2:15 PM.
Before the match began, Coach Carlos conducted a final tactical check with his assistant coach.
"If Grêmio comes out with a man-marking strategy, we'll switch to Plan B."
Carlos's Plan B was a 4-3-1-2 formation.
It was a tactic used years ago by legendary Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti during his time at Juventus, designed to maximize Zinedine Zidane's influence on the game.
A diamond variation of the 4-4-2, it placed a playmaker in the attacking midfielder role to dismantle man-marking systems.
That made the attacking midfielder's role absolutely critical.
"I've instructed Ho-young to go for aggressive mid-range shots, so Grêmio is likely to switch to man-marking. When they do, shift to Plan B."
"Ho-young as the attacking midfielder and Oscar in central midfield, right?"
Carlos nodded.
In short, they'd bait the opponent into a tactical shift and then counter it.
That meant the roles of Ho-young and Oscar were vital.
"They'll handle it well."
Based on the past month of training, Carlos had no doubt.
"Alright, let's wrap up and head out."
"Yes, coach."
Just as he was gathering his tactical notes and about to leave the locker room.
"Perfect timing."
"Director?"
Unexpectedly, Victor, the club director, showed up.
"Are you here to watch the match?"
"That too, among other things. It's the season opener, isn't it?"
Victor had come to observe the U15 and U17 teams' opening matches and to encourage the players.
He continued speaking.
"Oh, and make sure you attend tomorrow's match at Morumbi Stadium."
"You mean the first-team opener?"
Sunday, May 2.
The national league opener was set to take place at São Paulo FC's home ground, Morumbi Stadium, tomorrow.
While the U15 and U17 leagues were kicking off today, the first division was scheduled for Sunday to maximize viewership.
"Yeah. You absolutely have to be there. We might have some special guests from Milan."
"What does that have to do with me?"
"They want to see you."
"Ah... I think I understand. Alright, I'll be there."
Carlos responded affirmatively.
But Victor wasn't done yet.
"And make sure we win today. There'll be a nice reward waiting for the players."
The laid-back old man flashed his usual mischievous grin.
Above the pitch, the sky was clear.
Temperature: 19°C.
"Perfect."
A flawless day for a debut match.
The kind of day that begged for a cold beer after running yourself into the ground.
But since Ho-young was still far from being of legal age, he planned to celebrate victory not with beer but with a goal fest.
"Let's do this."
With that resolve, he replayed the tactical instructions in his mind.
"He told me to rattle them with long-range shots."
That was Ho-young's role, and the key to the match.
The key to unlocking victory.
Ho-young quickly began analyzing the opposing players.
"No standout talents."
Grêmio's ace, Luan Vieira, wasn't playing due to injury.
The rest were all decent youth players, but none had talent that stood out.
"Too bad Luan's not here. He'd at least be a solid B-grade."
The only talent that caught his eye belonged to the opposing forward — "Stylish Volley Kick (C+)."
The grade was low, but it had an appealing edge to it.
The acquisition conditions were also simple.
[Henrique Eduardo]
[Possessed Talents: Football Prodigy (B-), Motor-Powered Legs (B), Stylish Volley Kick (C+), Decent Heading (C), Rhythmic Flexibility (C-)]
(You can obtain one talent by meeting the required conditions.)
(Condition 1: Make two tackles)
(Condition 2: Score a goal)
"Just stick to the plan. No pressure."
Ho-young glanced behind him.
His partner for today, his key supporter.
Oscar stood with a confident smile on his face.
Seeing that expression gave Ho-young a good feeling.
He had a sense that this debut match would go well.
Peeep!
The match kicked off.
"Pass it back!"
In the 5th minute, São Paulo began dominating with a slow, turtle-paced tempo.
Each of the eleven players stuck to their roles and positioning, performing well within their assigned zones.
With weeks of focused training, this level of play came naturally.
When the pressure began to build, they'd launch long balls to disrupt the opponent's pressing rhythm.
Physically, São Paulo held the advantage, so aerial duels were easily won.
The match was going smoothly.
But...
"This is intense."
Particularly in transitions and counter-attacks, the speed and precision were on another level.
To make attacks work, the passes and dribbles had to be exceptionally sharp and clean.
It was a more sophisticated brand of football.
Moreover, the counter-attack tempo was much faster than in U13.
Even though Ho-young had a month to adjust, getting fully used to live matches would take a bit more time.
Still...
"This is way more fun than U13."
It was dynamic and creative.
If U13 was just a rehearsal stage, this felt like the real dress rehearsal.
The overall skill level was higher, whether players had natural talent or not. Just by being older, their baseline ability was solid.
That stirred excitement in Ho-young's chest.
And another thing.
"Adapt to the league's style, but make sure to inject my own flair."
Recalling Coach Carlos's words, he focused back on the game.
In the first half, Grêmio resorted to what could be called "swamp football."
A style that involved rough, intentional fouls and constant harassment.
If the opposing team responded in kind, the game would get choppy with frequent fouls, disrupting the flow.
In some cases, it could even bait opponents into getting sent off — a form of anti-football.
It was especially effective against hot-headed or mentally weak players, and sure enough, Oscar was already fuming.
"Oscar! Don't get sucked into their game!"
That shout came from Breno, the team captain and centre-back.
At age 15, he was a solid mid-tier player for the league. While not quite at the level to receive European offers, his football sense and maturity made him the emotional anchor of the U15 squad.
That responsibility was even heavier in important matches like today's season opener.
But not anymore.
"With Ho-young up top, we can handle their high press by launching long balls. I trust his heading ability."
Breno trusted Ho-young.
Even though he'd only joined less than a month ago, he was already known for his calm demeanor and deep thinking.
If Breno was the backbone of the team, Ho-young was the chandelier that lit everything up.
"One player can really change the entire team."
Ho-young was the tactical core, anchoring the attack up front and directing play from the second line.
"A monster. The front office's talk about winning the title wasn't just empty noise."
Last year, São Paulo U15 had finished 4th in the national league, but this year, the title seemed within reach.
That journey would start today.
Right now.
Tap!
Breno delivered a pass into midfield, and the three midfielders spread out, stretching the opposition.
This forced Grêmio to spread their pressure, opening multiple attacking routes.
And they fell for it.
"Oscar!"
Tap.
Oscar, now with some breathing room, dropped back to receive the ball.
His gaze shifted forward.
"Fernando."
The right-sided forward, Fernando, was constantly moving, irritating the defense.
But there was no clear path for a through ball.
"Then..."
A glance to the left, and Ho-young's movement immediately caught his eye.
Ho-young signaled for a slight pass to the right.
"It's a tight space..."
Still, Oscar followed the signal.
He could see the confidence on Ho-young's face. He trusted him. His space-penetration wasn't U15 level. Without hesitation, he slid the ball gently to the right.
That was when it happened.
Ho-young brought out his secret weapon.
"...?!"
As soon as the ball touched his foot, he knocked it forward and charged.
Normally, that kind of touch would've been easy for a defender to intercept.
But Ho-young's feet were faster.
Just one beat ahead, but that single beat created a massive gap.
"Got through!"
With long strides, he slipped past two defenders and looked up.
A slight gap opened in front of the goal.
Distance to the goal: about 30 meters.
A split second. But his plant foot was already down.
Then came the swing of his right foot.
"It's in."
That sensation in his foot.
He knew.
Just like a batter knows a home run from the crack of the bat, a perfect shot in football sends a tingle up the foot.
This was that moment.
Just like Diego Forlán's sudden cannon-like long shots.
Boom!
A powerful strike, like blowing away a clog in your chest.
Neither the defenders nor the goalkeeper reacted in time.
Only the violently shaking net did.
Thud!
"Oooooooooh!"
A roar erupted behind him.
It was São Paulo's players cheering the season's first goal — Ho-young's debut goal in the league.
"Yesss!"
A thrilling moment.
Ho-young clenched his fists tightly, eyes shut.
His first league goal. His debut goal. A 30-meter screamer.
No need for fancy words.
The one thing that truly made him happy was simple.
"It works in U15 too."
His skills held up at this level.
The effort he had put in was starting to pay off.
Instead of celebrating with a sui, Ho-young ran straight to Carlos.
It was his way of saying thanks for believing in him and bringing him here.
But that wasn't the end of the joy.
"...!!"
[Powerful Long Shot That Penetrates Gaps (B-)↑]
His talent had leveled up.
But it was a skill he had never seen before.
One he'd never acquired.
"Which means..."
He checked his current talent list.
[Ho-young]
[Possessed Talents: Football Genius (A), Versatile Midfield Commander (U), Chaminator's Run and Drive (U), Legs Faster than a Lamborghini (A+2), Clever Space Penetration (A+), Iron Body (B+2), Sharp Interceptions (B+), Open Growth Plates (B+), Powerful Long Shot That Penetrates Gaps (B-), Rhythmic Flexibility (C+3), Fairly Flashy Footwork (C+3), Fitness Enthusiast's Muscular Build (C+3), Decent Heading (C+3), Fairly Sharp One-two Pass (C+3), Stylish Curved Free Kick (C+3), Precise Ball Distribution (C+2), Reliable Ball Stopping (C+2), Delicate Ball Touch (C+2), Quick Directional Change (C+2), Fairly Fast Nutmeg Dribble (C+)]
The previous skill, Powerful Long Shot (C+3), was gone.
Now there was only Powerful Long Shot That Penetrates Gaps (B-).
That's right.
This was his first talent upgrade earned purely through effort.
"Then the remaining C-grade ones can also...?"
One way or another, something interesting was about to happen.
His heart wouldn't stop racing.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)