Chapter 32: It's Over

In the 11th minute, Sao Paulo led 1-0 thanks to Kaka's free-kick. Despite trailing, Corinthians remained composed, maintaining their rhythm as if unaffected by the early setback.

Rather than resorting to defensive tactics, Sao Paulo continued attacking, undeterred even by manager Alvares' calls to tighten their lines. After all, this was a derby where losing was unacceptable but surrender was unthinkable for the youthful side.

Club presidents Alberto Duarte of Corinthians and Carlos Barros of Sao Paulo sat in the VIP section, their attention fully consumed by the match, their usual air of authority momentarily absent.

"The pace is frenetic, suggesting more goals are likely. The question is whether Sao Paulo will extend their lead or Corinthians will equalize first..." The commentator followed the action, "Another chance for Lugano, passed to Baptista, who finds Kaka. Kaka breaks through, oh, what a shame! Vampeta intercepts. Now Corinthians counter..."

Vampeta, Corinthians' defensive midfielder, was a gift from the manager specifically tasked with nullifying Kaka's threat. Without that free-kick, Kaka may not have had a single shot on target.

"La la la, are you out for a stroll? Did you wet your pants in fear?" Instead of clearing the ball, Vampeta taunted the young star.

Kaka adjusted his socks before walking calmly towards the Corinthians half.

"I heard you just turned nineteen? A promising youth! But why did you have to cross my path? What a pity, this is such a sad story." Vampeta mimicked Zinedine Zidane's infamous headbutt stance, backing away while relentlessly mocking Kaka.

Kaka opened his mouth to respond but could only think of low-brow retorts like "we'll see" or "don't get cocky." Accustomed to holding himself to higher socialist standards, he opted for silence over such uncouth phrases. Though no longer a public figure, his principles remained unchanged. Yet, in this moment, he struggled to find a witty riposte, wishing he could curse Vampeta with a "don't bully the poor youth" hex.

While Kaka was frozen by Vampeta's taunts, Baptista engaged in a fierce midfield battle with Corinthians' attackers, nearly coming to blows.

The midfield became a stalemate, prompting long balls over the top towards the strikers, lending a Premier League feel to proceedings.

As the first half neared its conclusion, most assumed the scoring was done. Alvares had begun contemplating his halftime team talk when disaster struck for Sao Paulo.

Veteran captain Cheni, hitherto a model of consistency, inexplicably fumbled a routine ball, gifting Corinthians' striker Guilherme an easy tap-in.

Even the Corinthians players seemed momentarily stunned before Guilherme celebrated wildly after realizing he had indeed scored.

"Unbelievable! Corinthians have equalized in the most unlikely fashion. Cheni has been a hero in Sao Paulo's journey, but that mistake could undo a season's worth of effort. Sao Paulo are in trouble..."

The Loyal Eagles ultras drummed thunderously before launching into a chorus of "Thank you, Cheni!"

Baptista consoled the shell-shocked Cheni, booting the ball upfield from the restart.

The fourth official signaled one minute of stoppage time.

"Lady Luck smiles upon us, eh?" Duarte shrugged with a sly grin.

"For now, it's just a draw," Barros responded, his demeanor equally nonchalant, as if his team hadn't just conceded. "Forty-five minutes remain; anything could happen. Though I must say, your players are far too aggressive."

"Oh, like yours are saints? Worried your number 23 might end up in the hospital? Come on, which clubs are bidding for him now? Manchester United? Bayern? Or an Italian team?"

Kaka, the hottest prospect in the region, had attracted interest from top European clubs. His free-kick strike would likely increase Sao Paulo's asking price by 10-20%.

Non-transferable? The club's future? Such notions didn't exist in the business of football. If the price was right, they would sell their own souls.

As the club chiefs traded barbs, the players grew increasingly physical on the pitch. Within seconds of the restart, both sides received yellow cards, reigniting tensions among the briefly subdued supporters.

The referee kept his whistle poised, evidently keen to end the first half, deferring any additional stoppage time until after the break.

The situation verged on chaos, and Sao Paulo again found themselves undone in the dying moments.

While their defense made no glaring errors, a lapse in concentration allowed Corinthians to seize the opportunity with a thunderous long-range strike that left Cheni grasping at air.

"Guilherme! Guilherme! He's scored again! Corinthians lead at the stroke of halftime! Oh, this cruel sport! What a stunning hit! If the first was lucky, this one showed Guilherme deserves all the plaudits."

The Sao Paulo players exchanged bewildered looks, grateful for the halftime respite to regroup, lest their fragile morale crumbled completely.

However, the break proved futile...

Barely minutes into the second half, before most players had touched the ball, the Corinthians faithful were in full voice again, their chants increasingly victorious in tone.

On 55 minutes, Corinthians breached the Sao Paulo goal once more, extending their lead to 3-1 – a considerable deficit but not quite apocalyptic. Except...three unanswered goals.

"Is Sao Paulo's goal made of paper? This is not the performance of title contenders! While their youthful squad is no excuse for such errors, Alvares' trust in his young charges has been rewarded, but it seems they still have a price to pay on their journey."

Alvares refused to capitulate, making multiple substitutions by the hour mark.

Fabiano and Kaka led the line, with Harrison and Fransa deployed as attacking midfielders.

In contrast, the previously adventurous Corinthians adopted a pragmatic, counter-attacking approach.

After being shackled following his free-kick heroics, Kaka's head hung low until his gaze met his teammates' grim expressions. 

This was unavoidable.

"Purchase Star Player Card?"

Kaka stared at the system prompt, his emotions conflicted.

The Star Player Card possessed unique, overpowered abilities but with stringent limitations.

Five honor points granted thirty minutes of god-mode – a steep price with debatable value.

The system offered eleven talents and eleven skills. Excluding the unnecessary ones, acquiring his desired suite would likely cost around a thousand honor points.

A thousand points... Kaka couldn't fathom how long that would take to accumulate. Any expenditure on the Star Player Card would perpetually deplete his reserves, forcing him to chase ever more honors relentlessly.

The temptation was undeniable yet toxic – a blatant ploy to foster addiction, ensuring one's honor points remained in a constant deficit state.

But could anyone truly resist such power?

A consumable stimulant, laced with malice.

Confirming the purchase, Kaka closed the system interface without taking the most advanced striker role. Instead, he dropped deeper, operating between Fabiano and Harrison in a supporting role akin to a second striker or offensive midfielder.

Corinthians had committed to an ultra-defensive setup, and Sao Paulo's attack soon funneled through Kaka in the 70th minute as the home fans clung to fading hopes of a miracle, as improbable as it seemed.

Yet, as soon as he received the ball, Kaka sighed heavily.

"It's over."

"You're done."

(End of chapter)