In the 79th minute, a Viktoria Plzeň winger made a contribution.
A cross from the wing caused an own goal by Sporting Lisbon's centre-back.
One to three—Viktoria Plzeň pulled one goal back.
But just nine minutes later, Ronaldo, who already knew that Kai was unreliable at times, still relied on his overwhelming individual ability to complete a goal on his own.
He scored his thirteenth goal, maintaining his position on the scoring charts.
In the end, Sporting Lisbon defeated their opponent four to one, securing their second consecutive league victory.
This match made people realize that Sporting Lisbon U15's win in the previous round was no fluke.
Some believed it was Kai who caused the dramatic improvement in Lisbon's overall strength.
But more people felt this was simply the norm for young players—sometimes they're outstanding, and sometimes they're outstanding again. Nothing special.
For Kai, this match helped him further understand the effectiveness of his skills.
He realized that many details were not fully explained in the skill descriptions, and that he needed to figure them out carefully on his own.
Like Black Panther Hunting.
Kai's second goal today worked precisely because of Black Panther Hunting.
However, the ball was passed to Kai by Ronaldo, not initiated by Kai himself.
Ronaldo completed the steal and delivered the pass.
Kai shot directly without stopping the ball, strictly keeping within the three-second limit.
The result did not disappoint him.
This proved that Black Panther Hunting was extremely practical and could definitely become Kai's core early-stage skill.
Kai also received an SS rating for this match.
He obtained several training piles, energy drinks, medical bandages, and blue fragments.
Because there was no critical hit, he only received four blue fragments.
But just like last time, there was also a special item—Donglong Special Drink.
A super training pile is an enhanced version of a training pile, while Donglong Special Drink is an enhanced version of a functional beverage.
"Donglong Special Drink: When you sleep, you will be paralyzed and get high! Instantly restores stamina and energy. Long-term use increases physical attributes! (Effects do not apply during matches.)"
It was indeed far stronger than ordinary energy drinks.
At this moment, many problems were solved.
Fans who frequently watch wealthy clubs may think playing twice a week is normal.
But for professional players, double matches in a single week place a huge physical burden.
One match per week is the most comfortable rhythm.
For young players aged thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, or sixteen, one match per week is even more standard.
Playing twice a week often does more harm than good.
At least, that's the traditional youth-training philosophy.
But this season, Sporting Lisbon U15 would experience a double-match schedule.
Physical conditioning became a crucial issue for all participating youth teams.
Sure enough, just three days later, Sporting Lisbon U15 would host Viktoria Plzeň—the same U15 team that would later appear in a UEFA Youth League group with Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Bayern Munich.
The fourth round of the UEFA Youth League.
This would be the second meeting between the two teams.
Viktoria Plzeň had won the first match, and Ronaldo was almost denied by goalkeeper Petr Čech.
The underlying reason his finishing lacked power in that match was simple—poor physical condition.
This was the dark side of playing twice a week.
In the same double-match schedule, goalkeepers barely suffer physically.
Čech was essentially waiting for work.
…
"Sporting Lisbon U15 secures its first back-to-back victory! Chris has scored 13 goals in eight matches and is currently ranked third in the scoring charts!"
"Football Caesar explodes with four goals and three assists in two matches—efficiency unmatched!"
"Sporting Lisbon's twin stars officially launch a charge toward the league playoffs (North and South Division)?"
"There's still hope in the league, but Europe looks bleak! Sporting Lisbon U15 is struggling this season!"
"Viktoria Plzeň's young squad has arrived in Lisbon. In three days, they may completely knock out Sporting Lisbon U15!"
"Outstanding Youth Champions League goalkeeper Petr Čech: 'I'm looking forward to the match and I'm not worried about Chris's shots. Over the past two weeks, I've focused on his and Robin van Persie's finishing, and I'll do my best to keep a clean sheet!'"
"Battle of Honor! Sporting Lisbon U15's European goal this season has shifted from semifinals to winning just one match—just one!"
"Portuguese supernova Cristiano Ronaldo said angrily: 'We will break through Čech's goal and win this match!'"
From these headlines alone, it was clear—although UEFA could be ruthless, it made sense.
Knockout matches are terrible for young players' mental health.
But in terms of excitement, they are far more thrilling than league formats.
Including the young players themselves, European competitions drew far more attention and excitement.
This season's UEFA Youth League was even more popular than the declining European Cup Winners' Cup.
Multiple confirmations suggested this would be the final edition of the Cup Winners' Cup.
Bang, bang, bang!
There was a knock on the door outside Trigla's office.
"Come in." Trigla didn't turn off the television.
When Ronaldo entered and saw the news, he was visibly excited.
This was the longest he'd been featured on TV.
Kai and Maxa followed behind him.
Trigla had summoned them for an important discussion.
"The club's situation isn't ideal." Trigla spoke solemnly. He was clearly referring not to the U15s, but to Sporting Lisbon's first team in the Primeira Liga. "Last season, we finished only fourth."
"Porto has won four consecutive league titles and still leads the table this year."
"In the past ten years, Benfica has won three championships. The rest belong to Porto. People are asking—where is Sporting Lisbon?"
"Once again, we're being left behind by Porto and Benfica."
"The fans' dissatisfaction has reached its limit."
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"But the club has no real countermeasures. The transfer negotiations between Simão and Barcelona are still ongoing. Management wants to allocate resources to Simão."
"Give him better stats and stronger performances."
"If nothing changes, our results this season won't surpass last year."
Kai nodded silently.
Trigla's assessment was accurate.
Last season, Sporting Lisbon finished fourth.
This season, they would likely finish fourth again.
But what did that have to do with the U15s?
Unless…
The Youth Champions League.
Was the first team so weak that they needed the U15s to divert fan anger?
Unfortunately, yes.
Trigla continued: "To ease fan dissatisfaction, senior management wants to use the U15 echelon as a shield. This team has everything needed to take the heat."
"The UEFA Youth League gives everyone a reason to focus on the U15s."
"Kai, you joined the team and immediately caused a stir. You're already breaking out beyond normal circles. Your traffic value is huge."
"Chris has been phenomenal. Even if the U15s collapse overall, as long as his numbers stay strong, Sporting Lisbon's youth reputation remains intact. This helps negotiations with Barcelona."
"This can even boost your fame in advance—allowing you to truly rise at a young age and become the next Simão!"
This wasn't just killing two birds with one stone.
It was shooting down an entire flock.
"So…" Kai looked at Trigla.
Trigla spoke slowly: "The fourth-round match of the UEFA Youth League, three days from now, will be moved from the Alcochete training ground—which holds one thousand spectators—to a stadium capable of holding fifty thousand."
"Alvalade Stadium—the home of Sporting Lisbon."
"The match will receive special Primeira Liga exposure and be broadcast in over fifty countries and regions worldwide."
"This is a massive crisis—but also a massive opportunity."
"Are you ready?"
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