The low hum of the projector filled Ajax's secondary tactics room as Noah Carter sat surrounded by his second-string teammates. Six weeks of intense drills and scrimmages had already hardened everyone's edges, but today carried a different weight. Vermeer, arms folded in front of the glowing screen, wasn't holding his usual clipboard or tablet.
"You want to know why Ajax invests in midfielders like gold?" Vermeer's voice cut through the room, deep and sharp. "Because midfielders dictate the game. They decide the tempo, the rhythm, and most importantly, the moments that break opponents open."
The screen came alive with clips of great midfielders: Xavi calmly dissecting pressure with one touch, Zidane gliding past two markers with impossible balance before releasing a perfect pass, Luka Modrić bending a ball through an invisible gap like the pitch itself had curved. Each clip felt like a masterclass compressed into seconds.
"This," Vermeer said, stabbing a finger at the screen, "is control and courage. Watch their eyes, their scanning, their ability to see what nobody else sees. These are not safe players. These are risk-takers with calculation in their blood. They live and die by moments others don't even attempt."
The clips shifted, and Noah's chest tightened when his own footage appeared. Sideways passes, neat but tame; a possession save instead of a forward push; one chance where he had space for a shot but recycled the ball back to the midfield anchor.
"Your vision is fine," Vermeer said, glancing at him. "Your passing mechanics? Fine. But fine is average here. And average midfielders disappear." His eyes locked onto Noah, unblinking. "Don't try to be a replica. Give me something only you can bring to the pitch."
The words landed heavy in the room. Noah looked down, feeling the weight but also a spark of something deeper—responsibility.
The next hour was spent reviewing not just famous passes, but legendary clutch moments: Kaká driving from deep through an entire defense, Pirlo dictating tempo under suffocating pressure, De Bruyne slicing defenders apart with an outside-foot ball at full sprint. Vermeer paused each one, pointing at their body orientation, their scanning speed, even subtle feints before release.
"Here's the difference," Vermeer said, switching between Zidane's moment and Noah's similar situation. "Zidane sees not just the current passing lane, but what that lane will look like two seconds later when this defender steps wrong. Carter, you froze. You saw a safe square ball and took it because you feared losing possession. That's not how midfielders at this level think. You need to see two moves ahead and trust your foot to follow your eye."
Noah nodded quietly, ashamed but grateful for the clarity.
"This week," Vermeer continued, "we're adding a new training method. You're going to study these midfielders every night. Not highlight reels—full matches, moments where they dictate tempo and break defensive blocks. You're going to study why they pass, not just how. What risks they take and when they take them. You'll bring notes to me every morning before training. And then, we'll apply it directly on the pitch."
The squad murmured among themselves. For most, it was homework. For Noah, it felt like an opportunity.
That evening, Noah stayed after, digging through highlight packs Ajax's analysts had preloaded for him: Iniesta threading passes against low blocks, Modrić breaking a high press with one step and release, Xavi scanning ten times before each touch. It was like stepping behind the curtain of his own limitations.
The Console hummed faintly in his peripheral vision:
[Football Vision Console Update]
Pattern Recognition Algorithm – Enhanced Scan Rate Activated
New Subroutine Detected: Risk-Weighted Passing Analysis]
Projected Skill Evolution: Powered Through Pass (Locked)
The overlay highlighted passing lanes he hadn't even registered during games, painting ghostly blue arcs where defenders would be beaten by timing and weight. It was subtle, almost a whisper, but it cracked something open inside him. He didn't just have to pass safely—he could break defenses if he dared.
The following morning, Vermeer doubled down. The first drill wasn't running or basic passing. Instead, he had players wear VR-enhanced visors linked to a playback of legendary midfielders' positioning, forcing them to replicate scans and passing choices in real time. Noah's visor flashed a scenario: two defenders converging, one runner cutting through. The obvious pass was wide, but the highlighted option was threading the ball straight through the converging defenders.
"Thread it!" Vermeer shouted from the sideline. "You see it, Carter. Stop doubting it—send it!"
Noah exhaled and snapped the pass forward, a sharp, low-driven ball that kissed the ground and found the simulated runner. The visor dinged success.
"That's what I mean," Vermeer said. "Crisp. Aggressive. Do it again."
Ali Moussa jogged past, smirking. "Look at maestro, finally trying to kill someone with a pass."
Training only grew harsher. Weighted passing under defensive pressure. One-touch midfield triangles where mistakes reset the drill. Finishing drills weren't the focus—this week was about line-breaking distribution and playing at risk, every action recorded for later breakdown.
Evenings became long sessions of review. Noah watched Scholes' late runs, Gündoğan's positional fluidity, and even Ajax legends from past decades. He started noticing micro-details: shoulder checks before receiving, disguising the pass until the last second, and how even "safe" passes from greats were layered with intent to destabilize.
By the end of the week, Vermeer called him aside. "You're seeing it now, aren't you?"
"A little," Noah admitted. "It's like… the field's wider."
"That's vision evolving," Vermeer said, his tone even. "But remember: seeing isn't enough. The ball has to follow what you see."
In that moment, the Console chimed quietly:
[Skill Prototype Analysis: Powered Through Pass – 42% Recognition Complete]
Noah smiled faintly, gripping the training ball tighter. It wasn't a skill just handed to him—he was earning it.
The tournament loomed, whispered about in the locker room between drills. Vermeer reminded them daily: performance would decide futures. Some players would earn first-string opportunities. Others might face demotion or loan talks.
For Noah, it wasn't about simply surviving anymore. He could feel it now—the beginning of something different. The Powered Through Pass wasn't unlocked yet, but every film session and every aggressive rep pushed him closer.
That night, as fatigue pulled him toward sleep, he stared at the ceiling and thought of Vermeer's words: Don't try to be a replica. Give me something only you can bring to the pitch.
For the first time since arriving at Ajax, Noah believed he might actually become that player—not by copying, but by building something his own.