Chapter 639: Round of 16 III
Chapter 639: Round of 16 III
While sprinting, Hiro could feel his heart beating faster than usual. It was like the feeling of an adrenaline rush while being chased by a man-eating tiger.
Underneath his skin, his muscles twitched incessantly while the blood supply was higher than usual.
As impressive as Hiro's current form was, it was equally lethal. Rather there were more cons than pros. If he got tipped even a little, the outcome he'd suffer would be dangerous.
Just as Newton said: every action has an equal and opposite reaction, if Hiro got tipped even lightly, he'd suffer great consequences due to his acceleration.
It would be lethal enough to hospitalize him.
However, Hiro was prepared. He wasn't a fool. He had brought this out only after a careful analysis. But the part with Gvardiol was still uncertain.
If he messed up his timing, he'd get sent flying. It was a bit risky, but he was prepared.
Just as Gvardiol stretched his legs, Hiro lightly tapped the ball, sending the ball rolling between his legs. Then with a change of footwork, Hiro effortlessly avoided Gvardiol.
With Gvardiol out of his way, Hiro only had a keeper to beat.
Before shooting, Hiro took a glance at the post. The opposing goalkeeper felt an invisible pressure descending upon him just as he met his eyes with Hiro.
Nonetheless, he squeezed his glutes as he prepared to make the save. Though he felt intimidated for a moment, he immediately overcame the sensation.
However, he couldn't figure out the direction Hiro would shoot.
He tried to study his posture but there wasn't much to learn. Even his eyes were directly staring at him. So, it became even more difficult to predict.
Now, he could only rely on his instincts.
Though his eyes were wide open, he felt as if he was inside a void surrounded by pitch-black darkness.
'Where will... he shoot?'
It could be said the first opportunity of the game. But it was already putting him in a pinch. While the goalkeeper struggled to predict, Hiro lowered his eyes to look at the ball. Like a computer analyzing the ball, he analyzed the spot he needed to kick to draw out maximum power.
Upon figuring out the ideal spot, Hiro stretched his legs, his arms swung back.
Then before shooting, he twisted his hips to draw out the maximum power while at the same time, he swung his entire body. Instead of using only the lower body, he utilized his full body to shoot the ball.
Bam!
The ball was fired like a missile. Cutting through the air, it traveled straight to the post. Bewildered, the keeper stood firm. He felt the ball rustling past him but couldn't bring himself to react. The air resistance generated even caressed his hair.
He could feel the ball had swerved right past the gap between his arms and head, right beside his ear.
With eyes wide open, he remained paralyzed on his spot while the ball produced a crisp sound upon striking the net.
A stunned silence fell upon the stadium, the spectators looking seemingly dazed. It was like the calm before the storm.
Then a deafening roar erupted forth, sending waves throughout the stadium. "Goal!"
The sea of supporters exploded with excitement, their expression jubilant. Standing tall on their toes, they began to celebrate the goal.
Meanwhile, on the pitch, Hiro rushed to the sideline. He could still feel his heart pounding like crazy. His buzzing eyes filled with exhilaration while his lips curled into a smile.
Hiro felt as if he had slain a behemoth. The feeling of triumph and the adrenaline coursing through his veins felt like electricity coursing through his veins, riling him up.
Though plenty of time remained on the clock, Hiro felt he had scored the winning goal. This feeling could be attributed to the hype going on in the stadium.
Nonetheless, Hiro found the moment extremely pleasurable.
Hence, he immersed himself fully in the moment and enjoyed it to his heart's content.
Sprinting to the sideline, he lifted himself from the ground, his arms above his head. Then he descended like a falling meteor, swinging his arms.
At the same time, he roared ferociously as he expressed himself, "Yeah...."
Simultaneously, the stadium roared, repeating after him. Their collective roar shook the
entire stadium, making the atmosphere extremely electrifying.
"Hiro has done it. Time and again, he has been doing it. When you think he can't go faster, he shatters your expectations. With him on the field, you can never rest easy," the commentator was full of praise, his tone full of exhilaration.
Nanami and the others were equally amped up. On the sideline, they were celebrating the goal. On the other hand, the opposing side was wailing in disappointment.
The opposing coach stared at Hiro with a sunken expression. 'I've underestimated you.'
Meanwhile, the opposing goalkeeper couldn't help but lament himself, 'Did I freeze? I froze at the crucial moment. Was I scared?'
Staring at his gloves with eyes full of disbelief, he recalled the moment he failed to react. Recalling the moment didn't bring him any joy. Instead, he felt even more miserable.
Even so, he couldn't help but recall the moment.
Each time he remembered the moment, his frown deepened. But it helped him overcome the feeling of guilt that gnawed on him.
"Tch! Next time, I won't flinch," he muttered softly clicking his tongue.
He was devasted but he couldn't remain dejected. Being a professional keeper, he had to overcome the feeling of defeat.
The celebration lasted for a while on the pitch. Seeing them celebrate annoyed the opposing
players. But they couldn't do anything about it.
So, they stood silently, observing them celebrate.
After the celebration ended, the game resumed. Though the recent goal had shaken the
Croatian players, it had also awakened them.
Thus, after the game resumed, they immediately went on offense.
Unlike before, they didn't wait for the Japanese side to attack first. Rather they took the initiative to attack. It was so that they could catch them off-guard.