Chapter 94 Football 94 The Space Created.
As the referee's whistle blew again, Blue Prison kicked off with left winger Seishiro Nagi. He had barely flicked the ball out when U-20 striker Akito Sendou pounced on him like a hound smelling blood, radiating intense pressure.
Seishiro Nagi frowned slightly, sensing Akito Sendou's pressure, and chose not to risk a breakthrough. He quickly looked up and spotted Kenyu Yukimiya on the right flank. Seishiro Nagi delivered a precise long pass, with Kenyu Yukimiya attempting to bypass the midfield entanglement and directly connect with Yukimiya.
As the ball was about to cross the midfield, Suoh Koki calmly stretched out his foot and, as if plucking a ripe fruit, easily intercepted Nagi Seishiro's long pass and firmly controlled it at his feet. At this moment, Itoshi Rin, like a ferocious beast unleashed from its cage, with the momentum of wanting to devour her opponent alive, instantly flashed in front of Suoh Koki, attempting to use her body and momentum to directly regain possession of the ball.
Facing Itoshi Rin's fierce tackle, Suoh Koki skillfully deflected Itoshi Rin's physical contact with a simple outward extension of his strong arm, maintaining his footwork and protecting possession of the ball as he continued to advance. With Itoshi Rin poised to pounce again on his left and Nishioka Hatsumi and Kiyoshiichi closing in at high speed ahead, he made the most rational choice.
Forcing a breakthrough through a three-man encirclement is too risky; the best passing opportunity has already appeared. Without the slightest hesitation, Wang Xiaoxi passed the ball to the feet of the retreating Sae Itoshi.
Sae Itoshi silently took the ball, her reddish-brown eyes calm as still water.
Facing the immediate onslaught of Kiyoshi, Yukimiya Kensuke, and Nagi Seishiro, he moved with the unhurried grace of a gentle breeze, gliding lightly through their encirclement like a butterfly flitting among flowers. By the time the three reacted and tried to turn back to intercept him, Itoshi Sae had already phantom-like penetrated the Blue Prison's restricted area, just a step away from taking a shot.
The reputation of the World's Eleven is too great, especially Sae Itoshi, who is hailed as the world's best center. Blue Prison had already prepared tactics for him.
"We've been waiting for you, 'genius'!"
"I'm so trendy, I've devised a really trendy tactic for you."
Two towering figures, like city walls rising instantly from the ground, blocked Sae Itoshi's path between her and the goal. Jubei Antei and Ura-Tabito, both possessing impressively long legs and arms, now resembled two enormous doors, almost completely obstructing Sae Itoshi's advance.
Just then, the Thousand-Blooded Hyogoro swept in with a whooshing sound that tore through the air, like a raging hurricane, its target being the soccer ball at Itoshi Sae's feet. Itoshi Sae rolled the ball around with her ankle, completely avoiding this sudden storm, and then passed the ball to Sawamura, who was waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Sabo unleashed a powerful shot, the ball hurtling towards the goal like a cannonball. The Uruguayan player displayed astonishing jumping ability and reaction speed, leaping high and forcefully deflecting the well-placed shot with his thigh.
"A missed ball!"
Someone exclaimed in surprise.
The blocked ball didn't fly far; it rolled along the grass towards a relatively open area outside the penalty area's arc.
Kira Ryosuke deftly stopped the rolling ball with the instep of his foot.
The soccer ball rolled along and came to Kira Ryosuke's feet.
"I thought you'd stay in the back the whole time." Kira Ryosuke smiled with his head down, his light brown eyes looking at the traveler with amusement.
From the start, the U20 team maintained a conservative tactic, luring the Blue Prison players deeper into their territory, exhausting them physically and mentally, and gradually eroding their confidence. The players selected based on the concept of "one striker chosen from 300" were simply unable to break through the U20's impenetrable defense. Under these circumstances, the U20 even scored first, putting immense pressure on the Blue Prison team, leading to a noticeable change in their tactics.
"Only idiots stay in the same place."
As Urutae approached Kira Ryosuke, he seized the opportunity and kicked the ball away. On Kira Ryosuke's other side was Giuseppe Antei, who was also a defender alongside Urutae.
"It's so uncool to do nothing!" Ant-Life Jubei took over the action from Ura-Rikujin and loudly announced their intention to counterattack.
"Finally, we've drawn you out." Kira Ryosuke lowered his body, blocked the Uruguayan's arm, and kicked the ball down. "If your tall stature and long reach keep you in the back, it will make our attack much more difficult."
U20's pupils constricted, and they immediately turned around, but U20's defender, Ofri Aikong, was already prepared. Like a red python, he restrained them, single-handedly blocking the attack of both Antei Jubei and U20. The two defenders who should have been guarding the goal could only watch helplessly as the ball was passed to Suoh Hyoki's feet.
The U-20 national team completely shed its conservative facade, and the entire team charged out like soldiers hearing the bugle call. They abandoned their previous steady style, and their offensive swept through the midfield like wildfire, heading straight for the crumbling defense of the Blue Prison.
Suoh Hyoki brought the ball to a steady stop. Facing the figure rushing towards him, he casually feinted forward with his left foot, the movement as fluid as breathing. His gaze locked onto Futaka Ichigaku, who was attempting a frontal interception. "You still prefer to launch surprise attacks from behind, Futaka."
He stared at his feet, where shadows obscured the view.
wrong!
His brain buzzed, his green pupils suddenly contracted, and he quickly scanned his surroundings.
Three?!
Futaba's initial attempt to steal the ball was merely a feint. Rin Itoshi, who should have been roaming the forward line, charged in with a reckless, frenzied sliding tackle. Hyoma Senkiri countered with a similar sliding tackle, blocking his movement.
“I’m not the only one eyeing you.” The voice of the second son, carrying a cold calculation, rang in Suoh’s ears.
"Looks like... we have the same idea." A resolute fighting spirit burned in Chikiri Hyoma's crimson eyes.
Rin Itoshi clicked her tongue in annoyance.
A little further away, Iceweave Sheep's figure was also rapidly approaching, his voice tinged with regret, "One step too late..."
Abandoning personal safety and conventional tactics, like moths drawn to a flame, the three launched a coordinated interception and ball-stealing attack on Suoh Hyo-ki. The Blue Prison team seemed to realize that this match might be the end of their lives, and they played with everything they had.
Suoh Hyoki immediately passed the ball, and it flew through the gap in the three-man encirclement towards Wakatsuki Itsuki.
Wakatsuki calmly stopped the powerful pass, the ribbon tied around her forehead fluttering in the wind. Her usually expressionless face showed only a barely perceptible upward twitch at the corner of her mouth as she cheered in a completely flat tone, "Oh, a good choice."
Eita Otoya stealthily crept up to the side and rear of Wakatsuki Itsuki. His movements were light and swift, like a true ninja, intending to launch a sneak attack when he was off guard.
"Your footsteps... are too chaotic, ninja." Snake-like Miroku seemed to have foreseen Otoya Eita's movements, and positioned himself perfectly between Otoya Eita and Wakatsuki Itsuki.
Without turning back to confirm the location of the snake-like creature, Wakatsuki passed the ball without hesitation to Kira Ryosuke, who had already positioned himself nearby. Kira Ryosuke received the ball gracefully and turned, dribbling the ball as if deliberately pulling Uruhashi, who was right behind him, towards the penalty spot.
“It seems…” the Ukrainian man subtly interfered with his movements, trying to disrupt his balance and shooting motion. “Your plan doesn’t seem to be working very well?”
"...You've fallen for their trap."
Space was created.
With Kira Ryosuke's casual yet final words, the football skimmed the grass, tracing an almost invisible straight line, rolling with unparalleled precision towards Itoshi Sae, who had been waiting there. At that moment, there was no one in front of him. All of Blue Prison's defenses had been pinned down in midfield and on the flanks by the U-20's all-out attack and Kira Ryosuke's masterful maneuvering. The only remaining barrier was Gaara Gin, all alone in front of the goal.
Sae Itoshi didn't even need to adjust; she fired a single shot.
Whoosh—bang
A white beam of light tore through the air and pierced the goal in an instant.
Goalkeeper Gin Gaigamaru couldn't even make a complete save; his body merely tilted to one side symbolically.
2:0
[GOOD! Less than five minutes later! U-20 scores again! This time, the one who pierces the blue prison goal is none other than our world-class midfield maestro – 'World Eleven' Sae Itoshi!]
[The first half isn't even over yet, and the score is already a relentless 2-0. This gap... is the outcome of this match truly beyond doubt? To be honest, as a commentator, I feel incredibly sorry for them. After all, their opponents are the complete Japanese U-20 national team, boasting the 'nuclear weapon', Sae Itoshi. Wait! There's movement on the sidelines! The Blue Prison coaching staff is raising the substitution board!]
The boy with yellow highlights was warming up on the sidelines, his eyes full of excitement.
[Bee Lehui...this is also a player of exceptional talent. He has been selected for the country's top youth training camps multiple times, showcasing astonishing football talent, but each time he withdrew midway due to...non-tactical personal reasons. So, can Bee Lehui, number 23, who has been called upon in this critical moment, bring that slim but crucial variable to the dire situation of the Blue Prison? Let's wait and see!]
"Hehe! It's my turn!" Feng Lehui rushed into the arena like a whirlwind, his voice clear and loud, filled with undisguised excitement.
Jie Shiyi went up to him and patted Feng Le Hui on the back forcefully, "You're finally here, Feng Le!"
Qianqie Baoma stopped wiping away his sweat. Strands of his crimson hair clung to his forehead, and a smile that was a mixture of exhaustion and anticipation appeared on his lips. "Ah, after all that dawdling, you're finally here."
Rin Itoshi only glanced at Raku out of the corner of her eye for a very brief moment before her icy gaze was fixed on Sae Itoshi once again.
Ofri Aikong smiled as he looked at everyone, but his gaze toward Suoh Koki was devoid of any smile.
Off the field
Anri Teijin's hands were clenched together nervously, her body almost pressed against the monitor screen, her voice filled with urgency and confusion: "Eshin-san, why... why is it only now that we've brought on Bee-Ra? Shouldn't we have put him on the field from the very beginning?"
Hui Xin leaned back deeply into his chair, the reflection from his glasses obscuring most of his expression. His voice was flat, as if stating a cold formula, "Miss Di Jin, on the football field, mental stability and technical skill are equally important, and sometimes even more crucial. When your mentality completely collapses, when you are overwhelmed by despair and pressure, even the best technique cannot be performed to its full potential."
“Look…” Eishin Shiba said with an almost cruel pleasure, “Isn’t this mentality collapsing at a visible speed?”
He turned his head slightly, and his glasses reflected the faces of the players on the screen—whether anxious, confused, trying to stay calm, or composed—especially the relieved yet unwilling expression on Nishioka Hatsuna's face after he was substituted.
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