“I thought we played well. Don’t give up.” Kubo said in the dressing room.
“Three goals. Coach, how do we come back?” Yoshida asked.
“It can be done. They are putting five in the midfield. We need to get the goals. I am making some changes. We will go to 3-4-3. Ihara, you take a rest. Akiyama will take over. Play up front. I want Akiyama and Nagai to spread. Pull their defence apart. Oka and Yoshida tuck in a little, give Tokiwa and Yokoi support in the middle. We have no choice but to give our all. We must keep fighting! Give everything!”
“I have nothing more to give,” Tokiwa shook his head, exhausted.
“You are not weak, are you?” Kubo asked quietly.
Tokiwa looked up at him.
“It’s almost time to go. Fight for the one you love.” Kubo strode out.
He thought, “It is up to you, Tokiwa. You are the key. Think on the pitch. Exploit them. Unlock them. That is what you must do.”
The players walked out onto the pitch again. Tokiwa scanned the crowd, spotting the Akiba flags immediately.
“Takahara Kei, I have the faith that you won’t turn your back on me. Be with me.” He closed his eyes and pounded his fist on his heart. “Heart.”
In the stands, Kei shouted, “Taku! Don’t you dare lose it again!”
Miki stole an awkward glance at Kei. Hiroko clasped her hands in prayer.
Senzaki said quietly, “Tokiwa Takuro, show me what you are made of.”
“Welcome back. Morikawa, I wonder what Kubo told his players in the dressing room.”
“I would want to see how they react to the score-line. I certainly hope it won’t be over.”
“Technique is nothing without awareness, without intelligence. You know what made Cryuff so great? He was the thinker on the field. He saw things quicker than his opponents. Tokiwa Takuro, I have seen enough of you to know that you can be the thinker. Think. Be that thinker.” Kubo’s words from so long ago resonated in Tokiwa’s mind.
Yamaguchi smiled and patted Tokiwa on the back.
“That’s it. Yamaguchi is the better center-back among him and Abe. If they put him in midfield, Terakawa should be able to take on Abe and win. If Nagai and Akiyama can do their job, we can have a lot of space. That’s it. I know what to do.”
“Let’s win,” was his final thought as the referee blew his whistle.
“We are off!”
“Takeda just managed to nick the ball from Katou.”
“Tamashiro down the right. Beats Oka. Shiozawa was out-muscled by Takeda and Mizuzawa. They are playing three behind. Ihara has been taken off for an attacker Akiyama.”
“Here comes Akiba with their first foray. Yokoi. Tokiwa takes it back faced to goal, flicks it around Ishizuka, plays it immediately. Terakawa is in space! Terakawa heads it beyond Kashiwaji’s flailing arms…It’s in! Akiba has pulled one back.”
“OH! Brilliant ball by Tokiwa. He saw the space behind the defence and plays it immediately. Magical stuff.”
“That’s it. We need to play the ball quicker. Even before we get the ball, we must know what we are going to do with it.” Tokiwa thought.
“Ishizuka with the pass. Cut out by Tokiwa. Tokiwa makes a surging run. Takes it past Yamaguchi. Plays it between Miura and Abe. Oka with a fantastic overlapping run! Oka is there…OH! Just wide of the post!”
“Good stuff from Akiba. Clever play from Nagai, he lured Miura out.”
“Clever flick from Tokiwa. Yoshida takes control, plays it forward to Akiyama. Akiyama gets to the byline, sends a cross in…Terakawa wins the aerial challenge with Abe! But it was just over.”
“Tani! Drop back, drop back!” Yamashita was shouting from the bench.
“Tokiwa is thinking ahead of us,” Ishizuka thought.
‘Yokoi with a quick one touch pass to Tokiwa. Tokiwa, nice piece of footwork there. Shakes off Uehara. Releases it quickly. This time, Miura just manages to get there first before Nagai.”
“Tokiwa controls the ball, options to the left and right. Chooses to play down the center! Terakawa controls the ball from Tokiwa. He gets ahead of Abe, holds off Abe, shoots! Palmed away by the keeper. Yamaguchi clears it out for a throw!”
“Terakawa is giving Abe a torrid time.”
“Get back, Tani, get back!”
“Thrown into the box by Yoshida. Terakawa gets to the end of it! Too weak! Keeper’s ball.”
“Tokiwa releases Yoshida. Yoshida is free. He has Akiyama ahead of him for support. Oh! Hacked down from the back by Tani. Surely a yellow card! And it is a yellow card for Tani. A reckless challenge.”
“But he had to track back. If Nishizawa goes out, it will be hard for Abe and Miura in the center. Clearly, Akiba are stretching them thin, with Nagai and Oka on the left and Yoshida and Akiyama on the right.”
“Takahashi. Get ready,” Yamashita ordered. “Take over from Uehara. Take Tokiwa out of the game.”
“And we have a substitution for Kunimi. Number 6 Uehara is coming off for Number 14 Takahashi.”
“I am quite surprised that Uehara is coming off. I thought Tani would be off.”
“Yes, Tani looks exhausted.”
“Tokiwa gets the ball from his defence again. Oh! Takahashi is sending a strong signal.”
“Very strong challenge. The referee is talking to him.”
“Mizuzawa to Tokiwa. Tokiwa turns with the ball. OH! That must have hurt. Both Yamaguchi and Takahashi went in on him. It’s a free kick.”
“Tokiwa is holding his ankle. Seems to be in pain.”
“Idiot. He wasn’t going for the ball at all. Idiot!” Kei shook furiously.
“Grandmother, please watch over Taku,” Hiroko murmured.
“Tokiwa picks up the loose ball. Takahashi slides in. Tokiwa lands awkwardly. The referee wastes no time in brandishing a yellow card!”
“Wicked foul, Endo, wicked foul.”
“Tokiwa is holding his ankle. It’s his right ankle. Can he go on?”
Kubo was worried. “I know what they are trying to do. I want to take you out of the game. But you know I need you in there.”
“Can you go on?” the referee asked.
“Three goals. Coach, how do we come back?” Yoshida asked.
“It can be done. They are putting five in the midfield. We need to get the goals. I am making some changes. We will go to 3-4-3. Ihara, you take a rest. Akiyama will take over. Play up front. I want Akiyama and Nagai to spread. Pull their defence apart. Oka and Yoshida tuck in a little, give Tokiwa and Yokoi support in the middle. We have no choice but to give our all. We must keep fighting! Give everything!”
“I have nothing more to give,” Tokiwa shook his head, exhausted.
“You are not weak, are you?” Kubo asked quietly.
Tokiwa looked up at him.
“It’s almost time to go. Fight for the one you love.” Kubo strode out.
He thought, “It is up to you, Tokiwa. You are the key. Think on the pitch. Exploit them. Unlock them. That is what you must do.”
The players walked out onto the pitch again. Tokiwa scanned the crowd, spotting the Akiba flags immediately.
“Takahara Kei, I have the faith that you won’t turn your back on me. Be with me.” He closed his eyes and pounded his fist on his heart. “Heart.”
In the stands, Kei shouted, “Taku! Don’t you dare lose it again!”
Miki stole an awkward glance at Kei. Hiroko clasped her hands in prayer.
Senzaki said quietly, “Tokiwa Takuro, show me what you are made of.”
“Welcome back. Morikawa, I wonder what Kubo told his players in the dressing room.”
“I would want to see how they react to the score-line. I certainly hope it won’t be over.”
“Technique is nothing without awareness, without intelligence. You know what made Cryuff so great? He was the thinker on the field. He saw things quicker than his opponents. Tokiwa Takuro, I have seen enough of you to know that you can be the thinker. Think. Be that thinker.” Kubo’s words from so long ago resonated in Tokiwa’s mind.
Yamaguchi smiled and patted Tokiwa on the back.
“That’s it. Yamaguchi is the better center-back among him and Abe. If they put him in midfield, Terakawa should be able to take on Abe and win. If Nagai and Akiyama can do their job, we can have a lot of space. That’s it. I know what to do.”
“Let’s win,” was his final thought as the referee blew his whistle.
“We are off!”
“Takeda just managed to nick the ball from Katou.”
“Tamashiro down the right. Beats Oka. Shiozawa was out-muscled by Takeda and Mizuzawa. They are playing three behind. Ihara has been taken off for an attacker Akiyama.”
“Here comes Akiba with their first foray. Yokoi. Tokiwa takes it back faced to goal, flicks it around Ishizuka, plays it immediately. Terakawa is in space! Terakawa heads it beyond Kashiwaji’s flailing arms…It’s in! Akiba has pulled one back.”
“OH! Brilliant ball by Tokiwa. He saw the space behind the defence and plays it immediately. Magical stuff.”
“That’s it. We need to play the ball quicker. Even before we get the ball, we must know what we are going to do with it.” Tokiwa thought.
“Ishizuka with the pass. Cut out by Tokiwa. Tokiwa makes a surging run. Takes it past Yamaguchi. Plays it between Miura and Abe. Oka with a fantastic overlapping run! Oka is there…OH! Just wide of the post!”
“Good stuff from Akiba. Clever play from Nagai, he lured Miura out.”
“Clever flick from Tokiwa. Yoshida takes control, plays it forward to Akiyama. Akiyama gets to the byline, sends a cross in…Terakawa wins the aerial challenge with Abe! But it was just over.”
“Tani! Drop back, drop back!” Yamashita was shouting from the bench.
“Tokiwa is thinking ahead of us,” Ishizuka thought.
‘Yokoi with a quick one touch pass to Tokiwa. Tokiwa, nice piece of footwork there. Shakes off Uehara. Releases it quickly. This time, Miura just manages to get there first before Nagai.”
“Tokiwa controls the ball, options to the left and right. Chooses to play down the center! Terakawa controls the ball from Tokiwa. He gets ahead of Abe, holds off Abe, shoots! Palmed away by the keeper. Yamaguchi clears it out for a throw!”
“Terakawa is giving Abe a torrid time.”
“Get back, Tani, get back!”
“Thrown into the box by Yoshida. Terakawa gets to the end of it! Too weak! Keeper’s ball.”
“Tokiwa releases Yoshida. Yoshida is free. He has Akiyama ahead of him for support. Oh! Hacked down from the back by Tani. Surely a yellow card! And it is a yellow card for Tani. A reckless challenge.”
“But he had to track back. If Nishizawa goes out, it will be hard for Abe and Miura in the center. Clearly, Akiba are stretching them thin, with Nagai and Oka on the left and Yoshida and Akiyama on the right.”
“Takahashi. Get ready,” Yamashita ordered. “Take over from Uehara. Take Tokiwa out of the game.”
“And we have a substitution for Kunimi. Number 6 Uehara is coming off for Number 14 Takahashi.”
“I am quite surprised that Uehara is coming off. I thought Tani would be off.”
“Yes, Tani looks exhausted.”
“Tokiwa gets the ball from his defence again. Oh! Takahashi is sending a strong signal.”
“Very strong challenge. The referee is talking to him.”
“Mizuzawa to Tokiwa. Tokiwa turns with the ball. OH! That must have hurt. Both Yamaguchi and Takahashi went in on him. It’s a free kick.”
“Tokiwa is holding his ankle. Seems to be in pain.”
“Idiot. He wasn’t going for the ball at all. Idiot!” Kei shook furiously.
“Grandmother, please watch over Taku,” Hiroko murmured.
“Tokiwa picks up the loose ball. Takahashi slides in. Tokiwa lands awkwardly. The referee wastes no time in brandishing a yellow card!”
“Wicked foul, Endo, wicked foul.”
“Tokiwa is holding his ankle. It’s his right ankle. Can he go on?”
Kubo was worried. “I know what they are trying to do. I want to take you out of the game. But you know I need you in there.”
“Can you go on?” the referee asked.
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