Chapter 77: Chapter 77
Luquinhas adjusted the ball for the corner, his body slightly leaning forward, eyes fixed on the spot he wanted to reach. Biel, always alert, stepped back to follow the kick, organizing his teammates with subtle gestures. Sanu retreated a little, trying to prevent any surprise infiltration. Kelvin positioned himself near the small box, taking a deep breath, ready for any deflection.
"Watch their number 5, Kelvin", whispered Rodrigo, eyes following every step of Biel, "don’t leave his side"
Kelvin nodded, tightening his cleats’ straps. At the exact moment, the kick was taken, and Oliveira appeared, stealing the spotlight, passing Diego, and sending the ball away. Meanwhile, the twins Samuel and Samuka leaned against the railing of the stands, eyes fixed on the field, discussing quietly, but loud enough for anyone paying attention to hear.
"This Biel... the kid’s like the team’s watchdog, man", said Samuel, pointing to Zenkai’s midfielder, "he lets nothing pass, but he’s calm. Looks like he already knows what you’ll do before you even think"
"You’re kidding, right?", Samuka replied, laughing, "his brother is smart too, but look at them... they’ve been in sync since birth, man. These guys are really good"
Meanwhile, on the field, Sanu began leaving their defense and moving forward. Ian controlled the ball in midfield. Sanu needed to advance, but the middle was congested. He took a deep breath and decided to risk a long pass to Kelvin, trying to break Zenkai’s line. The pass flew strong, crossing the field almost like an arrow. Kelvin ran, eyes fixed on its trajectory, ready to control it.
But Biel was there. As if predicting it, he slid across the field, intercepting the ball mid-path, controlling it with the calm of a veteran, stopping the counterattack.
"Long pass, kid", Biel said to Ian, voice firm but without arrogance, "watch that"
The words hit Ian’s chest like a silent warning. Kelvin stopped, feeling the frustration of the wasted opportunity. Biel spun, lifted his head, and found Diego unmarked ahead, a confident smile on his face. With a short pass, he placed the ball at the feet of the provocative forward, who immediately accelerated toward Sanu’s goal.
"Now, Diego!", yelled Luquinhas, supporting the attack with short, calculated steps.
Kelvin ran to cover the flank, but the rival’s speed was impressive. Zenkai’s crowd erupted, and Sanu murmured among themselves, trying to reorganize. But the tension reached another level when Diego, facing Murilo, adjusted his body to shoot.
"Go, Oliveira!", shouted Dante, sprinting, sensing the imminent danger.
And that’s when Oliveira stepped in. Sanu’s defender slid across the field like lightning, extending his leg at the perfect moment, executing a clean, precise tackle, similar to that famous one by De Light at Juventus. The ball was intercepted at the last instant. Diego froze, arms opening in frustration. The shot promised to be unstoppable, but Oliveira, almost as if predicting it, blocked it perfectly.
"Damn!", muttered Diego, hitting his own thigh and looking at the ground, frustrated with himself and the missed opportunity.
In the stands, Samuel shook his head, impressed:
"Man, look at Oliveira’s tackle! Perfect timing!"
"And I thought it would be easy for them", replied Samuka, still surprised, "this Oliveira gives me nightmares"
On the other side, Sanu’s crowd erupted in applause, celebrating the clean save and block, while Kelvin took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the lost chance. Ian retreated, looking at Oliveira with respect:
"Good one, Oliveira. You saved us there. I stayed far from you"
"Fix your damn pass, Ian", Oliveira replied, quickly returning the ball to Rodrigo, "can’t let that happen"
In midfield, Kazana tried to move, seeking to open space between Mateus and Biel, but the duo was synchronized, closing every corridor. Each step seemed calculated, each touch had the precision of a Swiss watch. Kelvin ran along the flank, ready to receive a clean ball, but Biel and Luquinhas remained compact, preventing any safe advance.
"Did you see how he reads the game?", whispered Dante to Rodrigo, analyzing while running to reposition, "always knows where the ball will go, always in the right place"
"I see it", replied Rodrigo, running with a heavy chest, breathing hard, "and the worst part is, we can’t miss a single pass"
Meanwhile, in the stands, Samuel and Samuka continued watching the match, discussing strategies as if they were on the field:
"If it were us, I’d give a shorter pass, wait for Kelvin to free himself", said Samuka, analyzing, "Kelvin’s the machine of this team, but I think Biel is a big challenge for him"
"Are you sure?", added Samuel, "look, he may even be considered the best midfielder in the state, but Kelvin is unpredictable"
On the field, Biel wasted no time. After passing to Diego, he returned to the middle, maintaining structure. Every movement seemed to measure the game’s tempo, anticipating Sanu’s reactions and ensuring pressure remained. Diego, frustrated by Oliveira’s intervention, retreated to receive the ball again, muttering to himself:
"Can’t be... missed a goal like that?"
Kelvin took a deep breath, facing the provocative forward. He knew he had to stay alert, that any slip would be exploited. The game was accelerating, tension rising, but no one dared step outside the strategy.
"Kelvin! Cover the flank!", yelled Dante, almost losing balance from running so much, "he’s free!"
Kelvin accelerated, feeling adrenaline rise. Sanu’s crowd cheered, each step accompanied by applause and shouts, pushing him forward. On the other side, Zenkai’s fans reacted with intensity, shouting encouragement for Luquinhas and Diego, flags waving, black and red colors blending in the gym.
In midfield, Ian took a deep breath, trying to reorganize:
"Damn, can’t mess up again... I need to get it right now"
"Calm down, Ian", said Kazana, running beside him, "don’t let him get in your head"
"Okay...", Ian muttered, adjusting his posture, "I’ll try to fix it better"
As Sanu tried to regain the ball, Biel remained firm, controlling every opponent’s move. Diego, still frustrated with Oliveira’s tackle, muttered, hitting the ground:
"How did I miss?"
"He’s good, Diego. Admit it", said Luquinhas, almost teasing, but with precision, "know how to admit when your opponent is good"
"Learn yourself", muttered Diego, stepping back, frustrated, adjusting his body to rejoin the play.
In the stands, Samuka turned to Samuel, laughing lightly, but with the game’s intensity visible in his eyes:
"Watch, Diego’s getting angry again"
"Again?", replied Samuel, focused, "you know him, Samuka?"
"Let’s say he has a history of getting frustrated during matches, he’s got a short fuse, Samuel. In our match against them, it was the same thing"
Kelvin took a deep breath, feeling sweat run down his face. The ball returned to Ian, who now seemed more cautious. He looked at Rodrigo, who nodded, encouraging him:
"Let’s go with the pass, kid. No rush."
"Okay", Ian replied, feeling the responsibility weigh on him, "we can’t repeat the same mistake"