A Test?

Vitor reached the center of the field, his heart pounding as he waited for Paulo's instructions. The coach, as he approached, looked at the boy with an appraising gaze and asked, "What are your strengths, Vitor?"

"My strong foot is the right one," Vitor replied confidently. "I can play as a forward, left winger, or attacking midfielder. I'm quite versatile, so instead of talking about my qualities, I think it would be better if you challenged me to perform some actions on the field."

Paulo smiled, clearly impressed by the boy's boldness. "Alright, then it's best if you start warming up."

As Vitor began warming up with some jumps and stretches, Paulo approached a few colleagues who were still on the field, calling them over to help with the test. Shortly after, he returned accompanied by two other men.

"Vitor, how good are you at free kicks?" Paulo asked, now in a more serious tone. "We'll form a three-man wall, and we want you to take a shot at the goal."

The three men positioned themselves to form a wall in front of the goal, but before that, Paulo had marked the spot from where Vitor should take the shot. The ball was placed to the left, outside the penalty area, with the wall blocking the left angle of the goalpost.

"Shoot right after I blow the whistle, Vitor," instructed Paulo.

Feeling a chill in his stomach, Vitor realized he was now in a real evaluation situation. He knew he needed to impress to earn a chance at that academy. Trying to stay calm, he stepped away from the ball, taking a few steps back, his eyes fixed on it. Without thinking too much, he positioned himself as he had seen Cristiano Ronaldo do so many times, with his legs slightly apart and his arms relaxed at his sides. He took a deep breath, aiming at the goalpost and trying to calculate the ideal angle.

The decision was quick, Vitor opted to attempt a curved shot, hoping the ball would bend around the wall and deceive them.

When the whistle blew, he took two quick steps to the left, then accelerated toward the ball. With the inside of his right foot, he struck the ball, making it curve sharply. It passed over the wall and headed toward the goal, but instead of hitting the net, it crashed against the right post.

Despite the miss, the men in the wall praised the shot. "Very good, Vitor, try again," said Paulo, encouraging him.

Still a bit disappointed for not scoring, Vitor ran to retrieve the ball. He repositioned it at the shooting spot, feeling the determination grow within him. This time, he decided to kick with slightly less force, focusing more on accuracy than power.

Paulo blew the whistle again, and Vitor repeated the motion, with a slight variation in strength. The ball curved once more, seeming destined for the goal, but it hit the post again, this time the top corner.

Frustrated, Vitor put his hands on his head. It was hard not to feel down after almost scoring twice, but he knew he had to stay calm.

"That's enough free kicks, you did very well, Vitor," Paulo said, trying to reassure him. "Not every boy your age can almost score two free kicks in a row."

Vitor nodded, still a bit frustrated, but grateful for the recognition.

"Now let's test your passing. Go to the sideline at midfield," instructed Paulo.

Vitor quickly moved to the indicated spot, ready for the next challenge. Paulo explained that he should dribble the ball from the sideline at midfield to the left wing, and then cross it to one of the men who would be waiting in the penalty area.

When the whistle blew, Vitor began dribbling the ball, kicking it a few meters ahead and accelerating to gain momentum. This was the first time he had dribbled the ball on such a large field in this life, which made it a bit challenging to maintain control while running. However, he managed to carry the ball to the left wing at a surprising speed, reaching it in about five seconds.

Quickly, he controlled the ball, raised his head to locate the man in the penalty area, and decided to cross with his left foot, his weaker foot, as he wasn't in a position to use his right.

With a gentle touch, he placed the ball in the box. The cross was precise, landing perfectly at the man's feet, who controlled it and shot toward the goal.

"Good, Vitor," Paulo praised, while the three men applauded.

The test continued for a few more minutes, with Vitor being challenged in various attacking situations. He performed well in almost all of them, which increased Paulo's respect and recognition.

"Mrs. Mancini," Paulo began, addressing Adriana. "Your son definitely has potential. I intend to place him to play with boys older than him, around 12 years old. Is that alright?"

"Yes, if you think he's ready," Adriana replied confidently.

"Great. You can go to the office and enroll the boy. I hope to see you both tomorrow to get started," Paulo concluded.

While Adriana handled the enrollment, Vitor waited outside the office, sitting in a chair. He knew that his mother's investment was significant, almost equivalent to the monthly salary of some lower-income Brazilian families. Even so, Adriana was willing to make that sacrifice for her son's dream, signing the contract with the academy and making the first payment.