Jeremy V. Jones - Toward the Goal: The Kaka Story

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ZONDERKIDZ

Toward the Goal, Revised Edition

Copyright 2014 by Jeremy V. Jones

ePub Edition December 2013: ISBN 978-0-310-73841-1

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Cover design: Kris Nelson

Cover photography: Jeff MitchellFIFA/Getty Images

Interior design: Ben Fetterley and Greg Johnson/Textbook Perfect

Printed in the United States of America

14 15 16 17 18 19 /DCI/ 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For Mom and Dad

For the orange slices, clean jerseys, bug repellent, registration fees, practice transportations, and encouragement during my own days on the field. Thank you for introducing me to the beautiful gameand most of all for your unwavering support through all the game of life.

JVJ

Contents

It was the biggest game of the year. The winner would be the champion of all of Europes mighty professional leagues and teams. Soccer clubs across the continent had played each other all season long in the ongoing UEFA Champions League tournament. Now, on May 23, 2007 in approximately ninety minutes of soccer, Italys AC Milan or Englands Liverpool would be crowned the best of the best.

Police in riot gear ringed the outside of Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece. At one point fans without tickets tried to break down a closed gate to storm their way, and the police fired tear gas to repel them.

But the true battle was taking place on the brilliant green grass rectangle at the center of the stadium. Seventy thousand cheering, chanting fans watched as the action unfolded in red and white before them. Milan wore white; Liverpool red.

Liverpool took control of the action early, and the Reds Jermaine Pennant got the first shot on goal eight minutes in. But Milans goalkeeper, Dida, made the diving save.

Once Milan settled down, the game was evenly matched, and neither side could break through the others tough defense. It seemed as if the two coaches had prepared their teams so well that the defenses could anticipate every attack.

The Milan team was filled with veteran World Cup winners and European Champions such as Paolo Maldini and Clarence Seedorf, but its superstar was young number twenty-two: Kak. It was his heroic play in the semifinal game that had secured the victory over Manchester United and propelled the Rossoneri (Milans nickname, referring to their red and black uniforms) to this final game.

Liverpool was well aware of the threat Kak posed and used its defensive midfielder Javier Mascherano to dog Milans most creative playmaker and pressure him constantly. The tactic seemed to work. Kak and his whole team mustered only one shot on goal during the first half, and it was easily saved by Liverpools keeper Pepe Reina.

A minute before halftime, Kak was fouled just outside of Liverpools penalty area, giving a free kick to Milan. Their free kick specialist Andrea Pirlo placed the silver and blue-starred game ball on the turf twenty-three yards from the goal in the center of the field. Ten yards back, Liverpool lined up eight men in a wall to create a barrier. Anticipation grew as the fans knew that set plays like this were always dangerous opportunities for a team to score a goal. Would this one put Milan ahead at halftime? Would the Milan shooter go straight for the goal, looking for a way around Liverpools wall? Or would he pass to a teammate who could take a quick shot from another angle?

Milans striker Filippo Inzaghi had lined up on the edge of Liverpools wall. As soon as Pirlo struck the ball, he turned and sprinted toward the goal. The shot bent around the inside edge of the wall, curling toward the left side of the goal. Goalkeeper Reina dove to his left and looked like he would cover the shot. But as Inzaghi turned to look back, the ball struck him on the shoulder and deflected back toward the other side of the goal, behind Reina. Goal Milan!

The goal gave Milan momentum that they carried into the second half, pressing their attack as Liverpools defense began to weaken. The score remained 1 0, however, until the final ten minutes.

In an effort to come from behind as the end of the game approached, Liverpool substituted in another attacker to try to come up with an equalizing goal. Liverpools Mascherano went out, and Kak quickly made the most of the opportunity. Shaking Mascheranos shadow, Kak quickly found some freedom and space on the field. Right away he chipped a pass to Inzaghi in front of the open goal, but the striker couldnt get the shot on goal.

A few minutes later, Kak received a pass and dribbled the ball with lots of open space toward Liverpools goal box, shuffled subtly as if he might shoot, then sent a crisp through-ball between three defenders. Inzaghi rushed through from across the center and had only the goalie between him and net. With one touch he pushed the ball toward the baseline to avoid the charging Reina. Then, from a difficult angle, he sent the ball rolling beneath the goalies dive, across the goal mouth, and into the opposite side net. Goal!

Inzaghi ran to the corner and grabbed the corner flag. He fell to his knees pumping his fists and shouting, then lowered his face to the ground. Kak was the first teammate to run and embrace him. Milan had a 2 0 lead.

Liverpool attacked desperately and received a corner kick in the eighty-ninth minute. The ball sailed in to the near corner of the goal box. It was headed across the goal toward Dirk Kuyt near the far post, and Kuyt headed the ball into the back of the net to cut the lead in half.