"As for Hugo Viana, I think he's overthinking it. Viana, listen to me—you're a real genius. There's no need to doubt yourself. Your performance in this match wasn't worse than anyone else's."
"Of course, Viana has just come back from a serious injury. I'd suggest he doesn't rush to prove anything on the pitch. Excellence doesn't need proof. Take care of your body—don't play through injuries. The future is long, and he's destined to become a key part of the Portuguese national team midfield."
Finally, the reporter also asked Kai about Cristiano Ronaldo's performance.
Kai didn't hold back at all:
"World-class! Invincible! Absolutely insane! His dribbling crushes Arjen Robben, his passing is better than Wesley Sneijder, his creativity surpasses Rafael van der Vaart, his killer instinct is sharper than Filippo Inzaghi, and his finishing beats Robin van Persie and Fernando Torres!"
To be honest, the reporters were blushing.
Wasn't that a bit… shameless?
Sure, Ronaldo's performance in this match was incredible—but wasn't this exaggeration on another level?
At best, you could say people were starting to see flashes of what he might become in the future.
But this?
Was that really the Ronaldo they knew?
Or was Kai describing some kind of footballing Transformer?
However, Ronaldo—who looked like he was just casually passing by but was actually eavesdropping—was absolutely buzzing.
Kaizi really knows his shit.
All that talent he'd been hiding for years—still couldn't escape Kai's sharp eyes.
Originally, Ronaldo didn't even want to be that flashy. Speed and shooting were enough. But Kai kept pushing him—pass more, think more, learn tricks, expand his game.
And now?
Four assists in one match.
Boom.
He had become exactly what he didn't want at first… an all-around, unstoppable monster.
…
This match caused a massive stir across Portugal.
The last time a Portuguese Liga team reached the Portuguese Cup final… well, it was ages ago.
"Moreirense defeat Sporting Lisbon and reach the final first—who will join them, FC Porto or Boavista FC?"
"Letting them win? Are you kidding? Sporting Lisbon didn't lead for even a single minute! This Moreirense side is legit!"
"Oh, so Sporting Lisbon just 'let them win'? Then explain Kai's hat-trick and Ronaldo's one goal and four assists! What the hell were they supposed to do—defend with prayers?"
José Fonte: "Let me say it again—my roots are Sporting Lisbon too!"
"So Benfica didn't mark Ronaldo and Kai either? So the whole league is just 'letting' Moreirense win? Kai's six goals and twelve assists, Ronaldo's thirteen goals and three assists… all gifts, right?"
"That scorpion kick in mid-air! Then getting up and sliding in for another goal! Kai: 'This is how football should be played, damn it!'"
Manchester United fans were going crazy discussing Ronaldo's performances.
More than 60% believed he could already be brought in as a squad forward.
Alex Ferguson: "Logic tells me Cristiano Ronaldo and Kai aren't ready for the Premier League yet. But my instinct says—even now, they could help Manchester United."
David Beckham: "We've always had young talents on the bench. That's how I started. They can do it too."
Kai: "Sorry—I'm not here to be a substitute."
Paul Scholes, Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke: "…MMP."
Compared to the praise for Kai and Ronaldo, the defeat caused serious tension inside Sporting Lisbon.
The conflict between Mário Jardel and Ricardo Quaresma escalated completely.
Jardel publicly blasted Quaresma:
"I'm the team's first-choice penalty taker. If a player doesn't even follow team rules, he's nothing but an unqualified product!"
"Yeah, I said product! Players like Quaresma are just assembly-line creations—overrated as hell."
"Just look at Simão Sabrosa at Barcelona—same story. Without me finishing chances, Quaresma wouldn't have those stats!"
"And seriously—why the hell does he dribble so much? Just to look fancy? If you want to win, pass me the ball. Stop the useless bullshit!"
Some of Jardel's points were sharp—but Quaresma fired back immediately:
"I can't play with someone who doesn't put winning first. Your hat-trick means nothing if the team loses!"
"You only care about goals—not victory. That's why you don't deserve to stay at Sporting Lisbon!"
"And if you're such a great scorer, why haven't you taken this team to the top of the league?"
"A striker who only scores easy goals isn't great."
"Look at Kai. Look at the top strikers in Serie A. Real stars score the impossible!"
"That's why you've never been trusted by the Brazilian national team! Even without Ronaldo Nazário, you're still not their first choice—because you don't win games!"
That last line hit hard.
Especially considering that just days earlier, Ronaldo Nazário had returned from injury—only to suffer another devastating setback within six minutes. Inter Milan confirmed he would be out for another year.
With Brazil suddenly lacking a clear striker, attention turned to candidates like Jardel.
Yet strangely—he still wasn't called up.
Rumors spread everywhere:
Some said Jardel demanded guaranteed starter status.
Others claimed stylistic conflict with Rivaldo.
And some simply said the truth—Portuguese league stats were inflated, and Brazil had better options.
Either way, Quaresma didn't just argue.
He twisted the knife.
From that moment on, their relationship completely shattered.
They still played together—but on the pitch, they were strangers.
No passes. No cooperation. Nothing.
With two core players like that, the consequences were obvious.
Sporting Lisbon's title hopes?
Fading fast.
Now, their goal was simple:
At least secure qualification for the Europa League.
And as more people started paying attention to Moreirense…
They couldn't help but look at the league table—and realize something unsettling.
This team wasn't a fluke anymore.
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