Soccer System: All the Skills, One Player!

Chapter 55 54 - Lack of focus is a Trap

Luke appeared out of nowhere, like a speeding shadow, blocking Tsukada's spin with an outstretched leg.

Tsukada stumbled, lost his balance, and before he could process what had happened, he fell to the ground. The ball, which should have been in his grasp, was deflected by Luke's pressure and bounced a few meters in front of him as the referee blew his whistle, signaling a fair but hard-fought contest.

The impact with the ground was more than physical. Tsukada felt an invisible weight descend on his shoulders as he remained slumped for a few seconds, the euphoric shouts of the crowd sounding like a distant hum. He heard Kenji shouting his name, perhaps asking him to get up quickly, but everything seemed distant, as if time had slowed down around him.

Tsukada blinked, trying to reorganize his thoughts. There was a nagging feeling growing in his chest - a bitter familiarity that he always tried to suppress. As skilled a player as he was, he felt out of place on the pitch.

Still lying on the ground, Tsukada remembered when he was just a boy, the pride of his school. From an early age, he had stood out in every team he played for. Soccer came naturally to him. At regional tournaments, his name danced on the lips of people and coaches like that of a prodigy. He was the kind of player that, even at a young age, scouts watched closely.

At his old school, Tsukada was revered by his classmates and teachers because he could see plays that others couldn't. Deep down, he knew he was different. Deep down, he knew he was different. He knew that while other boys played for fun or for a place in the first team, he played to dominate.

When his parents realized their son's precocious talent, they put all their hopes and resources into his future in sport. There was no plan B.

It was then that he heard about the chance to join Nishikawa High School , one of the most renowned schools in Japan for developing athletes. It was a golden opportunity, and he was determined to get a scholarship. The selection process was rigorous, with physical and technical tests that left even the most talented players exhausted. But Tsukada felt he was ready for the challenge.

It was just a question of impressing the coaching staff.

However, when the day of the test arrived, something unexpected happened. That day, Tsukada wasn't just playing against other talented boys like himself, he had to compete against a foreigner with an unusual playing style: Luke Kazuki. The name wasn't familiar to him at the time, but watching him play, Tsukada realized that Luke was different from everyone else.

He was clever, shot well, led the team, passed well and even dribbled. The look in Luke's eyes on the pitch was of someone carrying a weight that Tsukada could never understand.

In the test, while Tsukada shone with his dribbling and precise passing, Luke emerged as a born leader, dominating the midfield, organizing plays and breaking down opponents. It seemed that Luke was everywhere on the pitch.

In the end, when the names of those chosen were announced, Tsukada waited anxiously, but the name that came out of the mouth of the man with the clipboard was that of Luke Kazuki for the number 10 spot.

The defeat that day was a deep blow. Tsukada, used to being the best on the pitch, was left on the sidelines. He didn't get the scholarship he wanted, and with that, the doors of Nishikawa High School closed to him. He remembered returning home that day, the disappointed look on his parents' faces weighing on him like a cloud. They said nothing.

From then on, Tsukada swore to himself that he would find a way to make amends. And there he was, years later, facing Luke once again.

"Get up, Tsukada!" Kenji finally broke through the fog of thoughts that enveloped him.

Still dazed, Tsukada got up from the floor, rubbing his face with the sleeve of his shirt to wipe away the sweat and frustration.

"Damn..." Tsukada muttered to himself.

Kenji ran over to him. "Are you all right?"

Tsukada nodded, forcing a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I am... it just distracted me for a second."

Kenji looked at him skeptically, but didn't insist. Time was running out, and there was no room for hesitation. They needed to react quickly. The game was still wide open, and Wushia needed all his players at their peak.

"Hold your head up, Tsukada," said Lucas Tanaka as he approached. "It's our free-kick. We need to take advantage of it."

Lucas came closer and noticed something different in Tsukada's distant gaze.

"Tsukada, you have a past with Luke, don't you?" Lucas whispered.

Tsukada turned to him, slightly surprised by the question. "How do you know?"

"Anyone could see the look you threw at him..."

"It's just that..."

"I don't care what happened between you. That's in the past. What matters now is what you do from now on."

Tsukada remained silent. He didn't have an answer to that. He was stuck in that rivalry, that resentment. Ever since the day he had lost his place to Luke, he had felt like he was trying to chase something he would never achieve. Even there, at that moment, in the heat of the game, Luke's shadow seemed larger, denser.

Luke looked at the referee, who authorized the free-kick. "Look, we don't have much time, but I want to give you a mission. An important mission."

Tsukada, who had already started looking at the ground again, looked up.

"Mission?"

"I want you to mark Luke. Individually. When he passes midfield, you stay on him. No space. No matter how much he tries to lose you, you don't leave his side."

"But why me? You saw what he did to me just now. He's taller, faster, stronger..."

Lucas tilted his head to the side, as if pondering for a moment before answering. "You have something to prove, don't you? If you keep playing with that doubt, he'll beat you before you even step on the pitch. But if you focus on just one thing, if you turn this rivalry into fire, you'll stand out more. Remember, there are a lot of scouts here today. They are the ones who will define our future."