Chapter 10 : Debut

The match kicked off, and Real Betis immediately took control of possession. They moved the ball around with confidence, looking to break through Tenerife's defense.

On the right wing, Nico was electric. Every time he got the ball, he caused problems for the defenders. His dribbling was sharp, his movements unpredictable.

In the 7th minute, he picked up the ball near the halfway line. Two defenders rushed toward him, but he stayed calm. With a quick body feint, he shifted his weight and played an outside-foot pass down the line for Kadir, slicing through the defense.

The Betis fans erupted in cheers. Even those who had doubts about him were starting to take notice.

Just two minutes later, Nico found himself in another good position. He received the ball just outside the box, took a quick touch to create space, and sent a lofted cross to the far post.

Jorge Molina met it with a strong header, but Roberto, the Tenerife goalkeeper, reacted quickly to make the save.

The commentators were buzzing.

"Look at the confidence of this 14-year-old! He's not just keeping up—he's leading the attack!"

"It's incredible! He's playing like he belongs here. If he's this good now, imagine him in a few years!"

The moment of magic arrived in the 27th minute.

Real Betis were on the attack when Jorge Molina, their experienced striker, was brought down just outside the box. The referee immediately blew his whistle, awarding Betis a free kick approximately 32 meters from goal.

As the players gathered around, the coaching staff quickly made a decision. They had seen Nico's free-kick ability in training. Without hesitation, they changed the order—Nico was now the first-choice free-kick taker.

The commentators raised their eyebrows.

"Surely, they aren't letting the 14-year-old take this?"

"It's a long way out… and against an experienced goalkeeper like Roberto, this seems ambitious."

Some fans in the stands murmured in doubt, while others watched in anticipation. Nico, however, remained calm.

He placed the ball down and took a few measured steps back, his eyes locked on the target. The stadium fell silent for a brief moment.

The referee blew the whistle.

Nico took a deep breath and began his run-up. His posture was smooth, his form flawless. As his foot connected with the ball, the shot had both precision and power—but more importantly, the movement was erratic.

The ball swerved unpredictably in the air, moving left and right in a way that sent Roberto scrambling. It was a strike reminiscent of the legendary Juninho.

The goalkeeper stretched desperately, but it was too late. The ball dipped at the last moment and crashed into the upper left corner of the net.

The stadium exploded.

The Betis fans erupted in disbelief and joy. The commentators were momentarily stunned before their voices soared.

"Unbelievable! The 14-year-old wonderkid has just scored an absolute stunner!"

"What on earth did we just witness? That was a world-class free kick! The movement of the ball—it's like something only the greats can do!"

The Betis players rushed toward Nico, mobbing him in celebration. Some of them were still in shock, shaking their heads.

On the touchline, the Betis coach stood there, mouth slightly open, before breaking into laughter. He turned to his staff.

"We knew he was good, but my God, did you see that?"

In the stands, some Betis fans who had doubted him just minutes ago were now chanting his name.

As his teammates swarmed around him in celebration, Nico took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a brief moment, and pointed both hands to the sky—just like Kaká used to.

It was a simple yet powerful gesture.

The cameras zoomed in on him, capturing the image of the 14-year-old wonderkid standing tall, arms raised, looking toward the heavens.

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As the players walked into the locker room, the atmosphere was lively. They were leading 1-0, and the energy from Nico's wonder goal was still fresh in everyone's minds.

The coach stood in the center of the room, clapping his hands to get everyone's attention.

"Alright, settle down." He looked around at the team before his eyes landed on Nico. "Good kick, kid." A small smile formed on his face before he shifted his focus back to the rest of the squad.

"Now, listen up. We're in control, but we can't get complacent. Tenerife will come at us hard in the second half. We have to stay compact and disciplined."

He walked over to the tactics board and pointed at the midfield setup.

"They've been struggling to break through our press, so expect them to go wider in the second half. Wingers, track back and help the fullbacks. Don't give them space to cross."

Then, he looked at the attacking players.

"We'll have chances on the counter. When we win the ball, I want quick transitions. Nico, Juanmi, Rubén—you three will be key. Exploit the spaces, and don't be afraid to take risks in the final third."

He clapped his hands again.

"Stay sharp. Stay disciplined. We see this game out, and we take the three points. Got it?"

The players nodded, some giving each other small fist bumps before getting ready to head back out onto the pitch.

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The second half kicked off, and from the very first minute, it was clear that Tenerife had returned to the pitch with renewed determination. 

Gone was the sluggish team from the first half—now, they pressed high, forcing Betis to play quicker than they wanted. Every Betis player was under pressure the moment they received the ball, giving them no time to settle or pick their passes properly. 

Betis, who had controlled possession so well in the first half, suddenly found themselves on the back foot. Their midfield struggled to retain the ball, and their attacks broke down before they could reach the final third. 

Nico, who had been so dangerous in the first half, was now being tightly marked. Every time the ball came to him, two defenders immediately closed in, blocking his space and cutting off his dribbling lanes. Without service, he was unable to influence the game as much as before. 

Tenerife continued to push forward, growing in confidence with each passing minute. Betis needed to weather the storm, but cracks were starting to show. 

Then, in the 78th minute, disaster struck. 

Betis was attempting to play out from the back when Ismael Gutiérrez received the ball near the center circle. He looked up, scanning the pitch for passing options. Under normal circumstances, he would have had the time to pick out the right pass, but Tenerife's relentless pressing left him with no breathing room. 

A Tenerife midfielder quickly closed him down, forcing him into a rushed decision. 

Panicked, Ismael attempted to play a quick pass to the right flank, hoping to relieve some of the pressure. 

But his pass was weak. 

A Tenerife forward, anticipating the mistake, pounced on the ball before it could reach its target. With a quick touch, he laid it off to his teammate just outside the penalty box. 

The Betis defenders scrambled to reposition themselves, but Tenerife had already set their attack in motion. 

A rapid one-two between two Tenerife attackers carved open the Betis defense, leaving a clear path to goal. 

Before the defenders could react, Tenerife's striker took one touch to set himself and then unleashed a powerful, driven shot toward the bottom corner. 

The Betis goalkeeper dived, stretching out as far as he could, but the shot was precise—just out of reach. 

The net rippled. 

The stadium exploded with cheers from the Tenerife fans as their players ran to the corner flag to celebrate. 

1-1. 

The Betis players stood frozen for a moment, staring at the ball inside their net. 

The lead they had worked so hard to protect was gone in an instant. 

Nico clenched his fists in frustration. He knew this goal could have been avoided. Now, with just over ten minutes left, Betis had to find a way to respond.

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After conceding the equalizer, the Betis coach knew he had to act fast.

Tenerife had gained momentum, pressing high and limiting Betis' ability to transition into attack. The midfield was struggling to link up with the forwards, and they needed a new approach to regain control of the match.

The coach called Nico over to the sideline and gave him new instructions.

He was moving Nico to the attacking midfield position, placing him centrally where he could dictate play.

He then ordered the forwards to drift wide, pulling Tenerife's defenders apart and creating space for Nico to exploit.

The shift in tactics started to take effect almost immediately.

With the forwards spreading the defense, pockets of space began to appear in the middle. Nico, now given more freedom, was finding himself on the ball more often, looking for opportunities to create chances.

Tenerife, realizing the danger, tightened their defensive shape, but the cracks were beginning to show.

Then, in the 89th minute, it happened.

A misplaced pass from Tenerife's midfielder—sloppy, under-hit, and easily readable.

Nico was already anticipating it.

He stepped forward and intercepted the ball cleanly, immediately turning upfield.

Two Tenerife players reacted instantly, closing him down before he could accelerate.

But Nico had already planned his escape.

The first defender lunged in, trying to poke the ball away.

Nico smoothly flicked it between his legs—a perfect nutmeg.

The crowd gasped as the defender stumbled, completely beaten.

The second defender rushed in, stretching out his leg to block Nico's path.

With the grace of a dancer, Nico executed a Marseille Turn, spinning away effortlessly and leaving the defender off balance.

Now, he was free—thirty meters from goal, space in front of him.

The stadium was electric.

The commentators could hardly contain themselves.

"Nico Cruyff! What a turn! He's got space! He might go for it!"

Nico took a deep breath, raised his head, and locked his eyes on the goal.

His body shifted slightly to the right, deceiving the goalkeeper into thinking he might aim for the far post.

Then—he struck.

The ball soared into the air with immense power.

"It's rising! This looks dangerous!"

The ball climbed rapidly, appearing as if it would go over the bar.

The Tenerife goalkeeper scrambled back, his eyes wide with panic.

And then—just as suddenly—the ball dipped.

Violently.

Unpredictably.

The crowd collectively held their breath as the ball swerved sharply to the left, curling downwards toward the goal.

The goalkeeper leaped, arms stretched to their limit.

Fingertips grazed the ball—but it wasn't enough.

The ball crashed into the upper left corner of the net.

The net rippled.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then, the stadium erupted.

The Real Betis fans exploded into cheers, some jumping, some screaming, others in complete disbelief at what they had just witnessed.

"GOOOOOOOOAAALLLLLL!!"

"NICO CRUYFF WITH A STRIKE OF PURE GENIUS!!"

"AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE!"

Nico didn't hold back his emotions.

He sprinted toward the Betis supporters, his arms raised.

As he reached them, he slowed down, his head tilting toward the sky.

Then, just like Kaká, he raised both hands and pointed to the heavens.

His teammates rushed over, surrounding him, patting his head, shaking him in excitement.

The commentators couldn't stop praising him.

"A star is born tonight in Tenerife!"

"What a debut! What a performance! What a goal!"

The stadium speakers blasted the announcer's voice.

"GOL DE NICO CRUYFF!"

The Betis fans kept chanting his name.

This was it.

Nico Cruyff had arrived.

After Nico's stunning goal, Real Betis held on for the final few minutes, fending off Tenerife's desperate attacks.

When the final whistle blew, the scoreboard read 2-1 in favor of Betis.

The players celebrated on the pitch, congratulating Nico, who had just announced himself to the football world in spectacular fashion.

Post-Match Press Conference

The Betis coach, still buzzing from the victory, entered the press conference room.

The journalists were eager, hands raised, voices overlapping as they tried to get their questions in first.

One of them was chosen.

"Congratulations on the win, coach. What are your thoughts on the match?"

The coach smiled, leaning forward.

"It was a tough match. Tenerife played well, especially in the second half, but we stayed disciplined and took our chances. The team fought hard, and I'm proud of the way we responded after conceding the equalizer."

Another journalist quickly followed up.

"Nico Cruyff made his debut today, and he was the difference-maker. What can you say about his performance?"

The coach chuckled, shaking his head slightly.

"What can I say? You all saw it yourselves. He was fantastic. He worked hard, created chances, and then scored two brilliant goals. For a 14-year-old to come in and do that on his debut? It's special."

A journalist from a major Spanish sports outlet raised his voice.

"Were you surprised by his free-kick ability? The first goal was a beauty."

The coach nodded.

"We knew he was good at them, but seeing it live, in a match situation, at this level? That's something else. The ball moved like it had a mind of its own. The goalkeeper had no chance."

More hands shot up.

Another journalist asked, "What about his second goal? That was pure individual brilliance."

The coach smiled again.

"That goal… wow. It's the kind of thing you expect from world-class players, not a kid making his debut. The nutmeg, the turn, the strike—it was a moment of magic. And trust me, we've been seeing moments like that in training. This is just the beginning."

A journalist from MARCA spoke next.

"Does this performance change anything about how you'll use him going forward?"

The coach took a moment before answering.

"Listen, we have to be careful. He's still very young. We don't want to put too much pressure on him. But if he keeps playing like this, it's going to be hard to leave him out."

The questions kept coming, but one thing was clear—Nico Cruyff had stolen the headlines.