They practiced one-on-one drills, Messi's feet a blur, the ball an extension of his body. He was impossible to dispossess, his low center of gravity and explosive acceleration a deadly combination. But he wasn't just showing off. He was teaching. He would stop mid-drill, rewind the play, and show Mateo a subtle shift in weight, a slight drop of the shoulder, a deceptive glance that could send a defender the wrong way.
"You see?" he said, his voice patient, his eyes focused. "It's not just about speed or skill. It's about making the defender think. You have to be one step ahead, always."
Mateo, a sponge for knowledge, soaked it all in. He had always been a student of the game, but this was a level of understanding he had never experienced before. He felt his mind expanding, his perception of the game shifting, evolving.
