Chapter 106: Chapter 105: No, It’s the Core (Twelfth Update, Face-plant, Heartbroken, But Tao Can Persevere)
Violante was taken aback.
Then the two completely disappeared.
It wasn’t until they had left the training base that Trigella asked, "Any championship is elusive until the final ninety minutes are over. Yet you demanded that he exchange two championships for a starting position, isn’t that a bit harsh?"
Violante spread his hands, "I didn’t ask for a double championship, he said that himself. If he gets any trophy, that’s enough reason for me to put him on the starting list."
"You know, I’m under a lot of pressure in this position. The clubs, families, teachers, and coaches behind many selected players all need some reason to be appeased."
Trigella said with a bitter smile, "So Deng Kai made things harder for himself? You’re really too unkind, he’s still a kid, are you really going to hold him to that?"
A sly look appeared on Violante’s face, "Of course, I’m serious about it... But if he does manage to get two Championship Trophies, he might become more than just a starter, right?"
Trigella was dumbfounded.
More than a starter, that means... the core?
Does Violante plan to make Deng Kai the midfield core?
Holy shit!
Such a big move?
Does this mean overturning the existing core structure?
What about Viana?
His potential is world-class!
"Viana’s age still allows him to play in the UEFA Youth League this year, but not in the World Youth Cup next year... Quaresma is the same," Violante said meaningfully. "And soon they will enter the reserve and even the first team; their focus will shift from the youth national team to their clubs."
"Their bodies, energy, time, attention, will all change, and I need to plan ahead for that."
"Ronaldo has made great progress this year. His talent isn’t the very top, but his growth has exceeded everyone’s expectations. Who knows what he could become in the future? He might bring a surprise to those who trust him."
"And there’s always chemistry between Ronaldo and Deng Kai."
"Honestly, I’m skeptical about Deng Kai’s future career, but I’m absolutely confident in his performance during his youth. His tactical maturity is professional-grade, and that’s a bit overwhelming for his peers."
Trigella nodded repeatedly, exceedingly happy.
Although Viana was also a rising star brought up by Trigella, influenced by his parents and current coach, Viana was considered an opponent cultivated by Trigella’s opposing side.
Trigella didn’t hold a grudge against Viana for this.
But if he had to choose between Deng Kai and Viana for someone to train wholeheartedly, he would undoubtedly pick Deng Kai.
If Kai is available, choose Kai, if not, choose Ron!
If neither Ron nor Kai is available, then it’s sheer luck!
...
As time passed, all major leagues were nearing their end.
The Portuguese U15 league also entered its third phase, the Championship phase.
Four teams, six matches, and the champion of this year’s U15 league would be determined by points in the end.
April 26th.
The first round of the Championship started, with Sporting Lisbon at home facing the challenge of Porto.
This was their first encounter with Porto this year.
The match was fiercely fought, but the final score was gentle.
One to one, both sides shook hands peacefully, each taking a point.
The strength of opponents at the Championship level was already formidable.
Porto’s midfield duo, Flavio Igor and Aganista Sarginho, one offensive and one defensive, did not lose out in their confrontation with Deng Kai.
Deng Kai learned from Trigella that Igor also had a good chance of being selected for the Portuguese U16; his main competition was Benfica’s Vieira and Deng Kai himself.
In this match, Porto’s center forward, Almeida, scored a goal, and he would undoubtedly be selected for the Portuguese U16.
But the biggest competitor for the starting striker position he faced was Elder Postiga, his senior by two years and a talented forward for Porto U17.
On the other hand, Guimaraes achieved a victory against Benfica and temporarily placed first on the leaderboard with three points.
May 2nd.
Sporting Lisbon went away to challenge Benfica and completed a "season quadruple" against their city rivals with a two-nil win.
Meanwhile, Porto snatched a last-minute win against Guimaraes with a header from Almeida.
With this, Sporting Lisbon, having accumulated four points, took the lead.
Porto also had four points, but due to a lower goal difference than Sporting Lisbon, sat in second place.
Guimaraes followed with three points in third position.
Benfica, with zero points, was in the last place and was clearly a level below the top three teams in terms of combat effectiveness.
Morale was their biggest issue.
On May 7th, the third round of the Championship games kicked off.
Sporting Lisbon drew two-all with Guimaraes away from home.
Porto uneventfully defeated Benfica, and with those three points, they surpassed Sporting Lisbon to claim the top spot.
May 10th saw the fourth round of the Championship games.
Sporting Lisbon, at home, slaughtered Benfica with a three-nil victory, completing a "clean sweep" and climbing back to the top of the table with eight points.
In a fierce battle between Porto and Guimaraes, the latter came out slightly ahead, securing the match victory.
Both teams stood at seven points.
Their head-to-head record was tied with one win each.
However, Porto once again fell short in goal difference, conceding one more goal than Guimaraes and consequently had to settle for third place, handing over second place.
Benfica lost all four matches and remained at zero points, bowing out of the championship race two rounds early.
This mirrored the state of their first team this year as they declared an early withdrawal from the title race.
Such was the cause of great dissatisfaction among Benfica’s fans.
This season, they won nothing in the league, cup, European competitions, or youth development—a complete shutout!
Under executive scrutiny, Benfica’s first-team coach had no choice but to announce his resignation, taking responsibility for the season’s failures.
Benfica’s star player Nuno Gomes, due to the team’s performance, lost any chance to compete with Jia De’er for the top scorer of the league, fueling his anger.
But he was not yet an elder statesman in the team, and with an uncertain status, he dared not question the management. His only outlet for dissatisfaction was to blame the youth team’s mishaps: "It’s all because of that match."
"Our youth system screwed up our whole season."
"That crushing defeat seriously affected morale."
"It’s since then that everything around us started to go wrong."
"This isn’t superstition, it’s a mysterious feeling."
"Before that, I felt like the goal was like the ocean, and I could score however I shot."
"But after that, I felt like our goal turned into the ocean, and the opponents could score however they wanted."
"To tell you the truth, there’s not a single player in this Benfica U15 team who’s likely to make it in the top division in the future. They’re just too mediocre."
"At their age, I was always able to easily defeat my opponents."
"You need to have dominant performances over your peers if you want to make it into the first team early, stand your ground, and bring honor to the team!"
Nuno Gomes’s words weighed heavy.
They placed huge pressure on the little players of the Benfica U15 team.
Many players became lost because of this.
Others became angry because of it.
