The locker room was silent before kickoff. Teun sat with his boots already laced, watching the match analysis one last time on the tablet in front of him.

"Hey," a teammate said, pacing nervously behind him, "you ever get used to games like this?"

Teun looked up, calm and steady. "You never want to get used to them," he replied. "Big games are where we prove we belong."

He stood, tossing the tablet onto the bench and adjusting the captain's armband on his bicep.

"Stick to the plan. Keep your head. And trust each other. We’re not here by chance."

Then, with a small smirk and a nod toward the door: "Now let’s go remind them who we are."