The legend he was destined to become was about to take its first real step toward reality.
As the candidates were divided into teams for the scrimmage matches, Luca found himself grouped with a mix of familiar and unknown faces. Alessandro Romano was on the opposing team, along with several players who had impressed during the earlier evaluations. The message was clear: this wouldn't be a gentle introduction to match play.
Coach Marotta gathered both teams at the center circle, his expression serious as he outlined the final evaluation criteria. "This scrimmage will be played as two thirty-minute halves with a ten-minute break. We will be rotating players throughout to ensure everyone gets adequate time to demonstrate their abilities. Remember, we're not just watching individual performance – we're evaluating how you function within a team structure."
Antonio Conte stepped forward, his presence commanding immediate attention. "Gentlemen, this is your opportunity to show us not just what you can do, but who you are as players and as people. Football reveals character under pressure. We will be watching how you respond to setbacks, how you communicate with teammates, how you handle both success and failure."
The opening whistle pierced the morning air, and immediately Luca felt the difference in intensity from any training match he'd experienced. These weren't casual park players or friendly competitors – these were elite young athletes fighting for their futures, and the desperation was palpable in every tackle, every sprint, every contested ball.
For the first ten minutes, Luca struggled to find his rhythm. The pace was relentless, the pressing immediate and coordinated, the technical standard higher than anything he'd faced during his preparation. Alessandro Romano was playing like a man possessed, creating chances with every touch and making Luca's team look ordinary by comparison.
But gradually, the weeks of training with Elena began to pay dividends. His tactical awareness allowed him to read the game's patterns, identifying spaces where others saw only chaos. His enhanced fitness meant he could maintain his intensity when others began to fade. Most importantly, his street-smart mental toughness kept him calm when the pressure mounted.
In the eighteenth minute, Luca finally announced his presence. Receiving the ball under pressure from two defenders, he used his improved first touch to create just enough space for a pass. But instead of the safe option that most players would have chosen, his tactical training kicked in. He spotted a teammate making an intelligent run between the defensive lines and threaded a perfect through ball that split the defense wide open.
The resulting goal was clinical, but it had been created by Luca's vision and execution. Conte made a note on his clipboard, nodding slightly in acknowledgment.
[Match Performance: Significant improvement after difficult start]
[Key Strengths Displayed: Tactical awareness, composure under pressure, team play]
[Coach Attention: Multiple positive observations recorded]
[Confidence Level: Rising steadily with successful actions]
The goal seemed to unlock something in Luca's performance. His next twenty minutes were a masterclass in intelligent midfield play. He wasn't the most spectacular player on the pitch, but he was becoming the most effective. Every pass had purpose, every movement created opportunities for teammates, every defensive action disrupted the opposition's rhythm.
During the ten-minute break, he caught fragments of conversation from the coaching staff. "...much improved from his academy days..." "...excellent game intelligence..." "...exactly the type of player we need..."
The second half brought different challenges as the coaches rotated players and changed tactical formations. Luca found himself playing alongside Alessandro Romano, creating an interesting dynamic between former academy rivals who were now temporary teammates.
"You've improved," Alessandro acknowledged grudgingly as they prepared for a corner kick. "Still not good enough to make the team, but better than I expected."
The comment was typical Alessandro – backhanded acknowledgment wrapped in arrogance. But Luca detected something else in his tone: uncertainty. For the first time since their academy days, Alessandro wasn't completely confident in his superiority.
"We'll see," Luca replied simply, focusing on the tactical situation rather than engaging in psychological games.
The corner kick proved to be decisive. Alessandro's delivery was perfect, floating toward the far post with the kind of precision that separated elite players from the merely talented. But it was Luca who read the ball's trajectory best, arriving at exactly the right moment to redirect it into the net with a diving header.
The coaching staff erupted in discussion, their voices animated as they reviewed what they'd just witnessed. It hadn't been the most athletic goal or the most technically brilliant, but it demonstrated exactly the kind of game intelligence and positional awareness that coaches valued most highly.
[Goal Scored: Exceptional positioning and game reading]
[Performance Rating: Outstanding across all evaluation criteria]
[Coach Interest Level: Maximum from all staff members]
[Trial Status: Strong candidate for selection]
As the final whistle blew, Luca felt a mixture of exhaustion and exhilaration unlike anything he'd experienced in either of his lives. He had given everything he possessed to this performance, holding nothing back, trusting completely in the preparation that had brought him to this moment.
The coaching staff gathered the candidates in the center circle for final words before the selection process began. Coach Marotta's expression was unreadable as he addressed the group.
"Gentlemen, we have seen exceptional performances today from many of you. This has been one of the most competitive trials in recent memory, which makes our selection process both easier and more difficult. Easier because the quality is obvious, more difficult because choosing only three from such a talented group means disappointing many deserving candidates."
He paused, allowing the weight of the moment to settle over the group. "Selection results will be announced in thirty minutes. Those chosen will begin training with our squad immediately. Those not selected should understand that this is not a judgment of your worth as players or people, but simply a reflection of our current squad needs and development priorities."
As the candidates dispersed to await the verdict, Luca found himself walking alone toward the facility's parking area. The nervous energy that had sustained him through the trial was beginning to fade, replaced by the kind of emotional exhaustion that comes after giving everything to a single moment.
His phone buzzed with a text from Elena: "Watched from the viewing area. Couldn't be prouder. Whatever happens, you've proven you belong at this level."
The message provided comfort, but it couldn't quiet the anxiety building in his chest as the announcement time approached. Everything he'd worked for, everything he'd sacrificed, everything he'd overcome in both lives had led to this moment. In twenty-five minutes, he would learn whether his second chance had been worth the opportunity.