Chapter 54 - 52 - Across the Line

Chapter 54: Chapter 52 - Across the Line

Saint-Symphorien was still filling when Rafael stepped onto the pitch with the substitutes.

Burgundy shirts spread through the stands, the public-address system carried across the ground, and supporters behind one of the goals had already started singing. As more people came through the entrances, the noise thickened until conversations on the pitch disappeared beneath it.

Rafael looked around once before joining the others.

He had played in louder stadiums during his first career and entered grounds where every touch drew abuse. None of that stopped the familiar feeling from settling somewhere beneath his ribs.

He had missed this.

By the time the players returned inside, the August light had faded enough for the floodlights to stand out against the evening sky.

His mother was somewhere in the stadium.

Rafael did not look for her.

Back in the dressing room, Renaud finished preparing with the starting eleven while Rafael took his place among the substitutes. Loïc Vautrin was another attacking option on the bench, and Hennequin remained unavailable.

The final instructions were brief. Soon the starters were called toward the tunnel, and Rafael followed the substitutes out.

The mission remained active.

He left it unopened.

Rafael spent most of the opening half-hour watching Guingamp’s centre-backs whenever Metz had possession.

When the midfield could not play through pressure, Renaud dropped toward the ball, took contact from behind and moved it on before returning toward the defensive line.

Around the half-hour mark, Metz worked possession across midfield and found Perrin on the right.

Perrin carried forward.

Renaud waited between the two centre-backs until the nearest one turned toward the ball, then moved across him.

Perrin’s pass came low.

Renaud reached it first and finished beyond the goalkeeper.

Saint-Symphorien erupted.

Rafael was on his feet with the rest of the substitutes as Renaud ran toward the corner, where two teammates caught him before the others arrived. Arms and scarves rose throughout the stands, and the noise followed the players all the way back toward halfway.

Metz led 1–0.

The rest of the half tightened, and the score held until the interval.

Guingamp equalised soon after the restart.

Metz headed away the first ball into the box but failed to clear the second phase. Guingamp recovered outside the area, shifted possession through the traffic and found enough room for a low finish into the corner.

1–1.

The visitors pushed higher after the goal.

A little after the hour, Metz caught them.

Guingamp lost possession in midfield, and Metz moved the ball forward before the defence could settle. Caron continued through the middle as the attack went wide, then met the return pass near the edge of the box.

His finish stayed low.

2–1.

The substitutes stood during the celebration, then returned to their seats as the referee called the players back for the restart.

As the minutes disappeared, Renaud still closed the first centre-back whenever Metz pressed, but his recovery after the next pass had slowed. One aerial duel near halfway left him bent forward for several seconds before he straightened and moved back into position.

The assistant coach looked down the bench.

"Rafa."

Rafael was already leaning forward.

"Come on."

He stood and pulled off his training top.

Down beside the pitch, the stadium felt much closer than it had from the bench. Individual voices occasionally broke through the wider noise—a supporter calling for Metz to push out, someone shouting Caron’s name from the front rows—before disappearing again.

Rafael smiled as he moved toward the technical area.

The coach called him over while play continued.

"You’re going through the middle. When we clear it, give us somewhere to play. Stay connected when we press and don’t go chasing both centre-backs."

Rafael nodded.

"They’re pushing up now. If it’s there, go behind."

"Got it."

The fourth official moved toward halfway.

A Metz throw stopped play soon afterward, and the board went up.

Renaud saw his number and jogged over.

Rafael held out his hand.

"Good one."

Renaud slapped it as he passed. "Cheers. Go on."

Rafael crossed the line.

Metz restarted backwards, and the ball remained on the opposite side while he moved with Guingamp’s defensive line.

His first touch came from a pass into his feet near halfway.

A centre-back followed him, so Rafael cushioned the ball and returned it to the midfielder supporting him before turning back toward goal.

Possession moved away.

A few minutes later, Metz cleared directly toward him.

The nearest centre-back stepped tight before the ball arrived, and Rafael moved across his path.

[HOLD-UP PLAY ACTIVATED]

The pass dropped into Rafael’s feet as the defender leaned into his back. His first touch stayed close, and he widened his stance while Caron came forward from midfield.

Rafael laid the ball into Caron’s path and spun away.

Caron carried it beyond halfway before moving possession toward the left, forcing Guingamp’s back line to turn and retreat.

Later, Perrin received on the right and played inside.

Rafael had drifted into the channel.

A defender approached from his left while the pass rolled slightly ahead of him, so Rafael let the ball travel across his body and turned with it.

The defender had already committed toward the first touch.

Rafael accelerated into the space beyond him.

The stands reacted as he carried the ball forward. Another defender stepped across before he reached the area, and Rafael released possession outside before continuing his run.

The return never came.

Metz recycled the ball, and Rafael jogged back out with a grin still on his face.

Guingamp’s right-back joined an attack several minutes later and was still high when Metz won possession.

Caron collected the clearance.

Rafael curved his run into the channel the full-back had left behind.

Caron looked up and released him.

The pass reached Rafael in stride on the right side of the penalty area.

One centre-back was recovering across his inside shoulder, while the goalkeeper came away from his line and began to set.

Rafael opened his body and drove the shot across goal.

The goalkeeper dropped quickly and got a strong hand behind it.

The ball skipped beyond the far post.

The roar following Rafael into the box broke into a groan.

He slowed near the byline, his mouth tightening as he looked toward where the ball had gone out.

Caron was watching from outside the area.

Rafael raised a hand toward him and turned for the corner.

The following minutes passed through a lost physical duel near halfway, a short combination with Perrin and several runs that forced Guingamp’s defenders to keep dropping whenever Metz cleared forward.

With little time remaining, Metz found Rafael near the right channel again.

Two defenders were already covering inside, so Rafael carried toward the touchline.

The nearest one followed him.

Rafael reached the final third, slowed and put his body between the defender and the ball. A foot came around him and knocked it across the line.

Corner.

Metz took their time sending players forward.

Guingamp still produced one final attack during stoppage time.

Metz dropped around their penalty area while Rafael remained closer to midfield. The first cross was headed clear, but Guingamp recovered possession and returned the ball toward the far post.

A Metz defender reached it first and sent the second clearance beyond halfway.

The referee checked his watch and blew.

Applause and singing rolled down from the stands as the players turned toward one another. The stadium announcer began speaking, but his voice barely carried beneath the noise.

Rafael walked toward the others.

Caron caught up and touched the back of his shoulder.

"Unlucky."

Rafael glanced at him. "Thought it was past him."

"Same."

Caron nodded toward the group ahead.

"Come on."

Rafael followed him.

The System appeared after he had showered and changed.

The dressing room had settled into smaller conversations when pale blue light formed across his vision.

[MISSION COMPLETE]

[CROSS THE PROFESSIONAL LINE]

[Objective Completed: Make your competitive first-team debut for FC Metz.]

[Reward Available: Free Attribute Points ×2]

[CLAIM REWARD]

Rafael selected it.

[REWARD CLAIMED]

[Free Attribute Points ×2]

[Unassigned Free Attribute Points: 2]

[CLOSE]

He dismissed the panel.

Several notifications were waiting on his phone.

His mother’s message was near the top.

Saw you come on. Thought that shot was in.

Rafael smiled.

So did I.

Her reply arrived a minute later.

I’m near the car park. Take your time.

Still inside. I’ll text when I’m coming out.

Okay.

Rafael put the phone away.

Supporters were still leaving Saint-Symphorien when Rafael finally came outside.

Most were already breaking away toward the car parks and public transport, leaving more space around the stadium than there had been before kickoff.

Rafael headed toward the area where his mother was waiting.

He had moved beyond the busiest part when someone called his name.

"Rafael?"

He turned.

A girl from his school year had stopped a few metres behind him. Rafael recognised her immediately; they had spoken a handful of times at school, although never for very long.

"Hey."

She stepped closer while the two people walking with her slowed farther ahead.

"Hi."

There was a brief pause before she glanced toward the stadium.

"Congratulations."

"Thanks."

"That was your first league match, wasn’t it?"

"Yeah."

She smiled. "Thought so."

One of the people ahead turned and looked back. She raised a hand, indicating that she had seen him.

Rafael nodded toward them.

"You heading off?"

"Yeah. My uncle parked somewhere over there." She pointed vaguely past the line of cars. "We’ve spent ten minutes trying to remember where."

Rafael smiled. "Good luck."

"I wasn’t the one who parked."

"Even better."

She laughed and glanced behind her again.

"You all right, though?"

"Yeah."

"Didn’t hurt yourself or anything?"

"No. Why?"

"You took a decent hit near the end."

Rafael thought back to the challenge near halfway.

"I’m fine."

"Okay."

Her cousin called from farther away.

"I’m coming," she called back before looking at Rafael again.

She hesitated.

"Are you actually coming back to school in September?"

Rafael laughed softly. "Why wouldn’t I?"

"I don’t know. First team and everything."

"Nobody’s told me I’m allowed to stop going."

"Right."

She smiled, looking slightly embarrassed by the question.

"I wasn’t sure how it worked."

"Neither was I the first time they started pulling me out of lessons."

"Your teachers probably love that."

"Some more than others."

Her uncle called again.

She looked over her shoulder.

"I should go before they leave without me."

"Probably."

"See you, Rafael."

"See you."

She turned and hurried after them.

Rafael continued toward the car park.

Several steps later, he realised he was still smiling.