CHAPTER 56 — "Three Months of Relentless Ascent"
Date: Late July, 2020
Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Árman Azvedo — Age: 10
Category: São Paulo FC U-15
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Three Months Later
Football didn't slow down.
It accelerated.
From late April to the end of July, the São Paulo U-15 schedule became merciless — league matches, state cups, invitational tournaments, regional knockouts. Weeks blurred together. Training sessions overlapped with recovery days. Travel became routine. Pressure stacked quietly.
And through it all, Árman Azvedo never faded.
He didn't peak.
He normalized excellence.
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The Shift — From Phenomenon to Constant
In the beginning, every goal caused gasps.
Every assist triggered whispers.
Every performance sparked disbelief.
Three months later?
People stopped reacting.
They expected it.
Opponents no longer asked "Who is he?"
They asked "How do we survive him?"
Coaches built plans around him.
Midfields collapsed toward him.
Defenders doubled before he even received the ball.
And still — the results kept coming.
Not louder.
Just heavier.
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The Numbers — When Statistics Stop Sounding Real
Over the last three months alone, across all competitions:
Matches Played: 34
Goals Scored: 287
Assists: 96
Direct Goal Contributions: 383
Hat-tricks: 19
Four-goal games: 11
Five-goal games: 6
MVP Awards: 31
Matches Without Goal Contribution: 0
There wasn't a single competition where he finished outside the top scorer list.
There wasn't a single tournament where he wasn't decisive.
And most terrifying of all?
These weren't stat-padding games.
These were finals, knockouts, derbies, away fixtures, hostile grounds.
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The Finals — Everywhere That Mattered
By mid-July, São Paulo U-15 had reached the final of every competition they entered:
São Paulo State League
Paulista Youth Cup
Regional Invitational Tournament
Club Development Shield
Four competitions.
Four finals.
Árman was directly responsible for over 70% of the team's goals in knockout stages.
Not because he demanded the ball.
But because the game demanded him.
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How He Played — The Evolution
Something had changed.
Earlier in the season, he dazzled with skill.
Now?
He controlled matches like a veteran.
He slowed games when they needed calm.
He accelerated them when momentum dipped.
He drew defenders to free teammates.
He sacrificed personal glory when structure mattered.
Sometimes he scored five.
Sometimes he scored one and assisted three.
Sometimes he didn't shoot for twenty minutes — just to break defensive rhythm.
That terrified coaches more than goals ever could.
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The Body — Built Without Obsession
Physically, he was still ten.
But movement told a different story.
Balance never broke
Sprint recovery was abnormal
Change of direction looked effortless
Fatigue barely registered
Medical staff stopped monitoring him closely.
Not because they didn't care.
But because there was nothing to fix.
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The Dressing Room — Silent Leadership
He wasn't loud.
He didn't shout.
Before finals, he simply spoke once:
"Play simple. I'll be there."
That was enough.
Teammates trusted him the way players trust captains twice their age.
Not because of authority.
Because of certainty.
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The Football World Reacts
News traveled.
Quietly at first.
Then faster.
Academy directors started requesting footage — not highlights, full matches.
Analysts rewound sequences repeatedly, trying to understand how a ten-year-old controlled tempo like a senior midfielder.
Scout reports stopped using words like "potential".
They started using "timeline".
> "If progression continues…"
"If development remains stable…"
"If access is secured early…"
But no one rushed.
Not yet.
Everyone knew.
This wasn't a spark.
This was a systematic rise.
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The Calm at Home
At home, nothing changed.
Breakfast with his father, Leonardo.
Schoolwork completed without fuss.
Training gear cleaned, folded, ready.
No arrogance.
No impatience.
When asked about finals, he answered simply:
"We play. We prepare. We finish."
As if winning wasn't an event.
Just a process.
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The Night Before the First Final
On the eve of the first final, Árman lay in bed.
No nerves.
No excitement.
Just clarity.
He wasn't chasing greatness.
He was walking toward it.
Step by step.
Month by month.
Game by game.
And somewhere deep inside, a quiet truth settled:
This level…
This pressure…
This expectation…
It already felt familiar.