27 - The Monster Show
Usually, the ball would roll quickly through the feet of the Wushia High School players, a characteristic of the team's play, but these passes were often intercepted.
Lucas looked at his teammates and analyzed them. They still didn't seem nervous enough to start intercepting a lot of passes, so it was clear that Itou High School had learned how they played and had adapted.
What's more, every time the ball was intercepted and taken by Itou High School players, it was always passed to Shinto Ishikuno, no matter how far away he was.
However, Wushia High School had good defenders, and interceptions and steals were not uncommon for them either.
"Over here!" Nishida shouted and rushed forward.
The ball reached Kenji, who passed to Tsukada without hesitation. The field was open and the opportunity for a promising attack presented itself.
Tsukada advanced, dribbling past one of Itou's defenders, but was soon surrounded by two more. He gritted his teeth in frustration. With a quick pass, he gave the ball back to Kenji, who then passed to Lucas, who was free on the left.
The latter, now aware that he couldn't be distracted by Ishikuno, concentrated on creating an attacking move. With a strong touch, he let the ball run free on the turf before beating his marker at speed with a backheel.
But Itou were prepared. Their defense adapted quickly, closing down the left-back and forcing Lucas to look for another option. He looked to Nishida, who was already in the penalty area, ready to receive a cross. Lucas lofted the ball towards Nishida.
Nishida leapt, but the ball was deflected by the Itou defender, who sent it wide.
"Shit! If only I'd been quicker!" Nishida muttered to himself.
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself, man. It was a good jump." The opposing defender kindly tried to cheer Nishid aup, who glared at him so angry that the boy backed away. "Sorry about that..."
The Itou High School fans, who were the majority in the stadium, shouted and whistled, trying to rattle the Wushia players.
"Hey Lucas, get in the box. You've got very good pace, you'll be very useful there," Kenji said as Lucas picked up the ball to go for the corner.
"But your shot from outside the box could also be useful."
"It might not look like it, but they're very well set up defensively. So they won't give me space to shoot from outside the box. It's better to have you in the area and bother them with your jump."
Kenji positioned himself for the corner. He quickly glanced at his teammates, looking for the best moment to launch the ball. With a strong kick, he sent the ball into the box, and the wind made the ball fly in a large arc.
Nishida and the Itou defenders engaged in an intense aerial battle. Unfortunately, the ball was deflected out of the box by an Itou defender and landed at the feet of Kuwabara, who quickly attempted a long-range shot, Kenji style.
The ball was close to the corner, but Itou's goalkeeper made a spectacular fingertip save.
The game was intense, and the pressure on both teams was evident in the tense expressions on both coaches' faces. High School Itou's defense was solid, and Ishikuno remained a constant threat. Every time the ball reached his feet, the Wushia players were on high alert.
In Wushia's defense, Yugga struggled to keep the ball, but the high marking Itou tried to impose was annoying. He managed to get past one marker with a triangulation and looked forward, where he saw Lucas positioned in the middle of the pitch. He sent the ball to Lucas, who received it, but before Lucas could do anything, Ishikuno appeared out of nowhere and dispossessed him with a cart.
Not only did Ishikuno have a supernatural talent for dribbling, but he also had a lot of breath, and the fans couldn't help but comment.
"Did you see that? This kid is unbelievable!" exclaimed one fan.
"He has a level of dribbling that most professional strikers in Japan don't have, and he still knows how to help the team defensively."
"He is fast, smart and analytical. Without a doubt, the best on the pitch so far."
"If things continue like this, Itou High School will score another goal. And when Wushia's formation opens up to try to equalize, Ishikuno will be there."
All the Wushia High School players had the same pessimistic impression as those watching from the sidelines. In fact, it was even worse.
It was hard not to get discouraged, angry, and shaken when playing against a player like Ishikuno, who seemed to get past anyone.
In the end, Ishikuno was like a ghost, always one step ahead of the defenders.
Kuwabara tried to intercept him with a trolley when Ishikuno picked up the ball in midfield and started dribbling, but Ishikuno, with incredible skill, lifted the ball slightly and let it pass over the defender.
"What?" Kuwabara exclaimed.
The stands erupted in applause and cries of admiration. Ishikuno was doing what he wanted on the field, and Wushia High School seemed powerless to stop him. He approached the area, and Toshinori, Wushia's goalkeeper, braced himself for the inevitable.
"Come on, Toshinori! You can do it!" shouted Hidefumi, trying to instill confidence in the goalkeeper.
Ishikuno raised his head and analyzed his options. With one shot, he sent the ball toward the goal.
Toshinori stretched as far as he could and couldn't reach it, but the ball went just wide of the post, much to the relief of the Wushia players.
The ball was cleared off the line and Wushia had a chance to restart the game. The team needed something to break Itou's solid defense.
It didn't take long for Itou High School to regain possession, and they predictably played the ball to Ishikuno to create space.
Then it was Lucas who stepped into Ishikuno's path and looked him in the eye.
Ishikuno stopped and threatened to move to the right.
Lucas didn't budge, holding his position with a serious, focused expression.
Ishikuno then tried the left side, but Lucas stood firm, not giving an inch.
Ishikuno's eyes narrowed, and he knew that Lucas would no longer fall for simple dribbles. The passing options weren't good either. So Ishikuno had to pass to Lucas or drop back, and dropping back was something he never liked to do.
Ishikuno smiled and with this joyful expression he performed a breathtaking dribble, with a body feint, a pass with the sole of his right foot over the ball and finally Lucas was nutmegged. Ishikuno passed Lucas, leaving him stunned.
At that moment, just when Ishikuno thought he had won, Lucas smiled. It wasn't a smile of contempt, but a smile of recognition, for this was the moment he had been waiting for.
[The player Shinto Ishikuno has just demonstrated the skill