The Filipino Wonderkid: Road to the World Cup

Volume 1: The Impossible Dream

The ball was restarted from the corner.

San Isidro's players were still talking among themselves when Gabriel moved toward the edge of the penalty area.

Kai noticed him.

He had been watching Gabriel for the last few minutes, trying to understand what made him so difficult to contain.

It wasn't one thing.

That was the problem.

Gabriel didn't rely on a single trick.

He changed depending on what the game gave him.

Kai wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his wrist.

Don't follow the ball.

Watch him.

The corner came in.

Enzo stepped forward and punched it away.

The clearance didn't travel far enough.

A North Central midfielder collected it outside the box.

San Isidro's players rushed out.

Gabriel was already moving.

He pointed toward the right.

The midfielder understood.

A short pass went to him.

Gabriel took one touch.

Then another.

Kai started closing the distance.

Gabriel looked up.

Kai expected him to pass.

Instead, he waited.

Just long enough.

The defender in front of him stepped forward.

Gabriel slipped the ball between the defender and the touchline.

The winger ran onto it.

Gabriel was already sprinting through the middle.

Kai's stomach tightened.

"Track him!"

Jared shouted from behind.

Kai turned and ran.

The winger crossed low.

Gabriel arrived.

One touch.

Shot.

Enzo dropped quickly and blocked it with his legs.

The ball bounced loose.

Miguel cleared it toward the halfway line.

The crowd finally breathed again.

Enzo stayed on the ground for a moment.

"Good save!"

Jared ran over and pulled him up.

Gabriel didn't complain.

He simply jogged back.

Kai watched him.

There was no wasted movement.

No shouting.

No frustration.

He just kept playing.

---

The clock moved to sixty-two minutes.

San Isidro tried to slow the match down.

Miguel received the ball near the center circle and looked around.

"Calm."

He played it to Rafael.

Rafael returned it.

Kai dropped deeper.

For the first time in several minutes, San Isidro managed to keep possession for more than thirty seconds.

The crowd settled.

Coach Ramirez stood with his arms folded.

"Good."

Kai received the ball on the left.

A defender approached.

Kai moved inside.

The defender followed.

Kai passed to Miguel and continued his run.

Miguel returned it.

Kai was suddenly behind the first line of pressure.

The crowd reacted.

He carried the ball toward the final third.

Rafael was running on the opposite side.

Miguel followed behind.

Kai had options.

He slowed near the edge of the box.

One defender stood in front of him.

Another was moving across.

Kai shifted the ball onto his right foot.

The first defender moved.

Kai went the other way.

For a second, he had space.

He shot.

The ball took a deflection.

Corner.

The San Isidro supporters erupted.

Kai exhaled.

"Come on."

Rafael jogged over.

"That was going in."

Kai glanced at him.

"You say that every time."

"Because one of them has to."

Kai laughed.

It lasted only a second.

Then he looked toward the North Central goal.

The corner was already being prepared.

---

In the covered stands, Maria had both hands resting against the railing.

She hadn't realized she'd moved forward.

Daniel noticed.

"You've been standing there for five minutes."

Maria didn't look away.

"I know."

"You want to sit?"

"No."

Daniel smiled.

Beside them, Sofia was holding Belle's arm.

"Belle."

"Yeah?"

"Why does Gabriel keep getting the ball?"

Belle watched the players reposition.

"Because his teammates trust him."

Sofia frowned.

"Then why don't they just stop him?"

Belle laughed softly.

"If it were that easy, nobody would be talking about him."

Sofia considered that.

Then she pointed toward the field.

"But Kai stopped him."

Belle smiled.

"Twice."

Daniel heard that and nodded.

"That's what matters."

Maria finally glanced at him.

"You sound very confident."

Daniel shrugged.

"I'm his father."

That was enough of an answer.

Maria smiled despite herself.

---

The corner was taken short.

Kai received the ball outside the box.

A defender rushed toward him.

Kai tried to return it to Rafael.

The pass was blocked.

North Central recovered.

The attack turned around immediately.

Gabriel was there again.

Kai couldn't help it.

He laughed under his breath.

"Again?"

Gabriel received the ball near the halfway line.

This time, Miguel was waiting.

The two met almost at the same moment.

Gabriel tried to turn.

Miguel didn't give him room.

Gabriel rolled the ball backward with the sole of his boot.

Miguel stayed in front.

Gabriel looked over his shoulder.

Kai saw it.

He moved closer.

For the first time, Gabriel looked slightly uncomfortable.

He passed backward.

North Central restarted.

Miguel gave Kai a quick glance.

"That's better."

Kai nodded.

But neither celebrated.

Because Gabriel was still there.

And the game was still far from over.

---

Sixty-six minutes.

North Central made a substitution.

A tall midfielder came onto the field.

Their coach spoke to him for several seconds before pointing toward Kai.

Rafael noticed.

"Looks like you made a new friend."

Kai glanced at the substitute.

"Great."

"You're popular today."

"Not the kind of popular I want."

Rafael laughed.

The substitute immediately moved toward Kai when play resumed.

He was stronger than the previous midfielder.

Kai received a pass.

The player stepped in.

Kai shielded the ball.

The contact was heavy.

Kai stumbled but stayed upright.

The crowd reacted.

"Foul!"

The referee waved play on.

Kai looked back.

The midfielder was already moving again.

Kai didn't say anything.

He chased the ball.

A few seconds later, Miguel found him again.

This time Kai didn't hold it.

One touch.

Pass.

Move.

The midfielder followed.

Kai changed direction.

The player followed again.

Kai suddenly accelerated.

The defender was half a step behind.

That was enough.

Kai reached the ball first.

He crossed.

Rafael jumped.

The header went over.

Rafael landed and immediately looked toward Kai.

"Too high!"

Kai spread his hands.

"You were too short."

Rafael stared at him.

"You're lucky we're in a final."

Kai laughed.

Even Miguel couldn't hide his smile.

For a few seconds, the tension disappeared.

Then the goalkeeper took the goal kick.

And the match moved on.

---

The seventieth minute arrived.

San Isidro were still ahead in the overall battle.

But the scoreboard remained unchanged.

0–0.

Every minute now felt longer.

Kai could feel his legs getting heavier.

His shirt was soaked through.

His breathing had become rougher.

He looked toward Coach Ramirez.

The coach didn't signal for him to slow down.

He only pointed toward the space behind North Central's right-back.

Kai understood.

He began moving.

Miguel saw him.

The pass came.

Kai controlled it near the touchline.

The right-back rushed across.

Kai pushed the ball forward.

The defender matched him.

Kai slowed.

The defender slowed too.

Kai looked inside.

Nothing.

He looked behind.

Nothing.

For a moment, he was trapped.

Then Rafael appeared.

"Here!"

Kai passed.

Rafael returned it first time.

Kai suddenly had a lane.

He cut inside.

The crowd rose.

A defender stepped toward him.

Kai pushed the ball between the defender's feet.

The stadium exploded.

He was through.

Only one defender remained.

Kai moved toward the box.

The defender backed away.

Kai looked at the goalkeeper.

Then Rafael.

Then Miguel.

For a moment, he thought about shooting.

He did.

The goalkeeper saved.

The rebound bounced toward Rafael.

Rafael struck it.

Blocked.

The ball came back again.

Kai arrived.

He shot.

A defender threw himself in front of it.

The ball hit his leg and went out.

Kai stood there with both hands on his head.

Rafael walked over.

"That was three shots."

Kai looked at him.

"And zero goals."

"Exactly."

Kai laughed.

"You weren't supposed to agree."

Rafael grinned.

"Sorry."

---

The San Isidro fans began singing again.

Not loudly at first.

Just a few voices.

Then more joined.

"Kai! Kai! Kai!"

The sound rolled across the stadium.

Kai heard it.

His chest rose and fell.

For a moment, he closed his eyes.

He could hear his mother's voice from the stands.

Sofia shouting.

Daniel clapping.

Belle calling his name.

All of it mixed together.

Then he opened his eyes.

The game was still there.

So was Gabriel.

---

The seventy-fourth minute changed everything.

North Central won the ball in midfield.

Miguel tried to recover.

The pass went forward.

Gabriel was waiting.

Kai immediately moved toward him.

Gabriel took the ball.

One touch.

He turned.

Kai stepped across.

Gabriel stopped.

Kai stopped too.

The crowd became strangely quiet.

The two players looked at each other.

Gabriel's eyes moved toward the right.

Kai didn't follow.

Then Gabriel looked left.

Kai stayed.

A small smile appeared on Gabriel's face.

"Finally."

Kai couldn't hear him clearly.

"What?"

Gabriel pushed the ball forward.

Kai moved.

But this time, Gabriel didn't try to dribble.

He played a pass behind Kai.

The winger was already running.

Kai turned.

The cross came immediately.

Jared blocked it.

The ball bounced back to Gabriel.

He didn't hesitate.

He struck it first time.

The shot flew through a crowd of players.

Enzo couldn't see it until the last moment.

He threw himself across the goal.

His fingertips missed.

The ball hit the inside of the post.

And went in.

For one second, nobody moved.

Then the North Central supporters exploded.

"GOOOOOAL!"

Gabriel turned toward the corner.

His teammates chased him.

Kai stood near the edge of the box.

He stared at the net.

1–0.

North Central had finally broken through.

---

The noise from the North Central side was overwhelming.

Their supporters were jumping.

Some were hugging.

Others were screaming Gabriel's name.

"Gabriel!"

"Gabriel!"

"Gabriel!"

He stood near the corner flag, breathing heavily while his teammates surrounded him.

There was no wild celebration from him.

He simply looked toward the scoreboard.

Then toward Kai.

Their eyes met.

Gabriel raised one finger.

Not a celebration.

A warning.

Kai felt something cold settle in his chest.

He didn't like that feeling.

Rafael walked over.

"Forget it."

Kai looked at him.

"We still have time."

Rafael nodded.

"Exactly."

Miguel arrived a moment later.

"Reset."

Kai took a deep breath.

"Reset."

---

In the stands, Sofia had gone completely silent.

Her hands were still gripping Belle's arm.

"They scored."

Belle nodded.

Maria sat back down.

For a moment, she looked worried.

Daniel didn't say anything.

He kept watching Kai.

Then Maria whispered,

"He's going to be okay."

Daniel finally spoke.

"He has to be."

Sofia looked at her father.

"Can Kai still win?"

Daniel looked toward the field.

There was no easy answer.

But he smiled anyway.

"He's not done."

Belle looked at Kai.

She believed it too.

---

The referee restarted the match.

San Isidro had less than twenty minutes to respond.

Kai walked toward the center circle.

The noise continued around him.

North Central were celebrating.

San Isidro's players were regrouping.

Coach Ramirez shouted from the sideline.

"Head up!"

Kai looked over.

The coach pointed toward the center.

"Play."

Kai nodded.

The ball was placed down.

Miguel stood beside him.

Rafael was already moving into position.

Kai looked toward Gabriel.

The number ten was walking back toward his side.

Calm.

Almost too calm.

Kai tightened his jaw.

The first goal had changed the match.

But it had changed something else too.

Until now, Kai had been trying to stop Gabriel.

Now he realized that wasn't enough.

If Gabriel wanted to control the final...

Kai would have to answer him.

The referee blew the whistle.

San Isidro restarted.

End of Chapter 41