"What a great opportunity! New player No. 24, Kai, appeared in the dangerous area behind the center circle without attracting anyone's attention."
"Panthers right back Carlo Pereira saw it! He noticed Kai's movement!"
"A through ball! Pereira sent a pass from the backcourt, and Kai received it in a wide position!"
"Kai runs with the ball."
"Figo's center back Miguel Veloso stepped up and physically challenged Kai, increasing the intensity. Kai tried to turn with the ball but couldn't get past Veloso… Kai fell to the ground, and the referee blew the whistle—awarding the Panthers a free kick in the frontcourt!"
"Kai's performance is good, but it would be better if he were faster."
"If Chris had been in that position just now, he would definitely have scored!"
The Panthers' players stepped forward one by one, preparing to take advantage of this frontcourt free kick.
It was a well-placed opportunity—a rare offensive chance for the Panthers today.
But the player taking the free kick was disappointing.
The ball failed to clear the wall and was blocked.
Ronaldo stepped forward to grab the ball.
But as soon as he picked it up, a little man swooped in and stole it.
To avoid a collision, Ronaldo fell to the ground and gestured for a foul.
However, the referee smiled and shook his head, signaling he had seen everything clearly.
That was a clean, precise tackle.
Indeed, it seemed the opponent already knew Ronaldo would continue to dribble instead of passing.
Ronaldo stood up and looked at the figure:
Number twenty-four!
Kai!
…
In the stands, the guests exchanged their views.
"A very good prediction," Rui Costa said.
"It's too risky. This kind of forward tackling isn't suitable for midfielders. Midfielders should simply deliver the ball to the forwards without losing position," Jardel disagreed.
Rui Costa and Guardiola both looked displeased.
No midfielder likes this assessment.
The arrogant striker dismisses the creativity of the midfielder, treating them like mere sappers.
It's no wonder his statistics are so good, yet he hasn't been called up to the Brazilian national team.
Brazil's squad not only has Rivaldo—the core midfielder with unmatched creativity—but every player is technical and inventive.
Do you expect your teammates to act like engineers, drilling a path and then passing the ball to you? Dream on.
Jardel's style didn't fit the Brazilian team.
"It's impressive to pull this off even when physically inferior to the opponent," Guardiola said. "Sometimes what others see as gambling is just determination in another's eyes."
"I think I know who this kid is. Portuguese, of Chinese descent, and there's a 'Kai' in his name…"
"Football Caesar! The kid who refused invitations from all clubs!" Rui Costa remembered, then looked toward the back row.
Lisbon assistant coach Triguera in the back row nodded proudly.
Caesar! My guy!
The next moment, noise erupted on the field. The stars quickly realized the game had been interrupted.
Kai was arguing with his teammate José Fonte.
After stealing the ball from Ronaldo in the frontcourt, Kai had dribbled to the flank, changed directions twice to delay, but none of his teammates caught up.
So when he was double-teamed and lost the ball, he roared at Fonte:
"Why aren't you moving forward!"
"What are you waiting for back there?"
"Their defense was in chaos just now! Every run is an opportunity!"
"Didn't your coach teach you to press forward?"
Click—Fonte, the arrogant defender, was immediately silenced.
It took him a long moment to respond: "Well… I'm a central defender."
After a free kick is blocked, it's normal for a central defender to return to position.
Fonte was unlucky. On his way back, he encountered Kai intercepting Ronaldo. He should have supported Kai, moving forward to relieve some pressure.
But as a young defender, he couldn't act recklessly; positional discipline mattered.
Two conflicting instructions—forward and protective contact—made Fonte hesitate, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
"My coach taught forward pressing, but also protective play," Fonte protested. "I feel wronged."
Kai froze for a moment.
Riding a horse!
Why did those words sound so familiar?
No wonder Fonte looked so familiar—he was a future Chinese Super League star.
Though he'd only spent half a year there, he had left a lot of valuable advice.
In a top-12 match for the Chinese national team against Saudi Arabia, Dai Weijun dribbled to create an opportunity. Yu Dabao, instead of moving forward, walked, allowing Dai to be double-teamed and lose the ball. The scene sparked heated debate.
Some said it was protective and smart.
Fonte, then a Portugal international, argued Yu Dabao should have rushed forward, found space between central defenders, and drawn away opponents.
"Never believe in protective contact. Anyone who knows football would call that nonsense! We're down 1–3, and we need to press the attack!" Kai jumped and patted Fonte.
After scolding him, he explained:
"I know why you wanted to retreat. You're scared of Chris, worried he'll destroy everyone, worried our defense will collapse!"
"I understand, but fix your mindset. Your opponent isn't just Chris; there are ten others. You're not alone—you have ten teammates!"
"Play this game well. The coaches, Lisbon's head coach, the club president, all the stars, and the audience are watching!"
It hit hard.
Fonte's eyes reddened. He almost cried—not from the reprimand, but because Kai understood him.
He really was scared of Ronaldo! He had been beaten by him three years ago. And now, three years later, he was still overpowered.
Fonte, standing at 1.8 meters, nodded obediently in front of Kai, who was barely over 1.4 meters.
Even Eusebio and Figo on the sidelines were amazed.
"I thought they were going to fight," Figo said. "No… more accurately, I thought Kai would be beaten to tears by Fonte. But three years later, his leadership is still here and growing stronger."
Eusebio asked curiously: "Do you know him?"
Figo nodded: "He beat Chris three years ago! Cruyff liked him and wanted to bring him to Barcelona with me, but it didn't happen… someone interfered."
"Football Caesar! The kid who rejected all the wealthy clubs?" Eusebio's eyes lit up as he recognized Kai.
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