Chapter 27 – Final Third
Minute 85.
The tempo slowed, but not because Palmeiras wanted it to.
São Caetano had dropped deeper, retreating into a low block that smothered space between the lines. Their midfielders weren’t even pressing anymore—they were shadowing, jockeying, delaying. Everything about their body language said one thing:
We’re taking the 1–0.
Palmeiras adjusted. Rafael stopped rushing the ball forward. He started scanning wider. Waiting for the fullbacks to step higher, for someone—anyone—to make a diagonal cut that meant something.
Thiago rotated further inside, almost playing as a second striker now. He caught eyes with Rafael, then nodded once.
On the next pass, Rafael shaped as if to go wide again, but at the last second, disguised a ball toward the inside left channel.
Thiago read it early. He moved first.
The ball met him in stride.
One touch pulled it away from the defender. A second dropped his shoulder and froze the man. He stepped inside, into the box, angles narrowing, and drove his right foot through the ball.
It was low. Fast.