The silence that followed Anton's miraculous save was like a collective sigh, a breath caught between the thousands of spectators in the stadium.
Lucas felt the weight of that moment — a split second that could define the fate of the match.
Phil Foden. Thirty meters from the goal. An almost imperceptible smile appeared on his lips. It wasn't arrogance, but the calmness of someone who knows his job like a few others.
On the bench, the U20 coach remained impassive.
"Did you see that?" whispered Denis to Lucas, after Anton's save. "That pass... was surgical."
Lucas nodded, without taking his eyes off Foden. He knew that the young playmaker was like a snake — apparently calm, but about to strike at the least expected moment.
The game's narrative was constructed like a complex novel, where each character had a defined role, but was free to surprise. Brighton were perhaps the unlikely heroes, while Manchester City was the implacable giant.
