CHAPTER 35 — Entering the U-11 Rotation
The day after his unbelievable U-9 match, the entire São Paulo FC academy was whispering the same name:
Árman Azevedo.
Not a rumor anymore.
Not a myth.
A fact.
A seven-year-old boy who played like someone decades ahead.
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◆ Arrival at the U-11 Field
Árman arrived holding his father's hand, white hair glowing in the morning sun, golden eyes calm. Players who were 10 and 11 years old stopped their warm-ups, staring with confusion.
Player 1 (U-11):
"That kid is joining OUR rotation?"
Player 2:
"I thought it was a joke…"
Then they watched him jog—
Perfect posture.
Perfect breathing.
Perfect stride efficiency.
And they realized:
This wasn't a normal kid.
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◆ First Training Session
Coach Marcelo, the U-11 head coach, approached him.
Coach Marcelo:
"Árman, today I want to see how you receive pressure from older players. Don't rush. Just play naturally."
Árman simply nodded.
He didn't get nervous.
He didn't feel pressure.
He was waiting for this.
---
◆ The First Drill — Warm-Up Passing
Normally, younger kids struggle with passing speed.
Not him.
Árman's first touch was ridiculous:
cushioned with perfect angle
ball glued to his foot
no wasted energy
instant awareness of movement around him
He played one-touch passes faster than the older midfielders could react.
Marcelo blinked twice.
Marcelo (muttering):
"This is… baseline for him?"
---
◆ The 1v3 Press Resistance Drill
Older players circled him aggressively.
They pressed him physically—
hips
shoulders
legs
weight
contact.
He absorbed it like he was made of carbon fiber.
Then he danced out:
La Croqueta
a double feint
reverse elastico
then a backheel nutmeg that made a boy fall to the ground
Even the U-11 coach put his hands on his head.
Marcelo:
"He's playing chess while they're playing checkers."
---
◆ Scrimmage — U-11 vs U-11 with Árman in Midfield
They placed him at central midfield.
A 7-year-old among 11-year-olds.
You'd expect him to disappear.
Instead—
He ran the entire match like a conductor guiding an orchestra.
perfect switches of play
long diagonal passes
through balls between micro-gaps
dribbling out of impossible pressure
tackles timed with machine precision
stamina that outlasted kids four years older
When the scrimmage ended, the scoreboard was irrelevant.
Everyone only remembered him.
---
◆ The Promotion
After training, Director of Youth Development, Dr. Henrique Silva, called Marcelo and Rafael.
Henrique:
"This child… will be moved to U-13 rotation within six months. Prepare him."
Both coaches were stunned.
No one in academy history climbed this fast.
Except him.