"SHIT! NO!"
"Naoya, what the hell are you doing?!"
All the defensive players there cursed simultaneously at Naoya’s carelessness. Yeah, the one who managed to sneak there was Davide Fratessi, the silent assassin whom the head coach had been warning before the game. Naoya was his main marker, and yet, somehow, the Italian midfielder managed to slip through the joint of Japan’s defense so easily.
Well, having already entered the penalty box with the ball in front of him, of course, Davide Fratessi would never show any mercy here. He didn’t even look at the goalkeeper’s position, just swinging his right foot while also twisting his upper body slightly to adjust the route.
BAM!
Unfortunately, not checking the goalkeeper’s position turned out to be a mistake. Zion had already rushed to shut down the space toward the goal, and as a result, the shot only met the boy’s body before it bounced far outside of the pitch.
Just like that, the first chance of the game ended up with a save from Zion Suzuki, eliciting applause from a few hundred people who came here.
"Damn! That threat is dangerous! That Italian dude sure knows how to move!"
"Hey, didn’t you see that goalkeeper’s action?! He is so calm even when his defenders are unreliable!"
"Well, this is going to be an exciting match! Come on!"
Zion himself didn’t bother that much over this small slip. He just got up from the ground, wiping the dust on his jersey before signaling his teammates to calm down. It was as if the chance itself was not worth his time, as he didn’t react that much.
"Calm down and keep an eye on your target; don’t let anyone slip that easily again." He said to Ito and the others.
The rest of the players there flushed in embarrassment. Zion was one of the youngest guys on the team alongside Mamoru, so being reminded by their kouhai like this sure hurt their pride. Still, they nodded along, not daring to say anything else. After all, it was the boy who had just cleaned their mess, so the least they could do was follow his arrangement.
Soon, a corner kick was given to the Italian team, and this time, it was their full back, Antonio Candela, who executed it. In the penalty box, so many Italian players also rushed, trying to take advantage of their superior height to create chaos there. Unfortunately...
BAM!
The moment the corner was taken, Zion reacted quickly, snatching the ball in the air. Not only that, but the boy also followed it with another outrageous action, throwing the ball so far it passed through the half-line before finally falling straight at Kawabe’s foot.
"OH! What a throw!"
"Who the hell is that boy’s name?! Come on, give that boy’s information!"
"Wait, the counterattack is not over yet! Come on!"
Higo couldn’t help but click his tongue in annoyance. While he was happy for Zion, on the other hand, the boy was also worried here. The better the boy played, the less his chance to play would be.
However, he shook his head quickly, turning his attention back on the pitch. ’No, this is not my time to be egoistic. I have to play my role as a support here!’
Of course, no one really paid attention to him, a mere second goalkeeper. No, everyone’s attention was on Kawabe, as the boy started to hit his accelerator. Knowing that the original full back who marked him was still out of position, he tried to take advantage of this mismatch, using his superior speed against the opponent’s defensive midfielder.
’Come on! Catch me if you can!’
The Italian player who was also the only defender there, Domenico Alberico, gritted his teeth as he tried to keep up with Kawabe’s pace. Poor boy, even with his long hair flowing so wildly from the wind, he could only get in touch with the corner of Kawabe’s jersey.
In the end, he didn’t have any choice, flicking Kawabe’s jersey lightly with his finger. The movement was small, but with Kawabe’s speed, it was enough to make the boy lose his balance instantly.
BRUGH!
"ARGH!" Kawabe got slammed to the ground before roaring in pain, clutching his shoulder that got hit first.
Right after that, all the Japan players, including the coaching team who were on the bench, rushed immediately to complain.
"RED! THAT’S A FUCKING RED!" Kageyama-sensei shouted agitatedly, pointing at Kawabe who was still on the ground. He had to be held back by his staff so that the man wouldn’t confront the fourth referee directly.
The rest of the players on the pitch also came surrounding the referee immediately.
"Sensei, that’s a professional foul, and he is the last man standing!"
"That should be a red card, no brainer here!"
Mustapha Ghorbal, the referee from Algeria, sweated a little under the pressure. Fortunately, Japan was not an aggressive team that would chase the referee relentlessly, or he wouldn’t be able to react right now. Under Ito’s guidance as the captain, even though the players complained a lot, they were still polite, not crossing the line here.
However, the man didn’t intend to give a red card here. Not only was it still at the beginning of the game, but from his angle, he could see three Italy players ready to act as a backup, so Kawabe and Domenico Alberico weren’t truly the only people on Italy’s half.
While yes, it was a professional foul, at the end of the day, the man didn’t think that it was a big deal, especially since the foul itself was still close to the half line. So, in the end, the most he could do was to give the boy a yellow card, which once again triggered a wave of fury from all the Japan players.
"Come on! How could that be a yellow?! Look, my player is dead!" Kageyama-sensei complained to the fourth referee while also pointing at Kawabe, who was still rolling on the ground in pain.
The other players also tried to put more pressure here. Unfortunately, the referee didn’t budge, so they had to swallow this bitter pill quietly, accepting the final decision even though it was unfair for them.