The Estadio Nacional of Santiago was packed.
Not a single seat empty.Flags of Germany and Argentina waved furiously.The atmosphere crackled with tension — almost suffocating.
This wasn't just a football match.
It was a reckoning.
Walk to the Field
Mateo marched out of the tunnel behind his German teammates.
The floodlights blinded for a second —then the sea of noise hit him like a wave.
Banners with his name.Banners mocking him.Faces screaming praise.Faces screaming hatred.
He kept his eyes forward.
Focused.
Unshakable.
"This is nothing compared to what I've survived," he thought.
National Anthems
The German anthem blared through the stadium.
Mateo sang quietly, hand over heart.
Pride swelling in his chest —not just for the jersey,but for everything it represented.
Sacrifice.Hard work.New beginnings.
As the Argentine anthem played, Mateo stood respectfully silent.
Memories flashed unbidden:
His father's voice, singing with pride.
Childhood dreams of wearing the blue and white.
He clenched his fists.
"Not today," he told the past.
"Today, I stand for myself."
Final Huddle
Coach Schuster gathered them.
Short.Sharp.
"No fear.No hesitation.Be smart.Be ruthless."
Eyes locked.Nods all around.
Germany was ready for war.
Kickoff
The whistle blew —and the match erupted.
Argentina pressed with fury, fueled by emotion.
Hard tackles.Quick passes.Relentless energy.
They weren't just playing to win.
They were playing to humiliate Mateo.
From the very first minutes,it became clear:
Every time Mateo touched the ball,at least two Argentinians lunged at him.
Harder.Rougher.Dirtier than anything Ecuador had tried.
Inside the System:
[Extreme Pressure Situation Detected.]Passive Skills Boosted Temporarily:
Stress Resistance +10%
Stamina Preservation +5%
Mateo gritted his teeth and kept moving.
He absorbed hits.
He slipped away from markers.
He kept recycling the ball, never panicking.
They wanted to break him mentally.
He would break them physically.
Early Observations
Coach Schuster shouted from the sidelines:
"They're overcommitting! Find the gaps!"
And Mateo, through the chaos,began seeing it:
The spaces opening behind Argentina's reckless pressing.
The cracks beginning to form.
Not yet.
Not yet.
"Soon," he promised himself,"I'll strike."
In the stands, Klara gripped her German flag tightly,watching every second, her heart pounding.
At the other side of the world, in Buenos Aires,half of Argentina watched with clenched jaws —either hoping for his downfall,or fearing his inevitable rise.