Chapter 637: Round of 16
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Miami, Florida
The street was bustling with people. Hordes of people d in blue, white, and red patterned apparel were steadily advancing. Some held banners, some had their face painted, and some adorned gs.
They had all sorts of appearances, but one traitmon in them was their expression: an expression full of excitement and anticipation.
Suddenly, they erupted in excitement as they noticed a bus approaching from the distance. It was Team Japan''s bus.
Today, they were pitted against Croatia in the knockouts who had ced second in their group.
Inside the bus, Hiro was seated on the fourth-row seat. Until a moment ago, he had been contemting about the match, recalling their preparation.
''Previously, we failed to advance from here. But this time, it''ll be different.'' Hiro thought, recalling their previous defeat.
In the previous World Cup, they lost at this stage to Croatia. Coincidentally, they had been pitted against the team they had lost against.
So, it was an opportunity to salvage their lost reputation.
Though Hiro hadn''t taken part in that game, Hiro shared the same sentiment as others who had taken part in it.
After oveing the likes of Germany and Spain, it was a painful oue to ept. Even now the wound they got from that match was still bulging like a freshly cut wound.
While thinking about it, Hiro couldn''t help but look at the participating yers.
Though they appeared calm outside, Hiro could tell they were thinking about the match. He could still remember the expression they made upon finding their next opponent.
After meandering a few corners, the bus entered the venue. Though their advance was slowed down by the excited fans outside, they made it to the parking lot.
Shoving the curtain away, Hiro peeked outside the window.
He found himself in a basement-like ce. Many people gathered to wee them. "Hardrock Stadium, we have arrived," Hiro mumbled, his eyes gleaming with conviction.
Hiro had long heard of its reputation. So, he had been eager to visit here. But now that he was finally here, he couldn''t help but feel excited.
Beaming with excitement, Hiro exited the bus.
Immediately, they were assaulted by the cheers of the awaiting fans. Hiro could palpably feel their excitement. But he couldn''t afford to be bothered by it.
While the cheers kept getting louder, Hiro and the team entered the venue, ignoring their cheers. Today, they had to remain focused.
Their attitude might disappoint their fans but they couldn''t afford to get swayed by it.
While walking to the locker room, Hiro noticed his reputation had soared. There were many fans in the parking lot, chanting his name. Even though that spot was only reserved for the premium fans, there were many of them.
Lately, he had been focused on the tournament. Due to this, he hadn''t been paying much attention to other things.
But now, upon encountering the crowd of fans chanting his name, Hiro couldn''t help but ponder about his poprity.
''Am I getting even more popr?''
He wanted to find out if he had grown more popr. But he refrained from doing so. Right now, he wanted to focus solely on the match ahead.
So, until the end of the tournament, he wouldn''t think about things outside the matches. After a while, they entered the locker room and began to get dressed. For some reason, the other yers weren''t as chatty as before.
However, Hiro wasn''t bothered by it. Rather he found the silence even more calming. However, the same couldn''t be said about others. They looked anxious as if something was bugging them.
Soon after they got dressed, Nanami entered the room. He walked to the center of the room, the gazes of the yers following him.
Then he stopped. "I''m sure, I don''t need to emphasize the importance of this match again. After all, we''ve already talked a lot about it. Some of you don''t have the fondest of memories against them. But even so, leave your emotions right here. Any who acts impulsively on the field, I won''t tolerate it."
Nanami was well aware of their feeling towards their opponent. Hence, he feared that they would act on impulse.
The moment he finished, some of the yer''s expressions turned bitter. They could tell that he was referring to them.
"Do you get it?" Nanami asked, his voice firm.
The crowd murmured, their voices rather reluctant, "Yes, sir."
After that, they revised their ns for the match. While Nanami exined their tactics, the rest ardently heard him without losing focus.
Once the tactical meeting ended, they gathered around. Each one more enthusiastic than before they roared enthusiastically and left the locker room.
Soon after they were met with their opponent for the match in the tunnel.
Upon meeting, some exchanged words of pleasantries, some remained quiet. Hiro fell on thetter. Until now, he had rarely talked with anyone and would go unnoticed most of the time.
But right now, it was different.
Though he hadn''t taken the initiative to speak, he was at the center of attention. Well, given his recent performances, it was to be expected.
The opposing team was ring at him as if he had triggered them.
Noticing the res, Hiro couldn''t help but sigh, ''What did I do to deserve this?''
From their gaze alone, Hiro assumed it wouldn''t be an easy match, at least for him. Perhaps,n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
he might get surrounded.
Even so, he wasn''t troubled. Rather he felt even more thrilled. He could feel his blood stifling. It was as if electricity was coursing through his veins.
It might be because he was excited to experiment with "Phantom Steps".
Though the air inside the tunnel was dense, Hiro felt even more excited than before. Perhaps, their sharp res evoked a sense of importance in him.
While standing still, Hiro cast a gaze at the opposing side. Immediately, he noticed a few yers he had to watch out against.
Having analyzed them, he didn''t feel threatened at all. But he still couldn''t afford to be careless. After all, he was up against the team that had managed to get to the finals. However, after Modric retired, they had to undergo some reformation. So, Hiro wasn''t as bothered.