even stood and applauded.
They admired New Manchester United's outstanding performance and unbreakable spirit.
They accepted that their team had been completely defeated.
After the match, Čech was named Man of the Match.
The official assessment was simple.
Without his brilliant performance, New Manchester United might have conceded at least ten goals.
Instead, his composure, reflexes, and repeated saves had carried the Red Rebels to an impeccable victory.
After this match, the media no longer questioned Ethan's decision to use the Special Talent Clause on Čech.
Instead, they praised his judgment and claimed he had discovered a treasure in the Czech Republic.
A gifted goalkeeper who was only 19 years old.
However, both Ethan and Mourinho made it clear in their post-match interviews that New Manchester United would submit the footage to the FA.
The club intended to appeal.
They wanted justice because they believed they had been treated unfairly throughout the match.
The FA responded quickly.
Less than half an hour after the final whistle, they announced that the incidents would be investigated.
They would review the match footage carefully and consult the match observer before making any decision.
Until then, they refused to comment further.
Even so, nothing could stop New Manchester United from dominating the front pages of England's newspapers the following morning.
Mourinho's fierce post-match criticism of the referee attracted especially widespread attention.
The British media were delighted.
Controversy sold newspapers.
(To be continued.)