People in the stands begin noticing Che's impact on the pitch.
'Hey, that number 18 is pretty good, isn't he?'
'Yeah. I wonder where they got him from.'
'I think I've seen him before. He played with my younger cousin in a U16 tournament earlier this year.'
'Isn't he the youngest player in the tournament?'
'Do you know his name?'
'No, but I think his surname is Louw.'
'Louw? Never heard of him. Let me check the media for more info.'
One fan searches the internet but comes up empty.
'Hey, look! He's running with the ball!'
Che drives forward with the ball, scanning his options. None of his teammates make the right runs to give him a passing lane. One defensive midfielder (DM) chases him from behind while the other closes in from the front. Spotting Leon open, Che seizes the moment to play a quick one-two. Leon returns the ball, and Che takes a first-time shot, curling it into the bottom-left corner of the net with precision.
'YEAH!'
The players rush to him, celebrating where he scored. They jump on him and ruffle his hair.
'This kid is a genius,' the coach whispers to his assistant, barely celebrating the goal as he stands in awe.
He quickly turns to the bench. 'You and you—kits on. You're going in.'
After the celebration, Che approaches Karl.
'Hey!'
'What's up?'
'Can you slow down your passes a bit? It's making it harder for me to control them.'
'Got it.'
'Thanks.'
Score: KVA (3–2) SBD, 68th minute
Scorer: Che (assisted by Leon)
Substitutions: KVA: Erik Flammensturm (RW) [Out] → Ryan Schmidt [In]
Felix Donnerfeld (RB) [Out] → Daniel Gurt [In]
'Hey, who the heck is this kid?'
'I don't know, but we need to do something about him.'
SBD takes kickoff and passes the ball lacklusterly between their back four. A substitution waits on the sideline. KVA ramps up the intensity, pressing high with enthusiasm to score another. The goalkeeper, feeling the pressure, boots the ball deep into KVA's defensive line.
Jonas (LCB) and the opposing striker leap for the header. Jonas wins it, lofting the ball to Karl (DM). Karl's control is heavy, resulting in a loose ball. Thankfully, Nico (LB) covers, recovering possession and passing to Che, who immediately plays a first-time ball to Finn (LW). Finn passes to Leon, who flicks it back to Che in open space.
A DM runs behind Che, contemplating whether to tackle him despite being on a yellow card. Hesitating too long, the DM lets Che accelerate further before rashly deciding to slide. The tackle barely clips Che, causing him to stumble, but he regains his balance and continues. The referee signals for advantage.
Che drives down the left side of the pitch. Both center-backs retreat, expecting him to cross to Adrian. Instead, Che surprises everyone with a trivela from outside the box. The ball curls magnificently toward the top corner of the goal. The goalkeeper dives desperately but is unable to stop it. The ball hits the back of the net.
Che points to the sky while sprinting to the bench, celebrating with his teammates. The crowd erupts, some fans jumping in excitement while others simply stand and applaud his brilliance.
Score: KVA (4–2) SBD, 72nd minute
Scorer: Che (assisted by Leon)
SBD players visibly show their frustration. Their coach appears stunned, no longer animated like he was at the start of the half.
The match continues, and ten minutes later, Che begins to feel irritation in his ankle from the earlier tackle. When the ball goes out for a throw-in, he sits down.
'What's wrong? Is there an issue?'
'Yeah, my ankle's bothering me.'
Karl signals for the medic, who enters the pitch with the coach.
'What's the problem?'
'It's just my ankle from the tackle earlier.'
'Does it hurt?' the medic asks, examining it.
'No.'
'Che, don't lie.'
'It really doesn't hurt.'
The coach intervenes. 'Ref, we'd like to make a sub—'
'No! I want to keep playing!'
'I'm not risking an injury.'
'Coach, I'm fine. I can keep going.'
The referee approaches. 'Could you take him off the field so we can continue?'
Reluctantly, the coach agrees. Che stands up on his own, refusing assistance, and walks to the sidelines. After stretching and relaxing the ankle for a few minutes, he reenters the game after a dead ball.
The match continues until the final whistle blows. KVA celebrates their victory, but the coach reminds them to shake hands with their opponents before leaving the pitch.
'How's the ankle?'
'It's good. Better next time.'
'I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't know what else to do.'
'No worries. That was the hardest match of my life.'
The DM, overwhelmed, leaves to shake hands with others. Che meets the opposing striker, who approaches with a smile.
'Louw?'
'Yes.'
'I'll remember your name.'
'Yeah?'
'Definitely.'
'Good.'
Che heads toward the dugout.
'He didn't even ask my first name—funny guy,' Che mutters with a grin.
The striker shakes his head in disbelief.
'What's wrong? Smiling after a loss?'
'It's nothing...just that Louw kid. He's got my attention.'
Full Time Score: KVA (4–2) SBD
KVA Advances to the Next Round
Player of the Match (POTM): Che Louw – 2 Goals, 1 Assist