YM778.TV Chapter 43: 42 - Shut them up completely
"Shut them up, huh?" muttered Lucas to himself with a slight smile forming on his lips. The mission was risky, but the rewards were tempting: more Star Points, a Rare Loot Box and Credits.
However, what attracted Lucas most was the chance to show Gekokujou and the rest of the audience that Wushia was not an opponent to be underestimated.
The game resumed and Wushia College pressed again, following Yamamoto’s instructions.
Lucas received the ball from Tsukada, who had repositioned himself further back to support the midfield. With possession, Lucas advanced while keeping the ball close to his feet and observing the movements of the opposing players.
Gekokujou had retreated quickly, as he had predicted, setting up a solid defense to protect the advantage they had gained earlier in the game.
But Lucas had already played against a team with the same tactics in this championship and knew that this strategy had its flaws. By dropping back too far, Gekokujou left gaps between the defensive lines, and it was precisely in these gaps that they planned to attack.
As he approached the opponent’s area, Lucas discreetly activated the <Mirage Feint> skill, a technique that allowed him to deceive his marker with a subtle, almost imperceptible movement. His marker, a Gekokujou midfielder, tried to anticipate Lucas’ move, but was completely fooled.
In an instant, Lucas turned his body as if he was going to pass to the left, but instead he changed direction, leaving his marker behind.
With the space he had created, Lucas raised his head and saw Yukihiro running down the left, accelerating along the sideline. It was a good opportunity. Lucas took a long throw, and the ball cut through the air until it landed near Yukihiro, who controlled the ball and soon saw two defenders approaching. He could have tried to dribble, but opted for a more collective approach.
Looking towards the center of the area, he saw Nishida, the center forward, already positioning himself between the defenders. He remembered Tsukada’s failed cross, so he opted for a low cross.
Nishida was ready to shoot, but a Gekokujou defender was ahead of him and about to block his shot. Luckily, Tsukada appeared in the middle of the area, anticipating a tackle that could have been made.
Tsukada didn’t hesitate. With a burst of force, he kicked the ball with the instep of his foot, sending a missile towards the goal. The sound of the impact echoed through the stadium, and for a brief moment, time seemed to slow down. The ball flew towards the top left corner, but the Gekokujou goalkeeper, with amazing reflexes, leapt like a feline.
His fingers touched the ball, deflecting it slightly, but enough for it to hit the crossbar with a metallic clang.
The ball returned to the center of the box, spinning in the air like helpless prey.
The Gekokujou defenders, still disoriented by the rapid progress of the play, jumped desperately, trying to clear the danger.
But Nishida, with almost superhuman strength, stood between them like a titan. His eyes were fixed on the ball. Nishida rose higher than anyone, his body defying gravity. For an instant, he hovered in the air, his muscles tensed, and then, with a precise movement, he headed the ball with all the force he could muster.
The impact was brutal, the ball crossing the space that seemed to widen between the defenders.
The ball found the back of the net with a bang that seemed to silence the stadium.
The Gekokujou fans, who had previously been roaring like a raging sea, fell silent. An oppressive silence, just as Lucas had imagined.
Nishida fell back to the ground, panting, but with a victorious smile on his lips.
Lucas ran to celebrate with Nishida, and the energy of the Wushia College team, which had previously seemed restrained, exploded in a wave of confidence and determination. They knew the game was far from over, but that move had been a huge blow to their opponents’ morale.
The Gekokujou goalkeeper, still on the ground, punched the grass in frustration, while his teammates looked around, trying to understand what had happened, where the mistake had been. The solid defense they had built had been destroyed in the blink of an eye, and now they were at a disadvantage.
On the other side of the pitch, Mr. Yamamoto was applauding loudly, his voice rising above the noise that was beginning to take over the stadium again. He knew that goal could be the turning point, and his confidence in the team was renewed.
But the game wasn’t won. Gekokujou were not a team that surrendered easily, and neither were their fans.
While Lucas, Nishida and the others were still celebrating, the wall of green shirts gathered in the stands began to chant in support of Gekokujou College, making them feel that they were not alone.
"Shut them up completely..." thought Lucas aloud.
Silencing a large crowd was not an easy task for almost any team or player, because as long as a small group of the crowd still had faith, that faith could quickly be spread to everyone else, changing morale. However, as difficult as this task was, it wasn’t impossible.
Normally, fans of teams that are used to winning are the worst, because the tide of morale that the team has with its fans can quickly turn and make the fans turn against the team itself.