Chapter 64 - 62 - Body Feint

Chapter 64: Chapter 62 - Body Feint

Wednesday’s senior session moved into attacking situations around the final third.

The forwards rotated through different starting positions, with supporting players around them and defenders closing from varying distances rather than waiting in identical one-on-one setups.

Renaud went before Rafael.

Caron played into him with a centre-back moving out to engage. Renaud carried close enough for the contact to arrive, planted himself through it and shifted across the defender once the man’s weight came into the duel.

The opening was narrow, but he got a shot away.

The goalkeeper blocked.

Renaud turned out of the area while the next group came in.

Rafael received against a defender who was already set.

He carried forward, tried to move the man’s stance with his upper body and changed direction, but the defender stayed connected to the ball and followed him across.

The shooting lane disappeared.

Rafael found the supporting midfielder and moved back toward the rotation.

Pale blue light appeared.

[TRAINING MISSION]

[CREATE THE YARD]

[Objective: Create a controlled attacking advantage against three different defenders without relying purely on straight-line pace.]

[Qualifying Action: Beat the defender while retaining possession and produce either a controlled shot or a clear final attacking pass before the defence resets.]

[Bonus Objective: During live opposed play, beat a defender who has already stopped one of Rafael’s attempted deceptions by using a different setup, then create a controlled shot or clear final attacking pass.]

[Reward: Free Attribute Point ×1]

[Bonus Reward: Striker Skill ×1]

[ACCEPT MISSION]

[DECLINE MISSION]

Rafael selected the first option.

[MISSION ACCEPTED]

The panel faded while Loïc’s group entered.

Loïc received between two defenders, moved the ball first time toward Perrin and continued into the area. The return was cut out before it reached him, and another ball was already rolling into the exercise before anyone stopped.

Rafael’s next useful chance came against a defender who was still closing when the pass arrived.

He took his first touch forward instead of waiting.

The defender shortened his steps to get square, but Rafael changed direction before his feet had settled and carried the ball across his front.

The opening came quickly enough for Rafael to shoot.

The goalkeeper saved low.

[Defenders Beaten: 1/3]

The exercise moved on.

Renaud got another turn. Perrin beat a full-back outside and overhit the cross. A midfielder lost possession before the forwards became involved at all.

When Rafael received against a quicker defender, the first attempt went nowhere. He tried to draw the man inside before leaving through the opposite route, but the defender stayed connected to the ball and closed it.

Rafael moved possession on.

Later, Caron found him during an attack that had already dragged the defensive line toward the left.

The defender in front of Rafael began narrowing the inside lane as he approached.

Rafael slowed enough to let the stance tighten, then pushed across the opposite shoulder.

The defender turned late.

Perrin was already running beyond him on the right, and Rafael released the pass into his path.

Perrin reached the box and dragged the shot wide.

[Defenders Beaten: 2/3]

The next stretch belonged mostly to the rest of the group.

Loïc created a chance with a quick layoff around the box, Renaud forced another save after holding off a defender, and one of Rafael’s movements disappeared unused when Caron switched play toward the opposite wing.

His third qualifying action came when a defender backed away rather than reacting to the first movement.

Rafael carried toward him.

The man continued retreating.

As the distance shortened, Rafael shaped toward a shot.

The defender adjusted to protect it.

Rafael took the ball across the exposed side and struck before the recovery came.

The goalkeeper pushed the effort behind.

[Defenders Beaten: 3/3]

[PRIMARY OBJECTIVE COMPLETE]

[Free Attribute Point ×1 Earned]

The staff widened the exercise soon afterwards.

More midfielders joined, the defenders had cover around them and the ball could switch sides without waiting for Rafael to receive another convenient duel.

The senior defender who had stopped him earlier remained in the back line.

Their first meeting came with a second centre-back already protecting the space behind him.

Rafael received, checked the picture once and returned the ball.

The attack continued left.

Another pass reached him later but arrived far enough behind that Rafael had to bring it underneath himself before turning. The defender used the extra moment to close, so Rafael laid it off and moved again.

Renaud challenged for a longer pass on the next possession. Perrin lost another attack near the touchline, while one of Rafael’s runs between full-back and centre-back went unused when the ball moved elsewhere.

Several minutes passed before the midfield played quickly enough to isolate Rafael slightly right of centre.

The same defender came out.

His stance already protected the direction Rafael had tried earlier.

Rafael carried toward it anyway.

His first touch went that side, with his eyes, shoulders and hips following the same line. The defender opened his stance to contain the expected route.

Rafael took another half-step before shifting.

His shoulder, weight and touch moved together.

The defender transferred just enough in the wrong direction.

Rafael crossed his front before the covering centre-back could arrive and pushed the final pass into Perrin’s path.

Perrin hit it first time.

The goalkeeper blocked.

Play continued until the ball eventually ran out near the corner.

Blue light returned.

[BONUS OBJECTIVE COMPLETE]

[TRAINING MISSION COMPLETE: CREATE THE YARD]

[Rewards Available]

Rafael dismissed the panel and finished the session.

He opened it again afterwards.

[Free Attribute Point ×1 Claimed]

[Unassigned Free Attribute Points: 4]

He left the points untouched and moved to the bonus.

[STRIKER SKILL REVEALED]

[BODY FEINT]

[Type: Passive Skill]

[Effect: Improves coordination and credibility when Rafael uses body movement to disguise a change of direction while in possession.]

[Limitation: Does not increase Dribbling, Agility or Acceleration.]

[Limitation: Does not force a defender to react. Poor timing, predictable use or incorrect spacing can still fail.]

[CLAIM REWARD]

Rafael selected it.

[Skill Acquired: Body Feint]

The panel disappeared.

A loose ball was still near his feet. Rafael rolled it once beneath his sole, shifted his weight and left it there.

At thirty-four, he would have checked what his knee thought about repeating the movement.

He picked up his bottle and headed inside.

Thursday and Friday passed between school and Frescaty without anything demanding more space.

Renaud, Loïc and Rafael remained with the senior attacking group, and Friday’s preparation left Renaud in the starting position through the middle.

Rafael packed his things with the rest of the matchday squad.

Saturday brought Rodez to Saint-Symphorien.

Metz controlled more of the ball early, while Rodez kept bodies through the centre and waited for turnovers. Renaud gave Metz a route through the middle, Perrin threatened once from the right and Caron had an effort blocked outside the area.

The visitors struck when Metz committed too many players forward.

Both full-backs were beyond halfway when a Rodez midfielder won the ball and sent the first pass through the pressure. Caron stretched for the next one and missed it by less than a foot.

The ball reached the winger outside.

He drove into the space behind Metz’s left-back, forcing the nearest centre-back to move across while another Rodez runner attacked the gap inside him.

The low pass came slightly behind the runner.

He shortened his stride, reached back with his right foot and still redirected the ball toward the far corner.

The goalkeeper moved across goal but couldn’t get there.

Saint-Symphorien quietened as Rodez ran toward the corner.

FC METZ 0–1 RODEZ

The visitors dropped deeper after the restart.

Metz pushed harder, but the centre stayed crowded and too many attacks ended with crosses into a packed area.

The score remained 0–1 at halftime.

After the break, Caron began receiving higher and Perrin attacked earlier from the right, while Renaud continued occupying the centre-backs.

Nothing changed on the scoreboard.

Several substitutes had already warmed during the half when the assistant turned from the technical area and looked directly at Rafael.

"Rafa. Get ready."

Rafael stood and pulled off the substitute layer.

By the time he reached the touchline, the ball had gone out on the far side.

The fourth official reached down and picked up the electronic board.