Chapter 60 - 58 - From the Start

Chapter 60: Chapter 58 - From the Start

Rafael stood between Laval’s centre-backs while the referee checked both sides of the pitch.

Caron waited over the ball near the centre circle, Perrin had already moved wide on the right, and Saint-Symphorien carried the low, restless noise that always seemed to gather in the seconds before kickoff. Rafael glanced over his left shoulder, then his right, taking in the space between Laval’s midfield and back four before looking toward Caron again.

Pale blue light appeared across his vision.

[NEW CAREER MISSION]

[MAKE THE START COUNT]

[Objective: Register one goal contribution in your first senior start.]

[Bonus Objective: Help FC Metz win the match.]

[Reward: Free Attribute Point ×1]

[Bonus Reward: Off-Ball Movement +0.2]

[ACCEPT]

[DECLINE]

Rafael selected the first option.

[MISSION ACCEPTED]

The panel faded as the referee blew his whistle.

Caron rolled the ball backward, and Rafael moved with Laval’s defensive line while Metz settled into possession.

His first involvement came less than a minute later. A midfielder found him with a firm pass into his feet, and with a centre-back already closing from behind, Rafael returned it first time before peeling away. Metz worked the ball toward the left instead of forcing the return.

A longer pass came toward him soon afterwards. Rafael moved underneath it, but the defender on his left got a shoulder through him as they rose and won the header cleanly.

Rafael landed, turned and followed the loose ball as Metz pressed Laval’s next pass.

The early exchanges continued like that. Laval were happy to let Metz’s defenders have the ball before tightening the space around midfield, so Rafael alternated between staying high and dropping several metres whenever a clean lane opened.

Perrin received on the right after one switch and lifted his head.

Rafael started between the centre-backs, then curved toward the near channel when the full-back stepped out.

Perrin chose the pass inside instead.

Rafael slowed and turned with the attack while Caron collected the ball centrally.

A few minutes later, Caron found him underneath the defensive line. Rafael laid the pass off and spun away, but the return went outside to Perrin rather than into his run.

Metz kept possession.

Nothing in the opening ten minutes demanded more from him than that.

Caron eventually collected outside the area with enough room to turn and moved the ball right before Laval’s midfield could recover.

Perrin took his first touch forward and drew the full-back toward him before shifting inside. The nearest midfielder arrived a fraction late, and Perrin drove his shot through the space between them.

The goalkeeper dropped quickly and pushed it around the post.

Rafael had already started toward the six-yard box in case the ball came loose, but the save carried it safely behind.

Caron walked across for the corner.

Rafael entered the area among the cluster around the penalty spot and felt a forearm settle against his side almost immediately.

The centre-back responsible for him stepped closer until their shoulders touched, keeping his eyes on Caron while maintaining enough contact to feel any movement.

Rafael shifted toward the near post.

The defender followed.

He edged back again, but the contact never disappeared.

Caron raised one hand.

As the run-up began, Rafael tried to cut across the defender’s front shoulder, only for the centre-back to lean through him and close the route before Rafael could build any momentum.

The delivery sailed over them.

A Metz defender met it beyond the far post and headed over under pressure.

Rafael jogged out while Laval’s goalkeeper collected another ball for the restart. The centre-back stayed beside him until the defensive line moved up, then turned away without saying anything.

Laval kept possession from the goal kick and worked through Metz’s first press.

Their right-back advanced beyond halfway before releasing the winger outside him, forcing Metz’s midfield across. When the winger found no route inside, the ball travelled all the way back through midfield and out toward Laval’s left.

Rafael moved with the defensive line as the visitors switched play.

The left winger carried toward the edge of the box and sent in a cross that travelled beyond the striker and out the other side.

Metz pushed up again.

Caron received the next time they broke through midfield and carried into Laval’s half with nobody immediately stepping toward him.

Rafael stayed high between the centre-backs.

The nearest defender leaned forward as though he might close Caron, then checked his run and stayed beside Rafael instead.

Caron used the space to find the winger on the left.

The move ended with a blocked cross, but Metz recovered the second ball and kept Laval pinned inside their half for another spell.

By the time another low delivery was knocked behind, Caron was already walking toward the corner flag again.

Rafael entered the penalty area but stopped several metres away from the defender who had marked him before.

The centre-back looked across once.

Rafael remained where he was while the rest of the players settled around the six-yard box. A Metz midfielder moved between them as Caron raised his hand, and the defender briefly turned his head toward the bodies closer to goal.

Caron started his approach.

Rafael held for another fraction, then accelerated across the space in front of the defender.

The centre-back reacted late enough that his first step was spent turning rather than making contact.

Caron’s delivery curled toward the near post.

Rafael was already moving onto it.

The defender recovered across his shoulder, but he could not get himself between Rafael and the ball before Rafael reached it and glanced the header across goal.

The goalkeeper had shifted toward the near post with the cross and pushed off immediately.

The ball was already beyond him.

It struck the inside of the far netting.

Saint-Symphorien erupted.

Rafael landed and turned with a shout, breaking away from goal with both fists clenched.

Perrin reached him first and crashed into his side hard enough to make Rafael stumble before Caron came in from behind and caught the back of his shirt. Two more teammates arrived seconds later, and Rafael disappeared between burgundy shirts while the crowd continued roaring around them.

Someone slapped the back of his head, another arm came around his shoulders, and Rafael was still laughing when he finally pushed himself clear.

Perrin caught him once more before the referee began calling everyone back.

Rafael jogged toward halfway with the smile still on his face.

Laval had already placed the ball on the centre spot.

The restart came quickly, and within a minute Metz forced the ball out near halfway after Laval tried to play through the right.

As the full-back walked over to take the throw, pale blue light appeared.

[OBJECTIVE COMPLETE]

[Goal Contributions: 1/1]

Rafael dismissed it before play resumed.