Chapter 88

Nirmal had good reason to be confident in challenging Kaká. His form had been excellent over the past period, scoring in each of the last three matches, with four goals in three games. This rapid rise had not only made him a standout in Rio Grande do Sul but also earned him a reputation across Brazil. If he continued to develop, surpassing Kaká to become the most popular young player in Brazil was not out of the question. In recent weeks, the media in Rio Grande do Sul had been full of praise for the young man, who was only eighteen, making him feel a bit heady. He was confident that he could replace Kaká.

In this match, his performance was also very active, running energetically on the field, eager to score. He had already made his statement, and now he was determined to score. Not only did he want to score, but he also wanted to lead the Internacional team to defeat São Paulo! This was Nirmal's ambition. When he wasn't in possession of the ball, he would focus his gaze on Kaká. He watched Kaká's every move, seeing him as his greatest rival. It seemed that as long as he could defeat Kaká, he would become the best young player in Brazil. As for Rongguang, he didn't even consider him a threat.

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Rongguang, who had been ignored by "Nirmal Maradona," was filled with rage, eager to vent his frustration in the match. How could he, a player who had relegated Kaká to the bench, be ignored by an unknown nobody? When did it come to this, where an unknown nobody could look down on him? Nirmal didn't know Rongguang's nickname in Rio Grande do Sul, and Rongguang didn't know Nirmal's reputation. Neither knew much about the other, but that didn't stop them from looking down on each other.

Rongguang's biggest problem was that his vertical runs were easy to predict. He rarely got the ball, and when he did, his vertical runs were often intercepted. This had been an issue for several matches. If he didn't solve it soon, he feared that soon there would only be Kaká playing as the attacking midfielder on the field. But what could he do? Rongguang carefully recalled the times he had been intercepted. When he feinted to the right, everyone knew he would break to the left, and vice versa. What if, when he feinted, he actually intended to break to the right? A light bulb went off in Rongguang's head. A plan quickly formed in his mind. He clenched his fist, thinking, "Damn nobody, how dare you look down on me? Watch closely!"

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Kaká's performance wasn't as intense as Rongguang's, but it was clear that he was also very active in this match, with many attempts on goal. He clearly wanted to score. Being tangled with Rongguang was already annoying enough, and now Nirmal had appeared. He wondered if he was too nice, allowing anyone to use him as a stepping stone. Nirmal? You've picked the wrong opponent!

"Kaká shoots—just wide! What a shame! ... Kaká is in good form today, while Rong, in comparison, remains in the shadows. It seems that Osvaldo's idea of Rong and Kaká coexisting has led to an awkward situation: when one performs well, the other inevitably performs poorly..."

By the thirty-minute mark, Kaká's performance was clearly better than Rongguang's. Kaká was more versatile, and when he got the ball, he had more options, making his performance naturally superior to Rongguang, who only made vertical runs and lost the ball.

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Kaká's excellent performance only fueled Nirmal's determination. Defeating such a strong opponent would truly prove his worth! This match had to be his true coming-out party! He was not content to be just "Nirmal Maradona" of Rio Grande do Sul! But then his ball was intercepted by Lugano. Lugano, having taken the ball, quickly sent it forward. The ball soon reached Rongguang's feet. Rongguang, naturally, continued to move forward. The Internacional players, who had studied Rongguang's match videos, knew his pattern well. His biggest threat was his vertical runs, during which he would change direction. However, his changes in direction had been thoroughly analyzed. As long as they watched his upper body, especially his shoulders, they could predict his moves. If his right shoulder dropped, he would break to the left, and vice versa. This had become almost a law.

The player responsible for defending Rongguang was Internacional's captain, defensive midfielder Leandro Grelo. He didn't rush in but waited for Rongguang to come to him, his eyes fixed on Rongguang's shoulders. As Rongguang approached, his upper body swayed, and his right shoulder dropped. Right shoulder! That means left! Grelo lunged to the left, but to his surprise, Rongguang didn't come as expected. Instead, he broke to the right, leaving Grelo stunned. What?! Grelo was shocked and tried to turn to block, but it was too late...

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Rongguang dropped his right shoulder and used his right foot to push the ball to the right, easily bypassing Grelo. He then charged towards Internacional's defense. Despite the dense defense, he was determined to break through! He wanted to show that damn nobody who he was!

"Rong! He's broken past Grelo!"

"Rong is charging towards Internacional's defense! His breakthrough is unexpected... not that his runs are unexpected, but that he actually succeeded is surprising!" Bueno couldn't help but comment. Grelo's easy failure to stop Rongguang was a shock to the other Internacional players, but they weren't too panicked, lacking a clear understanding of the power of Rongguang's vertical runs. Two more defenders quickly moved in to form a small encirclement around Rongguang. Faced with their pressure, Rongguang had to slow down.

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"Finished..." Godo, in the stands, couldn't help but sigh when he saw Rongguang slow down. Rongguang's greatest strength was his speed, and once he was forced to slow down, it meant the breakthrough was over. If he passed the ball, he might avoid losing it, but if he continued to dribble, he would likely run into a wall. Godo was not the only one who thought this. In the stands, the commentary box, the media seats, and even the coaching and substitute benches, many people believed Rongguang would lose the ball.

"Passing the ball to him was a mistake," Renaldo sighed on the sidelines, shaking his head. His expression seemed more gleeful than disappointed. He enjoyed seeing Rongguang make a fool of himself, suffer, and be ridiculed, disappointing others. As someone who had once looked down on Rongguang but was now on the bench while Rongguang played, this was his only small pleasure.

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Rongguang slowed down, looking down at the ball rolling in front of him. To him, the perfectly shaped ball was much easier to control than a walnut... He used his right foot to gently push the ball to the right, seemingly preparing to break to the right. The Internacional defender Clayton, seeing the ball move to the right, assumed Rongguang was going to break to the right, just as before, and moved to the right to block him. But then he saw Rongguang's right foot turn inward and pull the ball to the left! A pull-back! The ball slipped between the two Internacional defenders! The left defender, seeing the ball move to the right, thought it wasn't his problem. But then he saw the ball pulled back and Rongguang dart past him before he could react! As Rongguang pulled the ball, he immediately accelerated! His explosive speed was terrifying, and he quickly broke through the encirclement. In front of his speed, the two Internacional defenders seemed to be in slow motion. By the time they turned, Rongguang was already at the edge of the penalty area.

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"Pull-back?! How...?" Renaldo couldn't help but stand up from his seat, but he retained his last bit of reason. He remembered that Rongguang had practiced dribbling around cones for a long time, and a pull-back was a basic dribbling move he couldn't possibly not know...

Osvaldo's eyes lit up. Although a pull-back was a common move that any player could do, it was significant that Rongguang, a beginner, could execute it so naturally. This was the result of constant repetition in training... Persistence is key; there are no shortcuts in football.

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After Rongguang had bypassed three opponents, the Internacional defenders finally connected the player who had defeated the entire Santos team in the video to the Rongguang in front of them. Two more players rushed to stop Rongguang, determined to end his run outside the penalty area—so much so that they even ignored the São Paulo striker Fabiano. The video of Rongguang's performance against Santos had left a deep impression on them. As a team from outside Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, they had never faced São Paulo before and knew Rongguang only through videos. The videos their coach showed them were of two matches: São Paulo's last regular-season game against Santos and the final Rio-São Paulo match against Corinthians. In both matches, Rongguang had impressive vertical runs, especially the one against Santos, where he ran from the front to the back and then from the back to the front, crossing the entire field twice. This left a profound impression on them. The terror Rongguang displayed in the match against Santos made them very wary. The terrifying memory resurfaced in the match, quickly dominating their minds, leaving them unable to think clearly. Faced with two more defenders, Rongguang switched to his left foot for a pull-back. Unfortunately, his left foot was not his stronger side, and he misjudged the force, making the pull-back too wide! The ball successfully slipped between the two defenders and rolled to the right, but it rolled too fast and too far. Rongguang was not about to give up. Even if the pull-back was too wide, he could still chase it down! He relied on his speed to squeeze through the two defenders to chase the ball. But just as he started to move, he saw a São Paulo player in front of him... It was Kaká! He saw Kaká in the path of his pull-back, and the ball rolled towards Kaká... Kaká made a move to receive the ball. Hey, bastard! That's mine... Rongguang didn't have time to react; he reached out to grab Kaká, as if to stop him. But it was too late. He saw Kaká stop the ball and immediately shoot. His eyes followed the ball towards the goal. He saw the ball bypass the Internacional goalkeeper Irlan Spaccino and fall into the net... He was left with his mouth open and his arms outstretched in a calling gesture.