The Road to the Promised Land: Chapter 30

Knight vs. Assassin, FA Cup 4th Round :Previous «Home Page» Next: The Flowers of Manchester
== Irons vs. Red Devils, The Rift ==
Friday February 1st
AON Training Complex, Carrington, UK
Following the rollercoaster of emotions against Liverpool in the FA Cup, there was little time for a rest as the following Premier League match came up quickly on the following Wednesday (January 30) at Old Trafford. Fortunately, United gave a professional performance by defeating AFC Bournemouth by a score of 4-1. Considering the demands of playing 3 matches within 9 days, the training process was changed to prioritize recovery and tactical preparation rather than high intensity work.
On the first Friday afternoon of February, the Manchester United players gathered into a TV room where they could watch the AFC Asian Cup final between Japan and a surprisingly strong Qatari team. The final kicked off in Abu Dhabi at 2:00 PM GMT (6:00 PM Abu Dhabi time). Japan managed to defeat Turkmenistan (3-2, January 9), Oman (1-0, January), Uzbekistan (2-1, January 17), Saudi Arabia (1-0, January 21), Vietnam (1-0, January 24), and Iran (3-0, January 28) thus far. Although Japan struggled at times to cope with various conditions, the 3-0 semifinals win over then-favorite Iran gave the Samurai Blue all the hopes they could have asked. However, things didn't look good for Japan as they were trailing by a score of 0-2 at halftime.
"Talk about a very bad first half." Kakeru lamented.
"I expected a lot better from Japan, but those were very good goals." Marius said.
"The goalkeeper was not going to stop goals like them." Jan added.
"You could say the goals were brilliant, but the Japanese players gave the Qataris way too much space too." Matthias replied.
"You're right on that, Skipper. On the first goal, Yoshida was too passive when he should have played the body on their striker. On the second goal, Yoshida walked back, but also gave too much space for the player to shoot." Nana said.
"Yoshida was bad on both goals, you're right. But I wasn't very happy with the way Oda didn't play a high pressure on the Qatari player before he took the long shot." Kakeru remarked.
"If the coach for Japan let Yusuke play instead of Ryoma Oda, the Japanese midfield wouldn't look so sloppy." Chris said.
"Yeah, I know. Van der Meijde was probably relying on Oda's chemistry with Araki like at Arsenal, but Oda is definitely off his game so far." Nana replied.
"I guess it will take some heroics in the second half for Japan. Qatar still has not conceded once in this tournament." Matthias said. Indeed, Qatar had scored 18 goals while conceding none in 6 matches and a half at that time.
Kakeru then felt his smartphone making one vibration, which notified an incoming text message.
"I need to answer a text message, guys." Kakeru said.
"Go for it. You have the entire halftime to answer." Matthias replied.
After Kakeru walked outside the viewing room, he texted back to the one who wrote the previous message. That person was West Ham United striker and former Manchester United striker, Javier Hernández. Javier is known by his nickname, Chicharito, or simply as ‘Chicha' to his friends.
"Hi, Chicha. Did the guest agree to our little request?" Kakeru texted.
"Yes. The West Ham people talked to her. She said OK." Javier replied.
"That's great! Nana will really be happy."
"We'll keep the surprise for her." Javier texted back.
"Thanks, Chicha. I really appreciate it." Kakeru wrote.
"BTW, expected better from Japan. WTF?"
"No idea. We really look bad." Kakeru texted.
"Hope Japan can come back." Javier replied.
"I hope." Kakeru texted. "Gotta go now. Thanks for the heads-up, and see you on Sunday."
"See you on Sunday." Javier finished the live chat.
Kakeru then walked back into the viewing room. Nana was the first to see him back.
"Hey!" Nana greeted. "Who texted you earlier?"
"It was Chicha. We were chatting about old times and about our next match." Kakeru said.
"Well, I expect a good effort coming from him." Nana replied.
"So do I." 
Kakeru, Nana, and their teammates then sat down to watch the second half of the AFC Asian Cup final. Japan regained possession while also finding several scoring chances. However, the Japanese players couldn't take a single shot on goal. In the 56th minute, Japan survived from going behind by 3 goals when a Qatari fired above the crossbar at the end of a counterattack. It was perhaps the bit of luck they needed.
In the 69th minute:
Japan moved several players forward and on the edge of the opposition's penalty area, but the Qataris also had several players defending deep in their own half. Hiroki Sakai attempted to run his way with the ball past a Qatari player before he attempted a pass intended for a teammate up front. The pass was cut by a Qatari player, but it was not controlled. As a result, the loose ball rolled towards Takehiro Tomiyasu.
"Come on, pass!" Kakeru shouted.
Tomiyasu then passed the ball towards Akira Takajo, who had a Qatari defender standing against him like a brick wall. The Leicester City striker then made a short layoff pass towards Red Bull Salzburg striker Takumi Minamino. Finding himself all alone with the Qatari goalkeeper, Minamino dinked the shot above the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
In Carrington, the Manchester United players jumped off their seats to applaud the Japanese goal.
"We're back in the game!" Kakeru exclaimed.
"First time Qatar has conceded a goal in this tournament! That's one step done!" Nana added.
"There is lots of time left. Japan can still score one more." Matthias replied.
"I'm crossing my fingers now." Kakeru said.
Japan continued to launch attacks forward, but the Qataris held their ground for a dozen minutes. Then in the 81th minute, a moment of controversy came up when the referee was summoned by the video assistant referee (VAR) to reassess a situation where a penalty could be awarded for Qatar on a hand ball foul by Maya Yoshida.
"No way that's a pen." Matthias said.
"You're right about that, Skipper." Nana added.
"How can you be sure?" Marius asked.
"The Qatari was right on Yoshida when he headed the ball on the arm. Distance between the arm and the ball is too short, and Yoshida never intended to block the shot deliberately with that." Matthias replied. "I would chew up the referee if that was given against me."
"I have a bad feeling about this. That idiot referee was horrible at the World Cup when he refereed Spain/Morocco." Kakeru said.
"Yeah, he made a very wrong call with the VAR back then. He looks tempted to give them the penalty now." Nana added.
Unfortunately for Japan, the referee awarded the penalty in the 82nd minute for Qatar after he saw the replays. Among all Japanese supporters as well as between the Manchester United players, it was a decision that no one could believe.
"F***!" Kakeru cursed.
"Bollocks!" Nana added to the angry reaction.
"That incompetent does it again. Shame." Matthias replied with a sigh.
To make things worse, the penalty was converted to make it Japan 1-3 Qatar. After that, Japan launched desperate but futile attacks. The score remained as such until the very end. For Japan, it was a bitter disappointment as they missed out the opportunity to win a record 5th Asian Cup, especially since Japan had never lost a final in the AFC Asian Cup until that day.
After the medal ceremonies and the broadcast ended, Kakeru and Nana stayed in the viewing room a little longer to reflect on that difficult moment for their country's National Team.
"That's a really tough pill to swallow." Kakeru said.
"Yeah, but we just didn't do enough to win. We thought it would be easy, but we got it all wrong." Nana replied.
"I guess that's one good lesson to take. Either it's at United or with Japan, we must never take anything for granted."
"You're right, Kakeru. To be at the top, one must be working hard in every game."
"When I'll go out there, I will show no mercy to the opposition." Kakeru said.
"Same for me. It's a promise." Nana replied.
"Well, let's have a rest and think about West Ham."
"Spot on, Kakeru. They won't do us any favors on Sunday." Nana finished.
Finally, Kakeru and Nana left Carrington to go home. On the following day, they joined their teammates for a trip to London. The next task was to defeat West Ham, and thus keep a tight race with Arsenal at the top of the Premier League standings.
Sunday February 3
West Ham United vs. Manchester United (Premier League match 25)
London Stadium, London, UK
Based in Stratford, East London, West Ham United Football Club is one of the most recognized clubs in England. First founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks F.C., the club is known either as the "Irons" or as the "Hammers" because of its origins. West Ham is a club that has been known for having promoted several young English players through their academy since the 1950s, hence their nickname of "The Academy of Football". Some the most famous academy graduates include 3 winners of the 1966 FIFA World Cup: Bobby Moore, Sir Geoff Hurst, and Martin Peters. In the club's history, West Ham won the FA Cup 3 times, but never earned a higher league position than a third place back in 1985-86. Over the decades, the club experienced several highs and lows, and have not tasted the joy of winning silverware for many years. Nevertheless, the support remains as strong as ever both in London and abroad.
Between 1904 and 2016, West Ham were based at the Boleyn Ground, which was commonly known as Upton Park and first known as Green Street House. Green Street House was known locally as Boleyn Castle because of its imposing nature and an association with Anne Boleyn, who had either stayed at or, as some believe, owned the house. Hence renting the grounds of "Boleyn Castle" the name Boleyn Ground came into being. For that reason, the club's old crest had the facade of a castle on it until the summer of 2016. Nevertheless, the crossed hammers remain the primary symbol of the club.
Visits to West Ham's home ground often were tricky fixtures for Manchester United over the years. However, most of those tricky fixtures took place at the old Boleyn Ground where it was considered a place that other clubs hated to come into. Hardcore West Ham supporters were located a lot closer to the pitch at Boleyn Ground than they are now at the Olympic Stadium. Some people say that the intimidating factor associated with West Ham got somewhat lost with the change in stadiums, especially when the atmosphere surrounding matches became different. Nevertheless, the Red Devils aimed to display a very professional performance, and expected nothing less of an opponent in need of proving critics wrong.
In the tunnel, Kakeru met his friend Javier Hernández, who was among the West Ham substitutes for the start of the match. The strikers didn't miss this opportunity to exchange a few good words.
"Hi, Kakeru and Nana." Javier said.
"Oh, hi, Chicha." Kakeru shook hands with Javier.
"Nice to see you again, Chicha." Nana said.
"How are you two doing?" Javier asked.
"I really feel good, thanks. I can't wait to get out there." Kakeru replied.
"This stadium always brings me happy memories ever since I was a part of the opening ceremony for the 2012 Olympics. I hope it will continue." Nana added.
"I hope we will win today though. Let's have a good game today."
"It's good, Chicha. May the better side win today." Kakeru said.
Shortly after, the referee led both teams on the way onto the pitch. As both teams came out into the arena, there was a machine that had been spewing bubbles for a few minutes at pitchside. It was part of the customary entrance for West Ham as their supporters sang in full voice one of most recognizable club anthems in England since the late 1920s: I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles.
I'M FOREVER BLOWING BUBBLES,PRETTY BUBBLES IN THE AIR,THEY FLY SO HIGH,NEARLY REACH THE SKY,THEN LIKE MY DREAMS,THEY FADE AND DIE.FORTUNE'S ALWAYS HIDING,I'VE LOOKED EVERYWHERE,I'M FOREVER BLOWING BUBBLES,PRETTY BUBBLES IN THE AIR.
After the song ended, the West Ham supporters shouted "UNITED!" and then clapped their hands 3 times, and then repeated the process one more time before the roar was heard inside the stadium in anticipation of the upcoming 4:30 PM kickoff.
Manchester United fielding the following 4-3-3 lineup: Jan Farkas (goalkeeper), Diogo Blanco (right-back), Erik Johansson (centre-back), Matthias Köhler (centre-back and captain), Andrew Shaw (left-back), Nana Mishima (cental midfielder), Aleksandar Rukavina (central midfielder), Nikolaj Kristiansen (central midfielder), Kevin Flynn (right forward), Kakeru Aizawa (striker), and Anthony Laurent (left forward). For this match, the visiting field players from Manchester were dressed all in dark blue.
On the other hand, West Ham fielded the following 4-2-3-1 setup: Lukasz Fabianski (goalkeeper), Ryan Fredericks (right-back), Fabián Balbuena (centre-back), Angelo Ogbonna (centre-back), Aaron Cresswell (left-back), Declan Rice (central midfielder), Mark Noble (central midfielder and captain), Michail Antonio (right winger), Manuel Lanzini (central attacking midfielder), Felipe Anderson (left winger), and Marko Arnautović (striker). The West Ham field players wore their trademark claret and sky blue shirts, white shorts, and white socks.
For this match, West Ham kicked things off. Early on, the Irons stormed out of the gates, hoping to grab the early lead.
In the 5th minute:
Martin Tyler: Cresswell...
Charging down the wing, Aaron Cresswell arrived around the two-thirds of the length of the pitch. Diogo attempted to tackle English left-back, but Cresswell managed to poke the ball forward for Marko Arnautović. As a result, Diogo fouled Cresswell.
Martin Tyler: Fouled by Blanco. Advantage given...
The referee chose to play the advantage. Holding the ball against the pressure coming from Erik, the Austrian Marko Arnautović made a layoff pass in favor of Felipe Anderson. Nana attempted to intervene, but then bumped into the Brazilian. However, the loose ball rolled sideways towards the West Ham captain, Mark Noble.
Martin Tyler: Noble playing it forward...
With a single toe poke, Noble passed the ball forward to Arnautović on the edge of the Manchester United penalty area. Matthias attempted to put his body as a shield against the Austrian, but the latter surprised the German defender by cutting the run inside. On his stronger right foot, Arnautović fired a shot that sent Jan diving in desperation to the left.
Martin Tyler: It's Arnautović!! He put it just wide!
Much to the disbelief of all West Ham supporters in the crowd, the ball rolled just wide to the post at Jan's left-hand side. Meanwhile, the Manchester United players and supporters breathed a sigh of relief.
Gary Neville: What a quality buildup by West Ham! There were only so few touches on the ball, but they managed the shot. Cresswell gets fouled, but finds Arnautović. The ball rolls to Felipe Anderson, who gets fouled. Well done by the referee to play the advantage. Then Noble finds Arnautović again with the first touch. The striker shifts onto his right foot, the shot rolls wide, but only just.
'Too close for comfort.' Kakeru thought.
'They are a tough bunch. We won't have it easy at all today.' Nana thought.
West Ham were using whatever time they had on the ball to move quickly on the counterattack. Only a handful of minutes later, the Hammers looked for another opportunity to create something out of nothing.
In the 10th minute:
Martin Tyler: Kristiansen... he's looking to make his way through.
In the middle of the park, Nikolaj ran forward with the ball, but he had Declan Rice hustling after him. Finally, Rice managed to tackle the ball away from Nikolaj. A split second later, Mark Noble threw himself in a sliding tackle to push the loose ball away from any nearby Manchester United player.
Martin Tyler: Some physical play, combined by Rice and Noble...
The West Ham supporters cheered at the physical and yet legal intervention of their 2 central midfielders. Meanwhile, the loose ball went to Manuel Lanzini. Then the Argentine central attacking midfielder played a quick give-and-go with Arnautović before both players charged their way inside the Manchester United half.
Martin Tyler: West Ham on the counterattack. Lanzini... passes it off for Arnautović. He has Michail Antonio in support...
Arriving at three-quarters of the length of the pitch, the Argentine midfielder passed the ball to the big Austrian forward. Then Arnautović had Michail Antonio arriving in support, which got the Manchester United defenders on their heels. Instead of passing the ball, the Austrian chose to shoot from 25 yards.
Martin Tyler: Arnautović! Parried away by Farkas down to his right!
The shot flew towards the bottom corner to Jan's right, but the Slovakian goalkeeper parried the ball away. Then the rebound was recovered by Diogo, who then carried the ball for some distance before Felipe Anderson tackled the ball out of bounds. Once again, the West Ham supporters could only moan in disappointment for not seeing their team in the lead yet.
Meanwhile in West Didsbury:
"We need to wake up now!" Noriko exclaimed.
"They have had the best chances so far." Sarah replied.
"Yeah. The boys have been sloppy so far." Taeko said.
"The only way we will beat West Ham is by going more direct and being more incisive against them. They don't have bags confidence out there, so all we need to do is to attack." Noriko said.
"I agree. I just hope our lads will go at them soon." Sarah replied.
"If Kakeru gets in the game, then West Ham better watch out." Taeko finished.
The Red Devils took a few minutes to settle the pace of the game to what they wanted to impose. Finally, Manchester United started showing better signs of attacking initiative. With the first quarter of an hour gone, it was the visiting side that was becoming more dangerous.
In the 20th minute:
Martin Tyler: Flynn... finds Mishima.
With the action taking place deep inside the West Ham half, Kevin passed the ball towards Nana, who stood close to the touchline on the Hammers' left side. The Little Witch had to deal with 2 West Ham players attempting to take the ball off from her. Nevertheless, Nana made a roulette feint to create enough space for herself before she flicked the ball into Diogo's path. The Portuguese left-back in dark blue ran behind Aaron Cresswell, and there was some space to take advantage of.
Martin Tyler: That's a clever pass towards Blanco...
Running close to the byline, Diogo whipped the ball into the feet of Kakeru. For a split second, the Japanese striker was left unmarked by the West Ham defenders.
Martin Tyler: He runs it towards Aizawa...
Kakeru took one touch to stop the ball, and then spun on himself to strike the ball with his left foot. Surprising everybody, Kakeru fired the ball to Fabianski's right and into the top corner of the goal.
Martin Tyler: …WHO SCORES! KAKERU AIZAWA!! That's his 23rd goal of this increasingly prolific campaign. He has scored in all 5 matches since his return, but, more importantly, Manchester United have the lead at the Olympic Stadium.
Kakeru then ran his way towards the nearest corner flag before he whacked it down with a punch in the midst of the goal celebrations.
"COME ON!" Kakeru shouted out loud.
"You did it, Kakeru!" Nana said.
"Get in!" Kevin exclaimed.
"Attaboy!" Nikolaj congratulated.
"Great shot, Knight!" Matthias added.
"Thanks, lads!" Kakeru replied.
Meanwhile in West Didsbury:
"Big goal, Kakeru! Big goal!" Noriko exclaimed.
"That was a nice effort by Nana before that too." Taeko said.
"Right. Nana spun around that West Ham player before she flicked the ball to Blanco. After that, it was an easy pass to Kakeru." Sarah replied.
"I just hope we won't get too complacent now. We should look to score another." Noriko said.
"If we can score another, their morale will drop." Taeko replied.
"Fingers crossed." Sarah finished.
West Ham were taken by surprise by Manchester United's opportunism. Nevertheless, the home side knew that their own strengths were found on counterattacks and set pieces. Teams like that are often more dangerous than what they look on paper.
In the 26th minute:
Martin Tyler: Antonio on the run... Shaw in front of him.
Attacking deep inside the Manchester United half, Michail Antonio attempted to run his way past Shawzy. The Manchester United left-back denied the West Ham winger further access, but conceded a corner kick while doing so.
Martin Tyler: It's a corner for West Ham.
Both teams moved into their assigned positions. Upon the referee's signal, Felipe Anderson whipped the ball towards the middle of the Manchester United penalty area. However, Matthias headed the ball far outside of the penalty are.
Martin Tyler: It's cleared away by Köhler.
The ball was retrieved by Ryan Fredericks, who then passed ahead to Felipe Anderson again. The Brazilian winger came up face-to-face with a Manchester United defender, but then pushed the ball ahead for himself.
Martin Tyler: Felipe Anderson...
Before the ball would cross the byline, the Brazilian winger crossed the ball inside the Manchester United penalty area. Aleksandar jumped to try clearing the ball again, but then he made a mistake.
Martin Tyler: Knocked down by Rukavina, but not out...
When Aleksandar headed the ball, it was knocked down on the ground instead of being bounced up and away. As a result, the loose ball went to Manuel Lanzini, who then laid it off for Declan Rice.
"No way!" Nana shouted.
Nana attempted to throw her body in the way, but the Englishman of Irish descent blasted the shot past Nana and into the top corner of the Manchester United goal.
Martin Tyler: RICE!!! Declan Rice has equalized for West Ham!! It's 1-1!
The Olympic Stadium erupted in no time when the ball struck the twine. While the West Ham players celebrated Declan Rice's goal with some exuberance, the Manchester United players looked at each other, totally confused by what just happened.
Gary Neville: Well, it has come down to a mistake from Rukavina. You watch this. The corner kicked was cleared by Köhler. Then Fredericks finds Anderson, who crosses the ball. Rukavina knocked the ball down instead of heading it up and away. What was he thinking? I don't know. And after that, Lanzini was clever to lay the ball off for Declan Rice. The goalkeeper had not chance at all.
Meanwhile in West Didsbury:
"Big mistake by Rukavina right there." Noriko said.
"Yep. He should have done a lot better heading the ball out." Taeko replied.
"The more it goes, the sloppier Rukavina can get. I won't be unhappy at all when Yusuke will come back." Sarah said.
"You're right. Yusuke brings the kind of composure we need from a defensive midfielder, and he doesn't make that kind of mistakes." Noriko replied.
"What matters the most for us is to stay calm and retain control of the game." Taeko said.
"And retaliate with the next goal." Noriko finished.
With the score being tied, West Ham were looking forward to use the same approach to hopefully score more goals. However, the Red Devils moved the setback behind them as they started attacking the Irons again. Before long, the visitors took the action inside the West Ham half again, knowing that the home side was far from having the most solid defensive line in the Premier League.
In the 29th minute:
Martin Tyler: Köhler… Kristiansen...
Setting a base camp inside the West Ham half, the Red Devils were looking to find a gap in the Irons' defensive setup. From the halfway line, Matthias passed towards Nikolaj. Then the Dane couldn't find a way ahead with Declan Rice and Michail Antonio standing in the way.
Martin Tyler: Now it's Mishima...
Nikolaj passed the ball on his right and towards Nana. The Little Witch then saw Kakeru starting a run aimed to slip behind one the 2 West Ham centre-backs. Nana then passed the ball forward to Kakeru.
Martin Tyler: She finds Aizawa...
But before Kakeru could move further forward inside the West Ham penalty area, the West Ham defender stood between him and the West Ham goal. Finding no solution nearby, Kakeru chose to pass the ball back to Nana.
Martin Tyler: ...now back to Mishima.
Starting at 40 yards away from the West Ham goal when she received the ball, Nana started to run forward and dribble the ball at the same time. First, she slipped between the 2 West Ham central midfielders. Then she skipped by an attempt of a standing tackle by a West Ham central defender before she slalomed past the other West Ham central defender as well
Martin Tyler: She's taking West Ham on...
By skipping past the last defender, Nana found herself all alone in front of Lukasz Fabianski. Ryan Fredericks attempted a desperate sliding tackle, but the Little Witch easily slotted the ball into the bottom corner to the left of Lukasz Fabianski.
Martin Tyler: ...and gets her way through HERE!! REALLY WONDERFUL!!! Absolutely amazing solo goal by Mishima!
Only 3 minutes after West Ham equalized, Manchester United took the lead back again. The majority inside the Olympic Stadium was reduced into stunned silence. The East Londoners could only look at each other with questions about how that happened while the Manchester United players celebrated, especially with Nana performing her signature Star Power celebratory dance.
Martin Tyler: The Little Witch, as they call her in Manchester, has produced a moment of pure genius! And more importantly, she has given Manchester United the lead again here in East London. It's 2-1.
"You did it, Seven!" Kakeru hugged Nana.
"Cracking goal, Witch!" Kevin congratulated.
"YEAH, BABY! You stuck that one in!" Nikolaj added.
"Well done, Witch! Well done!" Matthias said.
"Thanks, guys!" Nana replied.
"Let's go, lads!" Kakeru rallied his teammates for more.
Gary Neville: Well, that was absolutely incredible. What a great solo effort by Nana Mishima! When she received the back pass from Aizawa, you wouldn't expect Mishima to go on and score from there. From West Ham's perspective, it was way too easy for Mishima to come in. They have to do better than that, but she was absolutely brilliant. She glides past 3... 4 West Ham players in such a tight space, and then the shot left Fabianski no chance whatsoever.
Martin Tyler: If there was a debate on who the best female player in the world is, the question may have been answered right here.
Meanwhile in West Didsbury:
"ATTAGIRL, NANA!" Noriko exclaimed.
"Great goal, Nana-chan!" Taeko added in Japanese.
"She cut right through them like a hot knife through butter!" Sarah said.
"Yeah. I didn't think she would dare to try that. Unless we have something else until the end of the season, that's the goal of the season." Noriko replied.
"Still 3 or 4 months left to the season, Noriko. I'm sure there will be more contenders." Sarah said.
"I'm sure we will see a more beauties coming from Nana, Kakeru, or others." Taeko finished.
Before Kakeru and Nana got on the way back for the restart, they performed a quick choreographed patty cake celebration before they finished with a dab for the cameras. Needless to say, the West Ham players were disgusted, and they had only one thing in mind: equalize ASAP.
In the 32nd minute:
Martin Tyler: Rukavina... Intercepted by Rice.
Following an interception inside the West Ham half, the West Ham midfielder, Declan Rice, launched a counterattack by sending the ball down the wing. At that position, Michail Antonio and Shawzy ran after the ball. In that situation, the West Ham winger was the faster player. Shawzy was forced to foul Michail Antonio before the latter would reach the final quarter of the pitch.
Martin Tyler: Michail Antonio fouled by Shaw. Yellow card coming up.
The referee immediately produced the yellow card against Shawzy. Despite a few protests, the Manchester United players prompted their way into a defensive position. Around 5 yards outside the Manchester United penalty area, players from both teams formed one long line waiting for the kick to be taken upon the referee's whistle.
PEEP!
Martin Tyler: Felipe Anderson...
The Brazilian midfielder made a short kick to Manuel Lanzini, who stopped the ball down for Anderson to launch a long aerial ball. The action created confusion among the Manchester United defenders who started running backwards before they stopped, which allowed the West Ham players to continue moving forward.
Martin Tyler: ...sends the ball in.
The long ball dipped towards Declan Rice, who momentarily escaped his marker. The West Ham midfielder was all alone to take a free header, but the contact between the ball and his head didn't go exactly as planned.
Martin Tyler: Rice... Ohhhh!! Declan Rice, who scored one today, put it over on a free header.
The ball flew above the crossbar and out, much to the disbelief of the West Ham players. On the Manchester United end of the situation, Jan was scolding his teammates for a poor man-marking effort that could have been costly.
Meanwhile in West Didsbury:
"Phew! Thank God he missed that." Noriko said.
"We were lucky. Our defensive structure went out of the window for a few seconds." Sarah replied.
"I would also be pissed if my team got scored on with something like that." Taeko said.
After TV replays showed the last opportunity that West Ham missed, the live broadcast showed the reaction of disbelief from a West Ham fan in the stands when Rice missed his free header. That fan in particular is also a celebrity who could be easily identified by movie watchers.
"Hey, was that Keira Knightley right there?" Taeko asked.
"Yes, that's her, alright. One of the best actresses from the UK." Sarah replied.
"She's a lifelong West Ham fan." Noriko added.
"Nana is also a big fan of her. That's what she told me." Taeko said to Noriko in Japanese.
"I didn't know that." Noriko replied. "How did she become a fan?"
"I think it has something to do with a movie involving Keira Knightley around the time Nana was still a child."
"Pirates of the Caribbean?" Noriko asked.
"Nope. It's a little older than that." Taeko replied.
As Noriko dug deeper in her own memories, she finally remembered what movie Taeko was referring to.
"Oh, yes! That's a good shout. I can see how and why she became a fan of that actress." Noriko said.
"It's one of the reasons why Nana is what she is now." Taeko finished.
After that missed opportunity, the Irons were pushed back in their own half by the Red Devils. Although West Ham held their ground as well as they could, Manchester United were looking to hurt their opponents even more by scoring one more goal before halftime.
In the 41st minute:
Martin Tyler: Manchester United are on the attack again. Mishima...
As Nana ran with the ball inside the West Ham half, she had attacking support in full speed from 4 teammates, including Kakeru. Looking around, she saw Kakeru luring a few West Ham defenders near him.
'Kev is on the right wing. Let's play it there.' Nana thought.
Nana then promptly passed the ball towards Kevin. The English forward was starting to make a run behind Aaron Cresswell and inside the West Ham penalty area.
Martin Tyler: Now it's Flynn. He's going in...
Leaving Cresswell in the dust, Kevin ran with the ball along the byline, inside the West Ham penalty area. At the crucial moment, Kevin made a rolling pass towards the penalty spot for a teammate in the open. In that position, Nikolaj took the shot first time despite Declan Rice's desperate attempt to impede the Dane.
Martin Tyler: and KRISTIANSEN!
Unfortunately for United, Nikolaj struck the shot over the West Ham goal. This time, it was United's turn to be disappointed with a big miss.
"Lort! (Shit!)" Nikolaj cursed.
Neither Kakeru or Nana said anything. They both had their hands on their heads, unable to believe what just happened. In tennis, one would call that as an unforced error.
Martin Tyler: Well, if that had gone in, there would have been clear daylight between the two sides. But it hasn't, and it is still a one-goal margin.
Meanwhile in West Didsbury:
"You've got to be kidding me!" Noriko exclaimed.
"I hope that miss won't come back to haunt us." Sarah said.
"In those situations, you just stay frosty and stick to the plan." Taeko remarked.
"Yep! Right now, we must keep on going." Noriko finished.
However, the score remained West Ham 1-2 Manchester United by the time the halftime whistle was blown later. For West Ham, tactical adjustments were expected in order to get a result anyhow. On the other hand, the main objective for Manchester United was to finish the job after they grabbed the lead twice in a difficult place to play in.
At the Olympic Stadium, Miwa Shibata was attending the match from an executive box alongside other player agents. During halftime, Miwa was in a lounge where she met a very familiar figure.
"Miss Shibata."
"Sir Alex Ferguson. It has been quite some time." Miwa greeted back.
Acting as an ambassador for Manchester United, Sir Alex still attends at many of the club's matches as a guest of honor, both at home and away. Despite now being in his mid-70s, Sir Alex didn't really age since he retired by the end of the 2012-13 season at age 71.
"It sure was. How are you doing?" Sir Alex asked.
"I was quite busy, but it was all worth it." Miwa replied.
"Tell me more about it."
"I really worked hard to get both Kakeru and Nana on board with the new Adidas sponsorship deal. That's a great platform for them as internationally-recognized footballers, so I'm really happy that they signed."
"Well, that's great news for them. I know very well how the two of them are doing on the pitch, and it has been superb. But how are they doing in their medical studies?" Sir Alex asked.
"In the circumstances, they are doing very well. Recently, I was able to negotiate a deal with the deans from Tokyo Medical University and the Manchester Medical School. Kakeru and Nana were also involved themselves in the talks. We were able to make arrangements so both of them would complete what would be their final year of clinical rotations on a multi-year timetable. It should help my clients in coping with life as crucial first-team players." Miwa replied.
"I'm astonished. How did you get everyone on the same page this time?"
"Before we started talking about it, I learned about a Canadian-born NFL player who also studied medicine while playing. I got in touch with that player's agent, and he told me about how they got an agreement. Then I brought up the existing precedent to the attention of my clients and the deans. Thankfully, the deans were both very understanding. So everything went quite smoothly."
"I've dealt with all kinds of agents throughout my career as a manager. Some are great guys, and others are toxic. But I have to say that you're doing a fantastic job for Kakeru and Nana." Sir Alex said.
"Thank you."
"Speaking of the young ones, it seems that they always find ways to succeed. It was the feeling I had when I met them for the first time even when they were not quite sure about making the jump. In the end, I was never disappointed even though we had to wait before we could see what they can do." Sir Alex said.
"And the good news is that they are still young. We haven't seen their full potential yet." Miwa replied
"I have a feeling that something greater will happen to them, Miss Shibata. If it's not this year, it will be soon."
"I hope it too, Sir Alex."
"Well, it was great talking to you again."
"Same for me, Sir Alex. I look forward to next time." Miwa said
"Hopefully at the next match. We will commemorate the Munich Air Disaster anniversary." Sir Alex shook hands with Miwa before they parted ways.
During halftime, Andrew instructed his players to keep things tighter at the back while also trying to be ruthless on the attack. Meanwhile, the West Ham manager replaced Michail Antonio with Javier Hernández while Marko Arnautović was pushed to play on the right flank. The Red Devils started taking control of the action quickly after the second half was kicked off. It only took them 75 seconds to find themselves in an interesting position.
In the 47th minute:
Martin Tyler: Mishima... finds Blanco...
Controlling the ball inside the West Ham half, Nana saw Diogo making an overlapping run to her right. Immediately, the ball was passed towards the Portuguese full-back, who then attempted a dangerous cross towards the front of the goal. However, a West Ham defender deflected the ball out of bounds.
Martin Tyler: A good cross... cleared away by Ogbonna. It's a corner for Manchester United.
Nana picked up the ball before she placed it in an adequate position. Within seconds, both teams were in the right positions inside the West Ham penalty area.
PEEP!
Martin Tyler: Mishima...
Nana whipped the ball with a good curve that appeared to fly away from the West Ham at the far post. In that area, Matthias was moving towards the descending trajectory of that ball while a West Ham defender attempted to impede him. Nevertheless, Matthias managed to outjump his opponent and then touch the ball in the process.
Martin Tyler: And Köhler gets there!
Instead of redirecting the ball straight on the goal, Matthias headed the ball towards the grass inside the 6-yard box. Nevertheless, the ball bounced off the grass and then flew up and above Aaron Cresswell on the goal line. The ball itself struck the twine in the top corner of the goal, leaving no doubt about the outcome as United took a 3-1 lead.
Martin Tyler: Manchester United have a stronger grip on the match in the London Stadium! Only less than 3 minutes after the start of the second half, the skipper delivers the goods.
"Well done, Skipper!" Kakeru congratulated his German teammate.
"Big goal!" Nana added.
"Nice! You did it!" Nikolaj added.
"Thanks, lads." Matthias replied.
Gary Neville: It's a very good goal by Köhler. It looked to me that Köhler wanted the ball more than the West Ham players. That's a good ball played in a dangerous area by Mishima, and it went above Balbuena. That was poor defending by Balbuena; he didn't put his body in the way. Then the ball bounced over Cresswell on the line. It's a great start for Manchester United in the second half.
Being down by 2 goals, West Ham started moving players forward to attempt cutting the deficit down first. However, it was not enough to create serious chances against on the Manchester United goal. For several minutes, it appeared that there was no light at the end of the tunnel for West Ham. However, things were about to change.
In the 60th minute:
Martin Tyler: Cresswell... finds Felipe Anderson.
Setting up an attack inside the Manchester United half, Aaron Cresswell passed the ball forward to Felipe Anderson. The Brazilian winger then ran in the opposite direction while pressed by Diogo. Nevertheless, Felipe Anderson made a 180-degree turn before he passed the ball ahead towards Manuel Lanzini.
Martin Tyler: Lanzini... back to Anderson...
Lanzini shielded the ball from Erik just long enough before passing the ball into the run of Felipe Anderson, who escaped his nearest marker. Entering the Manchester United penalty area, Anderson tried to whipped a left-footed pass, but the pass was blocked by Erik. The Swedish defender then pushed the ball away for Nana to recover it.
Martin Tyler: Blocked by Johansson.
However, Nana let the ball roll a little far, allowing Aaron Cresswell to enter a 50/50 for the ball. The West Ham left-back got to the ball and moved past Nana.
Martin Tyler: Mishima can't get it...
Approaching the byline with Diogo hustling back, Aaron Cresswell whipped an aerial ball destined to arrive in front of the 6-yard box.
Martin Tyler: Cresswell... Back in for Hernández!
Jumping high in the air, Javier reached the ball despite the nearby presence of Matthias and Shawzy. The headed ball looped towards the top corner of the goal, but Jan managed to stretch his left arm far enough in a cat-like reflex move to deflect the ball out of play.
Martin Tyler: Terrific stop by Farkas! It's a corner.
All West Ham players and supporters could only watch with their hands on their heads in disbelief. No one could believe that the shot didn't go in.
"¡Mierda! (Crap!)" Javier cursed out loud.
Meanwhile, Nana apologized to her teammates for not getting to the ball before Cresswell.
"Sorry, my bad."
"Stay sharp. Focus on defending." Matthias replied.
"On the post, Seven!" Kakeru reminded Nana of the usual duty for both of them on corner kicks – to guard the posts.
The following corner kick ended being cleared away by a Manchester United defender. The play then carried on for a while with the Hammers looking to find a way to score the goal that would cut the gap down to one goal. Every single time the ball was recovered by a West Ham player, the crowd urged their team to move forward. Another opportunity came up at last.
In the 66th minute:
Martin Tyler: Rice on Flynn...
The action was shifting beyond the halfway line when Manchester United were moving on the attack with Kevin going 1v1 against Declan Rice. The English forward attempted to run his way beyond the West Ham midfielder. However, Rice was grabbing Kevin by the arm before the former poked the ball away.
"HEY REF!!!" Kevin shouted for a foul, but the referee let the play continue.
Martin Tyler: The referee says play on.
Mark Noble recovered the ball before he passed it forward and beyond the halfway line to Manuel Lanzini. After he ran a few yards ahead with the ball, the Argentine midfielder then passed the ball to Felipe Anderson.
Martin Tyler: Lanzini... finds Felipe Anderson...
The Brazilian ran his way along the side edge of the Manchester United penalty area. Erik ran alongside him to avoid conceding the inside of the penalty area. But nevertheless, Anderson managed to cut a pass towards Lanzini, who was lurking at 12 yards from goal.
Martin Tyler: ...cuts it for Lanzini...
Nana, who hustled back to defend, attempted to kicked the ball away from Lanzini. However, a lucky bounce of the ball off Lanzini's hand went undetected by the referee. Several Manchester United players raised their arm to call a hand ball foul against Lanzini, but to no avail. In the following split second, the loose ball was on a plate for Mark Noble to fire it from a yard behind the penalty spot.
Martin Tyler: And NOBLE SHOOTS!!!
Noble put up as much strength as he could muster in the shot, but the ball ended up flying high above the crossbar and out of play. Once again, everyone associated with West Ham was stunned at another big miss. However, the Manchester United players were unhappy at the referee for missing a hand ball incident that could have been heavy of consequences if West Ham had scored.
"How did you not see that? There was an arm involved!" Nana protested, while making the gesture to indicate a contact between Lanzini's arm and the ball.
"Where's the yellow card? Lanzini should be carded for that." Matthias added to the protests as captain.
"You missed the hand big time!" Erik also protested.
"I cannot call what I didn't see. They missed the shot anyway, so it's a goal kick." the referee replied.
"Come on, ref!" Nana exclaimed in disbelief.
Meanwhile in West Didsbury:
"Damn! It would have been a load of BS if they scored on that. It was as blatant of a hand ball as one could ask." Noriko said.
"Since the third goal, we're sitting on the 2-goal lead. That's not the right way to go on cruise control." Sarah added.
"A substitution wouldn't hurt us. We could do with at least one pair of fresh legs." Taeko said.
"Very much this. We need to put their defenders on the back foot again." Noriko finished.
Shortly later, the West Ham manager decided to add more attacking power by replacing Mark Noble with Scottish forward Robert Snodgrass. In response, Manchester United replaced Anthony with Marius, which meant that Kakeru would attack from the left flank. West Ham kept on pushing forward to find the goal that would plant a big seed of doubt in the minds of the visiting side. However, the Red Devils pushed back. All the visitors needed was one chance to put the game away if they could score one more goal.
In the 73rd minute:
Martin Tyler: Aizawa... taking on Fredericks...
Moving inside the West Ham half, Kakeru make a nifty feint to move the ball past Ryan Fredericks. However, the Japanese forward was greeted with an instinctive arm in the face; Fredericks basically clotheslined him.
Martin Tyler: Ooh! Aizawa fouled hard by Fredericks. Yellow card coming up.
Just as Fredericks was receiving the yellow card, Nana came to see how Kakeru was doing after that hit.
"You OK?" Nana asked.
"Yeah. He caught me on the jaw, but I'll be fine." Kakeru replied.
"That guy will pay for that."
"Send a good ball in there, Seven." Kakeru finished.
The location of the indirect free kick was rather interesting since it was with Nana's ability to send a good ball for a teammate. Players from both teams lined up on the largest edge of the West Ham penalty area, waiting for the referee's whistle.
Martin Tyler: Mishima to take...
PEEP!
Nana launched the ball towards the moving pack of players. However, the ball was headed away by a West Ham defender. Nevertheless, Shawzy retrieved the loose ball before he passed it back towards Nana.
Martin Tyler: Now back to Mishima...
Despite some pressure from Robert Snodgrass, Nana whipped the ball high towards the edge of the 6-yard box at the far post. There Matthias head the ball slightly forward to Kakeru.
Martin Tyler: Köhler heads it down...
Kakeru received the ball, but had his back to the West Ham goal. With 2 West Ham defenders denying all direct shooting lanes, Kakeru waited for one second before laying the ball back into Matthias' run.
Martin Tyler: Aizawa lays it back...
Not worrying for accuracy, Matthias pounced the shot in full power. Despite a heavy presence of 5 West Ham defenders inside their own penalty area, the shot found its way into the back of the West Ham goal, stunning the vast majority inside the Olympic Stadium.
Martin Tyler: and KÖHLER!!! What a shot by the Manchester United captain! It's 4-1!
Matthias ran a few yards to celebrate his goal with a one-armed windmill gesture. He was quickly joined by his equally happy teammates.
"Hell yeah, Skipper!" Kakeru said.
"Great goal!" Nana added.
"Thanks! We have them where we want them to be." Matthias replied.
"Let's play it cool now!" Nana said.
"YEAH!" the other Manchester United players replied.
As the Manchester United players walked on their way back for the restart, Kakeru and Nana had a little chat.
"That was a center-forward's goal by Matthias." Nana said.
"Yeah. He could put many strikers to shame with that blast." Kakeru replied.
"Thanks to you and Matthias, we can breathe easier now."
A couple of minutes later, Andrew ordered a double substitution. Kakeru and Nana were replaced by Santiago and Liam respectively. On the bench, the 2 Japanese players were given a warm welcome by their teammates and the coaches.
"Well done, you two." Andrew shook hands with Kakeru and then Nana.
"Thanks, Boss." Kakeru said.
"You feel OK?"
"Yeah! I can't wait for the next match." Kakeru replied to Andrew.
"You'll have your chance. Keep it up." Andrew said.
"Yes, Boss."
"Well done with the goal, Little Witch. I will need you for next week as well though. That's why I took you off." Andrew said to Nana.
"Sure, Boss. I understand." Nana replied.
"Enjoy the break. You two earned it." Andrew finished.
For what was left of the match, the level of energy from both sides went down considerably after the 4-1 goal. As a result, no one tried anything reckless. Finally after 3 minutes of injury time following the 90, the referee sounded the end of the long agony for the East London side.
PEEP PEEP PEEEEEEEEEP!!!
Players from both teams went for a few handshakes as usual.
"Good game, Kakeru." Javier shook hands with Kakeru.
"Thanks, Chicha. You made us work hard though." Kakeru said.
"Yeah, but you took your chances." Javier replied.
"On another day, you would have beaten us."
"Sure." Javier replied to Kakeru before he turned towards Nana. "Good game, Witch."
"Thanks, Chicha. Good luck for whatever comes next for West Ham." Nana said.
"There's someone who wants to meet you a little later, Nana. Think you can stay a little longer before you get on the bus?" Javier asked.
"Uh? Well... yes." Nana replied. "Who is it?"
"That's a surprise."
"It better be good." Nana finished.
Sometime later, Kakeru and Nana walked out of their respective dressing rooms. Kakeru then took Nana in a corridor that was not too far from the West Ham dressing room. Nana was still wondering what that surprise could be.
"I really wonder what Chicha has in mind." Nana said.
"We'll see about that." Kakeru replied.
Finally, Javier arrived in the corridor to meet Kakeru and Nana.
"There you are!" Javier said.
"OK, we made it." Kakeru replied.
"What is the surprise here?" Nana asked.
"You can come now." Javier spoke to someone unseen around the corner.
Nana was waiting to see who the unseen figure was. Then her eyes lit up when she finally saw the person who appeared before her. It was the world-renowned British actress, Keira Knightley.
"Hello, Miss Mishima. It's a pleasure to meet you at last." Keira said.
"Oh... my God. It is really you!" Nana exclaimed. "Keira Knightley in person."
"Yep, I am!" Keira replied.
"I just... Wow!" Nana shook hands with Keira. "I'm a really big, big fan of your work for a long time."
"I'm really happy to hear it." Keira said.
"I was around 8 or something when I saw ‘Bend It Like Beckham' for the very first time. I like the main character named Jess, but your performance as Jules Paxton was something I identified myself with back then." Nana said.
"You were a tomboy?" Keira asked.
"Yeah, I was one hell of a tomboy." Nana replied before both women started laughing. "Just like Jules, I always had a little feisty edge on the pitch, I wanted to show everyone that I can play the game, and I was already that good in football against the boys. When I became a teenager, I also tried to become as elegant as you although I may not be at your level at all."
"I think you look really elegant both on and off the pitch. In your own way, you are a work of art. That's what I thought when you scored the 2-1 goal." Keira said.
"You're not mad at me for scoring that goal?" Nana asked.
"You did your job, that's all. And besides, I now feel privileged to know that one of my roles actually inspired someone to make fiction become reality and more." Keira replied.
"Thank you." Nana said. "I'm really happy that you came all the way down to see me even though I scored one against your childhood club."
"You should thank your fiancé and his friend Chicharito here. They are the ones who worked together so West Ham Football Club can set up this moment between us."
"Really?" Nana turned towards Kakeru and Javier.
"Kakeru told me about you being a big Keira Knightley fan. He asked me if we can set up something, so I said yes." Javier replied to Nana.
Kakeru then hesitated for a few seconds before he said his version. "Well, it's just as he said."
"Well, thanks a lot, Kakeru." Nana replied. "Thank you too, Chicha. That was very thoughtful of you two."
"I have heard that you have your share of followers on Twitter. What about we give them something to see and enjoy?" Keira asked Nana.
"Of course! A few pictures would do." Nana replied.
"I think we'll take a few with just Nana and Keira on Nana's phone. Then we finish off with a couple of pictures with all four of us. What do you say?" Kakeru asked.
"That's perfect!" Nana replied.
Then Kakeru took the pictures – mostly with Nana and Keira together – before they joined together for a couple of group pictures.
"Thank you, Keira. You don't mind if I call you ‘Keira'?" Nana asked.
"No, not at all." Keira replied. "It was my pleasure."
"What will you write?" Kakeru asked.
Nana then texted and read out loud the tweet she was about to post: "Me and Keira Knightley, my favorite actress. Her performance as Jules Paxton was a huge inspiration in my childhood. #BendItLikeBeckham"
"That will look nice." Keira said.
"Sure will." Kakeru replied.
"It was great to see you two. I look forward to see you again soon." Nana said.
"Me too, Nana. If I come across to The Graham Norton Show on the BBC, I will send you an invitation to be one of the guests." Keira replied.
"That would be great. Thank you again." Nana said.
Kakeru and Nana finally said goodbye to Keira and Javier. Just as Keira and Javier left the area, a more familiar figure stepped in.
"Hi, Kakeru." Yusuke greeted.
"Hey, Yusuke!" Kakeru greeted back.
"You made it back from the Asian Cup. I'm sorry for the loss in the final." Nana added.
"Thanks, Nana." Yusuke replied.
"Did you watch the full match?" Kakeru asked.
"I was in a box, and I watched the entire match." Yusuke replied. He was not enthusiastic for some reason.
"What is going on, Yusuke?" Kakeru asked.
"There is something you should know about Ryoma Oda."
"What about him?" Nana asked.
"After the Asian Cup final, he went to speak to the JFA's in-house reporter after the match. He... he threw Yoshida-san under the bus by criticizing his effort in the match." Yusuke replied.
"Why did he do that?" Kakeru asked.
"It's not like Oda-san covered himself in glory. His man-marking was poor in that match as well." Nana added.
"I thought it was just pure frustration, but then he started lashing out at you, Kakeru."
"WHAT? Bu... but, why? What did I do to him? What did he say?" Kakeru as baffled.
"He said that we would have won with you, but that you chose club over the country by not joining the National Team at all costs when there was a possibility that you could play at some point for us."
"That was Coach Van der Meijde's decision to let me complete my recovery in Manchester!" Kakeru was left with more indignation after what he heard.
"I know. He then started ranting about the Coach's decision on that until JFA officials stopped the post-match interview. As far as I know, the interview wasn't aired at all. However, some media are spreading rumors about what happened."
"Tell me he got punishment for that, Yusuke. Even if he was speaking out of frustration and anger, everything he said was out of order." Nana said.
"You bet he did. Coach Van der Meijde didn't hold back for one bit when he got the whole squad in the dressing room and shut the door behind him. You know how the Dutch are." Yusuke replied.
"Only too well." Kakeru said.
Flashback - 2 days ago, just after the Asian Cup final
Raimond van der Meijde walked into the Japanese dressing room. Even though his players were still distraught by the defeat they just endured in the final, but the coach was not in the mood to let Ryoma's critical words slide without showing a very strong response to reaffirm the authority. A display of legendary Dutch brutal directness was about to hit Ryoma very hard in the face.
"So, there are people who think I'm an incompetent, an idiot... There are people who think I know nothing about soccer. Some players have a few caps for Japan, but then they can afford to criticize. Sure, they feel they are good enough to tell me how to do my job. They can't even take a shot on goal against Qatar, and then they get caught leaving too much space for the shooter on 2 of the 3 goals. Hey, hey, that's quite something to feel ashamed about." Raimond quipped.
At that moment, Raimond's glare began to look icy and deadly.
"But they are capable of criticizing and backstabbing a teammate in the back, and then they say I'm a coward. There's a little bastard here who took easy shots against a veteran on the back of one bad performance, a veteran who gave years of his own blood and sweat for this team. That same bastard then accuses a teammate of choosing his club over his country when that teammate was a major reason why we qualified for this tournament. Those 2 players have more scars on their bodies than the amount of facial hair some players have. And now, do you think I can keep my mouth shut while a total klootzak (ballsack) is criticizing the job I'm paid to do so he can have his hypocritical face in the front pages?"
Frozen by fear in front of an angry side they never saw from Raimond before, none of the players even dared to answer the question. Then the Dutchman let the full extent of his anger explode like an erupting volcano.
"Well, a player like that IS NOT A MAN! That's a FILTHY MOMMA BOY!!! A GUTLESS SON OF A BITCH!!! Players like that make me throw up every time! I HAVE NO PLACE FOR THAT ON MY TEAM!! THAT DOESN'T DESERVE A SHIRT!!!"
Then Raimond walked towards Ryoma, who was keeping his head down to weather the storm. However, the Dutch coach was about to make sure he would show Ryoma who the boss truly was.
"Look at me, Oda. LOOK AT ME!!!" Raimond ordered.
Ryoma reluctantly raised his head up to look at Raimond in the eye.
"YEAH, YOU ROTTEN SACK... You pack your bags, you take the cab to the airport, and don't even think of joining the team for the international break in March. OUT! I will decide what to do with you for the Copa America if you make an apology to the entire JFA. I'm warning you this and only once: one selfish move too many, and there's a good chance your candy ass has played for the last time in this blue shirt. Am I clear?" Raimond sternly said.
"Y... Yes." Ryoma softly replied.
"Good."
Raimond then walked away to join the press room where he would answer to questions from the media. However, the sticky situation involving Ryoma was far from being solved, especially with the facts now known to everybody in the dressing room. The older players remained silent, but Toru Asuka and Akira Takajo, leaders of the players in Ryoma's age range, were not.
Toru, who didn't play the final because of an injury, walked to Ryoma and then coldly said: "I don't know what's taken into you, but you're the lowest scumbag."
"Bakayarou (***hole)." Akira did the same, looking disgusted at Ryoma.
On the receiving end of harsh and yet deserved criticism, Ryoma looked at Araki for a more positive response. However...
"I'm your teammate in both club and country, and I'm counting on you. But they are far from wrong, you know." Araki simply replied.
Ryoma looked around, but no one said anything supportive to him at that moment. The former Enoshima High defensive midfielder was definitely left on his own to deal with the consequences of his actions following an outburst of frustration and anger.
Present time
"I stood silent the whole time, but I really wanted to speak my mind to him." Yusuke said.
"Damn. I'm glad he's out of the National Team for some time after that." Nana said.
"I don't believe it... I thought Oda-san was a friend. Van der Meijde is right: he's a total coward, and he doesn't even have the guts to say it straight to me." Kakeru added. "CURSE YOU!"
"Kakeru..." Nana said softly.
"Hi, guys! Good to see you, Yusuke. What's going on?" Matthias, who was walking nearby, asked.
"Nothing." Kakeru replied. "We have to be ready for Arsenal."
"Yeah, we will work on it on Tuesday and onwards."
"No, Matthias. We need to be ready for war. This is personal now." Kakeru said.
"Uh... OK."
"I'll talk to you about it later, Matthias. Just leave him alone for now." Yusuke said.
Not knowing what else to say, Matthias then got on his way towards the team's bus. At the same time, Kakeru quickly picked up his smartphone before he dialled a number.
"Hi Kakeru!" Noriko greeted.
"Hi Noriko." Kakeru greeted back.
"I just saw the photo of Nana and Keira Knightley on Twitter. That's really great stuff."
"Thanks. However, I'm not calling you for that." Kakeru said.
"OK. What are you calling me for then?" Noriko asked.
"Remember when you told me and Nana about the need to feed off the hatred of an opponent?"
"Yeah, sure. Why?"
"I think we have found something to hate about Arsenal. So we need your help to prepare ourselves for next week." Kakeru said.
"Alright. What do you need?" Noriko asked.
"Everything."
"Everything?" Noriko was confused.
"Anything you can find about the old rivalry between United and Arsenal. Old matches, documentaries, old interviews, old newspaper articles, and everything related to that period. If we have to be ready for that match, we want to understand how and why both teams hated each other that much." Kakeru replied to Noriko's question.
"Fine. I will start gathering everything you need. Hopefully, you will have plenty to read and see about that specific period in history. The lessons of the past will help you to become even more ruthless." Noriko replied.
"So be it." Kakeru replied. "I'll talk to you later when we get back home."
"OK, Kakeru. See you later." Noriko said before the conversation ended.
"So... What's next?" Nana asked.
"We start preparing ourselves like Manchester United players did in the past against Arsenal." Kakeru finished.
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