On the contrary, Rio Ave showed incredible resilience and came out flying at the start of the second half.
They struck twice—in the 57th and 61st minutes—turning the game around and climbing to the top with 54 live points!
Moreirense were stunned.
Cristiano Ronaldo punched the air in frustration, swearing under his breath in the attacking third. He could barely get on the ball unless he dropped deep.
The team had fallen back into that lifeless, passive state again.
And for the first time, Kai truly understood what powerlessness felt like.
This… was the team's ceiling.
No one could be blamed. This was simply the real level of Moreirense.
In professional football, an individual can sometimes change the score—but changing the entire flow of a match alone is almost impossible.
Even players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Zlatan Ibrahimović, and Kevin De Bruyne can't always bend a match entirely to their will.
Back in youth football, Kai could dominate everything. He could single-handedly transform a team in no time.
The match he once led against Wahaha was proof—whichever side he joined would crush the other.
But that kind of dominance?
It wouldn't happen again at this level.
"Calm down… stay calm… there's still a chance…" Kai muttered, frowning as he dropped deeper into midfield to help defend while scanning the pitch.
And then—
He saw it.
Or rather… he saw another version of Moreirense.
Boom!
Kai received the ball and immediately launched a long diagonal pass to the left.
Ronaldo, who had been waiting for exactly this moment, burst forward like the wind—
—and got taken down.
"The play is way too simple. This is the 'genius midfielder' you claim is better than Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart?"
In the VIP box, Louis van Gaal swirled his glass of red wine, unimpressed.
He knew about Kai—Pep Guardiola had mentioned him more than once.
But as their tactical differences grew, so did Van Gaal's skepticism.
Naturally, he disliked anyone Guardiola rated highly.
He even knew Guardiola would often collect signed footballs from teammates and send them to youngsters like Kai, Rivaldo, and Patrick Kluivert.
Beside him, Ajax's scouting director laughed awkwardly.
He had invited Van Gaal here—to evaluate players like Kirop, whom Ajax were considering signing.
Three minutes later—
Boom!
Kai launched another long pass counterattack.
Van Gaal frowned.
"No structure. No organization at all."
Didn't Guardiola say this kid resembled Andrés Iniesta?
This? Not even close to a Barcelona player's level.
Boom!
A third long ball.
This time—
Van Gaal's expression changed.
Because suddenly—
The entire game opened up.
With those three long passes, Ronaldo's pace was fully unleashed.
He stormed into the attacking third alone, cutting inside toward the box.
Sure, one man couldn't break through an entire defense—
But it looked terrifying.
One player dragging the entire defensive line sideways, forcing chaos.
A visible threat.
And that was enough.
Rio Ave immediately pulled their press back.
They gave up midfield control.
They were scared.
They didn't want to concede.
At their core, they were just like Moreirense—their limitations had surfaced.
When both teams want the ball, the stronger midfield wins it.
When neither wants it—the leading team has the luxury to sit back.
So even though Moreirense's players hesitated—
Rio Ave had already retreated.
Which meant…
They had to push forward.
They still needed goals.
Moreirense began pressing.
Kai's sense of helplessness vanished.
He was back in control.
73rd minute—
Kai switched the ball to Alex on the right.
Alex's cross caused chaos in the box, forcing Rio Ave's defense into panic. Midfielders were immediately called back to reinforce.
76th minute—
Alex faked a cross and slipped the ball to Flávio.
Flávio fired a low shot—but it was blocked.
77th minute—
Serafim whipped in a cross from the left, earning a corner.
Kai took it, trying to surprise the goalkeeper with a direct shot—
But the keeper reacted quickly and caught it.
Rio Ave countered immediately.
Kirop had no choice but to commit a tactical foul—yellow card.
Meanwhile, Rio Ave's bench, players, and fans were completely relaxed.
They had made the perfect decision.
Score first.
Then sit deep.
Defend.
Counter.
Simple—and brutally effective.
Even Van Gaal nodded slightly.
In his eyes, Kai's approach—forcing the opponent backward—was flawed.
An attacking team is always more vulnerable than a defensive one.
How could this kid not understand something so basic?
But on the sidelines, Triguera calmly explained to his assistant:
"Many times, the attacking team is actually harder to break down than the defensive one."
"Our defensive system is proactive positioning. We deny space—not just possession."
"Some teams have more possession than us—but we have more possession where it matters: in their half."
"Possession in your own half? That's not a threat."
"And worse—passive possession. Keeping the ball just to avoid pressure? That's useless, even at 100%."
"Earlier, Rio Ave controlled the ball in our half—but our players were forced into passive possession just to escape their press. Completely meaningless."
"But now?"
"Our possession is in their half."
"That's high-value possession."
"Even if it's harder, the chances it creates are far greater."
"The advantages outweigh the disadvantages."
He paused, then added:
"And if you want proof—just look at our record."
"Moreirense almost never wins when leading."
"That alone explains everything."
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