Forty-five minutes.
Gil Vicente F.C. finally seized a chance and pushed into Moreirense's attacking third, but in the end, they lost the ball under pressure from Macedo.
The moment they lost possession, Gil Vicente tried to counter immediately.
But this time, Kirop was decisive—no hesitation. He launched a long clearance and deliberately looked for Kai in the middle.
Kai dropped back near the center circle and locked himself against his marker.
He was shorter than his opponent.
But after all that strength training, his physicality had improved a lot. He held his ground firmly and blocked the defender effectively.
Boom!
Another heel flick.
Even though he didn't fully control the ball, Kai basically carried his opponent on his back and still managed to complete a brilliant layoff.
The ball rolled to Emerson on the right. Emerson linked up with Flávio, who had dropped back, exchanging two quick passes. Then Flávio carried the ball forward and looked for Alex pushing up from the right.
Alex shook off his defender and delivered a cross.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Anderson, and Emerson had already taken up different positions inside the box.
At the same time, someone from outside the penalty area was sprinting in.
As Alex's cross came in, that player suddenly changed direction—from running centrally to charging forward.
It was Kai!
The ball floated in—
Kai leapt high and smashed a header like a lion shaking its mane!
From behind, Ronaldo saw everything clearly.
What the hell?!
This guy just took off!
That header… it looked incredible!
After that embarrassing header earlier… this?!
This isn't even logical!
That kind of technique takes years to refine—how the hell did Kai suddenly pull it out?
And wait—he's a 1.65m midfielder!
Why is he even practicing headers?!
Totally unnecessary, right?!
It wasn't just Kai.
Even Anderson, the 1.88m center forward, was stunned.
Bro, I'm the tall guy here—why are YOU doing aerial battles?! That's dangerous as hell!
Whoosh!
The ball smashed into the top-left corner past the Gil Vicente goalkeeper.
Goal!
Kai scored with a header!
The Moreirense players froze.
What the hell…
Kai scoring a header?!
That's like a dead tree blooming—something's seriously off with reality!
"Gil Vicente's forward defense was way too loose—they were careless!"
"Twice now, no one stepped up, and Moreirense scored from the same area!"
"3–1! Gil Vicente shouldn't be dropping points in matches like this!"
"The biggest issue? Even Kai scored a header! They need to fix everything at halftime—tactics, mentality, everything!"
Kai: "Even? Say that again, I dare you."
Halftime whistle.
Back from the break, Gil Vicente made two substitutions, including a center-back.
Their coach was clearly panicking.
If they lost this match, not only would they fall out of the title race, they could also be overtaken by Moreirense and drop to fourth.
There are only two promotion spots in the Portuguese league.
Second half begins.
Gil Vicente came out with renewed intensity—their pressing was even more aggressive than before.
Moreirense had no choice but to repeatedly clear the ball long.
51st minute.
Kai received the ball in his own half.
He glanced at Ronaldo on the left, lifted his foot…
…and feinted.
The pressing player got completely sold and stretched out a leg to intercept.
Boom!
Kai immediately switched play with a long diagonal to the right.
Alex was already pushing up.
Alex made a sudden burst on the right, but his finishing and passing weren't on Ronaldo's level. Without using his speed advantage early, he struggled to beat his man.
Meanwhile, Moreirense players moved up to support.
Boom!
Alex passed the ball back to Kai, who had moved into the right channel.
But a defender was chasing him from behind.
Kai faced the goal… faced the ball…
…and then moved backward.
Gil Vicente's defenders were stunned.
The ball and Kai both went past them—in the opposite direction.
What the hell… does this guy even know which way he's attacking?
Even the commentator was confused:
"Kai's… movement is brilliant, but why did he pass the ball backward toward his own goal, letting it run past the defender behind him?"
"This is ridiculous!"
"He could've taken one or two more touches and shot!"
"Or at least controlled it and passed to a teammate!"
"Isn't this just retreating with the ball and giving the defender time to recover?"
Boom!
Before the commentator could finish complaining—
Kai had already caught up with the ball.
He was actually faster than it.
He half-turned in advance and struck a left-footed volley!
The ball exploded forward like a cannon shot, flying toward the left side of the penalty area.
Everything about the move was sudden.
Unpredictable.
Violent.
The path of Kai and the ball formed a perfect "V".
He ran from the top-right of the V down to the point, released the ball, and it shot out toward the top-left.
It was similar to a move from Neymar—that PSG play where he faked a retreat before suddenly switching the play, allowing Marquinhos to run onto it and score.
Same idea.
Attack from the unexpected.
Why is Manchester United F.C.'s crossing tactic to Ronaldo sometimes ineffective?
Because everyone knows the ball is going to him.
Even if he's the best header in the world—if it's predictable, it's easier to defend.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is accelerating!"
"One-on-one!"
"Is he offside? No! The linesman keeps the flag down!"
"Through on goal!"
"GOAL!!!"
"4–1! Cristiano Ronaldo scores his second!"
"No one even touched him! He just ran, controlled it, and finished—easier than a training drill!"
"That pass from Kai was insane!"
"If he hadn't pulled back like that, Ronaldo wouldn't have had the space!"
"Otherwise, Kai would've been caught from behind or forced into a foul."
"At best, they win a long-range free kick."
"And long-range tactical free kicks are awkward—center-backs have to push up, risking counters, but the scoring chance isn't as good as a corner."
"Corners have better angles, better delivery, and more threat."
"That's why Kai avoids long-range free kicks."
"And let's be honest—why get hacked down for a lower-percentage play when you can create something better?"
That's Kai's football.
Smarter. Sharper.
And way more dangerous than it looks.
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