"GOAL!"
When Nagi Seishiro was passed by Tendou, Isagi's team no longer had anyone who could stop Tendou. Facing the Blue Lock Man, a virtual goalkeeper, the matter became incredibly simple.
Tendou sent the ball into the net with a powerful shot.
1:0!
Less than a minute into the game, Tendou had scored a goal through a counter-attack.
Isagi's expression was complicated. Tendou's figure, as always, was so "beautiful" it intoxicated him. But as an opponent, having such a person stand in front of you would be one of the worst things in the world. A degree of awfulness no less than discovering you have no paper while watching a certain kind of video!
What should I do?
What should I do?
Isagi's brain quickly entered a state of thought. He had known for a long time that Tendou was a player who liked to counter-attack. His speed, his strength, his technique, his impact... all of these things could only have their destructive power maximized during a long-distance run.
This counter-attack.
The opponent had scored a goal with just one transfer of possession. After Karasu defended their attack, he used a long pass to give the ball to Tendou, and he pierced their proud goal. On this shrunken field, from the midfield to the goal, the distance was no more than fifty meters. This was the most suitable distance for Tendou to display his advantages.
Should we change the formation?
Isagi thought. Their all-or-nothing attack was extremely risky. If they scored, everyone would be happy. But if they didn't, they would have to face Tendou's lightning-fast counter-attack.
"That bastard!" Barou's eyes were fierce. He had always believed that on a football field, only one person was allowed to shine, and that person was the absolute protagonist of the field. This was the second time Barou was facing Tendou, and the other had once again completely overshadowed his own brilliance.
...
"You could have passed it with more flair, Crow."
"Alright, alright, I know, General."
Karasu smiled and high-fived Tendou, but in his heart, he felt a little helpless. For that pass, he had already overestimated Tendou. At least among the people he knew, no second person could have caught up to it, not even Otoya.
And the result? Tendou still complained that his pass wasn't bold and unrestrained enough. He had passed the ball according to Tendou's physical test data. And Tendou still thought it was slow.
Then there were only two reasons. First, that jaw-dropping physical test report of his was not his full strength; he hadn't used his full power during the test. Second, he possessed the means to improve his abilities during a match.
Looking at it now, Karasu thought the second possibility was higher, because Tendou had a pair of eyes that could see the future. He could see the moment he released the ball and move in advance. If that were the case, his passes would indeed not be able to keep up with Tendou's rhythm.
...
The match continued.
After kicking off, the expressions of the four members of Isagi's team became much more serious.
In terms of individual ability, Otoya was undoubtedly the strongest on their team. His strength was enough to contend with Karasu head-on, but it was only that he could contend. Whether he could win or not, no one was sure. But if he were to face Tendou, Otoya would have no chance of winning. His unhesitating pass just now was the best proof.
"What are you still dawdling for?"
While he was thinking, Isagi was already being completely marked by Karasu. When Isagi received a pass from a teammate, Karasu pressed him without hesitation. Using technique, using his body, he forced Isagi back step by step.
"His physical ability can at most be considered second-rate, but his ability to control the game has surprisingly reached a first-rate level."
"You and that lonely king are really two of a kind."
One observation of an attack, plus the information obtained from his teammates, was enough for Karasu to figure out what type of player Isagi was. On that 4-man team, Isagi's ranking was the lowest. He was not as good as the other three in terms of individual ability. But strangely, Isagi, the weakest in terms of overall strength, was actually the engine of this team.
Nagi, Barou, and even his former teammate Otoya could at most only be considered tires. The real core was actually the mediocre Isagi; he could fully stimulate the abilities of others.
Since that was the case, things became much simpler.
Tap!
Karasu decisively stuck out his foot and stole the ball from Isagi's feet.
And then.
BAM!
He passed the ball to Tendou's position without hesitation.
Target the weakest opponent, find the strongest teammate. As long as I always implement these two points, I can win the match with a higher probability.
At this moment, Tendou had already started running a step ahead. The observation power of his Six Eyes allowed him to accurately capture the timing of Karasu's pass. This made his forward run full of crisis...
"The master of this field is me!"
Barou, seeing this, had long since thrown the pre-match defensive deployment to the back of his mind and pounced towards Tendou. He was like a fierce wolf, his eyes flashing with a crimson light, truly like a wild beast that had tasted blood.
Such an action was naturally beyond the understanding of others.
Ever since the Italian, Arrigo Sacchi, had introduced the football concept of "zonal defense," people's understanding of defense had instantly been raised by more than just one level. Football teams and players all over the world had transitioned from the primitive man-to-man and cross-marking defenses to zonal defense. The benefits of this defense were too many. Besides effectively saving stamina, it could also increase defensive intensity and create greater offensive pressure.
Therefore, on today's football fields, except for rookie players who run around like headless flies on their debut, mature players will strictly abide by the coach's arrangements and operate within their responsible zones.
Barou did not. He directly abandoned his defensive zone and followed his instinct to chase the ball.
By a stroke of luck, he had perfectly timed it with Nagi to complete a pincer attack on Tendou. The ball had not yet landed, but the men had already arrived.
"Barou!" Isagi shouted in pleasant surprise.
The most frightening thing about Tendou was naturally his impact. Once he was allowed to get up to speed, you couldn't even pull him back. But as long as you didn't give him space and opportunity to sprint, things could take a turn.
The camera began to slow down, ensuring that the audience could clearly see the movements of the three. Nagi and Barou went all out to surround and annihilate Tendou. The heights of the three were about the same. The shortest was Barou, at 187cm, but his unique hairstyle added at least six or seven centimeters, making him look the tallest. The three strong men were focused only on the falling ball, fighting for the first touch.
Suddenly.
Tendou turned and used his back to shield, blocking Nagi who was attempting to disrupt the attack with a header. And then, with a nimble touch of his left foot, he flicked the ball to his right side as if kicking a shuttlecock.
After completing all this, the moment his left foot landed, his right foot immediately swung, sweeping backwards like a scorpion's tail.
Tap!
The ball was instantly flicked behind Nagi by him.
This scorpion kick, full of inspiration and imagination, made everyone on the field, including the audience in front of their computers and phones, stare with wide eyes.
Someone roared out loud, "Zlatan?!"
...
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