Bonus Chapter :3
...
Once Ichinan High's players finished their celebration, the match resumed.
Having the score tied in the final moments was a blow to Kokuo, but not as big as one might imagine. After all, they hadn't lost yet. The score was just tied, and they still had a chance to win the game. If it came down to it, they could go into extra time, or even a penalty shootout. Kokuo was very confident in their overall strength.
Kokuo kicked off, and their entire team immediately began to press forward. The fans of both teams shouted at the top of their lungs, as if doing so could inject strength into their teams.
Today's match was held at the home stadium of the J.League's Omiya Ardija, called Omiya Park Soccer Stadium. It wasn't a large stadium, only capable of holding about 15,000 spectators. This pivotal match had drawn around 10,000 fans, so it didn't feel empty.
Spurred on by the cheers of their fans, the players of Ichinan High desperately held their ground, determined to protect their goal.
A do-or-die match like this, with this scoreline, at this point in time—it had pushed the game to its absolute climax.
86th minute.
Kira Ryosuke broke through on the right flank, using his exquisite footwork to beat two players before delivering a cross from the byline. The ball flew rapidly from the right side towards the penalty area but was headed away by an Ichinan defender.
A minute later, Kokuo came attacking again.
It was still Kira Ryosuke on the wing, but this time his dribble was cleared out of bounds by Ichinan, resulting in a corner kick. Kira Ryosuke took the corner himself, kicking it into the box where his team's center forward tried to head the ball into the net. However, he was completely overpowered in his duel with Tendou. Before he could even get to the ball, he was sent flying.
Ichinan was playing a 4-3-2-1 formation in this match, with Tendou positioned at the very front. You could tell that Ichinan's head coach was indeed a fan of Pep Guardiola. After Guardiola went to Manchester City, the first formation he used was a 4-3-2-1. It was an offensive formation, yet here they were, defending for their lives.
89th minute, with only one minute of regular time remaining.
After a long period of fruitless attacks, and seeing that Ichinan was determined to defend to the end, Kokuo's defenders brazenly pushed past the halfway line. All 22 players were now crowded in Ichinan's half of the field.
This was a perfect opportunity for a counter-attack.
No sooner had the thought occurred than Kira Ryosuke's chipped shot was saved by the goalkeeper. Ichinan's number 3 got the ball and immediately looked to launch a counter-attack with a long boot. Ichinan's coach wasn't just blindly copying tactics; he wasn't a mindless imitator. The team's two defensive midfielders both possessed decent long-passing ability.
However, before Ichinan's midfielder could pass the ball upfield, he was taken down by a Kokuo player.
It couldn't be helped. The match had reached its most critical moment, and the players' tempers were flaring. Seeing a chance to counter, their actions inevitably became more aggressive. The resulting conflict was mostly pushing and shoving, not escalating to a full-blown brawl.
Ichinan High was awarded a free kick.
From such a long distance, only a fool would try to shoot. After Ichinan took the kick quickly, only a few players rushed forward; the majority stayed back to defend grimly. This was the head coach's order, and few players had the courage to challenge his authority. Someone like Tendou, who dared to shout at the coach right after arriving, was definitely an anomaly. This guy had always hated incompetent, egotistical coaches who had no real skill but plenty of authority.
Isagi Yoichi had just received a pass from a teammate and had only advanced ten meters before being swarmed by Kokuo players and losing possession.
Not everyone had Tendou's heaven-defying physical strength.
Moreover, Isagi Yoichi, the main protagonist of this series, wasn't known for his technique or physicality. In fact, in terms of physical talent and skill, Isagi was an unremarkable player. His true strength lay in his mind, in his ability to adapt. This was what helped him evolve multiple times on the field.
In the words of the manga's author:
If Tendou was the type of genius whose talent was visible to the naked eye, then Isagi was the hidden "earthly talent."
"Damn it!" Isagi cursed inwardly. He thought to himself, if only he had Tendou's physical ability. If it were Tendou, he would surely be able to ignore Kokuo's swarm.
Isagi sprinted back on defense, but his gaze couldn't help but drift towards Tendou. Before, he had vaguely thought that a genius was just a very skilled person. But Tendou's earlier goal made him feel that "genius" was no longer an adequate word to describe it. Isagi could clearly feel that Tendou's dribbling was incredibly clumsy. He couldn't even control the power of his kicks properly, sending the ball flying 10 meters with a casual touch. Yet, it was this Tendou, whose technique seemed so rough, who had scored in the most eye-popping way possible.
No technique, all talent. It was practically overflowing from the screen.
"...If Tendou is a genius, then what am I?"
Right now, Isagi couldn't figure this out, nor did he have time to ponder these things. He was focused on the game, wanting only to secure a spot in the nationals.
Regular time ended. The referee held up the board on the sideline: 5 minutes of stoppage time.
Compared to Ichinan, Kokuo was the side that wanted to avoid a penalty shootout even more. At that point, their advantage in overall team strength would be nullified. They chose to go for one last gamble. Everyone except the goalkeeper pushed into Ichinan's half, laying siege to their goal.
Tendou had been somewhat invisible for the past few minutes. He was trying to better understand the sport of football. He observed everything happening on the field, watching both his enemies and his teammates.
"It would be so much easier if I had Kise's 'Perfect Copy' talent right now."
After observing for a while, Tendou understood that he definitely couldn't figure out the sport of football in such a short time. Even if you were a historical-level genius, you had to respect every sport, especially football, the world's number one ball game.
93rd minute.
Only two minutes of the match remained. Kokuo was still relentlessly bombarding Ichinan's goal. Tendou was also participating in the defensive effort, but it seemed like the Kokuo players were afraid of him. They didn't give him a chance to get close. Every time he ran towards one of them, they would immediately pass the ball to a teammate.
Compared to basketball, a football pitch is far too vast. There's too much space to move, and the range of ball movement is also much greater.