The orange team looked unsettled now, their earlier composure fractured by the unexpected goal.
Some of them even started conversing to each other, Saki smiled with pride as he watched Joha talk to his attacking midfielder, cupping his hand over his mouth.
Young Nicholas nodded and they stationed themselves back to their positions.
The referee blew the whistle again, signaling the restart.
As always the back pass was made finding one of the center defender, Ryu Suzuki, jersey number 14.
He controlled the ball elegantly as he scanned around to make sure where to pass the ball, and then a hand rose from the young Winger, Imao- he lifted it high enough for Ryu to spot him and passed the ball, just then someone shouted-
"No!"
It was Joha.
That was when Ryu realized the mistake he had made—passing the ball to Imao, who couldn't even turn with it before the defensive midfielder, Elton, burst in to apply immediate pressure and dispossess him.
He had just initiated a counterattack for the blue team to exploit.
Saki was the first person to react to this.
The moment Elton's foot nicked the ball away from Imao, Saki was already moving—exploding into the space ahead like he had been waiting for it.
Elton saw it instantly.
That run.
Sharp. Direct. Dangerous.
He didn't rush.
Instead, he took one steady touch to secure the ball, his body positioning shielding it from the recovering Imao. His head lifted for just a fraction—
Enough.
Saki was already cutting inside, angling his run between the center-back and fullback, opening a channel that hadn't existed a second ago.
Elton's eyes narrowed.
Good run.
But he didn't pass.
Not yet.
A defender stepped forward, trying to close Elton down quickly, sensing the danger.
Another shifted toward Saki, wary of the through ball.
That was exactly what Elton wanted.
He dragged the ball slightly to his right, baiting the pressure, holding it just long enough to pull one more Orange shirt out of position.
"Come on…" he muttered under his breath.
Then—
He released it.
A perfectly weighted ground pass, slicing between the defenders—not rushed, not forced—guided straight into Saki's path.
Not where he was.
Where he would be.
Saki didn't break stride.
The ball met him like it had been planned all along.
One touch.
Forward.
Now he was through.
The defense scrambled behind him, their footsteps chasing, but they were already a step too late.
Elton remained where he was for a second, watching the play unfold, a faint smile forming on his face.
"Now, let's see," he mused quietly to himself.
"Do you still pass… or do you finish?"
Saki's explosiveness made sure even the players behind him had nothing to chase but his shadow.
He drove forward at full speed, the space opening with every stride. The goalkeeper reacted early—too early—rushing off his line in desperation.
Saki saw it.
In one fluid motion, he lifted the ball just high enough, a delicate touch meant to glide it over.
But the goalkeeper stretched high, his fingertips grazing it just enough to slap it over the bar.
"OOOOHHH!!"
The reaction burst from the instructors in the sidelines and the spectators behind the fence, all at once.
Saki slowed to a stop, exhaling as he watched the ball disappear behind the goal. His eyes lingered on the keeper for a moment before he gave a small nod.
Good save.
Behind him, Papu grabbed his head in disbelief.
"No way! That was in!"
Elton clicked his tongue softly as he jogged past. "You read him right… just didn't finish it."
Saki turned, already walking back.
"We're close," he said calmly.
The referee pointed toward the corner flag.
Lumi was already moving.
He placed the ball down carefully, taking a step back as his eyes scanned the crowded box.
Inside, it was chaos.
Players jostled for position—shirts tugged, arms locked, voices clashing.
"Mark him!"
"Stay tight!"
Saki stood just outside the cluster, still, composed… watching.
Waiting.
The whistle cut through the noise.
The whistle pierced the din.
Lumi sprinted forward—
And whipped in a cross.
A swift, bending ball arced towards the near post— a deft touch.
The ball abruptly shifted course, cutting through the air and falling perilously into the six-yard box.
For a breathless moment only silence.
Then, Saki moved in explosively.
He burst from the edge, slicing into the space before anyone could respond. The ball landed perfectly at his feet
Only one touch.
A sharp jab at goal, but a defender lunged in the nick of time.
Blocked.
The ball spun away, ricocheting wildly within the penalty area.
"Clear it!" a voice boomed.
But it was already too late.
Don charged in.
Without a second thought.
He unleashed a powerful swing at the loose ball.
THUD!
It rocketed through the throng, and into the net.
"GOOOAAALLL!!"
The blue team erupted again, the sound even louder this time, overwhelming the field.
Saki stood still for a second, watching the net ripple with amazement.
"How did... Damn you Don you're freaking lucky!"
He said smiling to himself.
Don and the others were already sliding outside the box as he screamed to the casual spectators outside the fence:
"That's right ... Call me Don Carioo!"
The kids screamed back at them excitedly...
"Go team blue! Go blue!"
Saki was still in the field, not celebrating with the others when he heard Joha speaking loud to his teammates for the first time.
"We're being sloppy!"
"They've changed their game," he spoke firmly, "but we're still playing just the same way."
There was a shift among them, and Saki could tell just by their silent expressions—they didn't need to say much to understand each other.
But his side was different.
They needed to be reminded.
This game could turn at any moment. It had already happened once—and it could just as easily happen to them. Right now, the score was tied at three all, but one slip, one careless touch, and everything could fall apart.
Saki couldn't predict exactly what their opponents, Team Orange, would do next—but one thing was clear: their strength lay in midfield.
It was obvious—their playmaker was better, sharper, more composed.
And then there was Joha—another problem entirely.
They had the edge in almost every area… except attack.
That was where Blue were superior.
Even if Orange's defensive line was stronger on paper, it struggled more against Saki and his teammates than Blue's defense did against theirs.
Which meant only one thing: winning the midfield was the key to their victory.