Soccer System: All the Skills, One Player!

[EX-A-TEAM 1-0 B-TEAM.]

Below the halfway line, Lucas took a deep breath, watching the opposing team celebrate their first goal.

Arthur, the number 9, exchanged a few quick greetings with his teammates. The newly changed score reflected one-nil, but for Lucas, the game had only just begun.

They had already learned this: Team-B was much more organized than it appeared.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Raphael, with a somewhat forced smile, approached the middle of the pitch, tidying up his number 11 shirt, which seemed to stick to his body from the sweat. Still wheezing, the left-winger looked at Lucas and commented in a low voice:

"You know, they're playing with a kind of precision I didn't expect. I didn't think they'd give us so much trouble because they're part of Team B like all of us here on this side."

Lucas put a hand to the back of his head to stop them from knowing what he was talking about. "Yeah, we couldn't have underestimated them. They got through the sieve before we did, so even if they're the worst of Brighton, they're the worst of the best... Anyway, they're playing on the counter-attack. That must be their style. That alone would explain their efficiency on the first goal. They're waiting for us to make a mistake so they can take the ball and shoot like arrows."

Raphael raised an eyebrow. "That makes sense. So what do we do?"

Amid the buzz of the crowd, he muttered to Raphael:

"The only way to beat such a well-positioned team is to play the ball calmly and keep possession. We need to go forward as a block, without rushing. If we can do that, we'll force their mistakes and open up space for ourselves."

"Are you sure? There are only five of us, and it's harder to keep possession like that."

"That's exactly why Alex asked them to play like this."

"What?" Raphael looked at Lucas, frowning.

"Isn't it obvious? Alex isn't testing them, he's testing us. He wants to know how we think, how we react, how we play, and how we adapt during a game against a stronger opponent. That's why he put together that team with only A-Team players."

Raphael was a little surprised by Lucas' ability to think and analyze. It had been just over a minute since they had conceded a goal, but Lucas had already thought of so many things that it was impressive. To Raphael, it seemed as if he was playing with an old player who always kept his cool and his wits about him.

At the restart, Lucas, just like the previous time, passed to Raphael on the left wing, who didn't return the pass as he had done. Instead, Raphael played it back to Aidan, who was waiting attentively.

Aidan, the dark-haired left-back, controlled the ball with the side of his foot and passed it to Luiz Fernando, who, as always, was in his defensive position, observing everything around him. Luiz Fernando was the kind of player who understood the importance of calmness in the game and, at that moment, he knew that any thoughtless step could be the opening that Time-B had been waiting for.

As Luiz Fernando turned the ball over and passed to Felix, Alex, the assistant coach, watched the game with his arms crossed and a satisfied expression on his face. He stood upright under the goal and, watching them pass the ball, thought aloud:

"These boys show that they have potential. They know how to understand the game and adapt to force a change in the opposition's style of play. But can they keep their concentration?"

While his analysis distracted Alex, suddenly a loud shout from Arthur made him open his eyes.

"Hey Alex, wake up!"

Alex frowned, confused, and then, following the stares of the players, he spotted a ball crossing the sky with an impossible curve. For a moment, the pitch seemed to stop as the sphere made a curved, almost magical trajectory towards the goal. In the next second, the ball went in flawlessly, without Alex even having time to react.

A heavy silence overtook the pitch. Felix Vogler, No. 5, was standing in the middle of the reduced pitch with a cunning smile on his lips. He raised his head towards Alex, put both hands to his mouth and said:

"Pay attention, assistant coach! If you stand like that at the goal, inattentive, there will be more long-range shots that will surprise you," he said in a humorous tone.

Alex blinked a few times, still taking in what had just happened, before letting out a short laugh. 'Did the son of a bitch shoot from so far away when he saw me close my eyes for a second? Was he expecting that? No, he had to have been watching me from the start of the game,' thought Alex.

Raphael, standing next to Lucas, let out a low whistle, still in disbelief at what he had just witnessed. With a smile beginning to form at the corner of his mouth, he muttered:

"Fiu~ Did you see that? What a kick!"

"I saw it, yes..." he replied, still half absorbed, and raised an eyebrow, shaking his head in reluctant admiration. "The guy had a courage that..." He paused, choosing his words. "That only someone very attentive would have."

Felix, taking advantage of the pause in play while the ball was cleared from the back of the net, took a few slow steps towards Lucas and Raphael.

"So, did you wake the team up or do I have to shoot again?" he asked, with an almost defiant smile.

"Well done, Felix. That was quite a kick. Only someone with enough courage would have risked it from so far away."

Felix stopped, his smile faltering for a moment. He disguised it by looking away, but the slight blush on his cheeks didn't escape Raphael, who smiled as he noticed the effect of Lucas' words.

Raphael, unable to contain himself, let out a light laugh. "That makes sense... but I admit, I never expected to see you turning red, Felix!" he said, mocking Felix, who raised his nose in feigned indignation.

"Me? Red?" Felix shook his head, trying to regain his posture. "Not at all. This is just... anger at Lucas' boring answer."