I Thought You Could Catch It

"Annuo, you need to grow up quickly. Once you're grown, come play in Europe. You have to face Messi someday—I'm sure a match between you two would be spectacular... Eh... no, wait.

I'm on the same team as Messi now. That won't do... You should come to Barcelona... Uh... that won't work either. If you came to Barcelona, with Messi and you, where would that leave me?

Hmm... how about you go to Real Madrid? Be with that man who always has to be the best. I figure only you could temper that guy's attitude a little..."

Neymar went on and on over the phone, saying a great many things. Chen Anno listened quietly the whole time. Even when Neymar told him to grow up quickly, he did not argue.

He understood Neymar. The fact that Neymar was talking to him so much today meant he probably still had not adjusted to Spain.

The two chatted for a long, long time, as though they had returned to two years ago, when they were both still in Sao Paulo, until the low-battery warning sounded.

Ponte Preta Football Club was founded in 1900 and was one of the oldest football clubs in Brazil.

The club was based in Campinas, Sao Paulo State. Its home ground was Moises Lucarelli Stadium, which could hold 19,728 spectators.

Ponte Preta had long competed in Brazil's lower divisions and had only been promoted to the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A in 2011. They had finished fourteenth in the league last season.

At present, Ponte Preta's squad was made up mostly of fringe players. To Sao Paulo, they were no challenge at all.

May 27, 5:00 p.m. local time.

Sao Paulo's first Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A match of the season officially began.

Chen Anno did not make the starting lineup. He sat on the bench and watched his senior teammates play at an unhurried pace.

That was right—an unhurried pace. Chen Anno found it incredibly boring and nearly fell asleep. Aloisio, sitting beside him—well, he was still called Aloisio now—nudged him awake. Otherwise, Chen Anno might really have taken a nap on the bench.

He had thought he would at least get a few minutes in this match, but by the time the final two substitutions had been used, even Aloisio beside him had gone on while Chen Anno remained on the bench.

In the end, Sao Paulo comfortably beat their opponents 2–0 away from home through goals from Lucio and Jadson, earning a winning start to the league campaign.

"Hey, kid, I heard you nearly fell asleep on the bench?" On the bus back, Lucio bumped Chen Anno's shoulder.

"Uh... heh... Maybe the afternoon sun made me feel lazy..." Having been seen through by an older teammate, Chen Anno was visibly embarrassed.

Lucio did not make much of it. He shrugged. "That's normal. You'll get used to it. Most domestic matches are like this—dull. Unless it's an important match, like against a bitter rival or one that decides the title, everyone plays this way."

Lucio leaned back against his seat. "You know, we play around eighty matches a year. If you add in commercial matches in Europe, it's more than eighty. If every match had the same level of physical intensity as European teams, we'd be played into the ground long ago."

Brazilian football had become commercialized in order to survive, but those who worked in the profession had always maintained their love for the sport.

We loved football for happiness, not to risk our lives.

All right, Chen Anno understood.

In other words, everyone was just going through the motions. If they could take it slow, they would take it slow. If they could lie down for a little longer, they would lie down a little longer, keeping the ball in play for as little actual time as possible.

Put bluntly, they were slacking off at work.

After all, Brazilian clubs had incredibly packed schedules. Aside from a pitifully short offseason, they practically played once every three days throughout the calendar year. If every match truly involved high-intensity physical play as Lucio had said, it would exhaust people to death.

Soon, it was May 30.

Sao Paulo's first home league match of the season had arrived.

At 6:00 p.m. local time, with an hour still remaining before kickoff, Morumbi Stadium was already packed with fans.

It had to be said that Brazil's football market was truly strong. Morumbi Stadium was Brazil's third-largest stadium, after all, and a full house meant more than seventy thousand spectators.

Still, compared with Corinthians and Palmeiras from the same city, Sao Paulo's attendance was honestly somewhat worse.

There was nothing to be done about that. The team had not won any honors worth mentioning in recent years.

Last year had been slightly better. They won the first Copa Sudamericana title in club history. It was not as prestigious as the Copa Libertadores, but it was better than nothing.

At exactly 7:00 p.m., the match began amid the cheers of the fans.

Chen Anno was once again seated properly on the bench. Sao Paulo's opponent today was Vasco da Gama from Rio de Janeiro.

Many fans who did not follow the Campeonato Brasileiro might not know much about this team, but if Romario, their legendary star, was mentioned, anyone who had watched football would surely have heard his name.

Romario, Brazil's legendary star known as the "Lone Wolf," came through Vasco da Gama.

Romario's professional career began here and ended here. What was more, he had only retired a few years ago, at the age of forty-three.

It had to be said, the Lone Wolf really could play. Chen Anno wondered whether that man more than a decade later had been influenced by old Romario somehow. After all, they both had Rom in their names.

That was getting off track.

The match on the field had already begun.

Vasco da Gama was nothing like Ponte Preta, Sao Paulo's opponent in the previous round. They were a traditional powerhouse in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A.

At the very least, from the look of things, Chen Anno found this match far more entertaining than the last one.

Sure enough, Chen Anno watched with great interest and did not even get sleepy. Well... perhaps it was also because the night was cold.

In the tenth minute, Sao Paulo launched a dangerous attack.

Denilson won the ball in the backfield and sent a long pass accurately toward Fabiano up front.

The Brazilian striker, who had previously played in Europe, was highly experienced. After controlling the ball, he immediately combined with Silvinho on the left.

After turning, he surged forward at speed. Silvinho slipped through a pass, and Fabinho unleashed a furious shot from the edge of the box.

Chen Anno had already risen to his feet to celebrate, but unfortunately, the opposing goalkeeper Alves managed to tip it away with his fingertips.

Sao Paulo missed a golden opportunity!

Three minutes later, the visiting side answered back.

Their forward Eder Luis cut inside from the right after a series of changes of direction, then sent the ball into the box from the edge of the penalty area. Another forward, Tenorio, pushed a shot toward the far corner, but it slid wide of the post.

Though it did not result in a goal, it still drew a burst of alarmed cries from the stands.

For the rest of the half, both sides traded attacks, but neither could break the deadlock.

The score remained 0–0 until the end of the first half.

"Annuo... warm up properly. I'll send you on when the second half begins." Before leaving, head coach Ramalho called out to Chen Anno.

"Is it finally my turn?" Chen Anno immediately sat up ramrod straight.

The movement made Aloisio beside him laugh. He patted Chen Anno on the shoulder. "Go for it, Annuo. You'll be fine. Your brilliance will shine over Morumbi Stadium, and everyone will cheer for you."

He meant it sincerely. After spending so much time together, the strength of this young prodigy had long been branded into the hearts of every Sao Paulo player.

He was Sao Paulo's most dazzling sun, and sooner or later, he would radiate blinding light.

During halftime, all the substitutes went onto the pitch to warm up, and Chen Anno was among them.

The instant he stepped onto the grass at Morumbi Stadium, it felt as though the whole world had fallen silent, leaving only him standing on the field.

Clang...

A spotlight shone down on Chen Anno. He closed his eyes as shouts filled his ears: "Anno... Anno...!"

A football flew over and struck Chen Anno squarely on the head, instantly pulling him back to reality.

Not far away, Aloisio looked a little embarrassed. "Sorry, I thought you could catch it..."