The enhanced tactical vision was not limited to offensive situations. During defensive phases of play, Mateo could predict attacking patterns and position himself to intercept passes or disrupt offensive sequences before they fully developed.
His ability to read the game had reached a level where he seemed to know what opposing players were going to do before they knew it themselves.
In one memorable defensive sequence during the same training session, Mateo intercepted three consecutive passes by positioning himself in locations that seemed random until the passes were attempted. Each interception appeared to be the result of perfect timing and positioning, but observers couldn't understand how he had known where to be.
