The Rise of the Iron Wall!

Thud!

The moment the referee blew the whistle, Robert Skov sent a high cross to the six-yard box. Somehow, this became the most crowded place on the pitch right now, with everyone fighting to get a better position for this ball.

However, Higo also didn’t stay idle here. While adjusting his position, his eyes were also still staying in the air, tracking the ball that slowly fell into his territory. His brain also worked so quickly, giving him an image of where the ball would go in the next few seconds.

Once it was already in his range, Higo didn’t hesitate, leaping so high in the air with both hands stretching far. This move caught all the opponent players nearby off guard, not expecting the boy to be this bold, fighting for an aerial ball while being so close to the crowd.

One slip was enough to force a fatal blunder here, probably the last thing that any goalkeeper would want to happen in his first-ever professional game.

However, this was far from being Higo’s first rodeo. He knew how to navigate himself among the giants in front of him, so the moment the boy jumped, he put his body in such a way that even the opponent’s light pressure would not be enough to throw his balance off. Only a malicious push would be enough to bring him down, but that would also be a murder.

So, in the end, the boy managed to pluck the ball in the air without even letting his body touch the snow on the ground, and the moment his feet found a solid ground, his eyes scanned the whole midfield area in front of him before finding a familiar target here.

’Well, Morita-san, this is your time to shine! I choose you!’

Thud!

With his strong shoulder, it was quite easy for Higo to throw the ball close to the center line. There, Morita somehow became the only one staying on the frontline as he was practically useless in a cross situation earlier. However, this gave Schalke a perfect chance for a counterattack, because after this, so many players started to rush forward to follow the action.

"Morita! Left!"

"Shit! Keep it in the middle! Don’t lose the ball yet!"

"Come on! This is our chance to fight back!"

All the supporters on the stand also rose unconsciously, biting the corner of their scarf while waiting to see how the attack would unfold. This was the first game of the year, and having a quick goal would be a lucky charm for them to wash away the shame that they suffered in the first half of the season.

Of course, there was no way Hoffenheim would let Schalke get an easy counterattack. They still had three players on the back, and their transition speed to recover from a failed offense was also quick. At this point, it was already 5v6, with Hoffenheim players having an advantage in numbers.

Of course, number alone was not the most decisive part here. No, it was the players’ imagination and execution that mattered the most, and right now, Schalke was lucky that the one who handled the ball was the best player when it came to those two aspects.

Morita didn’t even flinch here. Before any of Hoffenheim’s players put strong pressure on him, the boy sent a through ball to the channel space on the left side of the opponent’s penalty box, and while the pass itself was a little bit too hard, it ended so close to the byline, creating an impossible close to 180-degree angle toward the goal itself, Fabian didn’t even hesitate here.

BAM!

From such a bad angle, the blonde boy took a direct shot, aiming at the spot between the goalkeeper’s legs. It went through successfully, but due to the bad angle, the ball just rolled in front of the goal line without even crossing it, as if the shot was a cutback pass to the center.

Well...

It was, when the striker himself, Suat Serdar, finally popped up in front of Hoffenheim’s goal, sliding on the snowy ground with one foot stretching far. As a result, he touched the ball lightly, but it was still enough to make the ball change direction, getting into the back of Hoffenheim’s net smoothly.

Thud!

For a moment, silence followed here, with most people inside the stadium covering their mouths while also holding back their silent sobs. While they had already shouted it so many times, when the first goal really came from their side, they froze for a moment, unable to show a proper reaction.

It was only a few seconds later when the kids started screaming that the adults around finally followed with continuous roars that echoed all over the stadium.

"FUCK YES! WHAT A GOAL!"

"SUAT!"

"SERDAR!"

The German striker also celebrated crazily, jumping in front of the stand with a single punch in the air. The vein on his neck was visible, showing how excited he was. Then, a second later, all the Schalke players followed, jumping on the man’s back to join the celebration.

"Come on, Serdar! You stole my goal!" Fabian punched the man’s shoulder lightly.

"Bah! Your ball was not even going to the goal; what are you trying to say?!" Suat Serdar laughed at the boy mockingly.

"Hey, hey, don’t forget about my pass! Is no one going to praise it?!" Morita chimed in, his eyes dancing in excitement.

On the backline, Higo also didn’t forget to celebrate this goal. In the middle of so many Hoffenheim players who stared at their own goal in disbelief, he hugged Ozan Kabak and Bastian Oczipka, who were ruffling his hair excitedly.

"Good, God! That throw is incredible! How could you see him like that?!" Ozan Kabak asked in awe.

"Oh, that’s nothing, Oz-san! Just a normal throw!" Higo grinned boisterously.

He had a reason to be excited. After all, not only was the goal enough to ease the tension on his side, but he was also the one who initiated that goal before. Just like he said, it was a normal operation when he was in the second team, and the boy didn’t really expect that this trick would work even in the Bundesliga.

However, when he felt the hostile aura radiating on the opponent’s side, the boy knew that things would be harder next.

’Now that we have already secured a goal, everything depends on me! This goalless state... I have to defend it even if I have to die!’

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