541 World Cup Qualifier III
Just as the opposing player loosened their guard around him to cover other areas of the field, Hiro left the encirclement. From the beginning, he had been waiting for this opportunity. So, how could he let go of such an opportunity?
It was about time he bore his fangs. The constant pressure emitted from Hiro had already put a toll on their body. So, when he decided to act up, they couldn't bring themselves to act immediately. It was almost as if something heavy was pressing on them, making them unable to react. The feeling of immobilization was so strong that it almost fell as if an invisible force had chained them to their spot. With a clear concise, Hiro darted his way to the goal. Kubo played an excellent through pass right in the center after detecting the presence of Hiro. He had passed him from behind. But for some inexplicable reason, he could vividly feel his presence. Bam!
Without pausing to stop the rolling ball, Hiro attempted a shot at the goal from outside the box. The sheer power with which he had struck the ball almost gave a feeling as if he was venting his frustration. Well, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he had finally exploded onto the scene. The opposing keeper couldn't even bring himself to react. Stunned, he remained rooted at his spot, unable to react. Although he felt something breezing past him, he couldn't tell what it was for a moment. From his posture, one could tell that he was prepared to make the dive. But for some reason, it seemed that he had changed his mind in the nick of time. It almost seemed like he had been turned into a stone statue, unable to move. "Goal—"
A deafening cacophony of cheer descended upon the stadium as the people erupted in jubilation. However, Hiro didn't budge even an inch from the spot where he had shot. He remained at his spot with an indifferent look on his face. It almost made it seem like that he wasn't content with his goal. Many of his teammates rushed to him to celebrate the goal. And only when he felt their presence did he smile. As the game progressed the opposing team trailed even behind. It was to the point that it seemed like the gap would only continue rising. In the first half alone, they ended up conceding four goals. The score at the end of the first half was Japan: 4 and China PR: 0. Their momentum didn't show any signs of slowing down even in the second half as they utterly dominated the match. Be it ball possession or attempted shots, Japan completely outpowered the opposing side. It was to the point that the opposing side couldn't even register one shot on target. Even breaching the defensive third of the opposing side was like scaling Mount Everest. On the other hand, the Japanese would constantly bombard them with threatening shots. The sheer difference in the level of the two teams was evident to the naked eye. And it would take a miracle for the opposing side to close the gap. In the 60th minute, Hiro completed his hattrick giving his team a massive five-to-nil lead. "The beast has been set loose," commented the commentator. Well, it wasn't an overstatement. After all, he had been lying dormant for quite a long time at the beginning of the match. But now, it was a different story. Hiro was simply unstoppable. It seemed like even if the opposition ganged up on him with their entire squad, he might break loose. The opposition's already hopeless face was now starting to get desperate. Their face had lost all their luster and right now appeared paler than snow. Especially, their keeper, he couldn't stop spewing curses. Frustration was evident in his eyes. "Just what the hell are you doing? How can you let him loose?" Some of the opposing fans despite it being their home ground were already leaving the pitch. It was evident that they didn't feel like staying here any longer. As for the Japanese supporters, they were all ecstatic. On the sidelines, the opposing coach could be seen with a frustrated look on his face. Even the players on their bench weren't in a better state. With a face deprived of vitality, they watched the match with growing horror. Some could even be seen praying.
It wouldn't be an overstatement to say that their morale had hit the rock-bottom and it would take a miracle for them to put up a fight. On the contrary, it was the complete opposite on the Japanese side. Manager Nanami although he didn't appear jubilant, you could tell that he was content with the performance of his players. And the atmosphere on the bench was jubilant. 'It seems like we won't have any difficulty to win the match. So, I should probably let other guys in' Nanami thought as he cast a glance at the scoreboard. They were already winning the match. So, he thought of using the subs. It wasn't a strategic decision but merely a decision to help other players gain the experience. "Sato, Tatsuki, Mitoma, you guys are going," Nanami said firmly. By now, it was clear that it wasn't a fair match but a complete one-sided domination. It was such a one-sided domination that it even felt like Hiro and the rest were bullying their opponent. Many of the opposing players had a dull and listless look on their faces, making it seem as if they had been tortured excessively. Their movement had already grown sluggish and they were often making mistakes. Taking advantage of their exhaustion, Hiro again widened the score, scoring his fourth goal of the game. Since, he had said that he would score at least five goals before the start of the match, he wasn't willing to slow down. 'It makes his fourth goal already and there's more than twenty minutes left on the goal' Naoto smiled while looking at Hiro who was celebrating in the distance. Then again, his smile froze as he muttered, "Don't tell me—"
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