八字万年历

Chapter 256: 2020/21 First Pre-Season Friendly II

{This may just be a friendly game, but Porto aren’t leaving a way out for their opponents here!} The commentator continued with his commentary as the Porto players celebrated their goal.

The Porto players soon began returning to their halves after their celebrations as the game was still just beginning, but there was a smile of ease on their faces as they walked as compared to the Rio Ave players.

On Mylo’s face was an especially big smile as he had just gotten his debut goal for the club and his first professional goal in the senior levels of football.

Of course, it was merely a goal in a friendly game, but if he kept performing like this, then goals in more competitive matches weren’t far off because the manager would have no reason to keep him on the bench if he kept performing well.

All those thoughts were swirling around in his mind as he waited for the Rio Ave team to kick off, but immediately the ball began moving, all his thoughts were halted and he immediately chased after the ball, fulfilling his duty as a pressing forward that was to lead the press.

The match once again resumed with the Rio Ave team being more careful on the ball than ever before.

They made careful passes among themselves to avoid losing the ball carelessly and sent the ball back as far as the goalkeeper if it meant they kept the ball.

Of course, even with their efforts, losing possession of the ball every now and then was bound to happen, but whenever they lost possession, the Rio Ave players’ off-the-ball movement immediately covered every open space, effectively shutting out the Porto team’s chances at starting a counterattack or an attack of any kind.

Thus the two teams were locked in a deadlock for a period of time when the only excitements in the game were the occasional attacks from both sides that often fell short or ended with weak or off-target shots.

Soon enough however, the Rio Ave team’s confidence surged as they thought their efforts had been able to keep the Porto team silent so far and they became more open with the ball as they tried to launch attacks hoping to get a goal that could help them get on track to equalizing the game.

Unfortunately for them, the Porto team had merely been biding their time and waiting for such a reaction from them, and the moment they left open some space, the Porto team immediately burst through.

#42nd minute…

The Rio Ave team had just lost the ball after trying to break through the Porto defense and failing.

The Porto team had tried to launch a counterattack, but the Rio Ave players had quickly shuttled back and filled up the empty space, putting an end to their efforts, but the Porto team wasn’t giving up the attack and Fabio Viera tried to break in from the right wing.

He tried to dribble past a Rio Ave player and he had almost gotten past the player when he was brought down by the no-nonsense Rio Ave defender.

The referee immediately blew for a foul as the Rio Ave player’s tackle on Viera had been a bit harsh, but the referee didn’t think it was worthy of a card and simply gave the player a warning to let him know that he may have let it slide once, but the next time, a card would come sliding out depending on the recklessness he displayed next.

The players of the two teams quickly arranged themselves inside the Rio Ave penalty box as the position of the free kick was too awkward for a direct shot and the ball would likely be crossed into the box.

Romario Baro stood over the free kick since Porto’s Deadball talisman, Alex Telles, was now cruising the streets of Manchester after a successful transfer.

Raising his two hands to convey his intentions for the ball to his teammates, he waited for the referee’s whistle.

*Fweeeeeeeeeee*

Romario Baro ran at the ball and swung his right foot, deftly sending the ball curling into Rio Ave’s 18-yard box.

The ball flew unhindered in its flight as it curled outward into the penalty box from the right side.

The players of both teams shuffled against each other and about three players managed to escape from the others and rise to the air to meet the ball, but it was Mylo who got his head to the ball first and gave it a change of direction.

The ball bounced off Mylo’s head and flew at the top left corner of the goal while the Rio Ave goalkeeper ran at the projected path of the ball and dived with all his power, trying to interfere with the ball’s flight.

Unfortunately for the goalkeeper, his efforts fell short and the ball flew past his outstretched fingers, went past the goal line, and slammed into the back of the net.

{A Header from the Porto man…!!! A GOAL!!!}

{The goalkeeper just couldn’t reach!}

{Porto have three and the young striker has two!}

{A brace on his senior team debut! I’m sure the manager can’t believe his luck to find yet another uncarved gem!} The commentator erupted in the commentator’s box, but his words spread across the country in every place where the match was being displayed.

In the food court where Jason was watching the match while seated comfortably after finishing his second round meal.

His glasses were on his face and his nose mask was once again on his lower face, decisively blurring out almost all distinctive features that would enable anyone to recognize him.

Perhaps because of this, the crowd of people who were seated nearby didn’t know the irony Jason was feeling as he listened in on their conversation.

“Can you believe those guys’ luck?” A man who looked to be in his late twenties asked his two friends who were seated with him at the table next to Jason.

“Just earlier this year, they signed that Jason guy for free from God knows where and see how that kid absolutely destroys his opponents on the pitch,” He continued but was soon interrupted by his friends.

“I know right, once that guy gets on a roll it’s almost impossible to stop him,” one of his friends cut in.

“Bruh, the number of defenders he’s utterly destroyed just kept piling up. I thought I was watching a freestyler at some point,” the other guy chimed in.

“Exactly! I’m telling you, bro, they need to fire our scouting staff for real, cuz what were they looking at to allow Porto of all people get that guy on their team!” The first guy took control of the conversation once again, but his agony could be heard clearly in his voice.

“I don’t think it was their fault though,” the second guy said while laughing at his friend’s overly dramatic act.

“Yeah bro, these things happen in football,” the third guy said while also laughing.

They were used to their friend being overly dramatic, especially when it came to football, but that did not make it any less funny to see when he acted dramatically.

“These things happen?” the first guy asked, repeating the third guy’s earlier statement.

“Yeah man, it happens all the time, I mean we had Joao Felix just like two seasons ago while Sporting had that Rafael Leao guy, so I think they deserve one young talent, you know?” the third guy expressed his opinion, but the first guy wasn’t having it.

“One young talent? Are you fu*king kidding me right now?” the first guy asked like he couldn’t believe his ears.

“Ignoring that freak of nature called Jason, they have that Fabio Viera guy, then also have that Luis Diaz guy… even though they bought him, and now this guy!?” the guy continued talking while gesturing dramatically at the screen that was showing Mylo’s goal.

“This guy just scored a freaking brace in the first half of his senior team debut… and you’re telling me they only have one young talent?”

“… Tell me… have you been kicked in the head by a donkey!?” he asked the third guy after all his arguments.

“…” The third guy just looked at him dumbfounded.

“I mean, he does have a point, that Luis Diaz guy was already tearing things up in the first half of last season before that Jason guy came out of nowhere and joined hands with Fabio Viera to absolutely shred the defenses of everyone they played against… and now, there’s this guy…” the second guy gave a simplified version of the first guy’s argument and sighed.

“Righttttt!” the first guy echoed his support for the second guy’s words and he was not the only one.

Other people in the food court who were fans of the Benfica team soon joined in on the conversation and openly displayed their grievances with Porto’s sudden burst of luck in the youth development area.

“By the time the season starts and all those guys come together into one team, especially after that Jason guy is recovered, we might be in trouble comrades,” one of the people who had joined the conversation said.

“One would have thought that after losing so many of their first team players, they would fall into a slump, especially in the attacking department, but who knew that another young dragon would pop up?” a girl who looked to be in her early twenties who had joined the discussion asked Jason who was seated nearby.

In reality, though the girl was also a Benfica fan, her motives for approaching Jason weren’t just because of sports banter.

Even with dark glasses and a nose mask covering most of his features, the little bit that was still exposed was enough to let people know with certainty that handsome features were under the mask, they just would overlook the extent of his handsomeness.

The thirsty youthful girl’s eyes had fallen on Jason’s impressive visage and she quickly wanted to use this opportunity to kick up a rapport with Jason, but how was Jason to know this?

Jason who had been hearing the Benfica fans agonizing over Porto’s luck was already feeling scared of this lot and did not want to risk his identity being exposed.

Who knew what these Benfica fans would do to him if they knew that a major subject of their conversation was nearby?

With this thought in mind, Jason replied to the girl’s question in very fluent English, reverting from the Portuguese that he usually used when talking to people,

“I don’t really know about football you know, I’m more into racing and martial arts… I also play cards and stuff,” He said in an unwavering voice.