The System Makes Me a Player

The clock was ticking, but the game seemed to speed up more and more. Uchi wouldn't give up, even with the score against them. Samuel shouted in the middle, pushing his teammates forward, as if there was still a chance. With every touch on the ball, Uchi's fans tried to raise their voices, but they were drowned out by the louder roar of Sanu's supporters.

They came again. Samuka dropped back to pick up the play, and Santos sprinted down the right wing. The pass came long, and Santos tried to escape Danilo. The pace was high, but Danilo threw himself in front, deflecting the ball out for a throw-in.

"No space!", shouted Dante, already moving to cover the middle.

Samuel took the quick throw-in, linking up with his brother once again. Samuka's backheel broke the marking, and Samuel cut diagonally inside. It was dangerous. Ian and I dropped back to help, but Samuel had already shifted to his left foot.

When it looked like he was going to shoot, Oliveira dove into the sliding tackle. His boot scraped the ball just milliseconds before the strike. The stadium erupted again, vibrating to the same rhythm as him. Samuel rolled on the ground, sprang up angry, but the referee let it play.

"Again, again!", Sanu's fans screamed, sensing that the wall was only getting higher.

I picked up the loose ball, bursting forward down the left. I tried to accelerate, but two Uchi defenders closed me down. I touched it to Ian in the middle, who spun beautifully and sent Felipe through. But Keita, the goalkeeper, rushed out of the box again and intercepted.

That was the game: they attacked, Oliveira intercepted, and we tried to punish them on the counter.

Samuel refused to accept it. He kept demanding the ball, yelling:

"Pass it to me, I'll finish it!"

And he came with everything. He dribbled past one, then another, but by the third line of defense there was always someone from Sanu to stop him. Murilo, with absurd reflexes. Márcio, closing the spaces. Danilo, solid in cover. And at the center of it all, Oliveira, who looked like a living wall.

Every time Samuel tried, the stadium seemed to hold its breath. And when Oliveira stole it, it exploded.

"It's now!", shouted Rodrigo, after yet another recovery. He quickly launched it to me, and this time I didn't wait. I cut inside, powering past the fullback. Samuel even tried to chase back, but I was already ahead. Kazana opened through the middle, Felipe sprinted down the right. I feigned the pass but kept carrying it.

The gap opened for just one second. One second only. Enough. I struck with my right foot, from outside the box.

The ball skidded low, fast, venomous. Keita dove, but couldn't reach it. When the net bulged, the stadium nearly came crashing down.

"GOOOOOOOAL!"

5–1.

I froze for a moment, barely believing it. Then I sprinted toward the corner, pounding my chest with force. Rodrigo came from behind and lifted me up, nearly knocking me over. Ian arrived smiling, Dante shouted in my ear, and Felipe jumped on top of us.

But as the vibration swallowed me, I couldn't help it. I lifted my eyes. The stands were in ecstasy. Sanu flags waved like waves in the wind. People in blue shirts, people without shirts, all jumping, hugging, crying, screaming. The sound was deafening, but at the same time… crystal clear.

They were chanting my name.

"Kelvin! Kelvin! Kelvin!"

I took a deep breath, my heart pounding. For a moment, everything seemed to slow down. I saw anonymous faces smiling, children waving improvised signs, old men clapping, young fans leaping as if the world had ended right there.

And in the middle of it all, among the crowd, I recognized familiar faces. Júlia, standing with her hands over her mouth, her eyes shining. Next to her, Bruno, serious, but clapping.

The roar of the fans pulled me back. My teammates' embrace crushed me. Rodrigo shook me by the shoulders:

"I told you it was yours!"

I didn't answer. I just raised my arms high, soaking in the roar of the crowd like it was fuel.

5–1 for Sanu.

But the game still wasn't over.

Uchi, even as they were being swallowed, didn't give up. Samuel returned to the center circle with a hard face. He breathed deeply, but didn't smile. His eyes burned.

"One more", he said to his brother, "We go until the end"

They tried again. They linked up, they ran, they shot. But Murilo saved, Oliveira cut, Danilo intercepted. It was as if every door was locked.

Sanu's fans sang nonstop. The entire stadium turned into a sea of blue in celebration. I ran, my legs still heavy from the strike, but I didn't feel tired. The roar of the people carried me.

Samuel tried once more. He dribbled Ian, got past Rodrigo, opened space, and struck hard. The ball came like a rocket, but Murilo flew to the corner, palming it away. The rebound fell to Samuka, but Oliveira got there first, winning with his body.

"No!", Oliveira roared, clearing the ball any way he could.

Uchi tried, but couldn't. Sanu closed down like an army. And every time we recovered the ball, the entire stadium roared as if it was another goal.

I looked up at the sky: just a few minutes left. The game was decided, but the war wasn't over. Samuel still wanted a goal. He wouldn't accept leaving without scoring.

He received again, accelerating straight at me. I tried to block, but he slipped past on the dribble. Dante came to cover, but Samuel cut inside again. He lifted his head, ready to shoot.

That's when Oliveira appeared. He didn't lunge, he didn't dive. He just positioned himself, face-to-face. Samuel tried to feint, but Oliveira didn't bite. He waited. And at the exact moment, he cleanly stripped the ball away.

The stadium exploded once more, and Samuel fell to his knees, pounding the ground.

Oliveira didn't celebrate. He just raised his head, looked forward, and shouted:

"You shall not pass!"

And he didn't.

Uchi fought until the final whistle, but they couldn't break through. When the referee blew to end the match, the roar of the crowd was overwhelming.

I collapsed to my knees, exhausted. Rodrigo pulled me up, Ian came laughing, Dante hugged Murilo. Everyone was celebrating. The party was ours.

But me… I still had the image of the stands in my head. The screams, the faces, the sea of blue calling my name. Júlia, Bruno, all of them. It was impossible to forget.

I closed my eyes for a moment, letting that sound sink deep into me. Because I knew: that moment wasn't just another goal. It was a milestone.

And I wanted more.

Much more.