66: Masterclass from the No. 4

The second half kicked off.

Crystal Palace had the opening play.

Vaughan passed sideways, Zaha returned it to Kai.

Palace didn't press high.

Having learned their lesson, Spurs were quicker to fall back into formation.

Kai calmly orchestrated play from midfield.

The biggest duel now?

Him versus Modrić.

The opening 10 minutes of the second half saw Palace string together two brilliant sequences.

Kai's pinpoint long passes twice found Vaughan on the forward line—both times perfectly measured.

Unfortunately, Vaughan's finishing lacked a bit of quality.

Spurs keeper Carlo Cudicini handled both attempts.

67th minute.

Spurs took a goal kick.

The ball was moved upfield, where Modrić took over.

Spotting target man Pavlyuchenko drifting wide, two Palace defenders followed him.

The center suddenly opened wide.

Modrić's eyes lit up.

He signaled to Van der Vaart, who began cutting inward.

Then—an iconic Modrić move—a curling outside-foot pass into the center!

Van der Vaart tried to hold the ball with his back to goal, but—

Kai had already anticipated it.

He stepped in and cleanly intercepted.

Kai had been consistently positioned as Palace's No. 4—a defensive midfielder who could both shield the backline and initiate attacks.

In the first half, they matched Tottenham's pace with open attacking play.

But now, the tempo had changed.

It was time for low block defense and counter-attacking tactics.

From the stands came growing murmurs of shock.

With his all-seeing awareness, Kai anticipated every Spurs move.

Tottenham fans fell into despair.

"He's suffocating to watch… that Crystal Palace genius is everywhere!"

"He's not a traditional No. 10! He roams across the entire midfield!"

"Now that they need defensive cover, he's dropped back to become a proper No. 4!"

Commentators could hardly believe it.

A 16-year-old with a £30 million valuation—no hype, just talent.

Even Maradona didn't defend like this!

But Kai wasn't just special—he was everywhere Palace needed him to be.

On the pitch, Tottenham's legs grew heavier.

Modrić looked lost.

His passes felt like they were being tracked—nothing he did created danger.

He began to feel… exposed.

Crystal Palace had seen through Tottenham completely.

The London side, known for its wing-based attacks, lacked the finesse for central penetration.

And Kai, with his constant positioning and interceptions, made every Tottenham play predictable.

Spurs fans were crushed.

Once again, Kai cut off a surprise Tottenham attack.

Cheers from the Palace fans rang out.

Their teen genius had dominated Tottenham's "midfield master"!

On the sideline, Villas-Boas was panicking.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

A young, energetic Spurs squad had started strong… but since then, their offense was stuck in the mud.

After taking a two-goal lead, Kai had dropped from a No. 10 to a No. 4.

It was unbelievable.

Tottenham now faced the same nightmare that had plagued Manchester City earlier.

Kai's all-angle vision and terrifying ability to read the game had nullified them completely.

Villas-Boas had no choice.

He reverted to the team's most trusted strategy—the one that had worked early in the match:

Attack the flanks.

Bale was moved from fullback to winger.

He was told to stop defending and focus entirely on offense.

The Spurs fans perked up.

Would Bale be the hero again?

Like in that legendary comeback vs Inter Milan, would he pull off another miracle?

But the hope was short-lived.

Though Bale's bursts down the flank remained dangerous, Palace's low block defense held firm.

Bale was rarely able to cut inside onto his left foot.

Most of his options were limited to crossing…

But Crystal Palace had already built a solid defensive wall.

They cleared everything with ease.

Kai even tracked back to his own box's edge—acting like a pure defensive mid.

Every one of Bale's crosses was read and neutralized.

Low block defense wasn't easy to break.

And it was the perfect foundation for counter-attacks.

On the sideline, Villas-Boas was stunned.

Low block defense.

It was his mentor Mourinho's favorite tactic—one that leveled the playing field between teams of differing ability.

And unlike high pressing, it relied heavily on a player who could deliver killer long passes once possession was won.

Why could Palace rely so confidently on this tactic?

Because they had Kai.

As the clock ticked down, the score remained 2–0.

Spurs fans grew more restless.

And then, the final dagger came.

85th minute.

Crystal Palace calmly defended again, clearing the ball out of the box.

It landed at Kai's feet near midfield.

God's-eye view—activated.

He spotted a golden passing line.

But after controlling the ball briefly, he waited… and a second, even better golden line appeared!

Without hesitation, Kai launched a thunderous long pass—

The ball streaked through the night sky, soaring 70 yards!

Spurs fans screamed.

Villas-Boas looked devastated.

The pass landed perfectly—Vaughan's run matched it stride for stride.

He received it cleanly, drove into the box, and fired—

GOAAAAAL!!!

3–0!!

The stadium screen lit up again.

Crystal Palace had stunned White Hart Lane.

One perfect counter-attack.

One decisive long pass.

Kai had ended the match.

The media on-site exploded in excitement.

Another Premier League powerhouse had fallen!

And whispers began to spread:

Could Crystal Palace really go all the way… and win the FA Cup?!

~~----------------------

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