The Malmö FF Youth Academy Trials XIII

The score had been stuck at a stalemate for over ten minutes, but that didn't reflect the pace or intensity of the match at all. If anything, the game had been kicked into a higher gear. It was as if both teams had thrown all caution to the wind and were going band for band on the attack, each side determined to break the deadlock first.

Team A came out swinging. Felix had managed to slip free a couple of times and send in threatening crosses from the left flank. But beyond that, his influence had been drastically limited. The reason? Sebastian.

This was the first time Sebastian had used his gift not to control the entire field or dictate the rhythm of the game but to lock down a single player.

Normally, his insane reflexes, sharp reaction time, and elite-level perception allowed him to play like a conductor, seeing the entire pitch at once. He was always aware of his teammates' runs, his opponents' positioning, and the available space. It was what made him so dangerous in possession and such a brilliant playmaker.

But this time, all of that talent was focused on Felix Karlsson.

Every time Felix tried to sprint, Sebastian was already moving. When he dropped deep, Sebastian followed. If he tried to switch flanks, Sebastian adjusted. The left wing of the pitch was completely locked down. Felix had felt it from the very start of the half, and now he was feeling the full brunt of it. It was the rare frustration of being matched for pace, instinct, and awareness.

Still, Team A wasn't backing down. They rotated possession, worked the ball into pockets of space, and tried to test Team D's defense with clever passes and overlapping runs. One of their midfielders ripped a powerful shot from just outside the box that had Lukas diving full stretch to parry it wide.

Another attack saw their right winger slip past Martin and drive a low shot toward the near post, but Lukas was sharp again, getting a strong hand to the ball.

Team D had their chances too.

Sebastian once again embarrassed the left back with a burst of pace down the line before squaring a perfect low cross into the path of Kalle. It was a golden opportunity, but the Team A keeper read it well and managed to smother the shot with a diving save.

Later, Martin slipped a through ball to Theo, who drifted inside and tried to curl a shot from the edge of the box. It looked destined for the far corner, but the keeper got just enough on it to tip it around the post.

Then came the loudest gasp from the crowd. Sebastian cut inside from the right, dropped his shoulder to create space, and unleashed a laser toward goal. The ball curved wickedly but smacked off the crossbar and went out. Everyone watching had thought it was in.

Sebastian's growing influence didn't go unnoticed.

After his crazy equalizer, Team A had changed their approach. They couldn't afford to let him near the box with the ball. For most of the second half, he found himself tightly marked, by not just one, but two players at all times.

Felix and the left back tracked his every move, and on several occasions, a midfielder joined them, turning the pressure into a triple team.

Still, he kept going.

Even when cornered, he found ways to slip passes through tight gaps or create little pockets of space. It wasn't just skill. It was vision. That gift of his to see the game in a way most others couldn't was elevating every touch, every pass, every run.

But there was still no breakthrough.

Both teams continued trading blows, and the fouls started piling up. Tempers flared. Late tackles, shoulder checks, shirt pulls. The referee's whistle was a near constant now, trying to keep the match from spilling over into chaos.

Then, another moment unfolded.

Felix got the ball again on the left flank and tried to push forward. Sebastian was right behind him. Felix slowed, trying to throw him off with a couple of body feints and flashy stepovers. But Sebastian stayed locked in. He tracked every movement carefully, never lunging or committing, just reading him like an open book.

Running out of tricks, Felix tried to burst down the line. He knocked the ball forward and accelerated. But Sebastian matched the sprint stride for stride. Then, with flawless timing, Sebastian sped past him, slipped his body between Felix and the ball, and pushed him aside with a shoulder to take full control.

Felix tried to spin back around and challenge, but Sebastian was already gone, carrying the ball upfield.

A midfielder stepped in to block his path, but Sebastian played a quick one-two with Oli, who had raced up beside him. The return pass came at the perfect angle, and Sebastian collected it cleanly, swerving his run toward the center and bending toward the box.

In front of him stood the left back again. This time, his expression was grim. His eyes locked on, his stance low, as if his life depended on stopping Sebastian.

Sebastian dropped a quick feint to the left and then slid the ball to the right, trying to find a better shooting angle and raising his right leg to shoot.

The left back lunged, stretching out a leg to block, but Sebastian calmly performed a ball roll, moving the ball towards the left, getting past the defender. He then nudged the ball once more to get it under control before lifting his leg to strike with his left.

But then, in his peripheral vision, he caught something. A shadow cutting across his blind side.

Before he could react, a body slammed into him.

Sebastian was sent crashing to the ground, tumbling over the grass before coming to a stop near the edge of the box.

The referee blew his whistle hard.

Sebastian sat up slowly, blinking at the blur that had taken him out. It was Felix.

The referee came running over, pulled a yellow card from his pocket, and held it high toward Felix. The message was clear. No more warnings.

Martin was the first to jog over. He reached down and offered Sebastian a hand.

"Bro, are you alright?" he asked.

Sebastian took the hand and stood up, brushing some grass from his shorts. "Yeah, I'm fine. The tackle wasn't that bad. I just didn't expect it."

Martin looked at him and laughed. "Are you sure? He just body-slammed you across the ground like it was a WWE match."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sebastian let out a short breath, nodding slightly. His eyes narrowed, and he looked across the pitch at Felix. The air around him shifted. "Doesn't mean I liked it though."

He walked over to where the referee had indicated the ball should be placed and set it down carefully. As Team A began organizing their defensive wall, Sebastian stood beside the ball, scanning the field and keeper's position.

The foul had happened just outside the right edge of the box. The wall was covering the right side, while the keeper was standing slightly off center toward the left.

Martin lingered nearby, and Sebastian spoke quietly.

"I don't know if he fouled me because he was pissed at me locking him down or he just felt it was better to foul me than let me take that shot," he said. "But I'm going to make him regret it."

Martin gave him a small nod and patted him on the back. "Alright. Good luck."

Then he turned and jogged off to join the wall.

Sebastian took a few steps back to the left, setting up to hit it with the inside of his right foot. He looked up one last time, then drew in a deep breath.

The referee's whistle pierced the air.

Sebastian took his run-up, angled his body towards the left with his left arm stretched out, and struck the ball powerfully with the inside of his right boot. It rose over the wall, curling toward the top left corner. The keeper dived to save it, but he was too late.

The ball screamed past him and slammed into the net, and his teammates went wild.

Sebastian stood still for a moment, as his teammates ran towards him to celebrate, just watching the ball bounce once off the back of the goal.

He had delivered. Again.