Chapter 91 of 100
Chapter 91
7 min read1,660 words
"Kaka made a beautiful breakthrough past Perez... and he's crossing the ball!" The commentator Bueno's eyes followed the football to the back post, where he saw Rong Guang leap into the air. He was taken aback, as if this scene was completely unexpected.
However, as a commentator, his professionalism and expertise quickly overcame the shock.
He shouted loudly.
"Rong jumped, and his posture is a bit strange. This is... a bicycle kick?!"
When he saw Rong Guang kick the ball in mid-air with a very unusual movement, the "bicycle kick" he shouted still carried a tone of doubt, unsure.
But then he saw the football fly straight into the goal...
It felt like something exploded in his brain!
A layer of goosebumps quickly appeared on his back and arms, spreading out.
"Bicycle... kick...!" He repeated his previously hesitant words, emphasizing each syllable.
His brain then caught up: "Bicycle kick! Bicycle kick! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!! Rong! That Chinese rookie Rong! He scored such a beautiful, incredible, unbelievable, and magnificent bicycle kick!!!"
He stood up from his seat as he shouted.
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The football, kicked firmly by Rong Guang in mid-air, drew a straight silver line and, under the watchful eyes of thousands, flew over the goal line and hit the net.
Because the scene was so quiet, everyone could hear the sound of the football rubbing against the net.
It was like dropping a bomb into a calm lake; the home stadium of Internacional de Porto Alegre, the Beira-Rio Stadium, suddenly erupted into a massive wave!
With a boom, it hit everyone's eardrums, brains, and hearts.
"Is it a goal?!"
"Yes, it's a goal! It's a goal!" The few São Paulo fans who had come to the away game raised their arms and cheered.
But more shock came from the Internacional fans.
"How is this possible?"
"This is an illusion! It must be an illusion! It can't scare me! Illusion!"
"Where did they go wrong, huh!"
"What a joke!"
These comments rose simultaneously, forming a storm that made people's hair fly and their eardrums hurt.
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Godo stood in front of his seat, staring at the field with wide eyes.
Rong Guang's goal was a complete surprise to him.
A bicycle kick?
He had never used it in regular training or special training...
How could he possibly know how to do it?
And his movement looked so awkward... but to still score a goal, isn't that even more incredible?
As he recovered from his shock, Godo suddenly realized that this was great news for Rong Guang.
Just as Kaka was pressing hard, Rong Guang scored such a beautiful goal!
His starting position is secure!
Well done, Rong!
You little guy, if you keep surprising me like this, my heart might not take it!
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Corey, watching the live broadcast at home, was also stunned. She covered her mouth with both hands, her not-so-big eyes wide open, staring at the flickering TV screen.
"Cheating... how can you score like that?"
Her father, Choi Ho, who was sitting next to her, was also stunned. Even if he had confidence in his young countryman, he never thought Rong Guang could score such a high-difficulty goal!
That's a bicycle kick!
Even top players don't just kick it whenever they want!
The TV was broadcasting Cafu's excited voice.
"... This is a goal that definitely deserves to be recorded on a plate!!"
In Brazil, this phrase is used to describe incomparably beautiful goals. A goal that can be recorded on a plate is absolutely a very, very beautiful and spectacular goal.
The origin of this phrase comes from Pelé's great goal.
On March 5, 1961, at the Maracanã Stadium, in the match between Santos and Fluminense, Pelé got the ball, crossed the midfield, and dribbled past one player after another before scoring. Some say Pelé dribbled past eleven players, but in reality, he dribbled past six. Despite this, it was still shocking. Everyone at the scene said it was the most beautiful goal Pelé ever scored, but this was before video recording, and such dribbling can no longer be seen.
The football journalist Joaquim Baptista, who was reporting on the match, felt regret that such a great goal could not be seen by more people. So he came up with a way to make the goal eternal. He had it engraved on bronze. A week later, he commissioned a circular plaque to be erected inside the Maracanã Stadium, dedicated to "the most beautiful goal in the history of the Maracanã Stadium." The phrase "a goal that deserves to be recorded on a plate" became a widely used expression, often quoted by commentators and still popular today.
The usually calm and objective Cafu used such a phrase, showing how much he was impressed by Rong Guang's bicycle kick.
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Rong Guang got up from the ground. The first thing he saw was the football already in the goal, and he felt a surge of joy—really in?
Then he realized what he should do.
He turned and ran out of the penalty area, all the way to Nielmar, who was near the center circle.
"Who are you? Who are you? Who are you?" Rong Guang pointed at him mockingly.
He had just mocked Nielmar and hadn't even had time to see Nielmar's expression when he was hugged by Baptista, who was also near the center circle.
The big black man roared in his ear: "How did you do that?!"
Could Rong Guang say, "I was pushed out"?
Of course not.
So he said smugly, "When inspiration strikes, you just do it!"
Ricardinho, who ran over to celebrate the goal, heard this and laughed: "So it was a lucky shot?"
"Hey, this is a display of my skills..." Rong Guang countered.
Ricardinho ruffled his hair: "Don't take it to heart, Rong. Many great and beautiful goals are lucky shots. Luck also requires skill; otherwise, why would it be you who scored it, and not someone else?"
This made Rong Guang feel much better, thinking that veterans really have a high level!
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When São Paulo's players were celebrating the goal right in front of him, Nielmar's face was not good.
Actually, even before Rong Guang pointed at him provocatively, his face was already not good.
He was stunned by Rong Guang's goal.
Before this, in his eyes, in his world, there was only Kaka.
Rong Guang, the Chinese rookie, he completely ignored.
But the most beautiful goal of the match was scored by this rookie!
He never expected this.
When he saw Rong Guang soar in the air but couldn't even maintain his balance, he was still sneering at this fool.
Who knew that the next second, Rong Guang's bicycle kick hit him squarely in the face.
He even wondered, if he were in that situation, could he have scored?
The always proud Nielmar mentally simulated the situation and then shook his head.
Although he was reluctant to admit it, he couldn't do it.
This result made him very dejected.
He originally thought his goal was Kaka, but now it seemed that a rookie who had only been playing football for seven months could look down on him...
Nielmar Maradona from Rio Grande do Sul?
What a joke!
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"Beautiful! Beautiful!!" On the coaching bench, Osvaldo was stunned by Rong Guang's goal.
He turned to look at Mauro.
Mauro was also stunned, standing by the sideline, staring at the field, unable to say a word.
"Look, my strategy worked! Rong assisted Kaka with a goal, and in the second half, Kaka returned the favor! Fabiano ran to the front post, drawing the attention of two defenders, and then Rong scored from the back post... what a beautiful offensive combination!" Osvaldo was so captivated by his own words.
He became more and more excited, already envisioning the future where this powerful trio would dominate the field.
Of course, the first thing to do is to give a resounding slap to the journalists who were shouting that Rong Guang and Kaka could never coexist after the match!
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In the media stands, the journalists looked at each other. In the face of Rong Guang's astonishing goal, they suddenly felt that their language was inadequate, unable to express their feelings.
Luck?
Of course, there was an element of luck. But even if Kaka or Ronaldo were in that situation, there would be an element of luck.
They weren't fools; many were veteran journalists who had reported on football for decades. If they simply and crudely explained Rong Guang's performance with luck, they couldn't even pass their own scrutiny.
But... why did a rookie who had only been playing football for seven months progress so quickly?
This was a question that left them baffled.
Coelho, on the other side, was also surprised by the goal. But after a brief shock, he smiled silently.
As expected, that kid wouldn't willingly give up his starting position...
This is good, very good.
I have more expectations for you, rookie.
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Rong Guang's bicycle kick shocked many people, but Kaka was the most surprised of all.
His cross was intended for Fabiano. He watched Fabiano's run, predicted where he would be, and passed the ball there.
Who would have thought that Fabiano didn't even jump!
If that were the case, it would just be a wasted cross.
He didn't take it to heart.
But then he saw Rong Guang soar in the air and kick a bicycle kick!
That scene gave him a huge shock, and it was still replaying in his mind.
The shock was so great that he even overlooked the fact that he had passed the ball to Rong Guang...
He couldn't understand how Rong Guang could make such a move.
Was it a lucky shot...?
No.
Maybe not.
My decision to stay in Brazil was indeed correct...
Kaka clenched his fists.
Rong Guang's goal only fueled his determination even more.
I won't lose to him!