Soccer System: All the Skills, One Player!

Chapter 56 55 - Number 9

Lucas's comment sounded to Tsukada like a gentler rebuke, as if Lucas was telling Tsukada to try not to ruin everything. Well, Tsukada knew Lucas was right. He looked at Lucas, who was already preparing to take the free-kick, and Kenji was positioned a little further forward, giving him the option of a pass, but he was marked.

"Got it. I'll mark Luke." Tsukada said as he pulled back a few passes.

Luke gave a smile, something between gratitude and a vote of confidence. "Whoever can, go forward! Let's use this foul to dominate more of their field!" Lucas shouted, which prompted Nishida to move a little closer to the box, and so the Nishikawa High School players did

Lucas gently placed the ball on the pitch and looked ahead to see who was best positioned. The sun, which had previously been shrouded in clouds, was now peeking out, casting an intense glow over the pitch. After glancing to his left, he flicked the ball with his right leg and it landed on the left edge at Yukihiro's feet.

Immediately, the right-back pressed Yukihiro, but Yukihiro dribbled past him with a body movement, giving the impression that he was going to cut inside and instead went the other way. Yukihiro was able to drive the ball a little further before finally crossing.

'Please, someone touch this ball before the goalkeeper!' Yukihiro mentally cheered.

Nishikawa's defenders, surprised by the change of target, took a second to react. A second that would prove costly.

Nishida, in the center of the box, leapt with all the strength his body could muster, and the goalkeeper read the play too late, rushing forward desperately to intercept the ball in mid-air. Luckily, Nishida was very well positioned and had the momentum of a basketball player, so he managed to get a clean, strong header, directing the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal.

Everyone's eyes followed the path of the ball as if they were caught in a spell.

Toshinori threw himself at the ball with his fingertips outstretched in a final attempt to deflect the shot. Then the metallic sound of the ball hitting the crossbar echoed throughout the stadium.

*Plim!

The crowd let out a roar of exasperation. However, the ball came back with force, bouncing in the opposite direction, but still inside the box, floating as if in slow motion.

At this point, Hidefumi, who had run into the area when Yukihiro managed to advance, was virtually unmarked inside the penalty area, possibly because he wasn't used to scoring goals and his opponent knew it, but the opportunity fell to him.

Hidefumi was usually a lazy and uncommitted lad, but it was impossible for someone not to want to take advantage of an opportunity like this. With an agile movement for a defender, he threw himself into a volley, catching the ball perfectly in the air. The sound of the shot was dry and strong, and this time the ball met no resistance.

The ball flew into the net, with the Nishikawa High School goalkeeper unable to do anything but watch helplessly.

Hidefumi raised his arms, as if even he couldn't believe what had just happened. His smile was wide, almost incredulous, as his teammates ran towards him.

"WHAT A GOAL, EVERYONE! An absolutely fantastic moment! Hidefumi, the defender who hardly ever appears in attack, scored a volley that will go down in the history books of this tournament!" the commentator on the tournament's main broadcast shouted into the microphone. "Not only was it an unexpected move, but the accuracy of the shot was unparalleled.

He's doing really well at the back and now he's scored! It's the essence of great defenders to score goals with their heads, but what about volleys?! The scouts are going to keep an eye on this boy!"

Next to the commentator, his colleague in the booth, a specialist in tactical analysis, couldn't hide her own surprise.

"Incredible! Forget the fact that he's not a natural striker. The way Hidefumi managed to adjust his body to catch the ball in the air was a skill of the highest level. If you told me he was a No9, I'd believe you! His positioning was well-timed, and he read the shot before anyone else. The Nishikawa High School goalkeeper had no chance."

In the midst of all the euphoria, the official broadcast camera zoomed in on the small Wushia High School crowd. There were no matching shirts or anything from the team, they were all dressed casually, but many had identified with this underdog team since the beginning of the championship.

On the pitch, Hidefumi was still surrounded by his teammates, all patting him on the back, congratulating him on the moment. Lucas, in particular, gave Hidefumi a friendly push in the chest and smiled.

"You had that saved, huh?" Lucas said, panting, his eyes shining with pride.

"I just..." Hidefumi replied, still out of breath "...closed my eyes and kicked. Pure luck."

The euphoria in the stadium began to subside as the Nishikawa High School team got organized again to restart the game. The opposing players looked shaken, exchanging looks of frustration. The goalkeeper, still kneeling by the post, shook his head in disbelief, visibly annoyed at having been surprised by a move that no one saw coming.

From above, the main commentator for the official broadcast was visibly excited, ready to take a break from the excitement.

"And while we're on the subject of bursts of energy on the pitch, do you know where else you can find a burst like that? Yes, my friends, in the new 'Power Pulse' energy drinks!

With a combination of caffeine, taurine and unbeatable flavor, 'Power Pulse' is the fuel you need to keep up the pace in any situation!" he said, as the camera focused on a bottle of the drink placed strategically on the commentary table. "And now, with this dose of energy, let's get back to the game because there's a lot of ball to play!"

When the match resumed, Nishikawa High School, once confident, now seemed affected by the unexpected goal. The players' expressions were grim, their eyes fixed on the pitch like predators waiting for the moment to strike. They knew they had to react, and quickly.

"Hey, let's get organized! We can't let them pressure us like this!" shouted one of the twins from Nishikawa High School, trying to incite his teammates.

It was noticeable that, although confidence had been shaken, there was still a ferocity in the opponents, as if they were ready to launch a counter-attack at any moment.

The ball started rolling again, and Lucas positioned himself in the middle of the pitch to intercept any attempt by his opponents to regain control.

Tsukada, further back, kept the defensive line compact, aware that the game could turn at any moment. It was a dangerous game, and everyone knew it.

[Nishikawa High School 1-2 Wushia High School] [39']