Both teams finish their halftime talks and head back to the pitch, ready to go. Leon sneaks up behind Che, throwing an arm over his shoulder as they walk together.
"Bro, you were killing it in the first half," Leon says with a grin. "Pretty sure they're gonna double up on you this half. Defensive pressure's coming."
"You think so?" Che shrugs.
"Definitely. Which means... I gotta step up my game too."
Che narrows his eyes. "Wait—so you're just planning to capitalize on me being better than you?"
"Call it whatever you want, brother. I'm about to channel my inner Brazilian out here in Germany. You know, since you're already the Argentine in Germany."
"Brazilian? What are you even talking about?"
Leon flashes a mischievous smile, raising both hands as he walks backward toward the field. "You'll see."
Che chuckles, shaking his head as he jogs to his position.
The red team kicks off, and the second half gets underway. They string a few quick passes in midfield, but the white team answers with relentless man-to-man pressing, forcing an awkward pass to Matthias. Without hesitation, Matthias switches play with a lofted ball over to the right flank.
The right-back controls it smoothly and immediately dishes it off to Leon, sparking an attack. With open space ahead of him, Leon makes his move down the wing, accelerating into the gap. The white team's left-winger hustles back to assist the RB defensively.
Leon barrels forward, the left-back waiting to stop him. As Leon approaches, he slows down, then suddenly kicks the ball forward and bursts past the defender. The LB desperately tries to keep pace, trailing just behind.
Leon pulls up just shy of the ball, teasing with a fake cross. But the LB doesn't bite, standing firm in front of him. Now it's just the two of them—one-on-one. A silent standoff.
They lock eyes for a tense moment. Leon starts shifting his shoulders left and right, feinting without even touching the ball. Then, out of nowhere, he drops his left shoulder and pulls off an elastico—a slick move that nutmegs the LB completely.
Before the LB can close his legs, Leon's already through, glancing into the box for his options. Just as he winds up for a cross, the white team's RW comes flying in at full speed, sliding hard to block him.
Leon fakes the shot again, sending the RW skidding straight past him—completely out of play. The LB recovers fast, though, sliding in to clear the ball out for a corner. The corner kick comes in, but the white team's striker wins the aerial duel over Nikolai and clears the ball.
The white team counters immediately. Their attacking midfielder, striker, and right-winger charge forward in a three-on-three break, matched by Nikolai, Matthias, and Johannes, who scramble to mark each player.
The striker pushes into space on the left, trying to draw Nikolai out of position. Nikolai hesitates, watching him closely but keeping half an eye on the AM advancing with the ball. The counterattack barrels closer to the penalty box, and the AM ignores both passing options, opting for a solo run.
Johannes closes the gap, cutting down the AM's space. Sensing the pressure, the AM suddenly accelerates past him, leaving Johannes chasing. Desperate, Johannes dives in with a sliding tackle as a last resort, missing the ball by mere centimeters as the AM leaps over his legs.
The AM's next touch is too heavy, though. Nikolai reads it perfectly, stepping in to win possession before the AM can recover. Calm under pressure, he dribbles away and plays it to the right-back, who's waiting in the middle of the field.
The RB passes it back to Leon hugging the sideline. The ball zips toward him with speed, but the LB is already sprinting to close him down. Leon rushes toward the ball, and just as the LB lunges in, he flicks the ball over the defender's head, darting around him in the process.
With the LB left in his wake, Leon charges into open space, cutting toward the middle of the pitch. The defensive midfielder tries to close him down, but Leon is too quick. His striker and attacking midfielder are ready in the middle, but Leon hesitates to pass—they're both marked tightly by the second DM and the RCB.
Now faced with the LCB, Leon runs toward the byline, luring the defender to follow. Once inside the box, he shifts direction sharply, cutting to his left foot. The LCB adjusts his stance, attempting to block the shot.
Leon strikes hard and low toward the near corner. The ball nutmegs the defender, leaving the keeper blinded as it rolls cleanly into the bottom right of the net.
As the crowd erupts, Leon locks eyes with Che, pointing dramatically. Che jogs over, clapping him on the back.
"Told you! Did you see that? That was miles better than any goal you'll score."
Che scoffs. "Luck. That was pure luck."
"I've got a better weak foot than you."
"That doesn't make you better than me." Che smirks.
"Maybe not, but my lefty is better than your righty."
Leon laughs, and the LCB steps forward to pat him on the back.
"Nice goal."
"Thanks."
Both teams reset for the next kickoff.
Score: White (1 - 1) Red