WİTH THE POWER OF TEAM PLAY

Setoshi was out of breath after sending the ball into the net. The applause that echoed throughout the stadium was proof that he had found himself on the field again. After scoring the goal, he turned towards the stands to catch Ryusei's eye. Ryusei leaned back slightly in his seat and smiled, nodding. It was like a silent approval given to Setoshi.

But they were still not done. The match was tied 1-1, and instead of maintaining the tie, Katasanhu FC had started to press for a lead again. Their midfield was pressing too hard, preventing Setoshi and his team from getting out easily. They had also become a team that played very fouls.

Suzuna was shouting from the sidelines: "Setoshi, help the midfield! The opponent is increasing the pressure, we must respond!"

After hearing these words, Setoshi moved a little closer to the midfield in order to change the tempo of the game. The opponent's fullbacks had also moved closer to the center and were opening up gaps on the wings. Takanashi, one of the midfielders, passed the ball towards Setoshi. Setoshi controlled the ball and looked around immediately. His teammate Shino was opening up on the right wing. However, Setoshi noticed that the defenders were unbalanced and decided to advance by dribbling himself. When he got in front of him, a defense 1.5 times larger than Setoshi appeared. He directed him to the left, passed the ball to his friend behind him and ran forward. His friend immediately passed the ball and they organized a successful one-and-done.

After eliminating his opponent, he approached the penalty area and saw that the goalkeeper was narrowing the angle. However, this time he was not selfish. He made a perfect through pass to Hoshito, who was waiting openly on his left. Hoshito hit the ball with a single touch and the ball hit the goalkeeper's fingers and hit the net. 2-1!

While Setoshi hugged Hoshito, Suzuna on the sidelines closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was exactly the game they wanted. Ryusei was watching Setoshi with a more serious expression this time. This time, instead of talking to the people around him, he was taking notes in his notebook.

As Osiko prepared for Hajita A's critical match, Matsui's sarcastic words were still echoing in his mind. However, this time, he decided to do something different. He would not act out of ego, he would focus more on team play. He would pass the ball to Matsui and wait for him to make a mistake, even if he didn't make a mistake, Matsui would contribute to every success and Tutusiki would notice him. It was a win-win situation.

He got involved in a quick passing game in training. His coach Tutusiki noticed that he was playing differently and nodded to him. However, Matsui approached him with a condescending expression and whispered in a low voice:

"You don't become a great player by gaining the appreciation of others. Your true identity is individual play, but you are losing that. And at this rate, you will lose your only talent, if you can call it talent."

Osiko took a deep breath and walked away without answering Matsui. Yes, playing selfishly is a way to show off your talent, but it could hurt you in the long run. Without adapting to team play, you wouldn't be able to become a big star.

The day before the match, after practice, Coach Tutusiki called Osiko over and looked into his eyes:

"Osiko, if you want to be a great player, you have to be able to elevate not only yourself but also the team. Have you heard of Setoshi? He didn't break under pressure. Will you be able to do the same? He's become a hero to his team, and it's only a matter of time before he moves up to the A team and becomes our opponent, you need to prepare for that, both psychologically and physically!"

Osiko nodded in agreement. However, inside him, the battle between selfish play and team play was still ongoing. He was surprised by Setoshi's rise and had mixed feelings, if he accepted Yuto U21's offer, maybe he would be able to play more comfortably and block Setoshi's path. Osiko had been thinking about this for a long time, but he couldn't change the past.

Yuto U21 was forced into defense in the last minutes to preserve the victory. Katasanhu FC wanted to equalize with one last attack. Extra time was being played and the opposing team won a corner.

Setoshi organized the defense line. The corner was taken and Nagira made a good header for the ball. Goalkeeper Sakamura flew and cleared the ball at the last moment! The ball spun, the Katasanhu player took another shot but Setoshi blocked the ball this time by putting his body in front of it.

The final whistle blew and Yuto U21 won the match with a score of 2-1!

While the fans were celebrating the team's victory in excitement, Setoshi turned his eyes to Ryusei. This time Ryusei was standing, directing his applause to Setoshi. This was a great honor for Setoshi. Still, Ryusei looked from his notes to Setoshi, then to Nakamu. It was obvious that he was undecided, but Setoshi wondered what he was undecided about.

But for Osiko, the great test was just beginning. Could he be a true leader? How would Setoshi's career take shape?Time would tell...