Opportunity

The players kept glancing at Izan in amazement—his stamina was unreal. 

As they had predicted, Coach Moreno made Izan do extra reps in every drill. Yet, no matter how much he pushed, Izan never seemed to tire.

Once the drills were done, Coach Moreno saw there was still some time left, so he decided to let them play a training match.

This time, Izan was placed in the lineup of the regulars' team. As expected, the regulars dominated the match. 

Playing in an attacking midfield role, Izan wasn't just creating chances; he was tracking back, intercepting passes, and making clean tackles to recover possession whenever the team lost the ball. 

He registered two assists before being switched to the reserves team at halftime.

In the second half, Izan was given more freedom, playing a fluid role with no fixed position. At one point, he dispossessed a regular player and immediately drove forward. 

With deft touches and crisp stepovers, he bypassed the opponent trying to take the ball back.

Noticing the keeper off his line, Izan decided to go for the goal from distance. 

As if fate was on his side, the ball swerved wildly mid-flight, making a sharp whirring sound as it rocketed past the helpless keeper into the net.

"Was he trying to kill someone?!" the goalkeeper muttered, exasperated, as Izan and his teammates celebrated.

Soon after, the reserves team won a corner. Izan stepped up to take it, delivering a dangerous ball into the box. 

A defender from the regulars' team mistimed his clearance, sending the ball into his own net—an own goal.

Unfortunately, in the dying minutes, one of the reserves' defenders conceded a penalty. 

Andranik stepped up, placed the ball on the spot, and smashed it into the net. 

He had been visibly frustrated throughout the match, having been dispossessed by Izan multiple times.

The match ended in a narrow defeat for the reserves.

After the players had rested, Coach Moreno gathered them and began announcing the lineup for tomorrow's match.

Starting XI (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Raúl Jiménez [1]

Left Back: David Núñez [3]

Right Back: Lucas Tèna [5]

Center Backs: Alejandro Pana [4], Mark Montes [2]

Midfield: Javier Buèso [6], Jan Martinez [12], 

Andranik Chust [8]

Left Wing: Marc Juardo [11]

Right Wing: Pablo Neri [7]

Striker: Hugo de Marc [9]

Substitutes

Vic Abril (GK) [13]

Juan Solidado [12]

Gaia Palo [17]

Louis Gurendal [22]

Nico Paz [19]

Enrique Sautin [15]

Wissam Andrich [18]

Sam Kalo [14]

Juan Barsi [28]

As the list was completed, Izan felt a pang of disappointment. He was sure that, given his performances, he would at least make the bench—but his name wasn't there.

Just as the meeting wrapped up, Coach Moreno approached Izan.

"Hey, Miura, which jersey number do you like?"

Izan hesitated for a moment before answering. "Is 21 available?"

Coach Moreno checked the squad list and nodded. "Alright, 21 it is."

Izan was slightly puzzled by the question, but before he could ask, the coach turned back with a smirk.

"Oh, and Miura—come tomorrow, you're on the bench."

Then he walked away, leaving Izan momentarily frozen in place. The realization hit him all at once.

"I'm on the bench?!" he muttered. Then, grinning from ear to ear, he clenched his fists. "F**k yeah!"

He quickly regained his composure, showered, changed, and packed his bag before riding his bike home, completely forgetting about his exhaustion.

At Home

As soon as he arrived, he told his mom the news.

"Aww, my baby is going to be a professional!" Komi cooed, swaying in a little celebratory dance.

"Not yet, Ma," Izan groaned, rolling his eyes.

"So, are you going to come watch?" he asked.

"Of course! I'm not missing my son's first U-19 game!" she declared.

Izan turned to his sister. "What about you?"

Hori glanced at him, then gave a small nod.

He told them the match would be at Ciudad Deportiva Valencia - Campo 1 in Paterna.

Later that night, as he lay in bed, he remembered the ding sound from his system earlier. Curious, he opened it.

[Host unlocked achievement: 'Coach's Pet']

Description: Receive advice from your coach.

Reward: Select a trait from available options.

"Huh?" Izan frowned. "Max, what's a trait?"

[Host must update system to Level 4. Would you like to upgrade for 10,000 Legend Points?]

With no other choice, Izan pressed yes.

[System going offline in 3…2…1…]

As the interface faded, Izan sighed. He still wasn't used to the system shutting down on him. 

Deciding to distract himself, he went downstairs for dinner. After eating, he played a MOBA game for a bit before going to bed.

Match Day

Izan woke up feeling refreshed. After completing his morning routine, he took a shower and headed downstairs for breakfast. Once his sister was ready, Komi drove them to school.

The day passed quickly. The students received their test scores, and, to no one's surprise, Izan topped the class—first by a landslide.

Kring!

As soon as school ended, Izan stepped out, only to spot his mother waiting at the entrance.

He approached the car and noticed Hori sitting in the back with her friend.

"Do you even go to school?" Izan teased. "You're always in the car when I get out."

Throwing his football bag into the seat, he got in.

Komi started driving toward the academy grounds. Izan, feeling an odd sense of familiarity, kept glancing at Hori's friend through the rearview mirror. Their eyes met, locking for a moment.

Komi, noticing the exchange, smiled to herself.

A sudden bump in the road jolted them both, breaking the gaze. Izan decided to ask about it later.

When they arrived at the academy, he got down, and Komi drove off toward the stadium.

The players had a brief training session before boarding the team bus. 

As they traveled, Izan looked at the jersey in his hands—his first official U-19 kit. Smiling, he put on his earbuds and listened to some music.

Upon arrival at the stadium, the team changed into their warm-up kits and did some passing drills before heading back inside. After a quick tactical reminder, they returned to the pitch for the match.

Match Commentary

Welcome, everyone, to the División de Honor Juvenil! We have an exciting matchup today—Valencia U-19 vs. Levante U-19! It's second place versus fifth place!

Valencia U-19 has been in incredible form this season, losing just two matches, drawing three, and winning 20 out of 25. 

They currently trail first-place Atlético Madrileño U-19 by just two points—and Atlético has played one more game than them! A win today would send Valencia to the top of the table!

The referee is ready to start, so let's dive into the action!

Kickoff

Fweeeeeee!

Valencia U-19 started strong, dictating the pace of the game with precise passing and dominant possession. 

However, despite their control, the match remained goalless. Their shots were either blocked, saved, or narrowly missed the target.

That changed in the 17th minute when Levante won a corner.

The delivery was dangerous, but Valencia's keeper, Raúl Jiménez, punched it away. The ball fell to Marc Juardo, who wasted no time sprinting down the flank. 

Despite not being the fastest player, he was far quicker than the retreating Levante defenders.

Faking a pass to Hugo, he caused the defender to hesitate. Seizing the opportunity, he pushed the ball forward, breaking into a one-on-one with the keeper.

Instead of shooting, he calmly squared it to Hugo—who slotted it home!

"Goal!"

Valencia celebrated, but the game was far from over. Levante equalized in the 39th minute with a deflected shot, sending the match into halftime tied 1-1.

During the second half, the game remained tight. By the 73rd minute, Coach Moreno finally called for substitutions.

Izan, wearing the number 21 jersey, stepped onto the touchline.

Olivia, watching from the stands, smiled.

"You haven't changed at all," she thought.

Izan was about to make his official U-19 debut.