The announcement didn't come with fanfare or any dramatic team meeting.
It came quietly, almost as if it were just another routine email: "Ajax second-string squad confirmed for the Amsterdam Youth Cup – full squad participation required."
A single line of text, but one that would change the atmosphere of the entire training facility. For many of the second-string players, including Noah, it was the first real sign that the months of hard work had built toward something meaningful.
The Amsterdam Youth Cup wasn't just a tournament—it was a stage. Every year it attracted scouts from top European clubs, looking for young players with the potential to break into professional football. Ajax's own history with the tournament was legendary; many who had played in it had gone on to become first-team regulars or even international stars.
Head Coach Vermeer wasted no time calling the squad together in the tactics room that afternoon.
The players sat, still dripping sweat from their morning drills, while Vermeer stood at the front of the room with his hands clasped behind his back. His expression carried the weight of what was coming.
"This tournament is more than competition," he said, his voice steady and deliberate. "This is where scouts decide who's ready for the next step. It's where coaches like me make decisions about who belongs in the first string and who doesn't. Every choice you make on the field will matter. Every mistake will be remembered."
His eyes swept across the players, briefly resting on Noah before moving on.
"And let me say something now, before we even begin. I don't want copycats. I've seen you all imitate famous players—pulling stepovers like Ronaldo, twisting your body like Neymar, even some of you trying to mimic Iniesta's pauses and shifts. Stop it. Don't try to be a replica. Give me something only you can bring to the pitch."
The words hit Noah harder than he expected.
He had spent nights studying Iniesta clips, focusing on positioning and that signature La Pausa that had earned Iniesta so much respect worldwide. It was supposed to be the safe path, the clever path. But now Vermeer's words made it feel hollow.
Training intensity doubled almost immediately.
Vermeer shifted focus away from general conditioning and basic drills to game-specific scenarios: playing out of high-pressure presses, executing transitions at speed, breaking compact defenses, and reading defensive lines for gaps. It was clear this wasn't just another training block—it was tournament preparation, and everyone knew it.
Their first opponent in the Amsterdam Youth Cup was announced as PSV Jong, Ajax's fiercest youth rival.
Vermeer dimmed the lights in the tactics room and played clips from PSV Jong's recent matches, pausing and rewinding as he broke down their style.
"This is Daan Vos," Vermeer said, highlighting their captain. "Relentless presser. He thrives on forcing mistakes and winning the ball high up the pitch. If you take more than two touches, he'll be on you before you can blink. And this one here—Sander Klein, their playmaker. Not flashy, but incredibly smart. Give him space and he will dismantle your shape with one pass."
Noah leaned forward as the footage continued, studying Klein's movements.
There was nothing unnecessary in the way he played—no pointless flair, no wasted touches—just efficiency and precision. Noah admired it, even envied it, but Vermeer's earlier words echoed in his mind: Don't try to be a replica.
Vermeer expanded training beyond the pitch too.
Evenings now included "legend analysis modules"—deep dives into the decision-making of football's greatest midfielders. They watched how Pirlo dictated tempo, how Modrić transitioned between phases, and how Iniesta applied La Pausa in different game contexts.
But Vermeer made it clear these weren't highlight reels for copying tricks.
"They succeed because they understand the moment," Vermeer said during one late session. "If you want to learn from them, learn why they make those decisions, not how to copy their moves."
Noah felt the difference almost immediately, and the Console reflected his mental adjustments.
[Football Vision Console Activated]
Pattern Recognition Efficiency +4%
Powered Through Pass Prototype – 62% Recognition Complete
It wasn't much, but it meant he was seeing things more clearly, scanning faster, identifying passing lanes earlier than before.
Vermeer noticed as well and began tailoring drills specifically for him—tight-angle passing sequences and pressure drills where one mistake would mean the drill reset entirely.
The whispers about scouts began spreading like wildfire.
Chelsea, Manchester City, RB Leipzig, and Valencia had all reportedly registered to send talent evaluators.
For most of the second-string players, it was thrilling. For Noah, it was terrifying. His style wasn't flashy or easy to notice; he wasn't a high scorer or someone who made defenders look foolish. His game was quiet, built on vision and timing.
One evening, Vermeer pulled Noah aside.
"You've grown these last few weeks," he said, his tone steady but softer than usual. "Your scanning is better, your passes are sharper, and you're starting to trust your instincts. But understand something, Carter—the Amsterdam Youth Cup isn't where you play safe, and it isn't where you try to be Iniesta. That man had his career, his context. You don't need to replicate anyone else. Bring me a game where people see your signature, not your homework."
Noah nodded, not trusting himself to speak, but inside, he felt something shift.
That night, lying in his small dorm room, Noah called home.
His mother's voice was warm and proud as she asked about his day, about life in Amsterdam, about whether he was eating well.
He wanted to tell her about the scouts, about the pressure, about how this tournament could decide his future, but he didn't.
Instead, he simply promised, "I'll play well, Mom. I'll make you proud."
When the call ended, he stared up at the ceiling in silence.
For months he had played cautiously, afraid to make mistakes, afraid to stand out.
But this time was different.
This time, with scouts watching and opportunities on the line, he felt a spark in his chest.
Tomorrow wasn't just another day of training.
It was the beginning of something bigger.
And for the first time since coming to Ajax, Noah promised himself he wouldn't play safe anymore.