All eyes followed Leo Lin as he glided through the air, watching him rise high and meet Iniesta's cross with a powerful header that sent the ball into the net.
Thiago Silva dropped to his knees.
Tite stood on the touchline, his face drained of color.
Neymar kept shaking his head, frustration written all over him.
As Casillas roared, Leo Lin sprinted toward the sideline and celebrated with a somersault, reminiscent of Klose at his peak.
"GOAL!!!!" Casillas could finally relax.
"GOAL!!!!!!!"
"G!!O!!!ALLLL"
"Lin!!!!"
"This goal kills the game for Brazil!"
"They are out of time. Three nil!"
"With only minutes left, Lin strikes again!"
"This goal ends it completely!"
Ronaldo stood nearby, unable to find words, breathing heavily again and again.
The broadcast cut to the Brazilian fans. Some were already in tears.
Young fans were crying openly. Disappointment spread across the entire Brazilian section.
In contrast, the Spanish fans were in full celebration.
Across broadcast channels.
"He scores again! Another brace! How many now? Eight! He has completely pulled away from Kane!"
"Do not overlook Iniesta's delivery. The veteran still has plenty left in him!"
"This Spain no longer plays with the same elegance, but they are more direct, more aggressive, and closer to winning. This is what we want to see!"
All the Spanish players rushed toward Leo Lin, piling on top of him in celebration.
They knew the match was decided.
The camera swept across the Brazilian players. Not a single smile could be seen.
Play resumed briefly, with time almost gone. Spain continued to rely on their pyramid defense to control the tempo and maintain their grip on the match.
Brazil had switched to a 4-2-4 formation, but still could not find a way through.
94th minute!
"Hierro is on the sideline putting pressure on the referee. Time is up!"
"It looks like the referee will allow one final attack. Marcelo drives into the box and forces a shot!"
"Ramos throws himself in the way!"
"Corner!"
But the referee did not allow it. He blew the final whistle immediately.
"Beep."
"Beep!"
"Beep!!!"
"The match is over!"
"Full time!"
"Spain have defeated Brazil!"
"A dominant three nil victory!"
"I doubt many people predicted this scoreline before the match!"
"We say goodbye to the five time champions Brazil."
"Neymar, Jesus, and Willian are all in their prime."
"But Spain settled into the match faster. Neymar sparked a fightback in the second half, but Brazil could not take their chances. Perhaps they also lacked a bit of luck."
"Spain made full use of their tactical preparation. Pyramid defense combined with rapid counterattacks. They seized three transition opportunities."
"All three goals came from sharp counterattacks. Each one was textbook perfect!"
"Leo Lin scores a brace again, bringing his total to eight goals in this World Cup and keeping him at the top of the scoring chart!"
"Diego Costa now has five. Spain occupy the top two spots!"
"This is no longer the Spain we once knew. In the past, they dominated possession. Now, they dominate in attack!"
"They are one of the four best teams in the world!"
The cameras found Leo Lin and Diego Costa, then shifted to captain Ramos.
They thanked the fans as they walked together, chatting, smiling, clearly happy but also a little tired.
Hierro understood that after so many consecutive starts, the players were feeling the strain.
The best solution now was to relax and release that pressure with a team activity.
He was already planning a ham feast, with ingredients generously provided by Spain's captain Ramos.
For the first time, the players' families who had traveled with them to Russia would be allowed to join them at the hotel for the gathering.
Back in the locker room, Hierro shared the news, and Ramos immediately jumped onto a table and started dancing.
As the ambassador of a top Spanish ham brand, providing premium ham was the easiest thing in the world for him.
"I guarantee it!"
"Tonight, when we get back, I will treat everyone to the best ham feast in the world!"
Leo Lin and Ramos attended the post match press conference together, both receiving the highest ratings.
Ramos looked delighted, keeping an arm around Leo Lin the entire time. Almost every sentence he spoke mentioned Leo Lin, and every other one praised his talent.
"Yes, yes. I share a room with Leo Lin. I took Diego Costa's spot."
"That is right. I did it on purpose. I will do it again next time."
"Yes, Lin is a genius. A one of a kind genius in today's football world!"
"What, who is more handsome?"
"After a shower, when I look in the mirror, I am unbeatable. At other times, I admit this kid does threaten my confidence a little."
"Will we become good friends?"
"We already are. I will always keep a place for him in my heart."
...
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