Chapter 358: MetLife (ko-fi Readerdude1069)1/2
At around 9 p.m. that night, the large dining hall at Manchester City’s training base was still lively.
Some players had already finished eating and left for their rooms, but most of the squad remained inside, gathered around the giant television screens mounted across the hall as Chelsea faced Palmeiras in the Club World Cup quarterfinals.
The coaching staff occupied one of the larger tables near the front. Pep Guardiola sat there with Pep Lijnders, Kolo Touré, and several analysts, quietly discussing things amongst themselves while occasionally glancing toward the screen.
The players were scattered around in smaller groups.
Lukas sat with Phil Foden, Nico O’Reilly, and Cherki, trays half-finished in front of them as they watched the match begin.
The atmosphere inside the hall shifted slightly whenever something dangerous happened on the screen. A few players would react loudly while others barely looked up from their food.
Then, around the 15th minute, Chelsea struck first.
Trevoh Chalobah stepped forward from defense and punched a pass sharply into Cole Palmer near the edge of the D. Palmer received on the half-turn instantly, opening his body as a Palmeiras midfielder crashed into him from behind trying to disrupt the touch.
It did not matter.
Palmer absorbed the contact, slipped the ball onto his left foot in one smooth motion, then rolled a calm finish neatly into the bottom corner.
A few players around the dining hall reacted immediately.
"Oof."
"What a finish."
"Cold."
On the screen, Palmer jogged toward the corner and did his trademark celebration.
Nico O’Reilly shook his head lightly. "If Cole stayed here, he would’ve been ridiculous for us."
Foden nodded while still watching the replay on the screen. "Yeah, but he had to leave. He wanted minutes."
"And he was never getting them consistently," O’Reilly added. "Now look at him."
The game continued with Chelsea controlling possession for long stretches, but Palmeiras remained dangerous in transitions. Estevão especially kept drawing reactions every time he got on the ball.
Then early in the second half, the Brazilian teenager produced his moment.
A quick Palmeiras attack moved down the right side before the ball was slipped toward Estevão near the angle of the box. Most players expected him to cross.
Instead, he smashed the shot high toward the near post.
The strike flew past the goalkeeper and crashed into the roof of the net.
The dining hall reacted loudly again.
"Okayyyyy."
"That kid is good."
"He’s ridiculous."
Even Foden gave a low whistle while watching the replay.
1-1.
For a while, it looked like the match might drag into extra time.
But Chelsea eventually found the winner in ugly fashion.
Malo Gusto drove forward down the flank and whipped a dangerous ball across the area. A Palmeiras defender stretched desperately trying to cut it out, but the touch only redirected the ball into his own net.
2-1 Chelsea.
A few groans escaped from some of the Brazilian staff members nearby while several City players immediately started standing up from their seats.
"That’s probably done," Bernardo Silva said from another table as he carried his tray away.
Pep Guardiola remained seated for another few moments watching the screen quietly before finally standing up himself and speaking briefly with his assistants.
One by one, the players slowly left the dining hall.
The semifinal was set.
Manchester City versus Chelsea.
And as Lukas rose from his seat alongside the others, he could already feel the anticipation building inside him.
He was ready.
* * *
3 days later, on the 8th of July, 2025.
The July heat hung heavily over MetLife Stadium as the camera swept across the packed stands, blue and sky-blue scattered across every section of the arena. More than 70,000 people had filled the stadium hours before kickoff, and even now, with the players still emerging from the tunnel, the noise rolled endlessly through the New Jersey air like distant thunder.
"Good afternoon from MetLife Stadium here in New Jersey," one of the DAZN commentators began as the broadcast opened over the panoramic shot of the pitch. "We are down to the final 4 of the FIFA Club World Cup, and tonight we’ve got a heavyweight clash between Chelsea and Manchester City."
Beside him, his co-commentator chuckled lightly. "And what a match this promises to be. Enzo Maresca against Pep Guardiola, mentor against former assistant, and 2 squads absolutely loaded with talent."
The players began walking out from the tunnel with the mascots beside them, the stadium volume rising another level as flashes erupted throughout the stands. Chelsea emerged first in their dark blue kits while Manchester City followed moments later in sky blue and white.
The camera panned across the Chelsea lineup while the commentators read the names aloud.
"Robert Sánchez starts in goal. Back four of Marc Cucurella, Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah, and Malo Gusto. Caicedo and Enzo Fernández in midfield. Cole Palmer in the 10 role behind Pedro Neto, João Pedro, and Christopher Nkunku."
"João Pedro especially is one to watch," the co-commentator added. "He’s looked sharp throughout this tournament."
Then the camera switched toward Manchester City’s line.
"And here comes Pep Guardiola’s side. Trafford starts in goal. Matheus Nunes, Rúben Dias, John Stones, and Rayan Aït-Nouri across the backline. Midfield trio of Nico González, Bernardo Silva, and Tijjani Reijnders. Then the front 3, Jérémy Doku on the left, Savinho on the right, and Erling Haaland leading the line."
The commentator paused briefly before continuing.
"And notably, Lukas Brandt starts on the bench tonight."
The camera immediately cut toward the Manchester City bench where Lukas sat quietly in his tracksuit top, elbows resting on his knees as he watched the atmosphere around him. The crowd reaction when his face appeared on the giant screen was immediate, loud cheers mixing with camera flashes from every direction.
The commentators continued talking over the images.
"Many people expected the teenager to start after his impact against Al Hilal and Fluminense, but Guardiola clearly wants experience from the beginning here."
"And that’s the thing with Pep," the other commentator replied. "You don’t earn trust after 1 good game. You earn it every single day."
Lukas kept his eyes fixed on the pitch while the Champions-style Club World Cup anthem echoed through the stadium speakers. He had known since the previous evening that he would not be starting. Pep had announced the lineup during the final tactical meeting without hesitation.
There had been disappointment, naturally.
Any player who said otherwise would be lying.
But beneath that disappointment sat something stronger — determination.
If he wanted his place, he would have to take it.
Not with complaints nor frustration, that wouldn’t help at all.
But on the pitch.
The camera briefly caught Pep Guardiola seated near the touchline, one leg crossed over the other as he unscrewed his bottle of water calmly. The City manager took a sip while watching the players settle into position across the pitch.
Then the referee checked both assistants, glanced at his watch, and...
"FWEEEE"
He blew his whistle.
***********
A/N: Thanks to Readerdude1069 for sponsoring this Chapter. Thank you so much.
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