The second half began with no delay, no ceremony—just thunder.
Grêmio came out like they'd been caged.
From the first whistle, their press tightened. Their midfield surged forward with five-yard bursts like trap springs, and their right winger—number 17—began doubling Thiago every time he dropped near the touchline.
It wasn't reckless.
It was mathematical.
Every time Thiago moved to receive, one body pressed, and another cut the lane behind him. They weren't trying to win the ball. They were trying to erase his rhythm.
Minute 48.
He dropped short, pulled wide, called for a ball down the line.
The pass came. Clean.
But before he could turn, the tackle snapped in—legal, firm, brutal.
Ball out. Body on grass.
The ref waved play on.
Thiago stood, shaking the sting from his hip.
João jogged over during the throw-in.
"They're bodying you."
Thiago didn't respond.
Just stared at the Grêmio fullback—broad-shouldered, wearing a predator's smirk.
Good.
Let them think they had him boxed.
Minute 52.
Palmeiras started to slip.
Not panicking, but bending. The tempo had shifted, and now the defenders were reacting instead of anticipating.
Thiago rotated to the right flank for a few minutes to test space. But Grêmio mirrored him again.
Wherever he went, the pressure followed.
And then Grêmio struck.
Minute 57.
A short corner. A decoy run. Palmeiras' right-back followed the bait.
The ball went low, near post.
Flicked.
Backheel.
Goal.
2–1 Grêmio.
The crowd roared. Blue flags waved behind the net like a rising tide.
For the first time all match, Grêmio looked like the better team.
And Palmeiras?
They looked… tired.
Thiago walked back to the halfway line, chest tight, jaw locked.
The System flickered at the edge of his mind.
System Alert:Status – Team TrailingMental Buff Active: Poise Under Fire IPerformance Integrity: SustainedFocus +3Stamina Drain: Minimized
He blinked the prompt away.
Then glanced to the stands.
Camila was still there.
Not cheering. Just watching.
No emotion. Just eyes fixed on him.
She'd seen this look before.
He was about to start taking things personally.
Minute 60.
Midfield pass to João. João plays it central—cut off.
Recycled wide. Cross blocked.
Grêmio tightened the middle now, daring Palmeiras to go around.
Thiago didn't go around.
He went through.
Minute 62.
Ball comes to Thiago near the halfway line.
This time, he doesn't wait.
He touches forward once, twice—drags his marker inside—then stutter-steps and cuts out again.
It's not clean. But it's fast.
He powers forward.
Grêmio's midfielder lunges in.
Too high.
Thiago skips through.
Touch wide. Acceleration.
Now he's down the line.
Two defenders closing.
He waits—just long enough—and releases the pass.
Perfect weight.
The striker meets it in stride.
Shot.
Blocked by the keeper—punched out.
Rebound.
João.
Goal.
2–2.
The crowd erupts.
Thiago doesn't celebrate.
He just points once—to João, then to the crowd—before jogging back, sweat dripping from his chin.
The camera catches him glancing up.
Just for a second.
Camila hasn't moved.
But now she's smiling.
Subtle. Quiet.
But he sees it.
System Notification:Assist Logged+6 EXPLevel 11 → 12Skill Point EarnedMatch Rating: 7.8Dribbling +1 → 75
The final twenty minutes were chaos.
Every touch was contested. Every pass anticipated. Palmeiras' keeper had to make two desperate saves in minutes 71 and 76.
Thiago started to drift centrally now—not part of the tactical plan, but Paulo didn't stop him.
"Make your own space," the coach had once told him. "Or they'll never give you any."
And he did.
Minute 79.
Thiago dropped deep. Picked up a clearance off João's boot. Let the ball roll across him. Spotted the defensive line pulling wide.
He turned.
And ran.
Midfielder in front. Step-over. Shimmy.
Passed.
Two defenders closing—he nutmegged one with a left-foot push, then absorbed a shoulder shove from the other.
Kept his feet.
Box edge.
He shaped to shoot.
But the angle closed.
Instead, he rolled it square.
The striker delayed.
Then snapped it first time.
Bar.
Down.
Out.
The crowd gasped.
Still 2–2.
Minute 83.
Free kick for Grêmio.
Edge of the box.
Perfect distance for a curled shot.
Thiago stood in the wall, pulse hammering.
The taker approached—
—but faked.
Layoff. Shot from a different angle.
Deflected.
Corner.
Palmeiras cleared.
Counter-chance?
No.
Too slow.
Thiago closed his eyes for a second.
Not from exhaustion.
From calculation.
Time was bleeding away.
And he hadn't given them everything yet.
Minute 86.
João passed it wide. Thiago sprinted—touched it once, then let it bounce.
Instead of turning, he flicked it back with his heel—reverse spin.
Cut in.
Midfielder reached—Thiago feinted, paused, then pulled the ball inside his legs.
Now the defender bit.
Thiago turned him with a shoulder dip and touched the ball forward like silk.
Box.
One last marker.
He waited.
Waited.
Step. Touch. Fake shot.
The defender slid—
Thiago dinked the ball just over the boot, caught it on the drop—
And passed.
Short. Sharp. Clean.
The striker didn't miss twice.
GOAL.
3–2 Palmeiras.
The bench erupted.
The players ran to the corner flag.
But Thiago stayed still.
He just looked up into the sky.
Let the noise wash over him.
Then turned—to the stands.
Camila clapped.
Once.
And gave him the faintest shake of her head.
The kind that said, you're not the same anymore.
And I'm proud of you anyway.
System Notification:Assist LoggedQuest Unlocked – Deliver the WinObjective: Maintain Lead / Secure ResultBonus EXP: +10Match Rating: 8.6Vision +1 → 68
Four minutes plus stoppage remained.
Grêmio wasn't done.
Not by a long shot.
Minute 89 — header wide.
Minute 90+1 — low cross just missed.
90+3 — volley into the keeper's hands.
90+4.
Final clearance.
Whistle.
Done.
Palmeiras wins the Regional U17 Cup.Thiago ends the tournament with 3 goals, 6 assists, and the match ball.
João lifts him into the air. Paulo ruffles his hair. The crowd roars. Reporters yell for names.
He turns to the tunnel.
Camila is already gone.
No messages.
No goodbye.
Just a look that stayed.
Back in the locker room, Paulo walks over as the team celebrates.
He hands Thiago a folded piece of paper.
"You earned this."
Thiago opens it.
It's stamped with the Palmeiras crest.
First Team Training ScheduleName: Thiago da SilvaStatus: Provisionally PromotedStart: Monday, 08:00Location: Senior Ground 1
He folds it slowly.
And smiles.