Ian received the pass, still in complete ecstasy from what his teammate had just done. The image of Oliveira dismantling Diego for the third time still pulsed in his mind, but there was no time for contemplation. The game was flowing, and now the ball was his responsibility.

He lifted his head and immediately noticed Biel approaching, firm, determined, but not nervous. Unlike his teammates who had lost their cool against Oliveira, Biel moved calmly, completely serene, as if he hadn't seen anything unusual in the previous play.

"Pass it here, Ian!" a voice called at his side. Rodrigo was open, completely free.

Ian quickly looked toward the left wing. Kelvin was loose, ready to sprint. But there was a problem: Biel was very close, his body positioned to intercept any through ball. Trying to risk it would be foolish.

He took a deep breath and chose the safest option. He rolled it short to Rodrigo.

"Go, it's yours!"

Rodrigo controlled it first-time, spun on his own axis, and turned forward. The space seemed open. He raised his head, eyes shining.

"Alright, now it's on us!", he murmured.

But before he could think of sending it to Felipe, Biel, who had already predicted Ian would give up the risky pass, was on Rodrigo, pressing him. The opponent had Samuka's monstrous physique and great leaping ability. His posture was upright, his gaze fixed, as if already two seconds ahead.

Rodrigo pulled to his right foot, tried to accelerate. Biel followed, sliding effortlessly.

"Get off me, damn it!", Rodrigo grumbled, forcing his body.

Biel didn't answer. He just closed the space, forcing Rodrigo to retreat the pass back to Dante.

Dante controlled it on his chest, adjusted, and looked forward. The field seemed like a chessboard.

"Alright… I'll organize this", he said, shifting sideways.

Kelvin spread wide on the left wing, Felipe stretched out to the right, Kazana was already battling two defenders in the center. But Dante didn't rush. He knew: any mistake against Zenkai was fatal.

"Go, Dante!" Felipe shouted, "Just send that ball already!"

"Calm down!", Dante retorted, raising his hand. "We're not falling into their rush."

Biel stayed in the center, arms open, coordinating like a silent conductor. Samuel and Samuka watched from the stands, completely curious about what decision Dante would make.

Dante sighed, then quickly spun and played it back to Ian, who came from behind.

Ian controlled and looked at Oliveira. The defender was standing still, firm, breathing as if nothing had happened. It was strange… he even seemed bored.

Kelvin moved closer to Ian, asking for the ball.

"Send it, come on! I'll crush this guy now!"

Ian hesitated.

Kelvin bit his lip.

"Soccer is risk, Ian. Or do you want to spend the whole game passing sideways?"

Dante heard and stepped closer.

"Kelvin, chill. They're not idiots, and they still have the wall back there. We need to move it around until we open a gap."

Kelvin kicked the air, frustrated.

"Tsk…"

On the other side, Felipe shouted, irritated:

"Hey! If you're gonna argue, let me handle it alone here on the right!"

Rodrigo looked at Dante, chuckling lightly.

"See? I told you the soap opera was about to start"

"Shut up and play", Dante replied, dry.

Ian raised his head and made a cross-field pass, looking for Felipe. The ball traveled high, and Felipe controlled it with class, already facing Luquinhas.

"Now it's my show!", he said, pedaling.

Luquinhas tried to anticipate, but Felipe burst past him with a quick cut. The stands erupted. He surged down the right, gained space, and crossed into the middle.

Kazana leaped, colliding with both defenders. The clash was brutal, but the ball spilled loose on the rebound.

"Mine!", Kelvin shouted, coming like a dart.

He adjusted his body and struck first-time. The shot came out strong, skimming low. For a moment, the stadium believed it would be the goal. But no. A body hurled itself in front, blocking the ball as if it were made of iron.

"Who…?!", Felipe gasped.

It was Mateus.

The ball ricocheted high, and the defender finished the clearance with a header, driving away the danger for good.

The Zenkai fans, who had been silent until then, erupted in noise.

"Mateus! Mateus! Mateus!"

Kelvin fell sitting, slapping the ground with his hands, incredulous.

"No… it can't be… That was so close"

Ian rushed to him, pulling him by the arm.

"Get up! Kelvin"

Kelvin huffed, getting up, but glared at Mateus with rage. Unlike Oliveira, Mateus looked straight at Kelvin and gave a smile.

Dante, already retreating, couldn't resist.

"This guy's good at blocking shots. But I don't think dribbling is really his thing, at least that's what I noticed in that play from Kelvin"

Rodrigo added, still panting:

"If we're going to risk shots, it's better if we beat him first"

From afar, Felipe shouted:

"Hey, Kazana! Do something, captain! This guy's swallowing us whole!"

Kazana took a deep breath, adjusted his armband, and answered with a deep voice:

"We'll follow what Dante and Rodrigo said, guys. But before that, I want you to stop being afraid of making mistakes here. You're avoiding too many plays out of fear of screwing up, damn it. That crap's starting to piss me off"

Kelvin immediately shot back:

"I warned you, huh"

Kazana stared at him, firm.

"Stop provoking, Kelvin. This is neither the time nor the place for childish taunts"

The words hit Kelvin deeply.

Meanwhile, Diego, on the other side, was still panting with rage. He hadn't forgotten the three times he was dispossessed. He walked up to Biel and whispered:

"This guy is mine. I'll finish him, no matter what it takes"

Biel glanced sideways, serious.

"I already told you, Diego. Your plays are getting extremely predictable. Why are you letting yourself get so mad? Try to relax"

Diego clenched his teeth but didn't answer.

The ball rolled back through midfield. Ian once again received it, shadowed by Biel. He held his breath, remembering what Kazana had just said. No hero plays. Play as a team.

"Rodrigo, switch it!", Ian shouted, passing quickly.

Rodrigo controlled and, with one touch, launched Dante, who immediately opened it up for Felipe. The ball zipped from foot to foot, accelerating.

"That's it!", Kazana cheered, "This way they can't intercept!"

Felipe burst forward again down the right, crossing it low. The ball slid between the defenders. Kazana tried to finish, but it deflected and fell…

At Kelvin's feet.

The number 11 quickly set it and fired hard. The ball went toward the goal, but it didn't cross the line. Mateus threw himself in a slide tackle and cleared it with the tip of his boot.

Kelvin screamed, nearly in despair:

"Not again!"

Mateus calmly stood up, brushing the grass off his uniform. He looked directly at him and spoke quietly but firmly:

"I won't let your shots reach the goal"

Kelvin was speechless. His heart pounded. For the first time, it wasn't him shining in front of the crowd.

The referee whistled, signaling a corner. The players gathered in the box.

Rodrigo raised his hand to take the kick. The crowd rose like a wave. The noise was deafening.

Oliveira took his place in the center, calm gaze. Diego was there too, snorting like a caged animal. The tension was almost palpable.

Rodrigo ran toward the ball. The entire stadium held its breath.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.