"Hey, I don't know if you've noticed, but Chris is very active today."
"Everyone knows he's active when he has the ball, but is he really this active off the ball? Hasn't he ever been like this before?"
"He's making lots of interspersed runs today, creating space for his teammates. That's very rare."
"Look, look—another sprint after retreating, pulling two defenders with him. Kai took the opportunity to send the ball to the right, and Sporting Lisbon's right winger made a pass… unfortunately, it was intercepted by the goalkeeper."
"The key is that Chris isn't frustrated when his teammates don't pass to him. That's rare too. He's a player with an extremely strong desire to touch the ball. It's both his advantage and disadvantage."
Maxa watched Cristiano Ronaldo running tirelessly. He wanted to shout at Kai: Pass the ball to him! Otherwise, what if Ronaldo loses it completely?
But neither Ronaldo nor Kai acted the way Maxa imagined.
Kai kept using Ronaldo's movement to mobilize other teammates.
Apart from curling his lips and shaking his head, Ronaldo showed no signs of losing control of his emotions.
Finding an opportunity, Ronaldo ran to Kai: "What the hell are you doing? Didn't you say you'd do it next time?"
Kai: "Hey, man, you don't think this team only needs the two of us to win, right?"
Ronaldo's face was full of questions: "Isn't it?"
Kai sighed: "You've scored the most goals in the team. Your attacking role is the most irreplaceable. But you need to understand how all of this comes about."
"You need others to pass the ball and pull defenders for you. Even if you can do everything yourself, would you rather dribble and shoot than defend and pass?"
"When others need you, you should also meet their needs."
"Almost sixty minutes in, haven't you noticed our right winger and right-back are nearly asleep?"
"They can be replaced, sure. But no matter who replaces them, you still have to coordinate, right?"
"And if we want to go further, we need more high-level contributors."
"If your goal is just to play in these eighteen regional games, I guarantee I'll pass to you every time."
"But if you're thinking about the next North and South Division and the championship, then—like me—use these low-pressure games to see who else in the team is worthy at critical moments. Understand?"
Kai didn't know if Ronaldo understood, so he sent him back to the left wing to think about it.
If you don't give teammates a chance to attack, it'll be hard for them to create surprises at crucial moments.
Manchester City is a team where everyone gets a chance. Every player can step up in life-or-death situations—not because of luck, but because they're given enough opportunities.
In the 67th minute, Ronaldo's active attitude paid off.
His movement in the frontcourt allowed him to gain a valuable steal.
He's fast, and even without formal tackling skills, pressing hard with all his strength causes chaos for the opponent.
After the steal, Ronaldo immediately passed to Kai and penetrated the penalty area.
While running, he raised his right hand to signal: Here! Pass to me!
Ronaldo was brimming with confidence.
Kasabiya's central defender tracked him and tried to compete.
Cristiano Ronaldo was like a tiger descending from the mountain, rampaging through Kasabiya's penalty area.
Boom!
A loud noise rang out.
Ronaldo glanced at the ball flying toward the goal, confusion on his face.
He turned to the ball, while Kai maintained his shooting posture.
WTF!
Whoosh!
The ball hit the net again.
It would have been a pity if Kasabiya's goalkeeper had failed to save Kai's first shot—because that one was actually easy.
But this time, there was no regret possible.
The shot was exquisite.
The ball hung perfectly into the upper-left corner, with flawless speed and angle.
"Beautiful! Kai helped the team score another goal! Three to zero!"
"Kai's in incredible form—he's scored twice in two consecutive games!"
"And Chris is also impressive. People said he never passes or assists, but he delivered two assists in this game. That counterattack alone should shut up the critics."
"Hey, Chris passed to Kai, but why is he not happy?"
Of course, Ronaldo wasn't happy.
Once again, he'd become Kai's wingman.
"Shouldn't you pass to me?" Ronaldo said, confused and slightly annoyed.
Kai jogged, spreading his hands: "Don't blame me, man—you only have yourself to blame."
Ronaldo's blood pressure rose: "Blame me? My movement wasn't sharp enough? I tore apart their penalty area!"
Kai: "That's the problem. You're too much of a threat. Everyone is marking you, afraid you'll get the ball. You alone draw the attention of their entire defense."
"I don't have the ability to pass through all those obstacles directly to you. Your movement is like Inzaghi, but unfortunately, I'm not Zidane behind you."
"Blame me! I can't let you use all your abilities yet!"
What Kai said was true.
Inzaghi had performed brilliantly in Serie A the past two seasons, winning the Golden Boot and helping Juventus capture the league title. Known for his clever runs, he led Italy to the U21 European Championship in 1994, then steadily entered the national team.
Ronaldo was obviously satisfied with the comparison.
He said grandly: "It's okay—you're great too. I believe one day you'll become the best midfielder in Portugal. When that happens, your passing will match my runs and finishes!"
Ronaldo meant it—he even comforted Kai.
He felt he could do better, but the team held him back.
This really makes me want to scream!
The two were on the sideline when Maxa rushed over, laughing at their exchange but also slightly embarrassed.
After Ronaldo left, Maxa said: "Chris, this kid… he can't even take a joke. In that situation, it would have been smarter to shoot than pass to him."
Kai looked seriously at Maxa: "No, what I said is true. If I had the ability, I would have passed to him. He's the best goal scorer in the world, no one else!"
Maxa froze.
Otherwise, he and Ronaldo could have been best friends.
How could such a promising midfielder have a problem with his football IQ alone?
Is Ronaldo excellent? Absolutely.
But honestly, Maxa felt Ronaldo might never reach the level of Simao or Quaresma, because his passing and minor skills were lacking.
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