Chapter 241: Snuffy's Determination
"The Snuffy we're seeing now hasn't just picked up his old, explosive style of play—he's fused it with years of accumulated experience and technique. He can switch roles in an instant: solo carries, long-range shots, playmaking passes—he handles all of them with ease. On the field, he's an unstoppable all-rounder."
At those words, everyone subconsciously turned to look at Shinichi. Noa didn't say it outright, but everyone could hear the implication—
Isn't this basically Shinichi's style?
The only difference was that Snuffy had more experience, while Shinichi's raw explosiveness and offensive threat far surpassed him.
"He's practically a second version of Shinichi..." many people murmured unconsciously.
But Shinichi shook his head.
"For most athletes, a style shift later in their career is almost unavoidable," he said. "A long professional career, the accumulation of fatigue, the weight of responsibility, and above all—injuries—inflict irreversible damage on the body. And I'm not even talking about catastrophic injuries. To prolong their careers, players start learning how to absorb impact properly, how to reduce injury risks, how to manage stamina more rationally, and even how to utilize rotation and reduced minutes."
"All of this naturally changes a player's playstyle. Most veterans will never again burn their energy the way they did in their youth."
After saying a bunch of things that sounded oddly philosophical, Shinichi finally looked toward Snuffy on the screen.
"Snuffy's changes also have their reasons. His reckless early years and heavy reliance on physicality left him with many hidden injuries. His career was on the verge of ending—he almost lost his spot as a first-team player. It's not that he wanted to retire early. His body was just breaking down."
"So returning to this kind of explosive play now… may not be a good thing for him."
As Shinichi finished, the players all fell into silent thought.
The Blue Lock boys immediately recalled Chigiri—dragging a damaged leg, never knowing when he'd collapse, yet still sprinting like a man willing to burn himself alive.
Other academy players thought of countless real-world cases—brilliant young prospects who burned bright but fell early, disappearing before they ever truly rose.
"Snuffy intends to risk everything," Noa said calmly.
He had brought his team to Blue Lock's rest room for this one reason—to tell Shinichi the truth.
Everyone already knew Snuffy wanted his club to sign Shinichi. And aside from the World Cup held once every four years, this match was practically the last chance Snuffy would ever have to fight Shinichi in a real, official game.
And Snuffy...
"Snuffy isn't sure he can hold on until the next World Cup. Actually… he's not even sure that once the next World Cup arrives, he'd still be able to maintain the level of a first-team player." Noa turned toward Shinichi. "He wants to face you while both of you are still at your peak."
Shinichi didn't respond to Noa.
Instead, he slowly stood up and looked back at his teammates.
"You all heard him."
"That old man who doesn't know his own limits is about to break his legs on the field. Unless you want to see him using a cane in his next life—"
"We're ending his run right here in the group stage. Make him go home early and rest."
"Tch. Don't slack off," Barou snorted instinctively, but considering how much Snuffy had cared for him, he eventually spoke seriously.
"If anyone's going to send that failed mentor off the field—it's you."
Snuffy, of course, had no idea that a whole roomful of players were conspiring to "knock him out early."
On the pitch, after taking the lead, Ubers immediately seized control of the tempo. Snuffy abandoned the reckless solo assault he used earlier and shifted into a rock-solid stabilizing role. He dismantled FC-Barça's attacks wave after wave with meticulous defensive organization.
And when Lavinho's impatience caused his offense to over-commit, Sae seized the opening—intercepting, launching a long pass, setting up Lorenzo and Kaiser for another goal.
In the end, the match ended 3–1.
Italy's Ubers claimed victory.
In the final moments, Lavinho, almost in a frenzy, dribbled past both Snuffy and Kaiser before chipping the ball past Sae and Lorenzo's joint defense to score one back.
But immediately afterward, Snuffy burst into the penalty box again. His first shot was blocked, but Sae and Kaiser followed up together—two rebounds, one final strike—slotting the ball in before stoppage time expired.
....
"No one expected this—no one! FC-Barça, one of the most anticipated teams of this tournament, has dropped their very first match. On paper, they absolutely had the lineup to win, but Ubers' flawless teamwork allowed them to control the pace from the very first goal."
"Exactly. Still, this won't affect the final qualification results. And seeing Noa and Lavinho meet this early in the group stage? What a treat! Who will advance to the finals? We can't wait to find out!"
"Stay tuned—up next is France's P-X-G versus England's Manshinecity, the last match of placement. Who will claim the final Winners' Bracket spot? Let's find out after the break!"
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