NOVEL WEB Chapter 718: Climax
Chapter 718: Climax
With his burst of acceleration and excellent crosses, Ansu was terrorizing the Atletico defense from the flanks. Gavi, on the other hand, played with fire, pressing relentlessly and breaking up Atletico's counters before they could even materialize. His intensity swung the momentum back in Barcelona's favor.
However, even after their relentless effort, Barcelona still couldn't score the winning goal.
After the terrorizing performance of Cillian that led to his goal, Atletico had tightened their defense around him. Though it was difficult to stop him after the awakening, they managed to keep him at bay.
Hiro played a great role in maintaining the current score. Dropping deep to defend, Hiro reinforced the defense. At the same time, he was quick to attack as well.
Hiro switched between defense and offense, covering the entire field.
Witnessing Hiro's effort, Diego couldn't help but admire Hiro. He always liked players with high work rates. But this was even beyond his imagination. Hence, his respect for Hiro grew
even more.
On the sidelines, he stood, staring at Hiro with his eyes glistening with pride. His heart swelled with pride every time he witnessed Hiro's brilliance on the field.
"There are players who fight for greed. Some players fight for individual accolades. But you're fighting for the badge. Takahashi Hiro... You've earned my respect."
More than eighty minutes had already passed. Yet Hiro didn't show any signs of slowing down despite the intense effort he put on the field.
As the match neared its climax, both teams were locked in a battle of attrition. Barcelona's beautiful football clashed against Atletico's grit and determination. Every pass, every movement, was met with either an inch-perfect tackle or a moment of brilliance.
Then in the 89th minute, one last spark ignited the match.
Barcelona earned a corner.
A corner at this time was extremely threatening. The Atletico fans couldn't help but feel anxious about the corner.
Their brows knitted as they watched the opposing players preparing for the corner. Almost every single one of them was joining the attack.
This made their heart palpitate.
Overcome with fear, some of them began to pray desperately. Ishikawa joined in on the trend and started praying as well.
Both Akashi and Endo were anxious as well, beads of sweat accumulating on their forehead. They were terrified by the prospect of seeing Hiro lose at the final moment.
"Hiro!" Ishikawa mumbled, her tone tinged with concern.
She looked extremely frightened. Her complexion was pale and her eyes were horror- stricken.
Ansu was the one taking the corner. He had been exceptionally sharp until now. Especially his crosses had been terrifying.
While preparing to take the corner, he glanced at the ball before exhaling deeply. His shoulders dropped as he exhaled. Then a cold glint flashed past his eyes as he turned to look at the box.
He raised his arm, his composure extremely refined.
Step! Step! Step!
One step, two steps, he advanced.
Bam!
He struck the ball with the inside of his right foot, sending the ball flying inside the box.
As the ball curled into the box, a melee ensued. The ball ricocheted wildly before landing at Cillian's feet. He didn't hesitate. He turned, swung his leg, and unleashed a ferocious shot. BLOCKED!
The eyes of the crowd widened in surprise. Be it the home fans or the away fans, both sides were surprised.
It was Hiro again.
Throwing his body on the line, he deflected the ball away.
Cillian's eyes widened in fury as he witnessed the scene of his shot getting blocked. He couldn't tell from where Hiro had arrived. However, more than anything else, he felt his blood boiling upon witnessing his shot getting defeated by Hiro.
"YOU AGAIN!" He glared daggers at Hiro.
Hiro had been a thorn in his side since the earlier confrontation. Time and again, he disrupted his strike and denied his chances.
Now, when he was going to be crowned and showered with praises, he once again sapped him of his moment.
Just why? Why? Why can't he stop interfering with his moment?
Gritting his teeth, he glared dagger at Hiro while the ball deflected. Like a bubbling magma ready to burst, rage boiled inside him. Veins popped on his forehead and his pulse quickened.
A collective gasp filled the stadium. The Atletico fans roared enthusiastically, while Cillian, for the first time, looked shaken. He had been denied.
Even so, the play wasn't over.
The ball rebounded out to Federico, who instinctively surged forward, scanning the field. He spotted Alvarez in the distance.
Immediately, he passed the ball to him and began to charge.
The opposing players began to retreat in panic. With most of their players gathered in the
defensive half of Atletico Madrid, their territory was unguarded.
If Atletico charged at them at this moment, this wouldn't end well for them.
Now, the tables had turned and they were on the receiving end.
Though they had Cubarsi defending, he was outnumbered. As magnificent as Cubarsi was,
they couldn't depend entirely on him.
Alvarez sprinted with the ball. Araujo and others retreated steadily in panic. Drawing out their
inner potential, they pushed their limits while retreating.
Due to this, their numerical superiority faded away in an instant.
Alvarez was forced to return the ball. Federico, once again, got hold of the ball. However, he wasn't confident with his acceleration. Hence, he hesitated to charge forward alone.
Desperate, he scanned over the field, searching for people he could use.
While scanning his eyes landed on Hiro who was sprinting like a demon down the right flank.
Despite noticing Hiro, he hesitated to pass the ball. A flash of resentment crossed his face
upon spotting Hiro.
He hated Hiro. But he wanted to win more.
With a begrudging snarl, he played an inch-perfect, looping pass over the retreating
Barcelona defense.
Hiro accelerated like a bullet, his eyes locked on the ball as he took a sublime first touch,
killing the pass dead.
The stadium held its breath. The fans of Atletico were thrilled. Meanwhile, the home fans were extremely anxious. The build-up before them terrified them.