Carrying the hopes of thousands of supporters, Alex steadily approached the opposing box. While at the sa ti, Shun confronted him in a one-on-one duel.
The intensity rose in the field as thousands of eyes converged on the two of them. And, suddenly an eerie calm swallowed the entire stadium.
Fearlessly, Alex then closed into Shun without ever losing his montum. Then he swerved to the right. Shun followed, launching him onto Alex's feet.
Alex however chipped the ball over Shun's outstretched hands and avoided his reach. Then he himself jumped over Shun to avoid getting tackled by Shun.
Bam!!
Alex struck the ball cleanly, sending it hurtling toward the empty post.
"Goal"
The stadium erupted in a cacophony of sound. Cheers and groans mingled in a whirlwind of emotions. The Spanish supporters exploded joyfully, their triumphant cries echoing through the stands.
While at the sa ti, a crushing silence fell over Hiro's team. Many of his teammates buried their faces in their chests as they ceased their chase. It was too late for them to chase now. The damage had been done.
Hiro who had been desperately chasing after Alex slowed down as well. Finally, he then ca to an abrupt pause. There was nothing more he could do.
The opposing players on the other hand were running amuck on the field. Alex was buried under the bodies of his teammates who had co to celebrate the mont with him.
Seeing them in such a jubilant mood one could hardly differentiate their faces from a mont ago when they were under a pinch. Just a mont ago, they appeared to be shaking with fear and now look at their happy faces. It was completely different.
And so was the atmosphere in the stadium. It was totally different than what it used to be.
The scene at the opposing bench was no different either. Their reserve players had sprung onto the sidelines to express their joy. Even their coaching staff had joined the celebration. Yelling and hugging, they were celebrating this mont to the fullest.
A polar opposite to the scene at the opposing box, the reserve players of Japan were wailing in their box. It was a huge blow. A blow that could possibly knock them out.
Yet still, they hadn't lost the ga. Though a rather crucial goal, the ga was far from over. So, they had to pull their shit together and prepare themselves for what was about to co.
After wailing for a while, most of them recomposed themselves for the remaining ti. Hiro too did the sa as he let go of the worries that shackled him for a brief mont.
If only he had scored that goal, the scenario might have been different. He couldn't help but feel guilty about missing such an opportunity. But he couldn't continue to sulk. What has happened has happened.
"No risk, no reward," Hiro reminded himself, freeing his mind from the guilt that had been weighing him down. He knew he had to move forward and learn from this experience.
Tilting his head up, he glanced at the sky.
It was already dark and the shimring lights of the stars had begun to dot the vast expanse. The stadium lights were casting a bright glow on the field, contrasting sharply with the night sky. And, the atmosphere was still as electrifying as ever.
Still, he didn't feel overwheld by the buzzing atmosphere in the stadium. Instead, he felt quite calm about it. Be it when the cheers were for him or against him, it was the place where he belonged to.
So, he felt quite at ease now that he made peace with himself. Even if it was because of his inability to score that led to this situation, he still couldn't shy or hesitate from taking risks.
He took a deep breath, feeling the cold night air fill his lungs. Then he walked to his position to resu the ga.
After a while of celebration, all of the players regrouped for the continuation of the ga. Just as they positioned themselves, Manager Haruki decided to make so changes in the team.
Along with Akutsu, he made several other substitutions. In place of defenders, he brought in attackers, completely altering the formation of the team.
It was a risky move. But, they could no longer shy from taking risks. What's the worst that could happen? They might concede yet another goal.
But does it even matter? They were already losing and if they did nothing about it, they'd get thrown out of the tournant.
Their hope for advancent depended on this victory. So, they had to do everything in their power to win this ga.
Beep!!
Once again the ga resud with their kickoff. And from the had to do everything in their power to win this ga.
Beep!!
get-go, they rallied toward the opposing post, vying for a goal. They launched a full-frontal attack as every single one of them made a desperate struggle for an equalizer.
However, despite trying their absolute best, they failed to score.
As the final whistle sounded, the opposing players erupted into a triumphant cheer as the realization of their victory washed over them.
They collapsed to the ground, so lying on their backs, staring up at the sky with a mixture of exhaustion and elation. Others knelt, heads bowed in prayer or thanks, overwheld by the intensity of their emotions.
At the sa ti, a rather heavy feeling of defeat gripped the hearts of the players of Japan, making them wail. Many covered their face in sha as they couldn't bring themselves to face their supporters.
Slowly, tears trickled down their face. At first, only so wept. But as ti passed, more and more of them started weeping. And soon an outburst took place in the field.
Even the toxic fans could no longer bring themselves to complain after seeing the burst of emotion on the field. Now how could they bring themselves to tell that they didn't try hard enough after seeing them weeping like that?
They had given their best but it wasn't enough. And what could be more concrete proof than those tears?
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