Chapter 656: Quarter-finals VIII


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    With each motion of the minute hand, the people grew even more anxious.


    Beep!


    Panting, Hiro turned to look at the time. He was drenched in sweat, his lungs inting and deting with each breath he took.


    Eight-eight minutes had already passed, and the match had entered its climax.


    Since thest goal the stadium had witnessed, both teams had failed to score another. However, the oue could change very quickly.


    Just now, they had earned a free kick, and the game had stopped.


    It was an obvious foul; even the opposing side wasn''t protesting against the referee''s decision. However, the distance from the post was quite far.


    More than 35 yards away from the post, Japan had earned a crucial spot-kick in what could be thest set piece of the game.


    Though they had earned a spot-kick, Hiro wasn''t bothered. He wasn''t the appointed set- piece taker. So, there wasn''t any need for him to feel concerned.


    Hiro took this moment to recover a little stamina. He wanted to take advantage of this momentary stoppage.


    Tirelessly running around the field all this time had exhausted him.


    Bead-like drops of sweat trickled down his face as Hiro nced at his bulging legs, ''I don''t think I can hold out much longer...''


    Hiro could run fast. However, the ability to sprint came with a cost- he exhausted his stamina at an abnormal rate. If he used his talent and skills sparingly, he could easilyst the entire 90 minutes. However, if he overused his talent and skills, he wouldn''tst the full ny minutes.


    Even though Hiro was aware of the consequences, this time, however, he didn''t have a choice. If he cked, they would have been utterly defeated by now.


    The threat they were facing was something that demanded his best.


    After stabilizing his heart beat a little, Hiro rose to analyze the field. He found a lot of yers gathering at the opposing box.


    Hiro was about to head to one of the vacant spots he had found. However, just as he was about to head to the spot, he heard a familiar voice calling his name.


    Hiro turned to look behind and found Endo looking at him. He was drenched in sweat, his lips appearing a little dry, his hands gesturing at him toe closer.


    Hiro felt a bit perplexed. He turned around to see if he was mistaken. However, he couldn''t find anyone. Hence, he pointed at him.


    Endo nodded the moment he pointed at him.


    Confirming that it was him whom Endo was calling, Hiro headed his way.


    Endo leaned closer and covered his ears to whisper something. The way Endo carried himself almost made it seem as if he was plotting something.


    "Hiro, we want you to take the free kick," Endo whispered.


    Upon hearing Endo''s request, Hiro felt baffled. His eyes perked up as it darted to Yamada who was preparing the ball.


    "Don''t worry about him. We have already talked about it," Endo assured.


    He was quick to pick up on Hiro''s unease. Hiro couldn''t believe it was happening. Since the beginning of the campaign, Yamada had been taking the freekicks. However, at this crucial stage, he was giving up the spot.


    Hiro couldn''t believe it.


    It seemed a little too good to be true. Yamada was a selfish man who liked to be at the center of attention.


    And given the importance of this set-piece, Hiro felt even more strange that he was giving it up. So, he couldn''t help but double-check.


    "Are you sure about it?" Hiro asked albeit in a low whisper.


    Endo nodded determinedly and asked, "So, will you take the job?"


    Well, if Yamada was okay with it then who was he to refuse? He needed an opportunity to shine. Also, he needed an opportunity to correct the wrong he did before.


    Hence, he dly took up the offer without any hesitation.


    "Then Yamada will stand behind to deceive the opponent. You know what to do right?" Endo nodded and smiled warmly at him.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    With that, the preparation for the set piece was done. Now all they had to do was execute the n and take the win.


    "Huh?! Isn''t Yamada going to take the free kick?"


    The opposition felt confused when they found three people standing behind the ball. It appeared that they were purposely doing that.


    Endo did take the role asionally, but they ruled him out.


    This left them with two options; Hiro and Yamada. Having studied Hiro, they had found Hiro to be an excellent set-piece taker. With powerful shots and precision, he could easily rival a well-established set-piece taker.


    However, they hadn''t seen Hiro do it in the campaign until now. Which left them with Yamada. Hence, even though they were uncertain, they believed that Yamada would take the set piece.


    However, even if that were to be the case, they couldn''t afford to lower their guard against others.


    This feeling of uncertainty made it even more difficult to defend.


    With their brows knitted, the wall of yers d in white stared at them, uncertainty evident in their gaze.


    Though they were d that the distance from the post was quite far, they couldn''t rest easy. After all, if they managed to pull a miracle, it might cut their journey short.


    Hence, they were feeling quite anxious.


    Yamada, standing before the ball stared intently at the ball. Exuding an aura of confidence, he stood as if he was prepared to unleash a nightmare and end the hopes of the opposing team.


    The people there were aware of the quality Yamada possessed.


    Even among this flock of talented individuals, he excelled in shooting from a distance. From such a distance, he had converted many goals for Real Madrid.


    Now, he had to do the same thing for his country.


    The Japanese folks had ced their hopes in him and were praying in their heart. Their eyes seemed quite desperate.


    In the 89th minute of the match, the gaze of the people in the stadium converged on this man bearing the number 10 on his back.