The academy midfielder Malik had just sent onto the pitch stood near the halfway line, looking like he had only just realized where he was.
He had never played professional football before.
Now he was being asked to help beat the best team in the league.
Raúl looked across at Malik.
"Are you sure?"
Malik didn't look away from the pitch.
"No."
Raúl raised an eyebrow.
Malik finally glanced at him.
"But I'm sure he can do it."
The fourth official raised the board.
88 minutes.
Racing immediately pushed forward.
They sensed weakness.
Their striker dropped between the lines, dragging Raúl forward. Their winger sprinted behind him.
One pass.
Two.
The ball was moving faster than Miraflores could recover.
"DROP!" Malik shouted.
Raúl retreated.
The winger crossed.
The ball flew across the six-yard box.
A Racing player arrived
MISS!
The entire stadium exhaled.
Malik clenched his fist.
"Good. Again!"
Racing weren't finished.
They attacked immediately.
Their manager stood on the touchline, shouting instructions.
Malik noticed something.
The academy midfielder wasn't following the ball.
He was following the space.
That was exactly what Malik had wanted.
The teenager intercepted a loose pass in midfield.
For a second, he froze.
Then he remembered the instruction.
Don't play where the ball is. Play where the next space will be.
He turned.
There was Adrian.
Thirty metres ahead.
The midfielder played the pass.
Adrian controlled it.
The stadium erupted.
"GO!"
Adrian accelerated down the right.
One defender came across.
Adrian cut inside.
Another defender stepped forward.
The teenager continued his run through the middle.
Adrian saw him.
Everyone expected the winger to shoot.
Instead
PASS.
The academy player received the ball just outside the box.
He had never scored a professional goal.
He had never even played a professional minute.
The goalkeeper rushed toward him.
The teenager took one touch.
Then another.
The entire stadium seemed to stop breathing.
Malik whispered:
"Now."
The midfielder shot.
GOAL.
For half a second, nobody moved.
Then Estadio Municipal de Miraflores exploded.
MIRAFLORES 3–2 RACING GIJÓN B.
The teenager stood completely still.
Adrian grabbed him from behind.
Raúl sprinted from the other side.
The substitutes poured onto the pitch.
Malik didn't celebrate immediately.
He simply closed his eyes.
Then he exhaled.
Elena, watching from the directors' area, laughed in disbelief.
The commentators were screaming.
"THE YOUNG MAN HAS DONE IT, MATEO SERRANO!!!"
"MALIK AMARI HAS THROWN AN UNTESTED ACADEMY PLAYER INTO THE BIGGEST MATCH OF MIRAFLORES' SEASONAND HE HAS SCORED!"
The Racing manager stood motionless.
His smile was gone.
He looked toward Malik.
Malik looked back.
Neither man said anything.
There was still time.
90+3 minutes.
Racing won a corner.
Every Miraflores player dropped deep.
The ball came in.
Raúl rose above everyone.
HEADERS!
The ball flew out.
Final whistle.
Miraflores 3–2 Racing Gijón B.
The players collapsed.
The crowd was deafening.
Malik finally turned toward the fans.
They were chanting his name.
"MA-LIK! MA-LIK! MA-LIK!"
He looked toward the academy midfielder.
The boy was crying.
Malik walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You belong here."
The player could barely speak.
"II thought I was going to mess it up."
Malik smiled.
"You almost did."
The teenager stared at him.
Malik continued.
"But you didn't."