Only a few minutes had passed since the last players had walked away, yet the atmosphere had already changed, losing the sharp arguments and excited shouting that had followed the match and had become calm in anticipation for the match to begin as the next group of boys took their positions on the field.
Four boys on Gold stood out as they did not wear faded or worn out clothes, they were the few who had lived close to Nishinari to make the trip soon as word got out early in the morning, they stood together near the halfway line, although calling them a group would have been generous.
They had arrived separately with their guardians, and they had the unmistakable manner of boys were not used to the way things flowed here at the Rec.
Nobu adjusted the training bib around his shoulders before looking toward Reiji, apparently expecting him to know where he was supposed to stand, only for Reiji to return the same uncertain look.
Akio was already moving toward the right side of the pitch, bouncing lightly on his toes while studying the Green defenders, whereas Shoma remained farther away and watched how the midfield set-up trying to understand the shape before committing himself to a position.
Team Gold was disjointed as the Rec, no one had spoken about how they will play, they just introduced themselves followed by their desired positions, and voilà it worked out somehow.
It was safe to way, they were only united by the colour of their bips and Yasuda boots on their feet.
They four boys who happened to have been placed on the same side, had simply come here for one reason Tatsuya and not for the regular Sunday matches held here at the Rec, but they were not the only players that were not from Nishinari.
They all had come because Tatsuya was giving back to the kids at the Rec and took the chance to play in front of him when it came, with hopes of recognition or maybe even a recommendation.
Every kid playing here had the aspirations of going pro, wether the hunger came from lacking or passion for the game mattered little, because this was a one in a million chance.
A battle to catch Tatsuya’s attention had begun from the first game because at twenty-five years old, Tatsuya had already become one of the most remarkable footballers of his generation, and for the boys who had grown up watching him, the story of his career was difficult to separate from the idea of what a young footballer could become.
At twenty, he had become the youngest player to win the J1 Player of the Year award, and at twenty-one he had repeated the achievement, becoming a back-to-back winner before most players his age had even established themselves at the highest level.
For the boys, Tatsuya was not simply another professional footballer but a living legend that was why their guardians had brought them here, in Nishinari, a place they wouldn’t come to voluntarily.
And that was why, despite having arrived expecting nothing more complicated than meeting and greeting Tatsuya, several of them were now standing on a football pitch wearing training bibs with hopes and dreams blossoming.
Tatsuya himself remained beyond the touchline sitting on a crate next to his entourage and security, within the setup to watch the game comfortably, his attention moving quietly across the field as the players settled into their positions.
Gold had formed a 4-3-3, with Masato in goal, Koji and Eiji occupying the fullback positions, and Junpei and Toma forming the central defensive partnership.
Nobu positioned himself deepest in midfield, with Yuji and Reiji ahead of him, while Akio and Shoma stretched the attack from opposite wings and Masaru took the central striker position.
Green had answered with a 4-4-2, Masaki stood between the posts, with Daizen, Kiyoshi, Gen and Fumiya forming the defensive line in front of him.
Akira occupied the right side of midfield, Takeru the left, and Kosei and Shingo held the centre.
Hikaru and Haru stood together up front, giving Green two players capable of occupying the Gold centre-backs while allowing their midfield to remain compact behind them.
Haru looked younger than several of the players around him.
He was fourteen and small for a striker, with a narrow frame that made the difference between him and some of the larger defenders immediately noticeable.
His face was softer than the rest of him suggested, with gentle features that gave him an almost harmless appearance when he stood still, although there was something in the way he watched the opposing defence that made the impression difficult to maintain.
His clothes beneath the training bib were plain and visibly well-used, while his boots carried a fresh out of the box look, as he crouched tightened his laces carefully before standing and looking toward his opponent.
Hikaru approached and whispered something beside him, while Haru listened, nodded, and then returned his attention to the defenders.
The referee called to the goalkeepers and put the whistle on his lips, the whistle sounded.
Greens started the kickoff of the first half.
Kosei received the opening pass and immediately moved it toward Shingo, although the ball travelled slightly harder than expected and forced Shingo to stretch before bringing it under control.
Golds stepped forward to press, but their lack of familiarity showed immediately because Nobu moved toward the ball while Reiji pushed forward at almost the same moment, leaving Yuji uncertain about whether he should cover the centre or support the pressure. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
Shingo saw the temporary gap and tried to exploit it with a forward pass toward Haru, who was making a run.
The ball did not reach him as Toma stepped across and intercepted it, but Haru immediately changed direction and pressed the defender instead of simply retreating into his original position.
Toma tried to carry the ball forward but Haru was onto him before he could sort his feet together, under pressure he chose a backward pass to Junpei.
Haru followed after it and Junpei moved the ball to Masato, and Haru kept going, forcing the goalkeeper to make a decision sooner than he would have preferred as Masato eventually played toward Koji, but Hikaru had closed the angle making it difficult a pass than initially was and forcing Koji to receive near the touchline.
Koji managed to shield the ball from crossing the line for a throw, and quickly moved it on diagonal to Reiji who dropped to make himself open.
Koji turned and looked at the small boy that had chased the ball without any realistic expectation that he would win the ball, but doing so had put the defense under pressure almost giving the ball away for a throw-in.
The opening minutes remained rough as both teams tried to wrestle the momentum of the game from one another.
A Gold midfielder moved into space expecting a pass that never arrived, while a Green fullback began an overlapping run only to discover that his winger had already moved into the same area.
Two players occasionally chased the same ball, while others hesitated because they expected a teammate to challenge first.
The football was not flowing and had an erratic rhythm to it, for now
(Author)
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