My system allows me to copy talents

Chapter 377 Japan u17 vs Senegal u17 VIII

Then while looking around him, he assumed his position between the poles. From behind, he could see almost the entirety of the pitch. And, the scene around him was so mesmerizing that he simply couldn't take his eyes off it.

"Yes, it should be like this," he murmured, nodding his head while feeling the pressure.

The pressure on him was nothing but immense. Yet, he couldn't afford to get devoured by the pressure built up around him.

The moment he had desired the most had finally presented itself. So, how could he afford to let his nervousness ruin this precious opportunity?

Pulling his gloves, he then tapped both sides of the pole to ease his nerves and ready himself for the match. Normally, he only made such a gesture during penalties. But, for some reason, he just couldn't stop himself from making such gestures.

Not only, did it help him soothe his nervousness, but he also believed that by doing so, he'd get more lucky. Sure, it was nothing more than superstition. But, if he believed in it then what's so wrong about doing it?

Beep!!

After everyone assumed their respective position, the referee blew his whistle, announcing the continuation of the match.

At once as the shrill sound of the referee's whistle echoed, the stadium came to life with the cheers of the audience and the movement of the players on the field. The opposing side hadn't made any changes while the Japanese side had some major changes in their squad.

Especially the substitution of Shun. It came as a surprise for many fans as they just couldn't help but feel skeptical about the changes. Shun had been nothing but impressive in the first half. So, despite his solid performance and form, why was he getting benched?

They just couldn't help but question the changes that have been made. But, despite their skepticism regarding the changes, they could do nothing but accept the change and have faith in their coach's decision.

Even after that short break, the opposing side's momentum didn't show any signs of slowing down as they pressed high from the get-go. Just like minutes before the end of the first half, they charged ahead ferociously.

Their efforts however bore no fruit as they failed to get past the defensive line of the opposing side. Almost as if they had drunk some kind of divine elixir, Akutsu and the rest of the players in the defense put up an impressive performance, completely neutralizing the opposing players from closing into their post.

'What's up with them? Are they the same players from before?'

Just like almost everyone in the stadium, Shun couldn't help but feel surprised by the performance of his teammates. If only they would have played like this from the get-go, the burden on him might have lessened.

Seeing such a marvelous performance, he should be cheering them. Yet, upon seeing their performance, he couldn't help but feel a bit angry about it.

All of a sudden they had become quite dependable. And, due to their performance, Taki didn't face any dangers for a while.

But, Taki still couldn't afford to take it easy. Despite his teammate's reliability, he still couldn't afford to lower his guard.

Though the opposing side dominated the position, Hiro and his teammates still didn't sit idly as they responded with a ferocious counterattack whenever they got the opportunity. However, they still couldn't extend their lead as they failed to produce any results despite their efforts.

Just like this, the stalemate continued until the 70th minute of the match as both teams failed to score any more goals in the second half.

However, even though both teams failed to score goals, the match wasn't boring in the least. Instead, those near-goal experiences kept the audience on their heels at all times. They didn't give them any opportunity to look away.

Then in the 74th minute of the match, Gueye broke free from the entanglement of the defenders of team Japan. Making use of his greatest arsenal— his speed and footwork, he tore through the impeccable web-like formation of the Japanese defenders.

"He's coming," Taki murmured under his breath.

His heart rate spiked upon seeing the incoming attacker of the opposing team.

'Should I run out and intercept him, or should I wait for him?' he ransacked his mind.

Then, he vigorously shifted his attention, looking for possible threats heading his way. As he looked around him, his vision broadened. Multiple opposing players were heading his way, and so were his teammates.

Based on his observation, he could tell that leaving his position would be a pretty bad decision as Gueye seemed extremely fast. But, he just couldn't sit back and wait for Gueye to make his shot. He still had to obstruct him somehow.

Allowing him time to prepare would only put him in danger. But, so will leaving his position. Right now, he was quite in a tight spot.

'Don't just sit back there...,' Shun prayed desperately, furrowing his brows.

Though he remained silent, one could tell just from a glance that he was quite anxious at the moment. Trepidation was evident in his terrified eyes.

But, it wasn't just Shun who was terrified at the moment, almost everyone who supported Japan was terrified. And, the state of his teammates seated beside him was even worse than his. Trepidation flashed in their eyes while at the same time, they were desperately yelling, "Please, don't let him score"

Then all of a sudden, Taki left his position and rushed towards the ball. Upon seeing the dispositioning of the opposing keeper, Gueye became excited as he increased his pace.

He had already been moving so fast. Yet, he still increased his pace even further all of a sudden. Many upon witnessing this scene became extremely horrified.

"Wasn't he already running on his top speed?"

"How much faster can he get?"

"Just why?"

Many cried out, their frustrated cries echoed in the stadium casting a gloomy pall over the stadium.

Then all of a sudden, Taki slowed his pace.