"Today, Japan's U-15 team, coached by Tatsuo Mikami, kicks off its European tour. Their first opponent, Hamburg, the top youth team in Germany. Guarding the net for Hamburg is Genzo Wakabayashi, a young Japanese goalkeeper who's been living and playing in Germany for the past three years." said the commentator.
On the Field, Hamburg side.
"You looking for someone?" asked Hermann Kaltz, noticing Karl-Heinz Schneider scanning the stands.
"No." Schneider replied calmly, eyes still fixed on the crowd.
On the Field, Japan side.
"Let's show them what Japanese football is made of!" Hyuga shouted, raising his fist.
"Yeah!" the team responded in unison, fired up.
The whistle blew. Kickoff.
"Let's go, Takeshi!" Hyuga called out, charging forward.
[Shin's POV]
"I really hope you guys have improved at least a little." I said, watching the match unfold.
"Man, that Japanese guy is tough!" someone exclaimed further away, eyes locked on Kojiro Hyuga as he pushed forward with the ball.
"The captain of Japan's U-15 team shows off his trademark straight-line dribble! He's tearing through Hamburg's half!
A one-two between Hyuga and Takeshi, he gets past Karl-Heinz! But Schneider doesn't move!" said the commentator.
"Why isn't he moving?" someone said from above me, I looked up.
"Oh, I thought I was the only one here." the person said, crouched on a tree branch.
"No problem." I replied.
'I'd completely forgotten, Juan Diaz had come here to observe Schneider.' I thought to myself.
"Hyuga is unmarked! He goes for the shot!" exclaimed the commentator.
"Stop it, Wakabayashi!"
"A shot from outside the box? That's nothing for you!" said the crowd.
On the pitch.
'Wakabayashi, I'm going to show you what I'm really made of.' thought Hyuga as he struck the ball.
"Tiger Shot!" He poured all his rage into the kick.
In the minds of the Japanese players, it was a guaranteed goal, even if Wakabayashi was the one guarding the net.
"Wakabayashi doesn't move!!" said the commentator, and the ball smashed against the post, he hadn't even needed to react.
"The keeper didn't even flinch!" said the commentator again.
'Impressive, Hyuga.' thought Genzo Wakabayashi, a faint smirk forming on his face.
'That was just a warm-up. The next one's going straight into your net.' thought Hyuga in return, locking eyes with Wakabayashi.
As he jogged back into position, he passed Schneider and muttered. "Stop daydreaming in the middle of a match."
"The game resumes with a new ball! Wakabayashi sends it forward!" said the commentator.
Hamburg's players had the ball, but Nitta recovered it. The Japanese team began to pass quickly between themselves, and then a cross was sent in Nitta's direction, he took the shot.
"Nitta goes for the Falcon Shot on the volley!" said the commentator, but Wakabayashi caught it cleanly.
"What a save!" said the commentator.
"Brilliant, Wakabayashi!" shouted a member of the crowd.
"Hamburg is under pressure for now, will they strike back?" said the commentator, with rising excitement.
The match continued.
"Now it's Soda intercepting on the left wing!" said the commentator. "He steps out of his position and fires a shot!"
Once again, Wakabayashi saved the shot. He caught the ball, having perfectly judged its trajectory.
"Unbelievable... he figured out my shot even though it's the first time I've used my Razor Shot." Soda muttered.
"Their left-back pushed forward, you know what to do!" shouted Wakabayashi as he launched the ball toward the front.
"Once again, a Japanese player wins back the ball, this time it's Matsuyama." said the commentator.
Matsuyama took the shot.
"Here it is—his Eagle Shot!" said the commentator.
"A low-driven strike… but Wakabayashi stops it again! What a dive!" he added.
On the bench.
'Genzo is excellent, but I expected more from the rest of Hamburg's players.' Coach Mikami thought. 'Something's off, especially with the striker, Schneider.' he murmured.
Elsewhere.
"Boring, isn't it?" I said.
"Yeah. I was expecting something else." Juan replied.
"A cross from Nitta to the Tachibana twins! They're going for their aerial technique!" said the commentator.
"Wow!" gasped the crowd.
"But the Catapult technique doesn't work—once again the shot is blocked!" said the commentator on the mic.
"Well done, Wakabayashi!" shouted someone from the Hamburg crowd.
"Wakabayashi shows no weaknesses at all!" said the commentator.
"Genzo Wakabayashi…" Juan said, eyes on the pitch.
"Very good goalkeeper." I added.
"Exactly." said a voice behind us.
"Pascual? You came too." Juan said, turning.
"Yes, Juan… and that shot from their number 9—that was something," Pascual replied.
"Oh, no doubt. But football is all about technique." Juan added.
"You're right. These guys aren't even close to the level of us, Argentinians." Pascual agreed.
"If I may," I interjected, "I think it's a mix of everything—technique, power, and speed." They both looked at me. "And Japan's missing a few pieces." I added, shifting my focus back to the match.
"Japan intercepts the ball again!" said the commentator.
"Guys, the only one we need to worry about is Wakabayashi!" Ishizaki shouted.
"We're chilling back here in defense." Jito said casually.
'Is this really the level of German football?' Wakashimazu thought, skeptical.
"Come on, wake up!" some Hamburg fans began to shout.
"We came all this way just to see Hamburg play like this?!"
Earlier that day...
"At the start of the match, you can let the Japanese team attack." said Wakabayashi to the Hamburg players.
"What's gotten into you, Wakabayashi?" one of the players asked.
"I want to see with my own eyes the progress they have made—what they've accomplished over these last three years." he replied.
"Are you sure about this?" asked another player.
"What if it costs us a goal?" another chimed in.
"Don't worry, it's not going to happen." Wakabayashi said confidently.
Back to the present...
"Come on, pull yourselves together, Hamburg!" the crowd began to shout.
"Our own crowd is booing us." murmured a Hamburg player.
'We can't keep going like this, Wakabayashi.'thought Hermann, as the Japanese players once again pushed forward with the ball.
"The real Hamburg match starts now." I said to Juan and Pascual.
On the field…
"Send it to me, Takeshi!" shouted Hyuga. Sawada passed him the ball, but unexpectedly, Hermann Kaltz intercepted it.
"Hamburg springs into action!"