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Chapter 659: The unexpected hero



The crowd was tense, the tension almost unbearable. With the fans holding their breath, a collective hush fell upon the stadium.

In this hushed silence, the collective gasp of the players on the field could audibly be heard. The exchanges, the players exchanged, the struggle inside the box, and the crisp sound of the boot against the grass, reverberated around the pitch.

On the sideline, Hiro and the others watched the unfolding scene with growing anxiety. Nanami and Guardiola were both on their toes, their brows knitted.

Inside the field, the English players, equally desperate, swarmed around the Japanese box with determination written on their faces.

Trent standing before the ball, exhaled deeply before looking at the ball. Slowly, he averted his gaze from the ball and swept his gaze through the swarm of people before him.

He scanned the box.

Then he returned his focus to the ball. His eyes flashed with determination as his focus peaked.

The buzz of the crowd no longer bothered him. The world had gone silent and a tranquil calm washed over him.

Even though he was under huge pressure, Trent wasn't bothered now.

The whistle blew.

Beep!

Trent's boot struck the ball with a perfect blend of power and curve, sending it soaring toward the far post. The ball spun through the air like a missile, its trajectory pinpoint. Gasps erupted from the stands as the swarm of bodies lunged to meet it.

"Here comes the corner! This could be England's last chance!" the commentator shouted, his voice almost drowned out by the roar of the crowd.

The gazes of the people were concentrated on the hovering ball, their brows knitted. Anxiety gripped their heart and anticipation filled their mind.

While the ball hovered, it seemed as if the time had come to a halt.

The closer the ball got to the box, the wider their eyes got.

Under the watchful gazes of the spectators, chaos unfolded inside the box as the player competed for the dominance of the ball.

Aya leaped forward, fists aimed to punch the ball clear. But towering above the rest, Harry Maguire rose with perfect timing. His head connected with the ball, sending it rocketing toward the net.

Despite being criticized heavily, this man had somehow maintained his spot in the team. Though he had lost the captain's armband, he was still fighting. Even though he had been demoted to a reserve player, he hadn't given up.

Now, with unyielding determination, he rose high above anybody else.

At one time, this man was an absolute beast in the defense line. However, after struggling at Manchester United, he had been trolled and criticized badly.

Even though he would say that those negative criticisms didn't bother him, he had been falling apart. Every time, he heard those criticisms, an agonizing feeling of despair would gnaw at him, making him unable to move.

He was well aware criticisms couldn't be avoided in this line of work.

Even so, he was giving his best. Yet still, people would criticize him. At one point even his own teammates felt like they were against him.

It felt as if the whole world was against him.

It would be a lie to say that he didn't feel like giving up. The thought of calling it a quit crossed his mind a lot. However, he couldn't even call it a quit because he loved the sport.

Alone and hurt, he worked on himself.

When the whole world was against him, he had found himself pushing further. While going through the torment of criticisms, he had motivated himself.

He had overcome the intimidating storm alone.

Now, he towered over all the others inside the box with perfect timing. The eyes of the people, even those who looked down on him before converged on him now.

Even those people who looked down on him now were putting their faith in him.

However, even though he had been criticized badly, he didn't hate these people. He only hoped for them to understand him.

"Harry Maguire! He's gone up for it!" cried the commentator.

His head connected with the ball, sending it rocketing toward the net. A few hands were pulling him down. However, the strength he had built in those despairing moments of his life couldn't be looked down upon.

With the strength of Grizzly Bear, Maguire forced his way and connected flawlessly with the ball, sending it rocketing toward the net.

The opponent below contorted their face in despair. They could feel them getting overpowered. This feeling of loss, they couldn't bring themselves to accept.

Unable to stop Maguire, a feeling of helplessness gnawed at them, making them contort their face in disappointment.

Squinching their eyes, they gritted their teeth, struggle and despair evident in their visage. Their heart palpitated in fear.

Maguire's towering silhouette loomed over their face and shrouded them in an endless void of darkness.

Aya lunged backward, his body making an unusual arc. Having moved in front, he had to bend his back quite a lot to be able to touch the hovering ball.

Even though he was aware of the strain it would put on his body, Aya didn't care about it at this point. There wasn't any room to hesitate.

He was totally immersed in the moment.

To him saving the ball was more important than the burden that would put on his body. If he landed roughly afterward, it wouldn't end well for him.

There would be some negative consequences. Perhaps, even an injury couldn't be avoided.

At this point, it would be fair to say that Aya had gambled his entire career over this one single

moment.

His outstretched hand grazed the ball.

'It's not enough...' Aya squinched his brow.

He felt a faint sensation of touching the ball. However, he could tell that it wasn't enough to alter its trajectory. So, he couldn't help but feel anxious.

The ball took a faint deflection.

However, the faint deflection wasn't enough. The ball struck the underside of the crossbar with a deafening thud and bounced down over the line.

Thud!

Aya landed harshly on the ground with his back first. The impact sent an agonizing pain coursing through his body.

He felt like screaming.

"ARGH-"

However, the scream he let out was immediately muffled by the erupting crowd.

The stadium erupted. The roar of the English fans was deafening, shaking the very

foundations of the venue.

Maguire tore away and rushed to the sideline at a threatening pace.

With fists pumping in triumph, and his teammates chasing him in celebration, Maguire let out an energetic roar that resonated throughout the stadium, "YEAH—"

Even Jordan Pickford, who had sprinted the length of the field, joined the huddle.

"GOAL! England has equalized in the dying seconds of the match! This is incredible!" the commentator bellowed, his voice brimming with disbelief and excitement. "Harry Maguire has kept England alive with a heroic header!"

The crowd went wild, the Japanese supporters wailing in defeat. The thing that they feared

the most. Their nightmare was unfolding before them.

This was supposed to be the moment, they would rise in glory.

However, before they could rise to glory, England had come crashing on them like a huge

boulder over a puny human, ending their hopes and dreams.

Their dreams and hopes shattered right before their eyes.

Despair gripped their heart, their heart screaming in panic. A dark shadow loomed over theirn/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

face and they felt like the world had come crashing down on them.

It felt as if the sky had been flipped upside down.

On the Japanese side, devastation was etched onto every face. Hiro dropped to his knees, his

head hung low. Around him, his teammates stared in disbelief, their dreams momentarily

shattered.

Hiro couldn't believe the scene unfolding before him.

Just a second more and they would be through to the semi-finals. But now, their momentum had suddenly come to an abrupt halt and he was utterly helpless against it.

With their head hung low and faces etched with despair, the Japanese players who had been beaten stood on the field appearing seemingly devasted. Some had even buried their face on the ground unable to accept the reality.

"It's heartbreak for Japan," another commentator remarked somberly. "They fought so valiantly, but this late equalizer has changed everything. The emotions on their faces tell the

whole story."

A stark contrast to their previous motivated appearance, the Japanese players were full of

despair.

In the stands, Japanese supporters clutched their heads or covered their mouths, their cheers replaced by stunned silence. The English fans, however, were jubilant. Flags waved furiously,

and chants filled the night air.

However, now that England had equalized, the match was far from over.

Thus even though they didn't feel like standing, they had to force themselves to stand. Now,

that England had equalized, there would be an additional 30 minutes to decide the victor.

So, they returned to their position to resume the match. However, the moment they returned,

the final whistle was blown.

Beep!