Soccer System: All the Skills, One Player!

With Lucas' beautiful goal, the Brighton fans roared like a raging wave, their euphoric shouts shaking the stands.

Among these hundreds of people, two young women were jumping and hugging each other amid the general delirium. Lucy and Kate had been there from the start, cheering, suffering and now celebrating.

Lucy shouted Lucas's name as if her voice could carry across the pitch and reach him. Kate, laughing and almost out of breath, held her arm tightly.

"Did you see that?! Did you see that?! He just destroyed their entire defense!"

"There's nothing to do when he decides to shine. Hahaha!"

At the same time, in a hotel in the heart of Munich... Discover exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire

In a large but minimalist hotel room, lit only by the glow of the television. On the floor, a sweaty man was doing sit-ups. He wasn't paying attention to the screen until the British narration reached a pitch of pure euphoria.

"... This can't be real! Lucas Tanaka has just made a move worthy of a genius! That's art, that's soccer!"

The man paused for a moment, his eyes turning to the screen. His sharp gaze analyzed every detail of the replay, Lucas' every move, from the dry dribble over Hakimi to the masterful dig that sealed the goal.

In the end, a small smile formed on the man's lips.

"Nice one, Tanaka." he muttered to himself before returning to his routine, now switching to push-ups.

Back on the main pitch of Brighton's training center...

Lucas had his heart pounding in his chest. The moment seemed surreal. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as his teammates ran up to him, embracing him in a whirlwind of celebration. Arthur jumped on his back, laughing out loud.

"Are you kidding me, Lucas?! What was that?!"

Raphael punched the air, still incredulous. "That was a goal! A goal! You destroyed the entire defense!"

Javier, who had previously been carrying the weight of the mistake on the first goal, was now relieved. "Now, damn it!"

The score was now level.

[Brighton U20 1-1 Real Madrid U20.]

The game restarted and Brighton had the lead.

But the Real Madrid players weren't happy.

Hakimi clenched his fists. De la Fuente and Óscar Rodríguez exchanged dark looks, feeling the psychological impact of the goal. Manu Hernando kicked the turf hard, frustrated at having been beaten so easily.

Real Madrid were not a team that accepted being humiliated. They would respond with full force, because they believed in winning until the very last moments of this game. That was in their DNA. The arrogance, the superiority of their talents and the ego of their players.

And indeed, when the game restarted, the Spaniards raised the level of the match. Both in terms of keeping possession with passes and in fouls to stop Brighton playing.

But Lucas was ready for it. He felt the excitement of facing the best. Every second on the pitch was an opportunity to grow, to test his limits and go beyond them.

In the 38th minute, Real Madrid got a breakthrough. After a quick move between Óscar Rodríguez and Mayoral, the Spanish striker received an inch-perfect pass inside the area. He finished as best he could and, with an unintentional deflection off Luiz, the low ball rose a little and went into the middle of the goal.

Anton bent his knees and managed to deflect it upwards with his fingertips! The ball skimmed the crossbar, and the Brighton fans held their breath before bursting into applause at the goalkeeper's monumental save.

"Come on! Let's not let them get ahead in the game!" Felix shouted, encouraging his teammates to keep up the intensity.

The first half was drawing to a close, and both teams were fighting fiercely for control of the match. Javier and Felix were real gladiators in midfield, battling for every ball so as not to give Real Madrid any space to think they could make strong fouls without Brighton fighting back.

In the final minutes of the first half, Miguel received a ball on the edge of the box and tried a shot.

The ball traveled dangerously, but the Real Madrid goalkeeper made a spectacular save, preventing Brighton from going into the break ahead.

Soon, the whistle resounded around the pitch and that ended the first half.

Lucas left the pitch taking a deep breath, but smiling. This was the game he wanted. This was the challenge for which he had lived his second chance.

Half-time brought a brief moment of rest for the Brighton team.

Lucas sat on the bench and drank a lot of isotonic. The first half had been an intense battle and they had sweated a lot, so they needed to replenish their nutrients.

Jimenez entered the dressing room with a serious expression.

"Well done so far, lads, you made mistakes in the first few minutes, but you were incredible for most of that first half. We've shown that we're not here to be supporting players, and I'm proud of each and every one of you."

"But the game isn't over yet. Real Madrid are not a team that accepts being dominated. They'll come back in the second half even more aggressive, trying to suffocate us in possession and exploit our weak points... We need consistency. Our winger Miguel and Raphael did as good a job as they could with their 5-3-2 formation, but in the second half we'll need more attacking and defensive presence too. We're going to make some changes to the strategy."

The players looked at each other. A change in strategy meant that someone would be coming off.

"In the 65th minute, we'll make two substitutions," Jimenez announced. "Denis, I know you were injured until a week ago, but are you ready to play at least thirty minutes of the game?"

Denis nodded firmly. "Yes, coach. I'm more than ready."

"Good. You and Willian will come in. Miguel and Raphael will leave. That means we'll change our tactical formation. In defense, we'll have 4-4-2, with Denis, Javier, Felix and Arthur in the middle, Loki, Daniel, Luiz and Aidan in defense, and Arthur and Willian in attack. But when an attacking move is starting, I want Lucas to join them, forming a 4-3-3. So, Lucas, try not to be the playmaker and leave space for our creative midfielders who are Javier and Denis."

Lucas widened his eyes for a moment and smiled. "Understood, coach. Thanks for that."

Jimenez nodded. "Lucas, your reading of the game is one of the best in the team. I want you to choose the right moments to go forward. I don't want you fixed in attack, but coming on as a surprise element."

"That's fine."

"Now, get some rest and be ready. The second half will be even more difficult, because around 65% of their goals come after 60 minutes."