Chapter 53: My Attitude

The meeting between Kaka and Boshio did not end badly. In fact, both of them appreciated each other, but they were destined to go their separate ways. 

Kaka could not possibly betray his teammate Ronaldo to join Barcelona. Even though Barcelona is a great club, at least for now, AC Milan seemed like a more suitable next destination for Kaka.

Even if you ignore factors like history, emotions, how competitive the current league is, the team's playing style, and the fact that Kaka had already been featured wearing Milan's jersey, he still had reasons to choose Milan. 

There was Rui Costa, one of the few true master football players left in the world. Rui Costa was a mentor and friend who could help Kaka transform from being an exceptional player to truly outstanding.

To explain Rui Costa's importance - if you said that Rui Costa holds a similar importance for Kaka as Bill Gates does for a young entrepreneur, many people would understand what you mean. 

Without Rui Costa's guidance and teachings, Kaka might not have had the opportunity to fulfill the promise he once made to himself - to become better than he already was.

There were many ways to surpass yourself, with the most obvious being to accomplish things you wanted but hadn't achieved yet.

Such as...rebuilding the Milan dynasty?

...

The coaches of the various national under-20 football teams did not want their players to get too distracted by scouts, transfers, and other off-field issues at this stage. But these things were unavoidable and could only be controlled to a certain extent.

The various off-field incidents did not stop the smooth progress of the U-20 World Cup. On July 1st, local time, the quarterfinals began as scheduled.

France faced Argentina, Egypt took on the Netherlands, Brazil clashed with Ghana, and Paraguay met the Czech Republic.

According to the U-20 World Cup rules, if Brazil eliminated Ghana and Egypt defeated the Netherlands, the semi-finals would feature Brazil against Egypt. Therefore, Kaka was still unsure whether it was Ghana or Egypt that had sent Brazil home in the previous timeline he knew about. However, as the tournament went on, he began to focus on Ghana.

It was not because Ghana was particularly strong but rather due to Brazil's abnormal performance in this match against them. 

Their desire to impress the scouts was too strong.

Although there had been instances of individual showboating before, it had never been as exaggerated as it was now. 

Was it because there were more spectators watching? Or had they been provoked by the scouts being there?

As we have mentioned before, football is a business, and the U-20 World Cup is like an exhibition. After the initial round of elimination, some players had already caught the eye of potential buyers (clubs), while others were still waiting for the most suitable buyer to notice them.

This situation was very evident within the Brazilian team. 

With their leading figure, Kaka, reportedly transferring to Barcelona, and their star player, Adriano, being courted by Inter Milan, it was understandable that the other players would feel a sense of urgency and desire to attract attention from scouts.

The more Kaka observed, the more he felt that something was wrong. 

"Everything is in disarray. I should not have met with Boshio from Barcelona," he thought.

Although Kaka could not solely blame himself, he undoubtedly set a poor example, which left him feeling regretful and remorseful for his mistake.

The match had only been going for twenty minutes, yet the Brazilian team had already taken four shots on goal, averaging one every five minutes. It sounded impressive, but not a single shot was on target.

Coach Costonio was pacing anxiously on the sidelines, fuming with rage. He had expected an easy victory based on the team's focused demeanor during training. Little did he know it would turn out like this. 

"Kaka! Kaka!" Costonio shouted at Kaka during a throw-in opportunity, "Calm down! Calm down!" 

Kaka gave an "OK" gesture, forcefully throwing the ball back into play before running back onto the field.

Leo received the ball, but instead of following the usual throw-in routine of passing it back to Kaka, he gently nudged it with his heel, causing the ball to slip between the legs of the defending Ghanaian player. 

It was an undeniably beautiful move, and he had already succeeded in beating his marker. All he needed to do was turn and chase the ball, and he would have had a lot of open space on the wing.

Unfortunately, the Ghanaian opponent did not let him have his way, immediately shouldering Leo to the ground.

Leo was furious, immediately standing up and grabbing the opponent's throat. The Ghanaian player retaliated without hesitation, mirroring the action with his right hand. Both players pushed each other forcefully before locking foreheads. If they weren't glaring at each other with enraged expressions and intimidating physiques, their stance might have looked like a loving couple embracing.

The nearby Ghanaian players immediately rushed in, pushing Leo away. Kaka, being the closest Brazilian player to the incident, could not stand idly by. He quickly ran over and joined the group shoving each other. 

Others soon joined in too, with the additions of Baptista and Adriano swiftly tilting the balance in Brazil's favor. It was at this point that the referee finally arrived, promptly issuing yellow cards to the instigators, Leo and the Ghanaian player. The referee also eyed Kaka with suspicion, as if considering whether to give him a card too.

As the referee approached, Kaka began backpedaling, positioning himself between the two groups. He urged his teammates not to act rashly and gave the impression that he had been actively trying to defuse the situation. This angered the two Ghanaian players he had pushed aside moments earlier. 

The situation was barely brought under control, and the referees summoned the team captains to the sidelines.

"Listen, don't cause any more trouble. Next time, it won't be as simple as a yellow card," the referee said, extending his index and middle fingers towards his eyes. "Don't test my eyesight, and certainly don't test my patience."

Kaka shrugged. "You saw it yourself; they were the ones who started it."

"It was clearly you who provoked us!" the Ghanaian captain retorted, glaring fiercely at Kaka. He firmly believed that Kaka had played a role in instigating the incident because Kaka did not immediately pull his teammate away. Instead, Kaka had decisively chosen to escalate the situation. He was not as innocent as he appeared.

"Provoked? You mean that nutmeg skill move Leo did? You consider that provocation?" Kaka stared back unflinchingly. "Where we come from, that's called being outskilled, or being a sore loser."

"How dare you..." the Ghanaian captain began angrily.

"Enough!" the referee shouted. "Don't forget your responsibilities as team captains. Are you sure you want to approach this match with such a bad attitude?"

"My attitude has always been to avoid trouble, but I'm not afraid of it either," Kaka adjusted his jersey, the long sleeves now slightly askew from the scuffle. "I have no intention of challenging your authority as the referee, and I will keep my teammates in check. But we expect to be treated fairly."

"Of course, I won't favor any side," the referee replied, turning to the Ghanaian captain. "I don't want to see a repeat of what just happened." 

The Ghanaian captain shrugged, indicating he understood, but not without a parting insult at Kaka, "I can only say, I'll try not to get provoked again."

Kaka returned to the center of the field, clapping his hands to gather his teammates around him. "Listen, I don't care what your greedy agents have told you, and I don't care what unrealistic thoughts are going through your minds right now. But remember, this is a knockout match, a life-or-death battle where only one team can advance. It's not some pointless showcase where everyone revolves around one individual player. Now, please recall your abysmal performance earlier. If you believe that was the standard you should aspire to, then do us all a favor and leave the pitch. Don't drag the entire team down with your selfish play. I'd rather face a numerical disadvantage than fight alongside a group of selfish individuals. If you don't want to be substituted, then play properly, like you do in training, like the coach demands. Send those Ghanaian opponents packing, and the big clubs and big contracts"

Kaka continued, "To win, you have to fight like men, not perform like attention-seeking clowns trying to impress scouts. No one will hand you victory just because you put on an amusing show of skillful moves."

Although some teammates remained unfazed by Kaka's stern words, he was relieved to see the expressions of others visibly grow more solemn and focused.

Everyone stared at Kaka in surprise, his cold, intense expression leaving them with a strange sense of unfamiliarity towards this teammate they had spent over a month with. Even Baptista, who knew Kaka best, felt like he was meeting him for the first time.

Everyone shared a similar impression of Kaka – a rugged playing style but a sunny, gentle, polite personality off the pitch. He was seen as a positive little prince, the kind of well-behaved kid every parent would want. Those who interacted with him more knew he occasionally displayed hints of mischievousness, but it was harmless and only made him seem more genuine.

This intense, commanding side of Kaka was unprecedented. But only he knew that this was his true competitive self.

Being kind, humble, and agreeable could be part of one's personality or playing style, but it should not define one's attitude when it came to competing to win.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the cold, unflinching Kaka, who appeared to be a completely different person from the affable teammate they thought they knew.

"I don't care what all of you are thinking right now, but this is a knockout match. It's do or die," Kaka continued sternly. "I'm not interested in hearing any excuses about chasing contracts or impressing scouts. Right now, the only thing that matters is winning this match and advancing to the next round."

He paused, making intense eye contact with each of his teammates in turn.

"If you can't focus solely on that, then you might as well leave the pitch now. I'd rather play shorthanded than have any distractions or selfish attitudes out there with me. Either get your head fully in the game, or get out of my way."

The players exchanged uneasy glances, taken aback by Kaka's intense demeanor and uncompromising words. 

Even Adriano, the star striker who had been courted by numerous top clubs, found himself nodding slowly in agreement. There was a gravity and authority to Kaka's presence that commanded respect.

As the referee blew the whistle to resume play, the Brazilian team took the field with a renewed sense of purpose and determination. Their earlier showboating antics were replaced by a gritty, professional, team-first focus.

Kaka's leadership had realigned their priorities. This was not an individual showcase but a battle between two teams, and only one would emerge victorious to advance.

(end of chapter)