The second half began with fire in the air.
USA came out like wounded lions —ferocious, desperate, unrelenting.
They pressed higher.They tackled harder.They flooded the midfield with bodies.
Germany bent —but they did not break.
And at the heart of their resistance,guiding them forward,stood Mateo.
50th Minute
A quick turnover.
Ritter intercepted a pass near Germany's boxand launched a long clearance toward midfield.
Mateo, reading the play before anyone else, sprinted into open space.
The ball bounced once —twice —and he was there.
With a deft touch, he killed its momentum,turned sharply,and raced toward goal.
A defender lunged —Mateo slipped past him with a drop of the shoulder.
Another defender slid —Mateo chopped the ball inside, avoiding the tackle by millimeters.
Now it was just him and the goalkeeper.
Without hesitation,he unleashed a low, powerful shot to the far post.
The net rippled.
GOAL!!
Germany 2 - 0 USA!
The German bench erupted.
In the stands, German fans jumped and waved flags wildly.
Commentators shouted:
"Mateo González! What a masterpiece of a counterattack!"
Inside the System:
[Goal Scored.][Match Rating: 9.1]
Mateo didn't celebrate wildly.
He simply stood there,hands lifted slightly,as his teammates mobbed him.
Because he knew —
this wasn't luck.
This was the beginning of something bigger.
65th Minute
USA tried to rally.
They pushed Germany deeper,launching crosses into the box,firing desperate shots from distance.
But Germany held firm.
Mateo, though a forward, didn't hesitate to drop deep when needed,helping recover balls,launching quick counterattacks.
And then, the killing blow came.
72nd Minute
Another German interception.
A quick one-two between Lukas and Jonas,and the ball was fed to Mateo near the top of the box.
Three defenders closed in.
No escape.
No space.
But Mateo saw what they didn't.
He faked a shot — defenders dove to block —
then flicked the ball with his left foot behind his standing leg —an outrageous piece of skill.
The ball popped up perfectly in front of him.
He volleyed it.
Pure.Perfect.Unstoppable.
Straight into the top corner.
GOAL!!
Germany 3 - 0 USA!
The stadium lost its mind.
Commentators screamed:
"World class!Absolutely world class from González!"
Inside the System:
[Goal Scored.][Match Rating: 9.5 — New Career High.]
Mateo fell to his knees,arms spread wide,his teammates piling onto him.
He looked up at the Chilean sky,feeling the weight of years of struggletransform into the wings of triumph.
Final Whistle
Germany 3 - 0 USA
A stunning statement.