naaapseattle Chapter 147: Wrong Move?
Chapter 147: Wrong Move?
The game now moved into the 72nd minute, the heavy fatigue of the second half clearly starting to take its toll on the players.Maintaining possession, Senji brought the ball under tight control near the left flank and lifted his head, calmly scanning the field to find an open passing lane amidst Qatar's compact defensive structure.
But he took a fraction of a second too long. Just as he was finally about to release the pass, a Qatari winger exploded toward him with incredible speed. And before Senji could even react, the winger stabbed his foot right between Senji's, cleanly poking the ball away and triggering a dangerous counterattack.
Senji's eyes widened in sheer panic while the Qatari winger instantly turned upfield and pushed the ball into open space.
Realizing his massive blunder, Senji spun around on his heels and sprinted after him. And without another thought, he lunged into a hard, reckless sliding tackle from behind, crashing straight into the Qatari winger that sent him tumbling onto the turf in a heap.
The referee's sharp whistle quickly echoed around the stadium.
Frustrated, anxious voices escaped from the Japanese supporters as the game came to an abrupt stop.
Senji stayed on the ground for a second, knowing exactly what was coming next as the referee began marching over with his hand already reaching for his pocket.
On the sidelines, Kento clicked his tongue, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, while Raon let out a long, heavy sigh.
On and off the field, Japanese players lowered their heads in disappointment.
The referee walked over to Senji and without a moment of hesitation, pulled a yellow card from his pocket, holding it high in the air for Senji.
Senji shut his eyes tight for a brief second before running a hand through his sweat-soaked hair in bitter frustration. He didn't even argue. He knew the booking was entirely his own doing, a costly price to pay for a moment of hesitation.
Qatar had been awarded a free kick, some distance from the penalty area, but still close enough to pose a massive threat to Japan's defensive line.
The field was set for the high-stakes set piece. A Qatari midfielder stood over the ball, taking a deep breath and adjusting his stance, while a crowd of players from both teams were jostling for position inside the box.
Between the posts, Kurogami was completely ready. His eyes were locked onto the ball, his body coiled like a spring, looking entirely focused and locked into the moment.
From the sidelines, Kento, Raon, Haruma, and all the other benched players watched the tense setup in pin-drop silence, the entire stadium holding its breath.
The VIP balcony was enveloped in the same heavy silence, with Isamu, Itsuki, Haru, Ameha, and Shuya all completely motionless, their eyes locked onto the pitch. Nobody dared to speak as the tension in the air was palpable.
On the field, the Qatari midfielder standing over the ball looked fully locked in. His chest heaved with deep, steady breaths as he blocked out the deafening background noise of the stadium, waiting for the signal.
Then, the sharp blast of the referee's whistle echoed across the stadium.
Instantly, inside the penalty box, chaos erupted even further as the players began pushing, shoving, and battling furiously for leverage.
The Qatari midfielder strode forward and struck the ball cleanly, sending it flying in a high, dangerous arc toward the heart of the penalty box.
Kurogami tracked the flight path, adjusting his positioning step by step while Kabuto and Gaku timed their leaps perfectly, jumping high into the air to clear the danger but Firas surged from behind them, launching himself with incredible power to jump the highest of all.
Seeing the sheer height of his jump, panic instantly gripped Kabuto and Gaku.
On the touchline, Kento and Raon watched with wide, horrified eyes as the Qatari forward loomed over the defense.
At the apex of his jump, the ball met his forehead as Firas connected cleanly with a powerful header, directing the ball sharply toward the far right side of the net.
Kurogami reacted instantly, throwing his body across the line, stretching out his arm and trailing foot in a desperate, full-extension dive.
But the placement of Firas's header was flawless. The ball skipped past Kurogami's fingertips and rippled into the back of the net.
Goal.
Kento and Raon stood frozen, their eyes wide and utterly stunned as the tactical nightmare became reality.
"GOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLL!"
The commentator's voice drowned in the sudden sonic wave as the Qatari fans exploded into a frenzy of deafening roars and cheers, the stadium shaking under the weight of their celebration.
Up in the VIP balcony, the reaction was pure shock. Isamu's jaw dropped in disbelief, Itsuki instinctively threw both hands over his head. Ameha was with wide eyes, her mouth slightly agape. Beside, Shuya threw his hand down in bitter frustration, spinning on his heel to pace away from the railing, unable to look at the pitch.
Firas rose smoothly back to his feet from the turf and began running toward the corner flag near the fans.
His arms were lifted wide to his sides, his posture regal, but his face remained entirely calm and firm showing absolutely no frantic excitement, just pure, cold confidence.
Raya leaned heavily forward, resting his hands against his knees to support his weight as his head hung low. On the nets Kurogami stood entirely still, completely devoid of emotion, arms tightly crossed over his chest as he stared blankly.
Reaching the corner, Firas stopped right before the roaring crowds, absorbing the noise as his Qatari teammates came sprinting in, jumping onto his back, piling on top of one another and celebrating wildly, having just struck a massive blow to Japan's tournament hopes.
"Ahhhhhh!" Keiichi screamed before sinking heavily back into his seat, burying his face in his arms to block out the sight of the celebrating Qatari players…
Ayane bent completely forward, hiding her face against her knees as her shoulders tensed, unable to cope with the sudden disaster. Mio sat in absolute, stunned silence, her eyes wide and glassy as she stared fixedly at the scoreboard…
Masaru sprang to his feet in a burst of furious energy, kicking the air hard, pacing around the tight space in sheer, unbridled frustration.
Toru was leaning heavily back into his seat, his posture rigid as his face became deeply etched with a mix of panic and immense pressure while Rukia sat perfectly still, her face was completely devoid of excitement, frozen in shock as the first tears began to gather in her eyes…
On the field, the devastation was total as Jiho pulled his jersey up over his head, hiding his face under his shirt. Jotaro stood completely frozen on his spot. Koujin stood with his head hanging low, staring at his boots, while Nagisa used the back of his wrist to quickly wipe away the sweat. Takezu's expression was entirely blank, his breathing rapid as the creeping panic finally took a visible hold of his features.
Among them all, Senji was the picture of defeat. He had slumped onto the turf, seated with his arms resting heavily on his knees and his face lowered toward the ground, entirely consumed by the crushing guilt of his yellow-card foul.
'What a header! He flew like a superhuman! What a play to give his team the lead! The young guns of Qatar are one goal ahead with twenty minutes remaining'
The silence in a quiet apartment was deafening as Haruma's mother sat completely still in front of her television screen, wrapped in utter sorrow. Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap, her face a mask of profound sadness…
Raon stood in silence on the touchlines, biting his nails in utter panic. Beside him, Kento's panic had hardened into something else. His face was deadly serious, his jaw set firm, and his expression completely locked in.
Thinking for just a brief moment, Kento then turned his head back toward the bench where Haruma was already staring at him. His eyes were cold, sharp, and entirely unbreathed by the chaos around them.
Raon then instinctively turned his head toward Kento and the moment he saw Kento looking directly at Haruma, a sharp hint of pure panic ran through his veins. He knew exactly what Kento was thinking, and the sheer risk of it terrified him.
"Kento-sensei, no!" He hissed under his breath, his voice laced with desperate warning.
Kento kept his eyes firmly locked on Haruma who kept looking at him.
After a moment, Kento then lifted his finger and gave a sharp, unmistakable flick of his finger. He was calling him up.
Raon's eyes snapped wide in utter disbelief, a cold dread seizing his chest.
On the bench, Haruma didn't hesitate for a single heartbeat as he stepped out of the dugout and walked directly toward the touchline.
Behind him, the rest of the benched players rose to their feet in a stunned wave, watching him go with eyes wide with panic.
"Is he crazy?!" Rensora muttered out of disbelief.
"Haruma...?" Izaya whispered under his breath, his expression twisting with deep concern.
Haruma came to a stop right in front of Kento, and the both kept on staring into each other, both confident.