For Hakodate Nishi, this was nothing special. Honestly, it was a part of the routine, something they had been training for so many times every day.
First, Kenji, as the focal point of the Blitzkrieg attack, would attract as much attention as possible. Then, he would advance the ball to the flank, allowing either Denji or Denki to penetrate further.
After that, the final execution would depend on Hiroshi’s judgement.
If he found the penalty box was easy to breach, he would go there immediately, occupying the best space to receive the ball. If not, he would drop back and move closer to the flank, supporting that side with his individual skill.
That was exactly what he did, as the moment he received the ball, instead of continuing to hover on the flank, the boy cut inside immediately, trying to aim for an angle. This move definitely caught everyone off guard, especially those Sapporo Otani defenders who were still occupied by Denki’s move earlier.
"Shit! Middle, cover! Don’t let him shout!" One of the center backs cursed while also running back frantically, trying to recover to his original position.
However, Hiroshi was faster here. The boy knew that he was never the best at long-range shooting. No, that title was reserved only for Takaaki, as every shot became a bullet coming out of a sniper rifle from that boy.
That was why, once he managed to attract some attention, even though no one truly gathered around him, the boy released the ball from his possession immediately. He pushed it slightly back, probably seven or eight meters away from the box.
However, there stood the team’s best heavy hitter, one with his eyes shining through his glasses under the sun.
"HA! What a pass, Hiroshi!" The boy grinned widely.
He didn’t even blink here, not having the need to trap the ball first. Instead, his right foot swung with power and precision, slamming the ball straight with his instep.
BAM!
One defender far inside the box jumped, trying to block the route. Unfortunately, he was too far from Takaaki, and the ball moved so fast that it created a strong gust that just got through his hair like a bullet.
"Fuck! I get it!" The goalkeeper tried to react.
He jumped accordingly, extending one hand far in the sky. It was a desperate attempt to reach the ball, one that was somehow successful enough to get the job done. Instead of slamming the net straight away, the ball bruised that poor goalkeeper’s hand, enough to deflect it upward and make the ball bounce on the crossbar.
CLANK!
"OH! IT HITS THE CROSSBAR!"
"Damn, does the goalkeeper save it?!"
"Yeah, I see him tipping the ball with his finger! Damn, that would have broken some bones!"
People got excited when they saw the attempt had failed. However, little did they know that the attack was still far from over. No, not when the ball itself was flying back toward the penalty box, still being fresh and alive.
Unfortunately for the home team, it wasn’t just the supporters who lowered their guard. No, even the players themselves also relaxed a little bit, waiting for the ball to go down to the ground with a lazy attitude. It seemed that they truly believed this rebound would get them back on their feet, not something that could pose another threat from the opponent team.
This was probably due to the fact that it had only been a minute since the second half began. No one had adapted to the high intensity that Hakodate Nishi showed yet, thinking that once this Blitzkrieg attack was over, they would be able to relax a little bit more later.
Well, that mistake would never go unpunished here.
Usami, the low-key warrior in the midfield and the one who usually acted as the third attacker in the box, somehow had managed to sneak into the heart of the opponent’s territory. He didn’t do anything excessive, only waiting for the right moment to make a move.
Then, once the ball was close enough and within his reach, the boy jumped.
His reach wasn’t that good. No, if anything, with his height and his bounce, he would lose the aerial duel most of the time. However, this time, his opponent didn’t even pay attention, just waiting for the ball to arrive at his head. With the goalkeeper still down after making that save earlier, it was so easy for the boy to win the duel and push the ball toward the goal.
Thud!
The header was weak, and if anyone else paid attention, it would be easy to stop. However, that was the reality here. No one paid attention, and as a result, the ball just bounced gently toward the goal without anyone being able to stop it.
For a moment, silence followed, with everyone still having a hard time comprehending this matter. The Blitzkrieg attack always left people in shock with its speed, but now, its simplicity also made them bewildered.
No one expected that the goal would come from a simple header from a low-key player whose heading ability was quite questionable. However, that was what made everything special, as right a second later, cheers erupted from the northern part of the stand.
"OH! WHAT A GOAL!"
"Hey, hey, that’s Usami-kun, right?! Tanaka-san’s son?!"
"Damn, he is not here to watch his son’s goal?! What a pity!"
"Good goal, Usami-kun! Come on!"
The boy somehow failed to celebrate properly as he was being surrounded by the rest of his teammates immediately. All cheering and laughing, tension seemed to disappear from their shoulder instantly.
The weight of the goal at the end of the first half finally ebbed away, as they knew that now, they would be the ones who held the momentum. It was not a pretty goal, but at least the job had been done right, and now, they had to ensure that this tie could be converted into a lead soon enough.
However, before that, all the Hakodate Nishi players paused, noticing four familiar presences on the stand. After getting shocked for a moment, everyone grinned simultaneously, waving at them with great enthusiasm.
"Hey, Senpai, did you watch it?! How is it, still as strong as ever, right?!"