Soccer System: All the Skills, One Player!

Lucas knew it was time to take more risks. With Felix recovered emotionally and confident in holding up the defensive half, Lucas felt he could unleash his game and make a difference.

The first few minutes after the equalizer were intense.

Chelsea, buoyed by the goal, pushed forward in search of a comeback, but Brighton showed maturity by not retreating completely.

Eddie gestured from the bench, asking for calm and patience. "Work the ball! Take your time!" he shouted.

Lucas floated around the pitch more. With intelligent movements, he moved between the spaces left by Chelsea, waiting for the right chance. In the 27th minute, he received a ball from Felix, who took out two markers with a move in midfield before making a perfect low pass to Lucas, who spun over his marker, using his body to protect the ball, and fired in from the left.

Mason Mount, sensing the danger, ran back to follow Lucas. The Chelsea midfielder, so dominant in the first half, now had to divide his attention between attacking and helping defensively. Lucas felt it. He knew he was messing with the dynamics of the game.

On the byline, Lucas braked sharply, causing Mount to slide in to clear. With a quick cutback, he reversed into the middle and found Raphael free on the edge of the box.

Raphael shot from the edge of the box, looking for an angle, but the ball went just wide of the post.

In the 30th minute, Lucas had another chance. After stealing the ball in midfield, Denis made a deep pass that ripped through Chelsea's defensive line. Lucas ran like lightning, beating his marker at speed. He broke into the box, but before he could finish, the defender came up with a perfect dink, deflecting it for a corner.

The game was still wide open, but now it was Chelsea who seemed more concerned.

Marie Jones was gesticulating on the bench, clearly annoyed. She called Mount to the sidelines during a break in play.

"You need to come back more," she said. "We can't let them loose like this."

Mount nodded, but it was clear he was frustrated. He wanted to lead Chelsea into attack, but was now locked in a personal battle with midfielder Tanaka.

On the pitch, Lucas noticed the tactical change for Chelsea to focus on stealing the ball. Ever vigilant, he noticed Mount was retreating further back, trying to neutralize his advances. This opened up space for other Brighton players, especially Miguel, Raphael and Arthur, who exploited the gaps left in the opposition midfield.

At the 35th minute, Lucas played a breathtaking role. He received the ball in midfield and ran forward at speed. Mount tried to keep up with him, but Lucas left him behind with a dry dribble. He passed another marker and shot from outside the area. The ball was headed for the goal, but the Chelsea goalkeeper made a spectacular save, deflecting it for a corner.

Marie Jones, from the bench, muttered to Oliver Blackwood: "This kid hasn't just become a threat. He's one of those storms you get when you go out and forget your clothes on the line... Bloody Brighton. Where in the world did they find a lad who's so insistent and assertive at the same time?"

Eddie, for his part, was clapping frantically on the sidelines. "That's it, Lucas! Keep it up!"

The corner was taken short, and the ball came back to Lucas on the edge of the box. He attempted a cross, but the Chelsea defense cleared. The ball fell to Felix, who calmly restarted the move with a safe pass to the full-back.

Brighton was controlling the game, but Chelsea was still dangerous.

Soon, they almost scored again. After a quick counter-attack, the winger received on the left and crossed into the box.

Chelsea's No9 headed the ball in, but Anton once again made an incredible save to keep the score level.

Regulation time was drawing to a close, and Brighton didn't seem satisfied with the draw. They were playing very well against a team that should have been theoretically superior.

Lucas, tireless, continued to lead the attacks. In the 43rd minute, he had a quick one-two with Arthur and broke into the box again. This time, instead of shooting, he tried a low pass to Denis, but the Chelsea defense cut him off at the last moment.

'Damn, be selfish, Lucas!' Arthur thought, seeing the chance his teammate had missed.

However, Lucas hadn't seen the angle to close it down because the goalkeeper had come too close. ]

'I need to copy someone's finishing skills...' thought Lucas.

Finally, when the referee signaled five minutes of extra time, Chelsea was still trying to regain control, but the insistent Brighton players wouldn't let them.

Two minutes into second-half stoppage time, Lucas received the ball in the center circle, spun around Mount and took off like a rocket. He got past two defenders and, on the edge of the box, faked a shot, causing his marker to fall. Calmly, he rolled the ball to Arthur, who was free in the penalty area.

Arthur didn't miss. He shot into the corner, with no chance for the goalkeeper.

BRIGHTON GOOOOOAAAL!

The players ran to hug Arthur, but Lucas was the genuine hero.

Felix, with a broad smile, pulled Lucas into a hug and said: "I told you, you knew what to do."

Eddie, on the sidelines, looked ecstatic. "That's it, boys! Hold on now!"

In the last minutes, Chelsea tried everything, but Brighton's defense was solid. Felix led like the captain everyone knew, cutting out crosses and commanding the defensive line, shouting every time he defended.

When the final whistle blew, Brighton celebrated as if they had won a final. It was a hard-fought victory at the Blues' ground, won with a collective effort and some brilliant moments from their players.

As the players embraced on the pitch, Marie Jones walked over to greet Eddie.

"Congratulations." she said, with a slight smile. "Your team played very well. And that Tanaka... you've got a gem in your hands. Can you hold him?"

Eddie smiled proudly and lowered his gaze. "I don't know if I can. Coach Jimenez wants to train him."

"That's what I thought. If I was going to say something to you about this kid, I'd just tell him to care less about his teammates and focus on himself. But how can you say that to a sixteen-year-old?"

"Do you think that's a weakness?" Alex asked, entering the conversation between the coaches of the two junior teams.

"Excuse me?" Marie looked at Alex.

"Some people might think that Tanaka would be stronger if he was an individualist, but I see the exact opposite. His ability to observe both his teammates and his opponents is impressive. And he doesn't be a hero, he does what's best for the win. If he had focused less on defending, he might have been able to put in a better performance. With a goal or more assists, but from what I saw from the outside, Tanaka's help in defensive recovery often helped us. Of course, our goalkeeper had a brilliant performance too, so I can't attribute the win to Lucas alone, but yes, he helped us a lot."

While Eddie chatted to Marie and Alex at the side of the pitch, the Brighton players were still celebrating their hard-fought victory while the Chelsea team gathered with mixed countenances.

Lucas Tanaka was in the spotlight, although he clearly wasn't looking for it. He laughed shyly as his teammates hugged him and patted him on the back.

It was against this backdrop that Mason Mount approached. He walked across the pitch, his boots clicking lightly on the damp grass as he watched young Lucas, now a little way off, sipping water and trying to catch his breath.

Mount gave a slight smile and called out:

"Tanaka, isn't it? Lucas Tanaka?"

The young man turned, looking surprised to see the Chelsea player wanting to talk to him. His eyes widened slightly, but he tried to keep his composure.

"Yes, it's me. Nice to meet you, Mount," replied Lucas, shaking Mason's hand, who laughed softly.

"I should say it's my pleasure. Man, what was that move at the end? Spinning on me, advancing and still having the composure to make the perfect pass... that was ace."

Lucas scratched the back of his head, not knowing exactly how to react to such praise. "Thanks. But it was more luck than anything else."

Mount shook his head, disagreeing. "No, it wasn't luck. It was vision, technique, and courage. It's not just anyone who has the coolness to bring down a marker with a body dribble. I confess I was curious... how did you develop this calmness in moments of pressure?"

Lucas thought for a moment, still a little uncomfortable with the attention of a top player.

"I think it comes a lot from the confidence that Eddie, our coach, always tells us about. He says that when we're in control of the ball, the game is ours. The pressure is only there if you let it get into your head. I try to remember that when things get tense." Stay updated via empiren/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Mount nodded, impressed. "It's a strong mentality. How old are you again?"

"Sixteen," replied Lucas.

Mount laughed. "And I'm seventeen, and you humiliated me there..."

"Don't worry, don't take it personally." Lucas said and gave Mount a weak punch on the shoulder, who laughed and nodded.