John was sitting in his room, still with clenched fists, tears shimmering in his eyes. He stared at the photo of Dani Veskov for a long time, as if waiting for it to respond. Suddenly, a message arrived on his phone."Training tomorrow at 7 a.m." — it read in the team group chat.For a moment, John didn't know whether to go or not. But then he remembered the promise he had just made to Dani's photo. He took a deep breath.— "I will go. If I give up now, then I'll never be worthy of being like Veskov."
The next morning, before the sun had even risen, John was already on the field. The other players silently looked at him, while Max smiled like a winner.— "You're here again, John?" said Max. "Well, at least you won't lose your spot."John said nothing. He was focused only on the ball. The coach noticed his silence and dedication.— "John, come here. You'll stay with me a little longer for extra training."The field slowly emptied, but John and the coach remained. The coach showed him a few new exercises and taught him how to better focus on the ball's movement.— "You have talent, John. But you need to understand — victory doesn't come from one game, but through the struggle," said the coach. "Keep working. We still have a lot to do."
Evening came, and John returned home tired, but filled with a new strength inside. He sat down at the table with his mother for dinner.— "You seem calmer today, my boy," said his mother with a smile.— "Mom, I've decided… I won't give up. I still have a lot to learn, but one day I'll look everyone in the eyes and say — 'I became what you only laughed about.'"
And that same evening, at 9 p.m., John's phone buzzed with another message. The teacher had written:"Tomorrow the school football team has a friendly match with the neighboring village school. Those interested, sign up."John replied:"I'm in."And he immediately lay down to sleep.— "I need to sleep — my future depends on tomorrow..."His journey had started again… not as someone chosen, but as someone dedicated.
The next morning was sunny, and a fresh breeze gently blew across Sornari School's football field. John, taking a deep breath, was putting on his cleats, his black and green uniform, and his favorite gloves. He was ready.It was just a friendly match, but for John — it was a real trial.
His teammates had already gathered on the field. Oliver was the first to approach him.— "You're different today, John. That silence in your eyes... I can see something has changed."— "Let's go show them," John replied briefly, barely holding back a smile.
When the opposing team entered the field, among them was a name John had heard of for a long time — Joel Santera.He was considered the star of the neighboring village's team — a striker who rarely missed the ball.John looked at him without fear.
The match began.At first, nothing was working. John's team was still unorganized, Max was absent, and the coach had decided to play without a captain — trusting the new lineup.They conceded a goal in the early minutes.John looked at the ball, then at himself. But there was no despair. Only excitement.
In the second half, things began to change. John began to display his trained reflexes.He caught the balls — now from the left, then from the right. His teammates were inspired by his determination. After a good save, the whole team started playing more harmoniously.The score became 1-1.
And then… the final seconds.Joel Santera got the ball — he charged forward. Everyone froze watching him. He bypassed the defenders and raised his foot — ready to strike.
John remembered his dream...— "Ricardo is getting ready to shoot… Vermog is the last barrier…"
BOOM.A strike. John jumped — catching the ball with both hands, right from the corner.Whistle.Game over.
John's team celebrated the result as a victory, because a draw was a triumph for them.But the greatest victory was John's.He proved — not only to others, but to himself.
The coach approached and patted his shoulder.— "Remember, John. When you believe in the fire inside you, no lack of recognition can stop you."
John looked toward the field — where the sun was shining on the goal net.He thought:— "This was just the beginning…"