Chapter 78: Volume 1, - 78: Again
Matias looked up, adjusting his posture as Rayan’s run cut into the central half-space.
Rather than forcing an immediate, risky pass into the crowded channel, Matias played a measured, flat ball sideways to Nunes. Casa Pia’s defensive block shifted in unison, with Isaac Gomes stepping back inside to shield the central lane and Vasco Teles dropping three metres to restore his line.
Nunes kept the tempo fluid, sweeping a pass back to Afonso Carvalho. Afonso moved two paces forward before sliding the ball across to Duarte Lopes, stretching Casa Pia’s two forward strikers across the middle third. Duarte Lopes spotted Nuno Valente offering a safe angle near the touchline and dropped it into his path.
Nuno took one touch, drawing Rafael Monteiro out, then clipped a clever diagonal return pass into Matias, who had drifted into the pocket between Casa Pia’s midfield and defensive lines.
With Casa Pia’s block drawn slightly towards the centre to cover Matias, the left channel opened. Matias didn’t linger; he struck a firm, sweeping pass out wide to the left wing.
Rayan received the ball in stride, five metres inside the touchline.
Vasco Teles was caught in transition, sliding back out wide, slightly higher up the pitch than in previous sequences, while Isaac Gomes was still recovering his position inside the channel.
Rayan didn’t hesitate. He attacked Vasco at real speed.
Three metres out, Rayan opened his hips, shifted his running angle towards the touchline, and dipped his head and left shoulder. The sudden drop in weight mimicked a sharp sprint down the outside lane. Vasco transferred his balance onto his back foot to guard the touchline sprint.
The moment Vasco’s weight shifted, Rayan planted his left foot hard, cut sharply back inside onto his right foot, and burst through the gap before Isaac could fully recover his ground.
Inside the penalty box, Tiago Silva recognised the opening. Instead of rushing towards the near post where centre-backs Guilherme Pinto and Luís Domingues were braced, Tiago delayed his run, peeling away from Guilherme’s back shoulder into the vacant space between the penalty spot and the six-yard box.
Rayan reached the edge of the eighteen-yard box and struck a low, precise cutback across the turf.
Tiago met the ball cleanly on the move, sweeping a crisp, low first-time shot past the outstretched leg of Luís Domingues and into the bottom right corner of Martim Vale’s net.
The net rustled.
Sporting CP U16 1–0 Casa Pia U16.
Tiago turned immediately towards the left touchline, roaring as he pointed at Rayan. Rayan ran towards the corner flag, but before he reached it, Tiago crashed into him in celebration, followed quickly by Matias, Nuno and Nunes.
"What a ball!" Tiago shouted.
"What a finish!" Rayan yelled back, pointing towards Nuno, Nunes and Matias. "All of us!"
The goal forced Casa Pia to abandon their patient, low-block structure. To overtake Sporting for second place, they now required two goals.
From the restart, Vítor Ramalho pushed his full-backs higher up the pitch. Isaac Gomes stepped out of his central shielding role to press Nunes higher, while Rafael Monteiro began making aggressive forward runs down the right flank.
The match grew stretched and physical. At fifty-seven minutes, Ilyas Rahmani carried the ball past Miguel Correia and whipped a dangerous, curling cross towards the back post. Duarte Mota rose between Sporting’s centre-backs, but Duarte Lopes timed his leap perfectly, powering a clearing header out of the box.
Three minutes later, Leandro Azevedo latched onto a loose second ball twenty metres out and struck a stinging low drive. Diogo Ramos reacted instantly, smothering the shot cleanly to stifle the threat.
Rayan tracked back continuously, fulfilling his defensive duties as Casa Pia poured men forward. When Vasco Teles attempted to overlap in the sixty-eighth minute, Rayan sprinted thirty metres back along the touchline, matching Vasco stride-for-stride and putting his body between the defender and the ball to win a goal kick.
In the seventy-fifth minute, Coach Tavares made a tactical change.
"Bernardo, get ready," Tavares called out, before signalling to the referee. "Rayan, good work. Come off."
Rayan saw his number go up on the board and jogged towards the touchline, exchanging a firm handshake with Bernardo Rocha as they passed. Once seated, he pulled down his socks, removed his shin pads and put on his training jacket. He watched the final fifteen minutes from the bench.
Sporting held their discipline under late pressure, defending collectively until the referee blew the final whistle.
Full-time: Sporting CP U16 1–0 Casa Pia U16.
As the players shook hands near the centre circle, a smoked-black panel resolved quietly inside Rayan’s vision:
[MATCH OBJECTIVE COMPLETE.]
[Second-picture progressive actions: 2/2.]
[Bonus complete: Clear chance created.]
[Reward: +3 Attribute Points.]
[OFFICIAL ASSIST CONFIRMED.]
[Competitive Assists: 4.]
[Body Feint proficiency: Novice — 55%.]
[MATCH PERFORMANCE REPORT.]
[Rating: 7.5.]
[Assists: 1.]
[Successful Body Feints: 1.]
[Second-picture progressive actions: 2.]
[Closed-route recycle actions: 1.]
[Defensive recoveries: 1.]
Rayan allocated his earned attribute points immediately:
[Decision-Making: 37 → 39.]
[Composure: 38 → 39.]
[Overall: 45 → 46.]
Coach João Tavares walked past Rayan as the team gathered near the bench to pick up their water bottles. He stopped briefly beside Rayan, his expression calm.
"You found the second route," Tavares said quietly. "Remember why it appeared."
Tavares didn’t elaborate or mention next season’s squad list. He turned and walked back towards the changing rooms.
Later that evening, sitting at the kitchen table in Olivais while Leonor finished her dinner, Rayan pulled up the official Lisbon Football Association academy portal on his phone. The final standings for the Under-16 Division were published at the top of the page:
LISBON U16 ACADEMY LEAGUE — FINAL STANDINGS
Benfica U16 — 22 GP | 17 W | 3 D | 2 L | 58 GF | 14 GA | +44 GD | 54 pts [CHAMPIONS]
Sporting CP U16 — 22 GP | 15 W | 3 D | 4 L | 50 GF | 20 GA | +30 GD | 48 pts
Casa Pia U16 — 22 GP | 13 W | 5 D | 4 L | 41 GF | 24 GA | +17 GD | 44 pts
Estoril U16 — 22 GP | 11 W | 5 D | 6 L | 38 GF | 28 GA | +10 GD | 38 pts
Belenenses U16 — 22 GP | 10 W | 5 D | 7 L | 35 GF | 29 GA | +6 GD | 35 pts
Real SC U16 — 22 GP | 8 W | 6 D | 8 L | 31 GF | 31 GA | 0 GD | 30 pts
Sacavenense U16 — 22 GP | 8 W | 4 D | 10 L | 29 GF | 34 GA | -5 GD | 28 pts
Académica U16 — 22 GP | 7 W | 5 D | 10 L | 27 GF | 35 GA | -8 GD | 26 pts
Torreense U16 — 22 GP | 6 W | 5 D | 11 L | 25 GF | 38 GA | -13 GD | 23 pts
Vitória FC U16 — 22 GP | 5 W | 5 D | 12 L | 23 GF | 40 GA | -17 GD | 20 pts
Cova da Piedade U16 — 22 GP | 4 W | 4 D | 14 L | 19 GF | 46 GA | -27 GD | 16 pts
União de Leiria U16 — 22 GP | 3 W | 0 D | 19 L | 12 GF | 49 GA | -37 GD | 9 pts
Sporting had locked in second place. Rayan stared at the table for a long moment before locking his screen.
The competitive match schedule was officially over. He had provided his fourth assist, completed his required objective, and elevated his attributes, but there were no more matches left on the calendar to press his case. The playing was finished; only the waiting remained.