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Chapter 214 - Chapter 214: Stars fall, or two

Faced with such pressure, Triguera didn't hold back at all. He publicly declared:

"All three teams at the top want to take three points from us. That matters to them."

"But for us? Winning these games means even more. Because in our eyes… their three points are worth six!"

The moment that statement came out, Moreirense fans exploded with excitement.

That was a statement.

A real one.

When had a match ever been called "worth six points"?

Simple logic—if you're three points behind and both teams keep winning, you'll never catch up.

But if you beat them directly? You gain three, they lose three.

That's a six-point swing.

A true head-to-head war.

May 4th.

Round 27 of the Portuguese Liga kicked off.

Moreirense crushed S.C. Olhanense 3–0, a team already safe from relegation and playing without urgency.

Kai provided the assist, Cristiano Ronaldo scored, Anderson added another assist, and midfielder Macedo got on the scoresheet as well.

Moreirense climbed to 43 points.

But the real drama?

The top three.

League leaders Vizela faced third-place Rio Ave FC in a direct clash.

In the end, Rio Ave pulled off the upset and took all three points.

Both teams now sat at 45 points.

Meanwhile, second-place Gil Vicente FC (44 points) faced bottom-side Fátima.

On paper, an easy win.

In reality?

Fátima scored twice late and snatched a draw.

Gil Vicente only gained one point—also reaching 45.

Because of head-to-head and goal difference advantages, Gil Vicente climbed to first.

Rio Ave moved into second.

Vizela dropped to third.

But in truth?

All three had 45 points.

Three rounds left.

Two points gap.

Everything was still wide open.

And for Moreirense?

Things were suddenly looking very interesting.

But reality hit just as fast.

The next three rounds?

No more easy opponents.

Round 28: Gil Vicente.

Round 29: Vizela.

Round 30: Rio Ave.

Three straight battles against the top three.

A three-game losing streak here… and Moreirense could drop from fourth to tenth in an instant.

Heaven or hell—it was a razor-thin line.

May 9th.

War.

Round 28 began.

Rio Ave and Vizela both won their matches, climbing to 48 points.

Moreirense had no choice.

They had to win—just to keep the gap within one match.

Just to stay alive.

"Ding! You have won a match. Rating: SS!"

"Rewards obtained: Super Training Pile ×15, Donglong Special Drink ×10, White Medicine Bandage ×3, Blue Fragment ×3, Purple Fragment ×3, Gold Fragment ×1, Star Drop ×2!"

"Ding! You used Blue Fragments ×20 to unlock the blue skill: Inside-Foot Shot."

"Ding! You used Purple Fragments ×20 to unlock the purple skill: Man-Ball Separation."

Since turning professional, fragment drops had been stingy as hell.

Kai had to grind for ages just to unlock anything.

It felt like being a broke free-to-play player all over again.

Painful.

But patience paid off.

Two star drops in one go.

Nice.

"Inside-Foot Shot: Slightly enhances shooting ability. The curve of the shot makes it easier to bend around defenders."

Not bad.

A blue skill with two effects? That's solid.

Inside-foot shots—also known as curlers—add spin and arc to the ball.

That curve is everything.

Without it, near post and far post angles are basically the same—easy saves.

But with curl?

The ball bends toward the far corner, almost like it's being pulled in.

The bigger the arc, the tighter the angle becomes.

Beautiful to watch.

Deadly to defend.

"Man-Ball Separation: When pushing the ball forward, speed increases. When shielding the ball with your back to the defender, agility, speed, and physical resistance all increase. The ball's path becomes more aligned with your intended direction."

Now that…

That was nasty.

Purple-tier for a reason.

Front-facing separation? Risky. Usually for speed demons or technical freaks like Ronaldinho or Neymar.

If you can't blow past your opponent, you're basically gifting them the ball.

But back-to-goal separation?

That's where it shines.

Think of Dennis Bergkamp's legendary turn—too difficult to replicate, but the principle is similar.

On the wing, it's even more practical.

A winger shields the ball, flicks it past the defender, spins, and chases.

Simple.

But terrifyingly effective.

Even in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, teams like England and Brazil used this "basic" move to break tight defenses and create chances.

The key?

Control.

Normally, back-heel or sole passes are unpredictable.

Too easy to get blocked. Too hard to guide.

And if your teammate passes too hard?

The ball becomes even harder to control after contact.

That's why so many attempts end up out of bounds instead of becoming assists.

But this skill?

It aligns the ball's path with your intention.

That's huge.

That's control over chaos.

"Maybe… I should link up more with Ronaldo on the wing," Kai muttered.

He checked the match highlights again.

Two star drops.

The first one…

Came from Peter Schmeichel.

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