The Filipino Wonderkid: Road to the World Cup

Volume 1: The Impossible Dream

The throw-in was taken quickly.

North Central's right-back glanced toward the center before throwing the ball down the line.

Gabriel was already moving.

Kai saw him and started forward.

So did Miguel.

"Don't let him turn!" Miguel shouted.

Gabriel received with his back to goal. Kai closed the gap, careful not to rush into the tackle. One wrong step and Gabriel would be facing forward with half the field in front of him.

Gabriel felt him coming.

He shielded the ball, waiting for an opening.

Kai leaned in.

Gabriel tried to roll away.

Kai stayed with him.

For a second, their shoulders touched.

Then Gabriel released the ball backward.

The pass reached North Central's captain.

Miguel was there immediately.

The captain passed again.

Back to the center-back.

The crowd began to whistle.

North Central weren't interested in attacking anymore.

They had the lead.

They could afford to wait.

Kai looked at the scoreboard.

80:32.

Ten minutes.

Maybe four or five more with stoppage time.

He didn't know exactly how much.

What he did know was that every second North Central spent passing backward was a second San Isidro didn't have.

"Move!" Coach Ramirez shouted.

San Isidro pushed higher.

The center-back looked up.

Kai moved into the passing lane.

Rafael stepped toward the other defender.

Jared positioned himself between the two center-backs.

Miguel stayed just behind the pressure.

The center-back finally tried to play through the middle.

Miguel read it.

He stepped forward.

The ball struck his foot and bounced loose.

Kai reacted first.

He reached it before the midfielder could.

The stadium erupted.

"GO!"

Kai didn't look toward the goal.

Rafael was already running.

Kai played the ball into his path.

Rafael took two touches before a defender closed him down.

"Back!"

Kai called.

Rafael understood immediately.

He laid it off.

Miguel received and switched play to the opposite side.

Kai was already moving.

The ball reached him near the touchline.

A defender rushed out.

Kai slowed.

The defender slowed with him.

For a moment, the two were almost standing still.

Kai glanced toward the box.

Jared was covered.

Rafael was marked.

Miguel was outside the area.

Nothing obvious.

Then Kai noticed the full-back.

One step too far forward.

A small gap had opened behind him.

That was enough.

Kai pushed the ball into the space and went.

The defender turned late.

Kai reached it first.

He didn't bother slowing down this time.

The cross came across the box.

Jared attacked the near post.

A defender got there first, but the clearance struck his shoulder and popped into the air.

Jared jumped again.

He headed it back across goal.

Rafael arrived.

Volley.

Blocked.

The rebound rolled outside the box.

Miguel hit it first time.

Too high.

The ball disappeared into the stands.

Miguel bent forward, hands on his knees.

"Come on."

Kai jogged back toward him.

"Again."

Miguel straightened.

He took a breath.

"Again."

---

82:14

North Central finally cleared the ball.

It rolled toward the halfway line.

Gabriel was waiting.

Kai saw him immediately.

He turned and ran.

Gabriel controlled the ball and looked forward.

A winger was already sprinting down the right.

Another North Central player was moving through the middle.

Gabriel could have passed.

Instead, he carried the ball.

Kai kept retreating.

Don't dive in.

Gabriel pushed it ahead.

Kai matched his pace.

Another step.

Another.

Gabriel shifted left.

Kai stayed.

He shifted right.

Kai didn't bite.

That was the difference.

Before, Kai had been reacting to Gabriel's movements.

Now he was watching the ball.

Gabriel noticed.

His expression changed.

Just slightly.

Then he accelerated.

Kai did the same.

The two raced toward the San Isidro half.

Gabriel pushed the ball ahead, trying to get around him.

Kai stretched his foot out.

He caught enough of the ball to knock it toward the sideline.

Gabriel stopped.

Kai got there first and cleared it into the stands.

The San Isidro supporters cheered.

Gabriel looked at him.

Kai was breathing hard.

His legs were starting to feel heavy, but he forced himself to stay upright.

Gabriel walked a few steps closer.

"You're learning."

Kai wiped the sweat from his mouth.

"So are you."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow.

"About what?"

"That I won't chase you anymore."

A short laugh escaped Gabriel.

"Good."

He turned away.

Kai watched him go.

He wasn't sure if that had been a compliment.

With Gabriel, it was probably both a compliment and a warning.

---

On the sideline, Coach Ramirez clapped once.

"Good, Kai!"

Leo glanced toward him.

"He's stopped chasing the ball."

Ramirez kept his eyes on the field.

"He's watching the player."

Leo smiled.

"Finally."

Ramirez shook his head.

"No."

Leo looked at him.

"Then what?"

"Growth."

The word was simple.

Ramirez didn't say anything else.

He didn't need to.

---

83:06

The throw-in went to Miguel.

He immediately played it forward.

San Isidro were pushing almost everyone into North Central's half now.

The risk was obvious.

One bad pass.

One missed tackle.

One counterattack.

And the match could be over.

Rafael received near the right side.

He looked toward the box.

Kai was moving inside.

Jared was between two defenders.

Miguel was arriving behind him.

Rafael crossed early.

Too deep.

The goalkeeper caught it cleanly.

He dropped to the ground with the ball against his chest.

The North Central supporters cheered.

"Slow it down!"

Their goalkeeper stayed down.

The referee walked toward him.

"Get up."

The goalkeeper took another second.

Then another.

Kai stared at the scoreboard.

83:49.

The goalkeeper finally stood.

84:02.

He launched the ball.

Miguel won the header.

It dropped toward Kai.

Kai controlled it, but a North Central midfielder immediately stepped into him.

The contact sent him to the grass.

The whistle blew.

Free kick.

Kai stayed down for a moment.

His legs were beginning to ache in places he hadn't even noticed during the match.

Rafael appeared above him.

"You okay?"

Kai looked up.

"My legs are dead."

Rafael extended his hand.

"Then use mine."

Kai grabbed it.

He pulled himself up.

"You don't have enough."

Rafael snorted.

"Fair."

Miguel had already picked up the ball.

"Everyone in."

San Isidro moved forward.

North Central dropped deep.

The free kick was delivered toward the far post.

Jared rose above everyone.

His header came back across goal.

Rafael stretched.

He missed by inches.

Kai was coming from behind.

He threw himself forward.

His forehead met the ball.

The goalkeeper reacted late.

He got both hands to it.

The ball bounced off his gloves.

Still loose.

Kai landed hard.

Rafael reacted first.

He stabbed at the ball.

A defender blocked it on the line.

The ball rolled away.

"Clear it!"

A North Central player kicked it toward the corner.

Kai pushed himself up.

His heart was pounding.

For a second, he simply stared at the goal.

So close.

Then Miguel reached the loose ball.

He kept it in.

Another cross came.

This one was low.

The ball flashed across the six-yard box.

Jared slid.

Missed.

Rafael slid.

Missed.

Kai arrived at the far side and swung his foot.

A defender got there first.

The ball flew out.

Corner.

Kai bent forward, hands on his thighs.

Rafael walked over.

"You almost broke the goal."

Kai looked at him.

"I almost broke my ankle."

"Same thing."

Kai laughed.

He couldn't help it.

Then his eyes moved to the scoreboard.

85:17.

The smile disappeared.

Five minutes.

---

The corner was taken short.

Miguel received and returned the ball.

Kai moved toward the box.

The defender followed.

Kai stopped.

The defender stopped.

Rafael suddenly sprinted toward the near post.

Kai pointed toward him.

Rafael understood.

He dragged his marker away.

Space opened.

Miguel crossed.

Kai stepped into it.

He jumped.

The ball was slightly behind him.

He couldn't get a clean header.

Instead, he redirected it with the side of his head.

The ball bounced toward the far post.

The goalkeeper stretched.

His fingertips touched it.

Corner.

Kai landed and stared at the goal.

"Keep going!"

Coach Ramirez's voice cut through the noise.

Kai turned.

Ramirez pointed at the scoreboard.

"Five minutes!"

Then toward the field.

"Five minutes is enough!"

Kai took a breath.

He nodded.

Five minutes.

It sounded like nothing.

It also sounded like everything.

---

86:03

The next corner came in high.

Jared attacked it.

His header was clean this time.

The ball flew toward the top corner.

The goalkeeper jumped.

He pushed it over.

The San Isidro supporters groaned.

Jared turned away.

"He's saving everything."

Miguel picked up the ball.

"Then shoot again."

Jared looked at him.

"That's your plan?"

Miguel handed him the ball.

"Yes."

Jared laughed.

"Fair."

---

North Central made another substitution.

Their captain came off.

The fresh player entered slowly.

Too slowly.

Coach Ramirez noticed immediately.

"They're killing time," Leo said.

"I know."

The referee checked his watch.

Kai stood near the center circle.

His breathing was heavy now.

His shirt clung to his back.

He looked toward Gabriel.

Gabriel was standing near midfield.

Even from a distance, Kai could see the exhaustion on him.

His hair was stuck to his forehead.

His shoulders rose and fell with every breath.

Gabriel caught Kai looking.

Their eyes met.

Neither looked away.

Kai had spent most of the match thinking about how dangerous Gabriel was.

Now he noticed something else.

Gabriel was tired too.

Maybe not as tired as him.

Maybe not even close.

But tired.

That mattered.

The game wasn't being played by machines.

They were both seventeen-year-old boys trying to drag their teams across the finish line.

And whoever broke first would pay for it.

---

87:11

San Isidro won the ball again.

Miguel found Kai.

Kai turned.

There was space.

He carried the ball forward.

A defender stepped out.

Kai shifted inside.

Another defender moved across.

This time, Kai didn't stop.

He pushed the ball between the first defender's legs.

The crowd exploded.

Kai was through.

The second defender stepped toward him.

Kai cut inside.

The goalkeeper came off his line.

Kai looked toward the far corner.

He had the angle.

He shot.

The goalkeeper blocked it with his chest.

The rebound fell back into the area.

Kai went down.

Rafael arrived.

Shot.

A defender blocked it.

The ball bounced toward Miguel.

Miguel struck it.

Blocked again.

It came back to Kai.

He was still on the grass.

He pushed himself up and swung his foot.

The shot flew toward goal.

A defender threw himself in front of it.

The ball hit his body and went wide.

Kai stared at him.

"How?"

Rafael walked past.

"Don't ask."

Miguel picked up the ball.

"Just score."

Kai looked at him.

Miguel's expression didn't change.

"That's the answer."

Kai took a breath.

Then nodded.

---

88:04

The corner was ready.

Every San Isidro player moved into the box.

Even Enzo started walking forward.

Coach Ramirez immediately pointed at him.

"Enzo!"

The goalkeeper stopped.

"Stay!"

Enzo reluctantly turned around.

The corner came in.

High.

Too high.

North Central's goalkeeper punched it away.

The ball traveled toward the edge of the box.

Kai chased.

He reached it before the midfielder.

One touch.

He looked up.

There were bodies everywhere.

He could cross.

But the box was packed.

Kai passed backward instead.

Miguel received.

Cross.

Rafael got his head to it.

The ball bounced dangerously across the box.

Jared tried to turn.

A defender cleared.

Kai recovered the loose ball.

The goalkeeper was still moving back toward his line.

For half a second, Kai had an opening.

He shot.

CLANG.

The ball smashed against the crossbar.

The sound seemed to hang in the air.

Kai froze.

The ball bounced down.

The goalkeeper grabbed it.

The crowd released one huge groan.

Kai slowly put both hands on his head.

Rafael came over.

"That was it."

Kai looked at him.

"Don't say that."

Rafael gave him a tired grin.

"Sorry."

Kai looked back at the goal.

The crossbar had stopped him.

Again.

He clenched his jaw.

Not yet.

---

89:16

The clock kept moving.

North Central were no longer trying to build attacks.

Every clearance went long.

Every throw-in took too long.

Every foul became another few seconds.

Kai looked toward Coach Ramirez.

The coach wasn't shouting anymore.

He was simply watching.

Waiting.

Kai understood.

There might be one more real chance.

Maybe two.

They had to make it count.

Miguel received near the halfway line.

Kai started running.

Rafael sprinted down the right.

Jared moved toward the box.

Miguel played the ball.

Kai controlled it.

A defender stepped toward him.

Kai touched the ball inside.

The defender followed.

Kai turned.

Rafael was open.

Pass.

Rafael crossed first time.

Jared rose.

Header.

The goalkeeper saved.

The rebound fell to Miguel.

Shot.

Blocked.

The ball bounced toward Kai.

Kai didn't think.

He struck it low.

Hard.

Through the defender's legs.

The goalkeeper dropped.

The ball passed him.

Kai's heart jumped.

For one second, he thought—

Then a defender slid across the line.

His foot caught the ball.

It rolled away.

Kai stood frozen.

The referee checked his watch.

89:52.

Rafael grabbed Kai's shoulder.

"Still here."

Kai looked at him.

Rafael pointed toward the loose ball.

"Again."

Kai breathed in.

Again.

---

The fourth official raised the board.

+4 minutes.

The San Isidro supporters saw it.

The stadium erupted.

Four more minutes.

Kai stared at the board.

His hands were shaking slightly.

Not from fear.

From exhaustion.

Miguel walked over.

"One goal."

Kai nodded.

Rafael joined them.

"One goal."

Jared came last.

"Then another."

Kai looked at him.

Jared shrugged.

"Why stop at one?"

A laugh escaped Kai.

It hurt.

But he laughed anyway.

Then his eyes moved toward Gabriel.

The North Central number ten stood near the center circle.

He looked exhausted too.

Their eyes met.

Gabriel raised his chin.

Kai did the same.

No warning this time.

No smile.

Just an understanding.

They had pushed each other for nearly the entire second half.

Now there was nowhere left to hide.

The referee checked his watch.

Then blew the whistle.

North Central restarted.

Kai moved forward.

Four minutes remained.

And for the first time since Gabriel's goal, Kai wasn't thinking about stopping him.

He was thinking about scoring.

The crowd rose behind him.

His legs hurt.

His lungs burned.

The goal still looked impossibly far away.

But Kai kept running.

Because sometimes an impossible dream didn't need much time.

It only needed one chance.

And San Isidro still had four minutes to find it.

End of Chapter 43