The Young Wind Chaser

June 17th, at the Wing Stadium in Kobe, the sixth match of the quarter-finals is about to begin, Brazil against Belgium. 

The winner of this match will face England in the quarter-finals, so English players like Beckham, Owen, and Scholes were sitting in the stands.

Kaká was a substitute again, but the cameras still focused on him a couple of times. Many commentators would mention his name during the breaks, comparing him to Owen in the stands.

The World Cup didn't have a Best Young Player award back then, but there was no doubt that Owen was the best young player in 1998, while Kaká had already secured this unofficial honor this year.

As the previous Ballon d'Or winner, the English golden boy still had a big reputation, and the fact that Kaká could be compared to him showed his popularity. It also reflected people's anticipation for the potential quarter-final clash between Brazil and England, the best young players of this year and last year.

Of course, this all hinged on Brazil defeating their opponent in this match, but based on the first half's performance, that was far from guaranteed.

Scolari's unorthodox formation was difficult to define with numbers like 4-4-3 or 5-2-2. It essentially had five defenders, with the two outermost players capable of playing as wingers, three and a half midfielders, and one and a half forwards.

The half-player was Rivaldo, who could not only create chances for his teammates but also score himself, so Scolari positioned him as a sort of shadow striker.

Both teams had their attacking and defensive moments, creating some threats, but the score remained goalless at halftime.

In the first ten minutes of the second half, both teams had two shots on target, but the steady performances of Ceni and De Vlieger kept the score level.

In the 56th minute, Scolari made the first move, signaling for Kaká to come on.

He replaced Roque Júnior.

In contrast to the commentators' surprise when Kaká first came on, his substitution this time was met with an attitude of inevitability, even expectation.

After coming on, Kaká first relayed the coach's instructions:

Rivaldo would partner Ronaldo up front, without needing to drop back.

Cafu and Roberto Carlos would stay in defense, doing their duties as defenders.

So Scolari's tactical plan was clear:

Restrict the attacking tendencies of the two wing-backs to solidify the defense, while utilizing Kaká's ability to surge forward and bolster the attack.

It's hard to say whether this was more or less clever than the initial tactic, but since the first one clearly wasn't working, it was time to try the second.

However, Kaká didn't immediately get a chance to make an impact after coming on. Instead, Belgium mounted an attack first.

Mpenza played a backpass near the byline, and Wilmots took a touch before dribbling past the onrushing Lúcio and shooting from the edge of the box with his left foot.

It was a low, fast, and threatening shot, but Ceni reacted quickly to parry it away. Unfortunately, the rebound fell to Vanhaezebrouck.

From a tight angle near the byline, Vanhaezebrouck took a shot with his left foot, but the recovering Ceni threw his body across to block it with his shin, deflecting it out for a corner.

Ceni got up and let out a roar of relief, with Cafu patting his back to acknowledge his brilliant save.

Belgium's corner was dealt with routinely, Ceni claiming the cross with a high leap.

The stands applauded Ceni's series of impressive saves, and the Belgian players showed their disappointment at missing another chance. But as soon as Ceni landed, he took two strides and launched a long clearance.

Kaká had already made a run to the center circle, facing the direction of Ceni's kick. As the ball dropped, he flicked it on with his heel without letting it bounce.

The ball rolled straight behind him, and Kaká spun to chase after it at full speed.

"Ceni and Kaká seem to have a good understanding. As soon as he won the ball, Ceni played a long pass, and the Belgians were too casual, leaving Kaká unmarked..."

Most of Belgium's midfielders had pushed up for the corner, leaving only a few defenders back. Kaká carried the ball forward for several meters before encountering his first opponent, Belgium's number 5 Van Kerckhoven.

They met face-to-face just outside the box, with Van Kerckhoven initially settling to contain Kaká's run. But seeing Kaká's aggressive dribbling style, he sensed an opportunity and stepped forward to try and tackle as soon as Kaká took a heavy touch.

It was a nice idea, in theory. Kaká did tend to push the ball far ahead when dribbling, and the moment right after a big touch is when a player has the least control over the ball.

But Van Kerckhoven misjudged Kaká's dribbling rhythm. Kaká got a toe to the ball first, simply knocking it past the defender and continuing his run.

If the commentators comparing Kaká to Owen earlier seemed like a stretch, this moment made the parallel undeniable.

The high-speed dribbling, the sharp changes of direction - it was like witnessing a replay of that iconic moment from the England vs Argentina match four years ago.

The boy who once chased the wind was now the hope of all England, a Ballon d'Or winner at the peak of his powers. And this new wind-chasing youngster - could he replicate that stunning strike and take Brazil to the quarter-finals?

The answer was a resounding yes.

Ronaldo and Rivaldo's diagonal runs had already drawn two defenders away, while Ronaldinho quickly supported from the side, leaving Brazil in complete control. All Kaká had to do was beat the last defender, Peeters, in a one-on-one.

And for Kaká, beating a defender one-on-one in the box was child's play.

Everyone had already sentenced Belgium to death, the only remaining question was the method of execution.

And Kaká, the executioner, chose a particularly agonizing way: the step-over.

One, two, three, four, five... seven rapid step-overs in quick succession, leaving the unwilling-to-foul Peeters flailing helplessly on the ground.

Kaká pushed the ball to his right, facing the goal, and unleashed a thunderous strike.

The ball arrowed unstoppably into the top corner, a sight as brutal as it was beautiful.

On an amateur pitch, such a close-range blast might have earned the scorer a beating. But in this setting, the visually stunning image conveyed only a sense of violent aestheticism.

Kaká spread his arms like wings and flew towards the corner flag, dropping to his knees and sliding across the pristine grass.

The pitch at the Wing Stadium was of excellent quality, allowing for a smooth slide.

Two thumbs up.

(End of chapter)