Chapter 74: Volume 1, - 74: Use It Once
Saturday, 10 June 2023, brought Portugal Day to Lisbon, though the public holiday barely rippled through the quiet grounds of Alcochete. Outside the complex, traffic across the Vasco da Gama Bridge was sparse, and the touchlines held only a modest gathering of parents, scouts and club staff.
Inside the dressing room, Coach João Tavares posted the starting XI for the match against Belenenses U16. Bernardo Rocha started on the left wing, Tiago Silva led the line, and Duarte Faria took the right flank. Rayan’s name sat among the substitutes. He took a steadying breath and pulled on his track jacket without a spike of resentment. Rotation was a standard reality of the academy calendar, and with Bernardo fully fit, Rayan knew his role for the afternoon would begin from the bench.
As he walked out to the dugout, the smoked-black display flickered across his peripheral vision:
[MATCH OBJECTIVE]
[Primary: Complete three progressive attacking actions.]
[Bonus: Execute one successful Body Feint against an active defender.]
[Primary Reward: +1 Attribute Point.]
[Bonus Reward: +1 Attribute Point and +8% Body Feint proficiency.]
The match kicked off at a measured pace. Belenenses set up in a compact block, patient and reluctant to overcommit. Rayan sat on the bench, watching Belenenses’ right-back, Gonçalo Pires. Gonçalo kept his feet wide, balanced his weight evenly, and rarely dived into tackles early. Behind him, Martim Neves shifted from midfield to cover the inside channel, while Afonso Leal marshalled his box from goal.
In the thirty-second minute, Sporting broke the deadlock. Matias received in a central pocket twenty-five yards out and turned cleanly. Tiago made a sharp diagonal run between Belenenses’ centre-backs, pulling his marker out of position. Matias spotted the movement instantly, threading a weighted pass straight into Tiago’s stride, and Tiago buried a low finish into the bottom corner.
Sporting 1–0 Belenenses.
The scoreline held until the sixty-fifth minute, when Tavares gestured down the touchline. Bernardo had put in a tireless hour of work, and it was time for a fresh option on the left.
Rayan stripped off his bib and met Tavares near the technical area.
"Keep the width until you receive, Rayan," Tavares said. "Then attack the space."
"Yes, Boss."
Rayan stepped onto the pitch, replacing Bernardo.
Three minutes after entering, Rayan got his first touch near the left touchline. Seeing Gonçalo stepping out to meet him, Rayan felt an immediate surge of eagerness to complete the bonus objective. He slowed his approach to a near-walk five yards away and dropped his shoulder exaggeratedly.
Gonçalo didn’t move. Because Rayan had eliminated his own speed, there was no threat to fear. Gonçalo stayed patient and upright, simply leaning across to plant his foot and poke the ball away as Rayan took his exit touch.
[Approach speed insufficient.]
[Defender’s balance unchanged.]
Rayan recovered his footing, immediately tracking back to cover the space behind Nuno. The failure was identical to his Thursday training attempt against Rodrigo Neves. He had treated a live duel like a rehearsal.
Four minutes later, Rayan registered his first progressive action. Receiving a firm pass from Nuno, Rayan noticed Martim Neves sliding over to double the flank. Instead of forcing a duel, Rayan used a quick inside touch to shift his passing angle and played a sharp, progressive ball into Matias between the lines before sprinting forward to drag his full-back away.
[Progressive attacking actions: 1/3]
In the seventy-fifth minute, he picked up his second. A loose ball bounced out of a central tackle near the halfway line. Rayan reacted first, collecting the ball and driving aggressively into open space. He carried it nearly twenty metres into Belenenses’ defensive third, drawing both Gonçalo and a covering midfielder towards him before rolling a clean, lateral pass to Tiago on the edge of the penalty area.
[Progressive attacking actions: 2/3]
With ten minutes remaining, Nuno played another crisp pass down the left line.
Rayan controlled it on the move, driving straight at Gonçalo at genuine match speed. Five yards away, Rayan angled his run towards the touchline and flicked his eyes outside. He dipped his left shoulder, shifted his weight over his left foot and made Gonçalo protect the line.
The defender moved only slightly, but it was enough. Rayan pushed the ball inside with his right foot and accelerated into the half-space before Gonçalo could reset. Surging half a yard clear, he whipped a low cross towards Tiago’s back-post run. Afonso Leal lunged down to palm the cross away, and Martim Neves cleared the loose ball for a corner.
Two minutes later, Rayan received near the touchline with Gonçalo tight behind him. He set the ball back to Nuno, spun into the inside channel and collected the return pass before sliding it forward into Matias’s feet near the edge of the final third.
[Progressive attacking actions: 3/3]
As the clock drifted into stoppage time, Belenenses committed numbers forward. Sporting’s defensive unit held firm. Afonso Carvalho cleared two high crosses, Duarte Lopes commanded the line, and Diogo claimed a late header with total composure. Rayan tracked back sixty metres to execute a sliding recovery tackle on Belenenses’ substitute winger, snuffing out their final transition effort.
The final whistle confirmed Sporting’s 1–0 win.
After the players had thanked the small crowd and returned to the changing room, Rayan sat at the end of the bench and allowed the interface to expand inside his vision:
[MATCH OBJECTIVE COMPLETE.]
[Progressive attacking actions: 3/3.]
[Bonus objective complete: Successful Body Feint.]
[Reward: +2 Attribute Points.]
[Bonus reward applied: +8% Body Feint proficiency.]
[Body Feint proficiency: Novice — 36%.]
[MATCH REPORT]
[Match Rating: 7.0]
[Minutes Played: 25]
[Progressive Attacking Actions: 3]
[Successful Body Feints: 1 / 2]
[Goals: 0 | Assists: 0]
[Defensive Recoveries: 1]
Rayan opened his attribute panel and spent his earned points:
[Decision-Making: 36 → 37]
[Passing: 44 → 45]
[Overall: 44 → 45]
Nothing visibly changed. The numbers had moved, but the next training session would determine what he could actually do with them. Even so, OVR 45 pleased him. It just did not match the rush of remembering Gonçalo shift half a step in the wrong direction. The number was progress. The duel had felt real.
Across the room, Nuno pulled up the updated Round 21 standings on his phone:
Benfica U16 — 51 pts (21 GP)
Sporting CP U16 — 45 pts (21 GP)
Casa Pia U16 — 44 pts (21 GP)
Estoril U16 — 35 pts (21 GP)
Belenenses U16 — 32 pts (21 GP)
Real SC U16 — 30 pts (21 GP)
Benfica had officially locked up the league title. The final match against Casa Pia in two weeks would decide second place.
As Rayan packed his boots into his bag, the System interface flashed several new optional training notifications:
[OPTIONAL MISSIONS AVAILABLE.]
[Weak-Foot Wall Passes: 60 repetitions.]
[Body Feint Practice: 30 minutes.]
[Video Review: Belenenses duel.]
[Tactical Reflection: One written review.]
[Recovery Target: Complete prescribed mobility and sleep window.]
Seeing his Overall hit 45 and watching the Body Feint move to 36% made the rewards feel undeniably real. Without stopping to consider his upcoming school revision and assignments, his family obligations, or the team’s tactical preparation, Rayan mentally clicked through the interface.
[Accepted: Weak-Foot Wall Passes.]
[Accepted: Body Feint Practice.]
[Accepted: Video Review.]
[Accepted: Tactical Reflection.]
[Accepted: Recovery Target.]
[WARNING: High optional workload selected.]
Rayan slung his bag over his shoulder without opening his calendar.