Chapter 11: Goal

"It's now the 59th minute of the match, and São Paulo's young player Kaka has come on as a substitute. This is his first professional game. We don't know what the coach's reasoning was for bringing on a player with no prior experience in such a situation, but we hope this youngster can bring something different to the team, because this São Paulo side is not what the fans want to see." The commentator Jeck Carfo from the Bandera TV station was not a São Paulo fan. This renowned Brazilian commentator was always able to analyze match details objectively, with colleagues describing his style as "like a university professor lecturing students" – a trait that earned him great respect from fans.

Kaka had just come onto the pitch and hadn't even had a chance to relay the coach's instructions to Luís Fabiano when the tempo of the match suddenly picked up, and the ball found its way to his feet after two quick passes.

The opposition midfielders immediately closed him down, with a player coming across to support. Instead of holding on to the ball, Kaka released it quickly and made a forward run.

The Botafogo midfielder wearing the number 6 jersey, fearing a one-two, instantly tracked Kaka's run but soon realized he was falling further and further behind.

Kaka was essentially sprinting at full tilt down the center of the pitch. The supporting player, who had initially intended to switch play to the flanks, instinctively played the ball into Kaka's path instead.

The quality of the pass wasn't great, but it was well-weighted, giving Kaka enough time to adjust his stride before receiving it. However, this also allowed the opposition defenders to close him down more quickly after he controlled the ball.

Kaka slowed his pace but didn't stop, instead flicking the ball past the side of the defender before accelerating past him on the other side.

It was a rather crude piece of dribbling.

"São Paulo's newly introduced number 23 has brutally shrugged off a defender with a powerful run. He's getting close to the penalty area now, with Luís Fabiano coming back to support him. However, there are still two defenders behind him, making it a two-on-two situation. Kaka? Is that his name? Will he go it alone or pass to Fabiano? He needs to make a decision quickly because Botafogo's defenders are getting back fast. Oh, and Kaka is also very quick, so perhaps he can surprise us."

Kaka was indeed rapid, or more accurately, he was a lightning dribbler. By the time the commentator had finished speaking, he had already burst into the penalty area.

This attack came so suddenly that Botafogo had paid no attention to Kaka whatsoever, let alone taken him seriously. They had no idea how the ball had ended up in their own territory in a matter of seconds.

The defenders rushed back, with even the player marking Fabiano abandoning his man to provide cover. However, this forced Fabiano to drop deeper to avoid being offside, making it seem as though Kaka was charging headlong into three opposing players.

Kaka slowed his pace slightly.

He had initially intended to take a shot from distance but wasn't too confident, and in that split second of hesitation, Botafogo's defenders had closed him down.

The opportunity was gone in a flash, exposing Kaka's inexperience.

He was forced wide, brushing past the retreating Fabiano.

Fabiano began making horizontal runs, forcing another defender to track him.

"Unfortunately, São Paulo has missed a great opportunity. Kaka is being pushed wider, and although he's still dribbling at pace, he's getting further and further away from goal. His lack of experience is showing – he should have passed to Fabiano earlier, and then they could have... Beautiful! What just happened?"

Kaka had been dribbling at high speed down the right side of the penalty area, seemingly being shepherded toward the byline by the opposition defenders. But as he neared the edge of the six-yard box, he suddenly performed a trailing heel-chop to change direction, followed by an abrupt stop and a sideways push of the ball.

This was one of the trademark skills of Kaka's good friend, reasonably practical – enough to leave the trailing defender stumbling and almost doing the splits from the sheer force of the move. By the time the defender had regained his balance, Kaka had advanced from the corner of the six-yard box towards the goal.

Thanks to rigorous training, he was now increasingly adept at executing these flashy little flicks. Even under intense pressure from the opposition, he couldn't quite match his casual nonchalance during practice due to his inferior ball control, making the move look a bit clunky and awkward. Nevertheless, it still achieved a decent effect by catching the defense off guard.

The fans who had initially been berating Kaka for wasting a goalscoring opportunity suddenly fell silent, staring in shock at the young Brazilian bearing down on goal alone.

The defender Kaka had shrugged off with his dribble had now recovered and was charging back, just a couple of steps behind him, while the goalkeeper had also come out to narrow the angle. Kaka had only a split second to capitalize on the opportunity.

"How is he so quick?"

"Are those defenders made of wood? How did they not stop that?"

"Chance! One-on-one!"

"Shoot! Shoot! Just put the damn ball in the net!"

As if hearing the fans' collective thoughts, Kaka raised his foot, aiming for the far corner in a shooting motion.

The trailing defender suddenly went to ground, attempting a sliding tackle, while the goalkeeper leaned to his left in anticipation of a save.

At the last moment, Kaka changed direction again, using the outside of his foot to push the ball past the sliding defender.

The goalkeeper, having just regained his balance, was about to dive when Kaka, without any further adjustment, simply flicked the ball with his instep past the near post and into the net.

The goalkeeper could only bend at the waist, looking more like he was trying to swat the ball away rather than make a save – to no avail.

As the ball crossed the line, a tidal wave of noise erupted from the stands, with São Paulo fans leaping to their feet, their voices converging into a single, meaningless word: "KakaKakaKaka..."

That's just what it sounds like when a bunch of people chant it together – nothing unusual about that.

"Shot? No, a feint! He's through! GOAAAALLL!!! A beautiful piece of dribbling, a sensational goal! Kaka has beaten three defenders before scoring, single-handedly defeating Botafogo's entire backline. This was a great and unbelievable individual performance. In his first match, his first touch, his first goal – without a doubt, São Paulo has unearthed a genius! Let's remember his name: Kaka!"

Kaka turned and ran towards the sidelines, tilting his head back slightly, raising both arms aloft, and extending his index finger towards the sky.

The afternoon sun's rays illuminated his beaming smile, warming the entire stadium.

Time seemed to stand still.

This moment was like a painting, this young man... an ethereal being.

There are certain indelible images in life that become permanently etched in one's memory. In the realm of football, Kaka's arms raised skyward is undoubtedly one of those iconic scenes destined for the history books, just as iconic as the famous celebration poses of legendary athletes – images that can be revisited time and again in various stills and motion pictures, withstanding the test of time.

Years later, fans watching a replay of this match probably experienced a similar sense of witnessing a historic moment.

(end of chapter)