Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Next time for sure
The opponent in this match, Casabia, was a stronger team than Cada Sports.
Ranked second in the division, they were hot favorites to advance to the North-South division competition and even the championship.
The focus of their attention was still on Ronaldo.
In the first twenty minutes, they paid so much special attention to Ronaldo that he almost ended up kicking the turf.
The head referee sternly warned Ronaldo to keep an eye on his attitude, or he would be shown a yellow card.
Ronaldo’s behavior also made many scouts who came to see him shake their heads.
Too impatient!
Such a minor annoyance was making his emotions so agitated.
Players who are so easily provoked, no matter how talented, will have limited future achievements.
However, just two minutes later.
The faces of those scouts were swollen.
Because Ronaldo’s expression of emotion didn’t affect his game state.
The positions he should run, he still ran.
The people he should dribble past, he still dribbled past.
The goal he should shoot at, he still shot.
The pass he should make, he... he didn’t have a pass button.
In the twenty-second minute, following Deng Kai’s through ball from the midfield.
Ronaldo made a run without the ball, easily breaking away for a one-on-one and scored past Casabia’s goal.
"Oh! That was too easy! Chris’s shot was unchallenged, and it seems like Casabia’s goalkeeper was already scared stiff by the infamous Chris, with a seriously distorted attempt at a save."
"Chris is so fast, his movements just can’t be matched by the defenders."
"Of course, Deng Kai, who provided the assist, is also a significant contributor. So far, he has already delivered three assists to Chris. His passing style is bold and incisive, especially with his through balls in the attacking third, which can be really threatening!"
"Someone has given Chris and Deng Kai a combination name, called the CD duo, and today we’ll see how many times the CD connection happens!"
After conceding a goal, Casabia quickly responded.
They began to shift their defensive focus onto Deng Kai.
Deng Kai had clearly become the engine for Ronaldo, the superstar soldier.
And this targeting was very effective.
"Aiyah! Deng Kai almost lost the ball and hurriedly passed it back."
"This is I don’t know how many chances Deng Kai has wasted."
"Casabia’s defenders stayed close to Deng Kai; Deng Kai had no chance to get the ball, and even when he did, he couldn’t hold onto it."
"Casabia seized this opportunity and launched a quality attack."
"And intercepted again! Deng Kai keeps losing possession."
"Cross from the wing, up!"
"Sporting Lisbon’s center-back made a beautiful defense. Casabia got a chance at a corner kick."
"Good ball... that was close! Thank goodness Deng Kai called Chris back to defend. If Chris hadn’t reached the football ahead of time, Casabia’s center-back would definitely have scored."
"Deng Kai got control of the ball; he found some rare open space to move around in this game."
"Deng Kai passes, and the ball reaches Chris, who takes off! Such speed!"
"Moving fast down the wing with the ball, Sporting Lisbon’s counterattack is very quick. Casabia abandoned their siege on Chris, their defenders hurriedly returned to the middle to take their positions."
"They had no choice; unable to limit Chris, they could only wait for him to arrive before or behind the penalty area."
"Chris’s efficiency is much lower when faced with such strict one-on-many defense."
"And most crucially, Chris doesn’t like to pass. He’s more likely to take the ball and cut in from the wing, challenging more than three defenders in the process—an endeavor he hadn’t succeeded at in this match."
Just when the commentator was absolutely certain.
The usually non-passing Ronaldo made a pass.
The pass caught everyone by surprise.
It was also the only time in this game that Ronaldo, given the opportunity to attack, chose to pass.
At the edge of the penalty area, such a dangerous position, but Deng Kai was unmarked.
No one was even paying attention to him.
The ball came to his feet with ease.
He pushed the ball to the right, attempting to break through the Casabianca left center-back who had just shifted his attention to him.
"Shoot... no, not shooting! What is Deng Kai doing? He’s actually trying to dribble through?"
"This is simply a terrible choice! Deng Kai’s long shots are quite reliable, and he scored two beautiful long-range goals in the last match. This position is well within his shooting range, and there are no defenders around."
"Now, with this dribble, not only has he lost the space to shoot, but he might even gift possession directly to the opponent."
"After all, Deng Kai isn’t fast, his physique is even worse, and once he makes physical contact with the opposition, he’s bound to lose the ball! What on earth is he doing?"
As the saying goes, it’s too late when it happens.
Faced with Deng Kai’s breakthrough, the Casabianca center-back decisively stretched out his foot.
Then...
While Deng Kai was initially dribbling to the right, his right foot suddenly pulled the football back, then with the instep he flicked it to the left, allowing the ball to roll past his planted left foot towards the left side.
At this moment, the distance between Deng Kai and the opposing center-back’s faces was no more than twenty centimeters.
Big eyes met small eyes, time seemed to stand still.
This center-back had a respectable defensive quality; with his body unable to keep up with Deng Kai’s change of direction due to his committed tackle, he reached out to grab Deng Kai.
However, in this almost frozen instant, Deng Kai suddenly made his move.
It was as if their flow of time was different.
The center-back was slowly reaching out.
But Deng Kai had already quickly moved out of his control range, completing the breakthrough from the left and storming into the penalty area.
"He’s through! Deng Kai with a beautiful change of direction and breakthrough!"
"This is his first successful dribble in the match, simple but beautiful!"
"Especially after that touch to change direction, his speed suddenly accelerated, like a little cheetah!"
"Nobody ever told me Deng Kai’s explosive power was so strong!"
Deng Kai is one-on-one with the goal.
Facing the goalkeeper.
He suddenly shoots with a raised foot.
The Casabianca goalkeeper put too much trust in his teammate, and also, Deng Kai’s acceleration after the breakthrough was just too fast.
By the time the goalkeeper dived for the save, the football was nearly crossing the goal line.
He judged the direction right and the angle of the ball wasn’t tricky.
But a step slow is a step behind everywhere.
The football still flew into the goal ahead of time.
"GOAL! Deng Kai scores!"
"His shot was so decisive, it wasn’t a very difficult shot to save, but it was all about the element of surprise."
"Let’s congratulate Deng Kai, that’s his third goal of the season."
"Following the last match where he scored and assisted twice, he has once again contributed a goal and an assist in this match."
"Maybe his performance on the pitch isn’t enough to be called a midfield linchpin. But his statistics, they’re genuinely excellent and efficient!"
"Also, let’s congratulate Chris, who earned his first assist in the U15 league!"
"The outside world has always argued that Chris plays too selfishly, he rarely passes, let alone assists. But with the arrival of Deng Kai, Chris seems to be less and less opposed to passing."
"And this greatly enhances Chris’s strategic threat! Definitely a good start!"
After the goal, Deng Kai and Ronaldo celebrated together as usual.
Ronaldo: "Your shooting quality is really bad, if you were up against that Bilson guy, don’t even think about scoring."
The psychological shadow Petr Cech cast on Ronaldo was profound.
Deng Kai: "That’s why you need to make more runs, help me pull defenders away, help me distract their defense, get it?"
Ronaldo: "Haha, I’m not planning to be someone else’s wingman. You should have passed the football to me just now, let me end it all."
Deng Kai: "Next time for sure."
Ronaldo: "That’s more like it!"
Watching Ronaldo run off with even more motivation, Deng Kai smiled softly.
It seems Ronaldo still doesn’t know what "next time for sure" really means.
Hopefully, he never will.
