Chapter 13: A Rollercoaster Debut to Remember

It's worth noting that Kaka, having already mastered the Shooting Star Run, was quite mature in his dribbling technique, showing no signs of inexperience.

Although lacking exceptional ball control, the Shooting Star Run's potency wasn't fully unleashed, but with the skill enhancement, his dribbling speed could leave others in the dust on this pitch. Moreover, in the world of football, Botafogo was a relatively insignificant side, lacking defenders capable of directly containing Kaka.

In a battle between underdogs, the weaker one was bound to bleed.

The Botafogo defender initially marking Baptista darted towards Kaka, unhesitatingly sliding in with a tackle.

Kaka's earlier goal had left a profound impression, and who knew what this kid would conjure if left unchecked.

Kaka seemed oblivious, pushing the ball forward once more and accelerating, neatly evading the sliding tackle.

Botafogo's goalkeeper nervously leapt up, repeatedly shouting at his defenders, "Quick, quick! Stop him!"

"Kaka is surging forward at pace, huh? His dribbling style is peculiar, keeping the ball unusually far from his body. This isn't typical of a skilled dribbler because when defenders close in, he'll need to slow down, making any attempt to beat them or pass seem rushed... Well, nevermind what I said."

Kaka encountered a second defender but showed no intention of slowing down, charging forward like a newcomer, startling the defender anticipating feints.

A slight push with his right foot, a minor change of direction to evade the interception, and he continued his surge.

He even checked the system interface, where his dribbling speed was now 92, followed by a bracket indicating "Shooting Star Run Enhancement."

Kaka's base dribbling speed was 89, meaning the Shooting Star Run added three points.

He didn't know the standard of a 92 dribbling speed, only that when using the Shooting Star Run, almost no one in São Paulo could keep up.

Evidently, Botafogo couldn't either.

Kaka swept into the opposition half like a gust of wind, rapidly approaching the penalty area's edge. The nearest Botafogo player trailed five or six meters behind, no threat. He only had to deal with the three defenders ahead.

"Kaka is about to enter the box. He's still not slowing down. Luis Fabiano! He received Kaka's pass, a wall-pass combination! The ball is back at Kaka's feet, he shoots!"

Kaka unexpectedly took a shot without any prior indication.

His foot had barely touched the penalty area line, around twenty meters from goal, when he struck the ball Fabiano had just passed to him, without any adjustment.

The shot wasn't particularly fast but had an obvious curve. Botafogo's goalkeeper reacted, diving towards the ball.

Botafogo's players had already lost hope.

Anyone with experience could tell this ball was unsavable.

São Paulo's substitutes rose in anticipation, but the ball cannoned off the crossbar and flew high.

Sighs of disappointment echoed from the stands, and Fabiano clicked his tongue in regret.

A Botafogo defender rushed towards the descending ball to clear it but saw a São Paulo player charging like a wild beast.

It was Baptista!

Instead of watching Kaka's display after his pass, he had joined the attack.

"Baptista! He's rapid, and his anticipation of the ball's drop is precise! A spectacular volley!"

The thunderous strike took everyone by surprise with its speed and power. The goalkeeper, still grounded, could only watch helplessly as the ball flew towards the net.

Just as São Paulo's players and fans prepared to celebrate, the crossbar once again denied them with a resounding "clang," deflecting the ball further away.

Kaka sprinted towards the ball's landing spot but saw Fabiano also charging, quickly changing direction to avoid a collision and circling around.

Fabiano reached the ball first, taking another direct shot, but mishit it, the ball glancing off his shin in an awkward looping effort.

Botafogo's goalkeeper scrambled across his line, barely palming the ball away from the tight angle before it could sneak in.

Precisely onto Kaka's feet.

Kaka calmly controlled the gift, even sparing a glance at the goal before coolly slotting it home.

"Luis got the ball, oh, a poor shot! Botafogo escape again. Were their defenders asleep? Allowing the oppo... Kaka! GOAL!!!!"

"2-1 to São Paulo! The comeback is complete! Kaka again! The unbelievable debutant has scored a brace in his first match!" Accompanied by the commentator's exclamation, the broadcast focused on Kaka.

The young São Paulo midfielder seemed still processing his disbelief, only breaking into a celebratory run after confirming the goal.

This time, before he could perform his trademark raised-arms celebration, Baptista and Fabiano had already piled onto him.

The rest of his teammates followed suit, burying Kaka at the bottom of the dogpile, truly a case of being "smothered by big men."

"That was a fortunate goal. We didn't see any clever movement or intense pressing. Botafogo's defenders watched like wooden posts as São Paulo practiced shooting at their own penalty area, the ball rolling kindly to Kaka's feet. Faced with the opportunity, Kaka remained composed. The lad's boots must have been kissed by God today, but we must acknowledge his earlier brilliant run created São Paulo's succession of chances. He deserved this goal. It was a truly perfect debut..."

Having just extricated himself from his teammates' manhandling, Kaka stood there, slightly disheveled, but unfazed by the fans' cheers.

Álvarez shook his head in disbelief, repeatedly applauding.

The surprise brought by the youngster was overwhelming; he was still processing it all.

Botafogo's coach was fuming, personally berating each of his defenders. Had he not used up his substitution allowance, he wouldn't have hesitated hauling off his two center-backs.

Coming off the bench to score a brace and lead a comeback, regardless of the final score, Kaka had emerged as the undisputed star. However, a 2-1 lead wasn't comfortable, with the possibility of being caught or overtaken at any moment. For Kaka, a win would undoubtedly hold more significance. He wouldn't want future recollections of his debut accompanied by remarks like "Although Kaka performed excellently, the team could only manage a draw" or "Despite the team's loss, Kaka's debut was flawless..."

So, for the remaining time, as Botafogo piled on the pressure, bombarding São Paulo's goal while his teammates retreated into a defensive shell to protect the 2-1 lead, Kaka continued seeking attacking opportunities.

A 2-1 lead wasn't secure; 3-1 would be comfortable.

Well, that was stating the obvious; mainly, he just wanted to score again.

Humans are greedy; having already scored a brace, who wouldn't dream of a hat-trick?

In the first minute of stoppage time, Botafogo had a chance to equalize, but the Morumbi Stadium's post once again played a starring role, deflecting the rebound into Kaka's path.

With half of the opposition's half unoccupied, Kaka surged forward again, ultimately setting up Fabiano with a sublime through ball.

Fabiano didn't squander the opportunity, slotting home to make it 3-1 and kill off any remaining suspense.

In just over thirty minutes, Kaka had scored twice and provided an assist, dazzling the entire stadium.

(End of Chapter)