Chapter 42: Is the Captain that Great?

Surprisingly, neither the Brazilian nor German media showed much interest in this football match. However, a television station in Argentina was quite interested in this clash of giants and provided live coverage of the game.

Their commentator had just finished briefing the audience, such as: "Don't judge this Brazilian number 9 by his looks, he may not be handsome but he's a deadly striker, lethal with both long-range shots and headers. And the other one, don't assume he's a striker just because his name is Baptista; he's actually a defensive midfielder. And that number 10..."

Before he could finish, Adriano had already taken a shot.

From about 15-18 yards outside the penalty area, before the defenders could get set, the ball had already taken flight like a cannon shot, thundering towards the German goal. 

The goalkeeper, standing casually with one hand on his hip, was watching his teammates' positioning when suddenly the rocket shot came flying at him. He instinctively dived to parry it.

Adriano clenched his fists involuntarily. He felt confident of scoring, estimating an 80% chance, but the goalkeeper deflected the shot, and it skimmed the post before going out of play.

The Germans breathed a collective sigh of relief, and the goalkeeper finally regained his composure, yelling at his defenders.

From the sidelines, various discussions could be heard, mixed with scattered applause. 

Kaka let out a couple of smirks, suddenly looking forward to the future Milan derbies.

Adriano + Ibrahimovic vs. Inzaghi + Shevchenko...

Even in this era of dazzling stars, few strikers could be mentioned in the same class as Ibrahimovic, Inzaghi, and Shevchenko, but Adriano undoubtedly belonged to that elite group.

Based on watching football in the past and his time with Adriano over the past two weeks, Kaka was well-acquainted with his playing style and abilities. This guy had pace, power, and skill; he was tenacious and could battle - a smaller version of Ronaldo in terms of physique and ability, though not as exaggerated as some claimed, nor as mediocre as others believed.

The media often labeled players as "the next Ronaldo," and even Kaka, who was far from that level, had been given that label a few times. However, until 2020, the only player who truly resembled Ronaldo's playing style was Adriano.

Adriano muttered something under his breath, and as Kaka approached to take the corner kick, he gave the back of Adriano's head a playful tap, saying, "Go to the far post."

Adriano looked bewildered, touching his head. 

'Did this kid just tap my head? Who does he think he is? Is the captain really that special?'

Regardless of his actual personality, Adriano's intimidating physique made others cautious about provoking him.

Kaka strutted away after his bold move, finding it exhilarating. 

What kind of achievement was it to slap a Tibetan Mastiff's backside and walk away unharmed? Should he try it with Ibrahimovic in the future?

Kaka arrived at the corner kick area, where the penalty box was already packed with players. Adriano stood in the middle like an iron tower, flanked and jostled by two German defenders, as if they were containing a ferocious beast that had just broken free.

Kaka pointed towards the near post, took a couple of steps for a run-up, and whipped in the corner kick.

Baptista and Roberto had been casually roaming the penalty area but immediately darted towards the near post when Kaka gestured. The others followed suit in a chain reaction, charging towards the front of the goal. 

Only Adriano turned and ran towards the far post, like a blind man. The two defenders marking him reacted a split-second late before hurrying after him.

Kaka couldn't help but chuckle. 

'Oh, these innocent young lads, how adorable.'

The ball soared high, heading towards the far post. 

Adriano leaped, almost dragging the two defenders with him.

"Thump!" Everyone couldn't help but mentally add a sound effect as Adriano's powerful header thundered into the ball.

The goalkeeper's attention had been focused on Adriano the entire time. 

When a striker like Adriano, Drogba, or Vieri is leading the line, even a child taking the corner knows to aim for their head.

The German goalkeeper correctly judged the trajectory but couldn't prevent the ball from entering the net. 

"Adriano scores with a header! Those cunning Brazilians have expertly exploited the only weakness in the German defense. Adriano is incredibly strong; it's hard to believe he's not even twenty years old yet..."

"The player who provided the assist for Adriano was Ricardo Kaka, a talented player from the São Paulo club. Not only did he help São Paulo win the league, but he was also named best newcomer of the season. His partnership with Adriano could very well become a nightmare for future opponents." 

After scoring, Adriano fell to the ground with the two German players but quickly pushed them aside, sprinting towards the sideline and unleashing a furious fist-pumping celebration. 

His teammates swarmed him, celebrating Brazil's first goal of the tournament.

Most of the spectators on the sidelines and in front of televisions were Argentinians who had initially watched hoping to see Brazil humiliated. However, they couldn't help but start worrying for their own team.

'This is within the first five minutes... and the opponents are Germany, right? Is the Brazilian youth team that strong? They seem only slightly weaker than us.'

On the sidelines, the coach clenched his fists in celebration, simultaneously patting himself on the back for spotting such talent. 

After reveling in his goal for a while, Adriano finally noticed that the player who assisted him hadn't joined the celebrations, causing him to purse his lips in annoyance.

'What's with the aloofness? Looking down on us? Is the captain really that great?' 

Kaka seemed to sense Adriano's resentful gaze and lightly applauded, giving him a thumbs-up.

'How could I, the aloof Ricardo Kaka, foolishly run across the entire pitch to join a bunch of burly lads?'

Adriano had created the corner kick opportunity and scored the goal himself. Following the natural order, the Germans focused their tightest marking on Adriano. 

As for Kaka? Well, they paid him some attention, considering he was the captain. 

Kaka felt like throwing his head back and laughing.

'How long had it been since he had experienced such freedom, ever since making a name for himself at São Paulo?'

No more constant tugs and shoves, no heart-pounding moments when receiving the ball while being watched menacingly by towering figures, and no defender constantly shadowing him as if attached at the hip.

'Thank you, gentlemen!'

Kaka's gratitude and eagerness soon arrived in the form of a blazing meteor, a gift package for the German team.

(end of chapter)