Arjun started the match with a sharp pass to his central attacking midfielder, who quickly redirected the ball to one of the defensive midfielders. The midfielder circulated possession through the center before passing it back to the defenders.
Of course, Oswin and his teammates weren't going to stand around and watch their opponents pass the ball between themselves.
The striker Oswin had recruited was the same player he'd noticed in the attacking dome. His playing style leaned toward that of a fox in the box, making quick movements into dangerous areas and pouncing on opportunities inside the penalty area. Meanwhile, Oswin and Bongani spread out to cover the flanks, stretching the opposition's defensive line.
Under pressure from Oswin and his teammates, Arjun's defenders quickly launched an aerial pass toward the middle of the pitch. Lucas moved to receive it, cushioning the ball with his chest before bringing it down to his feet. He pushed forward and passed to the two wingers, Diego and Diago, who had spread out on either side.
Lucas passed to Diago, who dribbled into the opposition's half. Arjun, playing as a striker, made a forward run, weaving deeper into Oswin's team's territory.
Hickman immediately gestured to the other center-back, instructing him to mark Diago, while keeping his own eyes on Arjun, who looked ready to sprint behind him. Diago used a combination of skill moves, including the Matthews move and the cut move, to work his way forward. With a quick glance, Hickman spotted Diego making a run behind the fullback.
As Diago sent a low pass toward his teammate, Hickman read the play and reacted instantly. He slid across the grass, blocking the pass before it could reach Diego. The ball rolled toward the fullback, who quickly redirected it to a midfielder making a run along the far flank in their own half. With a quick touch, the midfielder passed it to Elijah.
Elijah immediately moved the ball to Bongani, who controlled it with the inside of his foot before turning to face the opposition. He glanced at his teammates, who were making runs into the attacking half. With a slight nudge, Bongani pushed the ball forward. As opposing players closed in, he used a body feint and a stepover before accelerating deeper into the opposition's half.
An opposing midfielder and defender forced him farther toward the touchline near the corner. Rather than pass immediately, Bongani confidently attempted to take both players on. However, the pressure became too much, forcing him to turn and shield the ball with his body. One of the opponents eventually managed to poke it out of play for a throw-in.
Bongani received a standing ovation from the spectators in the stands. He quickly retrieved the ball, raised it above his head, and waited for his teammates to spread out. When he spotted Oswin making a run to his left, he threw the ball toward him.
Oswin wasted no time. He passed it into the center of the pitch to Elijah, who found himself with space in the middle. Elijah briefly surveyed the field, looking for a teammate in a better position. However, when he noticed that the attacking players were heavily marked, he played the ball back to Hickman.
Hickman and his defenders began circulating possession, moving the ball between themselves while maintaining their positions across the back line.
Diego, Diago, and Arjun jogged out of their own half and began pressing Hickman and his defenders. Under pressure, Oswin's team shifted the ball toward the far flank in their own half. The defenders moved it to one of the center-backs, who passed it back to their goalkeeper. The goalkeeper then returned it to Hickman.
Hickman glanced upfield and spotted Oswin raising two fingers into the air. With a quick nod, Hickman sent an aerial pass toward an unmarked midfielder on the far side of their own half.
And just like that, the formation began to change.
Oswin's team shifted into a 3-2-5 formation. Elijah and the other midfielder dropped deeper to help form the back three, while two midfielders positioned themselves centrally to control the middle of the pitch. Oswin and Bongani pushed farther out toward the flanks, stretching the opposition's defense and leaving the striker up front, supported by two central midfielders.
The midfielder who had received Hickman's pass quickly redirected the ball to Elijah.
Now in control of possession, Oswin's team began patiently circulating the ball between the middle of the pitch and the defenders. They passed backward, forward, and sideways, drawing their opponents out of position while searching for an opening.
At first, Arjun, Diego, and Diago moved into the diamond-shaped passing lanes created by Oswin's central midfielders and defenders. The quick, short passes of their tiki-taka buildup drew Lucas and another opposing midfielder toward the center, as though Oswin's team had been waiting for precisely that reaction.
The final pass found Elijah's feet.
Without hesitation, he launched a high, arcing pass toward Oswin on the left flank. Oswin controlled the ball with the outside of his foot, cushioning it perfectly before flicking it over the defender attempting to mark him. He burst forward along the left side, leaving his marker struggling to recover.
As he approached the final third, Oswin struck the ball with the outside of his foot, sending a low, curling cross across the face of the goal. The striker, who had been waiting inside the penalty area, stretched out his leg to meet the delivery. The ball struck his leg, changed direction, and bounced off the outside of the post.
For a split second, it seemed as though the opportunity had been wasted—but the ball rolled toward Bongani. He stepped into its path and struck a finesse shot, sending it curving smoothly toward the goal.
Arjun's goalkeeper launched himself across the goalmouth and managed to get his fingertips to the ball. His touch wasn't enough to change its course.
The ball rattled the back of the net.
Thwack!
Lucas watched Oswin and his teammates celebrate their goal, his expression stern. He gestured for his teammates to gather their attention. "Don't fall into the trap they've set for us. They want us to chase the ball and leave gaps in our formation. Stay disciplined and stick to the plan." His teammates nodded before returning to their positions.
Lucas then turned to Diago. "You should start taking this seriously. I'll stay back and wait for the right opportunity." They exchanged a quick low-five.
Diago stretched his body, a grin spreading across his face. "Finally, I can let loose. But I won't go all out. I still want to climb into Group A, after all."
The referee blew his whistle, restarting the match.
Arjun passed the ball to Lucas, who glanced at Oswin with a stern expression before passing it to the midfielder beside him. Lucas then backpedaled deeper into his own half, taking up a more defensive position. The midfielder passed to Diego, who was making a run down the right flank. However, upon noticing that Oswin's team had maintained the same formation that had allowed them to score, Diego stopped and passed the ball to the fullback behind him.
The ball began circulating from right to left before returning to the center of the pitch. Oswin, Bongani, and their newly recruited striker immediately pressed their opponents, trying to disrupt the passing rhythm. However, Arjun's 4-2-3-1 formation gave his defenders a reliable outlet. The two defensive midfielders could drop deeper to provide support, making it difficult for Oswin's front three to trap the defenders in possession.
Whenever the pressure intensified, the defenders could simply pass to one of the holding midfielders, who would then redirect the ball and help their team escape the press.
This time, Lucas received the ball.
Without hesitation, he launched an aerial pass toward Diago, who was positioned in the central channel of the midfield. Diago cushioned the ball against his chest, let it drop to his feet, and accelerated into the opposition's half.
Elijah immediately moved forward to mark him. Seeing Elijah approach, Diago slowed his pace and began dribbling, waiting for the right moment to strike. Then, in a sudden burst of movement, he executed a Rivelino move.
The unexpected trick caught Elijah off guard. He lost his balance and slipped, allowing Diago to surge forward. However, Oswin's fullback was already retreating to intercept him.
Diago's lips curled into a faint smile.
As the fullback moved to close him down, Diago performed his second trick—a Puskás move—and slipped past him before accelerating toward Zone 14, the dangerous area just outside the penalty box.
Hickman immediately stepped forward to confront him. Diago knew better than to challenge Hickman carelessly. The defender's reputation for reading the game and shutting down attackers was well deserved.
Instead, Diago glanced to his left—Arjun and Diego were both making forward runs, each with an Oswin defender close behind. Their markers were keeping pace, ready to intervene if either attacker received the ball. With Hickman closing in, Diago made his decision.
He swung his leg and launched a long, arcing pass toward the two runners. The ball shot across the rain-soaked pitch like a torpedo, its trajectory carrying it beyond Hickman's immediate reach. Arjun and Diego accelerated toward the pass, using body feints to shake off their markers. The defenders stayed tight to their backs, refusing to give them an easy route to goal.
The ball bounced toward the six-yard box.
Oswin's goalkeeper rushed off his line, determined to reach it before either attacker could get a shot away. But as the ball continued rolling, he realized he wouldn't arrive in time. He spread his body wide, preparing to block Arjun's expected shot.
Yet Arjun had other plans—at the last moment, he calmly squared the ball to Diego, who had continued his run alongside him. The goalkeeper was caught off guard, his attention fixed on Arjun. Diego needed only a light touch to redirect the ball past him. It rolled over the goal line and nestled into the back of the net.
Thwack!
Oswin remained on high alert. Whenever he received the ball, he quickly passed it to a teammate rather than hold on to it for too long. He wanted to showcase his skills on the pitch, but Lucas's presence made him uneasy.
He feared Lucas was planning something that would ruin his performance or, worse, leave him injured. However, after watching Lucas play, Oswin began to doubt his suspicions. Perhaps Lucas had changed positions simply to mark him.
Oswin breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed his shoulders as he waited for the game to restart. Maybe I'm overthinking things. Maybe he just wants to score more goals. But it's strange that he changed positions. He paused, his eyes following Lucas. No, I need to stay on guard. This is Lucas. Everything he does has a purpose.
His shoulders tensed again—the striker Oswin had recruited passed the ball back to their goalkeeper, and both teams began spreading out across the pitch. The goalkeeper glanced upfield, but the rain partially obscured his view. When he spotted Oswin waiting on the flank, he launched a long aerial pass toward him.
Oswin positioned himself beneath the descending ball, preparing to cushion it with his chest. Suddenly, Lucas sprinted toward him and leaped into the air. Before Oswin could bring the ball under control, Lucas's elbow struck him in the face. Oswin crashed to the wet grass, rolling onto his side as the ball sailed past him. Lucas landed, won possession, and immediately passed it to a teammate.
"Referee! That's a foul!" Bongani shouted.
Elijah and another midfielder rushed toward the referee, protesting the challenge. Even one of their attacking players joined in, demanding that Lucas be penalized. The referee, however, raised his hand and gestured that he hadn't seen a foul.
"Are you serious?" Bongani protested, spreading his arms in disbelief.
Meanwhile, Elijah and Bongani turned their attention back to the match. Their opponents had already begun advancing, and one of the midfielders was carrying the ball forward. The two closed him down from opposite sides, trying to win possession back. In their eagerness to stop the attack, they went in too aggressively and brought the midfielder down.
The referee's whistle rang across the pitch.
He hurried over and issued warnings to both Elijah and Bongani for their reckless challenge. The two players immediately pointed toward Oswin, who was still sitting on the grass with one hand pressed against his face.
Hickman abandoned his position and hurried over to check on his teammate. "Oswin, are you all right?"
Oswin didn't answer immediately. He slowly moved his hand away from his face, revealing an open wound just above his eye.
Hickman's expression changed. "Damn it!"
He crouched beside Oswin, carefully examining the injury before turning toward the referee, ready to call him over. The referee glanced at his watch. Then he looked across the pitch at the players, most of whom had stopped moving and were watching the injured winger.
A moment later, he blew his whistle and pointed toward the tunnel.
For a halftime.
Disappointment spread across the players' faces as they realized it was halftime. One by one, they began jogging toward the tunnel, while Hickman remained beside Oswin to make sure he could get up safely.