In the 37th minute, Deco dribbled past several players in a row and then delivered a brilliant through ball.
The football floated backward, and the speed wasn't particularly fast, making it perfect for a teammate to handle.
Capucho was completely unmarked and chose to strike it directly—a solid decision.
But he only got a slight touch.
The ball smashed against the crossbar and bounced away.
When your team is on the rise, a chance like this—even if it doesn't go in—can fire everyone up even more.
But when you're in a slump, this kind of miss can absolutely crush morale.
Even Deco looked stunned.
Such a perfect scoring opportunity wasted—it's hard not to wonder which team luck is siding with today.
In the 41st minute, Deco flashed again with another scalpel-like pass…
Damn it!
The moment he released the ball, Deco realized Kai was right in the passing lane. Could he—
boom!
Kai slid in and completed the interception.
The "invisible man" on the pitch—still god-tier!
But honestly, the bigger reason was Deco's constant flashes.
An occasional moment of brilliance catches people off guard.
But if you keep flashing like that, you're basically a damn lightbulb.
Hard not to notice you, little Dezi!
Kai got up and nudged the ball forward to launch a counterattack.
But in the very next moment, he was brought down.
Beside him, Porto midfielder Ricardo Sousa took him out.
The referee blew his whistle, signaling a foul by the Porto player.
But Kai, who was usually calm, suddenly rolled over, roared in anger, spread his arms, and charged toward Sousa.
Sousa ignored him completely and retreated to his own half with a dark expression.
The referee rushed over to calm Kai down, while also calling Sousa back and giving him a warning.
"Why is Kai so fired up? This isn't good… he's the midfield core. If he loses control…" Moreirense's assistant coach looked worried.
"This was intentional," Triguera explained. "Professional players don't just play for a day or two. Most of their intentions are clear to each other."
"Some fouls might look minor, but players can explode instantly. Sometimes even teammates rush in to confront the offender. That's because the foul isn't just about the ball—it may carry intent to hurt."
During the 2022 FIFA World Cup match between the Netherlands and Argentina, the injured and bandaged Dutch defender Jurriën Timber received a yellow card for angrily pushing the offender after his teammate Denzel Dumfries was brought down.
That's because the foul on Dumfries wasn't a normal tactical foul. Stepping on someone's Achilles tendon from behind with force—there's no football logic in that. It's pure bullshit.
Everyone knew Dumfries, who had two assists and a goal in the previous match, was a key attacking outlet for the Dutch.
Louis van Gaal deliberately avoided over-relying on him in that game, precisely because he feared the opponent would target and neutralize him.
Back to this match—Kai's anger was different from Timber's.
Sousa had no intention of injuring Kai.
He fouled him purely for tactical reasons—to stop the counterattack.
Players who commit these kinds of fouls usually achieve their goal the moment they bring someone down.
So they rarely argue afterward—they know they're in the wrong.
Yeah, I did it. I just wanted to stop you. That's football. I'll take the consequences.
And part of that price is accepting the other guy's anger.
Real on-pitch conflicts usually come from unclear situations—when both sides think the other is at fault.
Of course, if you lack basic sportsmanship, you might foul someone and then argue, saying "you fell on your own"… which is just disgusting.
What Sousa didn't realize was that Kai's outburst actually boosted Moreirense's morale.
"Other than fouling, do you have any way to stop Mr. Kai?"
"Dude doesn't even dare talk back after getting yelled at!"
"You take Kai down again, I'll take you down next time!"
"He's already been warned—one more and he's getting a yellow!"
"Trash Kai! Pass the ball before you get fouled!"
Moreirense's players had different reactions, but aside from a few like Cristiano Ronaldo, most of them were fired up.
42nd minute.
After Kai restarted play from the back, Alex and Flavio combined on the right wing, and Alex successfully delivered a cross.
But Sousa tracked back well and kept applying pressure.
Alex stumbled, but managed to kick the ball off Sousa before it went out.
Corner kick!
"ROAR!"
Alex pounded his chest, pumped with adrenaline after winning the corner.
He raised his arms, urging the crowd to get louder and pile pressure on Porto.
Moreirense's morale was reaching its peak.
boom!
Alex's corner was cleared out of the penalty area by Porto defender Fuchs.
Kai and Deco battled fiercely. Deco had the physical advantage and used both arms and legs to knock Kai down.
But the reason Kai went down so easily… was because he hooked the ball sideways at the same time.
boom!
Kai hit the ground—and the ball was already on its way again.
Serafim delivered another cross immediately.
Deco rushed into the box to defend.
The referee brought the whistle to his mouth, signaling advantage—Deco had clearly fouled Kai.
boom!
Porto's center-back stepped up again and cleared the ball.
Deco watched it fly over his head. Based on his reading of the trajectory, it should've landed right where he had just been.
If I'd stayed put, I could've—wait… stayed?
Deco turned around.
Kai had already gotten back up and was staring at the ball, ready to control it.
Deco reacted instantly, sprinting back, even slipping slightly.
Several Porto players had the same idea.
Based on their speed, they should've been able to close him down after he brought the ball under control.
boom!
Almost every Porto player froze.
Because instead of controlling the ball, Kai simply lifted his foot and volleyed it straight back into the penalty area.
Control?
Doesn't exist.
When it comes to passing, Kai values speed above all else.
There's only faster—never fastest.
"One touch! Kai is insanely quick!"
"But not only Porto's defenders—Moreirense's players didn't expect it either!"
"Most players from both sides completely missed the header!"
"And controlling the power of that kind of volley pass is extremely difficult—the ball has gone a bit too far toward the back post."
"But Ronaldo hasn't given up—he's still chasing it!"
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