"This is a textbook defensive counterattack! It's unbelievably fast!"
"Kai's pass, **Cristiano Ronaldo's run! And that final move past the goalkeeper shows incredible composure!"
"What's going on with the German team today? Their defense looks like it's about to collapse!"
"Portugal has been on the back foot most of the match. They've only tested Germany twice—but Germany failed both tests!"
"Before the match, many people said Ronaldo couldn't adapt to playing as a center forward. But now it looks like he has no problem at all! His impact in this tournament is almost unmatched!"
"He might not be a traditional target man, but if your team plays defensive counterattacks, why would you even need a target man?"
A classic target striker is usually developed to compensate for midfielders who lack creativity, game-breaking ability, or resistance to pressure.
But teams that rely on counterattacks and already have strong midfielders don't need a target man.
What they need…
Is a finisher.
Portugal happens to fall into both categories.
14th Minute
It was obvious the German team looked a little confused.
They still couldn't figure out where the problem was.
They had actually done a great job limiting Ricardo Quaresma.
Portugal's entire right wing was almost completely neutralized.
However, Kai and Raúl Meireles kept combining on the left side, gradually moving the ball past midfield.
When left-back Ribeiro overlapped forward, Portugal finally had a chance to cross.
But Philipp Lahm followed Ribeiro closely.
Ribeiro couldn't beat him one-on-one and had no choice but to pass back to Meireles.
Meireles immediately returned the ball to Kai on the left half-space.
Boom!
Kai delivered a powerful cross from the left.
Ronaldo moved inside the penalty area.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on Kai.
Because with a pass like this…
He must be looking for the striker, right?
Whoosh!
The ball didn't fly high.
Instead, it traveled fast and low, with a sharp curve.
This kind of cross isn't ideal for a striker's header.
But—
"The far post!"
"Quaresma suddenly appears at the back post! No one is marking him!"
"Quaresma doesn't even control the ball—he shoots immediately with the outside of his foot!"
"The German defenders only just turned their heads!"
"No one can stop him! Quaresma's outside-foot technique is terrifying!"
"Goal from a tight angle!"
3–0!
"Is Portugal really this strong?!"
"Three goals in nine minutes!"
"They're crushing Germany in the semi-final like Germany were a team that couldn't even escape the group stage!"
"Portugal didn't even look this relaxed when they played the Netherlands last round!"
"Oh my god! Kai has unknowingly completed a hat-trick of assists!"
"This feels unreal!"
"Although he's appeared on camera many times, he hasn't made flashy moves."
"If it weren't for the stats, you might not even realize which player is Kai and which is Ruben Amorim or Miguel Veloso."
"Aren't they all just calmly receiving and passing the ball?"
"Can Germany really beat a Portugal team like this?"
"Why were the pre-match predictions so one-sided?"
"A team this strong shouldn't be underestimated at all!"
Many commentators were completely confused.
Germany losing was hard to accept.
Fans could panic.
Players couldn't.
With guidance from the coach and players like Lahm, Germany stabilized by shrinking their formation.
They stopped pressing aggressively.
They gave up trying to overwhelm Portugal with brute force.
Instead, they slowed the match down.
They allowed Portugal to keep possession and retreated deeper.
"Klinger," the German coach shouted.
"Keep your eyes on Kai, no matter what he does!"
The German coach might have been the first to truly see the problem.
He understood that Kai was the core of Portugal's system.
Sure enough, once Germany tightened their formation, Portugal no longer produced those sudden killer passes.
Germany had less possession earlier, but now the situation improved significantly.
Once they fully stabilized…
That would be the moment to strike back.
At the very least, Germany U16 showed strong tactical discipline.
They executed their coach's instructions almost perfectly.
21st Minute
Meireles and Ribeiro successfully broke through on the left wing.
Ribeiro crossed.
Ronaldo jumped for a header.
But the German penalty area was crowded.
Even though Ronaldo managed to reach the ball, he couldn't generate enough power.
The header went wide.
28th Minute
Meireles faked a move on the left and passed diagonally to Amorim.
Amorim attempted a long shot—
The ball flew high into the stands.
During this period, Portugal's attacks mainly came from the left side, led by Meireles.
Kai, who was tightly marked by the Germans, barely touched the ball.
He looked almost frozen out of the game, just like Veloso.
Veloso: Watch your mouth. I'm a defensive midfielder—it's normal for me to touch the ball less.
But someone here is supposed to be the core player and still can't get the ball. That's a bit embarrassing.
Kai: ???
36th Minute
Quaresma finally broke through on the right wing and won a free kick.
During the following corner kick, José Fonte knocked over Andreas Görlitz while competing in the air.
The referee immediately called an offensive foul.
During this stretch of the match, Portugal continued to surround and pressure Germany.
The German coach stood on the sideline holding a thick stack of tactical reports and statistical analysis sheets.
He was waiting for halftime to give detailed instructions.
Being three goals behind looked hopeless.
But Germans rarely give up.
The chance to turn things around still existed.
42nd Minute
Ronaldo, who had been struggling inside the penalty area, finally dropped deeper.
Playing as a striker can be miserable.
Many times, the camera doesn't even capture you.
But the opponent's center-backs always know exactly where you are.
They follow you everywhere.
They push you while running.
They shove you during duels.
Endless little fouls and body checks.
Ronaldo was getting sick of it.
The moment Ronaldo moved out of the box, Kai suddenly pushed forward.
Using Ronaldo's movement as cover, he briefly shook off Klinger, who had been marking him all match.
Ronaldo's movement worked like a perfect basketball pick-and-roll.
On the wing, Quaresma beat his defender.
He noticed Kai's forward run and immediately delivered a cross.
Knowing Kai wasn't tall, he chose a low cross.
This kind of pass is difficult to control.
Kai faced the same problem.
But before he could even think about how to handle the ball—
He was brought down by German center-back Michael Fink.
Fink couldn't keep up with Kai and panicked.
Afraid Kai would reach the cross, he shoved him down with both hands.
The referee immediately blew the whistle.
Penalty!
And a yellow card for Fink.
German fans nearly wanted to leave the stadium.
Three goals behind.
And now a penalty?
Was this match even worth watching anymore?
German players rushed to the referee, arguing that it was normal physical contact.
They accused Kai of diving.
But the referee ignored them completely.
An angry Thomas Hitzlsperger protested too aggressively and received a yellow card warning.
He was furious.
Back in the UEFA Youth League, their gap with Sporting Lisbon wasn't that big.
That match had even gone to extra time.
So how was it possible that just a few months later…
Kai and Ronaldo were cutting through Germany U16 like slicing vegetables?
Quaresma stepped up to take the penalty.
Boom!
"Oh! It didn't go in!"
"The ball hits the post and bounces out!"
"Quaresma… you shouldn't have missed that!"
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