Sunday arrived with a weight in the air. Not nerves—Thiago had shed most of those—but an awareness. A thrum beneath the skin that told him every next game now meant something slightly more than the last.
Guarani weren't title contenders, but they had bite—runners, tacklers, midfielders who played with shoulders first and cleats raised just enough to test limits. It wasn't flair Thiago had to survive today. It was grind.
He went through the morning routine silently, tying his laces in clean loops, checking the studs twice. No one spoke much in the locker room. Not even Rafael.
Before heading out, he slipped his phone from his bag and read a short message from Camila:
Camila: "I'll be watching. Don't play safe today."
He stared at it for a long moment. Then tucked the phone away.
In the tunnel, Eneas pulled him aside. Just a whisper: "Shape matters. But if you see the window—step through it."
Thiago nodded. Then walked into the São Paulo sun.
Kick-off
The match began with stop-start rhythm. Guarani's midfielders pressed high, gambling early to force errors. The first ten minutes saw Thiago touch the ball only three times—once to relieve pressure back to Rafael, once to shield near the sideline, and once in a recovery chase after a turnover.
At minute 14, the chance came.
Thiago lingered near the half-space instead of hugging the line. Rafael spotted it. Quick switch. Thiago let the ball roll across his body, then touched it forward with his left, accelerating into the final third.
The fullback was late to track. He cut inside, dragged a defender, and slipped a diagonal pass into the box.
The striker hit it on the second touch. Saved. Rebound fell—cleared.
Eneas pointed from the sideline. "Again!"
By the 28th minute, Palmeiras had wrestled control. Thiago saw more of the ball now, shifting between the wing and inside pockets. He didn't attempt anything extravagant—just measured positioning, one-touch passes to build tempo, and brief sprints into space that created half-lanes.
At minute 33, the breakthrough nearly came.
Rafael overlapped from midfield and dropped the ball to Thiago at the corner of the box. Thiago stopped it dead, pivoted, and sent in a lofted cross to the back post.
It curled. Hung. Dropped.
The header from the striker went just wide.
He clenched his jaw.
Close. No reward yet.
Halftime – Palmeiras 0–0 Guarani
Inside the locker room, Thiago took deep breaths. Not frustration—just a need to settle. He'd touched the ball 24 times. One key pass. One chance created. A good half. But not a game-changer yet.
Eneas spoke evenly. "They're pressing wide, not deep. Punish that."
He pointed to Thiago.
"You see it?"
Thiago nodded. "Inside diagonal. Then spin behind."
"Exactly."
Second Half
At 54 minutes, it clicked.
Palmeiras recovered the ball deep. Rafael initiated the break—quick relay to the left. Thiago was already in motion.
He darted inside, one touch to control, second to slip it forward. Defender lunged—missed. Thiago burst into space and fired a low cross across the six-yard line.
Nando, sprinting from the blind side, stabbed it home.
Goal.
The crowd roared, but Thiago didn't celebrate wildly. Just turned and jogged back, fist clenched once at his side.
[Objective Progress: 1/3 Goal Contributions]
Nando gave him a glance. This time, a real one. Still not warm—but sharp. Respect passed like a baton.
Guarani reacted with desperation. Their pressing became reckless. Thiago was fouled twice in the next ten minutes—neither malicious, but heavy. He rose without protest, shook the grass from his sleeves, and kept running.
At 72 minutes, he nearly added another assist.
This time, it came from the right. He'd rotated over briefly in a shape switch. Caught the ball near the touchline. Quick double step-over. Defender hesitated. Thiago dropped his shoulder and slipped the ball into the corridor between center-back and fullback.
The striker reached it. Fired low.
Saved—again.
So close.
By minute 82, the match tempo had thinned into defensive resistance. Palmeiras slowed it down, absorbed Guarani's last bursts, and passed laterally to kill time.
Eneas substituted the winger on the opposite flank. Thiago stayed.
Right until the whistle.
Palmeiras 1 – 0 Guarani
Another victory. Another performance of layers—not dominance, but intelligence. Thiago didn't need to shine to matter. He just needed to move games forward.
In the locker room, Rafael clapped him once on the shoulder. "That pass. Perfect."
Nando said nothing. But this time, he didn't avoid eye contact.
Later that night, Thiago checked the System.
Match Stats
Minutes: 90
Pass Accuracy: 87%
Key Passes: 2
Successful Dribbles: 4
Match Rating: 8.1
Goal Contribution Objective: Progress: 1/3
Attribute Reward Unlocked:+1 Acceleration
Club Confidence: 85 → 86
He closed the screen slowly, then opened his messages.
A new one from João.
João: That assist was clean. Keep going, man. You're in it now.
And one more from Camila:
Camila: I knew you wouldn't play it safe. See you soon?
He smiled.
Stillness surrounded him, but his thoughts were in motion.
He hadn't reached the summit.
But the slope under his feet felt steadier.
And he knew—Neymar was rising. Highlight reels, youth media buzz, already circulating around São Paulo.
But that was fine.
Thiago didn't need to chase the light.
He would build his own rhythm. Step by step.