The second half kicked off under a heavy, desperate energy.
Ecuador came out swinging.Hard tackles.Direct balls into the box.Risky, aggressive pressing.
Germany absorbed the pressure.
They bent, but they didn't break.
And Mateo — battered but burning — was waiting.
Watching.
Preparing.
56th Minute
Germany launched a quick counterattack after a sloppy Ecuadorian corner.
Ritter cleared the ball to Jonas,who sprinted down the right side.
Mateo, reading the situation instantly,started his run from deep.
He stayed just onside —ghosting between two defenders who were too focused on Jonas.
Jonas spotted him.
A low, fast pass,skimming over the grass like a bullet.
Mateo accelerated,catching the ball in full stride.
The crowd rose to its feet as he surged toward the Ecuadorian goal.
One defender tried to cut across him —Mateo feinted left, exploded right, leaving the defender grasping at air.
The goalkeeper rushed out to close the angle.
Without hesitation, Mateo chipped the ball with the softest touch imaginable.
A perfect rainbow arc.
Over the keeper.
Into the net.
GOAL!!!
Germany 2 - 0 Ecuador!
The stadium erupted.
German flags waved wildly.Fans screamed his name.Commentators lost their minds:
"GONZÁLEZ!!!This boy is pure magic!What a finish under pressure!"
Inside the System:
[Goal Scored.][Quest Completed: Overcoming Rough Defense.]Reward Earned: Golden Skill Box!
[Match Rating: 9.5]
Mateo jogged to the corner flag, arms wide,soaking in the deafening roar of the crowd.
Teammates tackled him in celebration —laughter, shouts, pure euphoria.
But inside Mateo's mind, there was no arrogance.
Only clarity.
"One battle at a time," he reminded himself."One mountain at a time."
Final Whistle
After the second goal, Germany controlled the match brilliantly.
They frustrated Ecuador's desperate attacks.They kept the ball.They suffocated any hope.
When the final whistle blew, Germany celebrated calmly, maturely.
They had work left to do.
But tonight?
Tonight belonged to Mateo.
Final Score:Germany 2 - 0 Ecuador
Mateo González:
2 Goals
Match MVP
Top Scorer of the Tournament (now leading alone)
System Notification (After the Match)
[New Title Unlocked: "Clutch Player"]
+5% boost to performance in knockout stage matches.
As Mateo walked back to the locker room,the cameras followed him closely.
Analysts all around the world praised him.
Fans flooded social media with edits, memes, tributes.
The legend of Mateo González was no longer a whisper.It was a shout, echoing across the football world.
Inside the German locker room, Coach Schuster clapped once, loud and sharp.
"One mountain climbed," he said.
"Three more to go."
The room roared in response.
Mateo sat down, heart pounding,feeling the weight — and the glory — of everything that was coming.
And he welcomed it.