August 20, 2023.
After eight matches, Diego's school, San Gregorio, remained high in the Copa Escolar standings.
They had dominated their group stage, decisively won their match in the Round of 16, and secured a hard-fought win against their quarterfinal opponents.
W 3-1 Colegio de Vega
W 2-1 Colegio Santa Clara
L 2-4 Instituto San Rafael
W 2-1 Instituto San Rafael
D 1-1 Colegio Santa Clara
W 2-0 Colegio de Vega
D 0-0 (P: 5-4) Colegio Monte Azul
W 2-1 Academia La Esperanza
Today, the semifinal, would define their place in the tournament's history.
The other teams remaining in the tournament were formidable, including San Rafael whom they had faced in the group stage. But today, the Reds' opponent was San Vicente, the second-best school after Colegio Aurelia, who were paired against Rafael.
Victory would demand everything San Gregorio had because San Vicente hadn't lost a single match and had only conceded two goals throughout the tournament.2026-01-15
Diego was named in the starting eleven for the third time in the tournament, but he wasn't confident that starting would help. After eight games, he had yet to score a goal, but three assists out of the team's total fourteen goals were impressive for a left-back.
In fact, he was so surprisingly good, that Damian increasingly relied on the chances created from his flank.
But football is a game of highs and lows, where the other team also have their story to accomplish, and every player, their individual struggle.
1'
FWEEEEEEE!
The ball blasted into play from San Vicente's kick off as the semifinals of the Copa Escolar erupted into action. Cheers and shouts bounced from the small stands and the sidelines, where families and neighbors had gathered to witness the rising stars of the community play with passion.
Diego's legs grew warm as he jogged to the side, keeping his gaze on the rival wingman and a short AMF who had just received the ball and lofted it back to their goal.
San Vincete was a school that didn't rush. You could never see any form of panic in their gameplay, even if they were two goals down. They played like a team that already knew where the match would be decided.
Starting from their goalkeeper, short, calm passes sliced through the field, advancing subtly and without error. Diego couldn't believe their patience and accuracy.
If twelve-year-old boys played like this, then how good were the professional footballers of this era?!
FWEEEE!
San Vincente's captain committed a foul, dragging back a rival who had managed to intercept one of their through balls. Eventually, possession fell to Diego's team.
They responded with the opposite energy of San Vincente, attacking with ferocity and giving little attention to their defense. Diego stayed wide on the left, careful not to overcommit.
The rival winger, dark-skinned and tall, was faster than him, but Diego covered enough ground to deny him space and neutralize his game sense. When the ball bounced back to that flank, the winger had no choice but to watch it roll out of play.
Diego proudly retrieved the ball for the throw-in.
After two weeks of being bonded with Damian, Diego had acquired better strength, stamina, pace, agility, and balance.
The winger may be faster, but he lacked broad-brush attributes to go one-on-one with Diego Montoya.
24'
After eight minutes of play, the first real chance for a goal came from San Vincente.
"WOOOOOOOOHHH!"
A brilliant switch of play across the field stunned the spectators, much more so San Gregorio.
The same right-winger and his lowered socks had the ball before him.
Diego didn't rush to tackle. That was against the team's game strategy.
Quickly, he tracked back, angling his run as the field tensed in San Gregorio's half. The winger was grateful for the space. Looking up, his eyes scanned for a chance at the goal.
"HUff!" Diego slid for his feet.
But the cross came anyway, sharp and dangerous.
In the box, Kebehi muscled the intended strikers, rose at the near post, and cleared with his forehead.
FWOOOOSHH!!
The ball flew back to the center line, recaptured by the rival's CB. Despite that, Coach De clapped for his team.
But that wasn't going to be the last attack.
San Vincente kept coming, recycling possession, patient, but decisive.
Their main forward, a lean, handsome boy named Iker, was really, really good.
Tik-tak-tik-tak
He spun around Natan, Gregorio's captain, after passing successively to his midfield peers.
Natan grabbed his shirt, but Iker was fast, determined to make that run as the ball was lofted for him.
"WOOOOOHHHHHHH!"
At the wing, there was nothing Diego could do but run downwards.
Luckily, Iker couldn't handle the pressure coming from all angles, and Diego's team's goalkeeper swooped the ball off his feet.
It was good, disciplined defending, but it demanded concentration that burned like muscle fatigue. Eventually, Diego and his cohorts, who made up the 4 defensive line of the team's 4-4-2, would lose focus, and San Vincente, ever patient, might exploit that.
But Diego's team did have their moments.
32' Damian had a shot on target from outside the box. Thanks to San Vincente's goalkeeper, the ball was pushed out of play.
The corner chance. Gabriel, their designated taker, swung the ball in, but it was cleared, disappointingly so.
However, Diego saw the leather flying toward him.
Two rivals as well.
With his best Control, he chested the ball to the grass, nutmegged the first boy—
—he couldn't believe it!
And left the other scrambling to keep up as he took the ball on a run—his specialty.
'Wow, Diego's good,' Gabriel thought as he jogged toward the center half. 'I should help him.'
Under pressure, Diego laid the ball off to Gabriel. He didn't stop running.
The rival chaser slowed.
Gabriel passed the ball back into open space.
"WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH"
Diego imagined himself in Azteca again, not as a spectator, but as a professional football player. He could envision the commentators. He could hear their words.
"...THERE GOES DIEGO MONTOYA! DOWN THE FLANK WITH FIRE IN HIS LEGS AND ENERGY IN HIS BONES…!"
Thwack! FWOOOOSHH!
Damian tripped under heavy defense, but Ruben was up to the task.
Chesting the ball, he half-volleyed it toward goal.
But the worst happened.
It struck the post.
"WOOOOOOOHHHHH!"
Coach De paced the sideline restlessly, his arms crossed.
That was just unbelievable.
Quickly, he sent word for Natan to encourage Diego to keep it up. Diego, who was jogging back in disappointment, received the coach's words, and that brightened him up for the moment.
45'+1 There was nothing left in playtime to do. Halftime arrived without goals.
San Gregorio: 2 shots, 1 on-target
San Vincente: 0 shots, 0 on-target
Diego's team had a better conversion rate, but possession and other stats belonged to their rivals. The game remained unpredictable.
Ten minutes later, the second half began after the children had rested. Diego wasn't getting subbed. He was happy.
Coach De told them not to take it easy on their opponents. Soon, one of their chances would eventually get them a goal.
50'
A corner for San Vincente, their second in just two minutes.
They had come back in the second half, thirstier and more agile, as if they had simply waited for Diego's team to tire a fraction.
[Awareness: 22]
[Positioning: 22]
With the corner coming from the right, Diego marked his zone. If there was a rebound coming to the flank, the team could depend on him.
But no rebound. The cross wasn't accurate, but it entered the box, nonetheless. Chaos erupted. Bodies collided.
Once, twice—the ball bounced, then fell to Iker near the penalty spot.
Deadly and aggressive, both Natan and Kebehi swept Iker off his feet. But it was too late.
0–1
"WOOOOOOOOHHHHH!"
It was this moment that changed everything, eliminating Diego's school from the Copa Escolar.
One shot was all San Vincente needed. Everything else that happened in this match was background noise.
And guess what? They retreated and defended for the rest of the half as if their lives depended on it.
Their coach, who was also their school's principal, shouted time reminders so his boys wouldn't be robbed in any way.
80'
Diego chased, tracked, overlapped, and recovered, but throughout this tournament, he had never seen a team this drawn back, determined to end the match with a just goal.
Minutes drained away, and it did.
FWEEEEEEEEE!
"WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH!"
San Gregorio eliminated. San Vincente was heading into the finals of the Copa Escolar.
Diego stood still, hands on his hips, his chest heaving.
From the sideline, Coach De saw the field sadly split in two. One-half was filled with those on white, jumping and jubilating, and the other, his resilient boys on red, solemn and dejected.
It was another year, and the Copa Escolar trophy was still a dream for these young boys. By next year, some of them would be too old to participate, leaving Coach De with a fresher batch, whom he couldn't guarantee victory.
The parents and supporters of San Gregorio clapped for them as they walked off, heads down. Natan was the only one offering comfort to his teammates, especially to Damian, whose eyes were red.
In the stands, Diego's family watched him, waiting for him to glance their way. Once he did, Olly waved both hands, shouting his name.