Become A Football Legend-Chapter 274: Debut III

Kaiserslautern broke forward with sudden intent. A midfielder slipped a perfectly weighted through pass toward their striker, who was making a diagonal run just outside the box.

For a split second, it looked dangerous.

João read it early.

He stepped forward sharply from the edge of the area, intercepting the pass cleanly before it could reach its target. No sliding challenge. No foul. Just timing.

The crowd groaned.

But he didn’t stop there.

Without hesitation, he took one touch to set himself and, from just inside his own box, launched a long diagonal ball toward the right wing. It was struck with conviction — high, arcing, precise.

The winger controlled it in stride.

Suddenly, it was 1-on-1.

The Darmstadt fans behind the goal rose to their feet as the winger bore down on the goalkeeper. One touch. Two. Then a delicate chip.

The ball floated over the keeper’s outstretched hands and dropped into the net.

2–1.

The away section exploded.

In the VIP box, Lukas was on his feet instantly. Joanna jumped up beside him, arms thrown around his shoulders. Carlos clapped loudly. Javi stood and punched the air once, a rare display of open emotion.

João sprinted half the length of the pitch to join the celebration, teammates mobbing him near the corner flag.

From shaky beginnings to decisive involvement.

The final minutes passed in a blur of noise and tension, but Darmstadt held firm.

When the referee blew for full time, João dropped briefly to one knee, exhaling deeply before standing again.

He had played the full 90 minutes.

The coach approached him first. A firm handshake. A few quiet words. Then a brief hug — not overly emotional, but meaningful. Teammates patted his back, congratulating him.

For a debutant, it had been impressive.

Not flawless.

But resilient.

As the players began their lap toward the away supporters, João glanced once more toward the VIP box.

Lukas was applauding him, smiling fully now — not the forced smile from earlier, but something lighter.

For the first time all weekend, it felt like something simple.

Just football.

* * *

The underground parking garage beneath the stadium was cooler than the noise and heat of the stands above. The echo of distant footsteps and the hum of engines filled the wide concrete space as players and staff filtered out slowly after the match.

Lukas stood leaning casually against one of the pillars beside the large black SUV Carlos had driven from Frankfurt. Javi stood next to him with Anne, hands tucked in his jacket pockets, while Joanna and Ruben hovered nearby. João’s parents were there as well, talking quietly among themselves while they waited.

Ruben, restless as always, kept pacing around the car.

"Is he coming or not?" the 10-year-old complained for the third time.

"He just finished his first professional match," Carlos replied calmly. "Let him breathe for 2 minutes."

Lukas smirked slightly and glanced toward the entrance ramp where players were beginning to appear one by one, some carrying small bags, others already greeting family members.

Then finally João appeared.

Still in partial training gear with a jacket thrown over his shoulders, he walked into the garage looking slightly tired but very much alive with adrenaline. When he spotted them waiting, his face broke into a grin.

"Well look at this," he said as he approached. "A whole welcoming committee."

Carlos stepped forward first, grabbing him by the shoulders.

"Good game," he said simply, pride evident in his voice.

João’s mother hugged him tightly next, whispering something in his ear that made him laugh softly.

Javi shook his hand firmly.

"90 minutes on your first start," Javi said. "Not bad."

Then Lukas stepped forward.

For a moment he said nothing, just looking at him with a small smile.

João lifted his arms slightly.

"Well?"

Lukas shook his head.

"You were shaky," he said bluntly.

João blinked.

Then Lukas broke into a grin and pulled him into a quick hug.

"But that interception and pass for the winner," Lucas added. "That was cold."

João laughed.

"Shut up."

Joanna clapped lightly.

"That pass was actually beautiful."

Ruben jumped in immediately.

"You got a yellow card!"

João pointed at him.

"You see that? This one only remembers the bad things."

"Because you almost got sent off!" Ruben shot back.

Everyone laughed.

"Alright," Carlos said after a moment, clapping his hands together. "Let’s go before the traffic becomes a nightmare."

They all piled into the SUV — Carlos driving, João in the front passenger seat, while the rest squeezed comfortably into the back rows. The doors shut with heavy thuds and the engine started, the vehicle slowly rolling out of the garage ramp and into the cool evening air outside the stadium.

Inside the car the atmosphere was relaxed.

João replayed moments from the match, animatedly explaining how he had read the interception before the winning counterattack.

"I saw the striker already leaning forward," he said. "So I stepped early. If I missed it, I was dead."

"You almost were dead in the first half anyway," Lukas teased from the back seat.

"That yellow card..." Javi added.

João groaned.

"Why is everyone stuck on that?"

"Because you were sliding around like you were playing FIFA," Lukas said.

Laughter filled the car.

As they continued down the road, Lukas pulled out his phone and quickly checked the Bundesliga scores.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs St. Pauli.

Final: 2–2.

He opened the match summary.

Ekitike — goal. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Knauff — goal.

Lucas raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Look at that," he muttered.

Joanna leaned closer.

"What?"

"Frankfurt drew 2–2."

Then Lucas opened the Eintracht Frankfurt team group chat.

Messages were already flooding in — jokes, memes, random photos from the locker room.

Lucas typed quickly.

Lucas:

"See what happens when I’m not on the pitch? Everyone suddenly remembers how to score."

A reply popped up almost immediately.

Knauff:

"Shut up and enjoy your vacation kid."

Another one.

Ekitike:

"Bro scored 3 goals Thursday and thinks he owns the team now."

Lukas smirked and locked the phone.

The match itself hadn’t mattered much. Frankfurt had already secured Champions League qualification and Bayern had wrapped up the title weeks earlier. A draw this late in the season carried no real consequences.

For once, it was just football.

The SUV hummed steadily along the road toward Darmstadt, the excitement from the match still alive inside the car. João was halfway turned in the passenger seat, still replaying the winning moment with animated gestures.

"I’m telling you," he said, "I saw the pass coming before he even played it. The striker leaned forward, so I stepped in."

"You were gambling," Lukas said calmly from the back seat.

João twisted around. "I was not."

"You were," Lukas replied. "If you missed that, it was over."

Joanna leaned slightly between the seats. "I thought you were going to slide."

"Exactly," Lukas said.

João shook his head with a grin. "None of you have faith."

Lukas watched him for a second before speaking again.

"Hey."

"What?" João asked.

"I want your jersey."

João blinked. "My jersey?"

"The one from today."

João turned around more fully now, staring at him.

"You’re serious?"

"Yeah," Lukas said simply.

João laughed.

"Wow. Now you want jerseys."

Ruben immediately leaned forward from the back row.

"Wait, isn’t that the same thing João did to you?"

João pointed at him. "Exactly!"

He turned back to Lukas.

"You remember when I asked for yours?"

Lukas sighed slightly. "Yes."

"Your debut jersey against St. Pauli," João said. "And what did you do?"

"I framed it."

"You fined it," João corrected.

"Premium collectible," Lukas replied.

Ruben burst out laughing.

"So now you want João’s jersey too?" he asked.

Lukas nodded casually.

"Of course."

João crossed his arms.

"For sentimental reasons?"

Lukas shook his head.

"No."

Everyone looked at him.

"I’m going to sell it."