The System Makes Me a Player

The final whistle blew, and for a moment, the stadium fell silent, as if holding its breath before exploding in celebration. The scoreboard read 5-1. Victory for Sanu. A roar spread through every corner, so intense it felt like it could shake the stands themselves. I was still on the field, gasping for air, my chest burning, my legs heavy. Sweat streamed down my face, mixing with the rubber of the turf. I could feel my heart pounding in my throat, yet I couldn't stop smiling.

Around me, my teammates were hugging each other; some threw themselves to the ground, others raised their arms to the crowd, laughing and shouting, not caring about anything else. Rodrigo lifted Murilo into the air, nearly dropping our goalkeeper in his excitement. Felipe screamed, jumped, and beat his chest, while Dante laughed, holding Ian in a firm embrace. Kazana raised his fist, but his face remained serious, focused, as if the match wasn't over yet.

Then I looked to the other side of the field. Uchi. They were scattered across the grass, exhausted, beaten down. Samuel was on his knees, punching the ground, still in disbelief at what had just happened. Samuka tried to help his brother up, but Samuel's gaze said that nothing he did could change the moment. Other Uchi players simply threw themselves on their backs, staring at the sky as if they couldn't believe the defeat. I felt a tightness in my chest, not out of pity, but out of respect. These guys had fought until the end and still couldn't get past us, couldn't score against Oliveira, couldn't stop us.

Santos, still standing, approached me. He breathed deeply, his face marked by the effort, but there was something in his eyes that wasn't anger. He looked at me, tired but firm, and said:

"You play well"

I froze for a moment, surprised. I didn't know whether to respond or just nod.

"Thanks", I managed to say quietly.

He nodded and then began to walk away, heading toward the tunnel that led to Uchi's locker room. Watching him go, I felt a strange mix of respect and rivalry. These guys weren't just opponents; they were warriors. And I knew what we did today was great, but it didn't diminish their effort.

Meanwhile, the other Sanu players called me to join the celebration. Rodrigo patted me on the back, Felipe pulled me into a hug, Dante shouted something incomprehensible but full of energy. Oliveira, however, remained serious, walking toward the locker room without smiling or celebrating. His steps were firm, controlled, and every movement seemed heavier than any of us could imagine.

We all entered the corridor leading to the locker room. The roar of the crowd still echoed outside, but inside, all that could be heard was our racing hearts, laughter, and heavy breaths. Ian, as always, broke the silence with a joke:

"Man, if Murilo had played volleyball today, he'd have saved even the impossible spikes"

Rodrigo burst into laughter, Dante mimicked the goalkeeper flying across the field, Felipe started making exaggerated gestures, and even Murilo smiled, shaking his head. But Kazana… nothing. He dropped his cleats, grabbed his towel, and went straight to the shower as if the rest of us didn't exist.

"What a serious guy", murmured Felipe quietly, looking at Kazana.

"He's always like that", Felipe shrugged, but the tone of curiosity in his voice betrayed him; even after three years with Kazana, it was still fascinating.

I stood still for a moment, watching. I knew Kazana didn't need words to show his frustration or satisfaction. His silence was stronger than any cheer. He turned on the shower, and the sound of the water masked the remaining noise in the locker room.

As each of us took showers, the atmosphere shifted. Laughter mixed with conversations about plays, passes, goals, and saves. Rodrigo kept repeating how perfect the pass to my goal had been, Felipe laughed remembering how he fooled the side defender, Ian boasted about his interceptions, and Dante highlighted every tackle that had saved the team. Murilo and Márcio debated which defense was the most important, while Danilo recalled each successful mark. We all talked, laughed, and relived the game, not realizing the celebration had another level: the feeling of having played together as a true team.

I couldn't stop glancing at Kazana from time to time. The captain returned from the shower cleaner and calmer, but still serious, and sat quietly, putting on another set of clothes. He didn't speak, didn't need to. We all understood that Kazana's satisfaction came from the collective performance, not just the victory. From my perspective, however, I could sense that while he disliked aspects of his personal performance, he was content with the result.

When everyone finished getting ready, Rafael entered. The coach, serious and proud, crossed his arms, leaning lightly against the doorframe. The locker room fell silent instantly, as if everyone knew the next words mattered.

"Congratulations", he began firmly, looking at each of us, "You all played amazingly today. Every single one of you"

The silence held for a moment, allowing his words to sink in. Rafael continued:

"This result isn't just a scoreline. It's proof of what you're building together. And now, I want you to know: you're tied with Zenkai. Two wins each. The next match, which takes place in two days, will decide who gets the spot for the state championship."

Ian couldn't resist breaking the silence:

"So it's like an early final?"

Rafael gave a slight smile.

"Exactly. You're going to need to play even better than today. Zenkai won't make it easy"

The chatter resumed among us. Rodrigo scratched his head, thinking about what we would face; Felipe began planning imaginary strategies; Dante talked about coverage; Murilo considered the saves he'd need to make. Each of us shared ideas, opinions, and laughter. Even Kazana gave a small smile, but said nothing, only nodding, as if he had already understood the message.

The conversation continued for several minutes. Rodrigo recalled the perfect setup for my goal, Felipe wouldn't stop talking about Samuel and Samuka's speed, Dante wanted to highlight every interception and tackle, Murilo praised the defenders' saves. I felt proud to see each teammate valuing the effort of others. We all played amazingly. We all pushed ourselves to the limit. We all gave everything.