Chapter 16: God's Perspective, Anti-Rhythm Checkpoints

Sure enough!

Just as the Yellow Team heavily surrounded Player Number Six.

"Here!" Deng Kai signaled from a safe position.

Player Number Six quickly passed on this hot potato.

Perhaps it was because of the nerves.

His pass was light.

As the football rolled towards Deng Kai, the Yellow Team's pursuers also arrived.

When Deng Kai received the football, he also fell into the enemy's encirclement.

And Deng Kai's body, in the U14 team a year older than him, was considered weak.

Maxa, frustrated, said, "He should have run towards the ball, this..."

"There's no need. If he had run to that position to receive the ball, then he would be truly passive," Trigella watched Deng Kai intently.

Bang!

Deng Kai met the rolling football with a feint, using his body to block the opposing player, and then shot directly without stopping the ball.

The football flew from the left side of the field to the right.

Ronaldo and Player Number Six attracted most of the players to the left side.

So the right side... was a vast open space.

When the Red Team's right winger received the ball, the expansive field ahead made him feel as if he had arrived in Hulunbuir.

"WTF?" Maxa couldn't understand at all.

Was this kick... a blind jaguar kick?

It was no wonder he thought this way.

Because when Deng Kai received the ball, he was almost facing away from the direction of the right path ahead.

Yet, he passed the football to that place he could never possibly see.

Aside from having eyes in the back of his head, only a blind jaguar kick could explain it.

Maxa confirmed over and over again that Deng Kai indeed did not have eyes on the back of his head.

So, Ma Holmes Kesa had no other choice.

Once you have eliminated all impossible situations, whatever remains, however implausible, must be the truth.

This kid, was indeed kicking blindly!

"This..." Trigella was stunned.

Up until now, Deng Kai had performed very well, but it was all within Trigella's expectations.

Because he knew how high Deng Kai's IQ was.

Including the way Deng Kai just let the ball go and used his body to block the opponents, none of it surprised him.

Being physically weak did not mean that he couldn't use his body at all.

Sometimes, just placing your body there is enough to stop the opponents; you don't have to be very strong.

But... Deng Kai's pass made Trigella lose his composure.

Trigella's body hair stood on end.

This pass... this...

It was an opportunity that only top midfield masters could discern!

No!

This kind of opportunity was not seen, it was felt.

Those who could grasp it were all world-class midfielders, the likes of Zidane, Pirlo, Rui Costa, Guardiola...

And those who couldn't, just couldn't catch it no matter what!

It's a talent that cannot be learned!

"Almost top-level vision, calm composure in the face of danger, several pre-selected options before receiving the ball, and a god-like idea for the pass, pity... just that the foot technique is a bit lacking," Trigella lamented with a sigh.

"Deng Kai's body is too weak, there's not enough power in his feet, the idea behind this pass was good, but the execution was not high, similar to Ronaldo's recent cross."

"If it weren't for the vast open space on the right, this ball would actually amount to a lost pass."

Indeed, this was the case.

The Red Team's right winger's ball control was far inferior to Ronaldo's.

And Deng Kai's pass quality was quite low, which resulted in the opponent struggling with trapping the ball.

So despite the dazzling play, by the time the right winger brought the ball to the right side of the penalty area, the Yellow Team had already managed to form a defensive stance.

He had no chance.

"Here!"

Deng Kai ran to take position at the right flank.

This position was sharp, one of the few defensive gaps in the Yellow Team.

The right winger passed back immediately.

The football rolled towards Deng Kai.

The Yellow Team's holding midfielder ran towards Deng Kai.

The other defenders stood their ground, guarding as well as resting.

They had just come back from defending on the left and needed a brief moment to catch their breath.

"Ronaldo!" Deng Kai suddenly roared.

Then, with his right foot, he met the rolling football and, without stopping, chipped it into the penalty area.

It was a cross that almost looked like a shot!

Trigella felt the goosebumps that had just subsided return.

It was that God-perspective again!

It was another pass into the blind spot of vision!

And compared to the last time, there was something more added this time… rhythm!

This kid actually knew how to "disrupt the rhythm to find the timing"!

The pass caught everyone off guard.

It had nothing to do with football skills or physical quality.

It was purely thought!

What is disrupting rhythm?

It's like stealing the ball at the moment it descends in basketball!

It's like smashing the ball when your volleyball teammate fakes an attack!

It makes others unable to respond even if they react because their bodies are in a state of rigidity.

You need a sense of rhythm to play football.

Dribbling, ball control, feinting, dribbling past opponents, passes and receptions all require a sense of rhythm.

Early in a player's career, those with a better sense of rhythm are stronger players.

However, when players fully mature, their strongest asset also restricts their further development.

In top leagues, against top players, everyone is a rhythm monster!

Everyone can predict your next move!

At that time, the ability to go against the rhythm becomes extremely important.

But countering the rhythm is harder than getting used to the rhythm, after all, it requires overturning the rhythm system you've painstakingly established.

There are hardly any youths who can hop back and forth between being a rhythm monster and disrupting the rhythm.

Not even Maradona could do it!

It's said that Barca found a little genius in Argentina's football scene who possesses a special talent in this area, named Lionel…

Coincidentally, that Lionel was also shorter than his peers, and to address this issue, it appeared he was receiving growth hormone injections.

Trigella knew about this because the boy's home team, Newell's Old Boys, initially agreed to pay for the growth hormone but later decided to give up as the cost increased.

This incident sparked related discussions in the world of youth training.

Most youth management personnel believe that clubs should not pay for such extra expenses for young players.

...

On the pitch.

The left side of the penalty area.

The Madeira youngster, Ronaldo, broke through the defense, with no defender able to keep up.

Confronting the football, he leaped lightly and headed it towards the goal.

The football headed for the far corner of the goal.

Into the net it went.

The score, four to three!

The red team took the lead!

The young Ronaldo completed his first hat-trick since joining Sporting Lisbon!

And delivering this most important assist was… his arch-rival!

"Well done!"

Deng Kai rushed towards Ronaldo.

He was so happy!

Guardiola's Tears made him feel as if he had unlocked a God-perspective.

His past life watching experience gave him an edge in his understanding of football; his passes weren't sharp, but they were fast enough that others couldn't react in time.

This was more exhilarating than relying on "Black Panther Hunt" and Ronaldo's "young self's unspoken fears" when passing the ball.

Because this victory was brought entirely by Deng Kai's own football philosophy.

Guardiola: ???

Guardiola: Are you saying God forgot to lift the curtain before your eyes? Where does your vision come from?

Faced with Deng Kai's celebration, Ronaldo's first instinct was to avoid him.

Because he wasn't accustomed to his life's greatest enemy suddenly becoming a teammate.

In other words, he was still holding himself aloof.

Unsure of how to step down from his pride.

Ronaldo turned to walk away.

But Deng Kai, completely unreasonable, leapt up and jumped onto Ronaldo's back!