"Who knows?" Hiro feigned ignorance.
As Coach Tatsuya entered the room, the eting comnced. He ticulously highlighted their flaws and strengths, pointing out gaps in their formation, and shared his analysis of the opposing team. Notably, he made no ntion of any tactical changes, indicating his satisfaction with the current squad.
However, ti and again, he kept on ntioning the importance of the ga.
Ti slipped away like sand through an hourglass as Coach Tatsuya delivered his talk. By the ti he wrapped up, halfti had co to an end. The players then quickly hydrated and cooled down in the remaining monts before heading back to the pitch.
After the end of the halfti, slowly players of both teams erged onto the pitch. Fans who had left their seat to get sothing to eat hurried to their seats. At the sa ti, as players erged onto the pitch the stadium shook with the cheers of the fans.
Glancing at the scoreboard, Hiro took a deep breath, feeling the surge of energy lingering in the stadium. "Here we go," Hiro muttered to himself, steeling his resolve.
Then as they all positioned themselves in their respective position, the second half comnced.
Beep!!
As much as they played with a renewed sense of vigor, the opposing team was not to be underestimated either. They had already recovered from the last-minute disappointnt in the first half. And, right now they were playing as if they had been reborn.
Their defense was like a well-oiled machine.
It wasn't just the players, their fans had also recovered from the loss. And, right now, they were showing their full support to their players.
Alongside the electric cheers, the sounds of drums echoed in the stadium, further enhancing the atmosphere and the appeal of the stadium. The electrifying atmosphere of the stadium only added pressure on the players, making the match even more intense.
"Damn..., What's with the fans today?" one of the reserve players of Kawasaki comnted, appearing rather anxious.
"It feels like I'm in a colosseum," another replied.
As the minutes ticked by, tension only rose in the stadium. Kawasaki pressed forward relentlessly, desperately trying to take the lead, but Vissel Kobe's defense held strong as they nullified their efforts.
Occasionally the opposing team responded with quick counterattacks, but Kawasaki's defense managed to hold them at bay. Kenji being the pillar he was, kept on supplying deadly long balls, creating opportunities for his teammates, while at the sa ti, he fulfilled his defensive responsibilities superbly as well.
By displaying such a marvelous performance, he made his presence known on the field. He displayed a performance worthy of his reputation.
Yet still despite the efforts from players of both teams, neither managed to score the next goal. Even so, the scoreless second half failed to bore the fans.
The clock showed sixty-five minutes when Asahi found himself in possession of the ball at the halfway line. Steadily moving the ball forward, he searched for his teammates, analyzing the options available to him.
Imdiately, Daichi rushed onto him, trying to stop him. At the sa ti, Tominaga sneaked on him from behind, trying to catch him off-guard.
Asahi however, appeared rather calm almost as if they possessed no threat to him. Calmly, he approached Daichi. His eyes were as fearless and tranquil as ever. His composure made it seem almost as if he wasn't in a real match but in training instead.
"Asahi-san, look behind"
Almost everybody in the reserve box was shouting warnings at him, trying to warn him of the impending danger rushing in from his blind spot. They were extrely worried that he'd let the opposing team steal the ball from him.
But little did they know, Asahi had already seen through the tricks of Tominaga. And, he had already caught the whiff of what he was trying to achieve.
Daichi swept his leg, trying to snatch the ball away from Asahi. But Asahi simply pulled the ball back as he evaded Daichi's outstretched legs.
Even so, Daichi didn't appear worried in the least. Instead, a subtle smirk graced his lips. It was as if he was intentionally trying to miss the ball.
Just as Asahi pulled the ball behind, Tominaga swept his legs, trying to snatch the ball away from Asahi. He had approached him from his blind spot. So, it was extrely unlikely for him to notice him. Even if he did notice him, it was too late for him to react.
But little did he know, it wasn't them who had outsmarted him. But it was Asahi who had outsmarted both of them.
Asahi's reaction was quick. A lot quicker than anyone had expected of such an old player. Perfectly timing Tominaga's reaction, Asahi lobbed the ball, causing Tominaga to strike the air.
With just one touch, he managed to trick both Daichi and Tominaga at the sa ti. Then without wasting any ti, while the opposing players were still in confusion and awe, he struck the ball hard and sent it flying.
That montary distraction proved to be quite fatal for the opposing team. Not only did they allow Asahi space to operate, but they also delayed their positioning.
Taking advantage of their montary distraction, Hiro rushed in from the flanks.
"Watch out," Kenji shouted as he retreated rapidly.
His heart raced as he looked at the figure of Hiro. Previously, he had beaten the entire defense of their team. And, having seen such a marvelous performance, he couldn't help but worry about Hiro recreating the scene from before.
So, while retreating, he focused his attention on tightening the defense of his team. Making Hiro his priority target, he imdiately ordered his teammates to fill in the gaps so that he wouldn't get any chance to break free.
However, due to his obsession with Hiro, he made huge errors. Hiro wasn't the only attacker he had to be cautious of.
Tatsuki being the poacher he was, sneakily approached the goal from the blind spot of Kenji, the defensive cog of the opposing team. If it were any other ti, he might not have been able to do so. But, now Kenji's whole attention was drawn toward Hiro.
So, it was possible for him to sneak in.
It wasn't just Tatsuki, but Ayato as well. He too sneaked his way into the opposing box. Roberto had moved up the field to provide so support to Hiro as well.
So Kenji had to be cautious of him as well. Though they had the nurical advantage, Hiro was enough to cover up their nurical superiority by himself.
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