Chapter 406 Brute force
Chapter 406 Brute force
Having closely observed the game until now, he could tell that it wasn't an easy feat to fulfill all three requirements of the system. Yet, he didn't feel discouraged either.
Nor did the quest surprise or startle him.
As Hiro reached the periphery of the tunnel, all of a sudden the stadium lights felt brighter than they did a moment ago. The cheers sounded louder and for some reason, his heart started pounding.
The announcement had already been made. And, he could vividly feel the anticipation of the fans. It wasn't his first time experiencing such a nerve-wracking moment. But it was his first time making a senior debut for a pro football team.
In his previous life, he had been just one step short of experiencing this moment. But now he could vividly experience this moment firsthand.
So, it made him a little tense.
All of his teammates had already left him and right now, he was all alone in the tunnel. Standing still, he tried to savor this moment and the emotions he was feeling at the moment.
He could audibly hear the loud cheers coming from outside. Mixed with the cheers, he could also hear his name being called out. Just from the cheers alone, he could tell that it was rather hectic outside.
Taking deep breaths, he then tried to calm himself. Then as his heart rate stabilized, his eyes flashed with determination, "Let's do this!"
The moment he walked out of the tunnel, he was met with a roar of excited fans. The excited cheers of the fans resonated all over the stadium, shaking every nook and canny of the stadium. Seas of passionate supporters were chanting his name, greeting him, and expressing their excitement.
Hiro himself couldn't fathom the welcome he received from the fans. It far exceeded his imagination. Yet, he kept his cool as he walked onto the field.
Taking steady steps, he positioned himself in his position while the camera followed every single detail on the field.
"I bet he's quite nervous to even look at the stands," his father joked.
"If you were to walk onto the field in the presence of this many people, let alone play, you wouldn't even be able to take a single step forward," his mother replied sarcastically.
"Go get 'em, big brother Hiro!" Kota shouted, his voice lost in the roar of the crowd but his spirit unwavering.
Beep!!
The second half began, and the energy shifted almost immediately. The cheers of the supporters muffled a little as they concentrated on the game. And, the noise subsided a little.
Being the youngest player on the field, the pressure on him was nothing but huge. And even his build as compared to the rest of the players, he looked kind of scrawny despite having a muscular build.
Since the opposing team was starting the kickoff, he didn't get to touch the ball immediately. People had to wait some while for his first touch.
Then just minutes after the start of the second half, he ran into his first obstacle of the game. He came face-to-face against an opposing player in the midfield.
'I'm sure you're gifted boy, but in front of absolute strength, your talents won't amount to anything' the opposing player who by comparison was much bulkier than Hiro thought as he saw Hiro approaching him.
Confidence took possession of him as he launched himself straight at Hiro. It's not that he was arrogant but he couldn't find his teammates open, so he had to create chances by himself by getting past Hiro.
Having studied his opponents, Hiro could tell with a little certainty how his opponents would react. And the player in front of him mostly liked to play physical games. He wasn't the typical dribbler with fancy techniques, but he could hold on to the ball pretty well taking advantage of his build.
And, noticing him rushing toward him, Hiro could tell that he was going to take advantage of his build. Well, why wouldn't he take advantage of his build? Just look at their sizes; he was almost thrice his size.
Even with such an advantage, he'd only be a fool if he wouldn't take advantage of the advantage he had over him.
Despite knowing that, he wasn't afraid at all. Instead, he was prepared to face him. But he'd only be a fool if he was going to respond brute force with brute force.
Even if he tried to put all his strength into handling him, he wouldn't be able to. And, he was aware of his weakness.
However, as much as his build was advantageous to him, it was equally disadvantageous too. Even if he could manhandle Hiro, he had to be careful while tackling with him. One wrong move and he'd get booked.
Yet despite the disadvantage, he still approached Hiro intending to use his build against him. It wasn't his first time facing players who were weaker than him. And, he was well aware of the stunts those weaker players would try to pull against him to hinder him.
But now if he got worried about harming them or fouling them, how could he play? Physical contact is often common in football and football isn't a sport for kids.
Then just as he approached Hiro, he did what he was best at. He tried to shove Hiro away, overpowering him with his strength.
And, Hiro didn't avoid him. Nor did he try to pull any of those stunts to curry favor from the referee. Instead, he fought back.
'You're quite sturdy huh, kid?' the opposing player thought as he felt the strength of Hiro.
But it still wasn't enough to compete against him.
Yet it intrigued the sea of supporters. Despite being on the weaker side and despite defending not being his forte, he was putting up a fight against an opponent who surpassed him. They just couldn't help but applaud his efforts. But they knew that he wouldn't last long either.
So, they didn't put much faith in him to stop the opposing player.