Soccer System: All the Skills, One Player!

Brighton went into the second half with renewed confidence after Arthur's goal in the last minutes of the first half.

Liverpool, however, looked even more determined. Coach Ferg had clearly given incisive instructions, and his players came back with a semblance of absolute focus.

The 1-0 scoreline was dangerous, and Brighton knew it.

Lucas noticed the change in Liverpool's attitude and rallied his teammates before the whistle blew. "They're going to come all out now. We need to be even smarter. Stay calm, because we can still fuck it up," he said.

As soon as the referee blew the whistle, Liverpool pushed forward with intensity. Declan Shaw, the engine of the Reds' midfield, dictated the pace, distributing quick passes to the wingers and looking for Sam Robinson, the team's most dangerous striker. Leo Carter, with his usual confidence, constantly moved up to the right, trying to put pressure on Raphael and Aidan.

In the 50th minute, a hard foul by Felix on the edge of the box gave Liverpool a dangerous opportunity.

Declan Shaw stepped up to take the free-kick and hit the post with a powerful shot. The rebound was fiercely contested, but Daniel Riber, standing firm like a wall, cleared the danger with a header.

"They're putting us under a lot of pressure," Aidan said to Lucas.

Lucas nodded in agreement. "That's why we need to take advantage of the spaces they leave."

Brighton responded with a sequence of quick passes between Lucas, Javier, and Miguel. In the 55th minute, Miguel received the ball on the right wing and faced the left-back again. This time, the winger faked a cut inside, but quickly changed direction, leaving the full-back behind. Miguel crossed with precision to Arthur, who headed the ball in firmly. The ball was accurate, but the goalkeeper got a hand to it.

"Miguel is gaining ground on Carter. If he keeps this up, he could upset the balance of the game," Clara Rodriguez said on the broadcast.

But Liverpool was undeterred. In the 60th minute, Sam Robinson received a precise delivery from Declan and set off at speed. He dribbled past Luiz Fernando with a quick feint and shot across the goal, forcing Anton to make a spectacular save.

The Brighton goalkeeper, always assured, shouted for his teammates to get their act together.

On the bench, Jimenez watched calmly, but with an expression of restrained concern. He called Eddie over and briefly discussed the tactical options.

In the 65th minute, Ferg made his first substitution, bringing on a more attacking midfielder to increase the pressure. The change had an immediate effect, and Liverpool dominated possession because the midfielder got forward and intercepted Javier's passes.

It was then that Lucas used his Risk Analysis skills once again. He noticed a pattern in Liverpool's advances: Declan Shaw was getting too far forward, leaving gaps in the defensive midfield.

Lucas signaled Javier and Felix, and the three of them planned a quick move to exploit the gap.

The next great opportunity came in the 70th minute. Lucas intercepted a hasty pass from Declan and, wasting no time, laid the ball off to Raphael on the left wing. The winger raced forward, dribbled past the opposing full-back and crossed low into the area. Arthur got ahead of the defender and shot the first time, but the Liverpool goalkeeper made another impressive save.

"What a sensational match!" exclaimed Henry. "Brighton are creating great chances and so are Liverpool, but the goalkeepers are inspired."

In the 75th minute, Jimenez changed the team. Hillebrand came on in place of Raphael, bringing fresh energy to the left wing.

Willian replaced Arthur, adding more mobility to the attack. The idea was clear: to exploit Liverpool's fatigue with fresh, fast players.

In the following minutes, the game became even more intense. The taunts between the players increased. In a dispute over the ball, Leo Carter pushed Miguel slightly, saying:

"You will not get past me, kid."

"We'll see."

In the 80th minute, Brighton had another clear chance. Lucas received the ball from Javier on the edge of the box, got a brilliant touch to clear two defenders, and shot wide. The ball was heading for the corner, but the Liverpool goalkeeper made an unbelievable save to deflect it out for a corner.

In the 85th minute, Sam Robinson almost equalized with a shot from outside the area.

In the 90th minute, the referee signaled for four minutes of extra time. The Brighton fans sang loudly, encouraging their team to hold on for victory.

In the last seconds, Liverpool had a corner. Their goalkeeper climbed into the area in a last gasp of hope. The ball was crossed, but Luiz Fernando appeared to clear the danger with a powerful header.

Lucas picked up the rebound and raced forward, but the referee blew the whistle before he could get a shot at the goal.

"Game over!" announced Henry. "Brighton win 1-0 in a great game from both teams! What a brilliant performance from the whole Brighton team, especially Arthur, Lucas and Anton. This win puts Brighton in an excellent position in the league, taking the lead and just waiting for Chelsea and City to play to see which of them will draw level on points."

Jimenez, always discreet, just smiled and shook hands with Alex and Eddie.

Lucas, exhausted, looked at the crowd and raised his arms, feeling that he hadn't played a great game individually, but at least he had put Jimenez's tactical idea into practice.

As soon as the team left the pitch, the mood in the dressing room was one of pure euphoria.

"Congratulations, lads! You played like real champions today!" said Alex, clapping vigorously.

Eddie added: "That was the response we needed. It was a tough game, but you showed resilience and intelligence."

While the players were recovering, the dressing room door slowly opened. To everyone's surprise, Liverpool's manager, the respected Mr. Ferg, entered alongside Jimenez.

Silence filled the room, but Ferg's expression was friendly.

"I hope I'm not interrupting, boys. But I wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate you personally. You played very well today. It was a game worthy of a cup final."

The Brighton players exchanged surprised and excited looks. It was rare for an opposing coach to make this kind of gesture. Ferg continued:

"When we played you in training months ago, I saw that there was something special about this group. You proved that today. You played with courage, discipline and, above all, intelligence. Especially you, Lucas." Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire

Lucas, taken aback, stood up. "Thank you, sir. It means a lot coming from someone like you."

Ferg smiled. "You have something rare. You can read the game in a way that few others can. Keep it up, and you'll have a bright future. In fact, I say that to all of you. This victory is just the beginning. Never stop improving."

After a few words of encouragement to the other players, including praise for Anton, Arthur and Miguel, Ferg shook Eddie's hand. "Congratulations too, Eddie. I heard what happened, but I know it was the best thing for your professional development and also for the club. I hope we face each other again, but next time I hope the result is different."

Eddie laughed. "You know where to find us, Ferg."

As the Liverpool manager left, the Brighton dressing room erupted in a mixture of laughter and animated conversation.

"Did you hear that? Ferg praised us!" exclaimed Raphael.

"And he even remembered the training match. That means we're making a mark," said Aidan proudly.

Jimenez joined the conversation. "Well, I hope that mark means more wins in the future. Now, everyone, get in the shower!"

When Lucas arrived at his room in the institute's dormitory, he sat on his bed and opened the system.

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===

Player name: Lucas Tanaka

Star Level: 5 - 0 SP/ 300 SP to the next level*

Balance: 800 credits.

===

[Attributes]

Speed: 50

Shooting: 51

Dribbling: 36

Defense: 33

Physical: 49

Passing: 57

[Talents]

Ball Control: 19

Endurance: 15

Strength: 15

Heading: 16

Scoring: 18

Vision: 16

Positioning: 15

===

Mystical Skills:* <Feet>; <Sharp Intuition>; <Attribute Progression>; <Supernatural Resistance>; <Champion System>; <Replicator Genius>; <Titan Weight>; <Immortal Technique>

Soccer Skills:* <Advanced First Kick>; <Stellar Impulse>; <Short Dribble>; <Mirage Feint>; <More Than Fast Reflexes>; <Risk Analysis>; <Advanced Concentration>; <Extended Physical Stamina>;

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He had already distributed the Attribute Points he had earned over the last few weeks. So he analyzed them to see how they were doing.

"My speed has increased a lot. I could feel it in the last few games, especially when I needed to get forward. I know that my Defense and Dribbling are still low, but everyone has to be bad at something, right?"

Being in Lucas' mind would be a lot easier if he really thought like that.

"How can I improve my dribbling? Do I have to copy other dribbling skills or just increase it with points? The Dribbling attribute won't make me dribble automatically, but it will increase my plasticity and speed of thought. If this were a normal system, it would be listed as Reflex."

Lucas put a hand to his chin, thought for a moment, and took a deep breath.

"Anyway, I'll think about it when I get more points. At the moment, if I get dribbling skills, it'll be good. Especially if I don't need to copy them, but earn them with this here." He said and looked at his inventory, where there were 5 Mystery Cards for him to open.