Chapter 23

Corinthians hoped to score a goal right at the start of the second half, so they took advantage of the kickoff to launch a fierce attack on São Paulo's goal.

They really wanted to score a goal at the very beginning of the second half.

As Oswaldo said in the locker room, Corinthians, unwilling to settle for a draw, were eager to score and pushed forward aggressively, but this fierce attack left large gaps behind their defense.

São Paulo's defensive retreat was seen by Corinthians as a sign of fear of their attack.

Thus, they pressed forward recklessly, never considering that their backline would be breached again by Rong Guang's speed.

They acknowledged that Rong Guang was fast, but was football a simple speed contest? If that were the case, why not have 100-meter sprinters play football, making every one of them world-class stars?

Therefore, they didn't think Rong Guang could threaten their goal again, even with large gaps behind their defense. A rookie who had only been playing for a little over a month would be powerless to exploit these gaps.

Their underestimation of Rong Guang made them completely disregard the gaps behind their defense.

São Paulo, however, strictly followed the coach's instructions at halftime, playing a defensive counter-attack.

***

When Baptista received the ball in the center circle, Luís Fabiano raised his hand near the Corinthians penalty area, signaling for the ball.

So, Corinthians' defense pushed forward, setting up an offside trap—they were not at all worried about the vast space behind them.

In midfield, especially Vampeta, Corinthians players charged directly at Baptista to tackle the ball from him.

The Corinthians players were not thinking about the gaps behind their defense; they were focused on winning the ball from São Paulo and launching a counter-attack on the spot!

However, this time, Baptista did not give Vampeta such an opportunity; he passed the ball with a direct through ball!

The ball slipped through the gaps between the Corinthians players.

This was a purely lucky through ball, and even Baptista didn't have much hope when he passed it—many such aimless passes had been lost before.

Corinthians' center-back Luciano raised his arm, signaling that Fabiano was offside.

Fabiano was indeed offside.

Even the referee hesitated for a moment, and the assistant referee immediately raised his flag, signaling that Fabiano was offside.

The camera also turned to the offside Fabiano.

Everyone thought Fabiano was offside, and São Paulo's attack would definitely fail.

Commentator Bueno was still complaining about Baptista's choice: "With Ricardinho and Kaká injured, Baptista has had to take on the responsibility of organizing São Paulo's attacks, but I have to say he's still too inexperienced compared to Ricardinho! He should stick to the promising defensive work and stay out of organizing attacks! This pass is terrible! Who was he trying to pass to... Who—?!"

The last sentence was a scream, his voice changing, trembling, and rising an octave, the final note soaring into the sky.

In his scream, the camera also wobbled, quickly pulling back from a close-up of Fabiano to a medium-long shot showing the entire front field.

A white figure was seen sprinting from the flank into the Corinthians penalty area!

"Rong—!" Caffure also exclaimed. "Late run, not offside! Baptista's pass is coming!"

The São Paulo fans in the stands cheered again when they saw Rong Guang.

"Go, break them, number 33!"

The wind and cheers roared in Rong Guang's ears; he loved the feeling of running freely and unrestrained.

To succeed, he had to keep charging forward!

No matter how many difficulties lay ahead, he would use his speed and determination to break through them!

Like a lightning bolt across the night sky, like a fierce wind sweeping the earth!

Rong Guang, always moving forward!

***

When Rong Guang came from behind, Baptista's through ball also slipped through the gaps between the Corinthians defenders, rolling diagonally in front of him.

He took just two steps to receive the ball, receiving it behind all the Corinthians defenders!

When the referee saw Rong Guang, he hesitated for a moment, but the whistle did not sound. He did not follow the assistant referee's judgment but made his own decision—advantage play, the game continues!

He raised his hands forward and followed the play.

The Corinthians defense was stunned when they saw this scene.

No one except the goalkeeper Doni reacted.

Doni once again abandoned his goal, thinking that since it was a rookie, he could intimidate him with a strong presence...

He thought he could make Rong Guang lose his composure.

Rookie, if you have the skills, try to score again!

He shouted in his heart.

This time, he was wrong.

Facing the charging goalkeeper Doni, Rong Guang did not choose to shoot but... to cross!

He pushed the ball horizontally!

He hadn't learned to shoot, but he had practiced passing countless times!

***

Fabiano was indeed in an offside position, but he did not participate in the attack. When he saw Baptista pass the ball, he knew he was offside, so he suppressed his instinct to run and receive the ball, standing still.

He thought the attack would end there, with the ball being caught by Corinthians' goalkeeper Doni or rolling out of bounds...

But just as he turned his head, he saw Rong Guang break through the gaps in the Corinthians defense!

An experienced forward knew exactly what to do at this moment!

He quickly stepped back—If Rong Guang passed to him, he would be offside if he was in front of Rong Guang.

He had to retreat behind Rong Guang to be safe.

Sure enough, as soon as he retreated, Rong Guang passed the ball horizontally. Since Rong Guang passed before him, the ball was not offside!

Fabiano then rushed forward, meeting the rolling ball and pushing it with his right foot.

A very relaxed and elegant move, which was no challenge for him.

The ball deflected and rolled into the empty goal!

"Beautiful—! Luís Fabiano!!! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!! São Paulo has turned the game around! They now lead 2-1! This was supposed to be an offside goal, but Rong turned the impossible into the possible with his speed! He saved Baptista's poor pass and São Paulo's fate! This is the second time! The second time in this match!"

Although Bueno refused to introduce Rong Guang, he at least didn't have to keep calling him "number 33." That would be disrespectful to such a player.

"Rong's late run drew the attention of all Corinthians defenders, but he didn't seek the glory. He calmly passed the ball to the better-positioned Fabiano in front of the goal! São Paulo has found a gem! Rong deserves 90% of the credit for this goal! Fabiano just needed to be in the right place!"

***

Doni looked back as the ball flew into the goal he was guarding, and he fell to the ground in pain, looking up.

After the second half started, they didn't score first, but instead, the opponent scored again!

Could it get any worse?!

The center-back Luciano, who initially raised his hand to signal offside, turned his head to see Fabiano kick the ball into the goal, covering his face with his hands, unable to bear to watch.

Since the second half involved a field change, the São Paulo fans' stand was now behind the Corinthians goal. They waved São Paulo flags and cheered loudly, like salt in the wound.

Luís Fabiano pointed at Rong Guang, who passed him the ball, and ran to the corner flag.

He wanted Rong Guang to come and celebrate the goal with him.

But the rookie Rong Guang clearly didn't understand the gesture and stood still.

Luís Fabiano remembered that this kid was a rookie. If it weren't for Gilherme's provocation, he probably wouldn't have known how to celebrate his first goal...

How could I expect this rookie to understand my meaning?

Sigh...

So he changed his mind, ran to Rong Guang, and pulled him into his arms: "Celebrate together!"

***

The São Paulo bench erupted in joy again.

Coach Oswaldo Oliveira clapped and cheered for the goal, relieved in his heart—If Rong Guang could maintain this level in the coming matches, he wouldn't have to worry about what to do after Kaká's injury...

Of course, he should strengthen Rong Guang's shooting practice.

Next to him, Kaká clapped for the team's goal. But his eyes never left Rong Guang, from the moment he suddenly broke into the penalty area and received Baptista's pass, his gaze was fixed on Rong Guang.

Watching him break the offside trap with astonishing speed, watching him calmly pass the ball to Luís Fabiano, and then watching him stand there foolishly, not knowing how to celebrate the goal with Fabiano.

Thinking about how, when he first came on, he accidentally knocked over a teammate with a rash tackle, causing a goal. But then he scored a goal in the match.

If that goal had some luck, then this assist to Fabiano must be a demonstration of his ability, right?

This rookie, who had only been playing football for a little over a month, was rapidly growing and improving in a single match, at a surprising speed!

***

"Incredible! Unbelievable! A goal and an assist! Rong, who came on as a substitute in the 30th minute, showed us his lightning speed! Both goals fully demonstrated his speed advantage, and no one in Corinthians could keep up with his pace!"

"We often say a player can decide a game on their own to show how great they are. But in my view, Rong not only changes the game's outcome; he can turn the entire stadium around! The completely different atmosphere at the Morumbi Stadium is proof!"

As Caffure said this, the Morumbi Stadium was filled with cheers, and all the São Paulo fans stood up from their seats. No one could remain calm and sit quietly after such a comeback.

Unlike the first goal, more São Paulo players ran over to hug Rong Guang and Fabiano, gathering behind the goal to celebrate.

The São Paulo fans were also very excited, crowding the front rows of the stands.

Fortunately, there was a protective wall, fence, and running track between the stands and the field at Morumbi, or these excited fans might have rushed onto the field...

"São Paulo has turned the game around, even if it's just 2-1! But their performance is like they've already won the game! And I, too, believe São Paulo can win this match!"

Geraldo Bueno excitedly declared São Paulo's victory in advance...

***

Godo and the fans around him were clapping and celebrating Fabiano's goal.

But he wasn't clapping for Fabiano; his applause was for Rong Guang.

There couldn't be a better debut performance!

Rong Guang, who came on as a substitute for Kaká, was under immense pressure. The mistake that led to a goal had made Godo extremely worried, his heart in his throat... but in the end, there was an explosion!

A goal and an assist!

Not only did the score turn around, but Rong Guang's fate also turned around!

Godo could imagine what changes he and Rong Guang would experience next.

He and Rong Guang would go from being unknowns to overnight sensations!

Perhaps, he would have to learn to be a famous agent!

Godo felt great when he thought about such a future.

***

Korel stood in the stands, her father jumping and shouting loudly, still celebrating the goal.

She couldn't stand her father's noise, so she said, "I think you should wear a São Paulo jersey to the next game, Dad."

Choi Ho was a bit embarrassed, but he quickly made a decision: "I think I can watch São Paulo games in addition to Corinthians games! To cheer for Rong Guang!"

Korel rolled her eyes when she heard her father say this.

Her father had become a supporter of Rong Guang, just like she supported Kaká...

On the other side, her friends were somewhat resentful of São Paulo's comeback with Rong Guang's help.

"If Kaká hadn't been injured, São Paulo would have won easily!"

"Yeah, yeah, if Kaká were still here... how could that bastard get the spotlight?!"

"Ah! My poor Kaká... he's injured again, when will he recover..."

Mentioning Kaká's injury, the group sighed.

Korel was caught between two emotions, feeling complex and unable to express her feelings.

***

When Fabiano scored the goal, the young players in the youth team stood up to cheer and clap.

Lucas Sutton, however, shouted, "I found a good way to make money! Kleber, let's bet again! Rong will be sent back to the youth team after the next match, 100 to 1!"

Kleber didn't respond. The best way to handle it was to remain silent; otherwise, if he dared to respond, Lucas' relentless ridicule and mockery would come at him in waves.

He clenched his fists, trying to control his anger.

Rong Guang's performance in this match was beyond his expectations, and he had lost two weeks' salary. It was a double loss...

He stared at Rong Guang on the field, and if looks could kill, Rong Guang would have died many times over.

He watched Rong Guang, trying to understand why a rookie could perform so well in such an important match.

But so far, he hadn't found the answer.

***

When the Morumbi Stadium was filled with São Paulo fans' cheers, Corinthians' coach Jair Ventura stood dumbfounded on the sideline. Even a fool could see that São Paulo's momentum was up, and this goal was fatal for Corinthians.

Because of São Paulo's tactics.

They were playing a counter-attack at home!

This tactic was very sharp when they were leading.

And they had a fast and unknown player!

This goal was again because of number 33! He was in the back, but his speed instantly made up for the distance, overtaking everyone and reaching the penalty area to receive the ball.

How could he fall to such a rookie?

Jair Ventura was unwilling.

Very unwilling!

But what good did his unwillingness do?

The score was there, in bright red letters, 2-1, with the home team São Paulo leading the away team Corinthians!

His halftime instructions had only helped São Paulo and harmed Corinthians.

He felt that he must have been mocked by Oswaldo Oliveira. He probably never expected to face such a cooperative opponent...

Clearly, number 33 was so fast, why did he foolishly ask the team to push forward?

Now he dared not let the team push forward to equalize the score.

Because if they did, and number 33's rookie used his speed to score or assist again, it would be over, and Corinthians would have no hope.

Yes, number 33 was a rookie who had only been playing football for a little over a month, but his speed was his greatest weapon!

Faced with this unsolvable speed, what could he do?

***

In the following match, Corinthians clearly became cautious.

At first, the players were not giving up. After falling behind, they tried to quickly equalize the score. They organized a few attacks, but after being harassed by Rong Guang's speed twice, they gave up completely.

In the rest of the match, Rong Guang stayed in the front, moving around. São Paulo's play became very simple: whether it was short passes or medium-long passes, the ball would eventually be given to Rong Guang.

Using Rong Guang's speed to break through and harass Corinthians' goal.

Even if they couldn't score, they would make Corinthians hesitant to push forward and use their full strength in attacks.

For the rest of the match, Corinthians played very awkwardly.

They wanted to attack but couldn't use their full strength.

Not attacking left them feeling unsatisfied—after all, they were only one goal behind, and with a bit more effort, they could equalize the score.

But this one-goal difference, under the threat of Rong Guang's speed, became an insurmountable barrier.

Until the referee blew the final whistle, the score did not change.

"The match is over! São Paulo, who suffered four consecutive losses, has finally stopped their decline! They defeated their strong opponent Corinthians in the most important match, winning the 'Majestic Derby'!"

"Look at the expressions of the Corinthians players; they still seem不服气... Just one goal difference, and they couldn't change the result... In previous matches, they might have given their all and lost reluctantly. But today, they still had energy left and lost the match... I think this is more frustrating for them than a big loss?"

In the commentator's voice, the camera focused on Rong Guang, giving him a large close-up.

In the shot, he raised his arms, cheering. His face was excited and almost out of control.

But anyone who played such a brilliant and perfect debut would probably not perform much better than Rong Guang after the match...

"He is the biggest hero of São Paulo's victory in this match. He received a hero's treatment after the match... He deserves it. He stopped São Paulo's decline. He is the biggest hero of this match! I can predict that from tonight to tomorrow, he will be the cover figure in all of São Paulo's media!"

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