bestfiction Chapter 145: Deadlock at Halftime
Chapter 145: Deadlock at Halftime
The clock was now ticking into the 31st minute, and the ball was at the feet of the Qatari winger, who was pushing hard down the flank with Nagisa chasing him relentlessly from behind.As the winger reached the left edge of the final third, Senji quickly closed in to block his path, while Nagisa converged from behind to double-team the play and trap him.
The Qatari winger just smiled and then with a sudden burst, he exploded down the outside of Senji, who turned and chased hard, trying to hold him back, but the winger's pure acceleration was devastating.
Reaching the edge of the box, the winger looked ready to shoot but Senji threw himself into a sliding block, but it was a trap, the winger faked the strike entirely and sharply cut the ball and shift his body to the other side, leaving Senji sliding into the grass and opening up a massive window of space.
Seeing the clear danger, Nagisa rushed in with a desperate sliding challenge, but the winger was too quick, as he unleashed a powerful shot, sending the ball flying toward the target.
Just as it flew to the nets Takezu came leaping into the line of fire, twisting his body to turn his back to the ball and absorbing the heavy impact right against his shoulder blades.
The blocked shot flew up high into the air, and underneath the spinning ball, Kabuto and Firas both ran and leaped into action, jumping together in a fierce aerial battle. And it was Kabuto who won the physical duel, managing to get the decisive touch, heading the ball down toward Senji.
Senji controlled it on the drop, holding the ball for barely a second before swinging his foot to launch a clearance but before he could connect another Qatari winger burst in, sliding his foot in with a perfect interception, sending the ball spinning loose and leaving Senji stumbling to keep his balance.
Without missing a beat, the winger rushed after the loose ball rolling right along the edge of the box.
Watching the danger, panic rippled through the entire stadium. Takezu and Kabuto desperately moved to throw themselves into the path, but they were a split second too late.
The winger struck it hard, unleashing a fierce, bending shot toward the far, open corner of the net.
Guarding the nets, Kurogami launched himself across the goalmouth in a full-extension dive, stretching his arm to its absolute limit, his fingertips barely managed to clip the ball, brilliantly deflecting it away from the goal line.
The ball spun loose toward the right side of the box, and from there the Qatari right winger immediately closed in to capitalize on the rebound.
Panicked Kurogami, desperately tried to get back on his feet, but the winger was already on the ball.
The winger swung his foot, but beating him with sheer, explosive speed, Gaku arrived first and aggressively cleared the ball from under his nose, sending it completely out of play before letting out a fierce, primal roar to vent all his pent-up frustration.
A massive, collective gasp swept through the stadium as the Japanese supporters finally released the breath they had been holding.
'Insaneeee! That was some absolutely insane play from both sides! A millimeter away from a goal!'
On the sidelines, the tension was suffocating. Raon was leaned forward, hands supporting his weight on his knees as he stared onto the pitch.
Kento stood perfectly still, highly focused, though his chest heaved with every tense breath. On the bench, Haruma sat with both hands pressed over his mouth, his wide eyes locked onto the penalty box, unable to look away.
On the field, Kurogami remained seated on the grass for a few seconds, taking deep, heavy breaths to steady his racing heart.
A few yards away, Gaku was gasping for air, his eyes burning with a mix of exhaustion and fierce determination.
Kabuto chest was heaving, his jersey completely drenched in sweat,
Takezu then walked over to Kurogami and offered a hand, which he took with a firm clasp, getting himself back up to his feet.
Senji remained standing exactly where he had lost the ball, gasping for air, staring intently down at the grass. And before the heavy weight of the mistake could completely settle in, Kabuto jogged over and roughly ruffled his hair.
"It's okay, it's okay!" Kabuto said, the words coming out choppy between his own heavy breaths.
Senji didn't respond, he just kept his eyes lowered, taking deep, shuddering breaths.
Noticing the silence, Kabuto gave his shoulder a firm, reassuring pat. "It's okay. You've got it next time."
With that final word of encouragement, he turned and sprinted back to his position to set up for the corner kick.
Left alone, Senji then finally forced himself to look back up, his face painted with a heavy mixture of guilt and sorrow. His eyes were drifting over the sea of Japanese supporters, where he saw most fans holding up banners for Haruma, with small pockets of the crowd still chanting his name.
Seeing the fans' love for Haruma hit Senji like a physical blow. He tightly closed his eyes and looked back down again at the grass. He turned on his heel and jogged back to his position, determined to make up for his mistake…
The clock was now ticking into the 42nd minute, the grueling first half nearing its end.
The ball rolled cleanly to Jiho, who immediately pushed forward to drive the attack but just then a Qatari defender closed in to shut him down, Jiho quickly threaded a precise, line-breaking pass out to the flank, where Raya burst into the play.
Taking possession in stride, Raya noticed a rushing in ti press him. Staying calm he raised a hand as a signal to the box. And just as the defender closed in he clipped a neat back-pass into the space behind him. From where Nagisa charged into the vacant zone and, without delaying the tempo, used his first touch to send a curling ball into the center ahead right into the path where Sam was running into position.
The moment the ball arrived at Sam's feet, he drove hard toward the goal, his eyes locked on the net. On his way he dribbled past an oncoming defender and quickly adjusted his body to shoot. But before he could unleash the strike, Luqman came flying in from the side, executing a perfectly timed tackle that intercepted the ball right off Sam's boots.
Sam stumbled slightly and the ball spun loose. Clenching his teeth in pure anger, Sam pivoted instantly to reclaim possession, while Luqman scrambled to his feet to chase down the play.
The two physical players collided, jostling fiercely and holding each other off as they fought for leverage. But Luqman managed to get the stronger connection, poking a vital touch toward his teammate, who immediately launched a swift Qatari counterattack.
Sam let out a frustrated roar and slammed his fist through the air before turning to sprint back into position.
The clock now ticked past the 45-minute mark, and after three tense minutes of stoppage time, the referee's whistle finally echoed across the stadium, signaling the end of a grueling first half. Both teams headed down the tunnel with the scoreboard at 0-0.
Back in the locker room, the Japanese players practically collapsed onto the benches, gasping for air and immediately reaching for water bottles to combat the exhaustion.
Standing right in the center of the room, Kento was already laying out instructions for the second half, speaking with intense passion, his hands moving rapidly across the tactical whiteboard as he detailed the defensive adjustments and new attacking patterns needed to break Qatar's resilience.
Despite their fatigue, the players kept their eyes locked completely on him, absorbing every word of the strategy while they drank their water and recovered.
Out on the balcony of the VIP lounge, Ameha stood tall and composed, while Shuya was leaning forward against the railing, watching the empty pitch below.
"What do you think? A draw?" Shuya asked, his voice laced with uncertainty as he processed the intense first half.
Keeping her eyes fixed on the field, Ameha
replied coolly, "A draw wouldn't be the worst result, but a win in this opening game would give us an incredible amount of momentum for the rest of the tournament."
Agreeing with her logic, Shuya just casually nodded, turning his gaze back to the stadium lights.
Meanwhile, inside the lounge, Mio was pouting on the couch, crossing her arms.
"Umm... why hasn't big brother Haruma scored yet?!" she complained, completely unaware of the tactical benching.
Beside her, Ayane was seated with an almost bored expression, her palm propped under her chin, Ayane replied, "Because he isn't playing," her tone entirely flat.
Deepening her pout, Mio whined, "Why not?! You said big brother Haruma would be playing today!"
Letting out a soft sigh, Ayane replied, "Yes, he was supposed to play. But he's not."
Mio's pout deepened even further, as she folded her arms across her chest in a fit of innocent anger, huffing as she looked away from the television and Ayane.
The halftime break was over, and the players prepare to take the field once again