The FC Pro Open was closed in the most dramatic fashion possible as PHzin secured his win against Vejrgang, and the trophy, in the final seconds.

Not everyone could have such a special moment, but there were lessons for all. We run through them here.

The best?

In a taste of the unmissable drama that would unfold later in the evening, PHzin left it late to see off AbuMakkah in their Quarter Final. A beautifully-worked goal in the final seconds made the score 4-3, and it was clear to see how much it meant to PHzin and his family - who had flown to London to watch him - as the Brazilian jumped up, screamed “Vamos” and celebrated with Young, his international teammate.

The Semi Final against Emre Yilmaz was far more straightforward despite the Dutchman being the first goalcorer, as PHzin was 4-1 up by half time and was relentless on his way to an 8-2 victory. The Ajax player’s attacking was expectedly impressive, but it was his defensive work that caught the eye and made the contest so difficult for Emre.

Goalkeeper movement in particular was something that stood out against Vejrgang. His opening goal came moments after a brilliant save with Hugo Lloris and there was another outstanding example of that movement to deny Kylian Mbappe later in the game. 

Even with those moments, it’s his attacking brilliance in the final seconds that provided the most memorable moment. To do a McGeady spin, nod the ball down with Erling Haaland and conjure such a cool Alexia Putellas finish was simply outrageous, and the celebrations that followed won’t be forgotten in a hurry. 

After, PHzin stated “I know I’m one of the best” and he made sure that everybody else knew it too.

Showing maturity

Vejrgang’s antics have often been questioned, but the RBLZ Gaming player mixed his box-office personality with a maturity at the Troubadour.

He recovered from a Paolo Maldini mishap to take the lead against Young in a match that twisted and turned on its way to a penalty shootout. There were the usual celebrations, yet he remained focused when it mattered and went on to score all of his spot kicks in the shootout.

Vejrgang didn’t even celebrate his opener against Levi De Weerd, which came with a slice of luck, and went 4-1 up against the Dutchman. He had shown a lot of respect for Levi before the match and was pushed right until the end as the Team Gullit player scored twice, but hung on.

Despite eventually losing to PHzin, Vejrgang showed a steely determination against the Brazilian and scored a swift equaliser after conceding on three separate occasions. After playing his part in a superb match - which included the Dane playing up to the fans - he shook hands and once again showed respect for the competition and opponent.

Vejrgang’s personality is undoubtedly going to capture attention, but the Dane is proving that he is far from a gimmick and that he has the talent and attitude to be a serious competitor at the very top level.

Confidence is key

While the Team Gullit duo of Emre Yilmaz and Levi De Weerd were both knocked out in the Semi Finals, their exit from the Open still showed how much of a difference maintaining belief can have at this level.

Both had plenty of reason for encouragement during the Quarter Finals, as Emre beat Obrun 4-3 and Levi defeated Umut on penalties. 

Levi went behind against Vejrgang and clinically scored an equaliser before eventually going 4-1 down against the RBLZ player. He responded to the fourth of Vejrgang’s goals by swiftly scoring at the near post and struck again to regain some hope going into the latter stages.

The Dutchman even came agonisingly close to forcing extra time, as he had a power shot with Kevin De Bruyne saved in the final moments before then sending a shot narrowly over the crossbar to make Vejrgang sweat.

On the other hand, Emre went 1-0 up against PHzin but the Brazilian struck back immediately and was 4-1 up by half time. The Dutchman’s confidence was visibly knocked by the last goal before the break, and by the time he scored again it was a consolation to make the score 8-2 with PHzin striding towards the final. 

Both players ultimately got knocked out and have the positive of a place in the World Championship and next year’s FC Pro Open, but Levi will be feeling better about the nature of his exit in the short-term.

FC can be brutal

Umut, Young and AbuMakkah all discovered how brutal FC can be at the top level. AbuMakkah was the only one of the trio that didn’t force a penalty shootout, but his exit wasn’t any less painful as he conceded to PHzin in the final seconds and was forced to sit and watch as the Troubadour was filled with rapturous celebrations.

Young put in a brilliant display against eventual finalist Vejrgang but opted to go down the middle with Kylian Mbappe in the penalty shootout and saw his effort saved. Umut also made things close against Levi De Weerd but had his hopes stripped away when the RBLZ player saw two consecutive penalties saved.

Be sure to check out our round-up for the full story of how things unfolded during the Finals.