Hikaru steps up to take the corner. He glances briefly into the box, then sends the ball in.
It's aimed at their No. 4, but Noguchi gets there first, heading it clear.
Minato is the first to reach the loose ball at the edge of the box, hesitating for a moment as he decides what to do.
Coach Fujita immediately reacts.
"Shoot! Don't lose it!"
Hearing his coach, Minato sets himself and strikes a volley with his right instep. The shot rises just enough to avoid the crowd in the box.
Andou tries to spot the ball's trajectory, but his view is blocked. Suddenly it appears—fast and straight at him. Instinctively, he throws out his right hand and parries it away.
The rebound drops dangerously in the box, but Aoki is the first to react, booting it clear without hesitation.
Tanaka sprints forward to reach the ball, but the Koganei No. 20—stationed as the last man on corners—beats him to it with a header, sending it right back to Minato.
Tanaka clicks his tongue. They're monsters on second balls…
Minato carries the ball forward while Shūdan-teki's defense scrambles to reorganize. Tanaka rushes him to slow him down, but Hikaru finally drifts inside after the corner, trying to offer himself for a pass—Nishimura is already on him.
Even so, Minato plays it to the No. 10. Before he can control it properly, Nishimura lunges in from behind and pokes it away.
Hikaru, stubborn as ever, lunges to win it back before Tanaka arrives, using one arm to shield him off.
Tamura, watching from the edge of the box, reads the situation.
On the flank, No. 20 starts a run. Nishimura and Tanaka both spot him. Hikaru looks at the winger as if he plans to pass—but instead slips a through ball to Minato making a central run, sending both defenders the wrong way.
Nice one, Hikaru!
Just as Minato prepares to receive, Tamura intercepts at full stretch, barely scraping the ball with his long legs.
"I almost missed that…"
Minato freezes. What!?
"Don't let them counter!" Coach Fujita shouts.
Minato bolts after Tamura. I'll foul him if I have to!
On the left flank, Tanaka accelerates, chased closely by No. 20.
"Give it to me!" Tanaka calls out, hand raised.
Tamura shapes for a pass—Minato reads it and throws himself into a slide tackle.
But it was a feint. Tamura shifts the ball sideways with a smooth croqueta, dodging the tackle completely.
The students gasp at the move.
"He's so tall—how is he that agile!?"
Tamura then threads a through pass with his right instep to Tanaka, who checks before controlling. He looks up—Riccardo is alone in the box… against three Koganei defenders.
This isn't good…
Tanaka takes a touch inward. No. 2 presses him, but Shūdan-teki's No. 7 slips past him with a lightning-fast double step-over and curls a shot toward the far post.
The ball bends beautifully… but whistles just outside. The goalkeeper had frozen, relieved to see it miss.
Tanaka grits his teeth, frustrated. Riccardo approaches him.
"Don't worry, that was close."
"Stop losing those balls!" Coach Fujita bellows.
Hikaru positions himself again, waiting for the goal kick. We knew they were strong offensively… but once they start running, it's almost impossible to stop them…
The Koganei goalkeeper plays it short to the No. 3, their left center-back. Riccardo immediately presses.
"Hayato, find Yuji!" the keeper calls.
Hayato shifts the ball left and plays it to Yuji on the wing. Shimizu is already on him, so Yuji immediately returns the ball to the keeper.
The keeper starts the buildup again, passing to the No. 4, who comes under Nishimura's pressure. As usual, this frees up the No. 5, who receives and quickly fires it to Minato—despite Ono marking him tightly, Minato shields it well.
Minato notices No. 14 dropping in with Tamura on him. He gives him the ball, No. 14 returns it first-time, and the No. 5 breaks forward through the middle with Nishimura chasing.
A sharp, clean triangle cuts right through Shūdan-teki's central press.
"Good! Keep going, Keita!" Coach Fujita applauds.
Keita drives forward as far as he can—until Nishimura finally catches him. Hikaru approaches, receives the ball, and immediately plays a one-two, bursting into the box.
Keita glances inside—No. 9 is tightly marked by Aoki and Noguchi.
No choice!
Still under pressure from Nishimura, Keita swings a right-footed strike. It's powerful but straight; Andou catches it in two stages.
"Good job, Keita! You didn't waste it!"
Fujita relaxes… until he notices Andou launching a long ball with his right foot toward Riccardo—completely alone near midfield.
"Fall back!" Fujita yells, but his players are already sprinting back.
Coach Ishii, meanwhile, watches calmly.
—
[A few days earlier — Shūdan-teki Training Ground]
The team gathers around Coach Ishii.
"As we discussed, our opponents are balanced: they defend with many players and attack with just as many. But this system has one flaw—when they attack, there's always a moment when they must retreat… and that's where you come in."
He points at Andou.
"Me?" Andou blinks.
"Exactly. We'll use your accuracy to bypass their entire midfield in one stroke."
—
Riccardo brings the ball down at midfield with no one around him. Only the three Koganei center-backs stand between him and the goal.
He glances right—Shimizu is sprinting.
Left—Tanaka is pushing up.
Both are shadowed by the retreating wingers.
Near the edge of the box, Riccardo slips a pass to Shimizu and continues his run. But Shimizu is immediately pressured by Yuji, forcing him to return the ball awkwardly—behind Riccardo.
Riccardo adjusts, shielding the ball with his body. The No. 4 tries to push him off—but can't budge him.
Who is this guy!?
Riccardo scans quickly. Can't turn and shoot cleanly…
"Riccardo!"
He hears the voice—Nishimura is arriving.
The No. 4 freezes. What—he was in the his box a second ago!
Using Riccardo as a wall pass, Nishimura receives the ball with perfect weight.
He steps into it and fires a left-footed first-time shot—rocketing toward the top left corner.
The goalkeeper dives—but he's nowhere close.
The ball crashes into the net.
Nishimura leaps onto Riccardo in celebration.
25:03 — Koganei 0 | 1 Shūdan-teki