<024. Genius and Glory of the Winning Cup (3)>

The next day, Barrafunda training grounds. Carlos started speaking to all the team members.

“All we have to do now is stop Pato of Corinthians.”

Alexandre Pato.

<Those who do not know the boy’s name, do not discuss Brazil’s future.>

Those were the words of Socrates, the greatest star SC Corinthians had produced, about Pato. Pato was a prodigy like no other, who was already making a name for himself at his young age.

Ho Yung knew a lot about him.

‘The future of AC Milan; in Argentina there’s Messi and in Brazil, there’s Pato.’

The potential that Pato was showing as a youth was already comparable to that of Messi.

Of course, Messi kept going up in life and Pato… did not.

‘Anyway, we only have a 3-year difference in age… I think this is doable.’

Soccer is a game, after all.

If he just prepared for it, he would be able to win. Carlos continued explaining the next match.

“Alexandre Pato has run 14 games, having joined SC Corinthians in April this year. He’s scored 18 goals, and he’s the most likely candidate for the league golden ball. But he hasn’t been in the team for long so the teamwork isn’t perfect.”

He meant that there was a chance for a victory, so the players should have no reason to fear.

“Soccer is a game where the team that wins is the team that is best. Best teams don’t always win.”

He meant that this match was evenly matched.

“We just have to be the team that wins.”

‘Yikes..’

It was a bit cringey but no one showed this. Carlos’s expression was too serious.

“We’re not going to play a game where we just try to last until the penalties. Even if we do that, it’s no guarantee that we can hold off Pato.”

The finals was a huge stage that youths rarely got to experience.

Carlos wanted to use thorough tactics to give the players the most variety in experience.

“That doesn’t mean we’re fighting a losing battle. We are going to prepare to the utmost degree and try our best. Stop frowning and work up some confidence.”

“Yes, Coach!”

“We begin position training in 10 minutes. Go warm up.”

Carlos then took the assistant coach aside.

“Corinthians will come out with 4321, is there a way to resist Pato?”

“The best would be a 4141 formation and intimidating the opponents from the outside, trapping them. But our team doesn’t have the resources to do that.”

“That’s right. It would be suicide.”

The problem, of course, was Pato.

Victory hung on if they could stop him.

“Defence is defence, but our attack also needs to be thought about. Ho Yung. The Corinthians will focus on him and pressure him.”

It was obvious that the coach of the Corinthians would be thinking about the same things.

How to stop Ho Yung Wu – the headache that stood in their way.

So it was crucial to work out a way to get through the defence they will put up.

“I’ve thought about that. Ho Yung won’t be forward in the next game.”

“So you’ll lower him to 2nd line? Attacking midfielder?”

“No. Defensive midfielder in the 41221.”

“Sorry?!”

It was natural to be surprised.

It was another thing to use the 41221 tactic, which had no attacking midfielders, but to put the team’s goal-getter Ho Yung on defence was a hard decision to understand.

“Coach? Ho Yung is skilled in ball cutting and stopping, but isn’t that a position for a regista?”

A regista was a playing style which connected passes and looked after the smoothly flowing pace of the game.

This tactic relied wholly on the skill of the defensive midfielder – the ‘Ho Yung’ tactic.

Carlos replied.

“Pato’s speed stands out in the league. You can’t stop him even if you knew he was coming. Who could possibly catch up to that type of speed in our team?”

“Dougie and Ho Yung. But Douglas lacks in the defensive skills.”

“That’s right. We only have Wu left.”

“… If this is the case, we could throw the opponents off but would the ball distribution go smoothly? If that doesn’t happen… well.”

“Didn’t you see his ball distribution skills at the playoffs? Kid’s got talent.”

“I did. Would he still be able to play with stability under such pressure?”

“That’s why we trained him so intensely. Especially his fundamentals.”

“Hm…”

It could be possible.

If Ho Yung could manage such a huge role.

“You want me to be defensive midfielder?!”

Before position training, Carlos broke the news to Ho Yung.

“You can do it. Don’t be scared.”

“Hm… Okay.”

‘He must have a plan.’

Ho Yung nodded.

He trusted Carlos.

Besides, he knew that this game needed a drastic change.

“Then follow me.”

“Sorry? What about training?”

“You’re exempted.”

“Exemption…?”

“Special training.”

Ho Yung was not the only one to be separated for special training.

It was a total of 6 kids including centre back Casemiro and Douglas.

Carlos talked to Ho Yung.

“When you receive the ball from Casemiro, you need to relay the ball to Douglas. But the distance will be too great.”

“Yes.”

“Then how would you do it?”

“I’d connect the ball to the back midfielder and build up or the wing forward would have to come down to receive it.”

If you didn’t possess the passing skills of Spain’s Xabi or Alonso, these were the only ways.

“That’s right. So from now, we’re going to train ball distribution in some primary patterns.”

Training ensued for days.

Carlos ordered that training continued until ‘everything connected naturally’ and laid out patterns of ball distribution routes to become familiar with.

He even reduced basic training to focus on ball distribution.

Ho Yung’s linker role was that important.

Thanks to this, Ho Yung’s skills improved frighteningly quick.

[Blade-like ball distribution (C+)↑]

When his skill levelled up, Carlos declared that he was satisfied and that training could stop.

Then, training for the specific tactic and defence against Pato started.

After that, whole team training began and the last 3 days was intense training like they had never felt before.

It would have been understandable if there were complaints about the repeated training but everyone focused. To flourish the season finals.

The day had come. The day to hold the winning cup of Campeonato Paulista Championships.

“Today, we become the winning team!”

Sao Paoulo city Estadio de Pacaembu Stadium.

Carlos had said those words in FC Sao Paulo’s locker room.

He had said it a few times in training but there was a gravity to these words now and determination flared up. Ho Yung and the players all remembered the brutal training of the last week.

“King’s majesty to the field!”

He got goosebumps on his arm.

They had always chanted this before a game but they had never been so determined before.

SC Corinthians was one of the biggest rivals they had in the area so the attitude they had to this game was different from the usual.

Before stepping out of the locker room, Carlos said one last word.

“The stadium is where you show what you trained. Show all of it. That’s all you need to do.”

“Yes, Coach.”

It was like his heart was going to explode.

Ho Yung forced his nerves down and entered the stadium.

As he shook hands with the opponents, he checked all of their skills.

What he should be wary of. What he could steal.

‘!’

Ho Yung’s eyes stopped on a boy, around 160cm tall with bushy eyebrows.

[Alexander Pato]

Skills Possessed

Soccer Genius (A-)

Legs faster than a Lamborghini (A+)

Sensitive and succinct ball touch (B)

Fancy tricks (B-)

Competent goal decider (C +3)

(A skill can be taken if the criteria are fulfilled.)

(Criteria 1: Win the Campeonato Paulista Championships)

(Criteria 2: Be chosen for Campeonato Paulista Sao Paulo league golden ball.)

(Criteria 3: Score 2 attack points.)

Future’s little Pele. He had finally met him.

‘Genius…!’

Not a soccer prodigy, but a soccer genius. His heart began pounding again.

What would happen if he got that skill? Would he be a soccer genius too?

This was going to be a battle between a genius with skills and a devil going after those skills. Ho Yung was half full of excitement and half full of dread.

In that moment.

“….?”

The players of SC Corinthians were frowning. The atmosphere turned frigid. The coach of SC Corinthians stood up with a frown.

“What’s this?”

They had been caught off guard by Ho Yung.

This boy was standing as a defensive midfielder when he should have been on the front lines.

“Why is he over there?”

“… I don’t know, sir.”

The assistant coach could not answer the coach.

This was Carlos’s surprise attack.