Chapter 51

"Two days remain until Scolari announces the final list of twenty-three players. Will Romario be able to catch the last train to the World Cup? Our reporter tried to interview Scolari yesterday, but was refused... Big Phil is unwilling to talk about this issue... For Romario, this is absolutely not good news!"

Godo sat in front of the TV, watching the screen intently, then sighed: "Sigh, not taking Romario, Scolari must be out of his mind? Without Romario, who will guarantee our goals? Ronaldo has been injured for the whole of last year and has only just returned; his form is completely unknown..."

Rongguang was completely indifferent to what Godo was sighing about; he didn't even understand it very well.

He said hello to Godo with a soccer ball in his arms and then went out.

He was going to continue his special training.

Reciting the incantations while dribbling the ball was very difficult, which made him feel like he was back at the beginning of his special training, when he was bruised all over from falling.

However, he didn't feel discouraged by this; instead, he was quite excited.

Hearing Rongguang's voice, Godo responded without turning his head, still staring at the TV.

The day of the final reveal was drawing near, and whether Romario would participate in the World Cup was a matter of concern for all Brazilians.

At this time, even the final of the Rio-São Paulo Championship was not very attractive.

※※※

On the way from Rongguang's apartment to the lakeside park, many people were reading newspapers as they walked.

They were paying attention to the same thing as Godo: the final list of twenty-three players for the World Cup.

Actually, there was no suspense left, but everyone still hoped that Romario would make the list.

In April, Romario held a press conference, where he emotionally stated that he was willing to be a training partner just to participate in the World Cup, and that he would change his ways and not cause any more trouble...

Now, even Brazil's President Cardoso has come forward to plead for Romario.

The front page of the *Lance* newspaper featured a photo of President Cardoso with the caption "Please let Romario participate in the World Cup."

This was not a fabrication by the *Lance*; it was Cardoso's exact words.

The fact that a country's president would come out in support of Romario speaks volumes about his popularity in Brazil.

As the key player in Brazil's fourth World Cup victory in 1994, Romario, despite being a controversial figure, is always remembered by the people when Brazil needs a victory.

This World Cup qualifying campaign was a disaster, and there was little confidence in Brazil's team for the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. Having a famous striker with championship experience would reassure many Brazilian fans.

Brazil almost failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, which would have been a disgrace for a team that has participated in every World Cup since its inception.

Over two years of qualifying, four coaches were replaced, and more than sixty players were selected for the national team, with new faces appearing in every match.

The scandal of coaches accepting bribes from agents to select players who were not up to standard, and then facilitating their high-priced sales to Europe, was frequently exposed. Former Brazil national team coaches Leonardo and Luxemburgo were both investigated for similar issues.

The image of Brazilian football hit rock bottom.

Even when Scolari took over the team, Brazil struggled to secure a place in the World Cup.

Rongguang moved through the crowd of people reading newspapers, carrying a soccer ball on his back. Although he was a football player, the biggest football event in Brazil at the time had nothing to do with him, and he was indifferent to it.

※※※

When Rongguang arrived at the lakeside park, he didn't immediately start his special training. First, he warmed up seriously on the grass by the roadside, then took the soccer ball out of the net.

Before the ball hit the ground, he used the top of his right foot to flick it up.

Then his left foot continued to juggle the falling ball.

He began juggling with both feet alternately.

Juggling is both a warm-up and a way to familiarize oneself with the ball. Rongguang continued to practice this even though he had already learned it.

In fact, whether it's juggling, passing, or shooting, Rongguang still practices these skills every day, but the intensity and duration are less than before, just to reinforce his memory.

While juggling, Rongguang began to recite the incantations taught by the old sage.

"Complementary angles of the same angle or equal angles are equal. Complementary angles of the same angle or equal angles are equal..."

He remembered what Lucas had told him at the beginning: even while juggling, one must multitask to truly master the ball.

He believed in the old sage's incantations, even though he didn't understand them, because Lucas had also mentioned multitasking.

Therefore, he believed that the old sage's incantations were definitely correct and effective.

The ball moved back and forth between his feet.

He was completely in the zone, no longer caring about anything around him.

What about Romario, Kaka, and the future of the Brazilian national team in the World Cup? None of it mattered to him.

※※※

The day before the first leg of the final, Brazil's final list of twenty-three players was announced.

As expected, Romario was not on the list.

In his place was a young player—Kaka.

When Kaka appeared on the list, everyone realized that the "one or two players" Scolari mentioned needing to evaluate referred to Kaka.

The list had only twenty-three spots, so adding a new player meant removing another.

Although Scolari said that Romario had long been out of consideration due to his lack of discipline, the media still linked Kaka's selection to Romario's exclusion.

This made for a better story.

Fans who were angry about Romario's exclusion vented their frustration on Kaka.

Especially the fans in Rio de Janeiro.

Romario was a Rio player, and Rio fans naturally considered him one of their own.

Kaka was a São Paulo player.

The rivalry between Rio and São Paulo states was already intense, and this made it even worse.

Although Rongguang viewed Kaka as his strongest rival in São Paulo, Kaka was still a newcomer in the Brazilian football scene. His best performance in 2001 was in the Rio-São Paulo Championship; he lacked convincing performances in the national league.

Even if Kaka was a star in São Paulo, it depended on who he was compared to.

Compared to Rongguang, Kaka was a prodigy.

But compared to "The Lone Wolf" Romario, Kaka was a nobody.

Many Rio media outlets questioned Scolari's choice of Kaka over Romario.

They believed that selecting such a young player for the World Cup was meaningless, and no one expected a 20-year-old Kaka to perform well in the World Cup. He might not even get a minute of playing time, like Ronaldo in 1994...

This would be a complete waste of a spot on the list.

How could such an important tournament as the World Cup be a place for young players to gain experience?

Even the São Paulo media did not fully support Kaka's selection, believing that dropping Romario would be a decision Scolari would regret.

When Brazil failed in the 2002 World Cup, this decision would be his biggest mistake!

Kaka, who was once a beloved figure, suddenly faced a barrage of criticism and ridicule, as if his selection was the reason Romario was not chosen.

This led to a poor performance in the first leg of the final against Corinthians, where he seemed to be in a daze and did not help his team win at home. São Paulo ultimately lost 2-3 to Corinthians at home...

In the second leg of the semifinal against Palmeiras, where he scored two goals, this achievement was overshadowed by the controversy.

Many media outlets openly criticized his lack of ability and questioned his right to replace Romario in the national team.

"Compared to Romario, the young Kaka is far behind!"

"Kaka? Who is he?"

"Give us back Romario! We don't need a young player to gain experience!"

This wave of criticism, questioning, and ridicule hit Kaka like a fierce wave, overwhelming him...

For many professional players, being selected for the Brazilian national team and participating in the World Cup is the highest honor.

But for Kaka, this honor might just be a painful ordeal.

He didn't understand what he had done wrong to deserve such intense pressure and harsh criticism.

Was this all a test from God?

Despite his devout faith, he still couldn't help but want to give up—surrender this opportunity and let Romario take the spot. After all, he was still young, and this was Romario's last World Cup, while he could participate in many more in the future...

Several times, he almost called Scolari.

But he always hung up the phone in the end.

Because he still couldn't bear to give up...

I haven't done anything wrong, why should I admit defeat?

Romario is a star, but he is old. Why can't I replace him?

This thought made him unwilling to give up.

This unwillingness kept him from backing down.

※※※

When the TV, newspapers, radio, and internet were all filled with debates about Brazil's final list of twenty-three players.

When Kaka was still struggling with the sudden criticism and unwillingness.

When the whole world around him was almost in an uproar, Rongguang still trained every day after the regular team training, in the morning and evening, at the lakeside park. It was as if this world had nothing to do with him.

He practiced dribbling while silently reciting the incantations given by the old sage.

The initial stage was even more difficult than when he first started his special training.

Because he had to multitask.

He often forgot the incantations while reciting them, or he would forget the feeling of the ball under his feet while focusing on the incantations, and then fall to the ground...

Although it was embarrassing, progress was still gradually appearing in Rongguang's body.

This was one of the reasons why Rongguang persisted.

Any effort, as long as it was truly paid, would indeed bring rewards, and Rongguang was willing to do it.

He was not afraid of hard work or pain; what he feared was putting in effort without any results.

Unconsciously, time flew by as Rongguang buried himself in hard training. The final match of the Rio-São Paulo Championship arrived.

On May 12th, São Paulo faced Corinthians away from home, competing for the title of the last Rio-São Paulo Championship.

São Paulo, Corinthians, who would etch their name on the last page of this 69-year-old competition?