Tuesday, September 27, 2022Stadion an der Grünwalder Straße, MunichHalftime - 7:53 PM

The walk back to the dressing room was quiet as both teams filed through the tunnel with different energy levels, and Germany's players moved with animated body language while exchanging short comments and tapping each other on the back because they'd dominated the half without converting their superiority into goals, and England's group was more restrained with breaths still heavy from forty-five minutes of defending under pressure, and boots scraped against the concrete tunnel floor as the two teams separated toward their respective changing areas.

Demien walked near the end of England's line with his eyes forward and his ears processing the sounds around him—the fading roar from the stands above, the clatter of studs on concrete, the heavy breathing of teammates who'd spent the half chasing Germany's movement—and he listened more than looked because absorbing information was part of preparation even when you hadn't played yet.

The noise from the stadium dulled once the dressing room door closed behind them and was replaced by the hum of ventilation and the immediate sounds of players beginning their halftime routines, and the atmosphere inside was controlled rather than tense because the scoreboard hadn't forced emotion yet, and everyone understood that goalless draws at halftime could swing either direction in the second forty-five minutes.

Players sat where they'd dropped their bags earlier, and some began unlacing boots immediately while others grabbed water bottles first, and a physio moved quickly between Leo Merrick and Jamal Whitmore checking their calves and offering electrolyte drinks because both midfielders had covered significant ground during Germany's sustained pressure.

No one rushed to speak because everyone was processing the first half individually, and Demien found his spot on the bench side between Owen Blake and Daniel Huxley while the starters organized their kit and caught their breath, and the room held that particular quality of professional focus where silence carried more weight than unnecessary words.

The door opened after three minutes and Lee Carsley entered with his assistant coaches following behind, and the head coach waited until everyone was seated before speaking, and he didn't raise his voice or pace dramatically because measured instruction worked better than emotional speeches when tactical adjustments needed clarity.

Carsley moved to the tactics board mounted on the wall and picked up a marker before pointing once at the right side of the illustrated pitch, and his voice carried calm authority as he began the halftime debrief.

"Germany's fullbacks are arriving late into attacks," he said, and the marker traced the movement pattern he'd observed. "Hezii on their right particularly. He's pushing high and staying high even after we win possession. That's where our opportunities exist."

He paused and looked at Reece Darlow and Javier Crane specifically.

"Wide players, you need to decide earlier whether to track their fullbacks or hold your shape when they push. Right now you're getting caught between decisions, and that half-second costs us the counter-attack. Make the choice faster—either track back fully or stay high and trust the fullback to cover."

Darlow nodded once while his jaw tightened slightly because he knew the criticism was accurate even if it was delivered without excessive emphasis, and Crane listened intently while leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

Carsley's marker moved to the space between England's midfield and defensive lines.

"Spacing between the double pivot and the back four needs tightening. Germany are finding pockets there when we're transitioning from defense to attack. Whitmore, Merrick—one of you stays deeper until the ball is clearly won and moved forward. Don't both step up simultaneously. That's when Muir gets isolated and Germany can play through us."

Whitmore and Merrick exchanged quick glances and nodded together because the instruction was clear and the problem had been evident during Germany's best moments, and Carsley continued without naming individuals as problems because responsibility was shared across the team rather than placed on specific players.

"Their pressing is aggressive but it's structured," Carsley said, and his tone stayed level. "They commit numbers forward but they're not reckless. When we win the ball, we have three or four seconds before they recover their shape. That window is our chance. First pass after recovery needs to be clean and forward, not safe and sideways."

The assistant coach stepped forward then, shorter and sharper in his delivery, and he added detail that built on Carsley's foundation.

"Best moments came when we played vertical immediately," he said. "Teller's chance came from Muir releasing early. Crane's counter came from quick transition. We're not creating more chances by holding possession in our half—we're creating them by hitting Germany when they're unbalanced. Trust the striker's runs even if the first attempt fails. It's about timing, not quantity."

Demien listened closely while leaning forward slightly because the discussion about width and recovery runs directly affected how a substitute might be used, and though his role wasn't addressed explicitly, the implications were obvious—if he came on, it would be in a wide position that required defensive discipline as much as attacking creativity, and he absorbed the tactical details without expression while already mapping the pitch in his head and visualizing where space might exist against tired German legs in the final twenty minutes.

Carsley set the marker down and looked around the room, and his eyes moved across each player's face before he spoke again.

"No substitutions yet," he said, and the statement was delivered as fact rather than discussion. "The match is balanced and balance favors patience right now. Germany will push harder in the opening ten minutes of the second half—they'll try to capitalize on momentum and crowd energy. We need to survive that phase without panic. Stay compact, don't chase the ball unnecessarily, force them to play in front of us rather than behind us."

He paused and his expression remained neutral.

"Away matches are decided by moments, not momentum. Germany are creating chances but they haven't scored. We've defended professionally. Second half, we need one clean chance and clinical execution. That's the difference between drawing and winning here."

The tactical review lasted eight minutes total, and when Carsley finished the players stood and began preparing for the second half while conversations resumed in low voices, and the physio made another round checking on players who'd taken knocks during the first half.

Demien pulled on his training jacket and moved toward the tunnel entrance with the other substitutes because the walk-out would happen in two minutes, and as the noise from the stadium began seeping back in through the walls—louder now, more insistent, eighteen thousand German voices building toward the second half restart—he felt the familiar pre-match tension return to his chest even though he was still watching rather than playing.

Owen Blake walked beside him and said quietly, "Ten minutes. If we survive the opening push, he'll make changes around sixty minutes."

"Yeah," Demien agreed, and his jaw set tight because the prediction made tactical sense, and he knew exactly what kind of match this had become—a chess game where substitutions would matter as much as starting selections, and where fresh legs against tired defenders could decide the outcome.

The door opened and both teams began filing back toward the tunnel, and Germany's players looked energized during the break while England's group remained professionally focused, and as they lined up for the second half restart the German crowd's noise reached a crescendo that suggested the home supporters expected their team to breakthrough soon.

Demien took his position on the bench beside Owen and Daniel Huxley, and he watched the starters jog onto the pitch while the referee checked his watch and prepared to restart the match, and the scoreboard still showed 0-0 but the momentum belonged entirely to Germany.

The second half was waiting.

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