Five minutes later, at the 50th minute, Team 2 regrouped quickly, their urgency palpable. Gianluca Romano dropped deeper, orchestrating faster transitions from defense to attack.
From a goal kick, Bellini launched the ball long toward Paolo Gallo. The winger controlled it on his chest, flicked it past Rossi with a deft touch, and drove forward.
Demien sprinted back to cover, recognizing the overload on Team 1’s left side. Gallo cut inside again, but this time Demien stepped across his path, forcing him wider.
Gallo played a quick one-two with Enzo Bianchi and burst into the box.
Demien slid in, his right leg extended, timing the tackle perfectly. The ball ricocheted out for a corner.
Team 2’s corner came to nothing, but the pressure was building.
Team 2 won the ball back in their own half at the 53rd minute. Romano played a quick vertical pass to Enzo Bianchi, who was positioned just inside Team 1’s half.
Bianchi didn’t hold it. He saw Paolo Gallo making a diagonal run from wide left toward the inside channel.
The pass was immediate, splitting Team 1’s defense.
Gallo controlled it with one touch, exploding into space. Rossi lunged, trying to recover, but Gallo had already shifted the ball onto his right foot with a sharp flick.
He was inside the box now, one-on-one with the keeper.
Gallo struck low and hard toward the far corner. The ball fizzed past the keeper’s dive and nestled into the net.
The stadium stirred. Momentum was shifting.
Demien felt it too. Team 2 had found their rhythm, and if Team 1 didn’t respond, this could get messy.
Three minutes later, at the 56th minute, Demien dropped deep to collect the ball from Rinaldi near the halfway line. As soon as he touched it, Julian Weber closed in aggressively, trying to win it back immediately.
Demien feinted left, then dragged the ball right with the sole of his boot. Weber overcommitted.
In one fluid motion, Demien turned and played a pass into Matteo Ferrari’s feet on the right wing. Matteo laid it back first time, and Demien burst forward into space.
The ball came back to him twenty-five yards from goal. He took a touch to set himself, then struck it cleanly with his right foot.
The shot flew straight and true, but Bellini read it well. He dived to his right and pushed the ball wide for a corner.
Close. But not close enough.
From the corner at the 59th minute, Team 1 worked the ball back to Demien in midfield. Julian Weber was on him instantly, pressing hard.
Instead of forcing it, Demien calmly played a slick heel pass to Matteo Ferrari, who had dropped into space behind him.
As soon as the ball left his foot, Demien felt it—the instinct to move, the timing, the exact angle to exploit. His body reacted before his mind could overthink it.
「Curve Run Timing — Activated」
He spun and accelerated into the gap between Team 2’s center backs, his run perfectly curved to stay onside while exploiting the pocket of space. The defenders didn’t see him until it was too late.
Matteo saw the movement immediately. He shaped his body and lifted a lofted ball over the defense, perfectly weighted, dropping just inside the penalty area.
「Lofted Dink — Executed」
Demien tracked its flight, his eyes locked on the ball. He adjusted his stride, planted his left foot, and met it on the volley with his right.
The connection was sweet. The ball curled beautifully, dipping just under the crossbar and beyond Bellini’s outstretched fingers.
Coach Mancini pumped his fists on the sideline, shouting for patience and control.
But Team 2 wasn’t finished.
Four minutes passed with Team 2 pushing hard. At the 63rd minute, Demien received the ball in the center circle, turning to face forward. He spotted Alessandro Moretti making a run behind Team 2’s backline.
He shaped to pass but hesitated, drawing in Weber and Romano. Then he tried to slip the ball through the gap.
But Romano had read it. He stuck out a leg, deflecting the pass into Weber’s path.
Weber immediately launched a counter. He played a long ball toward Paolo Gallo, who was already sprinting down the left.
Team 1 scrambled back, but Team 2 was faster. The press was coordinated, relentless.
Demien sprinted back to help, but he was too far out of position.
The game ticked to the 67th minute, and Paolo Gallo received the ball wide on the left again. This time, he didn’t try to beat Esposito. He simply played it inside to Enzo Bianchi, then sprinted forward.
Bianchi held the ball, waiting for Gallo to run beyond Esposito. When the space opened, he threaded a pass into the channel.
Gallo controlled it, cut inside sharply, and squared the ball to Martinelli on the right wing.
Martinelli didn’t hesitate. He chipped a cross toward the far post with the outside of his boot.
Alessandro Ferrari had peeled away from Rinaldi, timing his jump perfectly. His header was powerful, directed low into the corner.
The crowd roared. Team 2 was alive.
By the 71st minute, Team 2 pressed higher now, hunting for a third goal. Liam Hughes surged down the left flank, cutting inside and forcing a corner after Rossi blocked his shot.
Enzo Bianchi stood over the corner, studying Team 1’s defensive setup. Demien positioned himself at the edge of the box, ready to track any runner.
Bianchi swung the ball in with pace and curl. It arced toward the far post, where Gianluca Romano had drifted unmarked.
Romano met it with a powerful header that soared into the top corner. Unstoppable.
Team 1’s lead had been cut to two goals. The pressure was suffocating now.
Five minutes later, at the 76th minute, Demien received the ball near the center circle and immediately felt the press. Weber and Romano closed in from both sides, trying to trap him.
Demien tried to turn, but Weber’s foot came in high and late, catching Demien’s ankle.
Demien went down hard, pain flaring up his leg.
The referee’s whistle blew immediately. He jogged over, pulling the yellow card from his pocket and holding it high.
Weber protested, claiming he’d gotten the ball first, but the referee wasn’t interested.
Demien pushed himself up, shaking out his ankle. It stung, but nothing was broken. He nodded at the referee and jogged back into position.
The free kick came to nothing, but the message was clear. Team 2 was getting desperate, and they were willing to fight dirty to claw their way back.
The clock hit the 82nd minute, and the final quarter became a war of attrition. Team 1 absorbed wave after wave of pressure, and Demien controlled the tempo like a conductor guiding an orchestra. Every pass was measured, every movement deliberate. He played with the composure of someone twenty years older than his body suggested.
Team 2 pushed numbers forward, committing more players to attack. Space started opening behind their defense.
Demien saw it forming.
Three minutes later, at the 85th minute, Luca Bianchi won the ball in midfield and immediately found Demien near the edge of Team 2’s half.
Demien took one touch, then exploded forward.
Esposito stepped out to challenge him. Demien dropped his shoulder left, then pushed the ball right with the outside of his boot. Esposito lunged and missed.
Rinaldi came across to close the space. Demien used a shoulder drop, shifting his weight and leaving the defender grasping at air.
Now he was inside the final third, driving toward goal. Two defenders converged, trying to cut off the angle.
Demien looked up and saw Alessandro Moretti making a diagonal run into the box, perfectly timed. The angle was tight, the passing lane narrow, but he could see it—the exact trajectory, the weight, the placement.
「Andrea Pirlo: Deep-Lying Playmaker — Activated」
Without breaking stride, Demien slid a defense-splitting through ball with the inside of his right foot. The ball rolled between three defenders with surgical precision, curving slightly as it found Moretti’s path.
Moretti controlled it with one touch, opened up his body, and slotted the ball home with the next.
The stadium roared. Scouts in the stands scribbled notes furiously. The Sampdoria scout leaned forward, eyes locked on Demien. The Atalanta scout exchanged a look with Marco Benetti, visibly impressed.
The final minutes ticked down under relentless Team 2 pressure, but the scoreboard held firm.
When the referee’s whistle blew three times, signaling the end of the match, Team 1 had won 6-3.
As Demien walked toward the sideline, chest heaving and legs heavy, a familiar chime echoed in his mind.
「Ding! Match performance analyzed.」
「Passing Accuracy: 85%」
「Dribbles Completed: 4/6」
「Defensive Actions: 3」
「Rewards granted: 3 SP, 15 TP」
「Total: 3 SP, 30 TP, 0 MP」
The floating text hovered in his vision, invisible to everyone else. Demien blinked it away and focused on the crowd filtering out of the stands.
Before he reached Coach Mancini, a man in a dark suit stepped into his path. The man was in his forties, slicked-back hair, sharp eyes, and a smile that didn’t quite reach his face.
"Excuse me," the man said smoothly. "Do you have anyone representing you?"
Demien opened his mouth to respond, but Marco Benetti appeared at his side like a wall.
"Hey, hey, hey," Marco said, stepping between them. "Calm down there, bro. He’s got someone representing him. I’m his agent and his uncle."
The man’s smile faltered. He looked at Marco, then back at Demien, then at Marco again. His jaw tightened.
"Right," the man muttered, voice flat. He turned and walked away without another word, his shoulders stiff with barely concealed anger.
Demien watched him go, frowning. "What’s wrong with that guy?"
Marco shrugged. "I don’t know. Don’t mind him."
He clapped Demien on the shoulder, grinning. "But wow, Demien. You surprised me out there. When did you get this good?"
Demien laughed, the sound light and easy. "You know, extra practice. I wanted to make both you and Mom proud, so I had to bring my all."
Marco’s grin widened. "That’s good. Real good."
Then his expression shifted, becoming more serious. He lowered his voice slightly. Read complete versıon only at 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝙣𝙚𝙩
"By the way, Atalanta and Sampdoria got my card. They said they’ll get back to me later this week."
Demien’s heart kicked up a notch. Serie A interest. Real interest.
Before he could respond, Marco’s gaze shifted over Demien’s shoulder. His eyes widened slightly.
"Speak of the devil," Marco said quietly. "Here they come."
The Atalanta and Sampdoria scouts were walking straight toward them.