Chapter 73

When the match had been going on for ten minutes, Cafure calmly and objectively analyzed the game so far on the commentary stand.

"There's not much to say about the match itself in these ten minutes. São Paulo, relying on their home advantage and superior strength, has a slight edge in the game. However, São Paulo's overall dominance does not mean that Rong Guang's performance is good. From the keen-eyed Cafure's perspective, Rong Guang has not shown the ability to be a starting attacking midfielder for São Paulo. His ball control is not as good as Kaká's, his passing is not as good as Kaká's, and his long-range shooting ability is also not as good as Kaká's. If this performance continues throughout the match, Cafure can already imagine what the media's reaction will be... Kaká has just won the World Cup with the Brazilian national team and is very popular in São Paulo. This choice by Oswaldo was already controversial, and if Rong Guang does not show any outstanding ability, it is normal for him to be questioned. However, for a boy who is not yet seventeen, a flood of doubts is not conducive to his growth. Anyway, Cafure can't understand why Oswaldo made this decision. Even if Kaká's physical condition is not good, it doesn't mean he can't start. If his physical condition is poor, he can be substituted at the 70-minute mark, and then Rong Guang can come on. This way, Rong Guang is better suited to play as a substitute, where his speed can be the last straw that breaks the camel's back when the opponents' physical condition starts to wane. But now, with Rong Guang starting, the opponents' physical condition is fine, and their reaction speed is not slow, so the effectiveness of Rong Guang's most potent weapon is halved. What's the point of this arrangement?"

Certainly, Cafure is not the only one with this thought. Another commentator, Galvão Bueno, also raised his doubts.

Moreover, the fans in the stands, especially Kaká's fans, and the viewers in front of the TV, are puzzled by Rong Guang's starting position.

Actually, Rong Guang's performance is not bad, but because he is replacing Kaká as the starter, the expectations for him are naturally high. If he doesn't show what they want to see, it is considered a "poor performance."

This is very similar to the public opinion when Kaká first replaced Romário in the Brazilian national team.

Kaká is good, but not as good as Romário.

Rong Guang performed well in the Rio-São Paulo Championship in the first half of the year, but he still wasn't as good as Kaká. Whether from statistical data or the overall impression of the game, everyone believes that Rong Guang is not as good as Kaká.

If that's the case, why give up on Kaká and let Rong Guang start?

※※※

When Rong Guang had the ball, a few scattered boos could be heard from the stands.

Mauro looked back at the stands and said to Oliveira, "It looks like some people are already impatient."

"Only ten minutes, they are really a bunch of impatient people," Oswaldo said, unfazed, still focusing on the field.

The problem with Rong Guang is that there is not enough space for him to use his speed and vertical breakthroughs.

After his excellent performances against Santos and Corinthians, Rong Guang has attracted a lot of attention. This time, his opponents have had three months to study him, so it is easy for them to figure out how to deal with him.

Oswaldo noticed that Botafogo's defensive structure was particularly clear when they were contracting.

From the midfield to the defense, and even to the goalkeeper, the lines were clearly visible.

If Rong Guang wants to continue to single-handedly break through the entire defense of Botafogo, it will be much harder than in the final of the Rio-São Paulo Championship...

Moreover, Botafogo has experience in successfully freezing Rong Guang. In the regular season of the Rio-São Paulo Championship in the first half of the year, São Paulo faced Botafogo at home, and the match ended in a 1-1 draw. Rong Guang started, but he had no impact in the game and was completely lost. He was eventually substituted by Kaká at the 61-minute mark. This match also marked the beginning of Rong Guang's transition from a starter to a substitute.

So, facing such a familiar opponent in the first match of the new national championship, it may not be a good thing.

But Oswaldo still watched the field and Rong Guang with great interest.

He is different from those who doubt his decision, as those who question Rong Guang's qualifications have not seen what Rong Guang has shown in the past month of training.

But Oswaldo has seen it.

Compared to when he finished the Rio-São Paulo Championship in May, the Rong Guang who reappeared before him had new changes, as if every cell in his body had been reborn—completely a new Rong Guang.

This change greatly interested Oswaldo.

He looks forward to Rong Guang's progress, just like watching a thrilling TV series.

He accidentally saw the beginning, and he wants to see it through to the end.

※※※

Rong Guang seemed to have no way to deal with Botafogo's defense and passed the ball back to Ricardinho.

Seeing this, Renaldo, sitting next to Kaká on the bench, couldn't help but humph, "Back pass, back pass, back pass, what else can he do? I haven't seen him pass the ball forward even once! Not only that, but he hasn't even distributed the ball to the wings... Attacking midfielder? What a useless attacking midfielder! Is he just filling in the numbers?"

He said this out loud, intentionally for Kaká to hear, as he was standing up for Kaká.

But Kaká didn't respond; he was focused on Rong Guang, just like the head coach Oswaldo.

He also wanted to see how Rong Guang would break through this time, being forced into a difficult situation.

This is not the Rio-São Paulo Championship in the first half of the year, when you were a complete newcomer, and many people didn't know you or understand you. You could use their ignorance to create miracles.

But this method is not sustainable. When you repeatedly do this, you will be thoroughly studied by your opponents.

Just like in the Rio-São Paulo Championship when he was thoroughly studied by São Caetano.

But after being thoroughly studied, Kaká was surprised to see that Rong Guang learned to dribble in a very short time, shocking everyone, including himself!

So, what about this time?

What new tricks can the rookie Rong come up with?

Kaká suddenly became a bit excited about this rookie.

※※※

Rong Guang recalled the coach Oswaldo's instructions: "Don't organize the attack with the ball; that's not your strong suit. Pass the ball to Ricardinho and find space for yourself. Think with your head and learn to use your speed. Also, let me see what color your next chocolate is, Rong."

Rong Guang still didn't understand the last sentence.

Of course, he didn't understand, as he hadn't seen "Forrest Gump"...

Oswaldo was looking forward to another surprising performance from Rong Guang!

Rong Guang was now thinking about how to use his speed to break through the defense.

The defense was well-structured, and he had tried once, using his speed to get past the first defender, but was quickly disrupted by the second defender, and then the third defender came in to completely destroy his play.

Breaking through this defense by himself was really difficult.

What should he do?

The ball quickly came back to Rong Guang's feet.

Rong Guang was not willing to give up and decided to try a one-man breakthrough again.

He dribbled forward.

Soon, the first Botafogo defender came up, and Rong Guang used his straight-line acceleration to temporarily shake off the opponent, but the second Botafogo player came up.

Moreover, the distance between the two was very close, leaving Rong Guang with little preparation time, making his space and time to control the ball increasingly tight.

Football, in the end, is a game of competing for time and space.

When Rong Guang was pressed in both space and time, he naturally couldn't perform well.

So, Rong Guang lost the ball again.

※※※

"This idiot! Brute force again!" Renaldo on the bench slapped his thigh, not sure if he was scolding Rong Guang or worrying about him...

"Brute force has no future! Does he think he's Ronaldo? Ronaldinho?" Commentator Bueno criticized Rong Guang's foolishness without mercy.

"A player who only knows how to run forward with the ball, no matter how fast, will never become a top player. Now, it seems that Rong's physical condition and talent are indeed outstanding... But I think there is one thing he lacks, and this lack may affect his future in football. That is... football intelligence!" Cafure directly pointed out Rong Guang's weakness.

When the TV audience heard Cafure's words, they were enlightened, praising Cafure as a renowned professional football commentator in Brazil, and the "lack of football intelligence" was a very accurate assessment!

In the Rio-São Paulo Championship, Rong Guang performed well, but mostly relied on his superior physical condition.

His speed is absolutely fast, which is his winning weapon.

Players with fast speed have an advantage when they first start, as people don't know them well enough.

But as people get to know him better, if his football intelligence doesn't improve, he will be in big trouble...

Players without football intelligence or with low football intelligence lack insight into the game, don't know how to maximize their talents, and can't integrate into the game, working with the team. They have a lot of talent but can't reach the level that matches their talent—simply put, they play without thinking.

Such players are common in the world of football.

Perhaps Rong Guang is one of them?

※※※

Rong Guang's ball was taken, but he didn't feel as frustrated as before because this time, when the opponent came to take the ball, he suddenly noticed a problem.

That is, the player left a gap behind him.

To tackle the ball, his position on the field changed.

This change was not significant, maybe just one or two meters.

But in the area in front of the penalty box, one or two meters is a big hole!

Why can't I use this hole?

The opponents used two people to defend me, which means their defensive strength in other areas is weakened, right?

If I pass the ball to those areas, to my teammates, won't the receiving teammates be unmarked?

Then the opponents' defenders will swarm to defend the receiving player.

Without the ball, my defensive pressure will be much lighter. I can move to the gaps left by the defenders who swarm to defend the receiving player, receive the ball from my teammates, and break the deadlock, right?

The more Rong Guang thought about it, the more he felt this plan was feasible.

To come up with such