### Chapter 16: Can Be Capricious Once
When everyone was shocked by Quaresma's unpredictable movements, he had already broken through Rocha's defense neatly and moved from the sideline to the middle. Even though the angle was a bit deep, the arc of his shot from the outside of his foot made it clear that Benfica's goal was in danger.
Anderson rushed up desperately. In the first half, Quaresma had played a good show in front of him and finally scored. This time, Anderson vowed to block Quaresma and make up for his earlier mistakes.
When he appeared in front of Quaresma, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. With proper precautions, he believed Quaresma would never dare to continue shooting from the outside and kicking in front of him.
Quaresma raised his right foot, assuming an unusual posture almost exactly like his shot from the outside in the first half. Anderson's heart settled as he stretched his foot to intercept, even wearing a faint smile.
"You still want to use the same trick in front of me? You're so naive!"
"This time, I'll completely block you!"
But when he inadvertently saw the expression on Quaresma's face, his pupils shrank sharply. Anderson was shocked to find that Quaresma's mouth suddenly turned up in an arc. This smile made him think things might not be as simple as he believed.
The expected shot did not appear. Anderson's foot was still in the air in an intercepting posture, but this posture was extremely embarrassing without successful defense.
He had failed!
Quaresma did not shoot!
Before touching the ball, his right foot suddenly changed from the power of Wanjun to the lightness of a feather. Incredibly agile, he directly changed the shot to a gentle touch, bypassing Anderson on his left side. When everyone thought Quaresma was going to shoot, he suddenly crossed the ball instead.
Benfica's defense had a loophole because Quaresma broke the balance in the penalty area. Maniche, who was ambushing nearby, received the ball without being marked.
Starting without pressure, Maniche, who already had excellent long-range skills, couldn't miss the goal. Quaresma's pass was more intimate than a nanny's care.
Sure enough, Aveiro Stadium erupted again. The mountain-like roar was deafening as Maniche's shot burst through Benfica's goal, rewriting the score to 2-0.
Quaresma couldn't help raising his fists; this goal could almost lock in the victory.
However, before Quaresma could relish his excitement, Maniche rushed over like a beast. Without saying a word, he hoisted Quaresma onto his shoulders like a robber seizing treasure, and jubilantly carried him back to the teammates.
Quaresma's face turned red from the blood rushing to his head!
"Is this how you thank me for assisting you?"
"Friend!"
2-0
This score exceeded many expectations. Without Quaresma's stunning performance, Porto's play was not as strong as Benfica's, who controlled most of the game.
But Quaresma's excellent play led to Porto's dominance over Benfica on the scoreboard.
Everyone knew that if Porto won the Portuguese Super Cup, Quaresma would be the biggest hero.
As Porto players proudly resumed the game, the mental states of both sides were completely different.
Porto players felt the unexpected joy of winning a big prize. Although the game wasn't well played, they were ahead, each wearing a sly grin;
In contrast, Benfica's players were frustrated. Despite their struggle to press their opponents, they couldn't break through, while Porto's limited shots led to goals. The suffocating feeling was evident.
This shift in mentality reflected on the field. Benfica played with impatience, while Porto played more relaxed. The situation became clearer.
But Quaresma's battle was not over yet. Whether he could score again or not, he just wanted to teach Rocha a lesson.
Prioritizing the overall situation, Quaresma hadn't fully unleashed on Rocha. Now that the outcome was almost decided and he was the hero, couldn't he be a bit capricious?
Once again, after ending Benfica's impetuous offense, Quaresma called for the ball on the right, with Rocha, who was already a bit lost, nearby.
Looking at his opponent, Quaresma wanted to ask where he had found the courage to yell at him earlier.
But some people are not worthy of sympathy. Since Rocha had done something, he had to pay for it.
Quaresma was not prepared to show any mercy.
It may be cruel to tackle him hard, but Quaresma wasn't one for such harsh measures. However, he had no qualms about causing some harmless mischief.
Meireles' pass didn't reach Quaresma's feet and was intercepted, resulting in a Porto throw-in.
Bosingwa was ready to throw the ball to Quaresma, but Quaresma stopped him.
Because, at that moment, Quaresma suddenly felt he could play an interesting trick.
In his previous life, Quaresma had watched many funny football videos. Some players used special techniques to throw the ball farther, such as flipping 360 degrees before throwing. The added strength from the flip could throw the ball a considerable distance.
Bosingwa didn't know what Quaresma intended but still handed him the ball and prepared for the throw.
Sure enough, as Quaresma anticipated, Rocha didn't defend other players but stood not far from Quaresma, ready to block any return pass.
With a slight smile, Quaresma felt his smile seemed a bit cruel, not that of a nice person.
In reality, there aren't that many nice people in the world!
Quaresma didn't want to be a nice person. It's okay to be a bit bad. Nice people don't live long; he just wanted to live freely.
Stepping back to leave enough space for his run-up and flip, Quaresma stared at Rocha's face for a long time, making Rocha feel uneasy.
And at that moment, Quaresma moved. After a two-step run-up, he leaned over, supporting the ball on the ground, and used it as a fulcrum to complete a neat flip. The whole set of actions looked like a gymnastic performance.
But what happened the next second was not as graceful. The ball flew out of Quaresma's hands like a cannonball, the added force turning it into a powerful projectile.
The terrifying part wasn't how far the ball traveled, but that it directly hit Rocha's face before anyone could react, like a giant hammer.
Boom!
A loud noise echoed!
The entire stadium erupted into deafening screams instantly!