Chapter 71: I'm Not a Penalty Taker

The second half had barely begun when Argentina recovered a goal.

Boosted by the home crowd's support, Argentina's morale soared.

Conversely, the still-leading Brazil seemed a bit apprehensive, but as the match resumed, their initial negativity dissipated as they refocused.

Costonio had no intention of changing tactics, and Brazil continued to play as the coach had instructed during the halftime break, deliberately quickening the pace.

Argentina found themselves momentarily unsettled.

They had anticipated Brazil would continue with their technical approach or park the bus, but a counterattacking strategy was unexpected.

Brazil showed no restraint in their running, quickly winning the ball, rapidly advancing, swiftly releasing passes, and even taking shots without hesitation.

Led by the pacesetters Kaka in midfield and the ruthless Adriano upfront, Brazil displayed formidable attacking prowess.

It's said that a chaotic approach can overcome a seasoned veteran, but when that chaos is orchestrated by an equally skilled veteran, the result is not chaos but sheer brilliance.

In the 54th minute, Kaka played a through ball, and Maicon immediately carried it down the flank before squaring it across for Adriano. Although Adriano's shot was blocked, and Kolonic quickly cleared the danger, Baptista swiftly intercepted Argentina's counterattack with a clean sliding tackle.

The dispossessed player was the midfield enforcer, who sought a free-kick from the referee, but Baptista was already back on his feet, playing the ball to Kaka.

Kaka received the ball in the final third and drove all the way to the edge of Argentina's penalty area before unleashing a shot without hesitation.

Although struck hastily, it was within Kaka's range, and the technique was sound, so he was reasonably optimistic about scoring.

Unfortunately, Burdisso reacted swiftly, charging towards Kaka and using his backside to block the shot as soon as it left his foot.

Kaka immediately regained control of the rebounded ball.

Kolonic immediately stepped up to cover, and the two captains found themselves in a familiar confrontation inside the box.

This familiar scene sent a chill down the spines of all Argentine fans, a sudden sense of dread washing over them.

"Big brother, we know you're fierce, but could someone else take over the marking? It's not that we don't trust you, but... let's just get someone else, shall we?"

Substitution was impossible, and Kolonic remained the man tasked with stopping Kaka.

Without hesitation, Kaka executed a dribble past Kolonic.

Executing a dribble from a standing start tests a player's acceleration and requires significant penetration, but Kaka was now inside the box, surrounded by defenders, with little room to build up speed. So attempting a dribble was a risky choice.

Indeed, Kaka's dribble failed as his touch was too heavy, allowing Cotolo to clear the danger from the penalty area.

However, Kolonic was caught off guard by the move and instinctively stuck out a leg to block Kaka's path while shifting his body to cover the angle.

As Kaka was just starting to accelerate, Kolonic's outstretched leg tripped him, sending him crashing to the ground.

The whistle blew, and the entire stadium fell silent.

Instead of rolling around on the ground, Kaka sat up and rubbed his leg where Kolonic's foot had caught him.

Kolonic's challenge was a natural defensive reflex without malice, but Kaka's momentum had caused the contact to be a bit painful.

The Argentine players were in disarray, with the blond-haired Kolonic, nicknamed "Little Lion" by fans, becoming incoherent, repeatedly gesturing in a pleading manner.

"Referee, sir, I didn't touch him... No, I didn't mean to, this wasn't a foul..."

Burdisso even pulled Kaka to his feet, repeatedly telling the referee, "Look! He's fine! This isn't a foul!"

Kaka remained silent, calmly bending down to adjust his socks before standing upright.

It was a clear foul, and he showed no intention of diving or simulation.

The referee pointed to the penalty spot.

"Let's look at the replay... Kolonic's foot didn't touch the ball; he clearly tripped Kaka. It's an indisputable penalty. The Argentines are still arguing, but there's nothing to argue about. They should be grateful the referee didn't show their captain a red card."

The protests were futile, and Brazil was awarded a penalty kick.

All eyes turned to Kaka.

He was the designated penalty taker, but after missing one earlier, no one expected him to be too fragile to take another, but they couldn't help glancing at him.

Kaka dutifully retrieved the ball and placed it on the spot.

Lukes tightened his gloves, clapped his hands, and bounced on the spot, eyes fixed on Kaka.

Just as the referee was about to check if both players were ready, various objects were suddenly thrown towards the penalty spot.

Bottled water, coins, even lighters.

Although numerous objects were thrown, whether due to the distance or the throwers' lack of strength, almost none reached the intended target, with most landing in front of Argentina's goal.

Kaka walked calmly to the penalty spot and gazed silently towards the Argentine stands.

Gradually, the commotion subsided.

The whistle blew.

Kaka took a short run-up, placed his left foot beside the ball, and raised his right foot to strike.

Without waiting for Kaka's foot to make contact, Lukes dived to his right in a gambler's attempt to anticipate the direction.

His movement was decisive, swift, and technically sound, but he ended up diving at thin air.

Because Kaka didn't shoot; instead, he gently nudged the ball to the side.

The outfield players from both teams, already anticipating a rebound or clearance, immediately charged into the penalty area, ready to pounce.

Various possibilities flashed through their minds.

Scoring directly, shooting over the bar, shooting wide, being tackled, being saved, hitting the crossbar, the post, or the goalkeeper... But none of them considered Kaka passing the ball.

A final, Brazil versus Argentina, who wouldn't want to score? Who wouldn't want another goal?

An assist? Is an assist as sweet as a goal?

With this mentality, their so-called attempts to score or clear were swift but still a fraction too slow.

More precisely, a fraction slower than Baptista.

As soon as Kaka passed the ball, he was in the perfect position, lashing a powerful shot into the Argentine net.

3-1.

"Kaka didn't shoot! He unselfishly passed to Baptista! What a clever penalty routine, and quite unexpected too. I don't think many people even knew penalties could be taken like that..."

"Congratulations to Kaka! He has recorded his second assist of the match and his seventh overall in the World Youth Championship, breaking the tournament's all-time assist record. Today's fans are truly fortunate to witness the birth of two records."

The television replay showed the subtle exchange between Kaka and Baptista before the penalty.

Just before placing the ball, they exchanged a discreet glance, like undercover agents making contact, and Baptista nodded unmistakably.

It was all premeditated.

I, Kaka, don't need penalties to score.

(End of Chapter)