The Road to the Promised Land: Chapter 12

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== The Sons of the Gods ==
After the victory against Huddersfield, Manchester United played two more matches at Old Trafford. United won 3-1 against Derby County F.C. (EFL Cup 3rd round, September 25) and 4-0 against West Ham United (Premier League, September 29). Overall, the Red Devils were enjoying an excellent run of form in all competitions to that point.
In the following week, United set course towards Amsterdam, Netherlands for the first away match in the group stages of the Champions League on the following Tuesday. Regarded as a tough test, the Red Devils now have to clash with the team that has been nicknamed “De Godenzonen” (The Sons of the Gods) in honor of the great 1965-1973 team that was synonym with "Total Football" and with their late legendary superstar, Johan Cruijff. The opposition for the night is Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax.
Tuesday October 2
A.F.C. Ajax vs. Manchester United (UEFA Champions League group match 2)
Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Manchester United team bus was on the way towards the Johan Cruijff Arena with police bikes escorting it since their departure from the hotel. On board, Kakeru was listening to his music, but he was highly anticipating this match from deep within. Then Yusuke stood up from the seat behind, and slightly poked Kakeru, asking for a talk.
"What is it, Yusuke?" Kakeru asked.
"You're excited about tonight’s match, right? I know you're feeling this way."
"Yeah. I marked this date on my calendar ever since the draw for the Champions League group stage was made."
"Is it because of Hibino-san?" Yusuke asked.
"It will be my first match against him since high school, so I can't wait to see how far he made progress of his own out there." Kakeru replied.
"Right. Hibino-san was injured when you guys played against Ajax in the 2017 Europa League final in Stockholm, right?" Yusuke asked.
"You're right, Yusuke. No matter how people see it, I wanted that challenge between me and him in that final. But it was just not meant to be in that night." Kakeru replied.
"I haven't played against Hibino-san since we were training together in elementary school. I also have a few butterflies, so I really can’t wait." Nana said.
"Looks like the Boss saw that coming, so he gave you a break on Saturday ahead of this." Yusuke said.
"I guess so." Nana replied.
"Tonight's your night, Seven." Kakeru said.
"On a different topic, I always wondered how it would sound like to speak Dutch when you're not a native." Yusuke said.
"Why are you asking that?" Nana asked.
"Well, I was thinking that Dutch may be difficult to learn for someone who has not been exposed at a younger age."
"Als je een nieuwe taal wilt leren, is niets te moeilijk." Kakeru then replied in Dutch.
Yusuke stood silent for a few seconds before he spoke: "OK, you've got me there. What did you just say?"
"Kakeru only said that nothing is too difficult if you want to learn a new language." Nana replied.
"You speak Dutch too, Nana?" Yusuke asked.
"Natuurlijk, Yusuke. Ik heb geleerd om Nederlands te spreken via vrienden. (Of course, Yusuke. I have learned to speak Dutch through friends.)" Nana replied.
"Well, you really surprise me there." Yusuke said. "Who taught you to speak Dutch?"
"Our friend and former teammate Robin van Persie was the first to teach us the basics. Then Daley Blind was the one with whom we practiced our spoken Dutch." Kakeru replied.
"Dutch language shares a few similarities with English, so there is a structure that we can follow." Nana added.
"So if I get this right, Nana, you speak Japanese, English, French, Spanish, and now some Dutch. Is there another language you're comfortable with?"
"Don't ask too much from me, Yusuke." Nana replied between chuckles.
"Speaking of Daley Blind, he played for United on last season, right?"
"Yeah. It's a shame that he is not as tall nor as fast as many of us are, but he is a very intelligent player with the ball." Kakeru replied to Yusuke.
"Even though he didn't play that much in the last couple of seasons, he never made a fuss. He was a great teammate for us until the very end." Nana added.
"The shirt number you're wearing was his, Yusuke." Kakeru said.
"I will remember that. At least, he came back home." Yusuke said.
"Yeah. He was once their captain before he came to Manchester." Kakeru replied.
"Here we are!" Andrew warned everyone on the bus as the Johan Cruijff Arena finally arrived within sight. It was 6:50 PM Amsterdam time (5:50 PM BST) when the Manchester United team bus stopped inside the garage of the stadium moments later.
West Didsbury, Manchester, UK
7:20 PM BST
Once again, Noriko was staying at home with Sarah coming in as a visitor when United had a match played on the road. The 2 female medical students were a little anxious ahead of the match.
"It's a big one tonight, eh?" Sarah asked.
"Yeah, but I'm sure we are not the ones having the most butterflies ahead of this match right now." Noriko replied.
"Tell me more about that Japanese defender playing for Ajax."
"Koichi Hibino... Kakeru and Nana used to play alongside him and Suguru Aizawa in the same elementary school team. If Kakeru and Nana were spearheading the attack while Suguru was the creative force, Koichi apparently was the human wall between his goalkeeper and any opponent." Noriko replied.
"Wow! Now that you say it, I'm intrigued. How did he end up in Holland?" Sarah asked.
"Based on what Kakeru told me, Hibino had a bad knee injury, and the only country that could offer him the kind of surgery he needed to properly heal that injury was the Netherlands. He spent a few years there before he returned to Japan, and then completed high school. Finally, Ajax signed him after 2 years in the J-League, and he's been with Ajax since."
"In what position is he playing in the back 4?"
"He's a very good left-back." Noriko replied. "Kakeru will have quite a big task ahead of him for tonight, but I think he will do alright."
"Fingers crossed, especially with our number 1 goalkeeper sitting out because of a virus." Sarah finished.
Johan Cruijff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands
8:54 PM Amsterdam time (7:54 PM BST)
Both teams were lining up in the tunnel. Of course, the first Ajax player who noticed the 3 Japanese players starting for United was Koichi Hibino himself.
"Yo!" Koichi said as he started shaking hands with his friends.
"Hibino! It has been quite a long time since we last faced against each other, isn't it?" Kakeru said.
"Since high school, it has been too long indeed. We play against each other in training with the national team, but that’s nowhere near the intensity of a competitive match at senior level."
"That's for sure." Yusuke replied.
"I hope you haven't forgotten that you'll need to give your best against me, Kakeru. I will make up for my absence from the Europa League final that we lost in Stockholm."
"I will score goals tonight, and we, Manchester United, will be the last ones standing with the 3 points." Kakeru replied with a smile. The competitive spirit was burning once again between the 2 friends and rivals.
"Don't forget about me, Hibino-san. I will make my presence count too. So don't hold yourself back just because I'm a woman. I will take some, but I will give some as well." Nana added as well.
"If you ask for it, then bring it on." Koichi finished with a smile.
Then Daley Blind, the former Manchester United player and former Ajax captain, came up to greet Kakeru and Nana.
"Hallo, Kakeru! Hallo, Nana!" Daley said.
"Leuk je te zien, Daley! (Nice to see you, Daley!)" Kakeru replied, shaking hands with Daley.
"Ik zie dat je nog steeds goed Nederlands spreekt. Hoe zit het met jou, Nana? (I see you still speak Dutch well. What about you, Nana?)" Daley asked as he shook hands with Nana.
"Ik ben op zoek naar meer zomervakanties in Nederland (I look for more summer vacations in the Netherlands)." Nana replied.
"Goed Goed. Laten we vanavond een goede match spelen (Good, good. Let's play a good match tonight)." Daley said.
"Ja jij ook (Yeah, you too)." Kakeru replied.
The referees finally arrived and gave the signal to lead both teams out.
"COME ON! LET'S DO THIS!" Matthias shouted at his teammates to make sure they were pumped up and ready for the match.
Both Ajax and United's starting XIs walked out of the tunnel under a deafening noise with the thousands of Ajax supporters waving flags marked with the years of their 4 European Cup triumphs (1971, 1972, 1973, and 1995). Nevertheless, fan-made flags from 2 sets of hardcore Ajax fans also stood up proudly in a large section of the South stand. As both teams lined up for the customary Champions League hymn, worldwide broadcasts were following the cameraman who was taking a closer look at players from both teams. In West Didsbury, a certain young woman only had eyes for United's tall Japanese midfielder.
"Ganbare, Yusuke." Noriko said with a low voice.
"Did something change with you recently?" Sarah asked.
"N-No. Why are you asking?"
"Oh, come on. I know there's something different with you." Sarah said before she took a few seconds to think, and then came up with: "Oh! I guess the reason why you're so cheerful now is because of A NEW BOYFRIEND!"
"Whaaaaaa… What are you talking about? I'm not in that kind of relationship with anyone, Sarah." Noriko was totally flabbergasted at Sarah's words.
"So, who is he? What does he look like?"
"Cut it out, Sarah. The match is about to start." Noriko said.
Back to Amsterdam, both teams already shook hands a short time ago, and were taking positions for kickoff. United, with their field players wearing dark blue kits, elected to kick things off first while Ajax, wearing shirts with color patterns that were reminiscent of Arsenal's home shirts, chose the half of the pitch on which they would defend in the first half.
Clive Tyldesley: It's a clash of 2 European clubs with glorious history behind each of them, but the dominant Ajax sides in Europe appear now as distant memories. 1995 was the last time Ajax lifted the European Cup. The last time United were crowned as Champions of Europe was that night in Moscow, in 2008. With the memory of the 2017 Europa League final still fresh for the 2 sides, we can expect a good contest tonight at the Johan Cruijff Arena.
Manchester United sent the following 11 players to start the match: Luca Mancuso (goalkeeper), Diogo Blanco (right-back), Didier Kamara (centre-back), Matthias Köhler (centre-back and captain), Andrew Shaw (left-back), Nana Mishima (central midfielder), Yusuke Saeki (central midfielder), Nikolaj Kristiansen (central midfielder), Kakeru Aizawa (right forward), Marius van Leeuwen (striker), and Santiago Araya (left forward). The Italian backup goalkeeper, Luca Mancuso, was starting in goal instead of Jan Farkas because the latter was ruled out with illness. As for Kakeru, he was being put in a position to try defeating Koichi Hibino as a right forward against a left-back.
Meanwhile, Ajax presented their best team available at the time: André Onana (goalkeeper), Noussair Mazraoui (right-back), Matthijs de Ligt (centre-back and captain), Daley Blind (centre back), Koichi Hibino (left-back), Lasse Schöne (central midfielder), Frenkie de Jong (central midfielder), Hakim Ziyech (right forward), Donny van de Beek (central attacking midfielder), David Neres (left forward), and Dušan Tadić (striker). Danish forward and top prospect, Kasper Dolberg, was ruled out through injury. Nevertheless, Ajax was still a dangerous side that had scored several goals in the qualifying phase of the UEFA Champions League.
The match started with Ajax midfielder Lasse Schöne receiving the ball from his forwards. After a few passes strung together for 45 seconds, Ajax pushed forward. However, the quick ball hunting by United players forced Ajax to clear the ball away, and to give ball possession back to the visitors.
Clive Tyldesley: Good pressure by Manchester United, but the ball is cleared...
 The cleared ball was met by Matthias' head, and flew back into Ajax's territory for Santiago on the left flank. The Chilean-Colombian winger immediately dashed forward with the ball.
Clive Tyldesley: Here's Araya... He's looking for teammates.
On the opposite flank, Kakeru was running alongside Koichi and towards the front of the goal while Marius was a little late in his run on the attack. Spotting Kakeru across, Santiago made a nifty feint to shake off a defender, and then unleashed a through pass across towards him. Kakeru also changed his run to shake Koichi off for a split second.
"Damn it!" Koichi cursed.
In a good position, Kakeru struck the ball with power.
Clive Tyldesley: It's for Aizawa! Cleared by Blind...
The Ajax defender managed to stick his leg out just ahead of Kakeru, and cleared the ball away from the latter. However, the ball then bounced free towards Marius standing by the penalty spot and ready to fire the shot.
Clive Tyldesley: Oh, it goes back as far as Van Leeuwen! Fantastic block on the line!
Marius' instant shot was however blocked by a timely intervention from Koichi, who put his body in front of the shot just in time to prevent a goal, and let the ball fly behind for a corner kick. Kakeru just couldn't believe what he just saw from his own position.
"I will be damned!" Kakeru said out loud for himself, hands on top of his head.
"Goed gedaan, Koichi! (Well done, Koichi!)" Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt congratulated his Japanese teammate with a high five.
"Bedankt, maar we moeten ze ook weer stoppen. (Thanks, but we have to stop them again too.)" Koichi replied. Meanwhile, Nana already made her way towards the corner flag to take the corner kick.
Clive Tyldesley: Mishima will take this corner kick.
Upon the referee's whistle, Nana kicked the high ball towards the front of the near post. In the mass of players who went for the ball, Marius reached it first. With a free header, the Dutch striker in dark blue slotted the ball between goalkeeper and defender to draw first blood on the night.
Clive Tyldesley: It's going to Van Leeuwen, 1-0! Less than 2 minutes in, Marius van Leeuwen has struck for Manchester United.
"Get in! Well done, Roman!" Kakeru congratulated his Dutch teammate.
"Kudos to the Little Witch too!" Nikolaj said.
"Nice pass, Witch!" Marius thanked Nana for the accurate ball.
"Bedankt, Romein! (Thanks, Roman!)" Nana replied.
"Here we go, guys! Let's keep the pressure on." Matthias said
Meanwhile, the Ajax supporters in the stadium were left silenced after Marius managed to slip by his markers so easily, and sent the home team into a difficult situation early on.
'This match is only getting started. We won't roll over that easily at home.' Koichi thought.
Although Ajax had all the best intentions in the world to get back on level terms in the match, Manchester United still remained composed, following their game plan to the letter. Just 5 minutes after the opening goal scored by Marius, the Mancunians had a chance to double their lead through a play that began with an interception.
Clive Tyldesley: Again Yusuke Saeki intercepts a loose ball. You have to admit that Ajax's passing game has not been that sharp so far.
Yusuke intercepted the ball, and started the counterattack from his own half. Looking for options ahead, he passed the ball forward to Nana. After a run past Frenkie de Jong by using a quick side dribble, Nana continued her run on the right wing until she came up facing Koichi in a 1v1 situation for the first time in several years.
"I have been waiting for this, Mishima. Bring it on!" Koichi said.
Nana dribbled with the ball, and shifted her body left and right in an attempt to shake off Koichi. However, the latter didn't make the first move against Nana.
'This is not good. Hibino-san is not easily fooled by my feints. Kakeru and Roman are covered by defenders. Unless there is...' Nana thought before she spotted another teammate making a run.
Clive Tyldesley: Mishima with the cross...
Nana saw Santiago using his pace to make a run that caught the Ajax right-back off guard inside the penalty area. At the crucial moment, Nana surprised Koichi by switching towards her left before she launched a long ball towards the far post. The Chilean-Colombian winger was in position to take a shot from Nana's surprise aerial ball.
Clive Tyldesley: It's ARAYA! Good save by Onana...
With little time to react, the Ajax goalkeeper could only parry the ball away without controlling it. Meanwhile, Kakeru escaped from Daley's marking in the midst of the confusion. The Japanese forward was running towards the rebound left alone in front of goal. The Ajax goalkeeper was still down on the ground, and United's second goal appeared to be inevitable.
"I won't let you!" Koichi shouted.
Koichi threw his legs forwards to create a hurdle just as Kakeru took the shot at point blank. The following deflection off Koichi's leg then struck off the crossbar and back to the position of an Ajax defender, who finally kicked the ball out of bounds in panic.
Clive Tyldesley: Another fantastic block by Hibino! Twice he saved Ajax tonight. They would have been down by at least 2 goals if it wasn't for him.
"Just as back in the days, it will take you something extraordinary to score past me, Kakeru." Koichi said, sending the same kind of friendly challenge he first sent to Kakeru in their first match from many years ago between Enoshima and Shonan.
"I'm a forward, Hibino. Even if I already have 8 goals so far this season, I won't leave Amsterdam until I score at least once." Kakeru replied.
"Just bring it then!"
At the same time in West Didsbury:
"Bloody hell! That defender Hibino denied us 2 goals already." Sarah said.
"I know. Kakeru told me he was good, but I didn't think he would be as solid as he has been so far." Noriko replied. "Just thinking of how he stood his ground against Nana before that pass is indicating his quality in 1v1s."
"We better hope he doesn't score a free kick with that shot you talked about."
"Same for me, Sarah. My friends in Japan called him the Japanese Roberto Carlos, and they are right; he scored a few in youth international matches." Noriko finished.
As if the last Manchester United attack was an alarm bell ringing loudly and clearly enough inside the Johan Cruijff Arena, the Ajax players started to tighten things up and then press the Manchester United players harder. As a result, it became more difficult for United to penetrate the opposition's half and to make accurate passes. Ajax didn't mount any serious attack against the Manchester United goal yet, but that was about to change when Ajax earned their first corner kick of the match in the 21st minute.
Clive Tyldesley: Ajax have a corner kick. Ziyech will take.
The Ajax player took the corner kick, but also surprised everyone as he let the ball roll very quickly towards the front of the Manchester United penalty area rather than whipping it in from the air. Taking a glance towards the trajectory of the pass, Kakeru spotted the dashing Koichi.
"Damn it!" Kakeru exclaimed.
Despite Kakeru's best efforts to throw his body in front of the shot, he came in too late by a fraction of a second. It was all Koichi needed to blast a low shot through the maze of players. Furthermore, Ajax striker Dušan Tadić just needed one split second to stick his foot out. Then the Serbian forward deflected Koichi's shot between the number 2 Manchester United goalkeeper, Luca Mancuso, and one of his defenders. The outcome sent the Johan Cruijff Arena into frenzy.
Clive Tyldesley: Deflected and in! It's 1-1! It's Dušan Tadić! Nothing Luca Mancuso could do to stop this.
While the Ajax players celebrated the goal, Kakeru was looking in disgust knowing that he was the closest to stop the shot, and yet couldn't save the goal.
"Sorry, guys. I should have known that he can shoot from there free kick-like." Kakeru apologized to his teammates.
"No need to apologize, Knight. That shot was deflected, and we are all guilty in this." Matthias replied.
"We'll get them next time." Marius added.
"The game is getting interesting now. A little resistance can only push us to get better." Yusuke said.
"Let's score that next goal, Kakeru." Nana added.
"Right!" Kakeru exclaimed, determined to get back into action once more, and to help his team score that vital go-ahead goal within the remaining 69 minutes of play.
For several minutes, both teams appeared to cancel each other out in a game of quick passing and ball hunting that happened mainly in the middle of the pitch although United spent a little more time in the opposing third of the pitch than Ajax did in United's own third. The first half was winding down, and no one appeared to be able to make a breakthrough that would lead to a goal so close to halftime.
In the 42nd minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Ziyech takes the corner... easy catch for Mancuso this time.
The Manchester United goalkeeper caught the ball after an Ajax corner kick, and threw the ball forward immediately to start a counterattack. Marius took the ball, and made his dash down the field.
Clive Tyldesley: Terrific pass. Van Leeuwen has got Kakeru Aizawa with him. Now, it's Aizawa...
Marius then passed the ball to Kakeru, who then dribbled past 2 players before he came up facing Koichi again. Kakeru was looking to bend his run towards the front of the Ajax penalty area.
"Come on, Kakeru! Come on!" Koichi challenged Kakeru.
"OK, you asked for it." Kakeru replied.
Kakeru then advanced towards Koichi. In almost a flash, the Japanese forward used his left foot to roll the ball up the back of right foot, before he flicked the standing right foot upwards to propel the ball forward and over his head.
'Nice rainbow flick, Kakeru!' Nana thought.
In the process, the ball was flicked over both Kakeru's head and Koichi's head. By the time Koichi realized that Kakeru was starting to cut the run straight towards the Ajax goal, the former Shonan defender was forced to grab Kakeru's shirt to stop the danger. Of course, the referee saw everything.
Clive Tyldesley: A tug of the shirt by Hibino on Aizawa there. It's going to be the first yellow card in the match, and it's against Ajax.
Despite some protests from the Ajax players, nothing changed the referee's decision. Worse than the yellow card was the fact that the point of infringement only stood 23 yards in front of goal. Although the shooting angle appeared to be slightly off from being a totally direct free kick, the shooting range was excellent for United's free kick takers.
"Kakeru. I know Hibino-san will try to mark you. But still, be ready to jump on any rebound available." Nana said.
"Count on me, but try to put that on goal first." Kakeru replied.
Nana nodded before she and Marius moved to free kick shooting positions while Kakeru took his spot in the wall of Ajax players. Kakeru's job was to distract Ajax's defensive setup and the Ajax goalkeeper while staying on the hunt for rebounds.
PEEP!
Clive Tyldesley: Who will take it?
While everyone expected Marius to take the shot as the position appeared to favor a left-footed shooter, Nana surprised everyone by taking the shot with a short run. The curve of the shot flew over the wall, and then appeared to swirl towards the top corner.
Clive Tyldesley: It's Mishima! Off the post...
Nana's shot hit the inside of the post, but then the ball bounced back towards the face of the goal while the goalkeeper was already sent sprawling on the ground after a failed attempt of a save. Kakeru and Koichi tried to get to the ball, but it was a Chilean-Colombian who arrived first.
Clive Tyldesley: Santiago Araya scores! 2-1! Manchester United have taken the lead again only minutes before halftime. Mishima's free kick struck the post, but then bounced back for Araya to tap it in the open goal.
While the Manchester United players celebrated on the pitch, the same amount of joy could be found with any United fan watching, especially for 2 women in West Didsbury.
"Well done, Araya!" Noriko exclaimed.
"Right place, right time. Still, it's all thanks to Nana again." Sarah replied.
"You're right. Her shot sent the goalkeeper in a position where he can't defend himself on any rebound."
"All they have to now is to get to the dressing room at halftime with the lead." Sarah said.
"As long as we don't do anything silly at the back until then, we should be fine." Noriko finished.
Despite the initial shock after falling behind 1-2 so close to halftime, Ajax got up to the challenge of trying to score the equalizer once more, and got themselves one more opportunity to do so. Ajax's last attack of the first half came in the dying seconds before halftime.
Clive Tyldesley: Here's Koichi Hibino... with a burst of speed down that right flank.
The Ajax left-back made a quick run on the wing. Despite Diogo's presence in front, Koichi played a perfect nutmeg through the legs of the Manchester United captain. With space ahead, Koichi sent a long cross towards Tadić running towards the front of the Manchester United goal.
Clive Tyldesley: Deflected off Tadić! Good save by Mancuso!
However, Luca couldn't reach the ball he spilled in front of him. Dušan Tadić got to the ball first, but couldn't shoot with his back to the goal. Tadić then made a long back pass towards Lasse Schöne. In a slight moment of panic within the Mancunian setup, Yusuke tackled Schöne down in his run to stop the shooting attempt, but also conceded the free kick just 23 yards from goal.
Clive Tyldesley: Schöne has been brought down by Saeki.
"What was that? He should get a yellow card; our guy got one earlier for something like that." Matthijs de Ligt protested towards the referee.
"That wasn't enough to book him based on my position. You get the free kick." the referee replied.
Despite a few more protests, the Ajax players moved into position as they knew time was against them before halftime. The United players used every single trick in the book to delay the kick as much as possible, but were swiftly put back to order by the referee. For both Ajax and United, it was obvious who was about to take the shot.
Clive Tyldesley: Now, Ajax have a free kick and a golden opportunity to equalize at the end of the first half. It looks like Koichi Hibino will take it.
Meanwhile, Kakeru and Nana had a quick chat as they positioned themselves in the wall with the majority of their teammates.
"Are you crazy? You can't get in the wall, especially when you never faced his shots." Kakeru said, surprised that Nana didn’t hesitate in moving herself into the wall.
"I'm a part of this team, and I don’t want to be seen as a coward." Nana replied.
"Just don't do anything crazy out right now, Seven."
Standing more than 20 yards away from the wall, Koichi was looking at the surprise addition of Nana in the middle of the defensive wall.
'Nothing personal, but you must be crazy. It's a vulnerable position for the goalkeeper if my shot gets past where you're standing in that wall. I really wonder how much courage you will have left after you see the speed in my shot.' Koichi thought before he took a few more steps back.
PEEP!
Given the signal to proceed, Koichi made his run, and struck the ball with high velocity. The ball's trajectory was destined to fly just above Nana's head. Realizing that the shot would leave no chance for Luca if it gets through, Nana knew what she had to do.
'Don't give in to fear... Keep your eyes open... Stop the shot at all costs.' Nana thought for herself within a split second.
Without any hesitation, Nana jumped upwards, and then got struck by Koichi's shot in the face. The impact sent Nana flying, but the ball got deflected behind the goal line and out of danger. The referee then blew the halftime whistle. However, the main concern from the Manchester United side was that Nana landed hard after she was struck with arguably the most powerful shot she ever faced.
'What the hell?! Is she insane?' Koichi thought.
Koichi's body language transpired the shock and disbelief he felt after Nana's crazy action, so much that not a single Manchester United player was angry at him after the incident. Everyone was concerned as Nana was still lying on the pitch.
Clive Tyldesley: Mishima took the shot straight on. And Koichi Hibino's shots have been recorded to exceed 160 km/h (100 MPH). Nana Mishima has protected Manchester United's lead into halftime, but the question now is "At what cost?"
"Seven! Seven! Are you OK? Say something." Kakeru said.
"I'm fine. I’m glad I took that one for the team." Nana replied as she sat up.
"You're bleeding, Seven." Kakeru said, noticing that Nana's nose was bleeding.
The Manchester United team doctor, Ridley Nolan, came quickly to assess the damage, and immediately gave Nana some cotton balls to stop the bleeding.
"You are one crazy woman. You know that? Many male players would have avoided contact with that." Koichi said as he went to see how Nana was doing.
"I knew what I was doing when I decided to play as a professional against men. I would do it again if it comes down to it." Nana replied.
"Anyway, that was never my intention to hit you with that ball."
"No hard feelings, Hibino-san." Nana finished.
When everything was deemed OK, Nana was escorted by both Kakeru and Ridley towards the player's tunnel under the applause from the crowd in the Johan Cruijff Arena. For that courageous block alone, Nana earned massive respect from everyone.
Meanwhile in West Didsbury:
"Goodness me. I thought for a second Nana was knocked out cold by that shot." Sarah said.
"I thought the same thing too. I know she's tough as a person, but that shot is something not many people would accept to take it face first." Noriko replied.
"I think it would be safer if the manager pulls her out of the match, Noriko."
"I know, Sarah. However, knowing her, she won't go down so easily. Whatever happens, I'm sure Dr. Nolan will make the right call."
Back to the Johan Cruijff Arena, inside Manchester United's dressing room:
Ridley worked his way to make sure Nana didn't sustain any serious damage after the shot. Furthermore, Ridley asked Nana a few quick questions as part of a quick cognitive evaluation in order to determine whether she had concussion symptoms or not at that moment. So far, Nana was OK to continue the match. Kakeru went to the visitors' medical room after the manager's halftime team talk.
"So, Doc, how is she doing?" Kakeru asked.
"I will tell you this: your fiancee is made strong. I checked for a broken nose or a broken cheekbone. She might need to have a few X-rays tomorrow so we can be sure of everything, but I don't think she has anything broken from what I can see. Also, she doesn't any sign of a concussion for now. In other words: she's fortunate to only have mere bleeding from the nose after that impact, but she has to keep that cotton in her nose to prevent further bleeding." Ridley replied.
"Thanks for the checkup, Doc. I'm glad there isn't more." Nana said.
"However, I will keep an eye on you during the whole second half. If I see anything wrong in your game, I will ask the Boss to sub you off ASAP." Ridley warned.
"That's fine by me, Doc." Nana replied before she turned towards Kakeru. "I'm really sorry to make you worry like that, Kakeru. However, I knew that his shot would be going in if I didn't stop it."
"(sigh) Make sure you to be more careful next time, that's all I need to hear." Kakeru said.
"Deal."
Nana and Kakeru then joined their teammates in the dressing room. The Little Witch was greeted with a big round of applause.
"Attagirl, Witch!" Shawzy shouted.
"You're a real warrior. That’s for sure." Nikolaj said.
"Thanks, guys. I just hope I won't have to do that often." Nana replied.
"That's all good, but we still have some unfinished business out there. Only 45 minutes left, then we can celebrate." Matthias said.
"That's right! We keep playing hard until this one ends with the result we want." Marius said.
"YEAH!" the Manchester United players shouted in unison.
When the second half started, United and Ajax started things a little slowly. However, it wasn't long before Ajax turned up the heat, and started attacking as they needed the equalizing goal so badly in front of their supporters. As early as in the 50th minute, Ajax launched an attack inside the Manchester United half.
Clive Tyldesley: Now, it's Van de Beek. He's looking for support...
The Dutch midfielder dashed forward with the ball in full speed. Yusuke moved in to try taking the ball off him. However, Donny van de Beek stood strong, and then made a turn before he passed the ball towards his right winger.
Clive Tyldesley: Hakim Ziyech... He's crossing the ball in...
Ziyech spotted his teammate, David Neres, lurking on the opposite side inside the Manchester United penalty area. The ball was flying towards Neres, but Diogo arrived first to cut the pass. However, Diogo's bad first touch got the ball bouncing towards the front of the penalty area where danger was lurking with an Ajax midfielder ready to shoot.
Clive Tyldesley: It's Van de Beek!
The strike flew hard and low, but just missed the goal by a few inches. The spectators inside the stadium couldn’t believe how they were close to equalize.
Clive Tyldesley: It was just a whisker away! Van de Beek had a chance when Diogo Blanco miskicked the ball.
'This is not good. We have to play tighter if they want to attack us like that.' Kakeru thought as he watched the most recent action in distance.
Ajax kept on going with the firm intention of wearing down the Manchester United players. Just a little less than 4 minutes later, the locals had another chance to score.
In the 54th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Saeki with the pass... It's intercepted by Hibino.
Koichi intercepted a pass that was destined for Nana, and then charged forward with the ball for some distance. Then he passed the ball towards De Jong, who skipped past Nana, and continued the run towards the Manchester United penalty area. Diogo also tried to tackle the ball away, but missed the tackle.
Clive Tyldesley: De Jong got past Diogo Blanco, finds David Neres...
Within just a couple of one-touch passes, David Neres received the pass from Frenkie de Jong, and then set up Donny van de Beek in a good position. The Ajax midfielder then got some space off Matthias, and struck a hard and low shot towards the bottom corner across the goalkeeper.
Clive Tyldesley: Van de Beek! What a save by Luca Mancuso!
In a desperate dive, Luca stretched his left arm just enough to stop the shot. However, he also conceded a corner kick by doing so. Although the following corner kick wasn’t converted afterwards, momentum was clearly in favor of the Dutch team while United were on their heels. In the 59th minute, Ajax started another attack from a throw-in from just beyond the halfway line.
Clive Tyldesley: Mazraoui with the throw...
The Ajax right-back passed the ball to Schöne, who then passed it to Frenkie de Jong before the ball was passed on to Koichi.
Clive Tyldesley: Now, it's Hibino...
'Now, give me a runner, guys. I'm sure they won't expect me trying this.' Koichi thought
As Koichi walked a few yards across the halfway line with the ball, he spotted a gap between 2 Manchester United defenders. At the very same time, Ziyech made a sign calling for a pass, and started his run. Without a moment of hesitation, Koichi unleashed a long ball towards his teammate.
Clive Tyldesley: What a great ball... a chance for Ziyech!
Didier tried to catch up to Hakim Ziyech while Matthias also tried to provide help, but the Dutch-born Morrocan was never going to get caught. Inevitably, Ziyech took the shot past Luca, and pulled Ajax back on terms.
Clive Tyldesley: It's 2-2! Twice Manchester United took the lead, and twice Ajax came back from behind! Hakim Ziyech has scored the goal, but it was a fantastic pass by Koichi Hibino.
In West Didsbury:
"I don't believe it! I just don't believe it!" Sarah exclaimed.
"The defending was crap! We lost our concentration there." Noriko added.
"I know people will say that it has been coming, but how can we lack energy at this time?"
"I don't know, Sarah. However, all I can say is that our players are running out of energy rather quickly." Noriko replied. "If Nana is pulled out, it would be because she spent a lot of energy against Hibino and the other Ajax players with that ball hunting."
"Who do you expect to come on if we make changes?" Sarah asked.
"If I were Butler, I would say: Kevin Flynn for Nana." Noriko replied.
"With Hibino murdering us, I think the manager should try something different to nullify him. Have any ideas?" Sarah asked.
"If I were the manager, I'd send Van Leeuwen on the right wing to bulldoze his way through Hibino. He played there to some effect in the past. Then I would move Kakeru into the striker's position." Noriko replied.
"Kakeru as the front striker? Isn't that risky?"
"Ajax have Daley Blind as a centre-back, and he is not the tallest one out there. Kakeru can take care of that. And if what people say about the manager is true, then Kakeru is free to move up front and express himself for as long as his teammates cover other positions." Noriko said.
Back in the noisy Johan Cruijff Arena:
"You OK, Seven?" Kakeru asked, concerned by how Nana looked a little tired.
"I spent perhaps a little too much energy resisting Ajax’s ball hunting tactics and trying to beat Hibino-san in physical duels, but I will stay as long as I can. If you’re asking about whether it has something to do with the shot I took in the face, then the answer is 'no'." Nana replied.
"Are you sure?" Kakeru asked further.
"I never lied to you about my health, so I'm not going to start lying today. Don't worry."
"OK. Try to hang on a little longer until the Boss makes the changes. The others are warming up well out there." Kakeru said.
And Kakeru's last sentence was spot on. Knowing that fresh legs had to come on to hope any change of momentum back in United's favor, Andrew made the first substitution of the match when Nana was replaced by Kevin in the 64th minute. After a few handshakes with the other substitutes, Nana walked up to Andrew.
"I only wish I didn't waste as much energy as I did, Boss." Nana said.
"That's fine, lass. Scoring those 2 assists allowed us to be on top twice in the match." Andrew replied before he shook hands with Nana.
Nana was then approached by the assistant manager, Michael Schneider.
"Kieran and I looked at how Hibino gave both you and Kakeru a tough time. He's tough, but he has not had Marius in the face until now. So we recommended the Boss to have Kakeru and Marius switching positions now." Michael said.
"Was the Boss OK with that?" Nana asked.
"He was reluctant at first, but he accepted the idea. Kevin is delivering the instructions right now." Michael replied.
"Hopefully, that should work." Nana said.
"Yeah, and he should be able to wear Hibino down while Kakeru would be free to express himself." Michael replied.
Since the 64th minute, Kevin's introduction to the Manchester United side succeeded in putting the Ajax players a little more on the defensive. In response, Ajax made one substitution in the following minutes: Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar replaced Hakim Ziyech (66th minute). As a result, Dušan Tadić moved on the left side of the attack while David Neres moved on the right wing. Regardless, the Red Devils started laying a siege on the Ajax goal once again.
In the 71st minute:
Clive Tyldesley: De Ligt... has the pass taken away by Kristiansen.
The Ajax defender attempted a pass towards a teammate in front of him, but Kakeru put De Ligt under pressure. As a result, the pass was anticipated and intercepted by Nikolaj. The Danish midfielder then passed the ball towards Kakeru, who started the counterattack with the 2 Ajax defenders in front of him.
"Knight!" a voice called for a pass to his right.
"Roman!"
Clive Tyldesley: Aizawa has Van Leeuwen in support.
Kakeru passed the ball towards Marius, who then came up facing Koichi.
"Come on, big guy!" Koichi said.
Marius moved with the ball slowly, but then went off with a burst of speed that surprised Koichi. The Japanese left-back for Ajax was trying to knock the ball off Marius, but the big Dutch striker in dark blue stood firm in his run. Marius even brushed Koichi off to the ground like a man swapping against a fly. The Ajax supporters protested, but to no avail.
Clive Tyldesley: Van Leeuwen shakes off Hibino. Referee says "play on"...
Having knocked Koichi out of the equation, Marius bent his run towards the inside of the Ajax penalty area with Daley Blind in pursuit.
"Roman!" Kakeru shouted for a pass.
Marius then launched a floating ball towards the front of the goal. Kakeru attempted to throw himself into a diving header, but the Ajax goalkeeper punched the ball away.
Clive Tydesley: It's towards Aizawa! Punched away by Onana!
However, the ball bounced in an open area outside the penalty area where Nikolaj was ready to take his shot first time.
Clive Tyldesley: Oh, as far as KRISTIANSEN! It's gone just wide to the post!
Nikolaj's shot rolled just wide to the post, and gave the Ajax goalkeeper quite a scare. Nevertheless, it was indicative of how Manchester United were still very dangerous and able to find gaps in the Ajax back 4. If the Ajax defenders were expecting to have a moment to breathe a little easier, they were wrong to do so.
In the 78th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Schöne... Kristiansen takes the ball away from him.
Schöne attempt to create an opening was thwarted by his fellow Dane in dark blue, who then took the ball with him to start the counterattack.
Clive Tyldesley: He finds Flynn in support... Diogo Blanco...
Nikolaj passed the ball towards Kevin, who then ran a few yards before passing the ball to the overlapping Diogo on the right flank. The young Portuguese attempted a cross towards Marius, but the ball flew above everyone. Kakeru then ran to recover the loose ball.
Clive Tyldesley: Too high for Van Leeuwen... Now Aizawa...
After Kakeru recovered the ball, he tried to find someone to pass to just as he had to deal with Noussair Mazraoui in front of him. Marius and Santiago were making runs inside the penalty area hoping to receive a pass. However, Kakeru saw that his teammates were already marked inside the Ajax penalty area.
'No direct route... I need someone ready to shoot from a better angle.' Kakeru thought.
"Knight! Give it!" Nikolaj called for a pass.
Kakeru made the pass to Nikolaj, who then ran a few yards to the inside before he attempted a curling shot. The shot appeared to curve towards the bottom corner of the goal after it flew past a few bodies, but the Ajax goalkeeper just got his fingertips on the shot.
Clive Tyldesley: Oh! That's a really good save! I don't know how much he saw of that.
"Damn! I was sure that was it." Kakeru exclaimed.
"Me too. They are on their heels now, so let's keep going!" Marius replied.
"Right!" Kakeru said.
Meanwhile on the bench:
"That was so close by Nicky." Nana said.
"I hope we stop missing chances though." Francisco replied.
"I know. One mistake from either side will cost the match." Nana finished.
Only a couple of minutes later, Manchester United made a second substitution by sending Francisco on to replace Santiago. As a result, Kevin was moving forward to play like a traditional playmaker at the tip of a diamond-shaped midfield while Kakeru and Marius were both given full freedom to spearhead the Manchester United attack.
Despite the chances United had since the substitutes arrived on the pitch, the scoreline still remained tied at 2-2. As the end of the match moved ever closer by the minute, supporters from both sides were getting extremely nervous as one single mistake could cost the winning goal the worst possible time just like Nana said. That proved to be the case in the 85th minute when it started with a corner kick for Ajax.
Clive Tyldesley: Corner kick for Ajax. You have to feel that one more goal at this stage would settle it all for both sides tonight.
The ball flew from the corner flag towards the mass of players inside the Manchester United penalty area. Kevin tried to clear the ball out with a header, but missed the ball in the process.
Clive Tyldesley: Missed by Flynn, De Jong is there...
Unfortunately for Frenkie de Jong, he didn't hit his header as cleanly as he wished. The ball bounced towards Donny van de Beek, but Yusuke jumped higher than him to reach the ball in the air first. Because Yusuke appeared to have impeded the Ajax player, the Ajax supporters protested. However, the referee ordered the play to continue.
Clive Tyldesley: Turned away by Saeki.
Meanwhile, the bouncing ball flew towards Nikolaj. The Dane noticed that Ajax moved too many players forward on the corner kick, and that Kakeru only had one field player standing on the way to the Ajax goal. In a blink of an eye, Nikolaj launched the pass forward.
Clive Tyldesley: Great ball by Kristiansen, and Aizawa might run all the way.
Kakeru was sprinting his way forward with the ball, with the Ajax goal in sight. However, Koichi was the last man standing in a position to stop Kakeru’s mad dash.
"You won't do it! I won't let you score!" Koichi shouted.
"This one ends here and now!" Kakeru replied.
Clive Tyldesley: Hibino is trying to hold the line. Aizawa will have to do it alone.
When Kakeru arrived within the 25-yard distance from goal, he then performed an advanced variant of his trademark Phi Trick to move himself past Koichi. The ball was kicked forward with an added spin as Kakeru ran around the Ajax defender on the other side.
"What?" Koichi was caught flatfooted.
Clive Tyldesley: He's skipped through! It's Kakeru Aizawa...
Koichi desperately tried to regain the ground he lost on Kakeru, but it was not enough. It was all on Kakeru against the Ajax goalkeeper.
"Get in!" Kakeru shouted.
Despite the proximity of the Ajax goalkeeper, Kakeru struck the shot across the goalkeeper with the left foot, and into the bottom corner of the goal.
Clive Tyldesley: YEEESS!!! Brilliant effort by Kakeru Aizawa! With less than 4 minutes plus added time to go, Manchester United have taken the lead for the 3rd time on the night when it was Ajax with the chance to score a few seconds earlier. It's now Ajax 2-3 Manchester United.
The only sound that was heard inside the Johan Cruijff Arena at that moment came from the few thousands of United supporters in the upper stands and from the United players at pitch level. In his celebration, Kakeru ran all the way towards his team's bench, and hugged Nana first before the rest of their teammates, on-field players and substitutes alike, joined in.
"WHAT A GOAL, KAKERU!" Nana exclaimed.
"COME ON!" Nikolaj added his voice in.
"HELL YEAH, KNIGHT!" Marius said.
"WOOHOO!" Kevin also exclaimed.
Meanwhile, the referee blew his whistle a few times, and asked the Manchester United to get back to restarting positions. However, it was almost impossible to contain the Mancunians' joy, especially since United certainly didn’t play their best game overall by letting the lead slip twice on the night.
"Great goal, Kakeru!" Noriko shouted while she jumped all around the living room as she watched the aftermath following the goal on TV.
"That was mint! I never thought Kakeru would be bold enough to pull out that move against Hibino." Sarah added. She had her right arm happily wrapped around Noriko's shoulder.
"I didn't think he would ever dare either, but he did just that. That's already his 9th goal in the season for him with United."
"But did you see that defensive play before Kristiansen's pass?" Sarah asked.
"I did. That was a great clearance by Yusuke." Noriko replied.
"Hey! Since when do you call Yusuke Saeki by his first name?"
"Er... What? Well, I..." Noriko stammered.
"Sweet! So he IS the mystery boyfriend." Sarah teased.
"He's not my boyfriend. What the hell are you talking about? I was only introduced to him through Kakeru, and then we became friends. That's all. Stop teasing me, Sarah." Noriko replied.
"OK, OK." Sarah replied before she switched to her thoughts. 'I'm not fooled on that one, Noriko. I'm sure there's something more in behind.'
Back in Amsterdam:
"I got fooled by him again. Damnit!" Koichi said to himself out loud.
As Koichi looked at the celebrating Manchester United players, his gaze met with Kakeru's in distance. Although no words were exchanged, they both knew what the message being sent across to one another was: Kakeru has risen up to Koichi's challenge, and it is now up to the latter to find a response.
"We hebben nog 5 minuten en extra tijd nog een doelpunt. Kom op! (We still have 5 minutes and added time to score another goal. Come on!)" Matthijs de Ligt rallied his teammates.
'Well said, Matthijs. I won't give up now.' Koichi thought.
At the other end, the Manchester United players also rallied themselves to their leaders' orders.
"Heads up, lads! We have 5 minutes and stoppages left. Let's finish this one off." Marius said.
"No complacency! Keep pressing hard on them." Matthias added.
"Let's do this!" Kakeru added his rally cry as well.
For the remaining time left in the match, the Manchester United players kept pushing the Ajax players as far as possible from Luca’s goal by pressing the ball carrier relentlessly. However, that wasn't quite enough to make Ajax quit at all. In the last minute of injury time, a free kick was awarded to Ajax at a distance of 50 yards to goal.
Clive Tyldesley: This might be the last chance for Ajax to salvage something tonight. David Neres will take the long free kick.
Ajax pushed as many men forward as possible just inside the Manchester United penalty area. On the referee's signal, David Neres kicked a very high ball towards the penalty area. Yusuke and Matthijs de Ligt jumped up to touch the ball, but it was the Ajax player who got the best of Yusuke this time by deflecting the ball towards the goal.
Clive Tyldesley: De Ligt! Good save by Mancuso, but we are not finished yet...
The shot was stopped by the Manchester United goalkeeper, but Ajax regained control of the ball. After a couple of failed passes and an interception within seconds, Ajax were still on the attack.
Clive Tyldesley: Another long ball towards Huntelaar... Köhler is with him.
With Matthias standing like a brick wall in front of Huntelaar, the latter had to shield the ball against the German. Then Huntelaar passed the ball backwards to a teammate. The player in position to shoot from outside the box was none other than Koichi.
Clive Tyldesley: A chance for Hibino...
"Watch out!" Nana shouted from the bench.
"Score!" Koichi exclaimed.
Although Koichi unleashed the canon shot at full power, Kakeru managed to throw his body in the way at the very last fraction of a second. As a result, the ball bounced off Kakeru's leg, and flew up the air before Luca easily caught the ball.
Clive Tyldesley: Caught by Mancuso, but it was a match-saving block by Aizawa on Hibino.
In the next few seconds, Luca threw the ball forward. The Manchester United players carried the ball towards the corner flag deep in Ajax's territory as they knew there would be no time for Ajax to launch another attack. Finally, the referee put an end to the contest.
PEEP PEEP PEEEEEEEEEP!!!
Clive Tyldesley: It was a test of nerves for both clubs, and Manchester United have found a way to come away with the 3 points against a resolute Ajax team. In the end, Manchester United earned 6 points in the bank after 2 group matches.
Very shortly after the final whistle, Kakeru and Nana first shook their hands with Daley.
"Good game, you two." Daley said.
"Thanks, Daley." Kakeru replied.
"Thanks. Your team did well too." Nana added.
"I have to say that you have guts to stop Hibino's shot, Kleine Heks (Little Witch)."
"Thanks. I only hope I won't have to do it often."
"I hope to see you at Old Trafford in December." Kakeru said to Daley.
"Yeah, so do I." Daley replied. "Tot gauw (See you soon)."
"Tot gauw, Daley." Kakeru and Nana finished.
After a few handshakes with other Ajax players, Kakeru and Koichi finally came up facing each other.
"That was a great game, Kakeru." Koichi said as he shook hands with Kakeru.
"Thanks, Hibino."
"I guess that I'm still not capable of stopping you from making a difference even after all those years. You really made big strides since the last time we faced each other as opponents."
"You improved a lot as well, Hibino. I faced my share of defenders since I became a professional, but I only saw so few out there who could put the body at the right place and at the right time to prevent so many goals like you did." Kakeru replied.
"That's nice to hear from you, Kakeru."
Then Nana and Yusuke also arrived to shake hands with Koichi.
"That was a great match you played, Hibino-san." Nana said.
"Thanks, Mishima. You also did very well. I never expected you would be as tough as you are, but I can see why you hold your ground so well against men. You have that mental strength that only the best players have."
"Thanks, Hibino-san. Speaking of tough, many big clubs in Europe will probably keep an eye on you after tonight's performance." Nana said.
"I don't know... Amsterdam has been a part of my childhood when I had my surgery. And then I spent my middle school years here. It has been my home for a number of years, so I would have a hard time parting ways even if I receive an offer to join a bigger club." Koichi replied.
"I can see what you mean. As long as you're happy, then nothing else matters." Yusuke said.
"Indeed. See you guys soon with the Samurai Blue then."
"Will do, Hibino." Kakeru replied.
"Make sure you carry that form with the national team. It could be a big asset for us against serious opposition, especially in November." Yusuke finished.
Then Koichi left towards the players' tunnel with the remaining Ajax players. Meanwhile, Kakeru, Nana, and Yusuke joined their teammates to salute the few thousands of travelling Manchester United supporters in the Johan Cruijff Arena. After the match, the team immediately left for the airport, and took the plane back to Manchester with a feeling of relief after they won their first road game of the present campaign in the UEFA Champions League.
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