The opposing keeper followed as he chased after him. Then the moment he raised his legs, he became extremely alert.
Just as he made contact with the ball, the opposing keeper spread his legs, trying his hardest to block his shot. But he didn't release the ball. Instead, he tapped at the ball and feigned a shot at the crucial moment, causing the opposing keeper to commit.
With a delicate chip, he then sent the ball sailing over the keeper's outstretched arms. Helpless, the opposing keeper could only look at the ball with frantic eyes.
And, as the ball sailed inside the post, the net rippled with its impact.
At this moment, the crowd went wild with ecstasy. And, all of a sudden, the entire stadium came to life with the excited cheers of the fans.
"Goal!!!!"
Kota jumped from his seat, screaming with joy, "He did it! He did it! He scored a goal!"
It was rather noisy around him with all these people celebrating Hiro's goal. Yet, it didn't matter to him whether his voice could be heard or not. Right now, he was genuinely happy for Hiro, his idol who had not only registered an assist in his debut but had also scored a goal in his debut.
Those weren't his only achievements. By scoring this goal, he also helped his team tie with the opposing team. Now the score was 2-2. And, the previously hopeless game had suddenly become entertaining to watch.
The game was level now which meant that it was only starting.
Sure, after conceding this goal, the opposing team wouldn't sit idly. They needed to respond, or else they'd be criticized heavily.
Dominating the game only to blow away their lead to some teenage boy who made his debut. If they were to lose or tie, only criticism awaited them.
Their fans right now were fuming. Many of them were hauling indignant curses at the players. They had allowed a teenage boy to change the flow of the game. Just how useless can they be for them to allow a single boy to toy around their formation?
If they didn't respond positively, who knows what kind of reaction their fans would show after the end of the match?
No sooner had he scored this goal, than Hiro got swarmed by his teammates. The same players who shot him disdainful gazes in the locker room had an unusual spark of happiness glistening in their eyes at the moment.
Their joy was rather infectious as it immediately infected him as well. Giving in to the moment, he too celebrated his goal alongside his new teammates.
Out of three objectives, with this goal, he fulfilled one of them. And, if he continued to play well, it'd only be a matter of time before he'd fulfill all three of it.
However, the match was still far from over. If the opposing player got one goal back, it'd very well send his effort down the drain. So, he and his teammates were both required to be sharp to avoid the worst possible outcome.
The match then resumed as they all took their position after the celebration. For a while, the stadium continued to buzz with joy.
As expected opposing team came hard at them after conceding the second goal of the match. They played more intensely than before with better concentration and teamplay.
Yet still, they struggled to score. Their manager made some changes to change the situation. But still, they fell short as they failed to land a decisive shot that could possibly win them the game. 𝒻𝘳𝓮ℯ𝑤𝘦𝒷𝓷𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝑐𝑜𝓂
And as the match approached its end, intensity surged even further. Both teams pushed for that decisive goal that could win them the goal.
Despite his fatigue, Hiro continued to give his all. From the moment he had stepped foot on the field, he hadn't had any chance to rest. Not to mention his decoy run and his dribbles which created many opportunities for his teammates, all of it consumed a lot of energy.
Even so, he couldn't afford to stop. He had to keep on moving until the final whistle.
Then in the 89th minute, Hiro received the ball again. This time, he saw Tatsuki making a late run. With a perfectly weighted through ball, he split the defense of the opposing team, supplying a superb pass to Tatsuki.
One of the opposing defenders came rushing at him, intending to snatch the ball away from him at all costs. Even if it meant fouling him, he wasn't afraid to do so to stop him. And, Tatsuki could visibly feel his intentions.
It wasn't his first time being in such a situation after all. A goal at this moment could possibly cost them the entire game, so everybody would be desperate in such a situation.
But instead of stopping to control the ball, Tatsuki kept on moving forward. It was almost as if he had no intention of waiting for the ball. Which confused the opposing defender.
However, it was all the better for him. Since he didn't have to pull any foul to stop him if he willingly gave up on the ball.
The opposing defender rejoiced. But just as he was about to kick the ball away, Tatsuki's heel reached the ball before his legs could reach the ball.
By pulling off this stunt, not only did Tatsuki get past the opposing defender, but he also avoided any kind of battle with the opposing defender.
One wrong move and he'd have disrupted their build-up. Yet, he took his chances, displaying his ability to take risks and remain cool-headed even at the direst moment.
Even to Hiro, he appeared like a completely different person. Previously when he had played with him, he wasn't as daring and composed as he seemed today. Sure, he watched his matches often but he couldn't notice many changes.
However, right now, he could tell that he had improved a lot. No wonder, even teams from Europe came knocking on his door to sign him.
Tatsuki then while keeping his composure approached the opposing post. Then just as he got near enough, he slotted the ball at the bottom right corner.
3-2.
The stadium erupted in a frenzy.