Chapter 3, Serie A Debut
After the start of the game, Fino quickly focused his attention on the match. His body was excited, but his mind remained unusually calm.
He remembered Ancelotti's final pep talk to him in the locker room.
"Pay attention to your own position, your teammates' positions, and the opponents' positions. After receiving the ball, don't act like a hero. Learn to cooperate with your teammates. Don't take wasteful shots when you're not sure you can win. Pass the ball to other teammates. Remember, winning is the most important thing."
Fino understood Ancelotti's implication: play a supporting role, not seeking merit, but avoiding mistakes.
For the first ten minutes or so of the match, Ancelotti kept a close eye on Fino's performance.
Starting Fino was a risky move; if Inzaghi hadn't been so physically exhausted that he was no longer fit to play, he certainly wouldn't have started Fino.
Young players should start as substitutes, gradually integrate with the team, and increase their playing time, rather than being rushed into playing time like this.
But soon, Ancelotti's anxiety subsided.
Fino performed very well.
At the beginning, he didn't get many opportunities. Several passes to the front were given to Oliveira, who was theoretically more experienced. This is an unspoken rule on the field: rookies are never trusted.
But Fino didn't just stand there idly. Even off the ball, he actively ran around, cooperating with his teammates' attacks to draw away one or two Catania defenders and relieve the pressure on his teammates' offense.
In the 22nd minute, perhaps remembering his pre-match promise, Kaká gave Fino an encouraging through ball, which was Fino's first touch of the ball in the game.
After receiving the pass, Fino dribbled the ball at high speed toward the goal, and two Catania defenders rushed over aggressively, ready to teach him a lesson.
Fino didn't hold onto the ball; while protecting it, he used his peripheral vision to search for teammates and seek cooperation. After seeing Kaká making a run forward, Fino cautiously passed the ball back to Kaká.
Kaka scored from the far corner, and Fino easily got an assist.
"Kaka opens Milan's goal account! And the assist comes from our youth academy prodigy, Cabrini! Look how well they coordinate! A brilliant new star is rising at the San Siro!" the commentator exclaimed passionately.
An excited Kaka jumped into Fino's arms and climbed up the tree, wrapping his legs around Fino's waist, causing Fino to stumble.
Fino stumbled back several steps before managing to steady herself, and then supported Kaka's thighs with both hands.
Kaka excitedly ruffled Fino's hair, grinning broadly to reveal his bright white teeth.
"Are you still nervous? Just keep kicking like that, you're doing great!"
Fino struggled to support Kaka while smiling and nodding, enduring the pain in her scalp.
This successful combination greatly boosted his teammates' confidence in Fino, and he got more opportunities to touch the ball in the following time.
In the 40th minute, Bonera and Kaladze combined to end Catania's attack, and the counter-attack was immediately launched. Pirlo launched a long pass from the backfield, the ball landing in the direction Kaká was heading.
As Kaká rapidly approached the ball's landing point, Catania's two defenders also quickly arrived.
Kaka received the ball first and skillfully maneuvered under double pressure to keep it in play, but he also lost his space to start his run due to the constant harassment from Catania players.
Fino rushed from the front to provide support, making a gesture to receive the ball, which drew the attention of one of the opponents. Kaká dribbled past the remaining defender and entered the penalty area, but there was no suitable shooting angle, so he passed the ball back to Fino on the left rear.
After controlling the ball, Fino feinted a shot and then passed it to Oliveira on the left. At this moment, Catania's goalkeeper, lured by Fino's feint, had already made a save posture, leaving Oliveira with an open goal.
Oliveira was overjoyed. To ensure the shot went in, he didn't shoot immediately but took two more steps to find a better angle.
But the situation can change in an instant. By the time Oliveira, who had let his guard down, spotted Catania's player Sotir, it was too late. In a panic, Oliveira hastily took a shot, but the ball went wide of the post.
There was a collective sigh at the scene.
"The poor performance over the past few months has affected Oliveira's mentality. Even when facing an open goal, he still lacks confidence and is looking for a better shooting angle. But the opportunity to shoot is fleeting, and because of Oliveira's hesitation, Milan missed the chance to extend their lead."
"But we still have to applaud Cabrini's brilliant performance. Whether it was going to support Kaká or faking a shot and then passing the ball, Cabrini's choices were so accurate and his performance was so mature. It has completely exceeded our expectations for a rookie player."
Fino was also somewhat disappointed about missing the goal. In the previous situation, he did have a chance to shoot, but Oliveira was in a better position, especially after deceiving the opposing goalkeeper. If Oliveira had shot immediately after receiving the ball, there would have been a 99% chance that he would have gotten another assist.
But the ending was so bitter; the fact that he didn't even get a chance to enter the gate of enlightenment actually happened.
On the sidelines, Ancelotti wished he could slap himself. "You stubborn mouth! Serves you right for giving such nonsense before the game!"
I was so stupid, really. I only knew that newbies were prone to recklessness and not as steady as seasoned veterans, but I didn't know that sometimes it's better to let newbies be reckless.
At the end of the first half, Ancelotti stood on the sidelines to greet the players.
As Fino approached, Ancelotti put his arm around Fino's shoulder, covered his mouth with one hand, and whispered in Fino's ear, "Sometimes a striker needs to be a little selfish. Taking more shots helps build confidence. If you have another chance like that, you can shoot yourself. I believe you can master the balance between passing and shooting!"
During halftime, Ancelotti did not make any changes to the lineup or formation. Although Milan only scored one goal in the first half, their attack was not a problem and their defense was solid.
Time quickly moved into the second half.
Despite trailing by one goal, Catania's attacking enthusiasm noticeably increased after the start of the second half.
But Milan were not to be underestimated. The two sides traded blows, playing with great flair and having frequent shots on goal, but none of them resulted in a goal.
In the 81st minute, Pirlo was thwarted by Catania's midfielders while dribbling forward. At that moment, Kaká was being entangled by the opposing defender and did not have a good space to receive the ball.
Just as Pirlo was about to pass the ball back to Kaladze behind him, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Fino had already moved out of position on the left flank, blocking the defender behind him and silently waiting to receive the pass while facing Pirlo.
Pirlo immediately passed the ball to Fino.
"Beautiful! Young Cabrini is channeling Inzaghi, receiving Pirlo's pass with a ghostly run. How will he handle this ball?"
"At this point, Pirlo has already shaken off the defense, so passing the ball back to Pirlo would be a good strategy."
"It's Kaladze!"
"Kaladze appears in the middle! Cabrini makes a brilliant pass from the left to Kaladze, who heads the ball across the goal, and Kaká delivers the lightning strike, slotting it home to make it 2-0 for Milan!"
"So beautiful! Milan's teamwork was so beautiful! Their attack was like mercury flowing, smooth and unimpeded, all done in one go."
The commentator quickly explained the changes on the field and cheered loudly for this wonderful teamwork.
Two seconds later, the tree-climbing maniac Kaka had already grown onto Kaladze's body.
Pirlo also went up and hugged Fino.
"Boy, your positioning is great, but don't be a mute. Learn to wave and shout."
Fino smiled and nodded.
With the game nearing its end in the 88th minute, Catania, trailing 2-0, had completely lost their fighting spirit.
Milan had possession of the ball, and Brocchi, Pirlo, and Gattuso were passing it around.
Taking advantage of Catania's lax defense, Brocchi received Pirlo's pass but instead of passing it back, he passed it to Jankulovski, who had already made a run into the attacking third. The relaxed atmosphere on the field instantly became tense.
At this moment, Catania had three defenders in front of their goal, two of whom were being marked by Fino and Oliveira respectively, prompting Catania fans to exclaim in disbelief: "How come the forwards are defending the defenders instead of the forwards?!"
The remaining defender blocked Jankulovski's shot, and Catania's goalkeeper was watching the ball intently, ready to make a save.
Jankulovski did not choose to shoot, but instead passed the ball from the left to Kaká in the middle. Kaká volleyed the ball, which went under the arm of the Catania goalkeeper and into the net.
Kaka scored a hat trick.
With little time remaining in the match, Milan maintained their 3-0 lead until the final whistle.
Fino earned an assist and two key passes.
At this point, the pre-match tension and anxiety had vanished. In just one game, Fino had gained immense confidence in his future as a striker.
He never objected to the youth coaches' idea of changing his position because he trusted their professionalism. This does not mean that he was never hesitant or confused.
He disliked those looks that were either sympathetic and regretful or gloating, so he pretended not to care and tried harder and harder.
He must never become the subject of others' gossip, saying "a child prodigy who may not amount to much as an adult." Even if he cannot be the best, he should be one of the best.
For a rookie player, delivering such stats in his debut game is already enough to satisfy the fans. Even overshadowed by Kaka's hat-trick, fans didn't forget to praise his promising future.
Oh dear, whose beets are these? They belong to our Milan family!
[This isn't as promising as being a goalkeeper; I think he's more reliable than Oliveira.]
Honestly, I've followed many of the youth team's matches, and Cabrini truly has the talent to be a goalkeeper. Before the U16 level, he was a dominant force, leaving many young forwards bewildered and crying as they left the field. Unfortunately, he hasn't grown much in the last two years and is now getting lobbed and beaten by the forwards.
[Because I've been constantly being trained by forwards for the past two years, is it possible that I'll switch to being a forward to train other goalkeepers instead?]
Wow, if you can't beat them, join them!
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