Chapter 836: Qualifier II

The first goal was like a declaration and an answer to those who doubted his position in the squad a few months earlier.

However, Hiro didn’t stop there. Instead, he went on to put on an even more dominating performance.

Hiro was everywhere at once. He was conducting and orchestrating, steering the match with the quiet certainty of a man writing a sentence he had already finished in his head. Every pass was precise, every movement was calculated, and every touch had a purpose.

Thanks to his exceptional performance, the opposing team struggled to keep hold of the ball for even a moment.

In the 27th minute, Hiro received the ball on the edge of the box, and three defenders closed around him.

However, he did not panic. He waited, one beat and then two, while the defenders circled and the crowd leaned forward. Then he chipped the ball delicately over their heads, and it landed at Ryu’s feet.

Ryu controlled it. He could have shot. But he saw Hiro moving, and he knew somehow that the ball was meant for him, and he laid it back.

Hiro didn’t wait like before. He planted a solid foot, and the ball rocketed towards the post.

GOAL.

2-0.

The stadium erupted.

He had registered two goals in under 30 minutes. But from how he continued to play, it didn’t seem like he had any intention of slowing down.

In the 43rd minute, Hiro picked up the ball in his own half. However, he did not sprint, and he did not try to dribble past anyone either.

He simply moved, and the pitch seemed to bend around him.

He drifted past one defender with a simple feint, then past a second with a swerve of his hips, then past a third with a sudden change of pace, and the Vietnamese defense collapsed around him, pulling players out of position and turning order into chaos.

Then, at the last moment, he played the pass.

It went to Ryu, who was through on goal and alone with the keeper. He shot.

GOAL.

3-0.

It was Ryu’s first goal for the national team. He stood frozen for a moment, staring at the ball in the back of the net as if he couldn’t quite believe it had gone in. Then he turned to look at Hiro, and his face said everything his mouth couldn’t.

Thank you.

Hiro gave him a single nod. You earned it.

Fwee!

The whistle sounded for halftime, and the movement came to a halt. The opposing player exhaled almost as if letting out their pent-up exhaustion at once upon hearing the whistle.

The dressing room was buzzing.

Ryu was still shaking, still trying to take in his first international goal, and Shun was laughing and joking in the corner, lightening the mood the way he always did.

On the bench along the wall, Taki Kurosawa sat with his arms folded and his eyes on the floor, watching everything and saying nothing.

Only Hiro sat apart, in the far corner, with his expression calm.

Maestro’s Vision was still humming in the back of his mind, and he could already see how the second half would unfold. Vietnam is tired and demoralized. They’ll come out defensively, trying to limit the damage.

A thin smile crossed his face.

Good. Let’s make it worse.

Just like he had anticipated, the opposing team did become much more defensive than before.

Perhaps it was because of the goal difference, or the opponent just wanted to save their face from embarrassment.

Whatever the reason, the opponent switched to defensive tactics.

However, that didn’t mean Hiro was going to go lenient on them.

In the 58th minute, despite the opponent’s efforts, he scored again, this time from a free kick.

It was twenty-five yards out and slightly to the left.

Hiro stood over the ball with the whole stadium holding its breath, and his eyes moved slowly across the wall, the keeper, and the angles between them, as though he were reading a sentence only he could see.

Then he struck it.

The ball curled over the wall, dipped at the last moment, and nestled into the top corner of the net.

GOAL.

4-0.

Then the fifth goal came in the 72nd minute.

A corner swung in from the right, and Hiro timed his run perfectly, rising above the defenders with a header that was powerful and precise. There was no hesitation in it and no waste.

GOAL!

5-0

By now, the game had been decided.

Even at a glance, one could tell that the opponent’s spirit had been crushed. However, the game was far from over.

In the 80th minute, Hiro could have scored again. The ball sat at his feet, and the goal opened up in front of him.

But he saw Ryu making a run, and he saw the space beside it, and he made the choice that no one else in the stadium expected. He played the pass, and Ryu scored his second goal of the match.

6-0.

Just after four minutes, another pass, this time to the left winger, who finished calmly.

7-0.

And another, this time to the striker in the 90th minute, who tapped it in with the whole stadium on its feet.

8-0.

Fwee!

The whistle blew, and the stadium erupted as the match came to an end.

Eight goals, and Hiro’s fingerprints were on every one of them. He had scored four and set up four, and the rest of the match had been a long, quiet demonstration that one man could change the shape of a game without ever raising his voice.

He stood in the center circle, breathing hard, his kit soaked through with sweat, and looked up at the scoreboard.

Japan 8 - 0 Vietnam.

He allowed himself a small smile. Not bad.

In the VIP section, Nanami rose slowly from his seat and began to clap, one deliberate beat after another.

"He’s different," Nanami said quietly.

Then there was Endo, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"When did he get so good?" Endo questioned.

In another section, Eric was on his feet with his phone forgotten in his hand, and his face was full of pure, unguarded pride. That’s my client. That’s my friend.

The interview room was packed.

Hiro sat at the table, still in his kit, with his expression calm. The first question came from a Japanese journalist.

"Hiro, four goals and four assists. You had a hand in every one of Japan’s eight goals. How does it feel?"

Hiro smiled. "It feels good. But it isn’t about me. It’s about the team."

"But you were exceptional tonight. You dominated the match."

"I had good teammates. They made it easy."

"Ryu scored his first international goals tonight. What did you say to him?"

Hiro’s expression softened. "I told him he earned it. Because he did."