Chapter 67: Paying Tribute to Kobe

D'Alessandro had delivered impressive performances against Finland and Paraguay, not only with his dribbling but also posing threats with his shots and assists. Seeing him completely unmarked, he received the ball and confidently made his way into the penalty area from the left flank, causing Costonio to nearly jump in anger and let out a barrage of expletives.

Edua, who was initially marking Saviola alongside Anderson, was forced to rush over.

Without waiting for Anderson to approach, D'Alessandro swiftly played the ball to the left before darting towards the goalmouth himself.

Suddenly, the Brazilian penalty area was crowded with three Argentine players: Saviola, Herrera, and D'Alessandro.

The left side was originally Edua's responsibility, but now he had to mark D'Alessandro, leaving Leo to handle the defensive duties on that flank.

However, Leo was unable to block Poncio's cross from the wing.

A rapid, driven ball soared across the Brazilian penalty area from the left.

Rubinho took a couple of steps forward, intending to punch the ball clear, but Saviola had already charged in with a diving header.

His forehead made clean contact with the ball.

Rubinho's heart sank, but the resounding "thump" as the ball struck the post reignited his hopes.

The rebounding ball flew towards Anderson, who had no time to properly control it and instinctively lashed out a clearance.

Unfortunately, it was directed towards his own goal.

Rubinho was ready to unleash a torrent of expletives, but he was quickly relieved to see the ball soar high enough to potentially knock down a satellite.

The fans witnessed the entire sequence of events, their emotions mirroring a rollercoaster ride, leaving them exhilarated.

"A narrow escape, as Anderson nearly scored an own goal, which would have been the second of the tournament for Brazil. However, their crisis is far from over. Less than five minutes into the match, Argentina has already created two major threats, and they appear to be on a completely different level compared to Brazil. With nearly ninety minutes remaining, Brazil must quickly adjust; otherwise, they can only watch helplessly as their rivals lift the championship trophy over their heads."

Costonio paced back and forth anxiously, continuously contemplating strategies.

Compared to the Brazilian team, this Argentine side was indeed slightly stronger overall.

While Brazil had outstanding representatives in every position, only a few players like Adriano, Kaka, and Maicon truly reached the highest echelon, whereas Argentina's squad consisted almost entirely of the current elite among the younger generation.

Of course, football matches cannot be judged solely on paper; they must be fought on the pitch, and until then, no one can predict the outcome.

However, who could have known that the match had barely begun, and Argentina's daggers were already inches from Brazil's face before the probing phase had even concluded.

There were no tactical issues; even if there were, they wouldn't have been exposed so blatantly at the start. And while there might have been a skill gap between the players, it shouldn't have been so pronounced. The only explanation was that the players' mentality or form was off.

After all, it was an away match.

Whenever the opposition had possession, the entire crowd chanted, "Go for it," "Kill them," "I want to have your baby," but when Brazil had the ball, tens of thousands of fans would whistle and jeer in unison.

While the language might not have been understood, the emotions were contagious. In such a hostile environment, how many individuals could remain composed?

Kaka had also identified the problem but had no viable solution. He could only walk to the center of the team and deliver a few verbal reminders before preparing to defend against Argentina's corner kick.

To overcome the nervousness, he could only think of psychological counseling, motivation, diversion of attention, and so on, but none of those seemed particularly reliable at the moment. The best approach would be to firmly retaliate, boosting their morale.

During opponents' corner kicks, Kaka rarely positioned himself inside the penalty area. Firstly, if Brazil could clear the ball, it would present a counter-attacking opportunity, and as a crucial part of the counter-attack, Kaka needed to be near the edge of the penalty area to facilitate the transition. Secondly, his heading ability was poor.

He had only scored one headed goal since turning professional, and even that was when the ball accidentally struck his head before going in...

This time, Argentina took a tactical corner kick, with Rodriguez passing to the nearby D'Alessandro, who then returned the ball to Rodriguez, who had stepped onto the pitch. Rodriguez then played a cross towards the center.

This routine seemed no different from a direct delivery, an unnecessary complication, but at that moment, everyone was intently focused on the incoming ball. Their one-two sequence had already disrupted the defenders' rhythm.

It was like a date – if a couple had agreed to meet at 8 PM, but one of them showed up at 9 PM, dragging along an unexpected companion, wouldn't that be disruptive?

Argentina's routine did have some effect, with at least two Brazilian players failing to react in time and being beaten by their marking assignments. Fortunately, the Argentine's eventual header was too central, and Rubinho only needed to remain in position to comfortably collect the ball.

It was now Brazil's turn to attack.

Their marking of Kaka was spot-on, preventing Rubinho from launching a quick counter-attack by playing the ball directly to Kaka. Instead, he had to pass to Baptista, attempting to build from midfield.

Learning from Maicon's mistake, Baptista didn't dare attempt any dribbles from the back. After a simple exchange with Leo, he played the ball out wide to Costa.

Costa carried the ball down the flank, scrappily dribbling past the advancing Poncio before chipping a cross towards the center circle.

Kaka held his position, coolly controlling the ball with his back to Alka.

Alka immediately used his right hand to apply pressure to Kaka's back.

Referees dread such physical contact between players, so the official promptly raised the whistle to his lips, prepared to blow at any moment.

Alka gestured to the referee that he wasn't using excessive force while carefully watching Kaka's feet.

His stance was reminiscent of the NBA.

A number 10 player holding the ball, back to the basket, the defender body-checking him to prevent him from turning, a teammate rushing over to set a screen...

Kaka, a frequent basketball viewer, was familiar with this scenario and knew how the greats in that sport would counteract it.

He forcefully leaned his upper body backward, feinting a move to his left.

Alka felt the force transmitted through his palm and instinctively tensed his arm. Noticing Kaka's dropping left shoulder, he immediately leaned in forcefully.

But Kaka suddenly twisted his body to the right, simultaneously dragging the ball with his left foot, swiftly completing a 180-degree spin.

By the time Alka realized he had been deceived, it was too late to adjust.

Kaka had shielded him behind his back and was now facing the Argentine goal.

Kaka pushed the ball forward, charging towards the Argentine goal like a shooting star.

That move worked beautifully. Thanks, Kobe.

(End of Chapter)