In the 55th minute, coach Orlando Duarte Violante substituted Ricardo Quaresma with the team's backup right winger Luís Lourenço.
Although Quaresma failed to complete a hat trick, his two goals and one assist were more than enough to satisfy him.
He walked toward the bench while receiving applause from the fans.
Portugal continued making substitutions, and the German team naturally realized that their chance to counterattack had finally arrived.
62nd Minute
Bastian Schweinsteiger passed the ball back to his club teammate Thomas Hitzlsperger, who immediately sent a through pass forward.
German striker Kevin Kurányi blasted the ball into the net.
6–1.
At least Germany finally pulled one back.
70th Minute
As Germany's offense slowly improved, the physical confrontation between the two teams gradually intensified.
Kai immediately reminded his teammates to drop deeper and avoid unnecessary clashes with the German players.
Unknown injuries were the last thing they needed.
His awareness and control of the match made Violante keep nodding on the sideline.
Bringing Kai to this European Junior Championship was probably the best decision he had made all year.
77th Minute
Kai suddenly stole the ball in the backfield and delivered a precise long pass.
Raúl Meireles dribbled down the wing and won a corner kick.
Meireles then took the corner himself.
Portuguese center-back José Fonte leaped high and smashed a header into the net.
7–1!
Germany had been shot again.
At the moment the goal was conceded, almost every German player turned to look at Kai.
Aren't you guys supposed to stop attacking?
What was that sudden steal and killer long pass?
Playing dirty, huh?
Facing the doubtful looks from Philipp Lahm and others, Kai simply smiled and walked toward the sideline.
Violante substituted him with Igor.
Kai now had eight assists, firmly occupying first place in the European Junior Championship assist rankings by a huge margin.
86th Minute
Lahm dribbled down the right wing and delivered an assist to Schweinsteiger, who scored again.
7–2.
That was also the final score of the match.
Germany U16 suffered an unprecedented defeat.
Portugal U16 had massacred several strong teams in a row and shocked Europe with this performance.
After the Match
The German U16 players refused all interviews.
But their head coach couldn't escape the reporters.
He sighed:
"I don't understand it. I've never seen football played like this. It completely breaks my understanding of traditional football."
"Kai is a phenomenal player. Cristiano Ronaldo's finishing ability is terrifying. Quaresma is impossible to contain. Meireles runs like a motor on the wing. Veloso is like an iron wall…"
"Every player on their team looks incredibly strong."
"I can't even tell whether the match made them look strong… or whether they were already that strong and the match simply revealed it."
Meanwhile, the Portuguese players were also being interviewed.
Ronaldo's Interview
Cristiano Ronaldo said:
"I was in great form today. If I hadn't been substituted, I could probably have scored more goals."
"But I understand that I need to stay fresh for the final."
"Completing a hat trick is the happiest moment of my national youth team career so far."
"Today the opponent's goal felt as wide as the sea."
"Of course, that's also thanks to Kai's wonderful passes. We have an incredible understanding on the pitch."
"Yes, I'm talking about that free kick. We had never practiced something like that before, but at that moment we both knew exactly what to do."
"It's hard to describe with words."
"I don't think there's anyone else in the world with the same chemistry that we have."
The reporters nodded.
Then one asked mischievously:
"Really? Could Hathaway and Kai also have that kind of understanding?"
Ronaldo immediately threw the microphone down and stormed off.
Quaresma's Interview
When asked why he voluntarily gave up the free kick, Quaresma obviously didn't reveal the superstition behind it.
"I felt Kai had a great touch today, so I wanted him to try."
"I'm not the kind of player who refuses to share the ball. I'm always happy to cooperate with teammates."
Reporter:
"What about the free-kick coordination between Kai and Ronaldo?"
Quaresma laughed.
"That was amazing."
"It's a tactical free kick worth remembering."
"If there's another chance in the future, I hope I can join that play too."
Kai's Interview
Kai was surrounded by the most reporters and received superstar-level treatment.
Despite Ronaldo scoring a hat trick, Kai won Man of the Match with four assists.
Reporter:
"You delivered an incredible performance. A 5–0 lead in the first half was insane. How did you do it?"
Kai shook his head.
"To be honest, I don't really know how it happened."
"I struggled quite a lot during the match."
"Many times I was almost invisible."
"But my teammates are excellent at seizing opportunities."
Reporter:
"You're still so humble. What are your expectations for the final?"
Kai became more serious.
"Since we've reached the final…"
"Of course our goal is to win the championship."
The reporters were stunned.
The contrast between Kai's humble tone and his confident statement was huge.
It was basically like saying:
"No, no, no, I'm not that good…"
while his actions screamed:
"More. I want more."
Reporter:
"Have you studied Spain U16? They are unbeaten in the tournament so far."
Kai smiled.
"Of course. I know several players on that team."
"In fact, this European Championship has been surprising."
"In almost every team I see familiar faces."
"The Dutch four young talents, the three Bayern prospects, and even Petr Čech from the Czech team."
"And all of them… lost to me."
"I checked the Spanish squad too."
"Funny coincidence."
"Fernando Torres and Gabi."
"I think God has already given everyone the answer."
Reporter:
"Are you referring to the UEFA Youth Champions League?"
Kai nodded.
"Yes."
"I have to admit that the level of that competition is far higher than people originally expected."
"The players who shined there are also the best performers in this European Youth Championship."
"Teams built around them have reached the knockout rounds, the semi-finals… even the final."
"So as the Youth Champions League champions, Ronaldo and I are confident that we can defeat Spain U16."
Some reporters who supported Spain disagreed.
"There's a difference. Teams like the Netherlands, Germany, and the Czech Republic rely heavily on a few U15 stars."
"But the real core of Spain U16 is Andrés Iniesta, plus many players from Barcelona's U16 and U17 squads."
"They are far stronger than the Atlético Madrid U15 team you faced earlier."
Kai replied calmly:
"But besides Ronaldo and me…"
"Portugal U16 also has Quaresma, Meireles, Fonte, and many other outstanding players."
Soon, Kai's interview made major headlines.
But it wasn't because his words were shocking.
It was because UEFA was extremely satisfied with his speech.
After the unprecedented success of the first U15 Youth Champions League, UEFA had received countless requests to continue the competition.
There were far more sponsors than expected.
Kai's interview once again emphasized the value and credibility of the Youth Champions League.
Many of the best players in the Youth Champions League were also the stars of this European Youth Championship.
Just like the relationship between the Champions League and the European Championship.
Top players in the Champions League often become leaders in the European Championship.
However, UEFA had also received some criticism.
Some people believed that U15 players were too young, attracting fewer fans.
Even if those players became famous, it would still take several years before they could join professional teams.
That reduced fan interest.
What fans wanted was simple:
Young players who shine in the Youth Champions League should enter big clubs within one or two years.
They wanted to experience the thrill of watching future stars rise instantly.
Because of that, UEFA began discussing a change.
The second Youth Champions League would probably not be held at the U15 level.
It might be U17 or even U19.
After that news leaked…
The number of sponsors increased again.
Because the influence of the tournament could expand from youth competitions into a much larger international stage.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can visit my Patreon page:
Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel
I upload 2 chapters daily on Patreon!
There are 100+ advanced chapters available for you to read.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.
📢 Check out my new Naruto fanfic!
[One Piece: Pirate Chat Group]