Chapter 43 - 41 - One More Touch

Chapter 43: Chapter 41 - One More Touch

Rafael had already ordered a bottle of water when Maxime arrived at the café on Wednesday afternoon.

He had sent the location to the group the previous morning, and although he had finished his recovery work at Frescaty earlier than expected, he had decided to head into town rather than spend the afternoon waiting at home.

Maxime spotted him sitting outside and raised a hand.

"Hey, Rafa. Been here long?"

"About ten minutes. You finished packing?"

"Mostly. My mum keeps finding things she thinks I’ll need."

Maxime pulled out the chair opposite him and dropped his bag beside it.

"Lucas here yet?"

"He’s coming with Hugo."

"Good. I’m starving."

Rafael pushed the menu across the table, and Maxime began looking through it while complaining that his mother had packed enough clothes for him to spend the entire summer away.

They ordered drinks, and Rafael was asking whether Maxime would have his own room at his uncle’s place when his friend put down the menu.

"Actually, there’s something I wanted to ask you."

Rafael remembered the message Maxime had sent him on Monday evening.

"Yeah, you said. What’s up?"

"It’s about the trip."

Maxime glanced toward the street before continuing.

"Lucas is going to send loads of photos in the group. You know what he’s like. I just wanted to check whether that’s going to bother you."

Rafael looked at him.

"The photos?"

"Yeah. I know you wanted to come, and I don’t want us sending pictures all week if you’re going to feel left out."

Rafael took a drink before answering.

"I wish I was going, but you don’t have to stop using the chat because of me."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Send whatever you want."

Maxime nodded and picked up the menu again.

"I just didn’t want things getting awkward. We haven’t seen much of you lately, and I thought you might end up ignoring the group altogether."

Rafael smiled faintly.

"I’ve done enough of that already."

"Well, yeah."

"Send the photos, mate. And make sure you get a few of Lucas when he starts complaining."

Maxime laughed.

"That’ll probably happen before we leave Metz."

They returned to discussing the trip, and Lucas arrived with Hugo several minutes later.

"Look at that," Lucas said as he approached the table. "Rafa’s here before us."

Hugo greeted Rafael and pulled out a chair while Lucas dropped into the seat beside Maxime.

"Have you ordered?"

"Just drinks," Rafael answered.

"Good, because I’m starving."

Maxime looked at him. "That’s what I said."

"Then order something."

They called the waiter over, and the conversation moved between Maxime’s upcoming work, the trip and the music Lucas intended to play during the journey.

Hugo had already downloaded a playlist because he did not trust Lucas to choose anything the others would enjoy. Maxime announced that he was bringing headphones and had no intention of getting involved in their argument.

Lucas turned toward Rafael.

"You’d listen to mine, wouldn’t you?"

"Send it over. I’ll have a look."

"See? At least somebody appreciates good music."

"I haven’t heard it yet."

Lucas reached for his phone while Hugo continued eating.

Rafael stayed with them until the afternoon began drawing to a close. They talked about Maxime’s summer work, the places they wanted to visit and the classmates they expected to see before school resumed, while Rafael joined in without having to explain another training session.

When they finally stood to leave, Maxime held out his hand.

"See you when we get back, mate."

Rafael shook it.

"Enjoy yourselves. And good luck with your uncle."

"Cheers. I’ll send you some photos."

"You’d better."

Maxime smiled and joined Lucas and Hugo on the other side of the pavement.

Rafael collected his bag and headed home.

That evening, Rafael opened the System after finishing his recovery programme.

He had kept his two free attribute points unassigned throughout his opening weeks with the senior group, but the matches against Mondorf and Differdange had given him enough information to decide where he wanted to use them.

Against stronger defenders, he could recognise the contact coming and establish the correct body position, yet his seventeen-year-old frame still struggled to withstand the force.

His decision-making presented a different problem. The passing options he remembered being able to execute during his previous career did not always remain available when his current body needed an extra touch to prepare the ball.

Rafael opened the allocation screen and assigned one point to Strength before putting the remaining point into Decision-Making.

[ATTRIBUTE ALLOCATION CONFIRMED]

[Strength: 57 → 58]

[Decision-Making: 59 → 60]

[Unassigned Free Attribute Points: 0]

[CLOSE]

The panel disappeared, and Rafael returned to the programme on his desk.

Saturday’s friendly against Versailles would give the staff another opportunity to compare his work alongside Renaud and Vautrin.

He closed the programme and went to bed.

Saturday afternoon brought a different challenge from the opening exchanges.

Versailles were comfortable allowing Metz’s defenders to have possession, but the visitors became aggressive whenever the ball travelled toward Caron in midfield. Their nearest midfielder stepped forward to press him while another remained close enough to intercept passes into the space between their defensive lines.

Rafael had already attempted two runs beyond the centre-backs without receiving possession when Caron was forced backwards again.

Renaud moved toward the ball.

The defender marking him followed closely, but Renaud established his position before the pass arrived and returned possession to Caron with his first touch.

Metz switched play toward Perrin, whose attempted cross was intercepted before reaching the penalty area.

Rafael moved back into position as Versailles recovered the ball.

He had expected Renaud to start centrally, with Vautrin replacing him at halftime, while he remained on the pitch into the second half.

The second senior centre-forward was still working through partial training and had not been included in the squad. Vautrin, meanwhile, was continuing his managed return after playing forty-five minutes against Differdange.

Rafael understood why the coaches wanted to assess him beside both forwards, although the opening minutes had given him little opportunity to influence the match.

Versailles were denying Metz the clean combinations he preferred.

Their midfielders closed Caron quickly, while the centre-backs remained close enough to prevent Rafael from receiving and turning between them. Whenever he threatened the space behind, the defensive line dropped instead of allowing him to run beyond it.

Metz’s most reliable route forward was the ball into Renaud.

The striker received another difficult pass near halfway, holding off his marker long enough for Caron to move into space before releasing possession.

This time, Versailles reacted differently.

Their holding midfielder stepped toward Caron before the layoff arrived, forcing him to return the ball to Metz’s defence rather than turn forward.

Renaud glanced over his shoulder as he recovered his position.

Rafael moved closer while the ball travelled across Metz’s back line.

"They’re getting tight on Caron now," Renaud said.

"Yeah. Their six keeps coming across."

Renaud looked toward the nearest centre-back.

"Give me a shout if you’re going beyond."

Rafael nodded before separating from him.

Versailles had begun closing the space around Renaud’s usual receiving position, forcing Metz to recycle possession instead of advancing through the middle.

Rafael stayed nearer the defensive line during the next attack, preventing his marker from stepping forward to help the midfielder.

Caron looked toward him, but the passing lane closed and he moved the ball wide instead.

Metz retained possession without threatening the goal.

The visitors responded with another attack down their right flank.

Their full-back carried the ball beyond halfway before releasing the winger ahead of him, forcing Metz’s left-back to turn and chase. Caron moved across to help, but the winger cut inside and exchanged passes with a midfielder arriving near the edge of the penalty area.

The return reached the winger before the covering defender could recover.

He entered the box and struck low across goal.

Metz’s goalkeeper stretched toward the far corner and reached the ball with his fingertips, but the contact was not enough to prevent it from crossing the line.

Versailles led 1–0.

Rafael slowed near halfway while the visitors gathered to celebrate, and Renaud approached him as Metz prepared to restart.

"Come on, Rafa. Plenty of time."

"Yeah."

Caron collected the ball from the referee and carried it toward the centre circle.

"Let’s get going, lads."

Metz restarted, but Versailles continued protecting the central spaces and pressuring Caron whenever he received possession.

Rafael checked toward midfield on one attack and received with a centre-back already tight behind him, but the defender shifted him away from the ball before he could return it cleanly.

Versailles recovered possession, forcing Rafael to turn immediately into the counterpress. He closed the defender quickly enough to prevent the forward pass, and Metz regained the ball several seconds later.

Caron looked up and found Renaud positioned between the centre-backs.

The first pass travelled directly toward him, but the nearest defender stepped in front and headed clear.

Versailles had begun challenging Renaud earlier, attempting to prevent him from establishing his position before the ball arrived.

The clearance reached Caron, who turned and tried to send possession forward again.

Renaud was already moving.

Instead of waiting between the centre-backs, he drifted toward the left side of the attacking line, where the nearest defender was reluctant to follow him too far away from the middle.

Rafael remained central.

Caron drove the ball into Renaud’s feet.

The striker received on his back foot and protected possession as the defender arrived, then returned it toward the midfielder approaching underneath him.

Versailles’s holding midfielder stepped forward to challenge Caron.

Renaud had already turned.

Caron released the ball back into his path, allowing him to carry possession several metres forward before the covering centre-back came across.

Renaud played wide to Perrin.

Metz were finally attacking with their midfield facing forward.

Perrin attempted a cross, but the full-back blocked it and the ball went out for a corner.

Renaud moved toward the penalty area while Rafael remained near the edge of the box.

The corner was cleared, although Metz recovered possession quickly enough to maintain pressure.

Several minutes later, Renaud repeated the movement, this time receiving toward the right side of the attacking line. The centre-back followed him, but Renaud held the ball long enough to draw another defender toward the same side before laying it back to Caron.

Rafael moved across the defensive line as Caron switched possession toward Perrin.

The winger received with space to advance, and Renaud immediately returned toward the penalty area, occupying the centre-back who had followed him earlier.

Perrin carried the ball toward the byline and shaped to cross, drawing his marker toward him before cutting the ball backwards.

Caron had continued his run from midfield.

He arrived near the edge of the penalty area and struck first time, sending the ball through the gap between two defenders before the goalkeeper could move across.

Metz were level.

Caron turned toward Perrin, who raised both hands before jogging back toward halfway, while Renaud caught up with them near the centre circle.

"Good ball, Noah."

Perrin nodded toward Caron.

"He’s the one who finished it."

Caron smiled and gave Renaud a brief tap on the shoulder.

"Good work, Mat."

Renaud nodded before turning toward halfway.

Rafael joined them for the restart.

Versailles had tried to stop Renaud by challenging his receptions earlier and preventing the first layoff into Caron, but Renaud had answered by changing where he received, forcing the defenders to leave their positions before giving Metz another route forward.

The next few minutes passed without another clear opportunity, and the score remained 1–1 when the referee brought the half to an end.

Rafael walked toward the technical area beside Renaud, who accepted a bottle from the performance staff before sitting down.

The head coach spoke briefly to the group, reminding the midfielders to protect the space behind their advancing full-backs while the forwards remained responsible for closing Versailles’s passing routes through the middle.

Renaud listened as he removed his boots, and Vautrin began preparing to replace him.

As Rafael took a drink, Renaud glanced over.

"Good luck with Loïc."

"Cheers."

"He’s going to want that ball into feet."

Rafael smiled.

"Yeah, I know."

Renaud stood and held out his hand.

"Go on, then. Get one."

Rafael slapped it before following Vautrin toward the pitch.