The Rise of the Iron Wall!-Chapter 100: Get the Third Place!
The day finally passed quickly, and it was the final day of the tournament already. Even when it was still Hakodate Nishi’s game, the stands of the Sapporo Dome were jam-packed with people already, what with them not wanting to miss any action today.
This was the charm of the final. Even though the dome itself was still far from being full, at least, more than one-third of it was full even before the final began.
Of course, most people there were Sapporo Otani’s supporters. With so many fans coming, the stand was transformed into a sea of light blue, and with how sunny the weather today was, everywhere around looked like they were playing a football game in the sky. Honestly, the feeling was so surreal, even more overwhelming than when they played against Sappotani itself in the last round.
"It is just a pity that they are not our fans, huh?" Hiroshi clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Don’t be an ungrateful brat like that," Makino chided him lightly. "Don’t look at the supporters as just a number. Even if only one person comes for us, they are going here willingly from Hakodate to support us, don’t you think it is enough?"
Some players who gazed at the stand in envy nodded in understanding. They often saw supporters as a bunch of meaningless numbers, but when Makino put it that way...
Even one was still a person, let alone a small group on the south stand behind the goal there, waving the black-and-white flags so ferociously while also shouting the school’s name without getting tired even for once.
Some of them were still from the parents who were leisurely enough to stay here and support their kids. However, some came from the Sapporo residents who watched the game two days ago, being moved by the grit and determination Hakodate Nishi’s players showed for a full 90 minutes against the best team in the prefecture.
Even though some of the parents were already back, more new fans came, and in total, there were about 100 people there. Not much, but at least a slight improvement for them.
The game itself went surprisingly easy for Hakodate Nishi. Honestly, Akkeshi Shoyo was like them last winter: a team with a weak foundation and a massive luck in the drawing stage.
They didn’t meet anyone strong, and in the end, managed to have the smoothest path to land them in Sapporo Dome. However, once they faced a strong opponent, they would crumble instantly, not knowing how to handle the pressure.
This was exactly what happened today. Even though most of Hakodate’s players were dead tired, not even able to exert their full strength, it was still enough for them to dominate the game.
Yeah, dominate. Not just a mere win, but a complete domination.
They controlled the whole game from the beginning, and the combination between Takaaki and Usami was enough to keep control of the game’s tempo. Those two worked together like a metronome, grasping the right timing to pass forward, to delay, and even to retreat when the pressure was too much.
Usually, their role wouldn’t be this visible, what with how the team didn’t hold a lot of possession. However, this time, they were really everywhere, shouting loudly while also commanding their teammates from the center.
"Hori, move back! Move back! Give it to me!"
"Fuji, pass! Usami is behind!"
"Captain, don’t go too far, let me handle this!"
With him wearing thick sports glasses and ordering his teammates all the time, it was clear at this point that Takaaki was the class monitor back at school. Usami himself operated in silence, but he would always appear in the ball holder’s sight, giving every one of his teammates an easy choice to pass.
Their role was so important to relieve Hiroshi from the dirty job in the midfield, since he was able to run amok freely on the opponent’s territory. He danced like a fairy, moving so slickly without ever losing a ball in fair play. Not only that, but the boy was also involved in all the goals that were happening today.
The first one, he sent a pinpoint assist to Yuji, who just dinked the ball easily.
The second one, he got fouled a little bit far, about 30 meters from the goal. He was also the one who executed it, sending a rocket that should be impossible for a player of his stature, letting it slam the goal without anyone being able to stop it.
Then, the third one, he attracted three players on the left flank, and before he could fall under pressure, the boy managed to send an accurate cross, which Kuroki caught in the air with a powerful header.
As for the last one, it was a little bit simpler. From a corner kick scenario, Hiroshi sent a ball to the outside of the penalty box, catching everyone off guard. It was a ground pass without the ball letting go of the pitch, and facing this kind of pass, Makino didn’t hesitate, launching a bomb that couldn’t be stopped by the goalkeeper at all.
Four goals were in, and somehow, Hiroshi got involved in each one of them. The stats of one goal and three assists were definitely enough to make people remember his name even after the tournament was over.
Higo himself didn’t have any job at all today.
He just strolled around aimlessly, sometimes even going a little bit far forward to get something to do. However, overall, not a single attack from the opponent was able to pierce the combination of Jun and Makino.
Don’t think that Jun’s clumsiness in the last two games meant he was a bad player. No, it was only for those good attacking teams outside. However, normally, the tall boy was a reliable presence on the back, protecting everything with great discipline.
In the end, though, after 90 minutes of playing, plus three minutes of the additional time, the referee finally blew the last whistle, ending the game for Hakodate Nishi High.
They won 4 – 0, snatching the third place as the consolation prize.
