The tunnel leading back to the locker room felt electric.
Alex Rivera walked slowly, number 33 jersey soaked with sweat, hair plastered to his forehead, legs heavy but heart lighter than it had ever been. The roar of the crowd still echoed behind him — "Ace! Ace! Ace!" refusing to die down even after the final whistle. The stadium lights cast long shadows on the concrete walls as the entire first-team squad moved through the tunnel together, voices loud, laughter mixing with exhausted cheers.
Captain Marco "El Rey" Delgado had his arm around Alex's shoulders the entire way. "You called your shot, kid. In front of all of us. You said 'give it to me and I will score it'… and you actually did it. Number 33 just saved our season tonight."
The experienced striker who had honestly said he wasn't 100% sure walked on Alex's other side, still shaking his head in disbelief. "I've taken hundreds of free-kicks in my career. I looked at that angle and I knew I wasn't 100%. You looked at it and said you would score it. Then you did. You're something else, 33."
Diego "The Beast" Torres slapped Alex's back hard enough to make him stumble. "You're one of us now. No more 'kid' from me. You're Ace Rivera. The guy who stepped up when the whole stadium was watching."
The entire squad was buzzing. Players who had barely spoken to Alex during training were now crowding around him, congratulating him, ruffling his hair, asking how he managed that curl on the free-kick. The locker room door opened and the noise inside was even louder — music already playing, players shouting, staff clapping.
Coach Victor Morales walked in last and closed the door behind him. The room fell quiet for a moment as he stood in the centre.
"Listen up," Morales said, voice thick with emotion. "Tonight we earned a point we desperately needed. We are still in 6th place in the Western Conference — just one single point above the playoff cut-off line. The team below us still has a game in hand. A loss tonight would have dropped us into the danger zone. This draw keeps us alive. And we owe that point to one person."
He pointed straight at Alex.
"Number 33. Alex Rivera. You stepped onto the pitch in the 83rd minute, told your senior teammates you would score the free-kick, and then you delivered exactly what you promised. That is not normal. That is special. Welcome to the first team, son. You earned your place tonight."
The entire locker room erupted. Players stood up, cheering, clapping, banging on the lockers. Delgado lifted Alex onto a bench so everyone could see him. The music got louder. Someone started chanting "Ace! Ace! Ace!" and the whole squad joined in.
Alex stood there, smiling, still trying to process everything. The system screen flashed silently in front of his eyes.
[System Notification]
Match Performance Bonus – Game-Changing Free-Kick
EXP Gained: +4,800
Overall Rating: +7 (now 104)
Magical Carlos Free-Kick (S-Grade) – Fully Activated
Title Upgraded: "Stadium Shaker" → "Moment Maker"
He felt the new power settle into his body — the free-kick skill now felt natural, instinctive, like it had always been part of him.
The celebration continued for almost twenty minutes. Players took turns coming up to Alex, sharing stories, asking questions, slapping him on the back. Someone handed him a cold drink. Someone else took a photo of the whole squad with Alex in the centre, number 33 front and centre.
But the night was not over.
The media swarm was waiting outside.
When the players finally started heading toward the mixed zone, the noise from the corridor was already deafening. Cameras, microphones, bright lights, reporters from every major outlet — local, national, even some international — were packed shoulder to shoulder.
The moment Alex stepped into the mixed zone the flashes exploded like fireworks.
"Alex! Alex! Over here!"
"Rivera! First question — how did it feel to step onto the pitch in the 83rd minute and score the equaliser?"
"Was that the biggest moment of your life?"
"The free-kick — you told your senior teammates you would score it. How did you know?"
Alex tried to stay calm, keeping his face composed exactly as he had practised. He answered the first few questions politely.
"It felt incredible. The crowd, the lights, the trust from my teammates — I just tried to stay focused."
"The free-kick… I saw the angle and I believed I could score it. I told the guys if they gave it to me, I would deliver. I'm just happy it went in and we got the point we needed."
But the questions quickly turned toward the bigger story.
"Alex, the 'Mystery Blonde' photos have been everywhere this week. Any comment on who she is? Is this the first big scandal of your young career?"
"Are you ready for the fame that comes with being on the first team at 15?"
"The league table — Galaxy are in 6th place, just one point above the playoff line. How important was that point tonight for the team's survival?"
Alex kept his answers short and professional.
"My focus is 100% on football and helping the team stay in the playoff race. Everything else stays private. Thank you."
The media swarm grew even more intense. Microphones pushed closer. Cameras flashed nonstop. Reporters shouted questions from every direction. Alex answered a few more, then politely excused himself and walked back toward the locker room with security clearing the way.
Inside the locker room the celebration had quietened into a more relaxed atmosphere. Some players were already showering. Others were on their phones, watching the viral clips of Alex's free-kick that were already spreading across social media.
Delgado sat down next to Alex.
"You handled the media well, kid. That's not easy on your first night. The whole world is talking about you right now. Number 33 just became a household name in one kick."
Alex nodded, still trying to process everything.
The league table situation was clear in his mind:
Western Conference Standings (after tonight)
LA Galaxy — 43 points (one point above the playoff line) Opponent — 41 points (still with a game in hand)
They were barely surviving. But they were still surviving.
And Alex Rivera, the 15-year-old with number 33 on his back, had just become the reason why.