Bruno and Elias exchanged glances from the other side of the field. They already knew Oliveira was tall and strong, but they hadn't expected him to have that kind of game reading. The way he intercepted the pass and sent the ball to Kelvin looked almost too easy—like he'd seen the play before it even happened.

Elias frowned, crossing his arms as he backed up to reposition himself.

"This guy's no ordinary player…", he muttered to Bruno.

Bruno just nodded, a crooked smile on his face. "It's gonna be interesting getting past him"

The game went on. Bruno took the kickoff, but Ian ran tirelessly, giving the Zeltin player no time to think, and was already stealing the ball.

Kazana dropped back to get the ball in midfield and try to reorganize the play. Ian came along, offering a passing option. Zeltin's marking was intense, and the high press forced Sanu to think fast.

"Swing that ball around!", shouted Rafael from the sideline.

Ian passed to Dante, who received in the middle, turned his body, and found Rodrigo free on the right. The midfielder advanced a few meters before releasing it to Felipe, who tried to use his speed to gain ground. But he was quickly closed down and had to send the pass back to João Vitor.

On the other side, Bruno and Elias were preparing for their first serious attempt. When Kazana tried to force a play through the middle, Elias intercepted and launched the counterattack.

It was the perfect chance.

Elias sprinted down the left, Bruno running through the middle to receive. Oliveira stood in the way, like a human wall. Elias took a deep breath, trying to recall the dribbles that had worked against tall defenders like Oliveira before. He started swaying his body, giving small touches to the ball, trying to lure Oliveira to one side.

But Oliveira didn't bite.

He kept his stance, knees bent, eyes fixed on the ball—not on Elias's feet. When the Zeltin forward tried the quick cut inside, Oliveira took a single precise step, stuck his foot in, and won the ball as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

"You've gotta be kidding me…", Elias muttered in disbelief.

Sanu's crowd erupted at the play. Murilo, back in goal, clapped his hands. Ian, who had been tracking back to help, passed by Elias with a sly grin.

"Welcome to Sanu football", he said, before picking up speed again.

Oliveira didn't settle for just winning the ball—he immediately set up the play. With a firm pass, he found Dante in the middle. Dante spun quickly, played it to Rodrigo, who opened it up to Kelvin on the left. Kelvin took it and went straight at Mayke, one of Zeltin's center-backs.

It was time for Sanu's star to shine.

Kelvin accelerated, cut inside, then back out, leaving Mayke lost for a moment. With the space created, he sent in a low cross to Kazana, who got ahead of his marker and tried a first-time shot. The ball skimmed past the post.

The crowd nearly exploded.

"Good one!", Rafael shouted, clapping from the sideline.

On Zeltin's side, the coach was gesturing wildly, demanding tighter marking. Mayke clenched his fist, clearly frustrated at being beaten. Elias still couldn't accept that he'd been stopped so easily by Oliveira.

"He's not stopping me next time", Elias muttered, adjusting his posture.

But Oliveira, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to the taunts. He didn't celebrate, didn't talk, didn't laugh. He just went back to his position, ready for the next play, as if this was just another normal day.

The match stayed intense, with both teams trading attacks and defenses. Sanu's midfield began to assert control, with Dante and Ian winning most of the duels. Rodrigo, always involved, was helping to open up the flanks.

Until Zeltin tried once again to use Elias. This time, he received the ball deeper and had space to accelerate. As he neared the box, he tried a more aggressive body feint, cutting inside hard. Oliveira took a step back, feigning retreat, and at the exact moment, stepped forward again to dispossess him cleanly.

It was almost humiliating.

Bruno shouted to Elias: "Release that ball earlier, dammit!"

Elias raised his hand in apology but was visibly rattled. He wasn't used to being neutralized like this.

Sanu rode the momentum. Oliveira quickly played it to Dante, who sent a long ball to Kelvin on the left. Kelvin beat a defender, crossed high, and Kazana rose above everyone, heading powerfully. Zeltin's goalkeeper stretched and pulled off an incredible save to keep it out.

The pressure was mounting, and the crowd pushed harder with every play.

But Zeltin wasn't the type to give up easily. In a quick move, Bruno managed to slip past Márcio and drive through the middle. Victor came in for cover, but Bruno released it to Elias, now marked not only by Oliveira but also by Danilo, cutting off his space.

Elias took a deep breath, held onto the ball, and waited for the moment. He faked a pass inside and, at the last second, went for the byline, trying to catch Oliveira off-balance. It was the first time he managed to get away, but before he could cross, Danilo slid in cleanly and sent it out for a corner.

"It's not just him who can defend", Danilo said, winking at Oliveira.

The corner came in strong, but Murilo came off his line well and punched it away. The ball fell to Ian, who burst forward on the counter. He carried it to the middle, released it to Felipe, who sped down the right. Kazana was charging through the center, Kelvin on the left.

Felipe cut inside and tried a long-range shot. The ball went close, but wide.

The clock showed twenty minutes, and the game was electric. The score was still 1–0, but the momentum was clearly on their side. Every tackle was celebrated like a goal, and every Oliveira interception drew applause.

On Zeltin's side, frustration was starting to show. Bruno argued with the midfield, Elias complained about the lack of support, and the coach kept asking for composure.

But for Sanu, confidence was only growing.

Kazana gathered the team during a pause before a throw-in.

"Listen… They're already struggling. Keep playing the way we are, and the goal will come. Confidence!", he said, pounding his chest.

Kelvin nodded, taking a deep breath. He knew he could decide the game at any moment, but he also knew Oliveira was the one keeping Sanu in control.

And there was Oliveira—silent, waiting—as if it were impossible to take him out of the game.

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