La Fragua Dressing Room – Half-Time
The dressing room buzzed with tension as the players filed in, sweat dripping from their brows. Martinez stood at the front, his expression unreadable as he waited for silence.
"Good work keeping it level," Martinez began, his voice calm but firm. "But good isn't enough—we're here to win. You all should step up your game."
He pointed at the whiteboard, where he had drawn Castilla's formation.
"They're pressing hard, especially through the midfield. Montes is running the show, but he's not infallible. Stick to him like glue—don't let him dictate the game. Cortez," he said, locking eyes with Alvaro. "I need you to control the tempo. Keep feeding the wings. Their fullbacks are slow to recover—exploit that."
"Yes, Coach," Alvaro replied, his voice steady despite the nerves churning in his stomach.
Martinez turned to the rest of the team. "When you get the chance, take it. We're not playing for extra time. Go out there, fight for every ball, and show them who owns this pitch."
The players rose, their adrenaline surging as Martinez clapped his hands. "Now let's finish this!"
"LET'S FINISH THIS!!" Everyone shouted brimming with confidence.
---
The whistle blew, and the tension on the field was palpable. Castilla came out aggressively, their forwards pressing high and forcing La Fragua's defenders into hurried passes.
In the 50th minute, Montes found space just outside the box and unleashed a powerful shot. Ricardo dove to his left, punching the ball away with both hands. The crowd erupted in cheers as La Fragua regrouped, their defense holding firm.
"Stay tight!" Diego shouted, rallying the midfield.
Alvaro tracked back, intercepting a dangerous pass and sending it wide to Victor on the left wing. The quick play relieved the pressure momentarily, but Castilla's relentless attack continued.
In the 62nd minute, La Fragua finally found their chance. Alvaro received the ball in midfield, turning sharply to evade Montes. He spotted Ruben making a run down the right flank and delivered a perfectly weighted pass into space.
Ruben sprinted onto the ball, cutting inside and drawing two defenders toward him. With a deft touch, he slipped it back to Alvaro, who was trailing at the edge of the box.
Alvaro didn't hesitate. He glanced up and lofted a precise cross into the center, The ball flew in an arc arriving behind a defender perfectly avoiding him where Carlos leaped above the defenders and headed the ball into the bottom corner.
"Goal!" the announcer's voice boomed as the crowd erupted in celebration.Even though there wasn't that much crowd it was still an electrifying atmosphere.
Alvaro clenched his fists, a surge of relief and pride coursing through him as his teammates mobbed Carlos.
"Great ball, Cortez!" Carlos shouted over the noise, clapping him on the back making him smile.
Down 1-0, Castilla threw everything into their attack. Montes orchestrated wave after wave of pressure, forcing La Fragua to defend with grit and determination.
In the 70th minute, Castilla earned a corner kick. The ball whipped into the box, ricocheting off a cluster of players before landing at Ruiz's feet. His shot was low and hard, but Ricardo reacted brilliantly, diving to smother the ball just inches from the goal line.
The tension was suffocating as La Fragua weathered the storm, their defense stretched but unbroken.
In the 78th minute, Castilla made a critical mistake. Pushing their fullbacks high in search of an equalizer, they left themselves exposed at the back. Giving La Fragua what they were looking for.
Alvaro intercepted a loose pass near the center circle, his instincts kicking in instantly. He surged forward, the field opening up in front of him as Castilla scrambled to recover.
"Go, go!" Diego shouted, sprinting alongside him.
As the last defender closed in, Alvaro slid the ball to Diego on the left, drawing the goalkeeper toward him. Diego returned the favor with a perfectly timed pass, leaving Alvaro one-on-one with the goal.
With the keeper off-balance, Alvaro slotted the ball into the bottom corner, the net rippling as the crowd erupted in loud cheers.
"Goal!"
His teammates swarmed him, their shouts of celebration drowning out everything else. Alvaro felt it - He felt the thrill of scoring a goal in front enthusiastic crowd. It was a wonderful feeling, He thought he will get addicted to this feeling.
With a 2-0 lead, La Fragua shifted to a more defensive approach, determined to see out the remaining minutes. Alvaro dropped deeper, breaking up plays and helping to defend by combining with others, Ensuring Castilla couldn't find a way back into the game.
When the final whistle blew, the players collapsed onto the pitch, a mix of exhaustion and elation washing over them.
---
Back in the dressing room, the energy was electric. Martinez entered, a rare smile on his face.
"Good work," he said simply, his voice cutting through the noise. "You played as a team, and you earned this win. But don't get complacent—we're just getting started, After this win we are in the quarter we should win there and then the semifinal and after that we will take that trophy home."
The players nodded, their excitement tempered by the knowledge that tougher challenges lay ahead.
As Alvaro sat on the bench, untying his boots, he allowed himself a moment of quiet pride. The match had been a test of resilience, and he had proven he could rise to the occasion.
"We will bring that trophy back when leaving" he thought, a determined smile crossing his face.
---