Chapter 84 - 82 - The Mission

Chapter 84: Chapter 82 - The Mission

The cross came slightly behind the covering defender.

Rafael reached it near the far side of the six-yard box, but his opponent had recovered enough to move across his shooting foot. Renaud was arriving in the middle, having pulled away from the centre-back who had followed him toward the near post.

Rafael adjusted his body and cushioned the ball back into Renaud’s path.

The striker met it first time, driving his shot low toward the corner. The goalkeeper reacted quickly and pushed the ball away, allowing another defender to clear the rebound before Renaud could reach it.

Renaud glanced toward Rafael and raised a hand as they returned to their positions.

[Attacking Requirement Complete]

The notification faded as play continued.

Renaud received the next pass near the edge of the area, but his marker stayed tight enough to prevent him turning. He laid possession back toward Caron, whose attempted pass to Perrin was intercepted before the winger could reach it.

The opposing team counterattacked through midfield, forcing Rafael to recover toward his left side before a defender stepped across and cleared.

Another passage ended with Perrin winning a corner after his attempted cross struck the full-back. Renaud attacked the delivery, but the goalkeeper came off his line and gathered it.

The coaches let the exercise continue for several more minutes before rotating the groups.

Rafael moved off for a drink while Loïc joined the attacking side.

The forward quickly became involved, combining with a midfielder near the edge of the area before slipping a pass between two defenders. His teammate reached it and struck, forcing the goalkeeper to move across and save.

A different attack ended with the opposing team intercepting near halfway and carrying down the right, where a covering defender recovered in time to block the attempted cross.

When the assistants called Rafael back, they extended the exercise to allow longer passages of play. Both teams would have to reorganise through several changes of possession instead of stopping after each attack.

Rafael resumed his position on the left.

Caron found him near the touchline during the opening passage, but the opposing full-back stayed close enough to prevent him carrying toward goal. Rafael returned possession inside, allowing Caron to switch play toward Perrin.

Renaud moved between the centre-backs as the winger approached his marker.

Rafael began drifting inward, then checked his run when Perrin slowed under pressure. The defender was still close enough to challenge, and Rafael stayed near the left channel while the winger attempted to take him on.

The tackle came cleanly.

Rafael was already turning when the opposing midfielder collected the loose ball and looked toward the right, where another player was advancing behind Metz’s left-back.

The midfielder took a touch forward.

Rafael accelerated across the passing lane before he could release the ball.

The pass came down the line, but Rafael reached it first and intercepted with his right foot. Another opponent immediately closed from behind, forcing him to shield possession before moving it into Caron’s path.

Caron received facing midfield and carried away from the first challenge, then found one of the deeper players.

Metz moved possession across to the opposite flank.

[Defensive Requirement Complete]

The notification appeared briefly before disappearing.

The session continued, with Renaud heading over from a wide delivery and the opposing team later creating a chance after intercepting near halfway.

Rafael was forced into another recovery run when Caron’s attempted pass was blocked. He reached his assigned channel in time to close the space ahead of Metz’s left-back, allowing a midfielder to challenge the player carrying possession.

The ball eventually went out near the touchline.

Both teams continued working until the coaches ended the opposed block.

Rafael walked off with the others, his shirt soaked and his legs heavy from the repeated accelerations.

He joined the cooldown and began stretching while the assistants moved between the players.

The System appeared as he lowered himself onto the grass.

FOOTBALL LEGACY SYSTEM

[TRAINING MISSION COMPLETE]

[COMPLETE THE ROLE]

[Attacking Requirement: Complete]

[Defensive Requirement: Complete]

[Reward Available: Work Rate +0.3]

[CLAIM REWARD]

Rafael selected the option.

[Work Rate +0.3]

[REWARD APPLIED]

[UNASSIGNED FREE ATTRIBUTE POINTS: 5]

The panel disappeared.

Rafael returned to stretching, taking his time with his calves before the staff dismissed the players.

He collected his equipment and walked back toward the changing room with the others.

Metz continued preparing both attacking arrangements over the remaining days before Dijon.

Rafael trained on the left when the coaches used Renaud through the middle and Caron behind him. During other passages, an additional midfielder came into the side and Caron moved wide, leaving Rafael among the attacking alternatives.

Friday’s session included several shorter attacking sequences.

In one, Caron found Rafael near the touchline, and he returned the ball before moving inside as possession travelled toward Perrin. The winger beat his defender and delivered toward the far post, where Rafael met the cross with a first-time shot that forced the goalkeeper into a save.

Later, he moved inside too early and had to chase back when the opposition intercepted. He reached the wide player, although the defender managed to pass backwards before Rafael could challenge.

The coaches continued rotating the players without announcing which arrangement would start on Monday.

Outside training, Rafael had assignments to finish after missing school during the international tournament. Lucas reminded him about one deadline during lunch, and Rafael checked the pages he’d completed before promising to send him the remaining notes that evening.

He spent Friday night working at the kitchen table while his mother prepared dinner. When she called him over to help carry the plates, he marked the page he was on and cleared his books out of the way.

They ate together before Rafael returned to finish his assignment.

The weekend’s football programme was lighter, consisting of shorter tactical exercises and set-piece work rather than another demanding opposed session.

Renaud remained the central striker in both arrangements. Rafael completed his work with the left-sided group and the attacking alternatives, while the performance staff confirmed there were no concerns about his availability.

On Sunday, he packed his equipment for Dijon and checked the travel arrangements before going to bed.

Stade Gaston-Gérard was already busy when Metz arrived on Monday evening.

Supporters were moving toward the entrances as the team bus approached, with Dijon shirts visible among the people gathered outside. Rafael followed his teammates through the players’ entrance and into the away dressing room, where the equipment staff had prepared their places.

He found his shirt hanging above his seat and set his bag beneath the bench.

Renaud was changing a few seats away, while Caron and Perrin were near the opposite wall. Loïc had already taken his place among the players preparing for the warm-up.

Rafael pulled off his jacket and began sorting through his equipment.

The coaching staff entered shortly afterward, and the conversations around the room gradually stopped as the starting eleven appeared on the screen.

Renaud was listed through the middle, with Perrin on the right and Caron directly behind the striker. Two midfielders occupied the deeper positions.

Rafael’s name was on the left.

Morales — LW

He read it again before looking across the rest of the formation.

The coach moved on to the final instructions, using footage of Dijon to show the spaces Metz intended to attack. Rafael followed the clips involving their right-back and the movements expected from Metz’s left side when possession changed hands.

Once the meeting ended, the players returned to their preparations.

Rafael sat down and began securing his shin guards. Renaud passed behind him on his way to collect some tape, giving him a brief pat on the shoulder before heading back toward his locker.

Caron and Perrin were speaking near the doorway, where one of the assistants was waiting to organise the warm-up.

Rafael finished tightening his boots and pulled on his match shirt.

He remained seated for a moment, looking toward the formation still displayed at the front of the room, before standing to join the others.

Outside, the noise from the stands was growing louder.

The players gathered near the tunnel while the coaching staff completed their final arrangements. Rafael found himself alongside Renaud, with Caron and Perrin a few steps ahead.

The floodlights were on when they emerged for the warm-up, illuminating the pitch beneath the evening sky.

Rafael followed the others onto the grass and began jogging toward the far end.

Perrin was already collecting a ball for the first passing exercise, while Caron called for Renaud to join him.

Rafael moved toward the left side of the group.

He took his place as Perrin rolled the ball across to begin.