Chapter 15: The shock of genius

A few days later, Ronaldinho wrapped up his vacation and arrived in Manchester.

With only three days until Manchester City's next match, Kevin Keegan decided not to put him in the starting lineup. Ronaldinho felt a bit down—he'd been showing off his skills in training, but for now, he had to bundle up and sit on the bench at Maine Road.

The Manchester winter was biting cold.

Keegan stuck to his traditional 4-4-2 formation for the match, which made Miller, watching from the stands, roll his eyes. The 4-4-2 wasn't a bad formation per se, but it required wingers like the ones United had. This City squad simply didn't have the same talent to make it work.

And as the match unfolded, it was clear Keegan's tactics weren't yielding much. Both sides battled hard, but neither created many chances.

Leeds United, no longer the force they were a few years ago due to financial woes, still managed to keep the game even. Despite their weakened squad, they matched City blow for blow.

Then, in the 35th minute, disaster struck. Leeds' Australian striker Harry Kewell scored on a counterattack, putting City down 0-1 at home.

The Manchester City fans fell silent, and Kevin Keegan frowned, glancing at his bench. His gaze briefly fell on Ronaldinho, who was wrapped up at the end of the bench like a human burrito. Keegan, a classic British coach, preferred tough, industrious forwards like Alan Shearer. He wasn't thrilled about this Brazilian who seemed a bit too flashy for his taste.

Before the match, Keegan had resolved not to give Ronaldinho a single minute of playtime. But with the game slipping away, his other forwards—Anelka and Wanchope—looked ordinary and ineffective. They were completely locked down by Leeds' defense.

As halftime arrived, the score remained 0-1. Miller sighed and turned to Bernstein, seated beside him. "We can't expect much from this squad."

Bernstein nodded in agreement. "With the current players and coaching staff, City is a mid-table team at best."

Meanwhile, in the locker room, Keegan was livid. "What am I seeing out there? You lot look like you don't care! Leeds United, and you've got no desire to win?"

His players stared at the ground, staying silent. Ronaldinho, meanwhile, was quietly shaking out his legs, stiff from sitting too long.

Keegan shot him a glare but didn't say a word. Instead, he doubled down on his tactics for the second half, hoping a more aggressive push would bring results.

But the first 15 minutes of the second half brought no improvement. Keegan made his first substitution, replacing Wanchope with Goater, but it didn't change the dynamic. Manchester City still struggled to create any meaningful chances.

In the stands, Miller muttered, "Why not bring on Ronaldinho?"

Bernstein nodded. "His technical ability is clearly a level above the others. Why not use him?"

Miller frowned. "Keegan's too stubborn."

As the game wore on and the clock ticked down, the fans grew restless, their boos echoing louder around the stadium. Ronaldinho sat on the bench, rubbing his nose, perplexed by the unfolding events. He knew he could change the game—why wasn't he being called up?

Then, with 15 minutes remaining, Keegan finally relented. "You, warm up," he barked.

Ronaldinho's heart leapt. He threw off his heavy coat, ran to the sideline, and began warming up. Three minutes later, during a break in play, Keegan subbed him in for Anelka, who had struggled to make an impact.

Keegan sighed as he watched Ronaldinho take the field. He didn't care for the flashy Brazilian, but at this point, he was the only one who might turn things around.

Within five minutes of stepping on the pitch, Ronaldinho got his first touch. Playing as a shadow striker, he picked up the ball and surged past the Leeds midfield with ease. Ahead of him stood Leeds' defensive stalwart, Lucas Radebe. At 34, Radebe still had strength, but his speed couldn't match the Brazilian's.

With a dazzling sequence of step-overs and a quick change of direction, Ronaldinho left Radebe in the dust. The South African defender reached out, hoping to pull him back, but there was no catching the Brazilian.

Now in the penalty area, Ronaldinho saw the Leeds goalkeeper rushing out to narrow the angle. Calmly, with a flick of his foot, he sent the ball floating over the keeper's outstretched hand, and it nestled into the back of the net.

Maine Road erupted in cheers.

It was a moment of pure brilliance. The fans weren't just celebrating the equalizer—they were in awe of the goal itself.

Ronaldinho grinned and broke into an impromptu dance, his teammates rushing over to hug him. It was hard not to love the infectious energy of the Brazilian.

Even Kevin Keegan, normally stoic on the sidelines, jumped up in celebration. He may not have been Ronaldinho's biggest fan, but that goal was a huge relief.

In the stands, Miller stood up, arms raised, and shouted, "Beautiful!"

Bernstein clapped excitedly. "That's pure genius! That's talent!"

In the 80th minute, Ronaldinho's magic had tied the game 1-1. With over 10 minutes left on the clock, the crowd sensed the possibility of another moment of brilliance.

Miller, eyes fixed on Ronaldinho, couldn't help but think. Go on, give Maine Road something to remember!