Japan, Kochi city, Kochi prefecture All High school Summer Tournament.
Quaterfinals.
Kochi Chuo High School vs Aki High School
Time : 70:12
Score : 3-1
The score might suggest that match is over with just over 10 minutes left on the clock but the match happening in front of the crowd was anything but dead.
Crowd was cheering for the gutsy display of Aki high school. Despite being down by two goals their players were running and showing fight to score goals.
Match was going full swing both coaches were shouting instructions to their players from sidelines and players were responding.
Kochi Chuo's Bench their manager was shouting constantly.
"Up, Up, Press...Press... Push the line.."
Similarly Aki High school bench their manager was shouting too
"Satou cover, Ryooo Ryoo run behind...run behind."
In the crowd two people were similarly witnessing this spectacle with different lens. One was a pot bellied middle aged man and another a tall teenager similar to players on the pitch.
"How about it Kojiro, This is my alma mater, Not bad right ?"
"They are losing the game Uncle Hiroshi."
"Certainly they are losing in terms of talent and skills but they are still shining on that pitch more than the winners right now."
Kojiro could not deny that fact. He did not expect to witness such a high level match at such a football deserted area in kochi. Both teams are showing high level to play such a tactical match.
"4-3-3 against 3-5-2."
"Kochi chuo using the 4-3-3 are very skilled in using those half spaces and out of possesion they form two banks of four and revert to 4-4-2, In possesion they are squeezing in the opponents half with 3-2-5, This is a very well trained team."
"On the other side, Aki High school is opposite they are using 3-5-2 , Whole point of 3-5-2 is to use the wing backs to attack these two wing backs having good stamina running back and forth. Out of possesion they transform into 5-3-2 , Creating a back five and three midfielders in front as a cover."
"Only reason they are in a losing position is thanks to opposition striker scoring two goals from moments of individual brilliance and conceding a goal from a corner, They have been unlucky."
"Who is that striker from kochi Chuo?, He is leagues above the rest on the pitch."
"U17 Japan Representative striker Hyuga Yusuke."
"U17.."
As they were talking game continued in a frenzied manner and took a dramatic turn.
Time 72:15
The wingback from aki high school managed to intercept a lateral pass from opposition midfielder and started a counter attack on the wing.
Crowd came alive at that moment and started chanting
Ike Ike aki... ose ose aki...ike ike aki...
Crowd was small mostly comprising of students from their respective school some scouts and media people and regular football enthusiast but everyone loves an underdog story as such it temporarily became like a home ground to aki high school players with majority cheering them on.
The counter attack was unfolding with fullback dribbling the ball to the byline, In response two strikers of aki high school made two different runs number 11 the short striker made a darting run towards the near post and number 9 tall one made a run towards the middle of the goal.
Center back of the Kochi chuo team correspondingly tracked them while full back delivered a decent cross in the middle of the goal.
At that moment series of events happened that seemed divine.
As the ball was coming towards the middle of the goal, Goalkeeper came out to punch the ball, Number 9 tall striker and the defender tracking him both jumped to head the ball creating a sandwich, Ball was punched by goalkeeper but only to hit the head of his own defender, ball bounced out to near post miraculously towards Number 11 beside him was the defender who had tracked his run.
He quickly snap shot the ball towards the goal and defender just poked out the leg to defend and ball hit his leg and went towards the back of the goalkeeper on the ground and hit him on the back of his head and bounced into the net.
Goooooooallllllll.
Crowd went ballistic and bench of aki high school as well but they quickly got back to kick off line with ball in hand as they were still behind and very short time left.
Score changed
Time : 73:15
scoreboard
Kochi chuo 3 - 2 Aki high school
As they were returning to kick off manager of both teams seeing the situation made moves.
Aki highs manager sent out a winger for a defender and shifted the formation from 3-5-2 to 4-2-3-1 with number 11 slotting in as left winger and other winger on the right with wing back turning into full backs.
Kochi chuo's manager similarly seeing his team under pressure choose to withdraw both the wingers and sent two more midfielder changing formation from 4-3-3 to 4-5-1 with Hyuga up top as sole striker.
The game resumed with the kick off and aki high school players with momentum and crowd behind them began to do a man to man press to take advantage of the situation, Game entered a frenzy mode with both teams fighting tooth and nail for each pass or a second ball with tackles flying and fifty fifty duels provinding great entertainment to crowd.
Time ticked off 75... 76 ....78 minutes with just two minutes left on the clock. The pressure payed off for Aki high school.
In scramble in midfield ball was intercepted by captain of aki high school in midfield playing as number 10 and sent a pass to his left towards the number 11 on left wing and he dribbled the ball towards the byline intending to cross but the cross was blocked the opposition full back but conceded a corner.
Aki high school gained a precious set piece opportunity with just two minutes on the clock. Every one crowded the box including goalkeeper of aki high school.
Time was ticking.
The captain of aki high school number 10 took the corner, He made a signal with both hands up and as players began to shuffle he kicked the ball towards near post.
The tall number 11 was already at forefront at near post and instead of heading it towards the goal he flicked the ball towards back post catching all the defenders and opposition goalkeeper off guards and scrambling back towards far post.
In far post both the tall defenders and aki high school goal keeper were stretching their necks to head the ball.
Ball was met with ferocious header by aki high school main defender number 4 it hit the opposition defenders head and was deflected into the goal giving no chance to opposition goalkeeper that had scrambled and jumped towards far post.
Goooaaaaal
The crowd went into jubilation as soon as ball crossed the goal. They felt like witnessing a true underdog story.
The joy on the bench of Aki high school was evident the substitutes running towards the number 4 and piling up on him during the celebration.
In the crowd Kojiro and Hiroshi were equally stunned by the development of this game in just ten minutes.
There was celeberatory mood but only one person on the pitch was in different mood.
Hyuga ran towards his manager in the dug out while aki high school players were celeberating and talked something with his manager and manager called out his captain and gave some instructions. This whole thing happened in few seconds and only few people noticed this interaction.
The celeberation stopped at the behest of referees call and game began once again with a kick off from Kochi Chuo.
The players from aki high school full of momentum and confidence started to press high in order to win the game.
The game unfolded in same manner as before with high press and misplaced passes and turnovers as time ticked soon regular time was over and fourth official put up the board for stoppage time of 5 minutes.
Game trickled down 81... 82... 83... at 83rd minute due to turnover the captain of aki high managed to dribble pass the midfied and was in shooting range and everyone from aki high school started running forward to create space for their captain even defense line unconsiously moved almost to half way line.
The ball was being dribbled by captain of aki high school mounting a solid attack through the middle as he was looking around for passing option there were just two number 11 on the left and number 9 holding the center back.
He instantly choose to pass the number 11 on the left and continued his run into the box. Number 11 on the wing after a shoulder drop crossed the ball towards far post.
The ball was perfect with Number 9 dragging the center back towards the near post the captain had made a perfect late run towards the far post but just as he was about to head it captain of kochi chuo number 4 headed the ball away as if he had read the play and ball fell to kochi chuo full back.
The full back passed it back to his captain and instead of slow progression he made a fatal long ball towards their striker Hyuga yusuke waiting at the half line with perfect timing to avoid offside.
The keeper and defense of Aki high were in panic mode as keeper was in no mans land trying to intercept the long ball and defense had pushed to far ahead to catch up.
Hyuga yusuke with exceptional calm and first touch controlled the ball to avoid the defender and lobbed the ball overhead of the oncoming goalkeeper into the net delivering the final blow to Aki high and completing his hattrick in the process.
Gooaalllll
Crowd were just as passionate about this last minute goal as the equalizer a cruel reality of the sport.
This goal was final nail for aki high as with just a minute left there was very little they could do but they still tried but failed in the end.
Referee after a minute blew the whitlsle and game ended with Kochi Chuo high school advancing to semi finals
Final score of 4-3 was representation of entertainment fans got of this high scoring game but pitch at current moment was divided into two. one full of joy and another full of sorrow all the aki high player were slumped to ground crying and jersey over their head to hide tears.
In the crowd Kojiro and Hiroshi witnessing this very also aplauding with the crowd for the efforts of both teams.
"Uncle, I've decided. I will join this team."
Hiroshi stroking his beard stayed silent for a while.
"Since you have decided, Go for it you're uncle started his football from here there is a pathway to your dreams here albeit a difficult one."
Kojiro Arashi taking one final look at the pitch etching this moment into his memory left the stadium.