As soon as these words fell, the players immediately exploded.
“Great!”
“Long live the coach!”
“I just want to take a hot shower now.”
Giovanni threw an arm around Tobías’s shoulder, smiling happier than anyone else.
“Tobías, did you hear that?
Ever since you came back, even Gil has become gentler.”
Tobías pulled the soaked training vest off his body and said indifferently, “It’s because the rain is too heavy.”
“Cut it out.”
Giovanni lowered his voice, but couldn’t hide his excitement, “You really impressed him today.
Everyone saw it.”
Several teammates passing by couldn’t help but look at Tobías.
The Team A defensive midfielder gave a thumbs up: “Tobías, those times you covered today were really comfortable.
I didn’t even have to look back; you were already standing there.”
The right winger laughed: “And that long pass, I thought the ball was gone halfway through my run, but it actually landed right at Giovanni’s feet.”
The Team B center back looked helpless: “Don’t talk about it, my head is still filled with the image of that ball curling over my head.”
After they finished speaking, they patted each other on the shoulder and walked toward the locker room.
Before, after training ended, it was rarely this lively around Tobías.
He didn’t talk much, and his position in the team wasn’t stable; while no one shunned him, no one paid him much attention either.
But today was different; on the football pitch, things are most direct.
If you can deliver the ball to my feet, if you can help me win, attitudes change immediately.
Giovanni watched the reactions of these people and laughed even louder: “See that?
I told you earlier that you’ve got talent.”
Tobías glanced at him: “You weren’t bad today either.”
“Just not bad?”
Giovanni was immediately dissatisfied, “Two goals and one assist!
If you had passed that last ball to me, I would have had a hat-trick!”
Tobías wiped the rainwater off his face: “You were being double-teamed.”
“So what?” Giovanni patted his chest, “I’m a striker!
You just worry about passing, I’m responsible for putting the ball in.”
Tobías smiled but didn’t argue with him.
The two returned to the locker room to shower and change.
The rain was still pelting down outside, but it was very lively in the hallway.
Some were discussing the goal just now, some were talking about the derby in two days, and some had already started cursing the Boca Juniors guys for their dirty play.
River Plate and Boca Juniors don’t need any extra incitement.
Starting from the youth team, they are arch-rivals.
Giovanni changed his clothes, shook his still-damp curly hair, and couldn’t wait to pull Tobías outside.
“Let’s go, I’ll take you back.”
Tobías picked up his bag: “Don’t you live in the dorms?”
“Did you forget?”
Your house is nearby too; we couldn’t be more on the way.”
In the River Plate youth team, many players live in the dorms.
But Tobías and Giovanni are different.
Tobías’s family has a large business presence in Buenos Aires, and they live in an affluent villa area.
Giovanni’s father is a legend in Argentine football, so his family background goes without saying.
The two’s residences are very close, just a few minutes away by car.
In the parking lot, Giovanni opened the car door and, before he was even settled, started talking non-stop.
“Tobías, I’m really looking forward to the match in two days.”
Tobías fastened his seatbelt: “Because of Boca Juniors?”
“Of course!”
Giovanni stepped on the gas, and the car drove out of the youth training base, “But even more because of you.
If you can bring that kind of form into the official match, those bastards from Boca Juniors will definitely be stunned by us.”
The windshield wipers swished rapidly, and the training building outside the car window slowly receded.
Giovanni became more and more excited as he spoke: “Do you know?
When Juan was here before, he liked to hold the ball, liked to control the tempo, and could also play threatening passes.
But you’re different.”
“How am I different?”
“You pass earlier.”
Giovanni raised a hand to gesture, “As soon as I start my run, the ball is already there.”
“Before I’ve even thought about how to run, you’ve already laid out the path for me.”
“For a striker, that is simply amazing.”
Tobías leaned back in his seat, listening to the sound of the rain and Giovanni’s voice blending together.
Giovanni continued: “I know those defenders from Boca Juniors well.”
“They like to use their physicality, love to mark tightly, and enjoy intimidating their opponents.”
“But as long as you can deliver the ball early, they definitely won’t be able to turn in time.”
“Don’t underestimate them,” Tobías said, “A derby is not the same thing as a training match.”
“Of course I know that.”
Giovanni grinned, “That’s why I’m even more excited.
Tobías, we can win.
Really, I have a feeling.”
Saying this, he paused, his voice lowering a bit.
“To be honest, Juan getting injured this time is an opportunity for us.”
Tobías turned his head to look at him.
Giovanni gripped the steering wheel, his expression carrying the directness of a youth: “I don’t wish bad luck on my teammates, but football is just like this.”
“If Juan wasn’t injured, Gil wouldn’t let you start, and wouldn’t let us partner up like this.”
He paused for half a second, then added: “If he could rest for a while longer… I’m not cursing him, I just hope you can play a few more games.”
These words were very real, and also very cruel.
Football is never a heartwarming story.
One person gets injured, another moves up.
One person’s form declines, another steals their spot.
Tobías didn’t comment on Giovanni’s words.
Because he understood that Giovanni wasn’t a bad person, he just wanted to win too much.
He also wanted to make a name for himself too much. Get faster updates on g.com.
Furthermore, the name Juan was not unfamiliar to Tobías.
In his memories, Juan was once one of the most promising midfielders in the River Plate youth team.
At sixteen or seventeen, he was targeted by many European scouts, and there were even big clubs willing to place bets on him early.
The media called him “the next South American midfield maestro.”
But what happened later?
Injuries, failed transfers, awkward positioning, a style that couldn’t keep up with the times.
A few years later, this name gradually disappeared from the mainstream vision of Europe.
And later on, he became just like everyone else.
On the contrary, it was Giovanni.
The youth in front of him who was still shouting about a hat-trick while driving would be locked in by River Plate with a sky-high buyout clause in the future.
He wasn’t the kind of genius who shocks the world as soon as they debut, but relying on his movement, shooting technique, physicality, and tenacity, he fought his way into Serie A step by step.
Facing strong teams, he would play with even more energy.
Fans later even gave him a very loud nickname: the Giant Killer.
Thinking of this, Tobías looked at Giovanni.
This guy hadn’t fully matured yet, with the unique drive of a young player on his face, and eyes full of desire for goals.
Giovanni noticed his gaze: “Why are you looking at me?”
Tobías said: “You will make it in the future.”
Giovanni was stunned, then laughed loudly: “Does that even need saying?
Of course I will make it.”
He patted the steering wheel, his tone suddenly becoming serious: “Tobías, do you know where I wanted to go most when I was a kid?”
“Madrid?”
“No.”
“Barça?”
“Neither.”
Giovanni’s eyes lit up, “AC Milan.”
Tobías was a bit surprised, and Giovanni immediately became spirited.
“The Rossoneri!
San Siro!
Inzaghi!
Shevchenko!
Kaká!
When I watched them play as a kid, I really felt that was the coolest way football could be.”
He spoke very quickly, as if he had opened a floodgate.
“Especially the strikers.
Positioning, poaching, killing the game with a single touch.”
“Tobías, do you understand that feeling?”
“The whole stadium is waiting for a chance, and then you put the ball in, and everyone shouts your name.”
Tobías nodded: “I understand.”
“So,” Giovanni laughed, “If one day AC Milan comes to find me, I will definitely go.”