The full-back was beaten by João Vitor, who sent the ball toward Kazana. The Sanu captain used his body to shield it, spun quickly, and found Rodrigo through the middle. Rodrigo burst toward the box, but Bruno recovered and blocked the move before the shot could come off. The ball rebounded, landing again for Ian, who tried his luck from distance. The strike came hard, but it rose too high, drawing a gasp from the crowd.

"Close!" shouted Rafael from the sideline, clapping his hands.

The Zeltin coach took advantage of the goal kick to call Bruno over. The team's number 10 was visibly irritated, but he listened to the instructions, took a deep breath, and returned to the game with a more focused posture.

"They're winning the duels because they're more focused", the coach said, pointing toward the pitch, "If you don't match their intensity, no matter how much technique you have, you'll lose every single play"

Bruno nodded, firmly signaling to Elias. The two exchanged a look of complicity, as if they already understood the mission.

At the restart, Zeltin tried to be more patient. They rotated the ball among the defenders, searching for gaps. Murmurs spread through the crowd — some in support, others anxious for another Sanu attack.

When the ball reached Elias, Oliveira was already in front of him. The Zeltin striker smirked slightly, as if he had spotted something. This time, he didn't go for the direct dribble. He gave a quick touch to Bruno, who returned it first-time, leaving Oliveira without time to intercept. Elias broke free, sprinting at full speed.

Murilo, alert, was already coming off his line.

Elias stormed into the box and shot across goal. The ball went past Murilo but crashed against the post. The stadium held its breath.

"So close...", Rodrigo muttered as he tracked back to defend.

The missed chance set the game on fire even more. Elias kicked the air in frustration, while Oliveira quickly regrouped, already giving silent hand signals to realign the defense.

Kelvin was watching everything intently. He didn't just play — his eyes followed every movement, every micro-expression of the opponents. He noticed how Elias had been more dangerous when combining with Bruno. The real challenge would be once the two truly synced up.

Time ticked away, and the first half was nearing its end. Sanu still had the bulk of possession, but Zeltin always threatened whenever Elias's pace was unleashed.

However, Kelvin received a ball on the left wing. He lifted his head, saw Kazana tightly marked, but decided to risk it anyway. He drove at Mayke, who tried to anticipate his moves. Kelvin feinted once, twice, three times, then cut inside. Mayke bit on the trick, leaving space open. The shot came low and powerful, but the Zeltin keeper, quick to react, managed to parry it aside.

Felipe still tried to get to the rebound, but the defense cleared it.

"He's lucky today", Felipe said, breathing heavily.

Sanu's pressure was mounting. The stadium seemed to pulse with every attack, the crowd screaming, pushing, demanding the goal that wouldn't come. Rafael gestured for calm, urging them to keep their rhythm.

But it was Zeltin who nearly shocked them again. On a lightning counter, Bruno received in the center circle, spun brilliantly past Dante, and sent Elias through in behind. This time, Oliveira was a few meters behind. Elias believed.

He sprinted, adjusted his body for the shot — but at the exact moment of the strike, Oliveira appeared, sliding across the turf with surgical precision. A perfect tackle, no foul, sending the ball out for a throw.

The stadium erupted.

"He's everywhere!", Ian shouted in disbelief.

Elias fell to the ground, sitting and staring at Oliveira in shock. The defender simply stood up, dusted off his kit, and returned to position. No gestures, no smile. Only total focus.

The referee's whistle blew, signaling halftime. The score remained 1–0, but the feeling was that Sanu had dominated far more and maybe could have scored several more goals.

In the locker room, the mood was mixed. Some were laughing, others still panting, but all were confident. Rafael took the floor:

"You're playing brilliantly. Their team is good, but they already feel it. They're nervous, under pressure. Keep this intensity. The difference is just one goal. It will come"

Kazana raised his head, looking each teammate in the eye.

"We didn't come this far to waste it. If we keep our focus, this game is ours"

On the other side, in Zeltin's locker room, the coach was trying to reorganize the team. Elias sat with his head down, still frustrated with Oliveira. Bruno, however, kept a cold stare.

"If we keep trying the same way, we'll never get past him", Bruno said, "We need to change it up. On every play, he already knows what I'm going to do. It's like he's one step ahead"

The coach crossed his arms, thoughtful.

"Then create something new. Make him believe he's in control. Be unpredictable"

The second half kicked off with even more intensity. The sun beat down hard, but nobody seemed to feel fatigue. The stadium vibrated with every touch of the ball.

Within the first few minutes, Rodrigo received on the right, tried to cross, but the ball deflected off a defender and came back to him. He cut inside and fired with his left. The ball took a deflection off Mayke and nearly fooled the keeper, who stretched fully to save it.

The Sanu crowd rose to its feet, pressing, sensing the goal was near.

But it was Zeltin who carved out the most dangerous move. Bruno dropped deep toward midfield, dragging his marker, and suddenly unleashed a long ball behind the defense. Elias burst forward like lightning.

Murilo rushed out desperately.

Elias lifted the ball delicately over the keeper. The entire stadium held its breath.

But the ball, cruelly, sailed just over the bar.

Elias dropped to his knees, pounding the turf. Bruno ran a hand down his face, unable to believe it.

"This can't be...", Elias murmured.

Kelvin took a deep breath, observing. He knew that with every wasted chance, Zeltin's mentality crumbled a bit more. And that was exactly what Sanu needed to exploit.

Minutes later, the ball reached Dante, who controlled and lifted his head. He spotted Kelvin free on the left wing and launched it his way. Kelvin chested it down, brought it onto his stronger foot, and drove inside. Mayke tried to close him down, but Kelvin had already learned the defender's reaction times. A sharp dribble inside left him behind.

Ahead, Kazana was calling for it, but Kelvin chose to take the chance himself. He curled the shot, aiming for the top corner.

The ball bent perfectly and nestled into the back of the net.

The stadium exploded in cheers.

2–0.

Kelvin sprinted toward the fans, arms wide, as if flying. His teammates swarmed him, shouting, hugging, leaping on top of him.

"I TOLD YOU!", Kazana roared, hugging the number 11, "I TOLD YOU IT WOULD GO IN!"

On the other side, Elias stared at the ground. Bruno approached, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey... it's not over yet. We'll react"

The scoreboard read 2–0 for Sanu. Thirty minutes remained, but all the momentum belonged to Sanu.

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