Chapter 117: Carry the Flag

The referee restarted the match.

Germany, down to ten men.Mateo, bruised and battered.Argentina, bloodthirsty and confident.

The odds were stacked high against him.

But when Mateo stood there,gazing at the enemy,it wasn't fear he felt.

It was clarity.

"If you want a fight...""I'll give you one."

35th Minute

Argentina pressed aggressively,trying to smother Germany.

But Mateo refused to be caged.

He dropped deeper into midfield,demanding the ball.

Over and over.

Even with defenders snapping at his heels,even limping slightly from his bruised ankle,he commanded the rhythm.

Short passes.

Quick turns.

Sharp one-twos.

He weaved through the chaos like a dancer through flames.

Inside the System:

[State Detected: Adrenaline Surge]Temporary Buffs:

Speed +5%

Pain Tolerance +20%

Stamina Recovery +10%

The game shifted.

Argentina started hesitating —afraid to foul too hard again in obvious ways.

Germany's midfield, fueled by Mateo's sheer will, regained breath.

39th Minute: Mateo Strikes

A German counterattack.

The ball reached Mateo at midfield.

He sprinted forward —two Argentine defenders closing in.

Without slowing, he faked a pass left,twisted right with a La Croqueta,and split them.

The crowd roared.

Approaching the box,Mateo feinted a shot —froze the center-back —and cut inside.

Now it was him and the goalkeeper.

A tight angle.A brutal decision.

But Mateo didn't hesitate.

He unleashed a precision long shot,the ball slicing the air like a missile.

Straight into the top corner.

GOOOOOAL!!!

Germany 2 – 0 Argentina

Mateo didn't celebrate wildly.

He simply turned to the German bench,hand on heart,eyes blazing.

"For Lukas.For Germany.For myself."

Inside the System:

[Goal Scored.][Quest Progress: Legendary Moments Against Former Nation — 50%]

The Argentine players exploded in frustration.Their coach screamed orders from the sideline.Their fans booed furiously.

But none of it could touch Mateo now.

Argentine Rage

Nico Rivas seethed on the pitch, blood dripping faintly from his split lip courtesy of Lukas.

Other Argentine players exchanged angry glances.

The dirty tricks hadn't broken Mateo.

They had unleashed him.

And now,they were losing.

Badly.

German Corner

Coach Schuster shouted tactical adjustments from the sideline:

"Stay compact! Counter when Mateo signals!Trust him!"

It was risky.

It was insane.

Relying so much on one player.

But there was no doubt anymore:

Mateo González was no ordinary teenager.

He was something else.

Klara watched the screen with tears of pride,the German fans finally gave him a new chant:

"González! González! Unser Held!"(González! González! Our Hero!)

The boy they once doubted.The boy they now believed in.