The second friendly match of the summer was against Atlético Madrid's Juvenil C—a team known for its discipline, aggression, and relentless pressing. The kind of team that doesn't let you breathe on the ball. A very different beast from Real Sociedad.
But Luca Herrera wasn't the same player either.
Warm-Up: Locked In
Luca stood by the sideline during warm-ups, bouncing the ball from one foot to the other with surgical ease. His system was online, subtle HUD indicators hovering just out of everyone's sight.
[SYSTEM ACTIVE]+2 Boost to Agility for 24hMatch Objective: 1 Goal, 1 Assist → Reward: Skill Point Pack x3
He looked sharper, faster, calmer.
Coach Álvaro walked by, clapping him on the shoulder. "They'll come at you harder today. Let them. Then show them why you're here."
Kickoff: The Pressure Is Real
From the first whistle, Atlético pressed like wolves. The midfield was a war zone—every touch was met with boots, shoulders, and fast switches.
Luca started a little deep, trying to read the rhythm. The ball barely reached him in the first five minutes. When it finally did, an Atlético midfielder flew into a tackle, knocking him off balance.
Luca hit the grass, hard.
The ref blew for a foul, but Atlético's players laughed.
"Too soft, kid," one of them said.
Luca got up, wiped the turf dust off his cheek, and said nothing. But his eyes were glowing with quiet fire.
Minute 17: Magic Awakens
Luca received the ball near the left wing. A defender rushed him.
[SYSTEM: Elastico Chain → Success]He faked left, snapped the ball right, then spun around the second player. A third tried to step in—drag-back, flick, gone.
The crowd at the La Masia field started clapping.
He zipped a low pass to the striker. One-two. The return came in. Luca took it mid-stride, paused, saw the keeper rushing out—
And chipped it again. The net rippled.
GOAL!
1–0, Barcelona.
Minute 34: Breaking Lines
Now the game had opened.
Luca dropped into the half-space, receiving a diagonal pass under pressure. Two Atlético players closed him down—but he spun, flicked the ball behind his heel and nutmegged one, bursting into the empty lane.
Gasps from the small crowd.
Then came the final blow: a lofted, curling through ball to the winger, who volleyed it into the top right corner.
ASSIST.
2–0.
Coach Álvaro on the sidelines just muttered, "My God... it's like he's playing jazz out there."
Second Half: The Maestro Controls the Tempo
With the score 2–1 (Atlético had pulled one back), the game got intense. But Luca was the calm in the storm. Every time he touched the ball, something happened.
Minute 52: He pulled a no-look switch pass across the field that left the crowd buzzing.Minute 60: He dribbled through three, took a long shot—off the post.Minute 66: Took a free kick—curled just wide, inches away from magic.
But the most breathtaking moment?
Minute 74.
Luca picked the ball near midfield and danced.
It wasn't fast—it was fluid. Shoulder feints, stepovers, flicks, that Ronaldinho smile blooming on his face as he left defenders spinning in circles.
He passed it off after breezing by four players, but the damage was done.
People watching stood up, applauding.
Even the Atlético coach, arms folded, cracked a grin.
Final Whistle: 3–1 Victory
Luca walked off with one goal, one assist, and a highlight reel that would make the rounds on every Spanish youth football blog.
His teammates clapped his back. "Bro, are you sure you're 15?"
The crowd chanted his name—"LU-CA! LU-CA!"
From the stands, his father had tears in his eyes. Pride shining bright.
Post-Match: Notification Ping
As Luca sat down near his bag, his system buzzed in his mind:
[Match Objective Complete]+3 Skill Point Packs Received+1 Trait Unlocked: "Flair" — Signature Ronaldinho PlaystyleNext Objective: Start in Friendly vs Valencia
Luca smiled as he looked around.
This was only the beginning.