Chapter 30: The Illustrious Derby

Data doesn't lie, even children know that a player who scores five goals in one game is better than a player who scores one goal in five games. However, data can also be deceptive. No one would dare question Zinedine Zidane's talent, even if he didn't have any assists in ten games. Similarly, if Cristiano Ronaldo didn't score in ten games, Simeone wouldn't dare disrespect him.

[simeone is the atletico manager, cristiano just loves scoring against atletico lol]

It was almost inevitable that after entering April, Kaka's statistics didn't look as impressive as they did at the beginning of the season. In eight games of the State Championship, he had two assists, one goal, and created one penalty. On average, he was able to create a goal every two games. The two assists not only helped Fabiano secure the top scorer position but also directly brought two precious victories for São Paulo. The one goal and the penalty he created were crucial in helping the team equalize and lay the foundation for a comeback.

Despite these consistent and outstanding performances, Kaka didn't automatically become a regular starter. He continued to rotate between the starting lineup and the bench, but he played in every game. Kaka didn't mind; in fact, he was grateful. He needed to accumulate experience, but he didn't need to be rushed into the deep end. The system interface clearly showed that his body balance was only 69, a slight improvement from the beginning, but still a relatively low number. This indicated that his young body couldn't withstand a large number of high-intensity games, and this situation, where he had opportunities to practice and time to reflect and absorb, was precisely what he had hoped for.

Talent alone is not enough; the system is a shortcut, but shortcuts are still paths, and they are steeper paths that can lead one to the top faster but also cause one to fall faster.

It's easier said than done to take things step by step. Álvares really had high hopes for Kaka, not just the kind of hindsight where journalists interview a star player and say, "I always knew he was a genius," or "I've never seen a child with such incredible talent." Instead, he truly treated Kaka as the team's future cornerstone.

Kaka's not-so-impressive statistics on the pitch didn't reflect his true form. The increasing number of threatening passes and the growing understanding with his teammates, as well as the silent changes in various attributes, better represented his progress during this period.

Height: 1.82m;

Weight: 67KG;

Body Balance: 69;

Stamina: 83;

Reaction: 85;

Agility: 86;

Speed: 91;

Strength: 79;

Jumping: 83;

Dribbling Speed: 88;

Ball Control: 81;

Short Passing Accuracy: 80;

Long Passing Accuracy: 74;

Shooting Technique: 77;

Free-kick Accuracy: 79;

Heading: 68;

Tackling: 55;

Goalkeeping Technique: 50;

Teamwork: 66.

Talent: Lightning Dribbling;

Special Skill: Meteor Stride;

Honor Points: 5.

Kaka invested almost all the time he had previously spent reading the Bible and praying into training and the gym. He exercised scientifically, strengthened himself purposefully, learned and accumulated experience rapidly, and laid a more solid foundation. He now had a healthier body, coupled with the system's more combat-effective talents and skills. Kaka was confident in facing any challenge that came his way.

While Kaka was making steady progress, São Paulo was also moving forward, albeit in a stumbling and patching-up manner. Burgess was demoted, and Harrison joined the first team. Although this youth team prodigy didn't smoothly become the team's future star due to Kaka's shadow, he still displayed formidable fighting power. He, along with Kaka, Franza, and Fabiano, formed an attacking quartet that led São Paulo to qualify for the playoffs of the State Championship.

The so-called State Championship, or Paulista Championship, is the top-level state league in Brazil, with the top division being the A1 League, the second division being the A2 League, and the third division being the A3 League. There are four promotion and relegation spots between the three leagues each season, allowing four newly promoted teams to join.

São Paulo, of course, belonged to the A1 League and had never been relegated. It's hard to imagine that in a country known as the "Kingdom of Football," the Paulista Championship, a tournament with such a significant impact, would deviate from international football standards in its format.

This tournament consisted of 20 local teams from the state of São Paulo, divided into four groups. Each team played a single round-robin against the teams from the other three groups, totaling 15 rounds of matches. In other words, teams from the same group did not face each other directly; only their results were counted.

The league used a points system, with three points for a win, one for a draw, and zero for a loss. After the 15 rounds of the regular season, the top two teams from each group, a total of eight teams, advanced to the championship playoffs, which were played in a single-elimination format to determine the champion of the Paulista Championship.

The Paulista Championship took place from January to May each year, and now it was in the latter stages of the season, the most crucial period, followed by the Brazilian Cup and the Brazilian top-flight league, possibly interspersed with other miscellaneous competitions.

Kaka had always been worried that historical inertia would lead him down the same path, experiencing the fate of reaching the pinnacle and then suddenly plummeting into the abyss again. However, he didn't realize that he had silently and imperceptibly changed history.

According to the original trajectory, Corinthians would have won the Paulista Championship this year, while São Paulo's performance would have been less than ideal, leading to Álvares' dismissal due to the team's poor results.

It's unclear exactly where the turning point was, perhaps a tackle by Kaka that helped São Paulo escape a precarious situation, or an assist from him that changed the outcome of a particular match. Regardless, this season, São Paulo not only qualified for the playoffs but also stumbled their way into the final against all odds.

Common sense tells us that the butterfly effect does indeed exist. It may not be as dramatic as a flap of a butterfly's wings causing a storm, but many things can have a significant impact on the outcome depending on whether they happen a second earlier or later, or with an extra step or fewer.

For São Paulo football this year, the storyline has completely deviated since the chaos factor Kaka entered the equation.

While the Paulista Championship didn't receive much attention during the preliminary rounds, once it reached the playoffs, the level of scrutiny immediately skyrocketed to the highest level, second only to major events like the World Cup and the Copa América.

Today, São Paulo's opponent was Corinthians, a name that even casual fans who don't normally follow Brazilian football have heard of. Corinthians had won the Paulista Championship 24 times, four more than São Paulo, making them the undisputed kings of the state.

It's worth mentioning that in the past four years, the Paulista Championship has been a two-horse race between São Paulo and Corinthians, with Corinthians winning in 1997, São Paulo in 1998, Corinthians in 1999, and São Paulo again in 2000.

Surprisingly, this year's championship is once again between these two rivals, leaving one to wonder what the other clubs in the state of São Paulo must be thinking: "You guys can have the trophy; we're out..."

As the saying goes, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend," but there was no possibility of friendship between São Paulo and Corinthians, who were considered mortal enemies by other clubs in the state.

São Paulo had two major derbies: the King's Derby against Palmeiras and the Illustrious Derby against Corinthians.

In the world of football, any match associated with the word "derby" was bound to be intense.

From the moment Kaka stepped onto the pitch as a starter, he felt the terrifying atmosphere. Historical grudges, championship aspirations, and drama were all present, making the level of attention this match received unsurprising.

"The three-colored Paulista, Brazil's most beloved club, you are strong, you are great, the first among the masters, oh, the three-colored flag..."

This was São Paulo's team anthem. São Paulo's jersey was primarily composed of black, white, and red, hence the nickname "The Three-Colored Team."

This nickname, like their team anthem, sounded a bit uninspiring, lacking any real appeal for neutral fans. Other teams had much cooler nicknames like "The Red Devils," "The White Aristocrats," or "Never Walk Alone."

From the start of the match, São Paulo was pinned back in their own half by Corinthians' pressure. As an integral part of the counterattack, Kaka wasn't assigned any defensive duties. He roamed the midfield, waiting for opportunities and even found the time to make a quip about the team's anthem. 

Then, the chance suddenly arrived, but it didn't involve him...

The ball was directly booted into Corinthians' penalty area by São Paulo's defender Lugano. Fabiano quickly latched onto it but was bundled over by an opposing defender as he was about to control the ball. 

The referee didn't hesitate and blew his whistle loudly. 

Corinthians had committed a foul - it was a free kick for São Paulo.

Alright, now it involved Kaka.

Kaka stepped up to take the set piece. The atmosphere was electric as over 60,000 fans from both sides crammed into the Morumbi Stadium. This was the biggest derby in the state, and the winner would take a huge step towards the Paulista Championship title.

As Kaka placed the ball, the Corinthians players formed a defensive wall just outside their penalty box. The young Brazilian took a few steps back, sized up the situation, and then ran up to strike the dead ball.

His knuckleball free kick swerved viciously in the air, completely wrongfooting the Corinthians goalkeeper who could only parry it into the path of Fabiano. The striker reacted quickest and slammed the ball into the open net from close range!

1-0 to São Paulo! Kaka had drawn first blood in the Illustrious Derby with his brilliant set piece.

The stadium erupted as the São Paulo fans celebrated wildly. Kaka was mobbed by his teammates as they reveled in taking an early lead against their bitters rivals.

However, the drama was only just beginning on a pivotal night in the São Paulo football calendar...

(end of chapter)