Chapter 460 Training Match III

Chapter 460 Training Match III

It was a close call. If he had been even a little careless or if his opponent had touched the ball even slightly, he wouldn't have been able to stop the ball from going out of bounds. But even in such a dire moment, his ball control was top-notch. He easily managed to get the ball through the defender before him. However, there was only so much space left for him to operate. So, he had no choice but to pursue the ball from outside the field. Aya Matsuda gritted his teeth as he vigorously looked around him. Apart from Daiki Shimizu, he had nobody beside his side. As impressive as Daiki was, his chances to stop Hiro in a duel were minuscule. So, he couldn't help but feel a little anxious. What was he supposed to do now?

It'd take a while for his teammates to come to his aid. And Hiro wouldn't wait for it to happen. Hiro would definitely try to finish the job as soon as possible. He had faced multiple opponents of such caliber. So, he knew from experience that it'd be extremely difficult for him if he were to face him one-on-one. As Hiro began to cut inside, his talent 'Knight in the Area', kicked in which in turn boosted all his attacking stats. Yet for some reason, he failed to tap into the zone. But it didn't bother him.

"Can't he simply go down?"

Many staff members didn't appear happy about him shooting the ball. They couldn't help but label him as selfish after his selfish decision to go for the goal even when he could earn a foul. Now that he shot the ball, his fall couldn't be ruled as a foul either. They were so focused on pointing out his flaws that they didn't even notice the brilliance behind that shot. It was just like Robben's signature shot that curled inside to the opposite top corner. Sometimes we are so absorbed in finding flaws that we fail to notice the strengths. Blinded by their judgment, they failed to find the beauty behind that shot of Hiro. Initially, Hiro was brought down. But he had already done what he had to do. So, his fall didn't matter to him. All that mattered was the goal. Despite Naoto's desperate attempt to save the ball, he failed. As the ball hit the back of the net, it produced a swooping sound. The moment the ball crossed the goal line, the expression on the faces of the coaches who a moment ago were criticizing him changed like a chameleon changing its color. They were overjoyed by the goal. "His shots are as impressive as they appear on the screen."

"There's no doubt that he's a talented player."

'Observation, skills, decision making, and the composure to face challenges' Coach Nanami looked at him thoughtfully. 'We've got a gem. Now, if only we'd put him to good use he'd become an invaluable asset to the team. But his position clashes with Yamada. He's not here at the moment due to the ongoing UCL campaign but when he arrives it'd surely get messy' 'Considering that guy's personality, it'd be quite troublesome. But his talent is the real thing. He has the ability to back his words.' Nanami frowned. He appeared to be in a dilemma. While the players were rejoicing, a conflict was taking place inside his head. Some players had yet to arrive at the training camp. But they were the ones whose spot in the team was already guaranteed. They were the elite among the elites. 'We'll need both their strengths. Age doesn't matter.' he concluded. Though many remained quite reserved even after he scored the goal to equalize, many also started to open up. Well, it was to be expected since they were competing for the spot. So, if somebody performed well that'd further decrease their chance of getting selected.