《Dream Training : The Champions》


 Chapter 1 - Dream Training

    "Just quit, we can try again in Japan."


    After heard what his agen said, Kazuki felt hurt. He knew that some part of himself agreed with Furochi, his agent. Despite there was also a part in him that was reluctant to agree with furochi''s words.


    Kazuki shone on the u-17 World Cup event, Japanese football enthusiasts and sports media even called him the Japanese Football hope. Soon after that, he was invited by Manchester united. Everyone thought, this would be the beginning of the legendary journey of Kazuki.


    But unfortunately for the past years, Kazuki had never once played for the Manchester United main team. Let alone the main team, Kazuki himself only a few times performed on Manchester United u-18. Japanese media and Japanese football fans had also forgotten the teenager and considered him as a failure.


    Now, he was 18 years old, because he could not enter Manchester united u-23, his contract with Manchester United could not be renewed.


    Now he had only a month left. If Kazuki didn''t make a breakthrough in his performance within 1 month, then he would be kick out from Manchester united.


    "I want to try it, please Furochi, let me try it until the end of a month. I promise I''ll do my best."


    "Well then, but if you fail, we should go back to Japan, you couldn''t adapt well here. I know your talents are quite good. So don''t let me down."


    After that Furochi left Kazuki.


    The reason Kazuki couldn''t shine at Manchester United was he lack of talent than the rest. In both talent and physical ability, he had no advantage over his rival. Probably just a speed he can be proud of.


    Not only that, but he didn''t have any friends on the team. In Manchester united there were local clique that come from talents in England, some from other European countries, South American cliques, and finally African cliques, but from East Asia, only Kazuki that in Manchester United u-18. This made him isolated from the rest. Although he could spoke english, cultural differences remained a barrier between Kazuki and others.


    Kazuki shook his head, he decided to go to sleep and put away all his thoughts.


    ****


    ''To be honest, I''m not too confident, should I still pursue my dream? My talent are not enough, of course, I could work hard but others are also the same. But can I be a big star? Win the UCL? League champion? Asian cup? Or even crazy, The World Cup? Haha kidding, maybe I''ll just become a regular football player in the Japanese league.''


    As Kazuki slumped in his sleep, he dreamed of taking Japan to win the World Cup. He felt the desires manifest in the dream.


    Until one voice jolted Kazuki.


    [Welcome To Dream Training]


    Kazuki sensed his blurred dreams now growing stronger as if it was reality. He opened his eyes to see himself in a large stadium with bright lights shining over his body. His mind was now 100% conscious.


    "What''s going on?" Kazuki asked in amazement. Dreams were always a blur. But the place he was standing now was so real that Kazuki didn''t believe in it. He pinched his hand but he did not feel the expected pain.


    "It''s a dream." A man suddenly appeared from behind Kazuki and clapped him on the shoulder. His face showed Kazuki that he was Asian, he was also wearing a Japanese team jersey.


    "Who are you?"


    "You may call me GM, I am the master of this place. You could think of this as a program from the future aimed at helping a Japanese football player in this era rise."


    ''Bullshit, I couldn''t believe it, I must be having some kind of weird dream. ''thought Kazuki.


    "Haha, you can think about it, that way too. But since this is just a dream you don''t mind hearing me out first?" said the GM who heard clearly what Kazuki was thinking.


    Kazuki nodded, still thinking of all this as a dream.


    "Basically [dream training] currently has two modes, first was [training] mode and the second was [experience] mode. In the first mode, you can set any conditions you imagine, something like training individually against the top center-back or settle up the random match with whichever team you want and you can comfortably organize your team. I''ll make an AI based on the full information of the real world''s players. That AI had the same abilities as the person it was imitating.


    Second, [experiences] mode in this mode you don''t practice, but you experiences life and all that a football player was experienced directly from the first perspective. You''ll feel the touch, the mind, the football player''s instincts."


    Kazuki''s forehead furrowed, thinking of AI imitating someone else''s ability perfectly and experienced the experiences of others perfectly sounded impossible. This convinced him that this was just a strange dream.


    ''but what if it''s not?''


    "Your position is a striker right?" the GM said.


    Kazuki nodded slowly. It may sound a little unfair but in football, the goal was everything, the most scoring goal was the star in every team. Striker as the closest to the goalpost should certainly be his favorite position.


    "It''s a bit unique, most Japanese footballers are preferring attack midfielder rather than striker."


    "I love the feeling when i scored a goal."


    The GM giggled, "then as our first meeting I''ll give you an experience from a man in striker''s position, it''s Filippo Inzaghi."


    Kazuki tilted his head and asked, "who is he? I don''t know him."


    "The history of the football world here is a bit uninteresting, he''s a football player from another parallel world."


    Parallel? Kazuki didn''t understand what the gm had said.


    "Don''t think about it, just feel it." GM snapped his finger and then Kazuki felt his environment slowly changing.


    His eyes was opened, he saw that he was standing in a magnificent stadium with ten thousands of spectators. He was wearing the red and black jersey of AC Milan. Although Kazuki knew it was AC Milan but he didn''t recognize the players whose wearing it.


    ''is this a parallel world? ''thought Kazuki. L


    He couldn''t move his body but still felt the breeze and each touch as clearly as if it were real. Soon Kazuki felt the body move in conjunction with the attack by AC Milan. The ball was carried by a player with no. 22, he was dribbling the ball quickly, his dribble was attracting the enemy defender''s attention.


    At that moment Kazuki felt this body was running toward the rift created on enemy formation. Just as the player with number 22 in his back lost the space to dribble again, Filippo Inzaghi, was in the right place to welcome the pass. The player passed the ball to the Inzaghi, Kazuki saw the Inzaghi kicked the ball into the corner of the net.


    ''To make good use of the gap created on opponent defense line, as best as possible'' this was the first impression Kazuki had on a player named Inzaghi. But this was not the end, he began experiencing each Inzaghi moment from the very first point of view.


    Superb.


    His striker instinct was very strong. Futhermore, he had ambiguous position that confuses the defense. The most important, he had ability to utilize the gaps between the offside lines.


    Kazuki didn''t know if this dream was real or just a dream but he believed that he was learning a lot from inzaghi.

 Chapter 2 - Little Change

    The next day at the Trafford Training Center, Manchester United u-18 gathered for a training match. Manchester united u -18 was playing at the Premier Academy League, often called FAPAL. FAPAL was the youth league highest level in England. The league was divided into two halves which was the north and the south. Manchester United u-18 was included in the southern Premier Academy League who competed every Saturday.


    At this time, Manchester United u-18 was divided into two teams of Team A and Team B. Team A was the most encouraged because it consisted of young performers who often competed at the Premier Academy League. While Team B was filled up by players who rarely appear. To keep the balance, Manchester United u-18 coach, who was Traves Lennon, added Joe Bennet, the brightest young player on this squad to play on Team B.


    Bennet was a young star player who had shown his potential and talent since childhood. Manchester United was very optimistic about Bennet''s future. Bennet, who played as centre midfield, had gameplay style which was more like a spanish player style who relied on technique.


    With Bennet''s help,Team B managed to hold off against Team A for the first ten minutes. Several attacks were also provided by Team B under Bennet command. But unfortunately, Nicholas Ayew, as Team B striker, was failed to convert the golden opportunity to a goal.


    In the next 20 minutes, Team A managed to break Team B goalpost with strong shot from Ethan McNeill. 5 minutes later, once again golden opportunity was wasted by Ayew. His failure made Team A scored a goal. Team A counterattack, which was using Ayew failure, successfully executed by Pereira.


    The score didn''t change until 30 minutes where the first round was over. Traves then replaced the players on Team A and Team B. Then he gave the players, who rarely appear, a chance. Ayew disappointing performance made him replaced by Kazuki.


    Bennet, who saw Kazuki come to replace Ayew, was shaking his head lightly. Then, he sighed and thought that he was going to lose the game this time. Of course, Bennet disappointed expression was seen by Kazuki. Kazuki understood Bennet feeling. What Bennet had thought was represented most Kazuki teammate thought about him.


    The match was resumed. Even though this was only a training match, but the young players desire to win was pretty high. Who wouldn''t want to look good and got a praise from the coach? This was especially seen in Team B. Team B players was rarely appered in Premier Academy League. So, they wanted to show their best performance.


    However, it also caused a flaw on tactical system, when each player played as an individual rather than a team. Bennet also began to make his way through the attack alone after thinking his comrades were unreliable. Team A and Team B were attacking each other, although the number of goals had not increase, the intensity of sparring was undoubtedly increasing.


    At 45 minutes, Kazuki finally got the opportunity. Bennet, who tried to enter the penalty box, drew the attention of the opponent''s defense. It was leaving a hole on Team A formation. Kazuki immediately ran to exploit the rift. He entered the penalty box while asking a pass from Bennet.


    Bennet, who had seen it, decided to give him the pass. Team A goalkeeper ran to cut the ball, but Kazuki accepted the ball and calmly turned himself. Then, he kicked the ball into the net.


    Kazuki didn''t celebrate the goal, instead he approached Bennet and said, "That was a good pass, thank you."


    Bennet had a choice to continue his break through rather than gave a pass to Kazuki.


    "You were in a good position. In that position, if you can''t score a goal then don''t call yourself a striker." Bennet rolled his eyes.


    Even though Kazuki scored a goal, Bennet thoughts it was just a coincidence. The goal did not change Bennet''s thought about Kazuki.


    The game starting again. Team A guard on Kazuki was increasing. Now, he couldn''t find any gap on Team A formation like before. But the understanding and experience that Kazuki got from Inzaghi, was not only enabled him to see and exploited the gap, but also made him created the gap it self.


    In the 57th minute, Team B counterattack was began. Kazuki, who received through pass from his teammate, dribbled the ball with fastbreak. Though it may not be the fastest one in Manchester United u-18, Kazuki speed will be enough to get through Team A''s defense line.


    The center-back who was named Rhodes, tried to close Kazuki space to run, so that Kazuki was forced to change his movement to the right side. The Team A''s defense line was leaned to the right, creating a gap on the left side. Kazuki sent a horizontal pass to the left. Bennet received Kazuki pass, then he kicked the ball with confidence. The ball broke through Team A goalpost. As a result, the score was changed to 2-2.


    This new training match presented a surprise for Coach Traves and his assistant. Especially the change that was happening to Kazuki. During the whole game, Kazuki had only 3 chances but he scored 1 goal and 1 assist. Truthfully this was a nice change, but Traves thought these changes appeared too late. If only Kazuki had shown such changes three months earlier, he might have a different fate.


    On the other hand, Kazuki was very happy about different things. The dream training which he had experienced last night, have a real effect. Kazuki felt a change in his ability, even though it was only a small change but the change was able to make him shone on training match.


    With excited feeling, Kazuki slumped in his sleep.


    [Welcome To Dream Training]


    Kazuki opened his eyes, he saw the same stadium as before. This added to his conviction that the dream had an actual effect on him.


    "Congratulations on your first change, how? Now you believe me don''t you?" The GM greeted Kazuki with a smile.


    Ignoring an irritating GM smile, Kazuki nodded in a calm reply, "you''re right, I believe you. So please help me to be a good player." He looked at GM with serious eye.


    Kazuki no longer had to hide his ambitions. Because with this [Dream Training], he was sure he would keep growing. It was mean he would reach the peak of football, soon or later.


    "Good, that''s how you should be, full of ambition, pursue your dreams with all your heart." GM nodded happily with Kazuki''s demeanor.


    "Then, could you give me another, a great player''s experience?" said Kazuki.


    "It is waste, a great player''s experience is useless if you couldn''t apply it in the real world. Without strong basic training, it is useless to experience the most amazing players. The Inzaghi was the one that didn''t require a high talent to apply it."


    Kazuki thought about GM have said, then, he realized that GM was true. Experienced another player experience didn''t mean he could fully replicated the player''s ability. What Kazuki needed was solid basic training. Shooting skills, controll the balls, dribble balls, passing balls, heading, etc. Kazuki had a lot of basic training to do.


    "From now on you just focus on mode [Training] I''ll let you know when you''re ready to receive the experience of another player."


    Responding to GM''s words, Kazuki nodded calmly.

 Chapter 3 - Leicester City

    As the spearhead of each team attack, the striker was expected to catch every opportunity. To achieve this, the striker must have a qualified shooting ability. In a match, the average chance to shoot directly into the opponent''s goalpost could be counted by fingers. Because of this, every striker must be able to take advantage of every opportunity effectively.


    To be a good striker, three basic things must be fulfilled. The ability to receive the ball, the ability to hold the ball, and the ability to shoot the ball.


    Not every pass that given by teammates will be very comfortable and good. There was a possibility that the pass given by the midfielder was very bad, so the striker must be able to receive the ball properly. In a tight space in the penalty box, if a striker failed to receive the ball very well, there was a possibility that the ball will be snatched by the opponent, which will eventually lead to a counterattack.


    Controll the ball in penalty box required a striker to be able to hold the ball as long as posibble, whether with the physica or skill method.


    Shot the ball, it sounds very simple, but when facing a fierce defense, a striker must be able to shoot under any circumstances. Because of it, striker who had a balanced leg will have great advantage over others striker who hadn''t. When a striker had balance lag, he could kick the ball immediately without adjusted his position.


    To train those three aspects. Kazuki was setting the condition where he faced a fierce defense of the opposing team. The defense difficulties were adjusted to the major league standards in Europe.


    ''Very difficult.'' Kazuki felt how difficult it, when he was guarded by two players. With this level of difficulty, Kazuki failed frequently. Fortunately, this situation could be repeated many times in [Dream Training]. Kazuki then began to practice in the situation repeatedly.


    [Dream training] may not made the physical suddenly jump, only because Kazuki often trained there, but [Dream Training] could hone Kazuki''s muscle memory, so Kazuki could feel his body begin to adapting on shooting in difficult circumstances.


    Not only in [Dream Training], Kazuki also continued the discipline of practicing in the real world, regardless of the team training that was carried out every day, Kazuki added the training portion, especially to shoot the ball and receive the ball. He asked Bennet to help him, at the first, Bennet was reluctant but Bennet finally help Kazuki after Kazuki promised to take care of his meal.


    Traves was witnessing Kazuki''s development in three days. Maybe it was just a small change but it could make Traves believe that this child will be able to survive in the major league in Europe. Even so, the progress of Kazuki did not make him optimistic that Kazuki''s chance entered Manchester United''s first team. As good as anyone in the junior stage, on a giant team like Manchester United, they could only be a substitute.


    Finally the Premier Academy League began again. On a sunny saturday, Manchester United U-18 will welcome Leicester U-18. In the starting lineup announced by Traves, Kazuki failed to enter it, he could only be a replacement. But at least this was a progress. A few months back, Kazuki failed many times to enter the big list of the match.


    The situation of Manchester United U-18 could be said not too bad, but also not too good. This squad''s rank was third in the South Premier Academy League table. It was pretty good but as an academy that had produced many quality players, rank third was embarrassing for Manchester United.


    The distance between young players could be see clearly than the distance between the ordinary players and the star players. That''s because talented players could show their talent entirely without worrying about complicated tactics.


    Because basically, the league in the junior stage like this was a show event for every teenager. It'' was more about showing talents and quality rather than forming a tactic pattern. This was more obvious in the UK than in other European countries.


    Even though the match Leicester U-18 against Manchester United U-18 served a surprise, especially for Traves. He saw that Leicester played neatly and tactically. With a 4-4-2 formation, there were two layers of defenses plus two strikers who was trying to steal the ball from the Manchester United''s feet. For young players, this tactical level was executed Incredibly.


    Under the tight defense provided by the Fox, Manchester United could only play safely. Until the 10th minute, when Bennet was able to break through the opponent''s defense line.


    Manchester United who played with a 4-2-3-1 formation immediately shot towards the Leicester penalty box. Bennet gave a pass to the side which was welcomed by Ethan.


    Ethan passed Leicester City''s left fullback and cut into the penalty box, he then gave a crossing ball to the middle of the penalty box. Unfortunately, Perreira, who was superior to playing ball on his foot, felt awkward he was given a floating ball. Then he received the ball with his chest and gave a strong volley towards the goalkeeper. But the ball hit the post and bounced to the front.


    Finallt, the ball fell on Leicester players feet, the counter-attack began quickly. Both of Leicester City strikers had a good speed. With one-two pass, they managed to penetrate the last lines of Manchester United u-18, Manchester United goalkeeper u-18 was running to the ball. But he failed, the ball hit the net hard.


    Conceding was make Manchester United u-18 surprised but they quickly adjusted. Coach Traves Lennon lifted up his hand while shouting trying to encourage his players. Manchester United u-18 returned to the ball, they continued to try to dismantle the Leicester City u-18 defense but despite the opportunity they got, Manchester United could not change the score until the end of the first half.


    The problem was Perreira, after he failed to score a goal at the beginning, Perreira always forced himself to break through the Leicester City defense line alone, which make the Manchester United''s attack always encountered a dead end. Selfish desired to score a goal like that, was normal in young teams like this, but Traves was angry, according to him, Perreira must realize if he could not break through the opponent''s defense alone, then, he must work with his friends.


    Therefore, Traves wanted to give a lesson to Perreira. He decided to replace Perreira with Kazuki who had recently performed well in training match.. Traves did not put a lot of hope for Kazuki but he thought Kazuki would be more proactive in working with his teammate rather than Perreira.

 Chapter 4 - Manchester United

    False nine was a center forward who was not in his original position, a player played as false nine will often pick up the ball in the middle.


    The purpose to used false nine was to withdraw the opponent''s defender onward, so that would create a gap in the opponent''s defense. As a result, the player who played as a midfielder or winger could enter the penalty box using the gap.


    What if the opponent''s defender didn''t want to go onward? Then, team possession near the opponent''s penalty box will be superior because of the center forward who helped the midfielders. This role was a role regulated by Traves for Kazuki. Traves had a reason for that. He thought Kazuki was not good enough to become a traditional center forward. Although false nine was good role, but Kazuki, who had the desire to score a goal, wasn''t like this role.


    Even so, Kazuki still did his role as false nine well. He helped Manchester United u-18 midfielder to maintain possession in front of the opponent''s penalty box. Several times, he also worked with Bennet in a one-two pass. Bennet and Kazuki''s relation was a little closer after Bennet helped a lot in Kazuki''s training.


    The effort did not betray the results, finally, Leicester City center-back, Skrimmer came forward to try to intercept the pass which given to Kazuki. But Kazuki passed him ease. Then, He ran to bring the ball quickly. The other Leicester defenders tried to close the gap which created by Skrimmer but just make another gap opened in the wing position. Kazuki made a through pass to Ethan, he immediately received the ball well.


    Skrimmer, who had made a mistake, tried to redeem it, he closed space for Ethan to shoot. However, Ethan made a smart pass to the other side of the Leicester defense, Bennet who entered the penalty box, received the pass then immediately gave a strong shot towards the goalpost. The Leicester U-18 goalkeeper could only see the ball hit the upper corner of the goalpost then bounced to the net.


    Manchester United was finally able to equalize to 1-1 with Joe Bennet''s goal. However, the Red Devils was not satisfied. Manchester United u-18 was also members of the giant team, a draw like this did not satisfy Manchester United players. Manchester United was attacking Leicester. Their attack was begun to be intensified. Especially Bennet and Ethan, the two players were the most threatening for Leicester. Meanwhile, Leicester was loosening their guard to Kazuki after seeing Ethan and Bennet''s ferocious attack.


    It was used by Kazuki. The match was entering to the end. Kazuki broke through the offside trap that managed by Leicester City. he brought the ball quickly leaving two center-back Leicester who tried to chase him. Leicester''s goalkeeper also ran forward to cover Kazuki''s shooting space but Kazuki outwitted Leicester''s goalkeeper. Then he shot the ball toward an empty goalpost.


    The match ended with a victory for Manchester United. After the match, the Red Devils young players sat on the ground, and rested their body while listening to the evaluation of Coach Traves Lennon.


    "A good match boys, even though we lost goals but we managed to score two goals in the second half. The tactical capabilities of Leicester City u-18 were very good. It was normal if we lose the ball." Traves turned his attention to Perreira and then continued his words, "But Perreira I was disappointed with you, you waste many opportunities. You are still young, it doesn''t matter if you want make a solo goal.but you should remember if your attack is fail, you have to work more with your team. On the other side, Kazuki, you made great progress. "


    Kazuki was a quite happy with Traves''s response, in just less than a week Kazuki felt that he made a pretty good progress. Even though he was still inferior to talented players such as Bennet and Ethan but with multiple training in the real world and in [dream training], Kazuki was confident to surpass Bennet and Ethan.


    ***


    The next day daily training was canceled, the Manchester United u-18 team was given a ticket to watch Manchester United''s first team match in an important match against Liverpool at Old Trafford Stadium.


    Manchester United and Liverpool were two England league teams with the most achievements. Liverpool''s dominance in the old years, broken by Manchester United who just got up under Sir Alex Henderson. In the two decades, Manchester United dominated the Premier League and won the Champions League trophy twice. But this season Liverpool who just changed coach made great progress than the previous season.


    This could be seen from the Premier League table where Liverpool was leading with 10 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss, totaling 33 points. Second, Manchester United was closely chasing 10 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses, 32 points. Meanwhile, other competitors such as Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester City were unable to match the performance of Liverpool and Manchester United.


    Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United was played in the Champions League. Manchester United was lucky they were in an easy group along with Real Madrid, Olympiacos, and Dynamo Zegreb. However, to prepare for the match against Liverpool, Manchester United sent a substitute lineup when they hosted Real Madrid at Old Trafford last week.


    Beating Liverpool seems more important than taking first place in the group from Real Madrid.


    Kazuki and his teammates sat in the stadium seats half an hour early from kick-off. The fans had came to fulfil the capacity of stadium. In a match as important as this, how could they missed the opportunity to support their beloved team.


    Kazuki had watched matches at Old Trafford several times but the lively and enthusiastic atmosphere of the fans always impressed him.


    He wondered when he would be able to feel this kind of atmosphere straight from the field.


    ''I have to keep training hard," thought Kazuki who had made up his mind.


    Soon, players from both teams started to enter the field. Cheers filled the stadium. Each team fielded their strongest line-up. Although at the paper, Manchester United squad was stronger than Liverpool, but undoubtedly Liverpool''s teamwork and tactic was better than Manchester United. The reason was very simple because Manchester United was star-studded, it was more difficult for them to work together than Liverpool where every player was not very outstanding but able to do their job well.


    The match then began. Under the gaze of tens thousands fans, Manchester United launched an attack right from the start.. Manchester United striker Ron had a good shot, but unfortunately, the shot hit the post and failed to open the score for the Red Devil.

 Chapter 5 - Liverpool Vs Manchester United

    At that time, the rivalry between the two teams was not about football but inter-city business.


    In the 19th century, relations between the two cities were initially very harmonious, because Liverpool was known as a major port city in England, and Manchester was the first city to be economically developed since the English revolution.


    However, the sweet relationship had to crack at the end of 1878. The world depression at that time made Manchester "blame" Liverpool for being considered to have imposed high tariffs on the distribution channels of their products.


    Disappointed, Manchester then built its port to distribute the city''s industrial products around the world in 1894.


    The move, indirectly finally made the income of the city and residents in Liverpool drop drastically.


    Back to the match, Manchester United appeared ferocious from the start of the first half. Appearing in front of their fans, of course, they want to score goals as soon as possible. But Liverpool''s defense under the command of Sergio Van Dyke, was able to withstand Manchester''s ferocious attacks. He made clearances and clean tackles to keep Liverpool''s goal safe.


    Of course, Liverpool also did not stay silent, in the 15th minute they launched a counter-attack. Van Dyke provided the pass far forward. The pass was received by Liverpool midfielder Steven Roger the Liverpool captain. Manchester United did not stand idly by, their defensive midfielder, Frans launched a tackle on Steven who had just received the ball. But Steven pushed the ball to the left to avoid a tackle from Frans. He then gave a through pass towards the wing.


    Liverpool winger Ahmed immediately stabbed into the Manchester United penalty box. He then passed Manchester United''s center back, Rio Fernand with a fake move. However, another center back, Fadick, closed Ahmed''s shooting range.


    Ahmed gave an unexpected back pass. Sisinho, a striker from Brazil, immediately kicked the ball in the first touch. The Manchester United net is shaking.


    1-0 to Liverpool.


    The Red Devils fans immediately gave a mocking shout at Liverpool who celebrated their goal.


    The match continued, Manchester United again attacked the Liverpool goalpost fiercely. The action of Liverpool goalkeeper, Jim Becker, was extraordinary many times holding off the shots of Manchester United players. However, at the end of the first half Manchester United was awarded a penalty after Ron was brought down in the box by Sergio Van Dyke. The penalty is controversial because Van Dyke argues he didn''t touch Ron at all. But the referee still gave a penalty to Manchester United.


    Ron then took the penalty calmly. Manchester United managed to equalize just before the first half whistle ended.


    ***


    At the start of the second half, Frans made a fatal blunder after his pass to Rio Fernand was snatched by Sisinho. Sisinho who got the ball immediately provided a through ball for Ahmed who escaped the offside trap. Ahmed confronted the goalkeeper by setting the ball into the corner of the Manchester United goal. The Liverpool player listed his name on the scoreboard.


    Sir Alex Henderson looked very angry with Frans'' blunder, he immediately replaced Frans with a young player named Fred.


    In the 69th minute, Liverpool got a free kick in front of the penalty box. Their captain Steven Roger will take the free-kick. Roger gave a floated pass into the Manchester United penalty box, during the chaos Van Dyke managed to get the ball into the Manchester United goalpost. After the goal, Liverpool played down their defense and piled on players in the penalty box leaving only Ahmed in front. They also replaced Sisinho and brought in another defender to strengthen the defense.


    Even though Manchester United''s score was 2 goals behind, Kazuki saw that the enthusiasm of the fans was still burning. They seem very confident Manchester United can turn things around. It is very reasonable because the Red Devils often score goals at the end of the game.


    Sure enough, in the 83rd minute - Van Dyke received his second yellow card, the Liverpool defender had to leave the field prematurely. Liverpool, who played with 10 men, was increasingly attacked by Manchester United.


    In the 87th minute, Ron received a pass from Ruggard, a young player who came from the Manchester United academy. Ron gave a hard kick that managed to break into the Liverpool goal.


    The official gave 4 minutes of added time, which was enough time for Manchester United to equalize. All the Manchester United players including the defenders up forward so far into Liverpool''s defensive territory, even their goalkeeper was in half the football field assisting his team.


    Manchester United who are too absorbed to attack finally accepts the consequences. In the 93rd minute, Liverpool launched a counter-attack, Ahmed who managed to get past the offside trap immediately brought the ball quickly. The Manchester United keeper scrambled into his net, but Ahmed fired a long-range shot which quickly overtook the Manchester United keeper and ended up rattling the net for the Red Devils.


    At that moment the fans watching the match fell silent.


    The final whistle sounded. Final score 4-2 for Liverpool victory. The Reds managed to beat Manchester United even with a controversial penalty and 10 men in stoppage time.


    ***


    In [Dream Training] Kazuki asked the GM, "Do you think I should change positions?"


    In football, there are several identical positions so it doesn''t require too much adaptation when playing in that position. Among them are full-back and winger, defensive midfielder and center back, left-winger, and right-winger. But the striker''s position is unique, that''s because the striker''s position is very different from other positions. Of course, some strikers can play in other positions such as wing positions but the striker''s game will not play optimally as a winger.


    Vice versa, if the striker''s position is occupied by the wrong person, then it is difficult for that person to play optimally unless he plays with a false nine strategy that does not need a pure striker.


    "Why do you think like that?" asked the GM.


    Kazuki lowered his face and said, "Somehow at this moment those who scored the most goals are Wingers."


    Tactics and formations in football evolve with the times. The traditional winger is only tasked with bringing the ball to the side and then providing a cross to the striker. However, after the modern winger was born, the role of the winger changed from that of a striker supplier to being the most important goal scorer on the team.


    "Why did you choose the position of a striker? Is it just because you want to score goals?"


    That''s not the only reason, Striker has always been a position that is not maximized properly in the Japanese national team. There are many great Japanese players whether it''s in midfield or on the wings but for a pure striker, it''s hard to find someone good at that position.


    Kazuki was embarrassed to say it to the GM. However, thinking about the Japanese national team is going too far for now.


    "No matter what your reasons are, my advice is not to change your position. You have no advantage over the others on the flanks. Your speed isn''t fast enough to get rid of defenders. Techniques and skills aren''t sophisticated enough to fool the opponent. most importantly for Asian people, your tall stature has great potential. Don''t waste your current advantage."


    GM gave his advice at length. He then continued, "If you want to learn another position wait until you master your role as a striker. By then it is not too late to learn another position."


    Being able to play in other positions is of course an advantage. Someone who can play in many positions will help the coach in various situations. But it must be remembered, mastering one field is better than knowing many fields but not mastering one.


    At the suggestion of the GM, Kazuki buried his desire to try playing in another position.


    After that, he continued his training as usual. For approximately one week since Kazuki had [Dream Training] he had tried various situations and conditions that he would face as a striker. The progress that Kazuki was experiencing wasn''t bad either. In terms of the accuracy of the first touch shoot, Kazuki had a very good improvement. Now he has an aspect of sharpness in every attack.


    Then, his ability to receive the ball also experienced development. Although it couldn''t be called very skilled, Kazuki''s ball receiving ability was at least on par with the skills of his comrade. As long as it wasn''t under tight marking, Kazuki''s shooting and receiving abilities had reached a good standard.


    In the real world, Kazuki''s training at Manchester United U-18 was also running smoothly. The training he did in [Dream Training] can also be felt. Coach Traves and Kazuki''s colleagues at Manchester United U-18 also felt Kazuki''s development. Bennet and Ethan are now close friends of Kazuki. Especially, Ethan, it turns out that he really likes Japanese culture, especially Anime and Manga. Ethan often invited Kazuki to discuss about it.


    Kazuki was naturally happy when everything went smoothly.


    However, things weren''t as smooth as Kazuki thought. Kazuki''s development turned out to make Perreira as the main striker of Manchester United U-18 feel jealous and feel threatened by his position.


    In yesterday''s training, in the mini-games, Perreira gave Kazuki a hard tackle that sprained Kazuki''s ankle. Ethan who had been close to Kazuki almost got into a fight with Perreira. However, several Manchester United U-18 players who are also from Brazil defended Perreira by saying it was all unintentional.


    Coach Traves Lennon himself does not mind the competition in his team as long as the competition is still within reasonable limits. As long as Perreira didn''t seriously injure Kazuki. Traves wouldn''t get too involved.


    As a result, Kazuki had to be absent for one day from daily training. This incident made Kazuki further raise his awareness regarding the injury.. Because if he had a serious Injury, even [Dream Training] would be useless and his dream of becoming a top soccer player wouldn''t come true.

 Chapter 6 - Southampton U-18

    Sports injuries are one of the unavoidable risks that some athletes have to face.


    Without proper medical treatment, injuries can be fatal or leave permanent disabilities that often break the careers of athletes in the world of professional sports.


    For football players, injury is a frightening specter. The worst thing is that an injury can ruin a footballer''s career and may force the person to retire early. Lucky if someone who has suffered a serious injury can return to the pitch. however, the injury will still have an impact on the footballer''s gameplay in the future.


    There are many examples of players whose careers have been ruined by injuries. There was no need for Kazuki to mention one by one to know how important it was to deal with the risk of injury.


    As a striker, Kazuki would make physical contact with opposing defenders. In that physical contact, of course, there would be a moment where Kazuki would receive a sharp tackle from the opposing defender. Because of that, Kazuki felt that he had to do something to reduce the risk of his injury.


    He asked GM for advice on this matter.


    In the next [Dream Training] GM provided a solution regarding the injury problem.


    "The most effective thing is of course continuously strengthening your body. Only with a strong body can you reduce injuries. On the other hand, you can also practice ways to reduce the risk of injury. should be done to reduce injury."


    Many small movements can reduce injury. An example is a right way to fall. When a soccer player collides in the air or is hit by an opponent''s tackle, his body will lose balance and fall, to reduce injury, the right way of falling will reduce the risk of injury. Another example is the movement of jumping and rolling. When a player receives a tackle from the front he can jump forward and roll over to avoid the tackle, this jumping technique is also growing so that it becomes a diving technique to deceive the referee. The last is to improve the player''s foot skills, with good skills and techniques footballers can trick opponents into taking defensive actions in the wrong direction.


    After receiving the suggestion from the GM, Kazuki immediately added a portion of the anti-injury training that he designed with the help of the AI ??that had gathered data on injury prevention measures from all over the world.


    However, Kazuki''s leg injury had also healed after all it was only a minor injury. The next day in Kazuki returned to follow the daily training of Manchester United U-18. In the 60-minute team training game, Kazuki scored two goals which showed his condition had completely recovered. On the other hand, Perreira again failed to score in the mini-games.


    At the end of the training, Ethan put his arm around Kazuki''s shoulder and said, "You played well today. I''m sure in the next match you will start as the starting line-up replacing Perreira."


    Kazuki replied to Ethan casually, "All decisions are in the hands of the coach, he may give Perreira another chance. However, as long as I get the chance I definitely won''t let him down."


    After almost two weeks of Kazuki having [Dream Training], he gained quite a bit of confidence. At the u-18 level, Kazuki felt his current abilities were quite good. Although Kazuki was weaker in technique and skill than Perreira, Kazuki''s off-the-ball, First touch shoot, and ball receive was better than Perreira. In addition, Kazuki''s teamwork with Bennet and Ethan made him more confident.


    Immediately after that training match, Traves announced the big list of players he would bring for the away game against Southampton U-18s. He began to announce one by one the players he would bring to Southampton. After that, Traves read out the starting line-up taken from the big list of players.


    There is no change from the previous starting line-up except for the striker position. This time it was Kazuki who started over while Perreira was put on the bench.


    Perreira of course made a dissatisfied face with the announcement, but he did not dare challenge coach Traves Lennon''s decision. He could only blame himself for failing to score in the training match earlier.


    The next day more than 20 people including Players, coaches, team doctors from the Manchester United Under-18 youth team went to Southampton.


    Apart from Manchester United, Southampton Academy is also well known in England. Especially with Southampton Academy alumni who are now Gareth Neill''s big stars. On the Table, Southampton U-18s are in 7th position, only 9 points away from Manchester United, which occupies 3rd position.


    The moment Kazuki stepped foot on the staplewood campus where the match was taking place. He was surprised to find a group of Southampton fans watching the game from the sidelines. For a junior match like this, the attendance rate is always low. However, seeing Southampton supporters singing the anthem with enthusiasm inevitably made Kazuki jealous of the Southampton U-18 team.


    From the start of the game, every time a Manchester United player got the ball, the Southampton fans in the stands immediately booed. As long as a mistake was made they would laugh at it loudly. If any player whose shot deviates from the goal they will applaud and jeer at that player.


    One person who has been most affected by the Southampton fans is Manchester United winger Teddy Marcello. Unlike Ethan, who is good at shooting, Teddy has a weakness in this aspect. While Bennet can help attack on Teddy''s side, Bennet''s main task is always in the middle of setting the rhythm of Manchester United U-18 attacks.


    Kazuki was also affected but he had been training in [Dream Training] regarding the away match effect. He arranged for 80,000 people in a huge stadium to jeer at him every time he got the ball. Of course, the training was carried out with the advice of the GM. As a result, Kazuki''s mental development also improved.


    Even so with Kazuki''s comrades including Bennet being affected, it was difficult for Kazuki alone to score a goal. He needs the cooperation of his friends to create opportunities.


    The mental condition of young Manchester United U-18 players who were less stable was used by Southampton U-18 well, they scored 2 goals in the first half.


    During the break, Traves immediately gave a lecture to the young player. He said that a player who cannot withstand the pressure of an away game will not be a great player. His words were mainly aimed at Bennet and Ethan who were the star players in the Manchester United Under-18 squad. On the other hand, he also replaced Teddy with a winger from South Africa, Ezeqhiel Nduasell.


    The second half then begins. This time, Ethan and Bennett, who had adjusted themselves, coupled with Ezeqhiel, who was not affected by the Southampton fans, immediately made the Red Devils team-up.


    In the 49th minute, Ezeqhiel received a beautiful pass from Bennet. He fired a hard shot, but unfortunately, the shot was saved by the Southampton goalkeeper. Ethan got the rebound ball, he then tricked the goalkeeper with a fake shot and passed it to Kazuki. Kazuki immediately ran towards the ball and then kicked it hard so that the ball shook the Southampton U-18 net.


    After conceding one goal, Southampton immediately carried out bus parking tactics, they defended like turtle shells. This makes it difficult for Manchester United to break into Southampton''s goalpost. Kazuki also for the first time felt the sensation of fighting alone in the opponent''s penalty box. Even though he had practiced many times in [Dream Training], the sensation he felt was completely different.


    The two Southampton center-backs flanked Kazuki so Kazuki didn''t have much room to adjust his position and shoot.


    Of course, Kazuki''s training in [Dream Training] wasn''t in vain. In the 70th minute, receiving a cross from Bennet. But the Southampton center-back held his body so that Kazuki couldn''t turn his body to face the goalpost.


    If he can''t face the goalpost then so be it. Kazuki didn''t need to face the goalpost to score a goal. With an element of luck, Kazuki scored a beautiful overhead kick that finally leveled it at 2-2.


    Kazuki was overjoyed by this goal. This goal is different from the previous one. This was a goal that Kazuki got as a pure striker role rather than a false nine. Kazuki''s comrades also gathered and congratulated Kazuki''s beautiful goal.


    "What a cool goal, you have to teach me mate," said Ethan while ruffling Kazuki''s hair.


    "Don''t get too excited, our scores are still even," said Bennett, reminding the two of them.


    Of course, Manchester United U-18s did not want to go home with 1 point. Only three points satisfied them.


    The match continued, this time Southampton took the initiative to attack. But Manchester United played better in this second half than the first. They managed to keep the red devil''s goal from conceding for the third time.


    Finally, in the 84th minute, Kazuki, Bennet, and Ethan made a triangular pass to dismantle Southampton''s defense. Kazuki ended the partnership with a beautiful goal that the Southampton U-18 goalkeeper was unable to keep out.


    This was Kazuki''s first hat trick in his junior career at Manchester United. Of course, he was very happy. He specifically requested the ball played in this match for collection, unfortunately, the request was refused.


    On the other hand, the assistant coach whispered to Traves, "Coach are we going to recommend Kazuki to the U-23s? His performances continue to improve."


    Kazuki is one of the oldest at Manchester United Under-18s, Ethan and Bennet are just 16 and 17 years old. There is no need to rush up to the U-23 but Kazuki is different, he is already 18 years old if he fails to enter the U-23 then his contract with Manchester United Academy will expire.


    "It''s only been two games, if the third and fourth matches he can do well, then it''s not too late to recommend him to the Under-23s," Traves replied.


    Southampton Under-18s coach Carl Martin shook his head in disappointment and shook hands with Traves saying, "Manchester United has always been full of talent. I envy you so much that you can coach kids like that every day."


    Traves replied casually, "Southampton is full of talent too. You have a great goalkeeper."


    After shaking hands Traves prepared to return to training camp. Meanwhile, Carl Martin whispered to his Assistant.


    "Tell John to keep an eye on that young Japanese player."


    His assistant asked Carl, "Is he worthy?"


    "For a small club like ours, he deserves it. With a little training, I''m sure he will be a valuable asset."


    Carl Martin is not only the U-18 coach, he also has an influence on the Southampton U-23 team and the Southampton first team.. Kazuki didn''t realize that he was getting noticed by some small clubs.

 Chapter 7 - Manchester City U-18

    The next day, Furochi came back to Kazuki.


    His arrival this time was to confirm Kazuki''s intentions after his contract with Manchester United expired. As a good agent, of course, Furochi must prepare in advance what kind of club Kazuki wants to go to next.


    After the daily training was over Furochi took Kazuki to a nearby cafe from the Trafford training center. After ordering a cup of coffee, Furochi asked Kazuki, "I heard that you have played him consecutively in the Premier Academy League. Although it''s not enough to arouse the attention of other clubs but at least they won''t refuse if they intend to join those clubs. Especially English second-tier league clubs, I''m sure there you will get a better chance."


    Before Kazuki answered the question, Furochi continued to say, "Or maybe you are thinking of renewing your contract if Manchester United invites you to the U-23 squad? It''s also good if you can prove yourself in the U-23 English league I guarantee the bottom clubs would be happy to receive you."


    Kazuki thought about Furochi''s words carefully. If he goes to a championship league club, he''ll probably play in the under-23 league while occasionally getting the chance to appear as a substitute. The advantage was clear, if Kazuki was able to convince the coach with his abilities it was not impossible that he would become a member of the first team of the second-tier club. On the other hand, if Kazuki continued his career at Manchester United, he would be completely focused on the English U-23 league for a few years. The advantage was, Kazuki would get more attention from the premier league clubs if he played well but the drawback was that Kazuki''s progress towards the professional competition would be hampered.


    Seeing Kazuki who was still undecided about his choice, Furochi sighed and said, "There are still two weeks for you to think about it, I hope you can think about it carefully."


    "Besides that, I hope you can contact your parents soon. Sooner or later you have to be in touch with them again, especially your mother, she must be very worried."


    Kazuki kept quiet without trying to answer Furochi''s words. Kazuki came from a family that could be said to be very rich. His family runs a large company. His father had always been against Kazuki''s wish to become a footballer. Although Kazuki''s mother supports Kazuki''s dream but in his family, his father''s decision is the most important. Kazuki''s relationship with his father froze after Kazuki forced himself to accept Manchester United''s invitation. Even though his mother still diligently transfers money to Kazuki secretly but he has never contacted his father and mother at all in the past 1 year.


    Kazuki still remembered his father''s words that always made an impression on his heart.


    "No matter how successful you are as a footballer, you will be less successful than becoming a successor to our family company."


    Those words made Kazuki even more motivated to become a top soccer player. He wanted to prove that his career as a footballer would outweigh the success of his career as the successor of the company.


    After the conversation, Furochi escorted Kazuki back to the training camp, the two of them again parted ways after Furochi said goodbye.


    ***


    Finally, the Premier Academy League continued matches started. In this round, Manchester United U-18s will visit their neighbors, Manchester City U-18s. At this time Manchester City occupies the first standings of the English Premier League academy south of the region.


    Manchester City Academy has had good results in recent years, they not only won the Premier League of England academy but also won the UEFA youth league. You could say the fate of the Manchester City Academy is inversely proportional to the first team. After three years of major changes with the acquisition made by Sheikh Mansour, Manchester City still could not get their first English league title, even Manchester City had to fight desperately to get into the champions league zone only.


    Instead of focusing on the locals, Manchester City Academy brings together a lot of talent from all over the world with the money they have. Ironically, although they spend a lot of money to collect these talents the percentage of Manchester City Academy players'' advancement to the first team is very low. Manchester City''s first team would rather spend big bucks to buy mature stars than train young players.


    After Manchester City''s sudden rise to become a wealthy club, the Manchester Derby which has always been dominated by Manchester United is now starting to change. The heat of the Manchester Derby has increased greatly after the previous season where Manchester United failed to win the Premier League trophy after losing to Manchester City which resulted in the Red Devils being overtaken by Chelsea in the last match.


    Although not as hot as in the first team, the Manchester United U-18 players also still felt the weight of this match after Traves gave enthusiastic instructions to Kazuki and his friends.


    "Let the new rich man know who the real owner of Manchester is. Don''t embarrass the symbol on your chest. Let''s win this game."


    The young players responded to Traves with enthusiasm.


    The starting line-up this time was Kazuki again playing as a striker even though Perreira''s condition seemed to have regained its sharpness. Of course, Kazuki would not waste the opportunity that Traves gave him in vain.


    On the other hand, Kazuki saw that most Manchester City U-18 players aged 15-16 years differed greatly from Kazuki who was 18 years old. In the senior team the younger one is the more energetic and hardworking they are, but in the youth team like this young age only signifies low physical fitness and confrontation. It was certain that the 18-year-old Kazuki had a stronger body than the Manchester City players who were 15-16 years old on average.


    Therefore the instruction that Kazuki received from Traves this time was to become a traditional striker. Kazuki had nothing to fear from a confrontation against those gentle defenders from Manchester City.


    Kazuki felt confident in his ability to face the two Manchester City center-back.


    In the 7th minute, Kazuki received an aerial pass from Ethan. He then pressed against the opposing center-back and forcibly broke through. Kazuki then greeted Ethan''s pass with a powerful volley.


    The score immediately changed to 0-1 with Manchester United''s advantage.


    Ethan and Kazuki had a strange celebration that they had agreed upon if they gave each other an assist or goal. The goal fueled the spirit of Manchester City players. They then had the ball and took the initiative to attack Manchester United Under-18s. It''s a shame even though Manchester City had the ball they always failed to penetrate Manchester United''s solid defense. Manchester United, which is under constant attack, does not remain silent. They launched a counter-attack which resulted in a goal for Ethan just before the end of the first half.


    During the break, Traves praised Ethan for appearing most prominent in the first half. Of course, he also praised Kazuki who scored the goal. However, unlike Ethan and Kazuki who were praised by Traves, Bennett and several Manchester United U-18 midfielders were criticized for not being able to wrest control of the game from Manchester City.


    Kazuki and Ethan cheer up Bennet who looked sullen after being criticized by the coach.


    The second half began, Manchester City made a substitution by entering Jordan Sanches. Similar to Bennet Jordan is the star of hope for the Manchester City Academy. Jordan''s inclusion had an obvious effect on The Cityzen.


    In the 56th minute, Jordan broke through the Manchester United defense. In the penalty box, he gave a lob pass to his teammate. The pass was completed well by Jordan''s partner. Manchester City managed to score the first goal.


    Manchester United wanted to counterattack but the ball continued to feel under the control of the Manchester City players. In the 70th minute, Manchester City was awarded a free kick with a distance of about 20 meters from the goal. Jordan then executed the free-kick beautifully. He penetrated the goal of Manchester United.


    In the final minutes'' Manchester United made some threatening counter-attacks, it''s a shame the score of 2-2 was maintained until the game was over.


    When the match was over, Kazuki asked Jordan to shake hands. Jordan did not refuse because he saw Kazuki''s performance which also deserved praise in this match. But after shaking hands with Kazuki, Jordan took the time to mock Bennet by saying that he did not contribute at all to Manchester United in this match.


    Bennet and Jordan are players who come from the city of Manchester itself. They were friends and were used to making fun of each other. Therefore, even though Bennett was annoyed, he didn''t reply to Jordan''s taunts at all.


    What Kazuki didn''t know was that someone was observing the match between Manchester City U-18 Vs Manchester United U-18. He''s a scout from Southampton. His job was to keep an eye on Kazuki. He had already watched over Kazuki for a few days. But this was Kazuki''s first match under his observation.


    He couldn''t draw conclusions from just one match. But he was still able to describe the playing style and ability that Kazuki displayed in this match.


    First, as a Striker, the ability to shoot and receive the ball is quite good. Kazuki''s positioning and movement without the ball were also very good. Kazuki''s passing might not be great but with a good vision, he could provide an unexpected pass that could pose a threat to the opponent''s defense. Judging from his posture Kazuki was quite tall so he had the potential for aerial duels.


    At the end of the note, John gives his conclusion.


    [He is a striker with a quite good potential. For a team that has a single striker strategy, he may not be very attractive, but in a team that has a two-striker strategy, he has great potential.]


    Need further observations to get more accurate data.. John closed his notebook slowly.

 Chapter 8 - The Types Of Striker

    Kazuki took a deep breath, after finishing his training in [Dream Training] felt something is not right.


    "I don''t feel any progress anymore, what happened?" asked Kazuki to GM.


    In the month since he trained in [Dream Training], Kazuki focused himself on his confrontation skills in the penalty box plus the off-ball skills he learned from Inzaghi. Every day he always feels progress, no matter how small it is.


    However, yesterday he felt something different than usual. Kazuki felt he wasn''t growing anymore.


    The GM walked over to Kazuki and patted Kazuki on the head. He then said, "Firstly, no matter how much you train, it can never match the real experience of playing. Even if you train hard in [Dream Training] against an AI who has the same abilities as defenders in the premier league. But in the real world you are fighting with junior defender who is not very capable. You need senior-level competitive matches if you want to improve your skills."


    The way [Dream Training] worked was to imprint the results of Kazuki''s training in the dream world into Kazuki''s muscle memory so that Kazuki''s body would instinctively remember the results of the training. However, even though Kazuki''s muscles remembered the results of Kazuki''s training, Kazuki''s body, which had not experienced the training directly, couldn''t process the brain memory that [Dream Training] had implanted.


    GM then continued, "Secondly, this is your body''s limit. You are young, your muscles are still developing, no matter how well trained you are in confrontation, your body will hinder your confrontational ability." Kazuki was still a teenager, there was no way his body suddenly became as muscular as a hulk.


    Because of that in the confrontation against the AI ??who had the data belonging to the center backs in the five major leagues, Kazuki was always at a disadvantage. After all, most of the quality defenders had good physiques which were able to dominate Kazuki overall.


    "Finally, I think it''s time for you to change the focus of your training. For now, your confrontation skills in the penalty area have reached their limit. Without confrontation skills, the ability to receive the ball and kick the ball in the penalty box area will not develop much. It''s time for you to strengthen your other abilities. like passing and free kicks. That way you can maximize your role as a Center Forward."


    There are many types of Center Forwards in football. The first is the traditional Center Forward. Usually it has a prominent physical appearance. They have the ability to go head-to-head with center-backs and protect the ball on the pitch so their teammates can join in on the attack. The most notable characteristics of this type are the ability to pass short distances and good jumps.


    The second is Poacher. This type of striker is rarely encountered because they are the type of striker who relies on luck and a strong sense of smell. They are always in the right place and at the right time. An example of this type of striker is Filippo Inzaghi.


    Third Target Man, as the name suggests, this type of striker is a striker who is always the target of every teammate''s pass in any situation. Target Man''s job is to stay near Center Back and beat him in a confrontation and then get past him. This type of striker is usually used by teams that are not too concerned with possession of the ball.


    Fourth Finisher, Finisher is a type of striker who is often referred to as a goal-scoring machine and is the most dangerous person in the opponent''s penalty box. A striker of this type can score goals through any part of his body and under any conditions. This type of striker really masters all types of goal-scoring abilities.


    Fifth, Complete Forward. This is the last type and the most difficult to come up with. This striker is very balanced, he has good skills and techniques, he also has extraordinary physical abilities, he also has header abilities like a target man, and lastly, he is also good at using space and gaps like a poacher.


    The False Nine itself does not fall into this category because of the difference in roles with strikers in general.


    To be honest, many players have two or more characteristics of the above types. Because the types above have their respective advantages and disadvantages, a good striker must be able to perform well in all fields.


    Kazuki''s current ability perfectly matched Poacher''s. Of course, his goal-scoring ability is also slowly improving, but Kazuki''s header is still weak, so he is not fit to be called a Finisher.


    With GM Kazuki''s suggestion shifting his daily training in [Dream Training] to Passing, Free-kicks, and long-range kicks. These three things would be Kazuki''s focus from now on.


    Kazuki''s passing ability wasn''t bad, but his accuracy was lower than that of Bennet and Ethan. Sometimes his passes too weak or too strong to his teammates. Long-range passes and curves passes had always been Kazuki''s glaring weakness.


    Of course, because he never trained in that field because after all, a striker doesn''t need very good passing skills. But there is no harm in practicing to strengthen such aspects.


    Meanwhile, Kazuki would try to focus his free-kick practice on mid-range. Because at close range free kicks require more curves while at long distance free kicks will require more power and accuracy. The person who taught this long-range free-kick was the AI ??who had gathered a database of free-kicks.


    Lastly was the long-range kick, by studying this aspect Kazuki could pose a sudden threat to the opposing goalkeeper. Against very defensive teams this ability is also very useful.


    Lastly, whether it was a free-kick or a long-range kick, Kazuki would learn how to use correctly leg strength so that his kick would be strong and accurate. By learning the technique of exerting that leg strength, there was a possibility that each of Kazuki''s kicks would be more powerful later on.


    While Kazuki was training hard, in the real world Kazuki''s final match for Manchester United was about to arrive. After this match, he had 90% confidence to leave the academy and quickly join the senior-level competition. Whether it''s a second caste league or another league in Europe.


    He might feel a uncomfortable for Ethan and Bennett who have become friends recently, but this is modern football. To pursue a variety of things, separations and transfers in modern football has become commonplace. But of course if one day he could become teammates again with Ethan and Bennet then Kazuki would gladly accept it.

 Chapter 9 - Last Match For Manchester United U-18

    The premier academy league matches continued. This Saturday, Manchester United U-18 will face Stoke City U-18. The day before the match took place, Traves Lennon announced the big list of players. Joe Bennet, Ethan McNeill, and Kazuki are back on the big list. But there is a change in the starting line-up. Unlike the previous match, Kazuki and Ethan sat on the bench this time.


    Ethan was surprised by Traves Lennon''s decision. He glanced at Kazuki and asked, "Do you think the coach is dissatisfied with our performance during the daily training earlier?"


    "No, I think the coach just wants to give the others a chance. After all, it is more important for the youth team to train the players than to win trophies," Kazuki replied calmly. Of course, even though Kazuki understood the reason Traves put him on the bench, it didn''t mean he liked Traves'' actions, after all this would be Kazuki''s last match as a member of the Manchester United Under-18 Academy. It''s a shame as a player he can only accept Traves'' decision.


    The match this time is the Home match, so Stoke City which will visit the Trafford Training Centre.


    After announcing the big list and starting line-up, Traves dismissed the young players. He firmly told the players to sleep early in order to maintain their health during the game.


    Traves didn''t know that sleeping early had always been Kazuki''s daily life, Especially after getting [Dream Training]. Without sleep, he couldn''t enter [Dream Training]. How could Kazuki want to sleep late, if it only harm him.


    Then, in [Dream Training] Kazuki resumed his training. To practice his passing ability Kazuki set himself up as a central midfielder in a premier league level match. Of course, the result failed. Even though Kazuki was constantly failing but it couldn''t be denied that his passing ability had improved. At least now Kazuki wouldn''t make a miss pass since his basic ability had increased.


    Meanwhile, training on free kicks and long-range kicks made Kazuki even more familiar with the correct use of foot skills. In the real world, he also did some special training to strengthen his leg muscles.


    Bennet was surprised by Kazuki who practiced passes, free kicks, and long-range kicks which have always been the ability of the midfielders. Ethan even asked if Kazuki wanted to replace Bennett as a midfielder. Kazuki could only chuckle at that joke. It was a pity that he would part with Ethan and Bennet who had gotten along well with Kazuki.


    The next day, the Match between Manchester United U-18 and Stoke City U-18 started. Stoke City itself is not a strong team, although most of those who play are not the first team of Manchester United U-18 it will still be easy for them to beat Stoke City.


    The proof, in the 10th minute Nicholas Ayew who became the starting line-up, managed to score the opening goal with a strong header that the goalkeeper couldn''t deny.


    Manchester United, who had a one-goal lead, continued to attack Stoke City. Another goal was created in the 17th minute after Teddy Marcello poked the rebound ball into the Stoke City goalpost.


    17 minutes and Manchester United are already 2 goals ahead, it''s clear this game will be a bloody massacre. The Stoke City coach also realized that he then shouted at his team to step back and pile players in front of the goal so Manchester United wouldn''t score again.


    This plan worked quite well as the Manchester United players didn''t score, but on 31 minutes Bennett scored a long-range shot, Ayew tried to get the ball but he lost the duel with the Stoke City center-back. It''s a shame the Stoke City center-back threw the ball on wrong side. After realizing he had made his own goal, the Stoke City center-back looked to be bowing his head disappointed and embarrassed by his actions.


    ***


    On the bench, Kazuki said to Ethan who was beside him, "This will be my last match wearing this uniform."


    Ethan who was focusing on the match didn''t understand Kazuki''s intentions. "Sorry I didn''t hear you, what did you say earlier?"


    "I''m leaving Manchester United."


    "Why¡ª" Ethan didn''t continue after realizing Kazuki''s reason for saying that. He then fell silent and looked annoyed. After a lot of chatting with Kazuki Ethan who felt there was someone to talk to about his hobby as a person who likes Anime and Manga was annoyed by Kazuki''s sudden departure.


    But Ethan who is also a footballer understands that breakups like this will happen often. So he could only hope for one thing.


    "Are you will going back to Manchester United later?"


    Manchester United first team. If Kazuki can shine as a player it is not impossible that Manchester United will be interested in bringing back Kazuki. But if Kazuki shined after his debut in the senior league, he would not choose Manchester United.


    The reason is simple. Sir Alex Henderson will retire. Kazuki is not optimistic about the future of Manchester United after Sir Alex Henderson retired.


    Kazuki chose to lie to answer Ethan''s question, "Well, I may return if the club is interested in signing me. But at that time I wish I could see you in the first team."


    Ethan smiled, he was confident that he could enter the Manchester United main squad. Therefore he said confidently, "Of course, I will personally welcome you later. You will be surprised at that time how high my status in the first team is."


    ***


    Meanwhile, the first half between Manchester United U-18 against Stoke City U-18 ended with a 5-0 score, the last two scores were scored by Bennett and Nicholas Ayew.


    During the break Traves didn''t say much, he only praised the players who did well. Kazuki originally thought he would enter at the start of the second half but it didn''t seem like he was. The second half started with no substitutions.


    Manchester United started the second half with ease. It seems that the 5-goal advantage makes this red devil young team lazy to attack the Stoke City goalpost. On the other hand, Stoke City also looks to give up on getting a draw, the only thing they want is to keep the goal so Manchester United doesn''t score again.


    In the 70th minute, Kazuki and Ethan came on for Ayew and Teddy. Traves reminded them to respect Stoke City and not to be too eager to score goals.


    Kazuki glanced at Ethan as he walked into the field, "Are you going to do what the coach says? "


    With a smile, Ethan replied, "Nope." The two friends laughed together. Traves who heard the laughter could only shake his head.


    In the 75th minute, Kazuki scored a goal after receiving Ethan''s pass. Not long after, it was Ethan''s turn to score, making Manchester United 7 goals ahead. After that Stoke City keep their goal. The players didn''t even hesitate to commit fouls to stop Manchester United. But in the 89th minute, Kazuki scored Manchester United''s last goal of the match with a long-range shot.


    Manchester United U-18 8-0 Stoke City U-18.

 Chapter 10 - LFE Assessment Exam

    The next day Kazuki and Furochi came to the office of the Chairman of the Academy of Nick Cox to officially leave the Academy of Manchester United. Together with Furochi, Kazuki opened the Nick Cox office door.


    In the academy head''s office, there is Nick Cox and Manchester United U-18 Coach, Traves Lennon. They were seen waiting for Kazuki''s arrival.


    Kazuki greeted both, "Good morning Nick Chair, Traves coach."


    Reply to Nick''s chairman while nodding his head, "Good morning kiddo."


    "Good morning Kazuki. It looks like you''re ready to leave this place," Traves said, looking at Kazuki who had put his stuff into the suitcase.


    Kazuki just smiled in response to Traves'' words. Meanwhile, Furochi walked forward and shook the Nick Chair and also Traves coach.


    "Introducing my name Furochi, I am Kazuki Agent, I want to thank Manchester United who has given the opportunity for Kazuki to develop himself here. The opportunity you give will be very valuable to my clients in the future." Furochi''s sincerity expressed his gratitude to Manchester United.


    Traves sighed and asked, "Didn''t you want to reconsider your decision?"


    Kazuki shook his head slowly. "Coach, I want to feel a senior-level competition, at the same age as me many extraordinary players have appeared in the Premier League. Even though I''m not as good as them but I also want to feel senior competition as soon as possible."


    The sooner young players adapt to the rhythm of the senior competition the higher their potential. That''s a proven history of star players in today''s football. Those who are now star players have mostly shone at a young age.


    "Even if you go to the Championship club, likely, you will only be a substitute, are you sure of your choice?" Traves looked at Kazuki sharply who made Kazuki a little nervous. However, Traves''s words are true, don''t underestimate the caste-two English league. Because the difference in income received by the club competing in the Premier League and clubs competing in the second league became the cause. The income difference made the Championship club fiercely fight for slots to advance to the Premier League. Whether it''s a player, owner, or club fan competing in the second caste league, all of them are very determined to fight for the slot. The intensity and confrontation in this Championship League are sometimes higher than in the Premier League.


    "I''m not afraid to compete. Wherever I go there is competition, as long as the competition can still win, I will fight."


    Seeing Kazuki''s determination finally made Traves give up to persuade Kazuki. He could only smile wryly while saying, "Good luck."


    Kazuki nodded his head slowly, after that he and Furochi walked away from Carrington.


    Kazuki went using a private car that Furochi took. He saw where he practiced for 1 year slowly disappear. Kazuki sighed and turned around. He then asked Furochi. "So what is the result?"


    "There are several clubs who agreed to give you a chance to trial for 4 weeks. But I think you''d better wait for another month. Next month there will be a U-19 League Football Education (LFE) Trial Assessment that will be attended by various club representatives from EFL and some Premier League clubs. "


    Kazuki nodded slowly he trusted the advice of Furochi but he had no idea there was such a trial center here, "I don''t know anything like that in England."


    Furochi nodded his head, he then said, "It''s natural, most top clubs already don''t run the trial again at the semi-professional stage. They prefer to bring the players they have watched directly than expecting a great player to appear on the trial."


    "So, I have to wait for a month, will you give me a place to live?" A month was a long time, can''t Kazuki live on the side of the road right?


    "I haven''t got anything from you until now. How could I want to provide a place to live for you? Use your mother''s money send. That big money is enough to live luxury in the UK for a month." Furochi just can believe it with Kazuki, How miserly he was, even with that much money.


    The money that his mother gave every month Kazuki rarely used because there was nothing he needed to buy while living in a training camp. Therefore the money is still stored in his bank account.


    "The trial will be held in Birmingham, you will go there and stay there for a month. I have a lot of business so I can''t accompany you for a full month, so I will call the assistant for you."


    "Don''t men, I had spent my time staying in an environment filled with men," asked Kazuki.


    Furochi who heard it said with exasperation, "Hey kid, do not try to do weird things, you have to keep your body well. Do not get too involved with women especially when you''re young and have not achieved success at all."


    Obviously, Furochi assumes Kazuki wants to play around with women who are upset with Kazuki''s irrational desire. Only by focusing on football, Furochi sure that Kazuki will be successful.


    Kazuki dismisses negative thoughts that Furochi thinks, he knew he could not screw up at key moments such as this. "Do not think that strange, I''m not going to do what you think, I just feel a bit lonely here. Having a chat buddy will help my mood."


    Furochi sigh, he then chose to believe that Kazuki would not do things that are not professional.


    "I will send a female assistant for you."


    Kazuki nodded approvingly, "Good."


    "She is a master of karate, judo, and taekwondo."


    "You still do not trust me, huh?"


    ***


    After driving for a few hours, Furochi and Kazuki in Birmingham City. Kazuki decided to rent a hotel room near a city park so that he can practice every day in the park.


    The next day, Furochi left Kazuki alone. Furochi said he would pick up the assistant he was talking about.


    Kazuki did not have a problem staying alone. Although he was only 18 years old, Kazuki was accustomed to living on his own. It was all thanks to the training provided by his family since childhood.


    Three days later, Furochi comes back to bring a mature woman. From her face obviously, she is eastern asian. Kazuki estimates the age of about 27 or 28 years.


    "Her name is Kim Song Ha, she is a yoga trainer and nutritionist specialist. She has helped several famous athletes in various sports. From now on she will help arrange your food and a schedule of your sport every day. With such conditions, your body will be ready when trial next month. " Furochi introduce Kim Song Ha.


    Kim Song Ha extended her hand to Kazuki, "Introduce myself, my name is Kim Song Ha. You can call me Song Ha any time."


    "My name is Kazuki Kazeshima, Greetings Song Ha-Neesan." Kazuki is not polite to call the older woman with the name immediately.


    "Then I''ll call you Namdongsaeng."


    The call is usually used for closer people, but for Kazuki and Kim Song Ha have been in Europe for a while, they are more open-minded.

 Chapter 11 - Find Kazuki

    "Sorry I lost him ... yes I will immediately look for him, I will ask Manchester United ... good night." John closed his cellphone with a feeling of depression.


    Yesterday, he watched the Manchester United U-18 match again, but the problem was Kazuki was not on the list of players who were brought by Manchester United U-18 in the match. This arouses suspicion in John''s mind. Finally, John asked the other Manchester United U-18 player. Then, he learned the contract between Manchester United U-18 with Kazuki was over. Kazuki also left somewhere.


    Of course, as the object of Southampton''s observation, Kazuki has several things that have been recognized by Southampton''s U-23 coach this season. Some videos of Manchester United matches have been John sent to Southampton clubs, and Southampton''s coaching staff agreed that Kazuki had capability and potential. At least, Kazuki deserves to be trained by Southampton.


    Kazuki''s sudden departure caused John to feel depressed. For Scouts, it is very difficult to find talented children who do not attract the attention of other clubs and also have the potential to be trained. With the advancement of technology and the growing expansion of the scouting system, making every talented teenager will surely enter the many club radars.


    European top clubs may only wait for players who have proven themselves in the senior league but for middle and small class clubs they gamble to young players who have not proven themselves on the senior stage. As one of the clubs that often gamble to young players who have not started a senior career, Southampton has several criteria used to assess whether the player can adapt to the senior level league or not.


    From John''s assessment, Kazuki had a 75% chance to adapt to the Championship and 49% adapt to the Premier League. This data is not always accurate but can help Southampton in making decisions.


    John pondered about where he must go to find Kazuki.


    "Did he undergo a trial at another club?"


    If Kazuki really underwent a trial at another club then the Southampton chance to get Kazuki''s signature will get smaller. However other clubs can also see Kazuki''s advantage.


    For Scouts, the more players they recommend used by the club, the higher their reputation. There is a possibility that the reconnaissance salary will rise. Weighing the current competition, John thinks that if he manages to persuade Kazuki to undergo a trial in Southampton, there is a possibility that the club will sign him. Then, John himself felt the club would approve the salary request he filed.


    One week John looked for instructions on Kazuki''s whereabouts, the results were zero. He did not find any clue. After a week finally, Southampton gave up looking for Kazuki.


    John then received a call that he would become a Southampton representative to attend the LFE assessment exam which will be held in Birmingham. Of course, John was pleased with his failure in watching Kazuki did not make the club officials think that he was incompetent.


    With enthusiasm, John went to use the city of Birmingham 2 weeks before the event took place.


    ***


    The next day after arriving at Birmingham, John exercised in the park. To maintain health at the age of 49 years John always if there is an opportunity. There is also another advantage for John if he exercised in the park, there is a possibility that John will meet with young people who often exercise in the park. If John is lucky then he will find The football players who are practicing. Even if John did not meet the footballer who are practicing, he could also enjoy the view of young girls who were jogging.


    After running a few rounds John decided to sit rest in the garden chair. His clothes were wet with sweat, his breath was also panting to breathe oxygen greedily.


    When John was relaxing his body, he observed the people who walked past him one by one. His attention was then interested in two Asians who were exercising. John felt familiar with the face of Asian youth who was exercising with a woman.


    After the two people moved away then John remembered who the young man was.


    "That''s Kazuki! He''s in Birmingham! Damn, I have to immediately see him before it''s too late." John immediately got up from the garden chair and ran towards Kazuki passing.


    Kazuki''s existence in Birmingham is certain because he will take the LFE assessment exam. The clubs attending LFE are not just the Championship league but also the Premier League, in which there is a rival Southampton. John won''t let Kazuki fall into another club. He must convince Kazuki to undergo a trial in Southampton and cancel Kazuki''s plan to take the LFE Assessment exam.


    ***


    For two weeks since he left the Manchester United academy, he underwent everyday training with Kim Song Ha in Birmingham City. The air temperature in this city slowly decreases every day. However, there will be a new year, and as usual, in December snow will go down heavily.


    Kazuki was worried if the snow dropped, the examination test of the League Football Education will be postponed until January. Kazuki didn''t want to wait too long to go back to a football match that he now missed.


    The food and everyday sports schedule Kazuki is well arranged by Kim Song Ha. Kim Song Ha also informed effective exercises to strengthen leg muscles. He also helped Kazuki strengthen his confrontation skills without excessive training so that the muscle balance and Kazuki''s height were still maintained properly. Because if Kazuki develops muscle frivolously maybe he will lose speed and his body''s flexibility.


    Kazuki and Kim Song Ha suddenly heard the sound of footsteps quickly towards them. Kazuki turned and saw a middle-aged man who ran towards him. Kim Song Ha stood in front of Kazuki and put on stances, just in case the people who approached both were criminals.


    The middle-aged man suddenly stopped seeing the stances used by Kim Song Ha, "Wait a minute, I''m not a criminal. N-names John Remblewton I am a scout of the Southampton club, I want to talk to Kazuki."


    John took out his name card and gave it to Kazuki. Kazuki saw the business card fine before nodding in understanding. He then said to Kim Song Ha, "calm down he is safe."


    Kim Song Ha lowered her stance, John took a sigh of relief to see it.


    "Then let''s talk in a good place. I''ll treat you two to eat," John said to Kazuki and Kim Song Ha.


    Kazuki nodded, he was rather surprised there was a scout who observed him.. It shows that someone has recognized Kazuki''s potential.

 Chapter 12 - Southampton Desire

    "You''re a talented player," John said, setting his coffee on the table. He saw that Kazuki was still relaxed even with John''s praise. John rarely encountered such an attitude.


    Most young men would be nervous and excited when praised by a scout representing a club just like him. However, being praised by the scout means that the player has a chance to be recruited by the club behind the scout. Moreover, Southampton is a premier league club even though they are often relegated, but Southampton is always able to return to the premier league in one year.


    Southampton is a great club, at least for a young player with no senior experience like Kazuki. The majority of players, however, start their careers in small and medium clubs. Only a small number of players go straight to big clubs since their debut. But with it all, Kazuki was still relaxed. This gesture made John want to applaud.


    ''Is that confidence? Vanity? Ignorance?'' John thought what made Kazuki not nervous.


    Of course, it was confidence with Dream Training. Kazuki felt there was no problem for him to adapting at the senior level competition, especially after more than a month Kazuki trained at the European major league level in [Dream Training].


    "So what do you think are my advantages and weaknesses, and what does Southampton do to help me grow?" asked Kazuki. If Southampton wanted to get Kazuki, then they had to provide benefits that could make Kazuki tempted to cancel the LFE assessment trial he was about to take part in.


    "I''m not a coach and can''t just represent the club. This can be discussed with club later. But let me explain the thoughts of the Southampton U-23 coach and also Southampton''s assistant main coach about you," John calmly said. John was sure Southampton would not treat Kazuki badly but it was not yet clear how much ''good'' treatment Kazuki would receive.


    Kazuki then nodded, realizing he was wrong to ask John, who incidentally was just a scout.


    "From my point of view as an experienced scout, I can tell you, you are talented in several aspects. First, you have a very good understanding of space and gaps in the opponent''s defense. Most Center Forwards can only vaguely understand the concept of space and gaps."


    Kazuki smiled after hearing that. Spaces and gaps were something he learned from Filippo Inzaghi, and a player like Inzaghi didn''t exist in this world. Scoring a goal or two using gaps and spaces can be called a coincidence, but if a player scores goals by repeatedly exploiting space, then it means that the player understands the concept of space and gaps very well. John confirmed Kazuki''s ability after seeing the way Kazuki scored goals in several matches.


    John continued the conversation. "You have a talent for shooting. With both balanced feet and tall stature, I guarantee you have the potential to be a goal machine. Third, you are not selfish and willing to pass the ball at your feet when you don''t see an opportunity. Most young players who have talent as center forwards have their pride, so they rarely pass on to their teammates."


    For the third one, it was actually due to Kazuki''s strategy. Right now, the more Kazuki was ignored by the opponent''s defense, the more dangerous he was. If Kazuki was closely watched, he couldn''t explore the gaps and spaces that appeared in the opponent''s defense. Therefore, he needed a diversion like Ethan and Bennett when he was at Manchester United.


    "Then I will now tell you, your weakness." John took a sip of his coffee. Then he said again to Kazuki, "You haven''t trained your header well, your body at the Premier League level competition is still weak. I''m sure you can''t play full 90 minutes of a premier league match. Lastly, your breaking through ability is quite low."


    Kazuki smiled wryly, he recognized John''s eyes were very sharp. The first and the second might be what Kazuki could fix, but for the weakness of the latter, Kazuki himself admitted it was very difficult. Two types of players are able to break through the opponent, that is speed and with technique.


    Kazuki''s speed he could probably rely on at the junior stage, but at the senior stage, his speed was very ordinary. With mediocre speed, Kazuki''s usefulness in counterattacking would be significantly reduced. What has to be noted is that most of the small and middle clubs when dealing with top clubs are counterattacks. While Kazuki could train in [Dream Training] to improve his techniques and skills, but right now it wasn''t a priority.


    "Southampton has found my weakness. Why are you guys still after me?" Kazuki''s weakness should have made Southampton realize that Kazuki was not worthy of gambling.


    John smiled, Kazuki finally showed his unease. He recalled the words of the assistant main coach as well as the U-23 coach about Kazuki.


    "Even though you are often play as a false nine and a shadow striker but you are a real number 9, as long as you can score goals we will adjust tactics for you."


    Kazuki was surprised. Currently, Southampton often plays a 4-4-2 formation with Denilson Hunt as a shadow striker, Kazuki thought that most likely he would be Denilson''s subtitute at most but it turned out he would be a substitute for Belliand who is Southampton''s core striker. But the thing is, the competition for Belliand''s position is fierce at Southampton. Does Kazuki stand a chance?


    "In the winter transfer window, Belliand will leave Southampton. Belliand''s replacement is Osmund but Anthony is too old to be Osmund subtitute later. If you can prove your worthly, there is a chance to take the main subtitute position from Anthony. Of course, if you are afraid to compete with our Anthony, who is already 36 years old, you can refuse us."


    John smirked he believed Kazuki could see Southampton''s sincerity. Anthony actually can still be used as a substitute but the Southampton main coach is not satisfied with Anthony so Kazuki still has a chance.


    John''s last words were persuasive sentences. Kazuki knew that but he was still affected. Kazuki had said to Traves that he wasn''t afraid of competition when it was something he could win. Kazuki thought that the competition that was in Southampton this time he could win.


    "I agree to try a trial at Southampton but for further talks, I have to wait for my agent first," said Kazuki, there is still much to discuss with the Southampton club, but complicated matters are Furochi''s business.


    After all, the man had to work after burdening Kim Song Ha''s living expenses on himself and then running away.


    John smiled happily at Kazuki''s words. "Thanks for agreeing, I''m sure you can prove yourself at Southampton."


    The agreement took this negotiation one step forward, John hoped that Kazuki lived up to the expectations of the Southampton club.

 Chapter 13 - New Years

    Three days after Kazuki''s meeting with John. Negotiations between the Southampton club and Furochi lasted for a day before an agreement was finally reached. The negotiations didn''t last long because after all Kazuki still hadn''t proven himself. The only thing Furochi wanted was an agreement that Kazuki would be played for at least 200 minutes this season.


    200 minutes might seem a bit if it counts as a full match, then Kazuki would be guaranteed to play for 2 full matches plus as a substitute for 20 minutes. Looks very little, doesn''t it? But it was very difficult for Kazuki to play as a starter. If Kazuki could play as a substitute for 20 minutes each game, then Kazuki would play as a substitute in 10 matches.


    Furochi had done his job well, in the future it was up to Kazuki how he made the most of the opportunity. Of course, if Kazuki played well then Furochi would also renegotiate Kazuki''s contract but if Kazuki failed, Southampton would quickly kick Kazuki away.


    Since the time of the turn of the year was approaching and the temperature continued to drop, Kazuki would start his trial in the second half of the Premier League season starting.


    Even though there was no official match Kazuki continued to train hard whether it was in the real world or the dream world. His training in [Dream Training] also changed. The ability of passing, long-range kicks, and long-range free-kicks had been hit hard because Kazuki''s leg muscles were still growth.


    Kazuki chose to familiarize himself with Southampton''s tactics and team. As the GM once said that [Dream Training] could simulate Kazuki''s imagination. Therefore Kazuki simulated Southampton''s matches this season with Kazuki replacing Belliand.


    After a few tries, Kazuki finally realized he couldn''t replace Belliand completely due to the difference in the way of playing and Southampton''s tactics that didn''t suit Kazuki''s ability.


    If this is the reality then the main coach will probably adjust Southampton''s tactics so that Kazuki can adapt better, the problem is Kazuki can''t imagine how the Southampton main coach''s tactics adjust.


    Kazuki told the matter to the GM.


    Regarding this, the GM explained it to Kazuko. "That is a weakness of [Dream Training], at least for now. [Dream Training] can simulate abilities but not with one''s thinking and mentality. In real matches there will be many players who do dirty ways like diving, committing rude fouls, provoking the opponent. There is also the factor of the referee who is more inclined to other teams, and the last is the ability and thinking of the coach to the current situation.


    "I didn''t think that [Dream Training] had such a weakness. You said for now, what does it mean that one day this problem will be resolved?"


    "I ever said [Dream Training] is a program from the future, because it''s a program, of course, it''s man-made. Because it''s man-made, of course, there will be developments in the future."


    The GM''s words again awakened Kazuki curious regarding the future and who the people who created [Dream Training] were. However, he knew that GM would not answer. Rather than wasting time questioning that it was better for Kazuki to return training.


    After practicing many times with the Southampton team, Kazuki finally found his strengths and weaknesses when replacing Belliand. Overall Belliand is a mature striker and has a higher ability than Kazuki. But in some aspects, Kazuki also had his advantages.


    Belliand is a Center Forward type of target man, with his extraordinary physical ability he can hold the ball firmly and provide opportunities for Denilson to find gaps. Belliand can also be very superior in aerial duels. Of the 9 goals he scored in the first half of the premier league this season, Belliand scored 5 goals from headers.


    In counter-attack tactics even though Belliand is not fast he can use his physique to forcibly break through the opposing center-back. He can also hold the ball at his feet and provide opportunities for his comrade to break through the opponent''s defense.


    Southampton does not have a playmaker, in a 4-4-2 formation strategy, in midfield Southampton put two defensive midfielder and 2 sideways midfield in charge of crossing into the middle of the penalty box. Then Denilson will be tasked with linking the defensive midfielder with Belliand.


    The tactics that Southampton designed for full-backs are also very conservative, they install full-backs who are only tasked with defending their territory without often overlapping.


    Southampton''s strategy is to counterattack especially against top clubs, meanwhile, against equal clubs, Southampton will usually rely on wingers and Denilson''s breakthrough as the main point. If they manage to score the first goal, Southampton will immediately change the strategy to counterattack.


    With Southampton''s frequent counter-attacks, what could Kazuki do? Southampton is a team that relies on defense. What can Kazuki count on to help Southampton as a striker?


    High-pressing, intercept, and Tackle, Kazuki decided to study it. Who says strikers can''t defend? Kazuki remember the time he played against Leicester City U-18s where their striker was pressing on the Manchester United defender. If Kazuki was able to do that then Kazuki''s value would rise.


    In terms of defense, he will be useful for the team, in terms of possession his passing ability is very solid he can help Southampton counter-attack with long-range passes. Against a team that was also defending, Kazuki''s long-range and free-kick skills were also quite good. After solidifying his idea Kazuki immediately practiced.


    ***


    On December 30, 2011. 10 hours into the new year, Kazuki was leaning on the hotel balcony while playing with his cellphone. Kazuki wondered if he should call his family. In Japan, it''s already 11 o''clock and the sakura country is 9 hours ahead of the UK.


    His family has a tradition of celebrating the new year. Therefore it was impossible for them to sleep at this time. After some deliberation, Kazuki finally decided to call his mother.


    He tapped a series of numbers on his phone screen before pressing the call icon.


    A few moments later the phone was connected.


    "Hello, who is this with?"


    Kazuki''s number was new, it was only natural that his mother had not saved this number. Kazuki then took a deep breath, soon he had a trial in Southampton, maybe this was the right time for him to ask his mother for prayers.


    "Kaa-san, this is Kazuki. I want to wish you a happy new year."


    There was silence for a while before her mother finally let out a shriek of joy. Kazuki answered his mother''s questions after qeustions. These questions represent a mother''s concern for her child. Calmly the mothers and children let go of their longing for each other even though it was only via cellphone.


    After five minutes Kazuki hung up the call. He didn''t call his father, for now, Kazuki didn''t want to face his father. One day when Kazuki was very successful as a soccer player was the day he would talk to his father.


    "I want before the end of 2012 I can be Southampton''s main player, not a substitute or reserve player."


    With a clear goal, Kazuki closed his 2011 journey.

 Chapter 14 - Southampton U-23

    On 1 January 2012, the English Premier League winter transfer window officially opened. The Premier League is always the first league to open the winter transfer window than any other league.


    The winter transfer window is always quieter than the summer transfer window. However, most clubs didn''t want to let their players go mid-season. Because it can destabilize the club, especially if the player who leaves in the winter window is an important player.


    Belliand''s transfer to Everton was the result of a series of transfers made by big clubs. This started because Chelsea striker Oliver Gerrard refused to extend his contract with Chelsea after he confirmed his desire to move to Real Madrid. Gerrard''s contract with Chelsea expires in the summer transfer window.


    Chelsea, who do not want Gerrard to leave on a free transfer, were forced to sell Gerrard in the transfer window this winter after Gerrard refused a contract extension proposed by Chelsea.


    The departure of Gerrard made a big hole in the front line. Moreover, Gerrard''s replacement is Samuel Ridge, who is often injured. For that, Chelsea needs a new striker. Then, their eyes fell on Everton striker Dusan Removic, the Croatian striker who scored 21 goals last season. This season, the Croatian striker also managed to collect 11 goals.


    In the summer, Everton could still keep Dusan from being chased by giant clubs but Chelsea, who desperately needed Dusan, immediately offered the Croatian striker 80 million euros. In front of that much money, Everton could not refuse. Moreover, Dusan also really wanted to move because his salary at Everton was very low compared to the salary offered by Chelsea.


    After losing Dusan, Everton bought Belliand from Southampton, who has played well this season.


    Dusan Removic became the king of player transfers in the transfer window of the season with 80 million euros. Followed by Oliver Gerrard who left Real Madrid with 60 million euros.


    This transfer situation is normal in football. When big clubs (Chelsea) buy players, the club that releases players (Everton) will also buy more players from smaller clubs (Southampton).


    At first glance, this transfer might not have anything to do with Kazuki, but think about it, if Southampton didn''t lose Belliand, Southampton wouldn''t be too interested in Kazuki. Kazuki felt he should thank Real Madrid for chasing Oliver Gerrard from Chelsea.


    ***


    On 10 January 2012, Kazuki went to Hampshire where Southampton''s base is located. He went there accompanied by his new driver brought by Furochi. This car was also lent by Furochi for Kazuki''s daily needs.


    Kazuki would not immediately join the Southampton first team. He must first prove himself in the Southampton reserve team or Southampton u-23. Kazuki was confident in his abilities. He believed it wouldn''t take him too long to be called up by the first team.


    Premier League 2 or also known as the U-23 Premier League, is a competition between reserve teams or B teams that is held to train young players to adapt to senior-level competitions. You could say this league is a place of transition between academy players and professional players. With this league, academy graduates will be easier to adapt to senior competitions.


    Another thing that distinguishes Premier League 2 from Premier League Academy is that in Premier League 2 clubs are allowed to play 3 players over the age of 23 and a goalkeeper over the age of 23 in a match.


    In fact, it is not uncommon for star players to be relegated to premier league 2 for violating club rules or creating chaos. Of course, some old players play in premier league 2 because they can''t compete in the first team.


    Even though the level of the reserve league competition wasn''t as strong as the premier league but Kazuki still couldn''t underestimate it.


    ***


    The Southampton U-23 coach is a former player who is quite famous. He is the legendary player Elen Sharen. Elen is better known as a Newcastle United legend even though he made his debut at Southampton. He is now 38 years old and has coached Southampton U-23s for 1 year.


    Before starting his first training at Southampton u-23, Elen introduced Kazuki to the rest of the reserve team.


    The players in the backline and midfield had no problems with Kazuki''s arrival, but the front line players felt the pressure as the competition would get tougher. The player who hated Kazuki the most was Theodor.


    Theodor Odyssey, a 21-year-old player who is a core striker for Southampton under-23s, was initially happy with Belliand''s departure, thinking that he would have the opportunity to go to the first team to strengthen the bench, but from his agent, Theodor knew Southampton had signed Kazuki over. Instead of appointing him to be a member of the main team.


    That''s why Theodor wanted to prove to Elen that he was greater than the Japanese teenager. The first training at the beginning of the new year is always fitness training to return to changing the body condition of the players who have just vacationed back into being competitive.


    Theodor looks very excited at every training session. Every time he glanced at Kazuki and showed an arrogant face. Initially, Kazuki chose to ignore Theodor but Theodor''s attitude that constantly provoked him irritated Kazuki.


    In the running session around the field, Theodor was at the forefront. Kazuki accelerated his running to keep up with Theodor.


    "You''re challenging me, Japanese boy?" with those words Theodor quickened his pace. However, Kazuki also did the same. Eventually, the round-the-field session turned into a running race between Kazuki and Theodor.


    Elen''s assistant whispered, "Should we stop them? They didn''t carry out the orders you gave properly."


    Elen smiled lightly, "Leave it alone, of course, if they run out of steam and can''t continue training, then we will punish them."


    Elen who is a former player is quite loose in matters of punishing players.


    Finally after several fitness training sessions. Southampton U-23s undergo sparring match. This sparring match was the first time for Elen to see Kazuki''s game directly.


    Theodor still wanted to compete with Kazuki. To help the rivalry between the two, Elen divided the Southampton team into two fairly balanced teams with Kazuki and Theodor as captains of their respective teams.


    The advantage should have belonged to Theodor because after all the Southampton under-23 players were more familiar with Theodor''s style of play than Kazuki who had just joined the team.


    But in reality, Kazuki''s team won with a score of 3-0. Kazuki not only scored 2 goals he also provided an assist to his friend. If it wasn''t for Kazuki''s friends not being able to catch the chance that Kazuki created maybe the score would have been more than 3-0.


    In terms of defending, Kazuki had also repeatedly cut off the opponent''s attacks.. Most importantly, of course, this was because team defender Theodor didn''t guard Kazuki so tightly that Kazuki was able to exploit the spaces and gaps created in the opponent''s defense.

 Chapter 15 - Everton U-23

    After the first training ended, Elen immediately sent a report regarding Kazuki to the main team. Seeing kazuki in person had different feelings than seeing the recording.


    Although John''s report stated that Kazuki had pretty good shooting ability, he didn''t expect Kazuki to be able to do such an accurate shot in a short time. Kazuki''s shooting ability was more like an accumulation of experience than talent. Each of Kazuki''s kicks was very stable, although not all of his kicks were goals, none of them strayed far from the target.


    On the other hand, Kazuki''s pressing and intercepting abilities also impressed Elen. His pass was also very accurate and sharp. Several times Kazuki provided breakthrough passes on the flanks. Unfortunately, the pass failed to be controlled properly by Kazuki''s partner.


    Elen wondered why John didn''t write about Kazuki''s superiority in the passing and also defending.


    The head coach of the Southampton first team, George Eastgate, has agreed that if Kazuki can perform brilliantly in the next 3 matches of the Southampton U-23 team, then Kazuki will be called up to the first team.


    ***


    In the next few days, Kazuki joined Southampton u-23 training. There are several things that distinguish training here from the Manchester United under-18s. First, the intensity of the exercise is increased. Second, stamina training has always been the focus when it comes to physical training. Third, more intense tactical training. In contrast to the youth stages, the tactical training that Kazuki experienced at Southampton u-23 was definitely more thorough and more complicated. The training even involved some small details that Kazuki rarely paid attention to.


    One example is the counter-attack scheme. When the team was defending, the front player was not Kazuki as a striker but Rustan Dust as the fastest player at Southampton u-23, Dust was a player who played as a left midfielder. In the counter-attack scheme, Kazuki''s good passing ability was utilized as a fulcrum.


    Southampton U-23s and the first team''s tactics are not much different. The 4-4-2 formation remains the mainstay. Elen tried to pair Kazuki with Theodor but failed. Both are pure strikers, although Kazuki has good passing skills, his weakness in breaking through opponents makes him ineffective as a shadow striker.


    After practicing for a few days, finally, Kazuki''s first match as a member of Southampton u-23 came. In the starting lineup announced by Elen, Kazuki came on to replace Theodor, who had to settle for sitting on the bench. This was normal because in a few days Theodor who wanted to compete with Kazuki was slapped by reality. Kazuki''s abilities were more comprehensive than his.


    One of the things that distinguish premier league 2 matches from premier league academy is the home match. In some matches in a season, there will be matches where the venue is the home of the first team. Incidentally, this time the match will also be held at the home of Southampton F.C Stadium St Mary''s. It''s all to draw the public''s attention to premier league 2.


    After the warm-up was done, Elen gave instructions in the dressing room. The Southampton under-23 coach said: "We are playing at our home, there are many supporters who are willing to take their time to see the young Saints play. Don''t let them down."


    Elen looked at Kazuki, "Kazuki, you are a new player here. I hope you can adapt to the atmosphere of the match. Your opponent doesn''t know you right now, so this is the best time for you to take advantage of your abilities for making the first goal."


    "Alright everyone, let''s win this match." Elen cheers the Southampton u-23 team with energy.


    Southampton''s opponent this time is Everton u-23. An astonishing coincidence, Everton is the team that has ''taken'' Belliand from Southampton. Of course, as a reserve team, Southampton u-23 should teach the toffees a lesson.


    The kick-off match starts with Everton u-23. However, after they started the kick-off, the Southampton u-23 players went up to do high pressing up into 2/3 of the Everton u-23 defense area.


    The shadow striker who became Kazuki''s partner was Aspint Delmund, who was one of the veteran footballers who played in this match. Aspint went up high pressing the center-back to pass the ball to the central midfielder who came down to help. However, the midfielder didn''t notice that he was being followed closely by Kazuki. Just as the midfielder was about to receive the ball, he suddenly saw a figure dressed in red and white, cutting off the center-back''s pass.


    Kazuki carried the ball for a while before making a long pass into the right area, where Rustan Dust was. The moment Kazuki grabbed the ball, Rustan had ran so fast that he made it past the Everton fullback. Rustan immediately took the ball into the Everton penalty box.


    Rustan then crossed into the left area. On the left, Aspint Delmund receives Rustan''s pass. He then shot the ball firmly. Unfortunately, the shot hit the crossbar. The ball is then thrown into the center of the penalty box. The center area of ??the penalty box is rather empty because the Everton defenders tend to guard both of their wings area.


    Kazuki who was standing there alone received the ball with his chest and make a volley shot. The shot was very fast and accurate piercing the side of the goal that the goalkeeper could not reach.


    Just as Kazuki scored the goal, the Southampton fans cheered together. Kazuki ran to the sidelines followed by his comrades. They then embraced while congratulating Kazuki who scored his first goal as a member of the Southampton u-23 team.


    The surprise attack had put Southampton 1 goal ahead of Everton but Southampton did not immediately use a counter-attack strategy because after all this is the St. Mary''s, Southampton u-23s didn''t want to look bad in front of their main stadium. But Southampton is not a team with a technical advantage, therefore to maintain dominance in midfield, Kazuki stepped down to help while Delmund stepped in to replace Kazuki as the main striker. They both switched roles when Southampton had the ball.


    Meanwhile, Everton, who lost the ball in the early stages, quickly adjusted. They tried to do pressing to seize control of the ball from Southampton U-23.


    Kazuki who was in control of the ball was immediately targeted by two Everton players at once. However, Kazuki did a one-two pass with his partner to escape the pressure that Everton put on him. He then returned to make a long pass into the right area. However, this time the opponent''s full-back managed to snatch Kazuki''s pass after he had a duel with Rustan. Rustan waved his hand apologizing for not successfully receiving Kazuki''s pass.


    Now it''s Everton''s turn to attack. All players descend to the back to make the transition from attack to defense quickly. Everton''s players failed to counterattack because the transition made by Southampton U-23s was faster than Everton''s counter-attack.. This is because Everton does not have very fast players like Rustan so their counter-attacks are very easy to break.

 Chapter 16 - Man Marking

    Every team has its own rhythm. Different advantages, different tactics make the team have a different attack rhythm. Although Southampton tried to control the ball, possession of the ball was not Southampton''s advantage. Everton were able to take over possession of the ball from The Saints.


    Everton have many players with high posture. The Toffees make good use of this advantage. They attack the Southampton defense with high passes, especially on the flanks, because the Southampton full-back has a shorter stature than the Everton winger. After dribbling into the wing area, they made a high cross. Their striker is Australian Adam Thompson. Adam is 191 cm tall, his figure stands out in the Southampton under-23 defense. Fortunately, Adam''s header can still be ignored by Southampton.


    Southampton tried to counterattack again by passing it to Kazuki as the center of the counter-attack. However, when Kazuki had control of the ball, he felt a very strong collision from behind his body causing Kazuki to fall and fail to control the ball.


    "Hey, referee!" Kazuki raised his hand informing him that this was a violation. But the referee shook his head, letting the match continue. The ball that Kazuki failed to control fell to the feet of the Everton midfielder.


    The midfielder carried the ball before finally releasing a high pass to the front of the penalty box. This time Adam did not head straight into the goalpost but into the left side of the Southampton defense. The Southampton goalkeeper did not expect it and jumped first. That makes the Everton winger who receives the ball score goals easily.


    The Everton under-23 players celebrated the goal with great enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Kazuki apologized especially to Southampton U-23 captain Endo, a 33-year-old center-back.


    "Sorry, I should have just chased the ball instead of complaining to the referee." Kazuki felt guilty. However, he did not know that such an act was not a violation.


    "It''s okay, it''s not your fault. I also missed the Southampton defense earlier. Most importantly, you have learned that sometimes the referee''s whistle is unreliable." Endo cheered on Kazuki and patted him on the shoulder.


    The game continues. Southampton, of course just wanted to win, especially since they were playing at Saint Marry''s stadium. However, Everton defended well. Kazuki was also closely followed, so he couldn''t find the right opportunity. The player guarding Kazuki was Everton''s defensive midfielder Nkuku. this player was also the one who bumped into Kazuki earlier.


    It was a new feeling for Kazuki to be kept marking like this. Of course, he had to find a way to get rid of Nkuku''s marking. Southampton are back on the attack. This time Rustan tried to break through the wing side of the Everton u-23 defense.


    However, this time Everton played well. They closed the room for Rustan''s breakthrough. Kazuki approached Rustan as a passing option, Rustan. Rustan passed the ball to Kazuki. Nkuku again interfered by clinging tightly to Kazuki. This time Kazuki pushed the ball through the gap between Nkuku''s legs. He then ran after the ball again.


    But the Nkuku that Kazuki had just passed did not give up. He held onto Kazuki''s shirt tightly so that Kazuki couldn''t pick up the ball. For the first time, Kazuki lost his composure. He turned and approached Nkuku "Are you only able to stop me with foul huh?"


    Nkuku widened his smile and said, "That worked didn''t it, little Samurai?"


    Continuing the fight will only turn out to be a yellow card. Kazuki suppressed his emotions and moved away from Nkuku with an annoyed look.


    While Kazuki and Nkuku confronted, Everton u-23 again stormed the Southampton defense. With the same attack, they provide a high pass for Adam''s execution. But this time the Southampton keeper stepped up bravely and cut through the pass.


    Everton and Southampton''s attacks were both deadlocked until at the end of the first half, Southampton launched an attack again. The bait returned to Kazuki''s feet. As usual, Nkuku directly faced Kazuki.


    Nkuku saw Kazuki staring towards the left. Kazuki slowly raised his leg and swung it. Nkuku stuck out a leg to cut off Kazuki''s pass. However, nothing happened. It turned out that Kazuki''s pass flowed to the right, which was then welcomed by Aspint.


    No Look Pass. A technique that does not require high skill but requires the right moment and movement to deceive the opponent.


    Kazuki immediately passed Nkuku. Aspint then passed the ball again to Kazuki. With one touch, Kazuki sent a breakthrough pass that went to the right. This time Rustan managed to get the ball. He cut towards the penalty box. The Everton under-23 goalkeeper ran forward trying to snatch the ball from Rustan but Rustan calmly poked the ball into the net.


    Southampton is back ahead of Everton. The score of 2-1 was maintained until the first half was over.


    At the break, Elen praised the Southampton U-23 players. He also gave orders to maintain the excellence play on halves two. Although Elen wants to be attacking but Southampton u-23s don''t have an outstanding midfielder. Sticking to the counter-attack strategy is the best for now.


    The second half started again. Southampton started the kick-off by playing the ball at the back, trying to get Everton to do the high pressing. What if Everton U-23s don''t do high pressing? Let it go, Southampton will play the ball at the back until the game is over. Shame? What''s that? As long as the team wins there is nothing to be ashamed of.


    With that ideology, Southampton continued to play the ball behind without intending to attack until finally, Everton did high pressing. However, this is the moment Southampton U-23s have been waiting for. When Everton did pressing, Southampton immediately did a fast break. Southampton u-23 captain Endo makes a pass far forward. The pass was accepted by Kazuki.


    Kazuki didn''t hold the ball for too long, he immediately pass the ball back to Aspint. The Everton defense leaned to the right to close Rustan''s running space but Aspint passed the ball to the left.


    Although the left midfielder is not as fast as Rustan who plays on the right, Everton''s right-leaning defense makes it easy for Southampton''s left midfielder to break through the Everton defense. After that Southampton''s left midfielder immediately gave a flat pass into the middle of the penalty box. Aspint ran quickly to receive the pass. He then faked a kick then give the ball to Kazuki.


    Kazuki received the ball but it was immediately dropped by Nkuku. The referee''s whistle sounded, Southampton got a penalty. The atmosphere in the penalty box was a bit heated, Kazuki''s teammates approached Kazuki to make sure that the Japanese player was okay.


    Of course, Kazuki was fine, after practicing so many times, Kazuki''s reaction after being dropped was very fast to minimize the risk of injury. Instead, Kazuki purposely aimed his knees and elbows at Nkuku.


    "Are you all right?" asked Aspint.


    Kazuki nodded slowly, "I''m fine."


    In the corner of his vision, Kazuki could see that the medical team was carrying Nkuku to the sidelines.. Of course, the wound that Nkuku had sustained wasn''t that fatal, Kazuki avoided vital areas, after all, he wasn''t that cruel to do so.

 Chapter 17 - Lewandowski

    "Take it," Aspint handed the ball to Kazuki. Previously Aspint was the first penalty taker in the Southampton u-23 team but Aspint was kind enough to give the opportunity to Kazuki, even though it was Kazuki who created this penalty.


    Kazuki accepted the ball happily. He then said to Aspint, "Thank you."


    This is the first time he has kicked a penalty in an official game since he moved to England. Kazuki''s opponent was also an experienced goalkeeper. Surely this would be a challenge for Kazuki.


    After the whistle sounded, Kazuki ran slowly then kicked the ball firmly into the right corner of the goal. The Everton goalkeeper had guessed the direction correctly, but Kazuki''s shot was too fast to stop.


    The cheers of the Southampton fans resounded. After scoring the goal, Kazuki ran to the corner of the field and skated on the grass. His comrades also followed Kazuki. They celebrated the goal under the cheers of the loyal Saints supporters.


    Southampton u-23 led 3-1 over Everton u-23 with a penalty that was executed well by Kazuki.


    The game continued, Everton tried to attack many times, bombarding the Southampton defense, but Southampton defended well.


    In the 60th minute, Rustan was substituted after too much running and fatigue. With Rustan out, Everton''s attack intensified, they weren''t afraid of Southampton''s counter-attack after Rustan came off.


    In the 75th minute, Kazuki was replaced by a defensive midfielder. On the one hand, he was exhausted. Furthermore, this was Elen''s strategy to strengthen the Southampton defense. Elen wanted to keep her win.


    Elen''s strategy worked. Although Everton created many chances, especially at the end of the second half, until the second half ended, the score did not change one bit. Southampton u-23s won 3-1 over Everton u-23s.


    Kazuki''s debut in the Southampton u-23 team went smoothly. But the MVP of this match is Rustan. Without Rustan''s ability to break through the opponent''s defense, there wouldn''t be any gaps that Kazuki could take advantage of. Plus, Kazuki was lucky that Nkuku had to be substituted at the start of the second half, so Kazuki was relatively free. Of course, Elen was still satisfied with Kazuki''s performance in this match.


    ***


    "Isn''t it time for me to improve my skills and techniques?" In this match, Kazuki really felt his helplessness in breaking through the opponent. If he could break through Nkuku himself, Kazuki wouldn''t need to pass Rustan, and the one who became MVP would probably be him.


    GM stared at Kazuki flatly. He opened his mouth and said, "Don''t be greedy. I told you before, didn''t I? You have to master your role perfectly before trying to improve any other aspect."


    "There''s nothing wrong with learning techniques and skills, there is a lot of center-forward who have good technique. Learning things like that will increase my value as a center-forward." Kazuki still insisted on stating his wish to the GM.


    GM sighed seeing Kazuki''s stubborn nature.


    "The striker''s job is to score goals. Whether the ball gets to your feet is the midfielder''s job."


    Kazuki refuted GM''s argument by saying, "In reality, strikers like that are out of date, In football now the players who only wait for the ball to come are obsolete. Look at Europe''s top clubs, Barcelona uses false nines, Manchester United Ron has good technique and pace. , Real Madrid striker Beneva is only a servant to their winger, Liverpool Sisinho is also a servant to Ahmed. A striker who just waits for the ball to come is only used by medium and small clubs."


    GM pondered before saying, "Is that so, in this world that person doesn''t seem to exist. Hmm, I guess it''s time for you to experience [Experience] mode again."


    Kazuki''s anger dissipated, his eyes glinted at GM''s words. "Is that true?"


    GM nodded lightly. "That''s right, this guy is the pure striker you say is out of date. His name is Robert Lewandowski."


    With the changing style of playing football today, what Lewandowski did is a monumental achievement. regarding the phenomenon of the scarcity of today''s football strikers. One of the reasons is that there is no need for the central striker role in the game scheme. Even if there is, his job is no more as a bouncer or towing the opponent''s defender.


    One of the reasons is because tactics in modern times are increasingly complicated, creative freedom has been lost because all player movements are regulated by the coach.


    The development of tactics in football makes the role of the center forward not too important to be maintained. Why use two attackers in a 4-4-2 formation, when the opponent has five midfielders who dominate the midfield?


    In the past, attackers didn''t have to be perfect. He doesn''t have to have all the abilities such as speed, head hard, have magic when dribbling, able to trick opponents, have hard kicks, or have a big stature to be a bouncer. However, Lewandowski is the most perfect pure forward that GM has ever seen.


    ***


    Kazuki felt some information enter his head. He is now Robert Lewandowski, he came on early in the second half after Bayern Munich''s false nine tactics failed, even Bayern trailed 1-0 to Wolfsburg.


    Just as the GM said, it was Kazuki who saw that Lewandowski didn''t stand out too much in the Bayern Munich attack process. Until the 51st minute, Lewandowski escaped unguarded and with just one touch, he scored a goal.


    Lewandowski''s ability to take advantage of spaces and gaps was not inferior to Inzaghi''s which Kazuki had also experienced. However, Kazuki thought this was just luck because furthermore, Wolfsburg''s defense would guard Lewandowski tightly.


    Just one minute, Lewandowski scored again after seeing the shooting space, Lewandowski scored with a long shot. This is Lewandowski''s foresight as a top striker.


    Kazuki still didn''t want to admit Lewandowski, he thought this was a lucky goal, this goal didn''t show that pure strikers could still survive in modern football.


    As if Lewandowski listened to Kazuki''s thoughts, three minutes later in the 55th minute, Lewandowski scored again. This third goal was almost the same as the first goal, in which Lewandowski got space and was left unmarked. Had failed in two kicks, in the third he managed to score a goal.


    ''Wolfsburg''s defense is so stupid, why do they keep letting Lewandowski unguarded''


    In the 57th minute, Lewandowski scored again, he seemed to know where the ball was coming. The movement is like making a line to shoot, even though the ball has not been passed.


    This time Kazuki was silent, he knew even the Wolfsburg defense didn''t expect this goal to appear. The feeling when Lewandowski scored can only be described as ''very timely and very surprising.''


    In the 60th minute, the fifth goal was created, the fifth goal process was similar to the fourth goal where Lewandowski was unmarked in the penalty box. Surprisingly in both goals, it was the ball that seemed to approach his feet.


    He doesn''t look for opportunities, he turns all circumstances into opportunities. He is Robert Lewandowski.


    ''From now on, you are one of my idols Lewandowski,'' Kazuki thought with a smile. GM is right, he still has a long way to go to master the striker position.


    The scene didn''t stop there, Kazuki experienced Lewandowski''s various matches. His shooting ability, his understanding of space and gaps. Unexpected movement.


    Kazuki felt that what he learned from Lewandowski was more than what he learned from Inzaghi.

 Chapter 18 - Endo Residents

    After experiencing Lewandowski''s [Experience]. Kazuki felt that he underwent a qualitative change. He felt that all the abilities he had learned became one with him. These changes are just cognitive changes. But this change can be seen clearly in the mini-games played in Southampton u-23 daily training.


    Kazuki scored 4 goals in the mini-games this time, 3 goals ahead of Theodor who only scored 1 goal. In that match, the feelings of the defenders guarding Kazuki were only explained as discomfort. Kazuki was rarely in a dangerous position. Even often in an offside position. But when the opportunity presented itself, he was suddenly in the most dangerous place.


    Endo, as the center-back, guarding Kazuki in this match, was the one who felt Kazuki''s change the most. He tried to keep Kazuki tight after Kazuki scored a goal. But the result is that Kazuki lures Endo so that the offside line is slightly back so that Rustan can be free from the offside line.


    After the mini-games ended, Endo came to Kazuki. Even though Endo is 33 years old, his experience playing in the premier league cannot be underestimated. He knows only top strikers can harm and confuse defenders just by their movement.


    "I feel you played differently today, you played better than before," said Endo.


    "Really? I do feel like my head is clearer than before," Kazuki casually replied.


    Endo shook his head in surprise, geniuses are always different. Of course, Kazuki''s progress was a good thing for Southampton.


    "Would you like to come to my house tonight? It''s my daughter''s birthday. I also invited some of my friends from the first team and the reserve team. I think you should come too. This is your chance to get to know and make friends with your teammates later in the first team. "


    Endo was sure that Kazuki would go to the first team sooner or later, he thought that by introducing Kazuki to his friends in the first team maybe Kazuki would adapt faster in the future.


    Kazuki nodded, "I will gladly attend." This was a social opportunity, Kazuki had learned that being a striker meant he needed the support of other players. Therefore as much as possible, he must have a good relationship with other players.


    Endo nodded satisfied with Kazuki''s decision.


    ***


    In the evening, Kazuki went to Endo''s residence towards the address Endo had given him. This time he was driving his car.


    This was Kazuki''s first time visiting a party after living in England. Kazuki also brought a teddy bear present that he bought as a present for Endo''s daughter.


    Kazuki was confused about whether he should bring a female friend for an event like this? After thinking more deeply he decided to go alone.


    Endo''s residence wasn''t too far from the Southampton base in Hampshire, therefore it didn''t take long for Kazuki to get there.


    Kazuki stopped after he saw the spacious house that had been decorated with colorful balloons. Obviously, this is Endo''s residence. Kazuki then parked his car. After he got out of the car he was greeted by Endo who was dressed neatly.


    Endo approached Kazuki and gave a welcome hug. He then glanced at Kazuki''s car and said, "You have a very good car."


    Kazuki didn''t understand the types of cars and their prices. But Endo found out that Kazuki was driving an Aston Martin One-77. The car costs $1.4 million. For Kazuki who is a Southampton u-23 footballer, this car is too luxurious.


    Kazuki replied nonchalantly to Endo, "I don''t know about cars, but it''s convenient. My agent lent it to me."


    Endo looked at Kazuki enviously, "You have a very good agent."


    Which agent will lend a luxury car to a client whose fate is not clear at all? Endo decided not to think too much about it. He then invited Kazuki in.


    If Furochi was here, he would laugh at Endo''s thoughts. A person like Kazuki could have bought a car like this himself. Too bad Kazuki didn''t want to rely too much on the money his mother gave him.


    Kazuki who was following Endo, met Endo''s friends from the first team. He also met with Rustan who had come. Kazuki thought Theodor would also come but he didn''t. After asking Endo, the man replies that Theodor is very anti-social.


    Regarding that, Endo said, "Do you remember your first practice match against Theodor, where it was 3-0?"


    Kazuki nodded, of course, he still remembered.


    "If you pay close attention, you will see that Theodor lacks the support of his comrades. The man is a bit arrogant, therefore no one is accompanying him. Theodor is from Southampton''s academy. Many thought Theodor would reach the heights of Gareth Neill. Those people are a group of people who are more supportive and always favor players from the academy over newcomers like you."


    Kazuki, who heard Endo''s explanation, asked in surprise, "Is there a certain faction in this club?"


    Endo laughed softly and explained.


    "Every club has always had certain factions. In the case of Southampton, it was a rivalry between the director of recruitment and the head of the Academy."


    "Isn''t the transfer rights in the hands of the manager?" In England, the coach is also the manager, they have transfer rights. That was what Kazuki knew.


    "Who do you think recruited the coach?" Endo replied with a smile.


    Kazuki nodded in understanding.


    "You don''t have to worry, as long as a rivalry like that doesn''t go as far as destroying Southampton, then it''s natural. You don''t have to worry about things like that."


    There were three players from the main team who attended Endo''s daughter''s birthday party. The first person was Southampton''s number one goalkeeper, Dean Smith. Second, a substitute who plays as a right-back, Vicente. Third, Southampton''s right midfielder, Hugo.


    The three of them were quite friendly with Kazuki. Kazuki was also happy to be acquainted with them. Kazuki himself was curious about the state of the Southampton first team.


    Southampton is currently 17th in the premier league with 23 points. 2 points ahead of Wigan Athletic who is in 18th place. However, Southampton''s statistics are unique because they have only lost 5 times until week 20. For a team that is in table 17 only losing five times is quite a surprise. However, 11 draws have left the team close to the relegation zone.


    On the other hand, Southampton also conceded only 18 goals from 20 matches. Southampton''s goal conceded percentage is only 0.9 per game. Meanwhile, they scored 17 goals from 20 matches, their percentage of scoring the ball was 0.85.


    Seeing from these statistics it can be concluded that Southampton has a very good defensive toughness at least for a lower-class team.. However, Southampton also has serious problems in scoring goals.

 Chapter 19 - West Ham United

    Although Kazuki was happy to know Endo''s friends who were in the main team he knew that Endo''s friends were willing to accept Kazuki as their friend, their main reason was Endo, not because Kazuki was a great player. After all, Kazuki had not entered the first team, even if Kazuki entered the first team his status in the first team was the bottom.


    Because of that, Kazuki didn''t involve himself in too deep a chat with Endo''s friends. Some of the time, he also discussed with Rustan about the Southampton u-23 team.


    At 11 pm the birthday event was over. Endo invited Kazuki to have some drinks first but Kazuki didn''t want to consume alcohol especially since there was practice tomorrow.


    The next day, Kazuki came to the training ground, on that day''s practice he didn''t see Endo''s whereabouts. Elen wasn''t too angry about Endo''s absence either. For Elen, the most important thing at Southampton U-23 is the youth, not veterans.


    Every day, Kazuki''s changes could be seen by Elen. Now, even if Kazuki is closely guarded, he can still score goals in the Southampton u-23 training match. Kazuki had also started practicing his heading skills, although it was still not good enough his progress was still visible.


    ***


    Southampton u-23 next game arrived. Southampton will visit the city of London to play against West Ham United.


    Besides having the nickname The Hammers, West Ham also has the nickname the Academy of Football, this nickname was originally a press tribute because several players who emerged from the West Ham Academy had helped England win the 1966 World Cup.


    Entering the premier league era, 2 famous players emerged from the West Ham academy, the first was Rio Fernand who was a Manchester United defender, the second was Shank Lambert, Chelsea midfielder.


    In contrast to Southampton who is often relegated to the championship league, West Ham can survive in the premier league as a middle club, they will occasionally be seen in the top table ranking, but at the end of the season, their ranking is always stable in the middle of the premier league table.


    The match which took place between Southampton u-23 against West Ham United u-23 was held at Rush Green Stadium, Romford, London with a capacity of 6000 spectators.


    "West Ham u-23 are not a strong team, we don''t have to be afraid to fight them even if they are playing at home. I believe in all of you. You can beat them. Come on, everyone beat the Hammers!" Elen encourages his team, this time Southampton will not play conservatively. He believes that Southampton U-23s are overall better than West Ham.


    "Defeat The Hammers!!"


    The Southampton under-23 players responded to Elen''s call with enthusiasm. Kazuki was again the starter, but this time his partner was not Aspint, but Ryan Jr. As a second striker, Ryan is not too bad. He learned from his senior Aspint about his role.


    On the right side, of course, there is Rustan Dust who has always been a mainstay. On the left is Zhukovsky, his game is not that great but he can defend the left area well.


    Although the formation that Southampton uses is 4-4-2. In attack mode, this formation changes to 4-3-3. On the right side was Rustan, then Kazuki, and on the left side Ryan Jr. Therefore Zhukovsky has a different role from Rustan.


    The first half kick-off was started by West Ham United. Even though they were playing at home, they were not quick to attack Southampton. West Ham prefers to start the game casually.


    Southampton did not do the high pressing but did low blocks. Unlike the more aggressive high pressing, the low block is more defensive. The goal of high pressing is to grab the ball, while the goal of a low block is to break the connection between the backline and the frontline.


    Of course, even though the midfielders and defenders put up low blocks, Kazuki and Ryan pressed so that West Ham wouldn''t be too comfortable controlling the ball.


    In the 5th minute, Zhukovsky managed to cut the pass that the West Ham full-back gave to their winger. Zhukovsky quickly passed the ball to Ryan.


    West Ham tried to take the ball from Ryan but Ryan cleverly made a Marseille Turn to trick the two West Ham midfielders. He then passed the ball to Kazuki.


    The West Ham center-back pressed Kazuki, but he didn''t expect Kazuki to make a back pass. Rustan who should have been in a wing position turned out to be moving forward so he could exploit the gap left by the West Ham defender.


    Rustan received Kazuki''s back pass and ran with the ball. His running speed was too fast for the West Ham defender to catch up. With only the West Ham goalkeeper left, Rustan was confident to shoot.


    But just as Rustan was about to celebrate a goal, he saw the West Ham goalkeeper guess the direction of Rustan''s shot correctly, so he managed to block the ball.


    The result of the reflection of the ball turned out to be in front of Kazuki, the Japanese player kicked the ball into an empty corner of the goalpost. However, the West Ham goalkeeper once again made a brilliant save. He pushed his body then used his feet to block Kazuki''s kick.


    This time the ball was successfully secured by the West Ham defense. Elen who saw the opportunity wasted just growled in annoyance.


    "Why is there such a good goalkeeper at West Ham? Why is there no information about that?" Elen asked his assistant in annoyance.


    His assistant replied, "The West Ham goalkeeper this time is a different goalkeeper than usual. It''s his first time playing, he''s a West Ham academy graduate."


    "West Ham Academy is not to be underestimated," said Elen with an annoyed face.


    "Shall we change strategy?" asked the assistant.


    Elen shook her head "No, for now, let''s entrust everything to them."


    After 5 minutes, Southampton began to actively attack West Ham, but the opportunity was not as good as the first opportunity. Faced with Southampton who began to play aggressively, West Ham also attacked the Southampton defense several times, but the threat posed by West Ham was able to be overcome by Southampton''s defense line.


    In the 30th minute, West Ham knockdown Kazuki in front of the penalty box. There are no free-kick specialists near the penalty area for Southampton under-23s. Kazuki himself had an idea regarding the free-kick this time.


    A free-kick requires a whistle in the event of an incident which causes the match to be paused. Examples are substitutions, referees giving cards, handling injuries, and referees needing time to control the game. If the free kick is not stopped first then the kicker can kick immediately without waiting for the referee''s whistle.


    However, Southampton''s free-kick this time did not occur which caused the match to be stopped. Therefore when the opponent sets the posse. Kazuki immediately kicked the ball into the West Ham goal.


    The West Ham goalkeeper was also unprepared for the shot so he could only see the ball enter the goalpost he was guarding.

 Chapter 20 - West Ham Goalkeeper

    The West Ham U-23 team protested against the referee, they thought the goal was invalid. However, the referee rejected West Ham''s protests and insisted on continuing the match. West Ham inevitably has to accept the referee''s decision.


    West Ham started kick-off again. After that, they tried to attack the Southampton defense, but Southampton''s low block was very disciplined. West Ham also tried to make a direct long pass to their forward but the Southampton defender managed to snatch the ball away.


    In the 44th minute, Southampton launched an attack after the West Ham striker''s long-range shot was caught by the Southampton U-23 goalkeeper. The Southampton goalkeeper kicked the ball forward, the ball was received by Southampton u-23 defensive midfielder Ovrebo Samanni.


    Ovrebo gave the ball to Zhukovsky, the Russian dribbled into the West Ham defense. With a long pass, Zhukovsky then moved the ball to the right side of the field. On the right, Rustan sprinted past the West Ham full-back then picked up Zhukovsky''s pass.


    Rustan penetrated the penalty area, but he had no space to kick the ball so he made a cut-back pass. In the middle, Ryan appeared and took the pass. Ryan Jr. then kicks the ball hard. But the West Ham goalkeeper managed to hold the ball with the palm of his hand. The ball was thrown back to the front of Kazuki. Kazuki immediately kicked the ball.


    The ball managed to hit the net, but the linesman raised the flag indicating that Kazuki was in an offside position. Kazuki just shook his head helplessly. Because the ball appeared in front of him of course Kazuki reflexively kicked it, he didn''t realize he was already in the offside line.


    The first half ended with the score 1-0, an advantage for the Southampton u-23 team.


    In the dressing room, Elen does not blame the forwards for failing to convert chances into goals. However, he advised Kazuki, Rustan, and Ryan to work together more in the penalty box to trick the West Ham goalkeeper. Apart from that, Elen is satisfied with the appearance of another Southampton u-23. They applied low blocks well to prevent Southampton from conceding a goal.


    The second half started Southampton U-23 had the ball well. But at the start of this second half West Ham had a different aura. They seem to have arisen from the grave. West Ham did high pressing without fear of Southampton''s quick attack.


    In the 47th minute, Zhukovsky was knockdown by West Ham to break Southampton''s quick attack. Obviously, in this second half, West Ham will play aggressively. They will not hesitate to commit fouls to stop Southampton U-23''s counter-attack.


    In the 49th minute, the West Ham midfielder took the ball from Ovrebo with a tackle from the front. The West Ham midfielder passed the ball to the right-winger The West Ham winger crossed but the ball was blocked by the Southampton left-back. Corner for West Ham United.


    Shortly after a corner was taken, the West Ham striker jumped high into a duel with the Southampton defender for the ball. The West Ham striker managed to win the duel but his header was too weak, so the ball fall near the Southampton goalpost.


    Then the West Ham midfielder who was nearby immediately stuck his foot out and pushed the ball into the Southampton goalpost.


    "Goaaall!!!"


    West Ham fans screamed The West Ham players also excitedly celebrated the goal.


    In this match, only Southampton goalkeeper who was more than 23 years old, as the oldest he immediately cheered on his friends.


    "We haven''t lost yet, cheers we can win this game," said the Southampton goalkeeper.


    Those words made the hearts of the Southampton players a little calm.


    the kick-off starts again. The situation of the two teams is the opposite of the beginning of the match. Southampton U-23s who had the ball, struggled to penetrate the West Ham defense as they were always stopped by fouls while West Ham eagerly launched high pressing to quickly get the ball out of the Southampton players'' feet.


    In the end, Kazuki came down to midfield to help Southampton U-23 build on the attack. The West Ham players also tried to foul Kazuki but were able to cleverly avoid the foul with the help of Ryan Jr.


    In the 64th minute, Kazuki managed to get past the West Ham defensive midfielder. In front of the penalty box, he hit a long-range shot after seeing space on the right side of the West Ham defense The West Ham keeper was able to reach the shot but the ball bounced off the post before it finally went into the West Ham goal.


    Kazuki who scored the direct goal excitedly celebrated. He ran to the sidelines before finally being knocked down by his comrades who were celebrating.


    Elen on the sidelines who saw Kazuki''s goal also joined in celebrating by swinging his arms in the air. The performance of the West Ham reserve team goalkeeper is really at its peak in this match. Kazuki himself for the first time after getting [Dream Training] felt intimidated after his shot was always blocked by the goalkeeper. Unlike the first goal, which relies more on ingenuity. This second goal was a representation of the training that Kazuki had done.


    After scoring a goal, Southampton changed their strategy. They use a counter-attack strategy and do low blocks like at the beginning of the game. The reason is clear that by doing a low block it will be very difficult for West Ham to break into Southampton''s goal.


    In the 70th minute, Kazuki was withdrawn by Elen and replaced by Theodor. The Hammers had too many fouls that Elen was worried about Kazuki''s plight.


    In the 75th minute, Theodor got a golden opportunity by facing one on one against the West Ham goalkeeper. But his shot hit the crossbar. Fortunately, Ryan came and hit the rebound, so Southampton managed to multiply the advantage.


    In the 81st minute, the West Ham striker was brought down in the box by the Southampton under-23 defender. West Ham got a penalty, their striker managed to execute the penalty well. West Ham managed to reduce Southampton''s advantage.


    After only goals down, West Ham was on fire again, they attacked Southampton U-23s with gusto, they didn''t hesitate to commit fouls to get the ball. The referee''s yellow card managed to dampen West Ham''s enthusiasm.


    But at the end of the second half, West Ham got a free kick in front of the penalty box. All West Ham players went into the Southampton penalty box including the West Ham goalkeeper who was far away from the goal.


    The free-kick was taken by the West Ham midfielder.


    The whistle blows, the West Ham midfielder gets ready, then he runs slowly and kicks the ball. The ball flew towards the far post of Southampton''s goalpost. Players on the pitch jumped for the ball but nothing worked until someone unguarded jumped in and managed to deflect the ball into the Southampton goal.


    He is the goalkeeper of West Ham United. Then, all the West Ham fans present came together to cheer. West Ham celebrated with enthusiasm. Meanwhile, the Southampton players lay helpless. They have to accept this draw.


    The MVP of this match is the West Ham United goalkeeper.. Kazuki had really bad luck, he performed well in his first two matches as Southampton u-23 players but he didn''t win the MVP match.

 Chapter 21 - The Sun Challenge

    George Eastgate stared sadly at the scoreboard in the corner of the stands. Southampton''s first team lost to Swansea City 1-0 at home. Southampton had many chances but Osmund failed to maximize the opportunity to be a goal. Meanwhile, Swansea scored a goal from a counter-attack at the end of the match.


    George had the principle that defense was number one in his strategy, but seeing how pathetic Southampton''s attack was on the front line made him realize the pain of being a small team coach.


    In modern football, it is very difficult for a team like Southampton to keep or get a good striker. At most he could buy a striker who did well in the championship league. But the problem is Southampton is in financial trouble.


    Therefore George turned his attention to the players who had not yet made their professional debut.


    Putting his thoughts aside, George walked to the press room. Although this defeat was realized due to the inability of the front line to score goals, George knew that he would be blamed by the media.


    ***


    "Mr. George, how do you explain to the fans about this defeat? Because of this defeat, Southampton is in the relegation zone."


    Southampton Daily immediately asked George a sharp question.


    "This season is still long, I believe we can escape the relegation zone. Our players have the quality to survive in the premier league," George was used to sharp media questions. He can dodge easily.


    "I''m not sure what you''re saying is relevant to the current situation Mr. George, you''ve let Southampton''s mainstay striker Belliand go. I can tell you that to survive in the Southampton premier league you need a win, not a draw or a loss," a reporter from The Sun immediately refuted George''s words and launched another attack on the Southampton coach.


    "We did lose Belliand which is very unfortunate for Southampton, however, I believe Southampton can overcome the crisis this time. The reserve team and Southampton academy have good players. I will call some of them to help the first team, hopefully, with them, Southampton can overcome crisis this time."


    George was a little annoyed, losing Belliand wasn''t entirely George''s fault. This is a request from the club''s top management to accept Everton''s offer. He couldn''t refuse the request.


    What George didn''t know was that his words would become The Sun''s new source of news.


    ***


    The next day Kazuki received The Sun magazine from his agent Furochi. At first, he didn''t know what Furochi meant by sending this magazine but after seeing one of the news that The Sun delivered, Kazuki understood why Furochi had sent this magazine to him.


    One of the articles was emblazoned with the words "Attention! This teenage genius will replace Belliand?!"


    From this article, The Sun quotes coach George who will bring some substitute players into the first team. The Sun explained that Kazuki''s transfer to the reserve team was due to the approval of the first team assistant, James Ward. This transfer incident was a few days before Belliand left Southampton. The Sun assumed that Southampton was already planning on selling Belliand and replacing him with Kazuki.


    "This is ridiculous, I''m not even a member of the first team yet, how could I possibly replace Belliand?" said Kazuki in annoyance.


    With this news people would pay more attention to Kazuki, if he failed or made a mistake The Sun would report it with another provocative title.


    Other young players may be worried by news like this. But Kazuki was different.


    The Japanese player threw The Sun magazine and said, "I accept The Sun''s challenge. I think I have to aim for something bigger than just being a substitute."


    With the existence of [Dream Training], Kazuki didn''t feel afraid to face such a challenge. Moreover, the GM had said that Kazuki''s ability now, he could adapt to the Premier League game well. Of course, the matter of scoring that goal depended on Kazuki''s luck.


    The next day at the training ground, Kazuki''s comrades inquired about his condition. They thought the news of The Sun would make Kazuki depressed and uneasy. Kazuki replied to them with a smile and said that he was fine.


    Today was Southampton u-23''s third match after Kazuki joined the team. In this match, Southampton will face Swansea City u-23 at A. F. C. Totton''s Testwood stadium.


    Kazuki and the others saw that this time''s match was well attended by Southampton fans. Nearly 2000 spectators filled the available seats at the Testwood Stadium. This made the Southampton U-23 players who were warming up a bit nervous.


    "Do you think we can play well?" Rustan asked Kazuki.


    "Of course, last week Southampton''s first team was beaten by Swansea City, isn''t it time we hit back?" Kazuki replied without hesitation.


    "One day we will play under the cheers of tens of thousands of people, if you can''t withstand this kind of pressure then you don''t deserve to play football," said Kazuki who repeated Traves'' words he said when Kazuki was still at Manchester United u-18.


    Rustan who heard it smiled and said, "You''re right, thank you."


    In the locker room coach Elen gives his speech. "You probably already know, these few days people''s attention has been on us. You will feel nervous and restless etc. But remember, as long as you play well the people will cheer. The cheers of thousands of people are something different than you guys usually feel. I''ve felt it as a player and I want you to feel it too. Play well and beat Swansea!"


    "Defeat Swansea!!"


    The Southampton under-23 players came out of the dressing room in high spirits. Today they have the same goal. To look good in front of the fans.


    Southampton started the first half kick-off. This time they will play aggressively. From the start of the first half, Southampton''s formation was 4-3-3. The wing position is filled by Rustan and Ryan Jr.


    Southampton U-23s started their first attack with their right-back overlapping. A one-two pass between Southampton right-back and Rustan was able to overcome the Swansea City defense. The right-back provided a through ball to Rustan. At full speed, Rustan raced with Swansea right-back for the ball.


    The Swansea right-back turned out to have a good pace. He could match Rustan''s speed. Rustan knew he couldn''t push himself through this time, so he didn''t kick the ball forward but pushed the ball back. Behind the Southampton right-back Rustan received a pass, he then ran into the Swansea City penalty box. However, just as he was about to pass the ball he saw that Kazuki was being guarded by two defenders. At that moment Kazuki raised his hand convincing the right-back to pass to him.


    Finally, the right-back gave Kazuki a pass. The Japanese struggled for the ball among the Swansea City players. With one touch Kazuki deflected the ball using his inner leg.. The Swansea goalkeeper was unable to catch the ball because Kazuki was aiming for the goalkeeper''s blind spot.

 Chapter 22 - Swansea City U-23

    Small club fans have something in common, they don''t have high expectations. Especially when their favorite team competes in the premier league, of course, they don''t expect unreasonable things like winning the premier league. However, at least they don''t want to be relegated. Being a club that is often slaughtered in the English league is better than being the ruler of the championship league.


    Just like most small club fans, Southampton fans didn''t expect things that are too impossible to achieve. They just want the club to be able to maintain its existence in the premier league. They are tired of seeing Southampton keep getting relegated every time they make it into the premier league.


    They feared that one day, Southampton would struggle to get back into the premier league and end up stuck in the championship league.


    That''s why at this moment, Southampton fans feel a unique feeling when watching the Southampton reserve team play. These guys are used to seeing Southampton play conservatively. They are used to seeing Southampton beaten badly. They are used to seeing Southampton waste any counter-attacking opportunities.


    Kazuki''s goal early in the first half sparked something that had been missing in Southampton fans. Passion for football, desire to win, desire to see Southampton triumph and lift trophies.


    "This is football!! This is Southampton!!"


    "This feeling is so good!! Even though they are only a reserve team they are also part of Southampton. Come on little guys!! Beat them!!"


    "Defeat Jacks!!"


    Kazuki''s goal celebration was met with the roars of the fans, venting their frustration at the result shown by the first team.


    This feeling was also new to Kazuki, the cheers this time was different from the imaginative cheers in [Dream Training].


    "I have a good feeling this time. Let''s make a big score," Kazuki said to his comrades.


    Ryan Jr laughed and said, "I will also help, I think I will score a goal in this match."


    "You can score after me," said Rustan.


    "Attack the Swansea goalpost, leave the defense to me," The Southampton Under-23 goalkeeper responded to the desire of the attacking players to score.


    ***


    The kick-off started again after Southampton managed to score the first goal. The presence of Southampton fans is also a test for Swansea City. Although the reserve team often competes in the main stadium, there are still people who are not used to it when their game is seen by thousands of people, who are fans of the opposing team.


    In the 12th minute, Swansea City''s attack was broken. Southampton U-23 immediately counterattacked. Ovrebo received the ball from the Southampton center-back, he then carried the ball forward. The Swansea City man attempted to press Ovrebo but the Southampton defense midfielder quickly passed the ball to Zhukovsky.


    The Swansea midfielder brought down Zhukovsky with a clean tackle. He managed to stop the Southampton U-23 counter-attack.


    Throw-in for Southampton. Southampton left-back throws in. Zhukovsky took the ball, he returned the ball to the left-back. Southampton left-back then overlapped, Swansea right-back tried to press Southampton left-back, but the pressing was passed with Ryan''s help.


    Ryan took the ball and stabbed it to the left of the Swansea defense. Ryan faced off against the Swansea center-back, Ryan then performed a Body Feint to trick the center-back. Even though it was only a fraction of a second, it was enough for Ryan to break through the center-back. Southampton''s shadow striker then made a through ball.


    Kazuki came from the side and received the pass, but Kazuki''s distance from the goalkeeper was too close. With one touch Kazuki sent the ball to the far post of the goalpost. Rustan came and deflected the ball into the net of Swansea City.


    Rustan, Ryan, and Kazuki pointed at each other with smiles. They hugged each other celebrating the great collaboration between the three.


    "Ryan, I was surprised by the pass you did," Kazuki said. Ryan''s pass was not aimed at Kazuki but at the space in front of him, this made it easier for Kazuki because he didn''t need to control the ball anymore.


    "Haha, I quite know your habits mate. I''m also surprised you passed it to Rustan."


    Kazuki smiled, he could have scored the goal earlier but he chose to pass it to Rustan. "I felt there would be other opportunities so I wasn''t in too much of a rush to score goals."


    Rustan nodded, "That''s right, next time I will help you back to score goals."


    Southampton U-23 managed to score a second goal in the 14th minute. The good teamwork between Ryan, Kazuki, and Rustan made the Southampton fans cheer with joy. they completely forgot the last time they saw such beautiful teamwork like this in Southampton.


    It didn''t take long for Southampton to score the third goal. This time, Kazuki was far behind the Swansea center-back. He was in an offside position. But Ovrebo then crossed the ball to the right. Rustan and the Swansea right-back race for the ball. Because of that race, Kazuki who was in an offside position was now in an onside position. Rustan got the ball the first time, he then passed it in the middle to Kazuki who was positionally ahead against the Swansea center-back.


    Kazuki brought the ball into the Swansea penalty box. The Swansea City goalkeeper stepped forward to block Kazuki''s shot but Kazuki opted for a chip shot. The ball curled past the goalkeeper before finally entering the Swansea city goalpost.


    After that goal Kazuki and Rustan had a shoeshine celebration, Rustan shining Kazuki''s shoes made Kazuki look superior. Of course, this celebration is done with the consent of both parties.


    "Ryan hasn''t scored yet," said Rustan.


    "That''s right if there is a chance we can let him score." Kazuki nodded in agreement. Of course, if there was no suitable opportunity for Ryan, then Kazuki would execute the opportunity himself.


    After this third goal, Swansea plays badly, the Southampton fan booing factor and a three-time loss in less than 20 minutes makes Swansea city u-23 mentally plummeted. Their attacks are disorganized, most of their attacks always end with poor quality long-range shots.


    Faced with an opponent like this, of course, Southampton is getting hotter. In the 25th minute, Rustan who managed to get past Swansea''s right-back was dropped roughly. Rustan was holding his leg screaming, it was obvious, he might have suffered an injury. Kazuki got angry and pushed the center-back who knocked Rustan down roughly. However, Ryan managed to restrain Kazuki from making another fuss.


    The referee gave a red card to the Swansea City center-back. Meanwhile, Rustan had to be carried off the field on a stretcher. Kazuki had time to hand the ball to Ryan, for Ryan to execute the penalty, but Ryan refused.


    "You haven''t scored a hat-trick at Southampton, I think this game is a good match to start your hat-trick at Southampton," Ryan sincerely handed the ball to Kazuki.


    Kazuki received the ball and thanked Ryan. Kazuki had good penalty kicking ability after many times he practiced penalty kicks in [Dream Training].


    The referee''s whistle sounded, Kazuki kicked the ball to the right. The kick managed to deceive the Swansea City goalkeeper.. Kazuki managed to make Southampton u-23 4-0 ahead of Swansea City.

 Chapter 23 - Call From The First Team

    George Eastgate looks at Southampton u-23 vs Swansea u-23 scoreboard. Southampton beat Swansea 5-0, and there is still a second half for Southampton. Although the intensity of premier league 2 matches is very less than premier league, this kind of massacre is rare even in premier league 2.


    Originally he came here to see Kazuki''s play in person but right now he saw more than that. George saw that the quality of Southampton u-23s was also very good. Maybe it has to do with coach Elen Sharen.


    Many factors caused Swansea to play badly, but the main one was because of Southampton''s aggressiveness at the start of the half and the efficiency of Southampton''s under-23s scoring goals was great.


    If Southampton u-23s fail to score or only score 1 goal in 20 minutes, then, Swansea will not be so stressed because they will think that this match can still be won. But by scoring 3 goals in less than 20 minutes, Swansea City U-23s were in chaos. Their tactical system failed, the players were confused by this situation.


    Who was the most important in Southampton U-23''s first 3 goals? This is debatable. Ryan Jr had a big contribution in organizing attacks and helping Southampton control the midfield. Rustan''s speed was also the beginning of the first goal and the third goal.


    However, George would choose Kazuki. People who saw Kazuki play might think like this, ''He''s lucky to have such a good team-mate, the striker just needs to receive the ball and put it in.''


    George would slap anyone who thought like that. Look at the state of the Southampton first team, how many chances has the Southampton forward missed? Being a striker is not as easy as turning the palm


    "The ability to run without the ball, the ability to read the direction of the attack, being able to make decisions within seconds, having good shooting and passing technique, and calm in front of goal," George muttered the list of Kazuki abilities that George saw in this match.


    Premier League and premier league 2 are different things but as a coach, George''s job is to give a chance, whether Kazuki can shine or not depends on the player himself.


    After deciding to call Kazuki to the main team. George decided to leave. There is nothing more to watch from this match. Obviously, Swansea city will lose, the only debatable thing is how many Southampton under-23s will score.


    ***


    After being knocked down by an opponent, Rustan was taken to the hospital for further treatment. The first round ended, Kazuki and his comrade immediately approached Elen and inquired about Rustan.


    "He has an injury to his leg muscles, it will take a month before he recovers. You can see him after the game is over. For now, focus on the game."


    Kazuki could conclude that Rustan''s injury wasn''t too severe. Even though the injury wasn''t too severe, it didn''t mean it wouldn''t have any impact on Rustan. In terms of mentality, Rustan might be afraid to play aggressively again, because he is afraid of getting injured. In the physical aspect, the injury can make Rustan''s speed decrease, Rustan is a player who relies heavily on speed, when his speed decreases, Rustan''s value for the team will also decrease.


    The most undesirable thing is when Rustan has to be an injury-prone player. Many talented players lose their shine due to injuries too often. Players like that are good enough when appearing as a substitute but can not be relied on to appear as the main player.


    Of course, Kazuki hoped that Rustan would fully recover.


    This time Elen did not give any specific orders regarding the second half. It frees up its players to play as they please. Whether to choose to attack or defend, Elen will leave the decision to the players themselves.


    Starting the second half, Swansea did not intend to reduce their advantage. The Jacks just wanted to defense, so that Southampton''s goals did not increase anymore.


    Without Rustan''s pace, Southampton struggled to break down Swansea City''s defense. Southampton can only possess the ball but cannot attack the Swansea penalty box which continues to defend.


    Kazuki couldn''t do much, he was tightly guarded by two people so he had no room to shoot. Occasionally he bounced the ball at Ryan who tried to break into the Swansea penalty box, but Ryan''s shot was always saved easily by the Swansea goalkeeper.


    Swansea''s defense was quite successful until in the 68th minute, Kazuki managed to break into the Swansea City U-23 goal with a rocket kick that went into the corner of the net. This goal became Kazuki''s fourth goal in this match and Southampton''s sixth goal in this match.


    In the 74th minute, Zhukovsky managed to score, after Southampton''s corner managed to wreak havoc in the goalmouth. In the chaos, Zhukovsky managed to get the ball into the net.


    In the 81st minute, Elen took out several players including Kazuki and Ryan. Theodor stepped into the field as a substitute for Kazuki. Although the score had changed to 7-0, Theodor clearly did not want to miss the opportunity to score a goal.


    Theodor managed to score from his header, after receiving a cross from Zhukovsky. Theodor''s goal this time was the last in this match.


    In this match, Swansea conceded 8 goals and failed to put a single ball into the Southampton goal.


    ***


    After he finished changing his clothes, Kazuki saw Elen''s trainer gesturing for him to come closer. Without asking much, Kazuki approached coach Elen. Elen said to Kazuki, "The first team has called for you, starting tomorrow you will train with the first team."


    Kazuki smiled happily, this was the news he had been waiting for. Call from the first team. It was finally time for Kazuki to start his senior career journey.


    Kazuki bowed slightly as he said, "Thank you very much for guiding me all this time."


    Elen said, "You don''t have to be like that, it all depends on you. Don''t miss this opportunity. I don''t want to see you back in the reserve team because coach George didn''t want you."


    The other players who saw Kazuki bow to Elen knew that something good had happened. Ryan became the first person to approach Kazuki.


    "Hey, what happened?" Ryan asked.


    "I will go to the first team," Kazuki replied with a smile.


    Kazuki''s words were heard by all his comrades.


    "Really? So fast! I remember you just joined Southampton under-23."


    "That''s natural, Kazuki played well in his first 3 games, after all now Southampton is short of forwards."


    "Well anyway congrats Kazuki, don''t forget about us when you become a star footballer later."


    While Kazuki''s other companions were cheering and congratulating, Theodor muttered in a low voice, "Star? At most he will just sit on the bench."


    Kazuki heard Theodor''s muttering, but the Japanese player ignored him. It was Theodor''s right as a loser to be envious.. On the other hand, Kazuki also had the right to ignore a loser like Theodor.

 Chapter 24 - Adaptation

    The next day, Kazuki came to the main team''s training ground. Assistant Coach, James ward, helping Kazuki tour the training ground used by the major team. Kazuki was given the number 28 jersey and a locker in the corner of the dressing room. This showed Kazuki''s status in the dressing room was the lowest.


    Kazuki accepted that without protest, he knew sooner or later this would change. Kazuki was also good friends with Hugo, Vicente, and Dean Smith. The three of them were friends of Endo, but after Kazuki moved to the main team, Kazuki''s relationship with these three were direct friends, without Endo''s intermediary.


    On the first day, Kazuki also had mini-games with the main team.


    If there was the thing that had always been Kazuki''s weakness, it was the tactical aspect. The [Dream Training] had always been Kazuki''s training ground, had a fatal flaw. [Dream Training] cannot imitate the tactical aspect. Because of that, every time Kazuki simulated a premier league match, the tactical aspect seemed to be lost.


    When Kazuki trained with the first team, he felt tactics advantage. Kazuki''s ability in exploiting space was completely hampered because the gap in the opponent''s formation only occurred for a short period. That was the problem, in such a short time, which meant Kazuki have to exploit the gap as quickly as possible, but the person carrying the ball also had to provide the pass with the right timing.


    Since it was Kazuki''s first time training with the main team, his comrades had a hard time adjusting the pass with the right timing for Kazuki. The pass was sometimes too slow so Kazuki had been in an offside position. There was also a pass that was too fast, as a result, Kazuki couldn''t catch the ball and the opportunity was simply wasted.


    In that training match, Kazuki who failed to adjust to his comrades was pulled out by George. No one was disappointed by Kazuki''s poor performance on his first day of training with the first team. Because they never expected much from Kazuki. The players in the first team had their pride, they thought that Kazuki would only be an extra player instead of a core player.


    After being pulled out of match training, Assistant Coach, James Ward approached Kazuki.


    "Are you having trouble adapting to first-team tactics?" James asked.


    Kazuki nodded, "I feel like no one can understand my movements."


    Running without the ball has always been Kazuki''s main ability. To make the best use of this ability, his partner had to know when Kazuki decided to break through and when Kazuki decided to give back the ball, and so on.


    "They are used to Belliand''s presence as a target man, that''s why a striker of your type struggles with Southampton''s passes and strategies. Kazuki, I know your abilities, that''s why I will help you adjust to this team."


    Adjusting meant that Kazuki would also have to learn how to deal with tight defenses when there were no gaps he could take advantage of. In [Dream Training] Kazuki had trained this many times but after all, without strong physical abilities, it was difficult for Kazuki to fight in defense without gaps.


    But it is time for Kazuki to seriously change his playing style which is more like a striker poacher, to a traditional striker playing style. In top-level league matches, it takes special moves of the whole team to create gaps in the opponent''s formation. Without that, the gap will not appear. Unfortunately, for now, Southampton cannot use such complicated tactics. Therefore as a striker, Kazuki should be able to fight without relying too much on gaps.


    Kazuki knew that therefore he was willing to adapt his playing style for Southampton. Of course, adjustment of the playstyle is not something that can be done in 1 or 2 days.


    Changing the playing style didn''t mean that Kazuki would lose the ability to run without the ball. However, it made Kazuki less dependent on it. The adjustment of the playing style was not only done by Kazuki. Southampton players also began to adapt to Kazuki''s style of play.


    ***


    The next day, Kazuki came to Southampton hospital to visit Rustan. Even though Rustan probably wouldn''t be his partner anymore, Kazuki didn''t want to cut off his friendship with him.


    After arriving at the hospital, Kazuki asked the receptionist where Rustan''s room was. After knowing it, he went to Rustan''s room with the fruits he brought.


    Kazuki pushed open the door of the room where Rustan was being treated, he greeted Rustan who was lying on his bed.


    "Good afternoon, Rustan."


    "Good afternoon Kazuki. I didn''t expect you to visit me." Rustan looked both surprised and happy with Kazuki''s arrival. Perhaps, he thought that Kazuki would forget about it after the Japanese player moved to the first team.


    "Of course, I won''t forget you. Japanese people won''t easily forget their friendship. By the way, how are you doing?" asked Kazuki.


    Rustan was silent for a while before opening his mouth and whispering, "I''m fine."


    Kazuki looked into Rustan''s eyes. He felt the strangeness in Rustan''s expression. However, If Rustan didn''t want to tell the problem, then Kazuki wouldn''t have asked.


    "In the first team, no one can understand me. I miss your presence and Ryan. Now, I have to adapt to the team. If I don''t adapt quickly, my debut will be delayed."


    Kazuki took the initiative to tell his problem. Not because he wanted a solution from Rustan. Rather so that Rustan knows that Kazuki considers Rustan as a friend and hopes that Rustan also considers Kazuki as a friend.


    A few moments passed, Rustan suddenly said, "Every day, I have nightmares. I dream that one day I will get injured, then I have to retire from football. I am afraid. For me, football is very important. I don''t want to stay away from football too early."


    "Are you scared?" asked Kazuki.


    Rustan replied, "Yes, I''m afraid."


    "What you dream of is indeed a possibility." Kazuki paused in his speech. "However, if you talk about possibilities. There will be many possibilities in this world. You might have an accident while driving a car. You might get injured while walking on the stairs. You might get stuck in an elevator. Do not fear the possibility. You should know, I''ll be waiting for you in the first team."


    After saying that, Kazuki let Rustan ponder. He did hope that a teammate from the reserve team would be called up to the first team. It would be nice if there was someone who could understand Kazuki.


    Even so, that didn''t mean Kazuki needed help. He could sense that soon he would be adapting to Southampton''s tactics, when that time came his debut would also come.


    "As a striker, I still have many shortcomings.. But it doesn''t matter, the advantages I have are enough to make me confident."

 Chapter 25 - Tottenham Hotspur

    As a striker, Kazuki desperately needed the help of a midfield player. At Manchester United u-18s he approached Bennett, at Southampton u-23s there was Rustan and Ryan. In the Southampton first team Kazuki also trying to make friends. In the shadow striker position, Denilson was too difficult for Kazuki to approach. Therefore he tried to be friends with Denilson''s replacement, namely Crage Cramilton, a 25-year-old player who came to Southampton 1 year ago.


    On the midfielder side, Kazuki had befriended Hugo as a right midfielder. Later, he also became friends with Southampton left midfielder Kounde Aklomussa, a player from the African continent. In the defensive midfielder, Southampton''s first team captain, Simon Cadler is also quite friendly to him.


    On the defender side, Kazuki was only familiar with Vicente as a substitute right-back. Lastly, he is also friends with Dean Smith as Southampton''s main goalkeeper.


    Kazuki''s progress in adapting to his new comrades was quite fast. This can be proven in the recent Southampton training match. Kazuki managed to score consecutive goals. Kazuki''s skills began to be revealed after his new comrades could read his movements. The young man from Japan managed to score a goal with the help of Hugo.


    The difference between Hugo and Rustan lies in their playing style. Hugo relies more on skill and passing to become a right midfielder, while Rustan relies more on brute speed. Hugo''s passes tended to be easier to accept, but they were sometimes more aimed at Kazuki than at the space in front of Kazuki. This is what made it very difficult for Kazuki in the beginning to score goals.


    Meanwhile, Kazuki has also been able to adapt to Crage and Denilson''s playing style. Crage prioritizes cooperation while Danilson prioritizes individual skills. In terms of individual skills, it is undeniable that Danilson is the best among Southampton players. It''s not a bad thing for Danilson to prioritize individual skills, the problem is Denilson''s shooting ability is a bit bad so he often wastes the golden opportunities that he creates.


    On the left flank, Kounde has great pace and defensive ability. Occasionally he helps to attack but most of the time, Kounde is more focused on cutting the ball and marking opponents.


    Southampton''s formation is 4-4-2 with an attacking variation of 4-2-3-1 and a defensive variation of 4-5-1. Denilson''s position is often behind the striker although Denilson has a lot of freedom in this formation. Denilson can swap positions with the winger, depending on the circumstances.


    Osmund, who was Kazuki''s rival was a speed-type striker. He has good speed, which can be used in counterattacks. Because Southampton always uses counterattacks strategy, of course, Osmund''s value in Southampton''s strategy is quite important. Osmund can also play as a right or left-wing. Osmund''s header is his weakness. Osmund is also not good at fighting opponents who use defensive strategies.


    In daily training, people could see that Kazuki''s shooting ability was better than Osmund''s. Meanwhile, Anthony who was supposed to be Kazuki''s competitor for Osmund''s substitute was defeated in all aspects by Kazuki. In his point of view, Kazuki didn''t see Anthony as his competitor anymore.


    On the other hand, Osmund who was Kazuki''s competitor treated the Japanese youth kindly. Kazuki once asked Osmund, Didn''t Osmund think Kazuki was a competitor?


    Osmund replied that Osmund and Kazuki were different types of strikers, each of them would get their playing time according to the situation of the match.


    After the daily training, Southampton head coach George Eastgate announced the big roster for tomorrow''s game. Starting from the lineup of goalkeepers, George announced one by one the players on the big list.


    "¡­Kazuki Kazeshima," George announced Kazuki as the last player in the big roster.


    Kazuki smiled widely hearing that. The announcement made Kazuki sure that in George''s mind, Kazuki was already more useful than Anthony. Even though Kazuki was only registered as a substitute but Kazuki was sure he would get a chance to compete in tomorrow''s match.


    ***


    Matchweek 24 of the English premier league, Southampton vs Tottenham Hotspur at the St Marys stadium. In this match Southampton who is determined to stay away from the relegation zone should be able to pick up 3 points at their home, meanwhile The Lilywhite, also wants 3 points so they can get into the Champions League zone.


    "Good evening everyone, welcome to the 24th round of the Premier League, Southampton will play against Tottenham at home.


    Southampton who had negative results in the previous 5 matches, must be able to get a win because if they lose then Wigan Athletic who won the match yesterday will take 17th position and Southampton will have to drop to 18th position.


    Meanwhile, Tottenham is very favored after Gareth Neill, a former Southampton player, recently in a hot state. The Welsh player managed to score 4 goals in the last 5 matches.


    Southampton uses a 4-4-2 formation.


    Goalkeeper: Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Vicente, Hilton, Okhalo, Benson;


    Midfielders: Hugo, Simone, Rudolf, Kounde;


    Strikers: Osmund, Denilson.


    Tottenham Hotspur are using back their main formation, 4-3-3


    Goalkeeper: Llorente


    Defenders: Zouma, Gregor, Anderson, Denis


    Midfielders: Flaminho, Moric, Rouch


    Forwards: Gareth Neill, Luminaire, Shradder


    Compared to last week, Southampton fielded Vicente to replace Freddy. Meanwhile, on the bench, George Eastgate brought Japanese player Kazuki Kazeshima who played well in the reserve team. We''ll see if Kazuki will get a chance to play in this match.


    On the other hand, Tottenham put down their mainstay starting line-up. There''s nothing to discuss, Tottenham who has won 2 in a row wants to continue their positive trend in this match."


    From any point of view, Tottenham as a guest team is very favored by the media. With Moric''s presence in midfield and Gareth Neill''s pace on the wings, it''s clear that Lilywhite''s coach Harry Greenknap is confident in this match.


    When the referee''s whistle sounded, Southampton started the game quietly. However, Tottenham did a fierce High Press on Southampton.


    In the 2nd minute, Southampton center-back Okhalo was forced to give the ball to the Southampton goalkeeper. At that time, Okhalo''s pass was too weak. Meanwhile, Gareth Neill ran quickly to cut off Okhalo''s pass. Dean Smith, realizing that the pass was not going to reach him, immediately ran forward to grab the ball.


    Gareth''s running ability is so fast that he manages to get the ball first. Gareth made a chip shot. As the Southampton fans panicked, the ball hit the post before veering off the pitch.


    Gareth held his head regretting his inaccurate shot.


    Even though he didn''t score, this attack made Southampton fans'' hearts flutter.

 Chapter 26 - Gareth Neill

    "What a chance! Okhalo made a fatal mistake, Gareth Neill was running fast while Dean Smith stepped up to get the ball. Oh! Gareth got the ball! Chip shot! Ahh, too bad Tottenham missed a goal."


    In the 5th minute, Southampton tried to counterattack, Vicente to provide a straightforward pass. Hugo ran faster than usual. Hugo ran past Flaminho while receiving Vicente''s straight pass. Hugo pushed the ball forward before passing it to his side. On the side, Simone received Hugo''s pass, he then made a long pass that went down the left side. The pass failed to receive by Kounde, due to an intercept from Zouma.


    Although Southampton''s attack failed to produce results. George continued to applaud the players he coached.


    Tottenham didn''t overreact to that attack. Against big teams like Tottenham who often play attacking, it is natural for Southampton to launch one or two counter-attacks. The Tottenham coach believes Gareth and his teammates can score earlier than Southampton.


    In the 7th minute, Southampton press as Tottenham enters their defense area. Osmund and Denilson also helped defend. Southampton has targeted Moric as a playmaker for Tottenham''s attack. Southampton used small fouls to annoy Moric.


    In the 8th minute, Rudolf stepped forward to foul Moric. But Moric used his skills to trick Rudolf. Moric ran past Rudolf. Without overthinking Moric made a pass to the left side of the Southampton defense area. Gareth Neill clashes speed with Benson. Benson has lost. Gareth managed to pass Benson straight into the penalty box. Okhalo got off just in time, in closing space for Gareth to run, the delay made the Southampton defense reorganize.


    Gareth who didn''t want to waste his chances gave the ball to Luminaire. The Tottenham striker had a powerful volley shoot. But Dean Smith managed to hold the shoot. Hilton, Southampton center-back immediately throw the ball rebound forward.


    Hugo caught the ball. Then, with one-touch he passed Rouch who was trying to knock him out. Hugo ran with the ball, Denis stepped forward to press. Hugo made a lob pass forward to the position Denis had left.


    Denilson receive the pass but was immediately blocked by Anderson. Denilson returned the ball to Hugo, who was now leaning in the middle. Hugo received the ball, then provided a through ball. Osmund ran and received the pass. However, he was immediately knockdown by Llorente with a clean tackle. Southampton counter-attack broke.


    "Amazing, Moric got ran past Rudolf. Passing to the left, Gareth and Benson scrambled for the ball, Gareth got the ball! He stabbed into Southampton penalty area. Okhalo blocked Gareth''s way. The Welsh player passes through the middle, Luminaire shoots! Still can be defended by Dean Smith.


    Hilton threw the ball forward, Hugo took the ball, he passed Rouch with ease. Denis went forward, Hugo made a lob pass. Denilson got a pass from Hugo but he was blocked by Anderson. Denilson returned the ball to Hugo. Hugo passes through, Osmund gets the ball, Ah Llorente! The Tottenham goalkeeper doesn''t hesitate to make tackles."


    The performances of both teams were quite good at the beginning of this first half. In the Southampton team, Hugo performed well on the right side. Meanwhile, all of Tottenham''s players played well, whether at defenders, midfield, or forward. Too bad Luminaire and Gareth wasted two golden opportunities.


    The Tottenham coach gave instructions to Rouch to keep an eye on Hugo. He also criticized Denis for going ahead recklessly. Southampton''s attack made Tottenham realize that they could not underestimate the team nicknamed The Saints.


    In the 11th minute, Tottenham launched an attack again. This attack was initiated by Flaminho who managed to snatch the ball from Kounde. Tottenham right-back Zouma overlapped to help the attack. Flaminho gave the ball to Gareth Neill, the Welsh player held the ball briefly then provided a through ball. Zouma passed Benson and gets the ball. The Tottenham right-back provided a long pass to the left side.


    Shradder took the pass, the Tottenham left winger didn''t push himself through, Shradder passed through the middle. Rouch received the pass, he then gave the high pass to Luminaire. Luminaire and Hilton scramble for the ball, the Tottenham striker managed to snatch the ball. He gave the ball back. Behind Luminaire, it was Moric who got the ball, he shoot the ball straight into the corner of the Southampton goalpost.


    Dean Smith managed to block the shot but the ball rebounded to Shradder. Okhalo blocked Shradder''s space but the Tottenham player crossed the ball to the right. Gareth Neill quickly cut through Shradder''s pass and provided to shoot the ball into the Southampton net.


    "Gooaalll!! Great teamwork from Tottenham Hotspur. Luminaire passes the ball to Moric, but the Croatian''s shot is saved by Dean Smith. Shradder takes the rebound. He makes a smart move by passing to the right. With his speed, Gareth Neill passed out of Benson''s marking. The Welsh got his name on the scoreboard."


    Tottenham players gathered in the corner of the field hugging. They celebrated in front of the Lilywhite fan stands.


    George Eastgate could only sigh sadly. Conceding this goal is inevitable. Southampton''s defense on the left, Benson always failed to freeze Gareth Neill. But it wasn''t Benson''s fault. It was difficult for any defense to freeze Gareth. The difference in the quality of players between Southampton and Tottenham is indeed very far.


    George gave instructions to the Southampton players to strengthen the defense, he told Kounde and Rudolf to lean slightly to the left to help Benson defend. Meanwhile, the defense in the middle will be left to Denilson, Osmund, and Simone. He was forced to send the two Southampton strikers down to help the defense. On the right side, George is still satisfied with the appearance of Hugo and Vicente.


    Southampton started the kick-off after conceding one goal. Tottenham can see Southampton''s formation a bit deep. Tottenham players can''t just press too forward. Because of that, the match began to enter a slow rhythm. Tottenham, who are already superior, are not too forced to press. On the other hand, Southampton also struggled to build an attack because the forwards also came back to defend.


    Seeing Southampton''s defensive posture, the Saints fans could only sigh in disappointment. They are used to Southampton''s negative game. Of course, they know that attacking play is not something Southampton is good at. But what''s the point of playing defensively if Southampton''s counter-attack is continuously broken.


    Entering the 30th minute, Tottenham has dominated the game.. This time Gareth also struggled to break through Southampton''s left after Kounde and Rudolf helped Benson.

 Chapter 27 - Kazuki Debut

    In the 36th minute, Southampton got a chance. Kounde managed to breakthrough Zouma for the first time. With his speed, Kunde brought the ball into the Tottenham defense. Tottenham''s players also quickly retreated, they made the transition from attack to defense quickly and discipline. Kounde who had no room to break through returned the ball to the center. Denilson picked up the ball from Kounde, he pushed his way through the gap between Zouma and Gregor. After entering the Tottenham penalty box, Denilson immediately made a strong shoot to Llorente. The Tottenham goalkeeper threw Denilson''s shot, out of the field. The corner kick was awarded to Southampton.


    Several Southampton players, including their center-back Hilton, went forward to assist Southampton''s attack in this corner kick. The player who will take the corner kick is Hugo.


    The referee blew his whistle, Hugo walked slowly, then made a kick with his left foot. The ball flew to the far post. Simone and Anderson jump for the ball. The ball fell at Denis'' feet, the Tottenham player kicked the ball forward.


    Flaminho received the ball. Rudolf presses to bring down Flaminho but Flaminho passes the ball to Moric first. Moric received the ball and ran fast, he passed Hilton who tried to stop it. Moric then provided a pass to the left. Gareth Neill who was not guarded by anyone received the ball and accelerated his run.


    Southampton''s remaining defenders are Okhalo and Vicente while Tottenham has Gareth, Moric, and Shradder. With only two defenders against 3 attacking players, it was very difficult for Southampton to defend the net.


    Dean Smith ran forward to intercept Gareth Neill, but Gareth passed the ball to the right. Shradder ran past Vicente and received the ball he then kicked the ball. The ball rattled Southampton''s net. The second goal for Tottenham Hotspur.


    "What a Goal! Beautiful counter-attack from Tottenham Hotspur. Shradder scored after receiving a flat pass from Gareth Neill. Southampton must concede a goal for the second time in this game."


    "Hilton should have committed a foul to stop Moric rather than let Moric through. But there''s no denying the combination of Gareth Neill''s speed and Shradder''s precision is terrifying."


    George Eastgate wiped his face at Tottenham Hotspur''s second goal. He never thought he would concede again. Set Pieces have always been one of the main focuses of Southampton''s training, however, it is very difficult for Southampton to score goals from open play. Because of that, he didn''t expect his strategy of doing set pieces to be the beginning of Tottenham''s second goal.


    After this second goal, Southampton was completely passive. Tottenham continued to attack relentlessly as if not satisfied with the two goals. Dean Smith made many beautiful saves to keep the net. Southampton defenders also made fouls to stop Tottenham''s attack.


    Tottenham''s attack paid off. In the 44th minute, Zouma crossed into the penalty box. Luminaire then picked up the ball with his chest and made a volley shoot to the Southampton goalpost. The shot was too strong and too fast to stop. Dean Smith could only be silent watching the ball go into the goal post he was guarding.


    The first half ended with the score of 3-0, Tottenham winning thanks to goals from Gareth Neill, Shradder, and Luminaire. The three front attackers of The Lilywhite both scored goals. With an exciting feeling, the Tottenham players walked into the dressing room.


    ***


    In the Southampton dressing room, George looked at the Southampton players who now lowered their heads. They knew George was angry with their poor performance. Especially the defenders, they have failed to stop the Tottenham attack.


    George took a deep breath. He has fielded the players he trusts most in every position but the difference in quality between Southampton and Tottenham seems so far apart that George is speechless.


    "We are 3 goals down. There is no point defending. In the second half, we will attack fully. I want you to score a quick goal before the 50th minute, so we have a chance to at least equalize.


    As for the defenders, I don''t care how you guys have to stop Gareth Neill, if you need to use offense, don''t hesitate.


    That''s all I can say, keep it up, I''m sure you guys can score against Tottenham."


    On the other hand, Kazuki wished Southampton to fail to score and accept fate and give up. That way Kazuki would get a chance to play. Moreover, if Southampton managed to score a goal and reduce Tottenham''s advantage, George would not field Kazuki, George couldn''t leave Southampton''s fate on Kazuki, no matter how good Kazuki''s played at the training ground.


    Moments later the second half of the match between Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur will take place soon. At half-time, the commentators had agreed that Tottenham Hotspur would win this game. They couldn''t believe Southampton who has always had problems scoring goals this season, would be able to score 3 goals against Tottenham in less than 45 minutes.


    There were no substitutions on either side. Tottenham started the second-half kick-off. As an experienced coach, Harry Greenknap knew that Southampton would make a desperate attack, so he instructed Moric to set the tempo of the game as slowly as possible.


    Harry''s instructions were right on target because at the start of the second half Southampton launched a fierce high press, but the cooperation between Tottenham''s lines was very good. When a player is pressed, there will be other players who approach the player as a pass option. The density of the midfield and short passes managed to reduce Southampton''s high press.


    Seeing his tactics fail, George bit his finger nervously. Southampton''s high press was easily overcome by Tottenham. Precisely because of too much high press, Southampton''s defense became a bit lost. Moric provides a long pass to the left of the Southampton defense. Gareth Neill went ran past Benson. After bringing the ball into the Southampton defense, Gareth gave a flat pass into the middle.


    Luminaire received the pass, then shot into the corner of the goalpost. Too bad the shot missed to the side of the goalpost. Luminaire shook his head regretfully for wasting such a good opportunity. He raised his hand apologetically at Gareth Neill.


    In the 70th minute, George decided to give up. He told Kazuki, and Wright-Phillips to warm up. Then in the 72nd minute, George made a substitute, Kazuki to replace Osmund and entered Wright-Phillips to replace Kounde. Both players are talented young players Southampton has.


    "The substitutions were made by Southampton. Oh, let''s look at the player with number 28, Kazuki Kazeshima coming on for Osmund while the player with number 19, Wright-Phillips coming on to replace Rudolf. Looks like coach George has given up on chasing a draw in this match.


    This was Kazuki''s senior career debut.. Let''s see if the Japanese player can give the maximum performance."

 Chapter 28 - Kazuki Brace

    Kazuki opened his eyes looking at the green field in front of him. A sight he had always dreamed of. This was Kazuki''s first step in reaching his goal.


    The stadium was quiet. There were a lot of Southampton fans who went home early because they thought Southampton might not come back in this match. There were no special cheers when Kazuki and Wright-Phillips entered the field. Only a few spectators clapped softly to encourage the two teenagers.


    Kazuki walked to the position left by Osmund while Wright-Phillips walked to the center of the field filling in the position left by Rudolf.


    Southampton started the game again. Vicente threw the ball back into the field, after earlier, the ball had gone out of the field. Hilton received the ball, he passed it to Wright-Phillips.


    The teenager dribbled the ball into the middle of the field, after that, he gave the ball to captain Simone. In the middle of the field, Tottenham began to apply pressure. Simone passes the ball to Hugo. Shradder and Rouch closed Hugo''s space while trying to take the ball from Hugo''s feet.


    Hugo pulled the ball back then pushed it aside. He then provided a long pass to Southampton''s left side. Kounde ran and received Hugo''s long pass. Kounde gave the ball to Wright-Phillips who came forward. Wright-Phillips broke into the wing position and changed Kounde who went to the middle. Zouma goes up to prevent Wright-Phillips, but the teenager uses the V behind technique, and passed Zouma.


    While Wright-Phillips passed Zouma, Kazuki who was in the Tottenham penalty box was tightly guarded by Gregor while Denilson was guarded by Anderson. Wright-Phillips brought the ball further forward and then crossed it into the middle. Kazuki used his hands to restrain Gregor''s body while leaning forward. After that, he shoots the ball with one touch through between Llorente''s leg.


    "Gooaalll! Player number 28, Kazuki Kazeshima scored a goal with his first touch after successfully receiving a pass from Wright-Phillips. These two teenagers worked together to score Southampton''s first goal in this match.


    There are still approximately 15 minutes of normal time. Let''s see if Southampton could equalize against Tottenham or they have to accept the defeat result in this match."


    On the pitch, Kazuki hugged Wright-Phillips and said, "Thanks, your passes give me chances to score goals."


    "I also didn''t think you could turn my pass into a goal, thanks to you I got my first assist of this season," Wright-Phillips replied.


    The Southampton fans who were still present at the stadium cheered for Kazuki''s goal, although they were still pessimistic about the possibility of a draw, they still appreciated the teamwork between Kazuki and Wright-Phillips.


    With these goals, Southampton began to rise. Tottenham again used short passes to reduce the rhythm of the game, but Southampton continued to give Tottenham high press.


    In the 80th minute, Flaminho made a mistake in receiving the ball. He didn''t receive the ball that was passed nicely. Kounde grabbed the ball immediately after Flaminho failed to control the ball. The Southampton player dribbles forward.


    Kazuki prepared to receive the ball but behind him, Gregor clung tightly. Gregor whispered to Kazuki, "Don''t even think about running past me, I''ll be watching you." Gregor seemed ready to commit a foul to stop Kazuki.


    Kounde passes the ball to Kazuki. Behind him, Gregor pressed Kazuki so tightly that Kazuki swayed slightly. However, Kazuki managed to bounce the ball to the side, then, he turned his body so that he was facing the direction of the Tottenham Hotspur goalpost. This technique is called Whiplash Turn. One technique that is quite simple but very useful.


    Gregor held onto Kazuki''s shirt so the Japanese player couldn''t run. Kazuki provided a through ball to Denilson. Anderson tried to cut off Kazuki''s pass but he was too late, Kazuki''s pass was too fast for Anderson. Llorente leaned to the right trying to close the space for Denilson. Denilson eyed the left corner of the net but his shot was missed. The ball bounced again, Kazuki came to take a shot and the ball went into the Tottenham Hotspur goalpost.


    "I can''t believe this! Kazuki scored again! Gregor, what are you doing?! You let a genius striker slip away. Amazing performance from the Japanese teenager, Kazuki Kazeshima!"


    This time all Southampton fans shouted together. Noise filled St Marys stadium.


    "We scored a goal!! I can''t believe this, we scored 2 goals so soon."


    "It''s a miracle! Thank God for giving Southampton a miracle."


    "Southampton! Southampton! glory Southampton!"


    Southampton fans felt happy and moved to see Kazuki''s goal. They are loyal fans of The Saints. They will support Southampton no matter how bad Southampton plays. However, it is undeniable that Southampton''s recent poor results have made Saints fans feel depressed. The pressure and frustration all along broke out after Kazuki scored the goal.


    On the other hand, Kazuki didn''t celebrate his goal, he took the ball from the Tottenham net and signaled the referee to immediately restart the game. Kazuki''s actions were noticed by the commentators and the fans.


    "Kazuki didn''t celebrate his goal, it looked like he wanted to start the game quickly. An extraordinary attitude from a 19-year-old teenager. He knows that Southampton still has a chance to equalize or even win this game."


    Meanwhile, the Southampton fans were applauding Kazuki. They appreciated the ''don''t want to lose'' mentality that Kazuki had.


    Harry Greenknap made a substitution. He replaced Luminaire and Shradder with defenders. He doesn''t want Tottenham to lose another goal. The Tottenham forward leaves only Gareth Neill alone.


    Tottenham started the Kick-off, Southampton gave Tottenham high press again but this time Tottenham who was superior at the back were able to overcome Southampton''s pressing nicely. Southampton tried to commit a foul to take the ball but Tottenham delayed game time by pretending to be sitting and tired or cramped. Southampton was angry to see Tottenham continue to postpone the game, they asked the referee to be firm. As a result, several Tottenham players were shown a yellow card.


    In the 86th minute, Moric suddenly made a through ball deep into the Southampton defense area. Gareth Neill ran fast to catch the ball. Benson was competing with Gareth Neill, he didn''t hesitate to tug on Gareth Neill''s shirt so the Tottenham man couldn''t get past him. However, Gareth Neill accelerated his run, Benson slowly released his grip until he finally fell after he lost his balance.


    There are no Southampton players in front of Gareth except the goalkeeper, Dean Smith stepped up to knock Gareth down. This time Gareth didn''t choose to chip the ball, he tricked Dean Smith and passed him. He then kicked the ball into an empty goalpost.


    The atmosphere in the stadium became silent. No one expected that when Southampton''s momentum rise, Gareth Neill as a former Southampton player scored a goal.. At the end of the second half, Tottenham managed to score a goal through Gareth Neill''s solo action, the score was 4-2 with the advantage for The Lilywhite.

 Chapter 29 - Kazuki Debut Impact

    [Beautiful but imperfect debut.


    In the 24th week match of the premier league, Southampton was visited by Tottenham Hotspur at the St Marrys Stadium. In this match, both sides are determined to take the three points, whether it''s Tottenham who had consecutive won or Southampton who hadn''t won for a long time.


    The game was exciting, in the 2nd minute Gareth Neill got a golden opportunity after the Southampton defender made a mistake. Unfortunately, Neill failed to turn the opportunity into a goal.


    After that, both sides are attacking each other. Luminaire and Osmund both had chances to score although they failed to convert those chances into goals.


    The first goal was created in the 12th minute, the teamwork of the Tottenham players managed to produce a goal. Gareth Neill got his name on the scoreboard after receiving Shradder''s pass.


    It was a tough game after Tottenham''s first goal. Southampton chose to strengthen its defense. Until the 36th minute, Southampton got a chance. Denilson who was able to break into the Tottenham penalty box had a chance to score, it was a shame his shot could still be saved by Llorente.


    Southampton got a corner kick but Tottenham defended well, they launched a quick counter-attack. The result they scored after Shradder hit the ball into the Southampton goalpost. 2-0 for Southampton advantage.


    After the second goal, Tottenham continued to attack Southampton relentlessly. Until in the 44th minute, Tottenham managed to shoot the ball into Southampton''s goalpost for the third time. This time, it was Luminaire who scored with a volley shoot.


    In the second half, Southampton did a fierce high press, but the strategy failed after Tottenham was able to overcome Southampton''s high press.


    In the 72nd minute, Kazuki replaces Osmund while Wright-Phillips replaces Rudolf. What coach George Eastgate did this time was proved right. In the 75th minute, Wright-Phillips passed Zouma and made a cross pass, Kazuki managed to finish Wright-Phillips'' pass nicely and scored his first goal. Five minutes later, Kazuki scored again after kicking the rebound ball. Southampton''s momentum rise instantly, the fans cheered with glee.


    But in the 87th minute, Gareth Neill silenced the Southampton public with his solo goal. The match ended with a score of 4-2. Kazuki Kazeshima managed to make his senior debut by scoring 2 goals. A perfect debut, too bad Kazuki failed to win the match.


    It will be interesting to follow how this genius develops in the future.]


    Bennett closed the Southampton Daily that he was reading.


    "It''s only been a few months. But progress is very fast," whispered Bennett.


    Currently, Bennett plays for Manchester United under-23, his abilities are developing well so he can enter the Manchester United reserve team quickly. But seeing Kazuki who had made his debut, Bennet couldn''t hide the envy that filled his heart. Even though he knew Kazuki would debut sooner or later, Bennett didn''t expect Kazuki to debut so soon. Moreover, his debut was done beautifully. 2 goals in Kazuki''s first match.


    Bennett took his cell phone and called his agent. After a while, the phone connects successfully.


    "Hey, is there a Premier League club that wants my sign? I don''t care if it''s a small club, but the important thing is that I can make my debut as soon as possible."


    "Manchester United? I wait too much time, you know the competition is so intense in the first team, as long as I play well in other teams, I will come back here."


    "Okay, I''ll wait."


    Bennett hung up his phone, he had decided to make his debut as soon as possible. At least, at the end of the season, he wants to enter the first team of an English Premier League club.


    Kazuki''s debut, not only affected Kazuki himself but also affected other young players.


    ***


    Kazuki''s goal in the match against Tottenham Hotspur did not necessarily make Kazuki more important than Osmund in the eyes of the coach. To prove his abilities further, Kazuki had to be able to maintain his good game in every practice and match.


    Of course, Kazuki''s 2 goals at least made Kazuki more closer to his comrade in the first team. Now, he is not a young player without status in the first team.


    Meanwhile, Kazuki''s training in [Dream Training] had also changed. Now, he is focused on mastering the skills and techniques that are important for a striker. For example, the Whiplash Turn that Kazuki did to bypass Gregor''s defense, without that technique it was very difficult for Kazuki to get past Gregor. Gregor''s factor of underestimating Kazuki became one of the elements of Kazuki''s success in passing him.


    After experiencing Lewandoski''s [Experience], Kazuki realized that the ability to control the ball inside the penalty box was also an important thing. On the other hand, Kazuki also practiced his Dribble ability to make it easier for him to get past the opposing defenders.


    Of course, basic training like shooting and receiving the ball was still Kazuki doing, because that was the basic ability of a striker. Refining other abilities is an option but strengthening basic abilities Is a necessity. The longer Kazuki''s feet got used to the ball the more accurate his sense of football became.


    ***


    George looked at Kazuki who was celebrating a goal.


    Kazuki''s progress in the practice match was always monitored by George. He was happy to see Kazuki did not being arrogant after scoring 2 goals in last week''s match. George had seen many genius players fall for their arrogance.


    Knowing your strengths and weaknesses and then continuing to practice to improve your abilities is an important thing for young players to do. George was happy that Kazuki was doing those things. Without feeling satisfied, Kazuki always increased his training portion, especially practicing headers and shoots. Kazuki''s positive attitude made George decide to field Kazuki as the starting line-up for the next match.


    "Is it all right coach? As you know, our strategy is centered on the counter-attack, and Osmund is a striker who fits perfectly into Southampton''s strategy." Assistant Coach James Ward asked George.


    George nodded saying softly, "It''s fine, just think of it as an experiment. I want to see if Kazuki is more effective as a striker than Osmund, or are his 2 goals just luck?"


    "But we are in the relegation zone, there is no time to bet."


    "I believe we will soon be out of the relegation zone."


    "Aren''t you overconfident, coach?"


    George ignored his assistant''s rude remarks. He was focused on the ongoing training match. George frowned and whispered, "Southampton lacks reliable left-wingers, Kounde is too bad. His pace is good but his passes and shots are too bad. We also lack midfielders who can organize attacks. If we had creative midfielders Southampton wouldn''t be so dependent on the counterattack."


    George knows that Kazuki is a talented striker, but without good support from the midfielders, it is difficult for a striker to score goals.. This was proven during the 2010 World Cup when Spain beat Germany even though Germany had Phillips Zico as the top-scoring striker at the 2010 World Cup.

 Chapter 30 - Fierce Match

    West Bromwich Albion is an English professional club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They were formed in 1878 and have been headquartered at The Hawthorns since 1900.


    West Brom was one of the founders of the football league in 1888, which was the first professional football league in the world. They spend most of their time in the English first league.


    The club, nicknamed The Baggies, will face Southampton in the 25th round of the English Premier League. West Bromwich Albion is 11th in the Premier League, higher than Southampton who is now at 18th.


    This season West Brom performed quite well compared to previous seasons. West Brom who usually always struggles in the relegation zone is now able to maintain 11th position until the 25th week.


    West Bromwich is coached by Joshua Bruce, a well-known coach who has coached many mid and lower-level Premier League clubs. He also once managed a top-class team, namely Liverpool, but failed in his first season, after that, Bruce only focused on coaching lower and middle-class teams.


    Southampton''s players and coaching staff get off the bus in front of the Hawthorns stadium. Kazuki took off the Headphones and stared at the Hawthorns stadium.


    Wright-Phillips nudged Kazuki and asked, "Are you nervous about being a starter for the first time?"


    Kazuki rolled his eyes and replied, "No, I just want to remember this stadium. One day people will remember the Hawthorns stadium as the place where I, Kazuki Kazeshima, started for the first time."


    "Hahaha, don''t let the West Brom fans hear that." Wright-Phillips laughed softly. After that, Kazuki followed the other comrades into the stadium.


    After walking down the stadium, Kazuki arrived at the visiting team''s dressing room at the Hawthorns stadium. Kazuki saw a lot of grafitty that had the intention of insulting and sarcastic anyone who used this dressing room. More specifically, Kazuki saw some grafitty about clubs Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers.


    "Is something like this allowed?" Kazuki muttered as he looked around the grafitty.


    ***


    After changing clothes and a briefing session by Southampton coach George Eastgate, the Southampton players lined up neatly in the stadium hallway preparing to enter the field.


    After hearing the referee''s signal, the Southampton and West Bromwich Albion players entered the field. They did the opening ceremony of the match, after going through some things, the players stood in their respective positions waiting for the kick-off to begin.


    At the Skysport studio, James Kaglin opened the match between Southampton and West Bromwich Albion.


    "Good afternoon everyone, welcome to the 25th round of the English Premier League 2011/2012 season. In this match, we present Southampton who travels to the home of The Baggies, West Bromwich Albion.


    In the previous round, Southampton suffered a painful defeat to Tottenham which left them stuck in the relegation zone. To get out of the relegation zone they need three points. Meanwhile, West Bromwich Albion, who had drawn three times, of course, want to get three points from this match.


    Alright, let''s take a look at Southampton''s formation. The Saints are using back a 4-4-2 formation but it looks like Kazuki will replace Osmund as a starter.


    Goalkeeper: Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Vicente, Hilton, Okhalo, Benson


    Midfielders: Hugo, Simone, Rudolf, Kounde


    Strikers: Kazuki, Denilson.


    On the other hand, West Bromwich Albion also uses their main formation, 4-2-3-1.


    Goalkeeper: Ben Foster


    Defenders: Jones, McAurey, Ohsson, Gridewell


    Midfielders: Thorne, Kevin; Dorrans, Rosenberg, Odemmiwe


    Striker: Shane Long.


    There are not many changes to the West Bromwich Albion lineup. Changes are in the Southampton starting lineup, player number 28, Kazuki Kazeshima who scored 2 goals last week replaced Osmund. Let''s see if this teenager could bring a surprise in this game."


    The referee''s whistle sounded, the West Brom players started the first half kick-off.


    Of all West Brom players, the most dangerous is not their striker, Shane Long, but their left winger Odemmiwe, who is West Brom''s top scorer. West Brom''s style of play has always relied on their wings.


    At the start of the game, they started attacking from the wings. Their right winger Graham Dorrans tried to break through Benson after receiving a pass from George Thorne, West Bromwich Albion''s defensive midfielder. Benson who last week was beaten by Gareth Neill, this time he performed well. Benson managed to steal the ball from the feet of Dorrans.


    Benson passes the ball to Rudolf. Then Rudolf dribbled the ball across the halfway line. He then gave the ball to Hugo. Unfortunately, the ball was stolen by Gridewell after Hugo was surrounded by West Brom players.


    Under 10 minutes, neither team created chances. Their attacks both failed to threaten the opponent''s goalpost. Even so, the intensity of the match increased after the 8th minute, Kazuki was knocked down with a body charge by Kevin. Kevin didn''t commit any offense but Kazuki as the side that was dropped was annoyed with Kevin.


    In the 11th minute, Graham Dorrans tried again to break through Benson. This time he was successful, but Benson chase him and tackled Dorrans. Dorrans fell to his knees, he then stood up and pushed Benson.


    "What are you doing, you bastard?! Your tackle almost broke my leg!" Dorrans shouted angrily at Benson.


    Benson spread his arms and said, "I hit the ball, you''re too softy, idiot."


    Hearing Benson''s words, Graham was about to approach him again but Thorne stopped him. Hilton also pulled Benson away from Graham.


    The referee did not give any cards in this incident. He then blew the whistle to continue the match.


    In the 15th minute, Rudolf made a triangular pass with Hugo and Vicente. Vicente managed to break through the left-back of West Bromwich Albion, namely Gridewell. After that, he gave a cut-back pass to Kazuki.


    Kazuki received the ball but a second later Kevin had a physical confrontation with Kazuki. The Japanese player fell again, but this time he still managed to control the ball, Kazuki kicked the ball towards Denilson. When Kazuki kicked the ball, Kevin also swung his leg, so Kevin kicked Kazuki''s leg after Kazuki sent a pass to Denilson.


    Denilson who received the ball from Kazuki brought the ball into the penalty box. However, Denilson''s shot was blocked by West Bromwich Albion center-back Ohsson.


    The match was paused, the referee ran towards Kazuki who was still sitting holding his feet. He asked Kazuki, "Are you still able to continue the match?"


    "Yeah, I can still go on." There were no serious injuries that Kazuki had, he only felt Kevin''s kick brought more pain than Kazuki had imagined.


    In this match, Kazuki felt the true meaning of being targeted by the opposing defender.

 Chapter 31 - Hugo Explode

    In the 20th minute, Simone managed to intercept the ball from Rosenberg''s feet. Southampton is launching an attack again. Simone brought the ball into two out of third of the opponent''s defense area. Simone gives the ball to Hugo. The Southampton right winger made a one-two pass with Denilson. Then, Hugo ran past Gridewell. After that, Hugo gave an aerial cross. In the middle of the penalty box Kazuki and Kevin jumped at the same time, they were fighting over the ball.


    As Kazuki headed the ball he felt Kevin''s elbow stab into his stomach, the sudden pain made Kazuki unable to control the ball well. Kazuki fell to the ground while holding his stomach.


    This sparked a strong reaction from Kazuki''s friends, especially Hugo. The Southampton winger pushed Kevin roughly. The atmosphere in the West Bromwich Albion penalty box became chaotic. The referee blows his whistle and points to the spot. The referee also gave Kevin a yellow card.


    The decision was protested by both parties.


    "Wait a minute, the referee, he tricked you! That boy is diving, I didn''t touch him at all!" Kevin said with a pleading expression.


    "Referee, you should give him a red card. He''s a dirty player, you''ve seen it, he''s been targeting Kazuki all the time," said Hugo.


    "You two stay away, or I''ll give you two a yellow card," the referee threatened to Hugo and Kevin. Hearing that, Hugo and Kevin walked away with helpless expressions.


    Kazuki originally thought Denilson would take the initiative to award him a penalty kick. However, Denilson decided to take the penalty kick without saying anything to Kazuki who was credited with getting a penalty for Southampton.


    All the players apart from Denilson and Ben Foster walked out of the box. Denilson puts the ball over the white dot. He took a few steps back to get ready. Then, the referee blew the whistle, at that point Denilson immediately ran and kicked the ball towards the top right of the West Bromwich Albion goalpost.


    Ben Foster guessed the direction of the ball correctly, but he couldn''t reach it. However, just as Denilson was about to celebrate a goal, the ball hit the corner of the post and bounced off the pitch. Denilson holds his head disappointed by his kick. Kazuki looked at Denilson in annoyance while thinking, ''If you''re not confident with your feet, give that ball to me bastard.''


    On the side of the pitch, Eastgate cursed in annoyance, "Damn, you just need to get that fucking ball to the net."


    West Bromwich Albion fans breathed a sigh of relief as Southampton''s penalty failed to convert into a goal. West Bromwich Albion gets another goal kick.


    In the 30th minute, West Brom launched an attack. After many times attacking from the right side, they finally started the attack from the left side for the first time. Kevin gives the ball to Odemmiwe. Odemmiwe brought the ball into the Southampton defense area.


    Hugo and Rudolf tried to intercept Odemmiwe but the player tricked Hugo and Rudolf with his skills. After passing both Southampton midfielders, Odemmiwe brought the ball into the middle. He gave the ball to Shane Long.


    Shane Long held off Southampton center-back Hilton, then provided Odemmiwe''s through ball. Peter Odemmiwe broke through the Southampton penalty box. After that, he did a hard shot towards the side of the goal. Dean Smith blocked the shot well. The ball bounced back to the front of the penalty box, Kevin who was there immediately made the first touch shot with a volley. The ball plunged into the corner of the goal, Dean Smith was unable to save the Southampton goalpost.


    "Goaaaallll! Odemmiwe''s shot was blocked by Dean Smith but Kevin managed to hit the rebound well! West Bromwich Albion is 1-0 up against Southampton."


    "Well done Kevin!"


    "Good luck West Brom! We can do it!"


    "Let''s beat Southampton!"


    The Baggies fans cheered for Kevin''s goal. They were happy that they finally scored the first goal. After scoring the first goal then a big burden will appear on the shoulders of the Southampton players. Because West Brom will implement a tighter defensive strategy. Players like Odemmiwe and Dorrans can also be used for counter-attacks.


    Captain Simone shouted encouraging his comrades. Southampton players put away negative thoughts and get ready to kick-off. The game started again, Southampton started the game at a slow tempo. Although West Bromwich Albion leads Southampton, they only lead by a goal, there is still plenty of time for Southampton to equalize or even turn things around.


    In the 37th minute, Hugo exploded, he passed Odemmiwe with a body feint, then brought the ball forward, Rosenberg made a tackle but Hugo passed it with a marseille turn. Before the other players tried to stop him, Hugo accelerated his run. He brought the ball into the middle and then made a shot from outside the penalty box.


    Goalkeeper Ben Foster jumps in trying to save his goal. However, Hugo''s shot went too far into the corner so he failed to reach the ball. The ball went into Ben Foster''s goalpost. Hugo shouted to vent his emotions as he waved his hand upwards.


    "Wonderful! A very beautiful solo goal was scored by Hugo. This player went past Odemmiwe and Rosenberg before netting a long-range shot from outside the box. Now Southampton has equalized it at 1-1."


    Southampton players surround Hugo and praise Hugo''s goal. The goal was Hugo''s individual goal without too much help from his partner. Kazuki himself was amazed by that goal, ever since he became a member of the first team, the person he admired the most in this team was Hugo.


    After this goal the game heated up again, West Brom who intended to run a counter-attack strategy, now must take the initiative to attack Southampton if they want to win this match. Of course, Southampton who also wants to take 3 points should be able to beat West Brom.


    The game was fierce, fouls and physical confrontations continued, especially in midfield, Rudolf and Simone working hard to cut West Brom''s attack line.


    In the 46th minute, Southampton got another chance. This opportunity began with the exchange of positions between Hugo and Kazuki. After moving to the first team Kazuki''s passing ability was rarely used, but Kazuki''s passing ability was not inferior to Hugo''s. On this occasion, Kazuki received a pass from Simone, he again used a whiplash turn to get past Gridewell who was clinging to his back. After that Kazuki immediately gave a long pass into the middle of the penalty box.


    Hugo escaped the offside trap, he ran and received the ball from Kazuki then immediately shot the ball into the left side of the West Brom goalpost. The action was too fast for goalkeeper Ben Foster to react.


    "Owhh!! Hugo scored two goals! After switching positions with Hugo, Kazuki crossed Gridewell and released a very beautiful pass. Hugo managed to receive the pass well and executed the opportunity perfectly.. Southampton managed to take the lead over the home team West Bromwich Albion. "

 Chapter 32 - Peak Of The Match

    The first half ended with a score of 2-1, Southampton managed to score 2 goals, both goals were scored by Hugo. Meanwhile, West Bromwich Albion scored 1 goal from Kevin''s long-range kick. Both teams fought fiercely in the first round.


    Kazuki entered the changing room while dragging his exhausted body. In addition to fatigue, he also felt aches and pains from the ongoing confrontation with Kevin. Even though Kazuki didn''t touch the ball much but every time Southampton attacked West Brom, Kazuki would have a duel with Kevin.


    Kazuki sat in a corner while drinking a bottle of water the staff provided. At the time of the break, Assistant coach James Ward came to him.


    "Can you endure for the second half??"


    Kazuki knew what James meant was his stamina. Stamina was something that Kazuki couldn''t train in [Dream Training] therefore his stamina was the same as other young players, Kazuki''s stamina wasn''t as good as his comrades. Out of all his comrades, it was probably only the young players like Wright-Phillips and the old players like Anthony whose stamina was worse than Kazuki.


    Kazuki replied to James'' question, "I think I can play for 15-20 minutes. Depends on the intensity of the game in the second half."


    James nodded slowly as he said, "I''ll take notes."


    After spending 10 minutes resting, the Southampton players started to behave for the second half. Southampton coach George Eastgate explains the strategy Southampton will use during the second half. Even though Southampton is ahead, West Brom will attack Southampton all-out in the second half. After all, they wanted to secure a win at their home.


    In addition, George praised Hugo who appeared brilliant. He also praised several players who performed well in the first half including Kazuki who recorded his first assist. After that, he criticized Denilson for failing to score a penalty, then Kounde who seemed to ''disappear'' in the first half.


    ****


    "Good afternoon everyone, back again in the 25th round of the English Premier League 2011/2012 season. The match between West Bromwich Albion Vs Southampton. In the first half, Southampton managed to lead by 2 goals which were all scored by Hugo. Meanwhile, The Baggies managed to score one goal thanks to Kevin''s long-range shot.


    In a few moments the second half will start, let''s see if Southampton can get another win after a bad record in the last 5 games, or will West Brom get a win after their consecutive draw?


    Southampton started the second-half kick-off. George has given instructions to his team to score early in the second half so that going forward they can apply a defensive strategy composed.


    Rudolf gave the ball to Kazuki who dropped down to help Southampton build up the attack. Kazuki gave the ball to Kounde. West Bromwich Albion right-back, Jones and West Brom defensive midfielder, Kevin put pressure on Kounde and Kazuki. However, Benson did overlap to help both. Kounde passed Benson and ran forward. Benson gave Kounde a long pass.


    Jones competes with Kounde for the ball. Kounde managed to get the ball, he pulled the ball back and turned his body. He passed the ball to Kazuki who was following him from behind. Kazuki received the ball at that moment Kevin pounced on him, he then pushed the ball through the gap between Kevin''s legs. He passed Kevin, after that, he provided a pass to the right side of the West Brom penalty box.


    Hugo managed to take the pass well. Ohsson and Thorne covered Hugo''s space so he couldn''t get a shot at West Brom''s goal. Hugo made a fake shot to fool the two. Then, he pushes the ball to the side and passes it forward. Denilson ran to catch the ball, however, Ben Foster managed to get the ball before Denilson could make a kick.


    After the attack, West Brom''s defenses began to target Hugo. They know that the most dangerous of the Southampton players in this match is Hugo. Denilson was always wasting chances, while Kazuki was still young, the West Brom defense thought that although Kazuki had scored in the previous game, in this match he was almost completely frozen out by Kevin.


    In the 49th minute, West Brom attacked Southampton. Thorne gets the ball after snatching it from Simone. He ran to bring the ball into the Southampton defense area. He gave the ball to Rosenberg. Okhalo tries to steal the ball from Rosenberg, Rosenberg manages to resist Okhalo stealing, he then provides a through ball to the left. Odemmiwe came on from the flanks to race with Vicente for the through ball. Odemmiwe managed to get the ball, he gave a sharp pass to the right side with one touch.


    Shane Long deflected the pass into the Southampton goalpost with his right foot. The ball rolled into the Southampton goal.


    "Gooaaall! West Bromwich Albion managed to equalize to 2-2. This time Shane Long managed to score a goal after receiving a pass from Odemmiwe."


    Shouts filled the Hawthorne stadium. Shane Long ran recklessly and climbed the billboard beside the field. The rest of West Brom''s players also celebrated happily.


    Southampton started kick-off again after the West Brom players finished celebrating. No one expected their intention to score a quick goal in the second half instead turned into conceding first. Despite conceding the goal, Southampton''s determination to attack was not extinguished, on the contrary, it only grew hotter.


    Southampton continued to actively build attacks through the wings, whether it was Hugo or Kounde, but West Brom''s defense was quite good, they managed to break the attack that Southampton was trying to build.


    In the 57th minute, Hugo tried to get past Kevin, but he was knocked down by Kevin with a tackle. Hugo grabbed his leg and screamed in pain. Southampton team doctors immediately entered the field to provide first aid to Hugo.


    Meanwhile, the referee gave Kevin a second yellow card, then gave him a red card. All West Brom fans booed the referee after the referee showed a red card. Kevin didn''t protest this time, he was forced to commit a foul to prevent Hugo from entering the penalty box.


    Southampton team doctor gives a signal to coach George to replace Hugo. George then entered Crage to replace Hugo.


    Kazuki was about to take the free-kick. It should have been Denilson but Kazuki specifically requested this free-kick from Denilson. Luckily Denilson didn''t refuse Kazuki''s request. Maybe because of the missed penalty earlier in the match.


    A living fence was set up in front of Kazuki. The distance between the free-kick point and the penalty box is about 27 meters.


    "I can do it," Kazuki whispered.


    The referee''s whistle sounded loud, Kazuki ran slowly then kicked the ball. The ball flew to the far post, Ben Foster jumped to catch the ball but Crage popped in and deflected the ball towards goal. Crage''s header managed to put Southampton back ahead.


    "Amazing! Crage who just entered the match turned out to score straight away. He managed to bounce off Kazuki''s free-kick.. This young player didn''t score but he did have 2 assists, a good performance from Kazuki."

 Chapter 33 - Long-term Goal

    In the 60th minute, Kazuki came off the field, he was replaced by Osmund. George hugged Kazuki while saying, "Good job, kid."


    "Thank you, coach," Kazuki replied. He had a high five with Osmund then went to the bench.


    Beside him, Wright-Phillips was sitting, he looked at Kazuki, and let out a complaint, "I''m so envious, why did the coach give you a chance but leave me dusty on the bench?"


    Kazuki rolled his eyes and replied, "Well, you''re not good enough to replace Rudolf."


    Wright-Phillips sighed in annoyance, added, "It can''t be helped, Rudolf and the Captain have become coach George Eastgate''s mainstay duo."


    "If you know the answer, then practice harder," Kazuki suggested.


    After losing Kazuki and Hugo, West Bromwich Albion controlled the game. Southampton, who replaced their two main attackers, struggled to overcome the West Bromwich Albion defense. In midfield, although West Bromwich Albion played with 10-men they bravely played possession.


    Rudolf and Simone were exhausted after continuously running during this match. On the other hand, the combination of Thorne and Rosenberg was strong enough to maintain possession. West Brom''s formation is 4-4-1, Odemmiwe and Dorrans dropping into midfield to help with possession. However, this also caused Shane Long to be isolated on the frontcourt.


    Despite having the ball, West Bromwich also had difficulty breaking down Southampton''s defense. However, they lack people. The match continued until the second half whistle sounded. No additional goals were created.


    "Congratulations to Southampton, they finally managed to win the game after experiencing a bad trend in the last few games. The final result was West Bromwich Albion 2-3 Southampton. West Bromwich Albion must accept a slight defeat to their guests The Saints."


    ***


    After the game was over, George and West Bromwich Albion coach, Bruce came to the press conference room.


    "First of all, I would like to congratulate Southampton on winning this match. Then I would like to ask Mr. Bruce a question, What do you think about this defeat, Mr. Bruce?" Reporters from The Guardian started a press conference.


    "In this game, we did lose but overall we played optimally. Admittedly, Southampton is a formidable opponent, we have difficulty building up attacks. On the other hand, we have been managed to limit Southampton''s attack, the difference is some Southampton players did a great job, this afternoon," Joshua Bruce explained in his opinion.


    "Do you think Southampton is a strong team? Even if they are in the relegation zone?" The Independent reporter asked Bruce a question.


    George interrupted and said, "We''re going out of the relegation zone, watch your word."


    "I''m sorry, but the fact is Southampton are still in the relegation zone," replied The Independent reporter casually.


    Bruce replied, "Yes, they are strong. At least in this match, they played well."


    "What do you think of young player number 28, Kazuki Kazeshima, Mr. Bruce?" asked The Sun.


    "He''s a player with great potential. I think if Southampton were relegated West Brom would be happy to buy him."


    George interrupted again, "We will not be relegated and we will not sell Kazuki."


    Bruce shrugged his shoulders in response to George''s words.


    "Well, Mr. George, what do you think of this victory?" asked Southampton Daily.


    George heaved a sigh of relief, finally, it was his turn, his heart sickened by The Independent''s rude questions and Bruce''s answers.


    "We played well in this game. Even though Hunt missed a penalty but we managed to score a goal. We worked hard in the first half until we took the lead at the end of the first half. In the second half, we conceded a goal but luckily, we make a goal."


    The Southampton vs West Bromwich Albion post-match press conference event continued with some minor questions, before finally ending. The Southampton bus left the Hawthorne stadium with the players and staff.


    ***


    Kazuki sat on the sofa in the living room. Beside him, there was Furochi who was visiting him. Furochi came here to take care of Kazuki''s contract renewal with Southampton.


    After seeing Kazuki''s potential, Southampton quickly called Furochi to renew the contract. Renewing the contract is not just about raising the salary, more importantly, the release clause. Kazuki''s previous contract release clause was only 5 million euros.


    Now Southampton raise it to 28 million euros. Initially, Southampton wanted to increase it to 50 million euros. But Furochi felt that the value was too high.


    After negotiating Southampton was finally willing to lower their egos, Kazuki''s contract clause was changed to 28 million euros. On the condition, Kazuki would not be transferred in the next summer transfer window.


    Kazuki agreed with that, however, he felt that next season, his position as the main player would be more stable. As a young player, it was important for Kazuki to continue to experience the match, not warm up the bench.


    "Japanese media has started reporting again. You''re getting famous Kazuki, from now on you have to create social media accounts as a means of interacting with fans," said Furochi.


    Kazuki replied, "I don''t have time to take care of those accounts."


    Furochi explained, "I''ll find you a personal assistant. Let this assistant help you take care of other small things. That way, he can capture every good moment and upload photos and short videos every day."


    Kazuki sighed then said, "Troublesome."


    "This is very important you know, the more famous you are, the more ads will come to you, the more ads you make, the more money I get."


    "In the end, it''s all about money."


    Furochi didn''t deny, instead, he replied, "Of course, what do you think I''ve been helping you all this time? A rich person like you wouldn''t know how hard it is to make money."


    "Whatever." Kazuki turned his gaze to the television. The television broadcast the UCL match between Liverpool and Juventus in the round of 16 first leg.


    Kazuki''s gaze couldn''t escape from figure number 10 in a black and white shirt. The man took the ball passed Liverpool defenders and then shoot the ball hard.


    "Gooaaall! Mattheo Rodrigues scored again! The performance of the winner of the balloon d''or 3 times in a row was amazing! He was like a fairy on the ground. With that goal, Juventus beat Liverpool 2-0."


    Mattheo Rodrigues, a player from Argentina, the successor of Zaradona, the alien who has broken many football records. He has been the best player in a row from 2009, 2010, 2011. This season, he also has a chance to win the best player title for the fourth time in a row.


    "One day, I will beat you," Kazuki whispered. Right now he was too far away from the European stage but Kazuki was sure with the help of [Dream Training] he would play in the champions league sooner or later.


    For Kazuki, defeating Mattheo was a long-term goal.

 Chapter 34 - Fulham

    The injury that Hugo suffered made him have to be in the hospital for approximately 1 month. To cover the shortage of players, Ryan from the reserve team. The reason why George prefers Ryan over Rustan is that Ryan has maintained the quality of his performances in every game. Rustan, who is recovering from an injury, still has to adapt to the intensity of the Premier League 2 competition.


    Kazuki welcomed Ryan''s arrival to the first team. The basic reason is that his friendship status with Ryan is different from his comrades in the first team. Almost all of Kazuki''s teammates in the first team were his seniors, no matter how close Kazuki was friends there would always be a barrier between them, except for Wright-Phillips of course. Just like Wright-Phillips, Kazuki''s friendship with Ryan was 1 level higher than Kazuki''s friendship with Hugo.


    Meanwhile, Kazuki''s appearance in each sparring practice was getting more and more conspicuous. The reason is that in sparring practice defenders rarely use dangerous fouls or physical confrontation. Under such conditions, Kazuki could display his best condition by scoring at least 2 goals in every mini-game.


    Kazuki''s slick appearance in daily practice made George and James agreed to return using Kazuki as a starter in the next match. One of the factors is that Southampton''s next opponent is Fulham, who is now in 20th place in the English Premier League. On paper, Southampton''s strength is far superior to Fulham. Against a weaker team, Southampton will not use a counter-attack strategy.


    The day before the match, the pre-match press conference began. At the press conference, the reporters asked if Kazuki or Osmund would start the next match. George stated that Kazuki would be the starter. Regarding Hugo''s injury, George assured Southampton will minimize the impact of losing Hugo.


    ***


    The next day the match between Southampton and Fulham officially started.


    "Good evening ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 26th round of the 2011/2012 English Premier League. In this match, Southampton will play Fulham at their proud homecourt St Marrys stadium.


    In the previous round, Southampton managed to beat West Bromwich Albion with a score of 3-2. With this victory, Southampton was able to equalize points with 17th place in the English Premier League Wigan Athletic. Last night, Wigan suffered a defeat at Old Trafford, if Southampton wins this match they will displace Wigan from 17th position. This is a good opportunity for The Saints to get out of the relegation zone.


    Meanwhile, Fulham as the guest has suffered 7 consecutive defeats. They must immediately get rid of this negative trend if they are want to stay in the English Premier League.


    Let''s take a look at Southampton''s formation, coach George made changes to this game. Southampton uses a 4-3-3 formation.


    Goalkeeper: Dean Smith


    Defenders: Freddy, Hilton, Okhalo, Benson;


    Midfielders: Rudolf, Simone, Wright-Phillips


    Front: Crage, Kazuki, Denilson


    Meanwhile, Fulham also used a 4-3-3 formation.


    Goalkeeper: Schwarzer


    Defenders: Hughes, Senderos, Hangeland, JA Riise


    Midfielders: Dempsey, Murphy, Dembele


    Forwards: Ruiz, Pogrebnyak, Duff


    Southampton has a few changes from the previous game. First, they are strengthening the midfield, they use 3 midfielders in the midfield. I believe this was done so they could minimize the impact of losing Hugo.


    Second, Kounde didn''t start as a starter, he was replaced by Wright-Phillips. I think it''s because Kounde performed poorly in the previous few matches. Third, Freddy returned as a starter to replace Vicente. Freddy is better at helping the attack than Vicente, this shows that George wants to play aggressively in this match.


    While Fulham is still using the same formation and players, I wonder if Martin Sol thinks he can win this match with the same strategy as before.


    Well without waiting too long, let''s watch the first half of the game between Southampton and Fulham."


    George has explained the strategy he will use in this match yesterday. The players have understood their respective duties. In the offensive strategy, the front-line players must be able to score the first goal as quickly as possible because by scoring the first goal, Fulham must play actively if they do not want to lose.


    The burden of scoring this first goal, fell on Kazuki as well as Denilson. Crage''s job is more on the traditional winger whose job is to send crosses rather than the modern wing''s task of scoring goals. Precisely because of that George included Freddy. Freddy can overlap to help Crage attack on the right flank.


    At the start of the game, Southampton had dominated. Fulham was forced to gather in their penalty area while Southampton dominated 2/3 of the pitch. Short passes between the midfield and the front line continued to lure the Fulham players out of the penalty box.


    In the 7th minute, Wright-Phillips gave Denilson a straight pass. Denilson received the pass and brought the ball close to the baseline. Fulham right-back Hughes covered space in front of Denilson. However, Denilson managed to trick Hughes with his skills and entered the penalty box. The rest of Fulham''s players closed space in front of Denilson so Denilson could only pass the ball to Wright-Phillips.


    Wright-Phillips who is in front of the left of the penalty box provides a crossing into the area near the far post. Kazuki ran to escape the offside trap then made a first touch shot. The ball hit the Fulham net without being blocked by goalkeeper Schwarzer.


    Kazuki ran to the sidelines and made a knee slide on the grass while folding his arms.


    "Amazing! Kazuki managed to score a goal in the 7th minute after receiving a cross from Wright-Phillips. Southampton managed to make the first goal," said James Kaglin enthusiastically.


    "Goal! Goal! Southampton Goal!"


    "Good job Kazuki!"


    "Keep up the good work you all! We support you!"


    Southampton fans cheered for Kazuki''s goal. Many of them have recognized the Japanese player. They are happy after Gareth Neill they finally have another great young player. This is the Southampton they were like. Even if there were a lot of players leaving, there would always be great players showing up.


    Fulham started kick-off after conceding the first goal. Southampton aggressively started the high press quickly after Fulham kick-off. Kazuki also without hesitation rushed forward to put pressure on Fulham''s defensive line.


    Fulham tried to build an attack but their attack was blocked by Freddy. The Southampton right-back dribbled the ball quickly. Dembele tries to cut Freddy''s ball away, but Freddy changes the direction of the ball and passed Dembele. Freddy gave the ball to Crage, then sprinted through the Fulham backline. Crage provides a through ball to Freddy. Apart from the offside trap, Freddy immediately gave a horizontal pass into the middle of the penalty box.


    Senderos and Hangeland tried to cover Kazuki''s shooting space, but Kazuki tricked them both by pretending to kick the ball, even though he let the ball roll to the left of the penalty box. Down the left, Denilson receives the ball and hits it hard.. Unfortunately, the Fulham goalkeeper made a saves, the ball bouncing over the goal so that the ball was thrown off the field.

 Chapter 35 - Hattrick

    Southampton gets a corner kick. Crage would take the corner kick replaces Hugo. Southampton players gather in the Fulham penalty box. The referee blew his whistle, Crage kicked the ball. Hilton managed to head the ball but his header was caught by the Fulham goalkeeper.


    Southampton kept trying to score a second goal but Fulham''s defense was solid.


    In the 17th minute, Fulham counterattacked after successfully preventing Southampton''s attack. Murphy passes the ball to Dembele. Dembele takes the ball to the half-line. Then, he provided a through pass down to the left flank. Duff quickened his pace to compete with Benson. But Benson managed to win and throw the ball off the field.


    Riise threw the ball back onto the field. Dembele received the ball. Wright-Phillips came on to get the ball. Dembele passes the ball to Duff, but Benson manages to cut through Dembele''s pass. The right-back gave the ball to Hilton. Hilton gave Rudolf a long pass. Dempsey and Rudolf competed for the ball, Rudolf finally managed to head the ball into the middle area.


    Simone received the ball and immediately ran towards the Fulham defense. Murphy stops Simone with a tackle. The referee blows the whistle and declares a free-kick.


    Denilson takes the penalty kick. But unfortunately, his shot missed from the goalpost.


    In the 28th minute, Southampton managed to score the second goal. This goal was preceded by cooperation between Wright-Phillips and Denilson on the left. Denilson managed to passed Fulham right-back, Hughes. Denilson carried the ball into the penalty box and then passed the ball into space in front of Kazuki. Kazuki and the Fulham goalkeeper ran to get the ball. Fortunately, Kazuki managed to get it, he pushed the ball to the right with one touch. Crage appeared and put the ball into the Fulham net.


    "Wright-Phillips passes Denilson, Denilson returns the ball. Oh! Wright-Phillips gave a passes through, Denilson ran past Hughes, he passes straight forward. Kazuki and Schwarzer compete for the ball. Kazuki pushes the ball to the right, Crage appears. , Goaaalll!! Amazing teamwork from Southampton players. Senderos and Hangeland didn''t take care of Kazuki and Crage well, what did they do?! With this goal, Southampton led 2-0."


    After the goal, Southampton began to play casually. They are not in a hurry to score again but still maintain possession of the ball. Fulham tried to grab the ball and attack Southampton, but Southampton was able to handle Fulham''s attack well.


    Until the end of the first half, the score did not change again. Southampton ended the first half in a good mood, while Fulham''s players looked like zombies with no spirit.


    Southampton coach George Eastgate didn''t say much about tactics in the second half, he just reminded Southampton players to stay alert. 2-0 advantage is enough for Southampton, no need to rush to attack.


    As long as they secure the win, how many goals are scored doesn''t matter. Of course, that''s just George''s thoughts, for the players scoring goals is very important. From an economic point of view, they get a bonus from the club for every goal and assist they had. From a statistical point of view, scoring a goal means showing the effectiveness of a player in helping the Southampton attack.


    After 15 minutes passed, the second half of the match between Fulham and Southampton began. Fulham started the second-half kick-off, meanwhile, Southampton was in no rush to snatch the ball.


    In the 57th minute, Freddy gave Crage a straight pass. Dembele came to take the ball, but Crage with one-touch changed the direction of the ball and passed Dembele, the next second, JA Riise came and gave the tackle.


    Riise''s tackle was very clean, he managed to knock Crage down, but the ball at Crage''s feet rolled into the middle of the field. Simone and Murphy ran for the ball.


    Simone managed to get the ball, he gave it to Rudolf. Rudolf accepted the pass and avoided Dempsey''s pursuit. Senderos up to forward to help Dempsey snatch the ball from Rudolf, but Rudolf gave the ball to Wright-Phillips.


    Wright-Phillips immediately provided a through ball in the gap in the defense left by Senderos. Kazuki ran and received the ball from Wright-Phillips. Hangeland tried to cover Kazuki''s shooting space, but Kazuki tricked him with a fake move, he then pushed the ball to the side to find the shooting space.


    After that he kicked the ball hard, Schwarzer managed to block the ball but the ball bounced into the goalpost. The ball rattled Fulham''s net. Noise filled St Marys stadium. Kazuki ran to the side then slide with his knee and arms folded neatly.


    "Goaaalll! Kazuki managed to score Southampton''s third goal! He tricked Hangeland and gave a powerful shot like a rocket, Schwarzer''s hand was unable to deflect the ball out of the net. This is Kazuki''s fourth goal in the English Premier League. In 3 matches Kazuki has scored 4 goals and 3 assists, a great statistic for a young player."


    Kazuki''s comrades came up to him and ruffled his hair. Everyone congratulated Kazuki with enthusiastic feelings.


    Kazuki''s goal lifted Southampton''s spirits. In the next 10 minutes, Southampton continued to attack Fulham. Several players had chances but failed to convert them into goals.


    In the 68th minute, Denilson was pulled off by George, he was replaced by Ryan. This is Ryan''s senior career debut, of course, the teenager is very excited. Southampton fans cheered for Ryan. The young player also responded by waving his hand to the fans.


    In the 73rd minute, Fulham launched an attack. Senderos gave Ruiz a long pass. The Fulham right winger managed to get the ball with a touch of his heel, allowing the ball to drop forward past Benson who stepped up to intercept the ball.


    Ruiz turned around and chased the ball as it passed Benson. Benson chased from behind but Ruiz was also had a good pace just like Benson. Ruiz crossed into the middle but Okhalo cut Ruiz''s pass, he didn''t let Pogrebnyak get the ball.


    Okhalo passes the ball to Dean Smith. The Southampton goalkeeper kicked the ball far forward. Simone duels with Murphy for the ball, once again Simone wins the duel. He gave the ball to Crage. Crage brings the ball forward, Riise keeps Crage from breaking through the Fulham defense area.


    Kazuki came and helped Crage with a one-two pass. Crage provides feedback crossing to the left side of the penalty box Fulham. Ryan received the ball and brought the ball forward.


    Senderos and Hangeland clamped Ryan to block Ryan''s space, but Ryan provided a back-pass. Kazuki who escaped the guard immediately kicked the ball towards the top corner of the goalpost. Schwarzer was unable to save the Fulham goalpost.


    "Hattrick! What a crazy game! Japanese young player, Kazuki Kazeshima scored his first hat-trick! Magnificent shot! Southampton managed to lead Fulham by 4 goals."

 Chapter 36 - Popularity Rise Up

    In the 76th minute, Kazuki was pulled off by George, he was replaced by Osmund. Southampton fans applaud to appreciate Kazuki''s great performance in this match. Kazuki gave a high five with Osmund and hugged George.


    "Great, you showed me that I wasn''t wrong to call you to this first team. Rest, hero," George whispered praises to Kazuki. Winning 2 goals or 4 goals is the same thing for George, but as a coach, he still appreciates Kazuki''s hat trick.


    Kazuki nodded with a smile, he walked to the bench and sat there.


    Meanwhile, after a 4-goal lead, the game turned boring. No changes occurred until the final whistle sounded.


    The cheers of the audience broke out after the final whistle of the second half sounded.


    Southampton players and coaching staff went near the stands and waved together to thank the fans for their support.


    Meanwhile, Kazuki saw a boy calling out to him, the boy along with his mother shouted Kazuki''s name. Kazuki took the initiative to approach them. He took off his shirt and offered it to the child, "Here, do you want it, little guy?"


    The boy immediately grabbed Kazuki''s shirt with a happy expression he said, "Thank you! I admire you, sir."


    "You''re welcome," said Kazuki happily It was the first time he had seen someone who admired him in person.


    In an atmosphere of euphoria, George and the Fulham coach held a post-match press conference.


    Of course, the main thing was the question regarding Kazuki.


    The Fulham coach said of his thoughts on the game: "I think we still have a chance if it weren''t for the outstanding performance of the number 28."


    Regarding Kazuki, Southampton Coach George Eastgate said, "The Sun said that Kazuki was Belliand''s replacement, but they were wrong, Kazuki is better than Belliand, he is young and has more potential. I am very proud to be able to coach him. There is no doubt, he''s one of the best young players in the Premier League right now."


    However, the impact of this match did not stop there. The next day, Sir Alex Henderson said in an interview, "He is a product of the Carrington Academy. We will try to bring him home. Manchester United is the best place for him."


    Several Manchester United players such as Rio Fernand also expressed their opinion.


    "I would happily welcome him if he (Kazuki) becomes my teammate."


    Most of the Manchester United fans also agreed to bring Kazuki back to Manchester United, while some suggested keeping an eye on Kazuki a bit longer before bringing him to Old Trafford.


    The rumors of Kazuki''s transfer were so lively that Kazuki was constantly being asked by his teammates while doing daily training. Of course, the rumors bothered Southampton. Coach George was angry at the reporter who asked about Kazuki''s move saying, "He (Kazuki) is a Southampton player. Don''t say disrespectful things. At this moment he is a member of our team and so will next season."


    Representing Kazuki, Furochi asked reporters to stop spreading rumors about Kazuki''s transfer. Kazuki had just started his senior career, Furochi was worried that the rumors would make Kazuki less focused.


    Of course, Kazuki himself was not tempted to move to Manchester United. If Kazuki moved there now then he would only be a bench warmer. Kazuki knew this was not the right time for him to move.


    Choosing the right club is an important aspect of the career of a footballer, there are many players whose careers are ruined and dimmed because they choose the wrong club. Because of that, Kazuki didn''t want to be careless in deciding on the transfer. After all, he has promised Southampton not to move next summer.


    On the other hand, rather than thinking about transfers, it was better for Kazuki to focus on continuing his training to maintain his performance.


    ***


    On a sunny morning, Furochi came to Kazuki. His arrival was to introduce the personal assistant that Furochi had chosen to help Kazuki live ''as a football star''.


    Kazuki looked at the girl Furochi brought, he felt familiar with the girl''s face. He turned to Furochi and asked, "I think I''ve seen his face before."


    Furochi nodded and replied, "Of course you''ve seen her, she''s my daughter."


    The girl stretched out her hand and introduced herself, "My name is Shiraishi Nanami, as this old man said, I am his daughter."


    Kazuki shook Shiraishi''s hand, "My name is Kazuki Kazeshima, nice to meet you. But, why did you choose to be my assistant?"


    "I''m interested in this job. I often hear my father talking about you. If you become more famous and successful as a footballer but also as a public figure, as your agent my father will also benefit greatly. Besides, I''m also interested in this job."


    Kazuki who heard it thought Shiraishi''s reasoning was quite reasonable. "In that case, in the future, I ask for your help."


    "Please help too."


    ***


    Southampton''s next game will be very difficult. The Saints have to deal with the Blues, Chelsea. Chelsea is now ranked 3rd in the premier league standings with 16 wins, 4 draws, and 6 defeats with 52 points. Much different from Manchester United, which ranks second with 65 points. Meanwhile, Liverpool leads with 69 points.


    Moreover, this match will be held at home to Chelsea, Stamford Bridge. You can imagine how tiny Southampton''s hopes of winning are. Knowing this, George also adjusted his target in this match to achieve a draw because he knows a draw is more realistic than winning in this match.


    This time he fielded Osmund as a starter. In the face of Chelsea, George will apply a counter-attack strategy. In the counterattack strategy, Osmund''s speed was more needed than Kazuki''s. The adjustments made by George certainly made Kazuki uncomfortable, he had appeared as a starter recently but now Kazuki had to return to the bench. Kazuki could only accept George''s decision because he knew the striker''s position at Southampton was not yet stable in his hands.


    In his pre-match press conference, Mourinho confidently stated that he will win tomorrow''s game.


    When he was asked about Southampton who has started to get better in recent games, Mourinho replied, "In the last three games Southampton, the strongest opponent is only Tottenham who is now below us (in the standings). Against Tottenham alone they lost, I can''t find where you think they get better."


    One of the reporters asked Mourinho about Kazuki.


    "Kazuki? Sorry, I don''t know him," Mourinho casually said.


    When coaching Internazionale Milan, in 2009, Mourinho also said he did not know Mattheo although the previous season Mattheo performed brilliantly in his debut season at Juventus. Then on the day of the match between Inter Milan and Juventus, Mattheo scored a hat-trick of assists and became the man of the match.


    The journalists were excited, they wondered if the same thing would happen? Too bad they didn''t know that Kazuki wouldn''t appear as a starter. There is no guaranteed he will appear in this match

 Chapter 37 - Chelsea

    "I feel nervous," said Wright-Phillips who was sitting beside Kazuki.


    They were both on the Southampton bus on the way to Stamford Bridge. The reason why Wright-Phillips was nervous is that he was selected as a starter by Southampton coach George Eastgate.


    Wright-Phillips made his debut at the start of the 2011/2012 season. He is a Southampton academy graduate. He was 1 year older than Kazuki. In the first half of the 2011/2012 season, Wright-Phillips only appeared 5 times. In 5 appearances, his appearance was average. He doesn''t get much attention, but he also rarely makes mistakes.


    "Why are you nervous? Every team will face The Big Six sooner or later," said Kazuki.


    "No, I''m nervous because I''m going to face my idol player," Wright-Phillips explained why he was nervous.


    "Who?" asked Kazuki.


    "Shank Lambert."


    Kazuki nodded in understanding. Lambert is a legendary Chelsea player. He has played for Chelsea since 2001. He spent more than 11 years as a footballer in this London club. Lambert is also an England national player. Together with Steven Roger, Lambert became an irreplaceable English midfielder duo.


    Lambert is known for his ability to score goals from distance, during 11 years with Chelsea, he has scored 98 goals. Lambert is also the son of Shank Lambert Sr, who used to play for West Ham United. As an individual, the peak of Lambert''s career was in 2005. when he won 2nd place in the Ballon d''Or award, in 2005 FIFA best player award, he was got the ranked 2nd again.


    "Even though you said, your idol was Lambert, your playing style is completely different from him," said Kazuki. Lambert is a b2b midfielder who is capable of playing in various positions in midfield. He can play as a defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder, even as a shadow striker.


    Meanwhile, Wright-Phillips is a technical midfielder. He has good passing and breakthrough skills, but Wright-Phillips''s tackling, intercept, and man-marking skills are poor. It''s different from Lambert who is more famous as a hard-working midfielder.


    "I do have a different style of playing with him but he is still my idol since childhood. I still remember, when the 2007/2008 UCL final Chelsea against Manchester United. At that time I supported Chelsea. Unfortunately, Chelsea lost."


    When Wright-Phillips started telling the story, the bus had arrived at Stamford Bridge and the story was cut short. The Southampton players and their entourage got off the bus.


    Kazuki took a deep breath. He does not know whether he will appear or not in this match. However, he felt a heavy atmosphere as soon as he arrived at Stamford Bridge.


    ***


    In this match, Southampton used a 4-4-2 formation, different from the 4-3-3 formation used in last week''s match against Fulham. Wright-Phillips replaces Kounde on the left, while Crage replaces Hugo on the right. In the front, the combination of Osmund and Denilson is back in use.


    Chelsea uses a 4-3-3 formation, in the back, Peter Krech guarding Chelsea''s goalpost. In front of him is left-back Kahill, center-back is Ivano, and Ruiz, the last right-back is occupied by Hosingwa. Chelsea midfielders are Essian, Lambert, and Maroda. Upfront there is a combination of Ridge, Dusan Removic, Zelatta.


    The first half of the match between Chelsea and Southampton, at Stamford Bridge, officially begins. Under Mourinho''s coaching, Chelsea was known as a conservative team. But looking at Chelsea''s statistics among The Big Six, people will realize that playing conservatively, doesn''t mean they''re bad at scoring goals. Among the Big Six, Chelsea is the second team to score the most goals besides Liverpool, they are even above Manchester United who often play aggressively. This proves that the effectiveness of Chelsea''s attack is very scary.


    Chelsea started the match with a ferocious attack. They immediately attacked Southampton. Ivano gives the ball to Ruiz. Ruiz passed the ball to Hosingwa. Wright-Phillips, as a left midfielder, stepped up to press Hosingwa, while Osmund closed out Hosingwa''s pass option for Essian.


    Hosingwa crosses the ball far to the left. Kahill received the ball and gave it to Maroda. Southampton defensive midfielder Rudolf tries to snatch the ball from Maroda. Maroda passes the ball to Lambert. Shanks Lambert in a one-on-one situation with Simone.


    Shanks Lambert leaned his body to the right then quickly pushed the ball to the left. Simone reacted swiftly to steal the ball from Lambert, but Lambert pushed the ball to the right with his left foot. Lambert managed to break through Simone.


    Chelsea''s forwards press themselves to the penalty box after seeing Lambert''s breakthrough. However, Lambert did not choose to pass the ball, he kicked the ball firmly from outside the penalty. Dean Smith jumped and blocked Lambert''s kick. The ball bounced off the field. Corner kick for Chelsea.


    Zelatta took the corner kick. Chelsea players, including David Ruiz who is good at scoring with a header, gathered in the Southampton penalty box.


    Zelatta kicked the ball after the referee''s whistle sounded. The ball flew into the area in front of the goalpost. Okhalo, Southampton''s center-back dueled with Difficult Removic. Luckily, Okhalo won the duel. The ball bounces in front of the penalty box. Denilson received the ball, but Ivano, the Chelsea center-back. snatched the ball from Denilson''s feet. After that, he gave a hard shoot to Dean Smith. The shot hit the post and bounced off the field.


    Chelsea continues to attack Southampton, fortunately, Southampton''s defense in this match is not too bad. In the 14th minute, Southampton finally got the first chance. After Dean Smith caught Ridge''s kick, he threw the ball to Freddy. The Southampton right-back dribbled the ball at full speed. Maroda, Chelsea midfielder ran trying to cut off Freddy''s dribble. Freddy, who knew this, gave the ball to Denilson.


    Denilson tried to get past Ivano, but the Chelsea center-back is very experienced in dealing with a technical type of player like Denilson. After struggling to get past Ivano, Denilson finally gave Osmund a pass.


    Denilson was holding the ball too long, so when Osmund received the ball from Denilson, the Chelsea players were back on the defensive, Osmund could only make a long-range shot rather than this opportunity wasted.


    Peter Krech, the Chelsea goalkeeper caught the ball easily.


    The speed of the Chelsea players'' transition made Southampton''s counter-attack less effective. Denilson held the ball too long, so Southampton missed the best moment to counter-attack.


    The ball returned to the feet of the Chelsea players. Chelsea''s luck in this match is a bit bad, they have attacked Southampton many times and got golden opportunities, but in the 20th minute, they have not scored at all.


    The performance of the Southampton center-back duo, namely Okhalo and Hilton, deserves to be applauded. They closed Chelsea''s chances by isolating Dusan and keeping Zelatta. Among Chelsea''s forwards, Dusan is the most dangerous, followed by Zelatta, this Spaniard has good dribbling and passing that always helps Chelsea score goals.. Meanwhile, Ridge was less dangerous than the other two players.

 Chapter 38 - The Solid Defense

    The score is still 0-0. But, Southampton coach George Eastgate looked restless. He walked back and forth while sometimes giving instructions. After the chance created in the 14th minute, Southampton did not get another chance until now. Chelsea broke all the counter-attacks that Southampton wanted to build. You could say Chelsea has built a defense from the very front line which makes it difficult for Southampton players to build attacks.


    Looking at Chelsea''s relentless attack it was clear they were going to score sooner or later. If Chelsea leads goals, then Mourinho will change his strategy to be more conservative. He would park the bus, so the Southampton players would have a hard time scoring goals.


    In the 37th minute, Chelsea finally broke Southampton''s goalpost. This attack was initiated by the solo action of Zelatta who was finally able to break through the Southampton penalty box. Zelatta''s actions made Southampton''s defense chaotic, Dusan escaped from Okhalo and Hilton guards. Zelatta gave Dusan a pass, the pass easily converted by Dusan into a goal.


    "Finally, Chelsea managed to get a goal after attacking Southampton from the start of the first half. Zelatta''s solo action managed to break the concentration of the Southampton players. Dusan took advantage of the moment well, he ran into the gap in the Southampton defense. 1-0 to Chelsea''s advantage."


    After Chelsea scored, Mourinho celebrated on the sideline. Mourinho''s celebration was more prominent than the celebrations of the Chelsea players themselves.


    Meanwhile, George raised his hand in disappointment. He knew that Chelsea would score but seeing the goal in person still made him feel bad. Southampton''s players have done their best but star players like Zelatta are always able to do miracles.


    "What are we going to do, Coach?" the assistant coach, James Ward, asked George.


    After this goal, Southampton needed to attack, but the thing is, Chelsea''s counter-attack is very dangerous. Dusan''s speed, Lambert''s long pass, and Zelatta''s dribble have always been the main weapons in Chelsea''s counter-attack strategy.


    George took a deep breath and said, "We will play patiently, Chelsea are only one goal ahead, as long as there is a chance to counter-attack, we can certainly equalize." George tried to think positively even though the situation was less convincing for Southampton.


    Until the end of the first half, the score 1-0 did not change. Chelsea relaxes the intensity of their attacks. The Blues played conservatively after they scored. Although Southampton is now able to control the ball their attacks are always deadlocked. Instead, Chelsea''s counter-attack continued to threaten the Southampton goalpost.


    In the face of Chelsea''s solid defense, George decided to bring in Kazuki to replace Osmund. After Kazuki''s outstanding performance in three consecutive matches, George started to feel Kazuki was his lucky star. As long as Southampton was at a disadvantage, then George would trust Kazuki to do a miracle.


    In addition, George criticized Denilson for Southampton''s only chance in the first half missed because of Denilson''s selfishness. He also asked Freddy to be more active in helping the attack. Crage will replace Freddy defending the right-wing defense when Freddy goes up to overlap.


    In defense, George praised the duo Hilton and Okhalo. Chelsea''s goal is not entirely their fault. On the contrary, it is precisely because of them that Southampton has not conceded more than one goal. In the second half, the game will be more difficult but George believes Southampton will be able to overcome this challenge.


    The second half of Chelsea''s match against Southampton started with kick-offs by Kazuki and Denilson.


    Southampton started the second half in a relaxed manner. They knew a hasty attack would only end in a counter-attack from Chelsea. Chelsea''s defense is different from Liverpool''s who constantly press. Chelsea''s defense is passive and tends to wait for opponents to attack.


    In the 48th minute, Southampton started the attack with a counter-movement between Crage and Freddy. Crage descends to lure Maroda forward, while Freddy dashes forward to exploit the gap left by Maroda. After that, Freddy received the pass given by Simone. Shank Lambert cut off Freddy''s run space. Freddy was about to give a pass but he saw that all his teammates were being closely guarded. Freddy did a forward lob pass while expecting Kazuki and Denilson to receive the pass.


    Even though the pass was hard to reach but Kazuki forced himself to try to get it. Unfortunately, Peter Krech got the ball first.


    Kazuki wasn''t too disappointed by the failure. Because the opportunity was too forced by Freddy. At that time, as he walked back from the penalty box, Ruiz spoke to him.


    "Hey, does your coach think you can turn things around? I think he must be disappointed because his top teenager couldn''t do anything in this match," said Ruiz while patting Kazuki on the shoulder.


    Kazuki smirked and looked at Ruiz confidently, "I don''t know but the last time someone said that to me, he regretted what he said after the match."


    Ruiz chuckled and replied to Kazuki, "You have a good imagination. Many young players have illusions about themselves. I will teach you how to face reality."


    Some of what Ruiz said was true. Many young players have illusions about their abilities. They fully believe what the media and coaches say about their talent and genius. This gives them the illusion that they are great players. However, it''s not like that. Because young players tend to be less known and underestimated, they have less attention in the opponent''s defense area rather than that of famous players.


    However, once the player is famous, the defenders will learn the strengths and weaknesses of the player. They will analyze how to detain the young player.


    This was what Ruiz had done a few days earlier. He studied some of Kazuki''s match videos. He knew one of Kazuki''s strengths was his composure. When Kazuki was being tightly guarded by Kevin, Kazuki was indeed angry and annoyed but he still maintained his composure and was not provoked. Because of that, he wanted to make Kazuki lose his concentration and composure in this match.


    Provoking is one of those scary weapons when done right. One example is in the 2006 World Cup Final. Zidan was sent off after he got a red card because Materrazi provoked him.


    Of course, Kazuki knew the importance of playing calmly. That''s why he didn''t reply to Ruiz''s words anymore. He walked away leaving Ruiz. Meanwhile, Ruiz himself knew that provocation was not something that could be done in one go. There were still plenty of opportunities for him to slowly destroy Kazuki''s composure.


    Although Kazuki has replaced Osmund, Southampton is still struggling to build an attack.


    Wright-Phillips in this match was completely helpless against Hosingwa and Essian.. Kazuki felt he had to do something about Wright-Phillips, in this match Wright-Phillips'' technical ability was needed to break down the Chelsea defense.

 Chapter 39 - Who Is Better?

    In the 52nd minute, Southampton attacked from the left through the coordination of Rudolf and Wright-Phillips. Rudolf gave a lob pass into the wing area. Wright-Phillips tried to catch the ball, but Hosingwa beat Wright-Phillips with a body charge. After controlling the ball, Hosingwa immediately started Chelsea''s counter-attack.


    Chelsea players are trained to be ready to strike back at any time. Hosingwa passes the ball to Essian. Rudolf tried to snatch the ball from Essian, but in a physical confrontation between them, Essian won. Essian put the ball forward, Shank Lambert took the pass. It was too difficult for Lambert to breakthrough in midfield, so he transferred the ball to Zelatta.


    The Spaniard went down to midfield to pick up the ball. He then dribbled the ball forward. Benson stood in front of Zelatta trying to stop the Chelsea right-winger. However, once again, Zelatta is too agile for a Benson. After running past through Benson Zelatta sent a crossing pass into the penalty box.


    Dusan collided physically with Okhalo to grab the most appropriate position to receive the ball. Both jumped and made a header. The ball then bounced to the front of the penalty box. Maroda, Chelsea midfielder received the ball he provided a through ball to the left side. Ridge which was not tightly guarded managed to receive the pass. Ridge did a flat shoot towards the post near him.


    Dean Smith extended his legs and blocked the ball. The ball bounced back, but this time, Hilton managed to throw the ball.


    Meanwhile, on the sidelines, Mourinho held his head and put on an expression of disbelief. He didn''t expect that in such one on one situations Ridge would miss an opportunity to score.


    "Relax, Chelsea are still ahead," said the Chelsea assistant coach.


    Mourinho exasperatedly said, "Yeah, I don''t care if we win 1-0 or 2-0 but missing a good chance is not my style. Call on Hazard to warm up."


    The assistant nodded, Hazard is a young Chelsea player, just like Kazuki, he is also recognized as one of the best young players in the premier league at the moment.


    In the 61st minute, Hazard came on for Ridge. Ridge walked off the field while showing an annoyed expression. He even skipped Mourinho''s handshake.


    While Hazard was entering the field, Kazuki came to Wright-Phillips.


    Kazuki said, "Don''t you want to swap shirts with Lambert? Lambert won''t recognize you if you keep playing like this."


    Wright-Phillips replied with a helpless face: "I know that but I feel helpless every time I face a Chelsea right-back. I couldn''t do it right."


    Kazuki said in a cold tone, "If you feel useless, you better talk it over to the coach. Let him replace you with someone more useful."


    Wright-Phillips fell silent. During this match, he always lost his duel against Hosingwa. Hosingwa''s experience, speed, technique, every aspect is better than Wright-Phillips.


    "Football is a team sport. If you can''t beat someone, don''t be afraid to run away and tell your friends," Kazuki then continued, "Come on, swap position with me."


    Swapping positions is one way of dealing with solutions when players lose individually to opponents in their lane. Kazuki wasn''t a winger, but his dribbling skills and foot technique had improved after continuous practice. He believes that his ability to play on the wing is not too bad.


    "All right," Wright-Phillips accepted the suggestion.


    They did not immediately change positions. The two made a deal they would swap positions when Southampton''s next attack came.


    In the 66th minute, Southampton got a chance. This started with Hazard''s failure to break through Southampton''s center-back, Okhalo. After successfully stealing the ball from Hazard, Okhalo gave the ball to Simone. Lambert and Essian, immediately press on Simone. The Southampton captain gave the ball back to Southampton center-back Hilton. Hilton gave the ball to left-back Benson.


    Benson passed Zelatta at full speed. He takes the ball across the half-line. Chelsea midfielder Maroda came and tried to tackle Benson. However, Benson first gave the ball to Rudolf.


    At the same time Chelsea center-back Ruiz followed Kazuki closely, after Rudolf received the ball Kazuki ran to the right flank, Ruiz followed him, but at that moment Wright-Phillips ran at full speed into the gap left by Ruiz. Rudolf provided the through ball. Ivano rushed over and made a tackle on Wright-Phillips, but the ball was still going, Wright-Phillips immediately got up and chased the ball.


    Wright-Phillips chased the ball into the box, no one in front of him except Peter Krech. Chelsea goalkeeper Peter Krech stepped up to snatch the ball, Wright-Phillips got the ball first and then poked the ball into the Chelsea goalpost.


    "Goaaall!! Wright-Phillips equalized, tension returns! Southampton managed to equalize after Wright-Phillips received Rudolf''s pass. In addition, it should be noted, Kazuki''s movement that elicited Ruiz was also the key to this goal."


    Mourinho kicked the plastic bottle in annoyance, he cursed and let out his anger. Especially on David Ruiz who made a blunder.


    Mourinho said to his assistant, "Let John Terry warm up."


    ***


    On the other hand, Wright-Phillips hugged Kazuki and said, "Thank you, I can score the goal because of you, Kazuki."


    "Don''t get too excited, we''re not ahead of Chelsea yet."


    Wright-Phillips looked at Kazuki in surprise, "You seriously want to win this match?"


    Against The Big Six, Southampton has not won since 2009, their best record is a draw.


    "What can I do? I haven''t scored yet." Even though Kazuki was happy that Wright-Phillips scored but as a striker, he still wanted to score his own goals in this match.


    It was fine for Mourinho didn''t know Kazuki before this match. However, Kazuki wanted to make Mourinho know and acknowledge Kazuki''s abilities after this match.


    In the 74th minute, Southampton who scored 8 minutes ago should be able to see the reality. Hazard passed three defenders at once and helped Dusan to score his second goal. Chelsea fans cheered simultaneously after seeing Chelsea''s second goal. Hazard''s appearance was more pretentious than Kazuki''s.


    "Hazard! He passes 3 players at once, it''s beautiful, I dare to say that in a few years Hazard would be Mattheo''s rival, his dribbling ability is not inferior to the Juventus Superstar."


    If the 2-1 score lasted until the end, then media discussion about Kazuki would disappear and be replaced by Hazard as the protagonist. Kazuki knew that, therefore, he didn''t want to lose to Hazard, especially in this match.


    Kazuki was still on the wing, swapping positions with Wright-Phillips. In the 81st minute, the opportunity came. Kazuki received a pass from Simone, Essian came to snatch the ball from Kazuki. Kazuki did a step-over technique, he did a feint move, then pushed the ball to the right suddenly, he managed to break through Essian. Hosingwa came and made a tackle, but Kazuki pulled the ball back at the right moment and managed to dodge Hosingwa''s tackle.


    Kazuki continued to bring the ball into the penalty box, Ruiz tried to stop Kazuki, but Kazuki made a fake move, Kazuki''s movements were too fast and accurate so Ruiz, an experienced defender, was unable to guess Kazuki''s movements. After breakthroughs past Ruiz, Kazuki faced Krech, without hesitation Kazuki delivered a hard shot into the corner of the goalpost.


    "Goaaalll! Just now Hazard performed a very beautiful dribble, and surprisingly, Kazuki did the same, no, even better. He passed three players in a row from Essian, Hosingwa, and finally Ruiz. I didn''t expect him to have such ability. It''s amazing."


    This was a goal that was completely purely because of Kazuki. There is no help from other players in the process. While celebrating the goal, Kazuki looked at Hazard from a distance, he smiled while muttering, "I can do that too."


    Kazuki''s training on his skills was not fruitless.

 Chapter 40 - The Incident

    Towards the last minutes of the second half, Chelsea attacked Southampton relentlessly. They don''t want to get a draw at home. Southampton players were forced to be restricted in the penalty box. Even Kazuki himself was busy marking Chelsea players in the penalty box.


    In the last minute of the second-half injury time, Hazard did again an extraordinary dribble. He managed to deceive the Southampton players, after that, Hazard had a chance to shoot the ball. But Hazard''s shot was caught by Dean Smith. The whistle sounds signaling the game is over.


    "The match between Southampton and Chelsea is officially over. Chelsea, who are playing at home, had to settle for a draw by the guest, Southampton. Chelsea''s goals were scored by Dusan Removic in the 37th minute and 74th minute. Meanwhile, Southampton''s goals were scored by Wright-Phillips in the 66th minute and Kazuki in the 81st minute. This is the sixth time Kazuki has scored in the 4 matches he has played."


    Chelsea fans must be disappointed because their favorite team failed to win. Of course, the most regretful of this result is Mourinho. He regretted letting Ruiz play, maybe if Terry played at center-back the result would have been different. Southampton''s first goal came because of Ruiz''s negligence. Southampton''s second goal was also because Kazuki managed to get past Ruiz as the last line of Chelsea''s defense.


    On the other hand, Ruiz also felt ashamed of himself. Throughout the second half, Ruiz and Kazuki had many conversations. Instead of getting Kazuki provoked, Ruiz himself was provoked. It was precisely because of Kazuki''s provocation that Ruiz continued to follow him that is how Southampton''s first goal was created.


    Wright-Phillips walked up to Lambert, he stopped Lambert by calling out to him, "Sir, would you mind swapping shirts with me?"


    Lambert turned and saw the Southampton player who asked him to change clothes. He recognized Wright-Phillips who scored Southampton''s first goal. He took off his shirt while asking, "What''s your name?"


    "My name is Wright-Phillips, I admire you," said Wright-Phillips excitedly.


    "You played well."


    "Thank you."


    At the same time, Kazuki was also intercepted by Hazard. Kazuki was surprised to see that young Belgian origin coming towards him.


    "Can we swap shirts?" asked Hazard.


    Kazuki said casually, "Sure." Kazuki himself had no intention of exchanging shirts with the Chelsea players. The reason is that there is no one of The Blues players that he admires. However, Kazuki wouldn''t refuse if anyone asked him to swap shirts.


    Kazuki took Hazard''s Chelsea shirt and draped it over his shoulder. He gave his Southampton shirt to Hazard. After that, he said to Hazard, "If you fail to live up to your potential, I will throw this shirt away."


    Hazard was taken aback by Kazuki''s words, right after that he replied, "I will also do the same then."


    Kazuki turned around and walked away from Hazard. Even though the conversation between the two looked like rivals, Kazuki didn''t think of Hazard as a competitor. The existence of [Dream Training] made Kazuki faster in fulfilling his potential than other players.


    Many young players had better potential than Kazuki but in terms of velocity fulfilling the potential, Kazuki was definitely at the forefront. Kazuki''s minus point was that his body wasn''t able to keep up with the overall development of his abilities.


    ***


    Mourinho did not attend the post-match press conference, he just ordered his assistant to replace him. The Chelsea coach was lazy to face journalists'' questions, especially after Chelsea could only achieve a draw in this match.


    The reporters who were aware of Mourinho''s absence could only shake their heads helplessly. All the questions they had thought of to annoy Mourinho were in vain.


    Media relations with Mourinho have always been like this. When Mourinho wins, the media will let him brag, but when Mourinho loses or fails to live up to expectations the media will attack him.


    Regarding this match, the major media have different opinions. The Sun mentions emphasizing Chelsea''s misfortune rather than admitting Southampton played well, The Sun chose Okhalo as the man of the match.


    The Independent put more emphasis on Kazuki''s contribution to Southampton''s 2 goals, The Independent chose Kazuki as .an of the match. Meanwhile, The Guardian was more focused on Ruiz''s error in the process of Southampton''s two goals, The Guardian gave Dusan man of the match as the scorer of 2 goals in this match.


    What about Southampton Daily? Of course, they praised the Southampton players completely. They gave the man of the match to Kazuki.


    Even though Kazuki only scored one goal and only played in the second half but overall the media praised his performance. Hazard did attract attention with his dribbling ability but Kazuki''s goal in this match was a solo goal, this made Hazard''s assist less attractive.


    Meanwhile, Kazuki''s social media account followers were slowly rising. Most of them are Southampton fans. However, there are fans from other clubs were following Kazuki''s account. According to Shiraishi''s report, fans of other clubs ask Kazuki to move to their favorite club.


    Apart from Southampton fans, some Japanese people follow his social media accounts. After appearing in several premier league matches, Kazuki is also recognized by Japanese football fans.


    Shiraishi followed Kazuki for almost a full 24 hours. When Kazuki was training, Shiraishi would be outside the training field while continuing to capture Kazuki''s daily life.


    ***


    Shiraishi parked the car in front of a bar. She opened the car window and saw the figure of Kazuki who was carrying Wright-Phillips. Wright-Phillips face looks battered.


    "Can you explain to me what happened?"


    An hour earlier, Shiraishi''s phone suddenly rang. It was Kazuki who called her, it was unusual for Kazuki to call Shiraishi. However, after picking up the phone, Kazuki told Shiraishi to pick him up in front of a bar.


    Now, here she was, seeing Kazuki carrying the injured figure of Wright-Phillips.


    Kazuki carried Wright-Phillips into the car. He put his friend in the back seat. He then came down again and sat in the front seat.


    "I will explain on the way, we have to go to the hospital first," said Kazuki.


    Shiraishi nodded. She started the car engine and drove it to the hospital.


    ''I shouldn''t accept this guy''s invitation, a few hours ago.'' Kazuki shook his head regretting his decision a few hours ago. Wright-Phillips invites Kazuki and a few other Southampton players to have some fun at a bar. Kazuki accepted the offer because Wright-Phillips begged him.


    At the bar, Kazuki didn''t drink much alcohol, he kept his consciousness well. Even though he was chatting with several women but Kazuki didn''t plan to spend the night with them.


    Things got messy at the bar when Wright-Phillips hit a man. Kazuki didn''t know what the chronology was, but he guessed it might be because of a woman. A fight ensued, it turned out that the man who was beaten by Wright-Phillips had many friends.


    Finally, the other Southampton players who wanted to stop the fight were dragged into it. The fights between individuals turned into group fights between Southampton players (except for Kazuki who didn''t interfere from the start) and the side that had problems with Wright.


    After a while, the fighting stopped, but the other Southampton players were injured in several ways. Moreover, Kazuki saw that several other visitors seemed to be recording this incident. This bar fight would probably end up in a serious case. The media will be reporting this case.


    In a case like this, the most important thing to do first is to clear his name.. It was important to let people know that Kazuki was not involved in this fight.

 Chapter 41 - The Fairy Tale

    In the morning this case was reported by the big media. It turned out that the person Wright-Phillips beat was Vas Reckotte, son of Jim Reckotte, a well-known local businessman. For last night''s incident, Vas sued Wright-Phillips and several Southampton players involved, this case is likely to be a serious case that will be handled by the police.


    Kazuki himself was sure that this case would not end in imprisonment, because even though it was Wright-Phillips who started the fight first, it was Vas''s friends who made the fight turn between individuals to between groups.


    Southampton as the club that handles the players, held a press conference the next day. They firmly said, "We will follow the legal procedures that take place if our players are found guilty. We will punish them immediately."


    The punishment of course is a pay cut and the like.


    In addition, the daily training was canceled for one day due to the incident. Among the players involved in the case, some were mainstay players. They were Hilton, Benson, Rudolf, Wright-Phillips, and Kounde. Kazuki himself had told Shiraishi to clarify his non-involvement in the beating incident. The police only called Kazuki once to make a witness statement before it was decided that Kazuki had nothing to do with the beating incident.


    In the 28th round of the Premier League, Southampton who visited the Etihad Stadium were massacred 5-0 by Manchester City. The goals were scored by Aguero who did a hat trick, David Silva and Bellotti.


    Half of Southampton''s players in this match were substitutes. In addition, the Southampton players also did not play as usual. Simone often makes mistakes. Crage is barely ''lost'' during the game. Dean Smith made minor mistakes from time to time. Even though Kazuki played optimally, it was difficult to turn things around with Southampton who were in this state.


    George scolded the Southampton players but his anger did not change the team''s situation. The thing that disappointed Kazuki was the Southampton captain, Simone, He didn''t say the things he should have said as a captain. When the team is down, he should get up and wake up his teammates.


    Kazuki''s defeat this time was the biggest loss since Kazuki had [Dream Training]. On the other hand, Kazuki was disappointed in himself for being unable to do anything in the match this time.


    The media reported the results of the Southampton match with various responses.


    The Independent: Will this be the beginning of Southampton''s downfall?


    The Sun: Kazuki''s magic has been lost! These are 5 reasons why Kazuki won''t shine anymore.


    The Guardian: Aguero Hattrick! Manchester City demolished Southampton with 5 goals at the Etihad Stadium.


    Southampton Daily: It''s not the end, we will come back! Here''s George''s response to Southampton''s painful defeat.


    Southampton''s previous game made people think Southampton had come back but that thought was lost after seeing the Manchester City massacre at the Etihad Stadium. They thought that maybe Chelsea was too weak for Southampton to get a draw. After all, the other Big Six like Tottenham and The Cityzen managed to beat Southampton without difficulty.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Kazuki was venting his frustration at [Dream Training]. He re-simulated the match several times. Out of 10 matches, he won 3 matches against Manchester City and drew 1 time. Southampton''s performance in the simulation is better because according to the data taken [Dream Training], Southampton''s ability should be more than what was shown in the match against Manchester City.


    However, what was wrong with the Southampton players in that match was mental. For now [Dream Training] can''t simulate mental exhaustion and other obscure things.


    After training hard, Kazuki asked the GM, "Don''t you have anything that can make my mood better? From this match, I know that mood, thoughts, etc. are very important to perform perfectly. To display all my strength I need a stable mentality."


    The GM was silent for a while, after breathing a sigh, he opened his mouth and replied, "Coincidentally, Dream Training has a new model. This mode is called [Watch], in this mode you can see some historical matches, important events in the history of football, the history of a team, player biography and so on."


    "Does that include the parallel world that Lewandowski is in?" asked Kazuki.


    GM nodded, he added, "Right, including the history of football in that parallel world. Now, I think one of the most appropriate for you to watch is this one, A beautiful fairy tale in modern football."


    Kazuki frowned, "Fairy tales?"


    With a grin, the GM said, "This is Leicester fairy tale."


    Kazuki''s vision became blurry, he saw a feeling like watching a 3D video.


    ***


    When the 2015-2016 season started, Leicester was not the favorite team. In the previous season, Leicester was almost relegated to the Championship division.


    In fact, the betting market at that time gave Leicester 5000:1 odds or opportunities to win the 2015-2016 Premier League.


    It all started with the arrival of Claudio Ranieri at the start of the 2015-2016 season.


    Not only because of Ranieri, however, The Fox themselves also have the basis for winning the championship.


    The first is Steve Walsh, the assistant who is observant, has six senses, and has a solid ground network. He is a reliable recruiter in the search for cheap and talented young players, including N''Golo Kante for only 5.6 million pounds, then Riyad Mahrez for 450,000 pounds who had the Marseille boss chuckle when Leicester signed him.


    Second is excellent training facilities and adequate facilities for young talent to build a strong team.


    With all these foundations, Ranieri built a tactical system that was able to take advantage of all the benefits of Leicester players.


    Leicester started the season with a victory. They were unbeaten for several matches. Before finally, they lost to Arsenal in the 7th round with a score of 2-5. People think Leicester will go downhill after this defeat.


    But after that Leicester went back unbeaten in 10 games before finally losing in the 18th round to Liverpool at Anfield. In the first half-season, Leicester showed their strength. Again, many people think Leicester will collapse in the second half of the 2015/2016 season. Leicester''s loss to Arsenal for the second time has made people believe in their thought.


    But after that Leicester earned again an unbeaten result until Tottenham was held to a draw by Chelsea 2-2. Two games before the end of the season, Leicester finally won the English Premier League season 2015/2016.


    In a league that the big teams have won for decades, Leicester has managed to create a fairy tale.


    This is Leicester''s fairy tale.


    ***


    Kazuki felt a deep emotion. He saw highlights of Leicester''s matches one by one. He also looked at people''s comments from the start of Leicester''s season. They doubted Leicester, thinking Leicester was a relegation candidate rather than a title contender. This doubt continued until Leicester lifted the English league cup. After that, all those doubts turned into disbelief looking.


    There is a lot of luck in this fairy tale.


    But at least this made Kazuki realize one thing. Small teams may also win. The odds of winning may only be 1 out of 5000, but as long as there is a chance then anything is possible.


    Kazuki remembered about Southampton. A thought crossed his mind.


    "I want to win the premier league next season."


    Sparks arose within Kazuki''s heart.

 Chapter 42 - Everton

    Belliand vs Kazuki


    The topic was brought up in the media the day before the match between Southampton and Everton took place.


    Southampton''s action in selling Belliand and signing Kazuki was considered very good. However, people still wondered, was Kazuki better than Belliand? Statistically, Belliand does have more goals, which is 10 goals. But remember, Kazuki has only played for 5 games and he has scored 6 goals and 2 assists. Kazuki''s goal percentage was far ahead of Belliand.


    However, the idea of ??Kazuki being better than Belliand was refuted by the Everton coach. In his pre-match press conference, Moyes told reporters: "The value of a striker can''t be judged just by the goals, but by how much impact he has on the game itself. Belliand did a great job at Everton, because of his presence that caught the attention of the opponent defenders. Other players can attack more easily.


    Meanwhile, Kazuki was indeed a good young player but he couldn''t play the role of a target man. His speed is also unreliable when the team counterattacked. He was lucky enough to score a few goals but Everton will make sure Kazuki doesn''t score in this game."


    On the Southampton side, George Eastgate also has told his opinion in the pre-match press conference.


    "I''ve said this before, Kazuki is better than Belliand. Maybe it''s a bit biased but this is my honest opinion. He didn''t score in the game against Manchester City, but keep in mind, he was the highest-rated player in the Southampton team in that game.


    Tomorrow, at Goodison Park, Southampton will win the game."


    George was confident in his words because of some good news. First, Hugo has returned from injury and is ready to play. Second, the bar beating case has ended, the case ended with Southampton players compensating for the incident. That way the main players could appear, but George only included Rudolf on the big list in the match against Everton this time.


    Because of some good news, George is very confident Southampton will win in tomorrow''s game. Despite Everton is also a strong opponent.


    Until week 29, Everton managed to reach the 8th position, under Leeds United who placed 7th. Under Moyes''s leadership, Everton has become a club that is often able to provide resistance to The Big Six. One of Liverpool''s defeats this season was done by Everton.


    After losing Dusan Removic, Everton experienced difficulties at the beginning of the second half of the 2011/2012 season. Belliand, who was brought in from Southampton, was inferior to Dusan Removic. In addition, Belliand''s abilities are different from Dusan''s, other players have to start adapting to Belliand. From the beginning of the second half to match week 29, Belliand could only score 1 goal and 3 assists. His performance has disappointed the Everton fans. Because in the first half they used to see Dusan who often scored goals every game.


    Therefore, although the media raised the topic of Kazuki Vs Belliand, and the Everton coach Moyes also supported Belliand. In fact, the Everton fans recognized that Kazuki was better than Belliand. The proof is, on Kazuki''s social media account, a few Everton fans have asked him to move to The Toffes.


    ***


    "Good evening everyone, welcome to match week 29th of the English Premier League, Southampton will travel to the Goodison Park Stadium to play Everton. This time I am not alone, two guests will accompany me to this match. James Carragher, former Liverpool player and also Odson Vernan ex-Everton player," said Jim Kaglin at a skysport event.


    Jim Kaglin asked James, "Okay, James what do you think about this match? Guess who won this match and tell the reason."


    James replied, "Obviously it''s Southampton, the first reason, obviously because, I want to see Everton lose. Two, with the return of Hugo, then Southampton''s attack will be even more frightening, moreover, the presence of a teenager who has always been in the spotlight, Kazuki Kazeshima."


    "How about you Odson?"


    Odson replied to Jim Kaglin''s question, "I don''t know why you invited this guy. He''s very unprofessional," Odson pointed at Carragher. He then continued, "Everton have the advantage, they are playing at home, Louis Saha is back after being suspend due to a yellow card accumulation last week. I believe Moyes has found a way to stop Kazuki as well as Hugo."


    Jim Kaglin nodded, he then said, "Okay, lets take a look on starting line-up of both teams.


    Everton uses a 4-5-1 formation. They uses this formation very often


    Goalkeeper: Tim Howard


    Defenders: Tony Hilbert, Phil Jagielka, Sylvain Distin, Leighton Baines;


    Midfielders: Rodwell, Leon Osman, Fellaini, Drenthe, Louis Saha;


    Striker: Belliand.


    Meanwhile, Southampton fielded a 4-4-1-1 formation.


    Goalkeeper: Dean Smith


    Defenders: Vicente, Jimmy, Okhalo, Ben Carter.


    Midfielders: Hugo, Simone, Dallas, Simmic


    Second striker: Kazuki


    Striker: Osmund.


    Everton has not changed the formation or the players who are often fielded. The interesting thing is Southampton formation.


    They didn''t play Denilson and instead made Kazuki as a second forward, very unique. They also played a lot of players who rarely got playing time like Dallas, Simmic, Jimmy, and Ben Carter. Rudolf sat on the bench, surprising. I wonder what Eastgate was thinking."


    Southampton''s starting line-up surprised Jim Kaglin and the two guests at the Skysports studio.


    Carragher gave a guess that Eastgate wanted to test Kazuki''s abilities in another position. In several matches, Kazuki had indeed displayed his overall ability. From passing abilities, breakthroughs, reading the direction of attacks, exploiting and creating gaps, and so on.


    Odson did not give an opinion on this change, he only said that Eastgate''s experiment would result in a victory for Everton.


    ***


    Kazuki still remembered George''s question to him.


    ''Would you play in another position, Kazuki?''


    Kazuki nodded his head. Although he wouldn''t perform optimally, Kazuki''s ability to play in other positions is also quite good. He had trained many times in [Dream Training] because of that, he was confident.


    After that, George explained the changes he wanted to try. Rather than being the main striker, George wanted to try Kazuki to play a bit backward. The purpose to uses wisely of Kazuki passing, breakthrough, and space exploitation abilities.


    After Kazuki agreed to play in another position, George trained the formation for a few days. The result is quite good, Southampton can now not only rely on counter-attacks but can also rely on ball possession to break into the opponent''s defense. The drawback is Kazuki is a bit too far from the goalpost, Osmund has more shooting opportunities, and with Osmund''s poor shooting ability, Southampton often wastes many chances.


    ''I hope this change could have a positive impact on the team,'' Kazuki thought.


    The first half whistle sounded. Everton started the first half kick-off.. Both sides prepared to chase victory.

 Chapter 43 - First Half

    Everton is a ball possession-oriented team. This is rather unique considering that no other mid-table team uses a ball possession strategy except for Everton. Everton''s ball retention is also one of the highest in the premier league. Ball retention is possession of the ball in the opponent''s half of the court. This means that Everton is accustomed to the opponent player''s high press.


    The same thing happened at the start of this game. Everton dominated the game with ball possession. Southampton''s man-to-man marking failed because Everton''s individual skill quality was better than Southampton''s. To prevent Everton from attacking, Southampton made fouls to slow down the ball movement.


    Unexpectedly that the referee who supervised the match was very strict. In the 5th minute, Dallas, the Southampton midfielder was shown a yellow card after knockdown Leon Osman.


    Everton took a free kick with a short pass. Fellaini, Everton midfielder provides a pass to Leon Osman. Osman gives the ball to the left of the Southampton defense. Drenthe picks up the ball while Hugo tries to grab it. Baines, Everton''s left-back stepped forward, Drenthe pass the ball to Baines, Vicente made Intercept at the right time.


    Baines throws the ball back onto the court. The ball flew towards Drenthe. Everton midfielder Drenthe gives the ball to center-back Distin. Distin provided a long pass towards the right flank area.


    Shifting the ball from side to side is one of Everton''s tactics. They can quickly move the ball from left to right. With this tactic, Southampton must defense both sides well, meaning that Southampton''s formation will stretch which makes it easier for Everton to break through the Southampton defense.


    Rodwell competed for speed with Ben Carter. He managed to get the ball, he then provided a cross pass into the penalty box.


    Belliand jumped high and headed the ball towards the Southampton goalpost. Dean Smith jumped to the right, he tried to prevent the ball into the Southampton goalpost. Dean Smith managed to reach the ball but it bounced into the goal.


    Belliand who saw it immediately ran to the side of the field and celebrated wildly. Other Everton players also followed Belliand and hugged the former Southampton striker.


    Jim Kaglin shouted excitedly "Goaaaalll! A powerful header to the right of Southampton''s goalpost put Everton ahead of Southampton. Belliand showed Southampton they were wrong if they thought Belliand was inferior to Kazuki."


    Odson also said excitedly, "That''s Everton! We may not be The Big Six but we are also a strong team! Southampton who is relegated candidates should not be too arrogant against this team."


    Carragher glared at Odson saying, "It''s only been 7 minutes, Southampton will do something, they will get the goal to equalize the score."


    Back on the pitch, Southampton started the Kick-off after conceding the first goal. Southampton started the kick-off calmly. There''s still time and Southampton doesn''t need to rush into scoring goals.


    Southampton and Everton fight for possession in midfield. The competition between the midfielders looks very tight. Simone repeatedly confronted Louis Saha physically. While others also experienced the same thing. Kazuki himself was keeping an eye on Fellaini.


    In the 14th minute, Southampton managed to get a chance. Kazuki stole the ball from Fellaini who was trying to break through Kazuki''s defense. After getting the ball Kazuki gave it to the Southampton midfielder, Dallas who was behind him. Everton midfielder Drenthe stepped up and put pressure on Dallas. The Southampton player provides a pass to the right.


    Hugo received the ball while Leon Osman tried to run towards Hugo intending to make physical contact so Hugo lost the ball at his feet. Hugo saw that clearly, he used his skill to get through past Osman. After that, he brought the ball quickly forward. He provided a through pass into the middle.


    Kazuki who was guarded tightly by Fellaini received Hugo''s pass. He accelerated his run, Distin blocked Kazuki''s path, Kazuki pushed the ball to the right then moved it to the left quickly. He passed Distin, but Fellaini clung to Kazuki''s side covering Kazuki''s shooting space.


    Kazuki pulled the ball back and turned his body, he then passed the ball to the left. Osmund ran faster than Jagielka, he kicked the ball into the right corner of the goalpost. Howard couldn''t catch the ball.


    "Goaaalll!! A very piercing counter-attack by Southampton players. Osmund managed to score a goal after receiving Kazuki''s pass. Southampton managed to equalize."


    Meanwhile, Odson patted his head disappointed to see the goal. Instead, Carragher cheered cheerfully as he said, "As I said, the game has just started. Everton''s defense failed to defend Kazuki, that young man is not to be underestimated.


    On the other hand, Kazuki and Osmund were hugging. Osmund was grateful for Kazuki''s assist. Since Kazuki entered the team Osmund''s playing time has been decreasing, which made him depressed, but this new formation made Osmund see hope to return to being the main player, despite Osmund having no problem being a substitute.


    Everton started again kick-off. This time they controlled the ball tranquil in their defense area. They weren''t in a hurry to attack. Slowly Everton regained control of the midfield. Southampton did not do man-to-man marking but made a low block line to intercept Everton''s attack.


    In the 25th minute, Everton midfielder, Fellaini made a shot from outside the penalty box. Fortunately, the shot hit the top bar of the goalpost. 7 minutes later, it was Southampton''s turn to launch an attack, Hugo crossed into the penalty area, but Distin managed to intercept the pass with a header.


    In the 38th minute, Everton got a chance. This opportunity started with Jagielka who was always in the backline suddenly up to the midfield so that the number of Everton players in midfield was superior to Southampton.


    As a result, Louis Saha and Fellaini managed to break through the Southampton penalty box. Saha provided Fellaini''s through ball. Fellaini found space to shoot the ball, but Okhalo slid in front of Fellaini and blocked his shot. The ball bounces off the field. Everton only got a corner kick.


    Fellaini takes a corner. After the referee gave the signal, Fellaini kicked the ball hard. Belliand won the duel with Southampton defender Jimmy. But his header was blocked by Dean Smith. The ball bounced in front of Saha. Saha shoot the ball so hard, the ball hit Southampton net.


    The cheers of The Toffees fans filled the Goodison Park stadium, Everton ahead of Southampton again.


    "Fellaini kicks the ball, the ball flies to the far post, Belliand and Jimmy duel, Belliand heads the ball! Dean Smith saves the ball! Louis Saha kick the rebound ball into the Southampton goalpost. 2-1 to Everton''s advantage."


    This goal was the last goal of the first half.. Until the first half was over, Southampton could not equalize.

 Chapter 44 - Second Half

    "Simmic, Ben Carter, I want you guys to be more active in the second half. Don''t just stand still, help the others to attack. Simone, Dallas, and Kazuki, you three have to be more fierce in grabbing the ball, you could use physical confrontation to steal the ball.


    Osmund, don''t just wait for the ball, press the opposing defender. Everton is a strong opponent but I''m sure you guys can win this game," George explained what Southampton players needed to do.


    A few minutes later, the second half of the match Everton''s against Southampton will start. Players from both teams walk towards the field.


    The team that started the kick-off was Southampton. After the referee''s whistle sounded, Southampton players started the second half. In the second half, Southampton played aggressively. They launched an attack in the early minutes from the beginning of the second half.


    Fortunately, Everton''s defense is still solid. They were able to break the attack that was built by Southampton.


    In the 49th minute, Everton started the attack. Jagielka passes the ball to Tony Hilbert. Hilbert takes the ball across the halfway line.


    Osmund dashed to the side and put the pressure on Hilbert, while Simmic guarded Rodwell. Hilbert passed the ball into the middle of the field, Fellaini and Kazuki ran to get the ball. Fellaini managed to get the ball first, he gave it to Louis Saha.


    Saha was blocked by Simone, he gave a long pass to the left side. Drenthe ran and got the ball, however, Hugo made a clean tackle and managed to push the ball off the field.


    Baines throws the ball back onto the court, Drenthe takes it and controls it. He gave the ball to Leon Osman.


    Osman clashed physically with Dallas, he managed to receive the pass, then Osman gave Fellaini a flat pass, the Everton midfielder immediately kicked the ball forward, he provided a through pass to Louis Saha.


    Saha did not control the ball because Simone was still guarding it, he immediately send a lob pass into the penalty box. The ball floated in the air, Belliand and Jimmy duel for the ball. This time Jimmy won the duel.


    Simone receives the ball from Jimmy''s header, he passes it to Dallas. The Southampton midfielder received the ball from Simone, he then provided a straight pass into the right-wing area.


    Hugo and Drenthe ran at full speed. This time, Hugo managed to win the duel. Hugo kicks the ball into midfield, Osmund runs past Jagielka and Distin, he gets the ball.


    Osmund takes the ball into the Everton penalty box. He then provided a cut pass to the right. Kazuki came and shoot the ball strongly. The ball goes to the top corner of the goalpost. Howard failed to block Kazuki''s shot.


    A goal was created in the 53rd minute. Southampton managed to equalize.


    Kazuki hugged Osmund celebrating the goal with him. At that moment, Osmund should have scored, but he preferred to give Kazuki a pass. Because of that, Kazuki was grateful.


    Kazuki''s goal made the Everton fans sad, their lead finally vanished, but soon, the fans cheered on the players again. Time is still long, so Everton still has a chance.


    In the 60th minute, George pulled Dallas out and replaced him with Rudolf. Apart from the fact that Dallas was too old so he didn''t have much stamina, George also pulled Dallas because he didn''t want Dallas'' yellow card to turn into a red card.


    In the 65th minute, Everton got a chance. Ben Carter hits the ball with his hand while blocking Rodwell''s shot. The referee blows the whistle and points to the white dot. The Southampton players protested the decision. The referee didn''t listen to the Southampton players'' protests, he stood by his decision.


    The one who will take the penalty is Belliand. Dean Smith took a deep breath and looked at the former Southampton player. He tried to remember Belliand''s taking penalty habit.


    The referee blew his whistle, Belliand walked slowly and kicked the ball to the left. But Dean Smith guessed the direction of the ball correctly, he managed to catch the ball. Belliand''s penalty habit was to the right, but Dean Smith guessed that Belliand realized he knew his habit, so he changed the direction of the shot to the left.


    Dean Smith immediately threw the ball forward. Jimmy accepted it and gave the pass to Rudolf. Rudolf passed the ball to Kazuki.


    Everton goalkeeper Howard was far in front of the penalty box, so Kazuki took this opportunity to kick the ball from half field. Howard saw the ball go straight into the Everton goalpost, he ran towards the goal to block the ball, but Howard was too late, the ball entered the Everton goalpost.


    "Goaaalll! Super longshot from the half field! Kazuki managed to score the longest goal of the 2011/2012 season. With this goal, Southampton is 3-2 ahead against Everton," shouted Jim Kaglin.


    Odson who saw the goal could only say in annoyance, "Belliand, a failed transfer. If Dusan had taken the penalty, Everton would have scored."


    "Super longshot like that is very difficult to do, players need to give the right power when shooting the ball. He also needs to have good accuracy. There is no need to argue that Kazuki won the duel against Belliand," Carragher gave Kazuki applause.


    The game continues, Everton going crazy after Southampton ahead of them with Kazuki''s goal. However, George quickly made adjustments. First, he brought out Osmund and brought in a center-back.


    In the 70th minute, George pulled Kazuki off the field and put in a defensive midfielder. Although Everton continued to control the ball Southampton had used park the bus strategy, it was very difficult for Everton to penetrate the Southampton penalty box. The Everton players'' shot was blocked by the Southampton players'' bodies.


    From the start of the 70th minute, the ball was always under the feet of the Everton players. However, Southampton defended their penalty box area. The game continues and Everton has not been able to find the net against Southampton.


    The best chance came in the 83rd minute, where Belliand managed to head the ball towards Southampton goalpost. However, Dean Smith was able to catch the ball.


    After that, Everton could not score a third goal until the end of the second half.


    "Congratulations to Southampton, they managed to win the match week 29, between Everton vs Southampton at Goodison Park Stadium. The Saints managed to beat Everton with a score of 3-2. With this victory, Southampton managed to move Blackburn in 16th position. I think the man of the match this time is Kazuki, he scored 2 goal and 1 assists. This is Kazuki''s 8th goal, in 6 matches. So far he also managed to record 3 assists.


    Thanks to Odson Vernan and also James Carragher for accompanying me to watch this match.. Goodbye and good night."

 Chapter 45 - Blackburn

    Kazuki''s shone appearance was once again reported by the media. 7 goals and 4 assists in just 6 games. Those stats had made Kazuki even more praised. The amount of media praising Kazuki made George worry that Kazuki would become arrogant, even if in fact, Kazuki was a calm person.


    He called Kazuki to his office after the daily training.


    "What do you need, Coach?" asked Kazuki.


    "In the last few games, you have played very well. Next season you will be Southampton''s main player. That''s why I want you to continue to maintain your performance, don''t ever get influenced by news outside. I have met many geniuses who ended up failing because of the news out there," George explained his purpose to call Kazuki to his office.


    It would be a lie if Kazuki said he wasn''t affected by the news that was spread by media that praised him. However, every day in [Dream Training] mode [Watch] he saw stories of geniuses who failed to shine. Seeing it in [Watch] mode had a different impact than just hearing the news about failed geniuses. By continuing to do that Kazuki was able to remind himself not to pay too much attention to the praise given by the media.


    "Calm down coach, I will try to maintain my performance in every match," Kazuki replied.


    George Eastgate nodded and said, "Then I''ll believe you, you may go."


    George was unable to control Kazuki, therefore he could only trust that Kazuki would be able to maintain his performance. Apart from regarding Kazuki himself, there was also another matter about Kazuki.


    Transfer.


    A few games before, the Southampton board agreed wouldn''t sell Kazuki at the end of the season. However, Kazuki''s outstanding performance made big clubs, not only English clubs but also other European clubs make bids on Southampton. A large number of offers from other clubs made Southampton officials confused.


    One of Southampton''s boarders offered a proposal to sell Kazuki if there was an offer of around 30 million euros. George who heard that was angry. The Southampton coach believes Kazuki will continue to score goals, and if Southampton sells Kazuki for around 30 million euros bid then in the summer transfer window Kazuki might move to another team.


    The reason is George was sure at the end of the 2011/2012 season, the big clubs would see that 30 million was cheap enough to buy Kazuki with his good performance.


    George advised the Southampton chairman, "No matter how much other teams bid Kazuki, don''t let Kazuki move before the end of the 2012/2013 season."


    George believes that with Kazuki Southampton might be able to compete for the Europa League qualification or win the league cup.


    Kazuki''s presence made George''s ambition rise. If he manages to achieve a good career at Southampton, maybe he can move to a better club.


    ***


    Meanwhile, the match week 30 between Southampton vs Blackburn at St Marry''s Stadium will start tomorrow.


    Attendance at Southampton fans at the Stadium slowly increased after Southampton''s positive results series. Southampton fans like Kazuki even though they know that Kazuki will leave Southampton sooner or later. They gave Kazuki the nickname, The Holy Ninja.


    The word Holy was taken because the word is close to Southampton''s nickname, The Saints. The word Ninja was taken because Kazuki was Japanese, and Kazuki''s playing style that took advantage of the gap was similar to the Ninja that suddenly appeared.


    At the pre-match press conference, George answered several journalists'' questions.


    "Overall we are ready to face tomorrow''s game. We have the confidence to win tomorrow''s game," said George when asked about preparations ahead of the Southampton vs Blackburn match.


    "Some of the players who were caught in the case last week will also appear in the starting line-up. I''m sure they can perform optimally despite the absence of the training and Southampton games for a few days. They are professional players, they can adjust themselves well."


    George then added his words when asked about Kazuki, "Kazuki will appear, he''s one of our best players lately there''s no way I''ll make him sit on the bench for no reason."


    In this match, Southampton was fully prepared to welcome Blackburn''s arrival.


    ***


    "Good evening ladies and gentlemen, welcome to match week 30 of the English Premier League, there is a big match this week between Manchester City and Manchester United, but that match will be broadcast after this match. Here, I, Jim Kaglin will present a match between Southampton vs Blackburn.


    Southampton in the last 6 matches has got 3 wins, 1 draw, and 2 defeats. An excellent record for a team at the bottom of the table. Meanwhile, Blackburn in the last 6 matches got 0 wins, 2 draws, 4 defeats. If Blackburn loses this match then Wigan Athletic will have the opportunity to overtake Blackburn''s position in the Premier League table.


    Alright, let''s look at Southampton''s formation. Southampton uses a 4-4-2 formation which is the formation Southampton use most often.


    Goalkeepers: Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Freddy, Hilton, Okhalo, Benson;


    Midfielders: Hugo, Rudolf, Simone, Kounde;


    Front: Kazuki, Denilson.


    Meanwhile, Blackburn uses a 3-5-2 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Paul Robinson;


    Defenders: Martin Olsson, Christopher Samba, Grant Hanley;


    Midfielders: Jason Lowe, David Dunn, Steven Nzozi, David jr Hoilett, Mauro Formica;


    Strikers: Robin Rochina, Yakubu.


    Both teams fielded the formation they used most often, they also fielded their mainstay players. Nothing to discuss further, let''s see the first half kick-off between Southampton and Blackburn."


    Kazuki and Denilson started the first half kick-off. Southampton fans cheered in the stands, the match they had been waiting for had begun.


    Blackburn is a team that is good at playing low blocks. Their 3-5-2 formation changed to a 3-4-3, with both strikers wide for pressing while a midfielder stepped forward to mark midfielder opponents.


    Southampton started the game stabile. Against a team like Blackburn, Southampton must play patiently waiting for the right momentum.


    In the 8th minute, Southampton tried to attack Blackburn. Southampton midfielder Simone provides a pass to Rudolf. Rudolf keeps the ball from Nzozi chased. He passes the ball to Hugo. Hugo received the ball then passed Formica who was guarding him. Hugo brought the ball forward, Blackburn defender Hanley came in to close Hugo''s space. Hugo provides a cross into the middle of the penalty box.


    Kazuki and Denilson clash physically with the Blackburn defender for the ball. In the end, it was the Blackburn goalkeeper who got the ball first.


    Southampton attack stopped. Blackburn launched a counterattack. Blackburn defender Samba managed to give the ball to David Dunn, Simone did a body charge on David Dunn. David Dunn almost fell, but he still managed to pass the ball to right midfielder Jason Lowe. Lowe had just received a clean tackle from Kounde.. The ball threw to the outside of the field.

 Chapter 46 - Double Assist

    In the 12th minute, Southampton launches an attack again. The attack was initiated by Simone who managed to snatch the ball from David jr Hoilett, After getting the ball, Simone gave the ball to Kounde.


    Jason Lowe marked Kounde tightly, so Kounde pushed the ball with his heel through the space between Lowe''s legs. He then turned around and passed Lowe. Kounde ran at full speed. David Dunn tried to close the Kounde running path. However, Kazuki retreated backward to help Kounde. Kounde sent the ball to Kazuki.


    After receiving the ball from Kounde, Kazuki made a marseille turn and passed Martin Olson who was trying to snatch the ball. Kazuki pushed the ball into the penalty box.


    Christopher Samba used his body to push Kazuki so the Japanese player couldn''t aim for Blackburn''s goalpost. Kazuki pulled the ball back and turned his back toward the goalpost, he gave a pass to Simone who was in the middle of the penalty box.


    Simone received a pass from Kazuki, he immediately gave a volley shoot to the Blackburn goalpost. Blackburn goalkeeper managed to bounce the ball over the goal.


    "Ooh!! A beautiful save made by Paul Robinson. Simone''s volley bounced off the net. Southampton wasted the chance."


    In the 19th minute, Blackburn gets a chance. Blackburn midfielder, David Dunn, managed to snatch the ball from Rudolf''s feet. He then gave the ball to Rochina. Blackburn striker, Rochina faced Hilton, he provided a straight pass to the left, beside his left, there was Blackburn''s Argentine midfielder, Formica.


    Formica, who got the ball from Rochina, provided a cross into the penalty box. Yakubu did a body charge on Okhalo and managed to get a chance. Then, he kicked the ball hard into the corner of the Southampton goalpost. Unfortunately, the ball bounced out of the field after hitting the post.


    In the 26th minute, Freddy stepped forward with the ball quickly. He did a body feint to get past Formica. Freddy made a one-two pass to get past Blackburn midfielder Steven Nzozi.


    David Dunn used a tackle to knock Freddy down, but the ball bounced off Hugo''s leg. Hugo saw that David Dunn''s tackle was not a foul so he immediately dribbled the ball quickly into the Blackburn defense area.


    Hugo gave a low pass into the middle of the penalty box. Kazuki used his speed and good position to surpass Samba. Just as Kazuki was about to receive the ball he saw the offside flag being raised by the linesman.


    Kazuki and Hugo asked the linesman, it turned out that Kazuki was in an offside position. Kazuki could only blame himself for not realizing the offside trap that Blackburn had set.


    In the 32nd minute, Kounde was brought down by Olsson in front of the penalty box. Free kick awarded to Southampton. This time, Denilson will take the free-kick. When everything is ready, the referee blows the whistle. Denilson ran slowly, then kicked the ball.


    The ball spins in the air and turns to the right. Kazuki ran in the direction the ball fell and gave a volley shoot towards the middle of the goalpost. However, Kazuki''s shoot hit Robinson''s face and bounced off the field. Kazuki held his head surprised he missed such a good opportunity.


    On the other hand, Robinson who was hit by Kazuki''s kick was bleeding on his nose. Blackburn''s team doctor checked Robinson''s condition, then they signaled the Blackburn coach to replace Robinson.


    Robinson was eventually carried off on a stretcher. The goalkeeper who replaced Robinson was Mark Bunn, so far Mark only appeared for 3 games in the 2011/2012 season. This fact made Blackburn''s defense nervous. They were worried that Mark would make a fatal mistake.


    The match continued. Southampton still dominates possession ball. In the 41st minute, Kounde managed to break through Lowe, he gave a flat pass into the middle of the penalty box. Once again, Kazuki managed to surpass Samba. He got the ball. Mark was in front of him, so Kazuki passed the ball to the right, Hugo came and gave a straight shoot. The ball goes into the Blackburn net.


    "Goaaalll! Hugo! Southampton finally broke the deadlock in the 41st minute. A beautiful goal started with Kounde on the left, Kazuki who got the ball in the penalty area, then Hugo who put the ball in. Two Southampton wingers were involved in this goal."


    The Saint''s fans cheered loudly. They released their emotions in screams. Southampton players as well as the coach also celebrated the goal. This goal gave confidence to the Southampton team.


    The kick-off starts again. Blackburn started to be more active than before. They took the initiative to attack. However, Southampton who was more excited managed to break Blackburn''s attack.


    Unfortunately, the score did not change until the final whistle of the first half sounded. The Southampton players left the pitch in a good mood.


    ***


    During the break, George didn''t talk about a change of strategy. He only encouraged the Southampton players to continue their good performance.


    Fifteen minutes passed quickly, the second half of the match between Southampton and Blackburn started again.


    Blackburn started the second-half kick-off. Blackburn''s formation changed from 3-5-2 to 3-2-4-1. The formation change shows that Blackburn will start playing aggressively in the second half.


    In the 48th minute, Blackburn launched an attack. David Dunn managed to get past Kazuki, after that, he immediately gave a pass to Nzozi. Then Steven Nzozi gave a straight pass.


    Hoilett was competing with Rudolf for the ball. Hoilett managed to get the ball, he pushed the ball aside and chipped the ball into the Southampton defense. Jason Lowe competes with Freddy. Lowe managed to get the ball first.


    Lowe raised his leg as if he was going to kick the ball, then, he pushed the ball to the right. The move succeeded in tricking Freddy. Lowe penetrated the Southampton penalty box.


    He gave the pass to Yakubu. Yakubu kicked the ball but Okhalo blocked his kick. The ball bounces off the field.


    Corner for Blackburn. David Dunn took the corner kick. Then, he kicked the ball after hearing the referee''s whistle. The ball flew into the goalmouth.


    Dean Smith punched the ball forward. Kazuki received the ball. He did a whiplash turn to get past Blackburn center-back Samba who clung to his back. Kazuki brought the ball quickly into the opponent''s penalty box.


    Olsson, running after Kazuki and managed to catch up, Olsson slowly closing the space Kazuki ran. Kazuki was forced to pass the pass towards the unguarded Denilson. Denilson who faced the goalkeeper, easily shoot the ball into the opponent''s goalpost.


    "Goaall! A fierce counter-attack from Southampton managed to vibrate the Blackburn net. Denilson''s chip shot managed to add the advantage for Southampton."


    This goal managed to make Southampton''s advantage more stable.. George pulled Kazuki off the pitch in the 52nd minute, Kazuki was replaced by Osmund.

 Chapter 47 - Problem

    After Kazuki was out of the field, Southampton continued to maintain their lead. The Saint used solid defense to break Blackburn''s attack. Looking at the Southampton defense, it could be seen that it will be very difficult for Blackburn to score 2 goals to equalize.


    In the 78th minute, Hugo added Southampton''s score became 3 goals. The Southampton winger managed to score a goal after getting a pass from Osmund. With this goal, Southampton ensured victory in this match.


    Until the end of the game, Blackburn did not manage to score a single goal. Southampton won the match week 30, at St Mary''s Stadium. With this victory, Southampton leveled the points with the 15th position in the premier league table, Aston Villa.


    ***


    Kazuki was sitting at his house watching the 2011-2012 UCL quarter-finals first leg. 8 teams qualified in the UCL quarter-finals. The first is Juventus who beat Liverpool 3-1 on aggregate. Mattheo Rodrigues scored two goals against the Reds.


    Second is Lyon, the French team beat Shaktar Donetsk 2-0 on aggregate. Next, there is Bayer Munich who beat Basel 7-1. The next one is Barcelona, after beating AC Milan 3-0.


    Real Madrid won with a slight advantage 1-0 over Bayer Leverkusen. Man U won 4-3, they beat Internazionale Milan. Chelsea won on away goals 1-1 over APOEL from Cyprus. Last, Benfica won from Zenit St Petersburg.


    In the Quarter-finals, Real Madrid will play against Chelsea. Juventus will play face Barcelona. Benfica will play against Manchester United. Finally, Bayer Munich will play against Lyon.


    Even though UCL is very far from Kazuki now, Kazuki still sees UCL matches, especially Juventus matches. The reason was of course because of Mattheo''s existence. Kazuki was happy that Juventus would fight Barcelona, cause it would make the quarter-final match more exciting.


    The story between Barcelona and Matthew is very popular. Little Mattheo grew up healthy and never had dwarfism. He showed his talent from an early age. Barcelona once approached Mattheo''s father so that Mattheo would continue his football career at the La Masia academy. However, Matheo''s father refused.


    At that time the Italian Serie A was more attractive than any other league. That''s why Mattheo became a Juventus academy player instead of Barcelona. Mattheo''s opportunity to play for the Juventus first team came when the Old Lady dropped to the second tier of the Italian league. Since then Mattheo became the main player for Juventus and had won UCL 2 times with Juventus.


    Guardiola, Barcelona coach stated several times his desire to bring Mattheo to Camp Nou. This is natural because in 3 consecutive years Barcelona has reached the final of the Champions League but they have only won 1 UCL because they were defeated by Juventus in 2 consecutive finals. If there was no Mattheo maybe Barcelona could win the UCL 3 times in a row.


    In this season''s UCL, Juventus looks to be declining. They even struggled in the group stage. The only thing that allowed Juventus to get into the quarter-finals was Mattheo.


    The quarter-final first-round match between Juventus and Barcelona ended in 3-0, Barcelona managed to win the match. It''s very difficult for Juventus to turn things around. Juventus'' failure in the UCL this time will probably have a big impact on Mattheo''s career as a player. The Argentine once said that his loyalty to Juventus was based on Juventus being able to compete for the UCL every year, seeing Juventus decline there is a possibility of Mattheo Rodrigues moving to another club.


    ***


    On a sunny morning, Kazuki got up from the bed. The sound of the cellphone ringing made Kazuki wake up earlier than usual. He opened his eyes and picked up the cellphone on the bedside table.


    Kazuki got a message from Furochi, it only contained one sentence.


    [See news featured in The Sun article.]


    Kazuki pressed the link provided by Furochi. After a while, the article was displayed on Kazuki''s cellphone screen.


    Kazuki read the article slowly. His forehead slowly frowning, even more, Kazuki stopped at one of the paragraphs that caught his attention. The article contains The Sun''s interview with Denilson. At first, the interview went on as usual, but one of The Sun''s questions made the situation change.


    "Do you agree that Kazuki is a better player than you?


    This whole season, you only scored 6 goals and 5 assists, while Kazuki only needed 7 games to surpass your stats this season."


    Denilson replied, "I don''t agree with your opinion. I don''t think we should judge a player based on goals alone. In Southampton tactics, my job as an opponent''s attention-getter is one of the factors that allow Kazuki to score goals easily. Of course, Kazuki is a good player but I am better than him."


    No matter what opinion Denilson had about him, Kazuki didn''t care about it. The problem, however, is that Denilson had said his opinion in media outlets such as The Sun. Keep in mind, every star must keep his words so as not to trigger controversy.


    Denilson''s words are certainly controversial.


    Kazuki had never put Denilson in importance. To him, Denilson was just a passing stranger in his life. Kazuki''s current abilities were already better overall than Denilson''s. That''s why even though Denilson is annoying but he never takes it too much.


    However, for Denilson, Kazuki''s development was too fast. Denilson is the highest-paid player at Southampton. Previously, he was also a core player for Southampton. But with the speed of Kazuki''s development it was clear, next season the highest salary at Southampton would be held by Kazuki, he would also be a core player in the Southampton team. In Southampton, perhaps only Simone had more voting rights than Kazuki.


    This was might cause Denilson, who initially acted casual to Kazuki, now, starting glaring at him.


    Denilson feels his status at Southampton is threatened.


    At 9:00 am, Kazuki came to the training ground. Southampton started training as usual, but the team mood changed. Kazuki who usually greeted everyone including Denilson, was now intentionally not greeting Denilson. In team training, Denilson didn''t ever pass to Kazuki. The two practiced as if they didn''t know each other.


    George who saw that frowned. This situation cannot be allowed to continue. Otherwise, Southampton''s game would have an impact as Kazuki and Denilson were the two forwards that George relied on the most.


    Assistant Coach, James Ward also clearly felt that Kazuki and Denilson''s hostility was making the team''s bad mood.


    Simone was trying to mend Kazuki''s friendship with Denilson.


    Kazuki said to Simone in a loud voice, "Let him apologize and the problem is finished."


    Denilson heard Kazuki''s words. He turned to face Kazuki and said, "I don''t owe you an apology. You should recognize your place, Rookie."


    Kazuki answered bravely, "It''s true I am a Rookie, but ask all Southampton players, who is the biggest problem in this team? Ask Belliand why he scored so few goals in the first half of the season."


    Team interests over individual interests. This must be implemented properly. For example, several times Kazuki was willing to give the ball to Osmund on counter-attacks because Southampton''s goal was more important than forcing himself to score when a teammate''s chances were better than his.


    In Southampton''s counter-attack scheme, Denilson''s problems often arise. He often controls the ball for too long so the counter-attack momentum is lost. In the past, Denilson''s individual play might have been needed by Southampton, but since Kazuki''s arrival, the only thing Southampton needed was good teamwork.


    Denilson''s individual playing style now doesn''t match Southampton''s.

 Chapter 48 - QPR

    The next day, Denilson''s agent told the reporter, "Kazuki is a good player, but his attitude is very bad. He did not respect Denilson as a player who is more senior than him."


    The media exploded, they dug into what happened between Kazuki and Denilson. After knowing the story behind it, they immediately reported it to the public. Soon, Furochi as Kazuki''s agent spoke up regarding this matter.


    "Kazuki is a good boy, he has no problem with other players. If there is someone who has a problem with him then the problem is that person, not Kazuki. There is a proverb that said, when someone points the forefinger at another person, the other three fingers will pointing at himself."


    Furochi was saying the problem was Denilson, not Kazuki.


    The dispute between Kazuki and Denilson was also heard by Southampton fans. Some people sided with Denilson, but most Southampton fans sided with Kazuki. The reason was simple, Kazuki was better than Denilson. It must be admitted as a footballer that the most important aspect, of course, is the football ability of the person.


    This dispute made George as coach remove Kazuki and Denilson from the Big List against Queen Park Ranger in the 31st match week of the English Premier League.


    At the pre-match press conference, George said, "With a lot of deliberation, I''ve decided to remove Kazuki and Denilson from the big list this time, so they can keep a cool head. Both are very important to Southampton, I hope they both clear up any ongoing misunderstandings."


    George was also asked by a journalist, which player was more useful to Southampton, Kazuki, or Denilson. However, the Southampton coach did not answer that question. He firmly said both were important for Southampton. George did not take anyone''s side in the conflict between Kazuki and Denilson.


    Even though Kazuki didn''t make the big list in the match against Queen Park Rangers, he came to the Stadium, to support Southampton from the stands.


    In this match, Osmund and Crage replaced Kazuki and Denilson on the frontline. Southampton, who play at home, struggle to beat Queen Park Rangers. QPR, which ranks 19th in the English Premier League table, was able to provide fierce resistance to Southampton. No one team dominates in this match.


    In the 17th minute, Southampton had a very good chance. Simone managed to break through the QPR player who marked him. He gave the ball to Hugo. The Southampton winger provided a cross into the middle of the penalty box. Osmund ran and had a chance to shoot straight at the goalpost, but Osmund''s shot missed the net.


    The fans held their heads in disappointment. Such a good opportunity could not be executed properly. They missed Kazuki who had good shooting ability.


    "Looks like they need you," said Shiraishi who was sitting beside Kazuki.


    "There is no guarantee I will score if I replace Osmund. The chance of Osmund scoring in such a situation is 50% while I have an 85% chance instead of 100%. So I might also fail to score in the face of such an opportunity," Kazuki explained to Shiraishi without overestimating or underestimating his own abilities.


    "85%, didn''t you too confidence?" Shiraishi asked with a sneer. She also knows football well. She knew even top strikers wouldn''t dare to claim a scoring chance of more than 60% of every chance they got.


    Kazuki replied calmly, "There is no definite data regarding it, after all the condition of each player changes every day. But when I''m in my best performance and a good mood, my chances of scoring a goal from every chance I get are more than 70%."


    Back to the match, in the 34th minute, Southampton conceded first by Queen Park Rangers. The counter-attack launched by the QPR players managed to disperse the Southampton defense. Okhalo failed to stop QPR''s counter-attack, as a result, the QPR striker was able to score after a one-on-one encounter with Dean Smith.


    The score lasted until the end of the first half. Southampton fans again felt the atmosphere they experienced during the first half of the 2011/2012 season when Kazuki had yet to play for Southampton. The despair they feel when their favorite team is unable to rise, no matter how much support they give.


    The second half of the match week 31 between Southampton and Queen Park Rangers has started again. Southampton coach George Eastgate brought on Wright-Phillips to replace Kounde in the early second half.


    In this second half, Southampton played better than before. The Saints played more aggressively in the second half. Two of Southampton''s mainstay midfielders, Rudolf and Simone ran tirelessly to decide QPR''s attack and also to help build the attack.


    Once again, finishing issues arise. In the 57th minute, Wright-Phillips missed the goal when he only needed to push the ball into an empty net. Two minutes later, Crage also failed to get the ball into the QPR goalpost.


    George saw Southampton players wasting chances like in the first half of the 2011/2012 season, as a result, he was frustrated. On the sidelines, he walked back and forth restlessly. In the 64th minute, George entered Ryan to replace Crage.


    Finally, Southampton scored in the 75th minute. Ryan managed to score after getting a through ball from Simone. When the goal happened, the fans celebrated the goal with joy. Finally, after waiting for over 60 minutes, Southampton equalized.


    The goal made Southampton even more excited. They continue to attack QPR relentlessly. Southampton didn''t hesitate to make a foul to stop QPR''s counter-attack.


    The intensity of the game increases. The cheers of The Saints fans continued non-stop. They continued cheering tirelessly.


    However, in the 85th minute, the noise in the stadium suddenly disappeared. Silence enveloped the stadium when the ball entered the Southampton goalpost. QPR''s counterattack finally worked. They broke into Southampton''s defense, after receiving a continued attack from Southampton.


    Under the gaze of tens of thousands of people, the QPR players celebrated a goal. Southampton trailed 1-2 from the visitors. George immediately replaced Hilton with Anthony, to win the game, George deliberately replaced defenders with attackers. In the last minute, Southampton goalkeeper, Dean Smith also came forward to attack.


    In added time, Southampton was awarded a penalty after Ryan was brought down in the box. Southampton fans cheered for the referee''s decision.


    The player who took the penalty was Simone as captain of Southampton. The referee''s whistle sounded. Under the gaze of more than tens of thousands of people, Simone kicked the ball to the right of the goalpost. The Queen Park Rangers goalkeeper guessed the wrong direction. However, the ball that Simone kicked hit the post and bounced off the side of the goal.


    Simone fell to his knees, his hands covering his face. Disappointed expressions displayed every fan of The Saints.


    The referee''s whistle sounded, Queen Park Rangers won with a score of 1-2.. Match week 31 of the English Premier League ended with the victory of Queen Park Rangers.

 Chapter 49 - Visiting The King Power Stadium

    Southampton''s defeat made the fans speak up about Kazuki and Denilson''s problems. They hope that the problem will be resolved soon and Kazuki can return to compete in the 32nd match week.


    However, one day after Southampton''s game against Queen Park Rangers, Denilson''s agent spoke again to the media. He said, "Kazuki must apologize immediately, he must not be selfish and harm the interests of the club."


    Agent Denilson spoke as if only Kazuki was at fault. Those words irritated Kazuki. On his social media accounts, he spoke directly about this issue.


    [I do owe an apology, but that is to the team, not to any particular individual. I feel ready to play if the coach wants. Of course, if someone isn''t gentle enough to apologize first then I don''t think Southampton needs him. We have Crage and also Ryan, they are both good players.]


    Kazuki made himself on the same side as the fans. Southampton''s situation made Kazuki''s ability more needed than Denilson''s. In fact, if Southampton wants to perform better in next week''s match, then including Kazuki in the big list is one way. Kazuki was sure that George also knew about it.


    Even though Kazuki felt that he was on the right side in this matter but there were still a few people who insulted him for his attitude. The problem wasn''t due to the fact Kazuki was wrong, but because Denilson was British while Kazuki wasn''t.


    Not everyone in this world is racist. However, it is undeniable that racism does exist in all corners of the world. Because of that, there were some racist comments in the posts he uploaded on his social media accounts. Fortunately, there were still many people who defended Kazuki. They scolded the racist comments and gave Kazuki their support sincerely.


    Kazuki knew that the people who made racist comments were only a small part. A small thing like that wouldn''t make Kazuki view the UK negatively.


    ***


    Southampton''s daily training is still ongoing. Kazuki was still present as usual, but Denilson was not present at the training. Denilson''s absence made Southampton''s training atmosphere more harmonious.


    A smart person must know when to stop. If Denilson''s agent continued to express opinions that cornered Kazuki then people would sympathize with Kazuki even more. However, if he stops causing trouble then he must apologize, otherwise, Denilson will only be isolated by his Southampton teammates. There are still a few months before the summer transfer window opens. If Denilson wants to leave Southampton, then he has to be prepared to miss the last 7 games.


    The decision whether Denilson will apologize or continue to corner Kazuki will be seen after matchday 32 takes place. Because the day before the match took place, George announced Kazuki entered the big list but Denilson didn''t.


    If Kazuki plays well in this match, then it is evident that Kazuki is better than Denilson, and that means Southampton doesn''t need Denilson. On the other hand, if Southampton lost and Kazuki didn''t make any contribution then Denilson would probably continue to make comments that cornered Kazuki.


    ***


    Leicester Stadium was originally called Walkers Stadium. However, in 2009, the name of their stadium became King Power Stadium, after being acquired by a consortium from Thailand, King Power Group, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.


    In the 2008/2009 season, Leicester was still struggling in league one. League One is the third caste league in the English football system, position of league one is below the championship league. In just a few seasons, Leicester has been promoted to the English premier league.


    The current Leicester coach is Nigel Pearson. Under Nigel Pearson''s coaching, Leicester managed to maintain 9th position in the English Premier League table. They are 5 points less than Everton, who are in 8th place in the English Premier League table.


    "Good evening everyone, welcome to Week 32 of the English Premier League. This time, we are broadcasting the match between Leicester City Vs Southampton which will take place at the King Power Stadium.


    Last week, Southampton suffered a 1-2 defeat to Queens Park Rangers. Kazuki and Denilson as Southampton''s mainstay forward did not play in that match. The two of them had a conflict, until now there was no news that their dispute had been resolved.


    However, from the big list that George brought this time, it could be seen that Kazuki was one of the players that George brought to Leicester. Meanwhile, Denilson Hunt is not included in the players brought by George for this match.


    Let''s see if Kazuki''s appearance can bring Southampton victory in this match. Both teams have prepared, let''s see the starting line-up of each team.


    As the host, Leicester appears with a 4-3-3 formation, a formation that emphasizes attack.


    Goalkeepers: Kasper Schmeichel;


    Defenders: Daniel Aimerte, J. Evans, Fofana, C. Soeyuecue;


    Midfielders: Ngogi Kante, Maddison, A. Perez


    Front: A. Davies, Adama Traore, Danny Ward.


    Meanwhile, Southampton uses a 4-4-1-1 formation. Southampton used this formation against Everton.


    Goalkeepers: Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Vicente, Hilton, Okhalo, Benson;


    Midfielders: Hugo, Simone, Rudolf, Kounde;


    Shadow striker: Kazuki


    Striker: Osmund.


    Obviously, Leicester will play aggressively as usual. Kante seemed will marking Kazuki. A duel between them is a duel that I was looking forward to. Meanwhile, it is difficult to predict whether Southampton will compete with Leicester for possession, or whether Southampton will use the usual counter-attacking strategy.


    Let''s watch the first half between Leicester and Southampton in Week 32 of the English Premier League."


    Leicester started the first half kick-off. Under the management of Nigel Pearson, Leicester became a team with good control of the rhythm of the game. Maddison is the playmaker who will set Leicester''s rhythm. One of the things Maddison often does is change the rhythm from slow to fast suddenly. The speed of the two Leicester wingers and also the uniqueness of Adama Traore as a striker became a powerful weapon in Leicester City''s attack scheme.


    The uniqueness of Adama Traore lies in his physicality. He not only has great physical strength but also has incredible speed. Some players have speed but lack endurance, some players have extraordinary endurance but are slow. Traore is one of the players who have both. If it weren''t for his poor ball control and shooting accuracy, he would probably be a star player.


    All three Leicester forward players have good pace, but they all lack accuracy shooting the ball. Meanwhile, in midfield, Kante and Maddison are an irreplaceable midfield duo. Kante can defend a very wide area, he can also help Maddison when Maddison is guarded by opposing players. On the other hand, Maddison has an accurate long pass and also good skill. Maddison, who is only 23 years old, is rumored to have been targeted by big clubs.


    Leicester''s pace will be a challenge for the Southampton defense.

 Chapter 50 - Battle Againts The Fox

    In the 3rd minute, Maddison blitzed the pass to the left of the Southampton defense. Alphonso Davies ran past Southampton left-back, Benson, and then stopped the ball with his feet. After a short time, Benson caught up Davies, he used a tackle to throw the ball off the field.


    Alphonso Davies, who fell due to Benson''s tackle, has complained to the referee, but the referee ignored him. Leicester just got a throw-in. Leicester City right-back Daniel Aimerte throws the ball into the penalty box. Leicester midfielder, Perez, got the ball, he then gave the ball to Maddison. Maddison kicked the ball past Southampton center-back, Traore ran to catch the ball, but the Southampton goalkeeper got the ball first.


    In the 8th minute, Southampton launched the first attack. Vicente brought the ball forward after successfully snatching the ball from Danny Ward. Kante, step forward and prepare to take the ball from Vicente. Vicente did not want to bet, as soon as possible, he gave the ball to Simone.


    Maddison clung to Simone. Luckily, Simone was still able to send a first-touch pass with the inside foot. Kazuki who has down into the midfield received a pass from Simone. Then, he dribbles the ball into half of the opponent''s defense area. Kazuki gave a long pass to the right. Hugo competes with Daniel Aimerte for the ball.


    Hugo received the ball with his chest and then kicked the ball forward. He then ran after the ball, leaving Aimerte. Hugo provides a crossing into the middle of the penalty box. Osmund jumps in and makes a header. The ball flew off the field.


    In the 13th minute, Maddison provided a through ball to Adama Traore. Okhalo was close to the ball, he took the initiative to save the ball, but Traore came and did a body charge on Okhalo, he then snatched the ball from Okhalo. Adama Traore carried the ball into the box, at the same time, Dean Smith stepped up to block Traore''s shot. Adama Traore kicked the ball into the right side of the goalpost, unfortunately, his shot was too sideways.


    Traore kicked the grass, disappointed to himself for missing a chance.


    Leicester''s maintained attack left Southampton''s defenders breaking out in a cold sweat. Simone as a player tasked with marking Maddison failed to carry out his duties properly. Leicester attacked threat is always started by Maddison. If the player is left free, then Southampton will concede sooner or later.


    Southampton coach George Eastgate saw it. He shouted at Simone to tighten his guard on Maddison.


    In the 17th minute, Simone managed to cut Leicester City''s attack, after he managed to snatch the ball from Maddison''s feet, Southampton launched a counter-attack. Simone passes the ball to Rudolf. Rudolf''s task in this match is to be linked between the backline players and the front-line players. Simone can''t do that because he has to look after Maddison.


    Rudolf passed the ball to Kounde. Kante followed Kounde carefully. Kounde takes the ball to the left, towards the sideline. He then pushed the ball past Kante, after which he ran and passed Kante. Kounde ran to bring the ball to the front of the penalty box. He provided a breakthrough pass.


    Kazuki and Osmund dashed forward. They competed with the two Leicester center-backs for the ball. Osmund managed to get the ball, he kicked the ball towards the Leicester goalpost, but Kasper Schmeichel managed to catch Osmund''s kick.


    "Don''t worry, I''m here, keep attacking Southampton guys," said Kasper Schmeichel, after that, he ran forward and threw the ball deep into the half of the field. Maddison used his feet to give the ball the first touch, he turned the ball to the right. Kante received the ball and dribbled it forward. He gave Perez a pass.


    Leicester City midfielder Ayoze Perez lobbed the ball to the right. Alphonso Davies, Leicester''s right-winger won the duel against Benson. He provided a cross into the penalty box. Traore forced his way through Okhalo and Hilton''s guard, he kicked the ball into the corner of the net.


    Dean Smith blocked Traore''s shot, but the ball bounced off the left. Danny Ward, Leicester City''s left-winger shoots the ball and kicks it into the right side of the net. Unfortunately, Danny''s shot was too weak, Hilton ran at full speed and slid on the grass as he kicked the ball away from the goal.


    Simone managed to receive the ball, but Kante dropped it. Kante committed a foul, but the offense was minor. The referee awards Southampton a free kick from where Simone was dropped.


    Southampton and Leicester hit back at each other, but Leicester''s attack was more threatening than Southampton''s. The presence of Kante also occasionally cut off the attack that was built by Southampton. Kante is very good at stealing the ball, using small fouls to stop opponents, and making clean tackles.


    In the 24th minute, Southampton built an attack. Dean Smith threw the ball to Okhalo. The Southampton center-back controlled the ball at his feet, soon, he passed the ball to Southampton right-back Vicente. Danny Ward put pressure on Vicente, as Rudolf and Okhalo were marked by Traore and Perez. Vicente did not have the option, consequently, he pass the ball to the half-line. Kazuki and also Kante pushed each other to grab the right position to receive the ball. Kazuki used his height to surpass Kante. Kazuki headed the ball towards Hugo.


    Hugo, who was being guarded by Soeyuecue, returned the ball to Kazuki. Kazuki carried the ball into the Leicester defense area, while Kante was still following him behind. In front of Kazuki, Forfana came forward to snatch the ball.


    Kazuki pushed the ball with the outside of his right foot, then he pushed the ball in the opposite direction with the inside of his right foot. He uses Elastico to trick Forfana. Kazuki brought the ball into the Leicester penalty box. As he prepared to shoot, Kante finally caught up with Kazuki, the Leicester City defensive midfielder made a clean tackle to push the ball off the field.


    Kazuki who fell due to Kante''s tackle raised his hand at the referee while saying, "It''s a penalty!"


    The referee who was watching the match shook his head. He signaled Kazuki to get up immediately.


    Kazuki knew the referee''s decision was right, but there was no harm in trying to ask for a penalty. He then said to Kante, "You have a good tackle."


    Kante replied with a grin on his face, "Thank you."


    Southampton gets a corner kick. Hugo will take the corner. In the penalty box, Kazuki was guarded by Kante. Meanwhile, the Leicester center-back keeps two of Southampton''s tallest players, Okhalo and Simone. When a corner is taken, Simone and Okhalo''s bodies charge the player next to them, so space is created between the two players. Kazuki ran over to it and jumped up. He shook his head and sent the ball into the right corner of the goal.


    The ball managed to break into the Leicester goal after Kasper Schmeichel failed to save the ball. Kazuki immediately ran to the side of the field, he jumped up and hugged his coach, George Eastgate.


    Southampton fans cheering for Southampton at the King Power Stadium in the corner of the stands.. Southampton managed to score the first goal.

 Chapter 51 - Battle Against The Fox (2)

    Nicola Cortese, president of Southampton club, applauded seeing Kazuki''s goal. Nicola sat on the VIP seat at the Luxury Box. He sat next to the president of Leicester City, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha.


    Nicola is the president and owner of 68% of holdings of Southampton. To be specific, he is someone who has the biggest vote rights in the Southampton club. Nicola is not an idealist, he bought Southampton stock holdings not because he loves football, but because he wants money from it.


    For him, football is a business, which is why he has not hesitated about selling Gareth Neill, and several other talented players. However, just because he didn''t love football, it''s not mean he didn''t understand football. Most of Southampton''s revenue comes from broadcast as well as ticket sales.


    Meanwhile, Southampton rarely makes money on player transfers, as very few players are ''worthy'' to sell. Nicola himself understands that there are some players that he cannot sell. They are players like Hugo and Simone, although both players are playing quite well, they are past their golden age, and Southampton needs to keep players like that.


    For that reason, Nicola was very happy with Kazuki''s appearance. Unlike Hugo and Simone, Kazuki would move to another club, meaning it was a good time for him to profit from player transfers. After listening to the Director of Football, Susan Whalen, Nicola understood that the upcoming summer transfer window was not the right time for Southampton to sell Kazuki.


    Recently, the dispute between Kazuki and also Denilson had Nicola heard. Denilson''s agent continued to pressure the club to sanction Kazuki, but Nicola naturally paid no heed.


    Nicola''s eyes stared at Kazuki who was celebrating, he whispered, "It''s clear who is more important."


    He opened his cellphone and gave Susan a message.


    [Include Denilson to the list of summer transfer window player sales.]


    Next season, Kazuki will be the core of Southampton''s team. To support Kazuki so that he can play better, Nicola will get rid of Denilson who has been a thorn in the Southampton team since he rejected Kazuki''s appearance.


    ***


    The match between Leicester and Southampton continued after Southampton managed to score the first goal. Leicester had the ball, while Southampton put a low block line. In midfield, Maddison was moving here and there, he was the link point between one player and another.


    In the 28th minute, Leicester got a golden opportunity. Maddison got past Simone, he brought the ball forward. Rudolf tries to snatch the ball from Maddison. The Leicester City midfielder provided a pass to Perez. Ayoze Perez and Alphonso Davies made a one-two pass, Alphonso entered the box and received a pass from Perez.


    Alphonso provides a pass into the middle of the penalty box. Adama Traore failed to get the ball, but the ball continued to move to the left side of the Southampton defense. Danny Ward came on and delivered a powerful shot, but the shot was far from the target, the ball flew far into the stands.


    In midfield, Maddison who saw that cursed loudly, "Fucking dumb forward."


    Maddison is frustrated with Leicester''s forwards. The Foxes made it to 9th position, largely due to the services of Leicester''s midfield. Maddison wonders if he has a good striker, how many assists can he get? Seeing Leicester''s useless forwards, Maddison made up his mind to leave this club.


    In the 35th minute, Southampton launched a counter-attack. Okhalo managed to cut through Maddison''s pass to Adama Traore, then he brought the ball forward and passed it to Simone. Simone passed the ball to Benson, who did the Overlap. Benson dribbles the ball across the half-line. He provided a long pass towards the left-wing. Kounde and Ngogi Kante compete for the ball.


    Kounde adjusted his position, the ball that flew towards him was met by the outside of the right foot, the ball bounced back over Kante''s head. Kounde carried the ball at full speed, he did a step-over to pass Evans. Kounde dribbles the ball into the penalty area, just as the Leicester goalkeeper stepped forward to grab the ball. Kounde provides the pass to the right side of the penalty box. Osmund came and put the ball into the Leicester City net.


    "Goaall! A beautiful counter-attack from Southampton. Kounde''s speed and skill broke the Leicester defense. Osmund put the ball in after receiving a pass from Kounde. Southampton went 2-0 up against Leicester."


    Leicester continued to struggle for goals, but until the end of the first half, Leicester failed to score.


    After 15 minutes of rest, the game started again. Leicester replaced Adam Traore with Okazaki. Okazaki is a Japanese player who plays as a substitute striker at Leicester City. Kazuki didn''t expect Okazaki to play. Even though Kazuki didn''t close with Okazaki but as a fellow Japanese player, he felt excited.


    The second half of the match between Leicester and Southampton begins. One of Nigel Pearson''s instructions for the second half was to score as soon as possible. Leicester immediately did pressing on Southampton, who had started the kick-off. Southampton''s formation is slightly closer to make it easier to pass between players. With a tight formation, Southampton was able to withstand pressing from Leicester.


    In the midfield, Kazuki actively helped Simone and Rudolf. He connects the players with his passes and dribbles. Kante continued to annoy Kazuki, but without making any fouls, Kante seemed to have a hard time stealing the ball from Kazuki. To fight Kante, Kazuki made good use of his posture.


    In the 51st minute, Daniel Aimerte managed to cut off the pass that Kazuki gave to Kounde. Daniel takes the ball across the half-line. After that, he gave the pass to Maddison. Simone used physical confrontation to annoy Maddison, but Okazaki stepped in and helped Maddison with a one-two pass. Maddison brought the ball to the front of the penalty box, at the same time, Both Leicester wingers ran towards the penalty box. However, just when everyone thought Maddison was going to pass, he instead kicked the ball from outside the box.


    The ball flew like a rocket into the top right corner of the Southampton goalpost. Dean Smith jumped up and extended his arm, but only his fingertips hit the ball. The ball failed to be reflected, finally, the ball went into the Southampton net.


    Leicester City fans cheered. Noise filled the King Power stadium. Leicester City managed to reply with a goal against Southampton. There is still enough time for Leicester City to turn things around.


    Maddison celebrated while repeating the words, "This is how to fucking score a goal." He vented his frustration on Leicester''s forwards. Alphonso Davies and Danny Ward could not deny Maddison''s words.


    In these circumstances, Southampton must choose whether they will attack to increase the goal advantage, or maintain goal advantage with a defend? A wrong choice can lead Southampton to defeat.

 Chapter 52 - The Ends Of The Match

    After Maddison''s goal, Leicester''s attacks become more ferocious. Just in the 10th minute, Leicester had 4 chances that were created. Unfortunately, Leicester couldn''t conversion their golden chance to be a goal.


    All Southampton players got backward to defend. They struggled to defend their advantage, at the same time, they were trying to find a chance to score a goal. At 63rd minute, Southampton chance was coming. Okhalo succeeded to steal the ball from Okazaki. Then, he gave the ball to Rudolf. The Southampton midfielder received the pass from Okazaki. Then, he was dribbling the ball forward, at the same time, Another player had moved toward Leicester''s defense area.


    Rudolf sent a long pass to Kazuki. The Japanese player received the ball with his chest. He controlled the ball under his feet, then, he flicked the ball over Kante''s head who had been at his back. Then, Kazuki turns around and chases the ball.


    Kazuki pushed the ball forward, then he gave a flat pass to the right. Hugo speeded up his run, after that, he passed Soeyuecue. Hugo changed the direction of his run to the middle of the penalty box. Then, he gave the curve pass to Osmund. Southampton striker used his speed to get the ball, but when he would shoot the ball, Forfana managed the tackle to block Osmund''s shot.


    The ball bounced to the left of the penalty box. Daniel Aimerte got the ball, but Kazuki and Kounde were pressing him. Daniel had no choice but to throw away the ball out of the field.


    Soon after that, a Southampton player threw the ball to the field. The player who did that was Benson. He threw the ball to Simone. The Southampton captain gave the ball to Kazuki. Kazuki was giving a through ball to Kounde when Kante had been trying to steal the ball.


    Kounde tried to fool Daniel, but the Leicester City right-back wasn''t fooled by Kounde''s fake move. Kounde didn''t force himself to breakthrough, he gave the ball back to Kazuki. Kazuki chopped the ball to the right suddenly, then, he shot the ball strongly. The ball is rotated in the air, then moved to the corner of the goalpost. Kasper Schmeichel tried to block the ball with his hand. The ball was successfully blocked by Kasper, then, the ball bounced to the middle of the penalty box. Osmund took the ball and kick it hard.


    Leicester City Goalkeeper couldn''t save the goalpost. Southampton''s third goal was created after Osmund took the rebound ball and shot it. Southampton celebrates the goal cheerfully. After 10 minutes pressed by Leicester, Southampton successfully to add their score to 3-1.


    "Goaaall! Osmund! Southampton striker succeeded to score a goal. After Kasper Schmeichel failed to clear the ball properly, Osmund took the rebound ball and score a goal. On other hand, Kazuki''s long shot is decent to be appreciated, because his long shot Southampton chance was coming."


    Besides the field, George and his assistance were hugging each other, the goal made them confident. The 2 goal advantages make them believe that Southampton would win the match. On other hand, Nigel Pearson looked grim, he couldn''t expect that Leicester would concede 3 goals by Southampton.


    "Call Mahrez to warm up his bodies," Nigel said to his assistance.


    At 70th minute, Mahrez comes in to replace Danny Ward. After Mahrez entered, Leicester chanced their strategy. Okazaki will play backward since Mahrez would play leaned to the middle. The flank area would be filled by C. Soeyuecue. Leicester changed their formation, from 4-3-3 to 3-3-4, with 3 back at the backline.


    At 73 minutes, Leicester got a chance. Maddison was dribbling the ball to the right when Simone had been followed him. Maddison gave the ball to Alphonso Davies. Davies received the ball, but he stopped at his place for a while, It''s because Vicente closed Davies''s path. Davies pushed the ball to the right then pulled it again, and then chopped the ball forward. When Vicente was following his movement, Davies changed the direction of the ball 90¡ã, then he passed Vicente and gave the cross ball to the middle of the penalty box.


    Mahrez received the ball, he lifted his feet, then he made a fake shot. After that, Mahrez pushed the ball to the right and shoot it straight to the corner of the goalpost. Dean Smith couldn''t save the ball, so the ball entered the Southampton net.


    At 74 minutes, the Algerian young player success to score a goal, so Leicester was decreasing their disadvantage.


    At 74 minutes, George was replacing Hugo with Wright-Phillips and Osmund with Ryan. Ryan swapped his role with Kazuki, Ryan would play in backward while Kazuki will change Osmund''s role as a striker. Meanwhile, the reason why Hugo was replaced by Wright-Phillips was because of his poor performance. In the second half, Hugo was playing badly, unlike his performances in the first half. He might be tired.


    At 80 minutes, Maddison managed to shoot the ball from outside the penalty box. Unfortunately, his shot has missed the goalpost.


    The match intensity was rose. Especially when the match entered the last 10 minutes. At 81 minutes, Rudolf got the yellow card after knocking down Mahrez outside of the penalty box. Maddison took the free-kick. Unfortunately, his shot hits the post and bounced out of the field.


    At 84 minutes, Kante got a yellow card after tackling Kazuki at the same place with the free-kick that happened before. Kazuki took the free-kick, while the other player was entering the penalty box.


    This free-kick was too close for his standard, despite Kazuki wanting to try it. He wanted to do it because Kazuki was training this kind of free-kick in [Dream Training].


    The referee whistle sounded after breathing deeply, Kazuki kicked the ball. The ball curved over the human fence, aiming to the corner of the goalpost. Kasper Schmeichel tried to block the ball, but the ball was hit the post and bounced into the Leicester goalpost.


    "Goaaalll! Magnificent! Kazuki was successful to create an artistic free-kick. Southampton was increased, their advantages became 4-2."


    Southampton''s fans were cheerful fulfilling the King Power Stadium despite they had fewer people than Leicester fans. Kazuki was hugged by his comrade in the side of the pitch.


    "That is a good free-kick, dude."


    "You have to teach me later."


    "When you took the free-kick, I thought you will pass the ball to me."


    Kazuki''s response, his comrade says with a smile.


    The match continued, Nigel Pearson replaced Souyuecue with a forward player. Leicester just left two center-back at the backline, the rest was in the front to help Leicester attack.


    At 92 minutes, Daniel Aimerte crossed the ball to the middle of the field. Mahrez who is marked by Okhalo jumped and made a bicycle kick gesture. Then, he shot the ball to Southampton goalpost. Dean Smith failed to catch the ball.


    "Unbelievable! Riyad Mahrez brought the tension back to this match. 20 years old young player didn''t inferior compared to Kazuki performance in this match."


    After the goal, Leicester''s attacks were going more intense. At 95 minutes, Maddison made a long shot from outside of the penalty box. Unfortunately, the shot hit the post and bounced out of the field. The final whistle was sounded, Maddison covered his face with his hand, he was disappointed with his performance and others.


    Southampton Fans cheered after the final whistle was sounded. Maddison shot made their heart stop for a while. Fortunately, Maddison shot was hit the post.


    Southampton was succeeding to win the match with a score of 4-3, they got one goal more than Leicester.

 Chapter 53 - Rejuvenation Squad

    After the match, Kazuki was brought by coach George to the post-match press conference for the first time. Kazuki felt nervous, even though he had a calm nature, but this was Kazuki''s first time facing the media directly. Previously, he was always represented by Furochi. While coach Nigel Pearson also brought in a player at the post-match press conference, he brought on Maddison instead of Mahrez who scored twice in this match.


    After everything was ready, the press conference started.


    Journalists from The Guardian started the press conference, "Congratulations on Southampton''s win over Leicester City, Mr. George. It was a very exciting game, I really enjoyed watching this game. What do you think about this match?"


    George adjusted the mic, he then said "It was a tough game even though we won in the end. In the first half we were lucky Leicester was less efficient in finishing their chances, otherwise, we played very efficiently. Overall, I''m very satisfied with the Southampton player performance."


    "How about you, Mr. Pearson?" asked The Guardian reporter.


    Nigel sighed as he said, "We wasted too many chances in this match, especially in the first half. However, we did our best, we were just unlucky in this match."


    The Sun glanced at Maddison, he smirked and asked, "Do you agree with Mr. Pearson''s statement, Maddison?"


    "I think that rather than being unlucky, we were more like not good enough. Unlucky can only be used in one condition, but if that condition happens again and again, then some players are not good enough," said Maddison, while Nigel Pearson stared at him in disbelief.


    Maddison''s words were sharper than he expected. Pearson''s trying to cover up the player''s mistakes. Nigel cleared his throat to give code to Maddison to stop his bullshit talk. However, Maddison did not respond to Pearson''s code.


    The reporters were also excited to hear what Maddison had to say. The Sun asked again, "So you''re saying that some players just aren''t good enough to play at Leicester?"


    "I just think if Leicester wants to get better then we need a good striker like him," Maddison pointed at Kazuki. He then continued, "Of course this is just my opinion, it''s all up to the coach, I can''t decide it."


    The reporter kept asking Maddison, but Maddison immediately took the mic away and didn''t answer the other reporters'' questions.


    After they realized that Maddison wouldn''t be answering their questions anymore, the reporters turned their attention to Kazuki.


    "Kazuki, you played well today. Recently, you had a problem between you and your teammate, Denilson. Do you feel you are in the right position on that matter?" asked The Independent Reporter.


    Kazuki was silent for a while before finally answering, "Look at me, do you know why I am here?"


    "You''re here because the coach chose you instead of Denilson."


    Kazuki explained, "The coach has chosen me over him. It shows that I am better than him. My teammates at Southampton have no issue with me, the fans are still there supporting me, with all of that you are still asking if I am in the right position? Of course, I am. I was right on this matter."


    The Independent Reporter did not expect Kazuki to give such a confident answer. However, the reporter also couldn''t refute Kazuki''s words, because what Kazuki said was right. George had selected Kazuki over Denilson, that''s means Kazuki was better than Denilson.


    The Southampton Daily reporter raised his hand, he asked Kazuki, "You have scored 10 goals in 9 matches. Do you have any secret that allowed you to achieve this?"


    Kazuki replied, "There is no specific formula on how one can become a good striker."


    "Didn''t you do any special training or something?"


    Kazuki explained slowly, "Guess, do you think I had practiced ki or chakra? Neither. Everyone knows to be a good striker you have to practice your kick, running ability, physical ability, etc. Hundreds of strikers around the world train in that way every day, including me. However, in reality, only a few top strikers are known worldwide. It''s because they are talented and lucky. Likewise, with me, you ask me why I can score 10 goals in 9 games? The answer is because I''m talented."


    After the interview, the press conference went smoothly. The Southampton players got on the bus and left the King Power stadium.


    Meanwhile, Maddison''s words at the press conference were widely discussed. The topic replaced the news regarding Kazuki and Denilson that had been circulating for the past few days.


    Meanwhile, The discussion regarding Mahrez might increase if he can maintain good performances in every match like Kazuki.


    After the match, Denilson never went to the training ground again, his agent also didn''t talk offense to Kazuki anymore. They both seemed to just disappear. Everyone wonders what happened? Meanwhile, Southampton''s players know that Denilson has decided to make a move in the summer window. Southampton asked Denilson to apologize to Kazuki, otherwise, Denilson would have to agree to a transfer to another club in the summer. Denilson preferred to move on rather than apologize to Kazuki.


    ***


    After Denilson never showed up for daily training, George decided to call Rustan to the first team. Why did George call Rustan who is a winger to the first team instead of any other player? Because Hugo and Ryan are flexible players, both players can fill the position left by Denilson. Meanwhile, Rustan could focus on competing with other players in the wing position.


    After Rustan recovered from injury, his performance in the reserve team was quite good. Now, Rustan didn''t just rely on speed alone, he also had trained his passing and kicking ability.


    With the arrival of Rustan, Southampton''s forwards in a 4-4-2 formation are Kazuki, Osmund, Crage, Ryan, Anthony. Meanwhile, the position of the left-wing will be filled by Kounde, Wright-Phillips, and Simmic. Wright-Phillips could also play in the middle, replacing Rudolf or Simone. The right-wing position will be filled by Hugo and Rustan.


    Although Southampton still lacked a target man striker type, so far Kazuki''s ability to score goals against defending teams is still good. On the other hand, Southampton''s wing and front positions were filled by players who have qualified individual skills such as Hugo, Kazuki, Ryan, Wright-Phillips, and finally Crage. Rustan and Osmund were less skillful than the others, they both rely more on speed.


    With the inclusion of players such as Kazuki, Ryan, and Rustan, Southampton began to experience a squad rejuvenation.. George, as a coach, must be able to guide these young players as well as possible.

 Chapter 54 - Aston Villa

    "Good evening everyone, welcome back to match week 33 of the English Premier League. We are broadcasting Southampton vs Aston Villa at St Marry''s Stadium.


    Last week, Southampton managed to beat Leicester with a score of 4-3. Meanwhile, Aston Villa lost to Arsenal 3-1. After the defeated Leicester, Southampton managed to solidify their position in the 15th position of the English Premier League table, while Aston Villa followed behind them by 4 points difference.


    In this match, Southampton did not include Denilson again on the big list. Let''s look at the formation of both teams.


    Southampton uses their main formation, 4-4-2.


    Goalkeeper: Dean Smith


    Defenders: Freddy, Hilton, Okhalo, Benson;


    Midfielders: Hugo, Rudolf, Simone, Wright-Phillips;


    Front: Kazuki, Crage.


    On the other hand, Aston Villa uses a 5-4-1 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan;


    Defenders: Stephen Warnock, Richard Dunne, J. Collins, C. Clark, Carlos Cuellar;


    Midfielders: Albrighton, S. Petrov, Charles N''Zogbia, Stephen Ireland;


    Front: Gabriel Agbonlahor.


    Both teams were identified with their counter-attack. After Kazuki''s arrival, Southampton''s performance raised quickly. Meanwhile, Aston Villa was able to reach 10th place in the first half-season, but they had been continuously declining in performance.


    Too bad Darren Bent wasn''t played. Now, Aston Villa''s top scorer was Darren Ben with 7 goals in all competitions. That record might seem very lacking compared to Kazuki''s record, but out of the entire Aston Villa squad, he was the best player.


    Both teams are teams that often use conservative strategies, so I hope this match is not boring.


    Let''s watch the first half between Southampton and Aston Villa."


    Southampton started the first half kick-off. Crage passed the ball to Kazuki. The Japanese player returns the ball to Crage


    Something different that while Kazuki playing with Crage was the position. Kazuki would tend to be at the back and took on the role of a shadow striker when he had played with Osmund. Meanwhile, when Kazuki played alongside Denilson, he was ahead of Denilson and became a pure striker. On the other hand, Crage and Kazuki''s positions were collateral. You could say Crage and Kazuki didn''t have a specific task, they could swap roles at any time throughout the match.


    With such an arrangement, Kazuki and Crage were able to play more freely. They were not bound by one role, so they could play more flexibly.


    Southampton had the ball early in the game. However, they were at St Marry''s Stadium, Southampton couldn''t play too conservatively.


    In the 7th minute, Rudolf stole the ball from George Agbonlahor''s feet. He passed the ball to Simone. Simone elbowed S. Petrov for the ball. Simone stretched his foot forward and pulled the ball firmly. The ball moved through the gap between Simone''s legs, he then turned and controlled the ball, a moment later Simone gave the ball to Hugo.


    Hugo received the ball, but Albrighton had hit his body hard. The referee blew the whistle, he then gave Albrighton a warning. Meanwhile, Hugo immediately did a quick free-kick. He gave the ball to Crage. Clark straightened his body and blocked Crage''s path to pass to Kazuki. Crage didn''t force himself to breakthrough, because forcing himself to breakthrough in this situation would only make Southampton''s attack fail, Crage gave the ball to Simone who went up to help the attack. Simone immediately gave a long pass towards Wright-Phillips. The ball flew high to the left.


    Wright-Phillips and Warnock, Aston Villa''s right-back, jumped in unison. Wright-Phillips jumped higher this time, he headed the ball back. Behind, Benson who did the overlap received the ball. He gave it to Kazuki.


    Kazuki changed the direction of the ball with one touch, he then turned his body and chased after the ball. The Aston Villa center-back stood in front of Kazuki to block the Japanese striker from breaking through the penalty box. Kazuki raised his leg and did a fake kick. He then pushed the ball to the right and provided a breakthrough pass that moved flat on the grass. Crage went into the box with Clark and Collisons, his position being guarded by these two players on either side.


    Crage struggled hard to receive the pass, he managed to receive the pass, but his position became less comfortable because he was not facing directly towards the goalpost. Instead of wasting chances, Crage launched a shot into the corner of the net. However, the kick flew far off the field.


    Crage apologized to Kazuki while giving him a thumbs up for his breakthrough pass. It was too difficult for Crage to make a goal-directed shot when disturbed by two defenders.


    In the 16th minute, Southampton got a chance. Okhalo managed to beat Gabriel Agbonlahor in an aerial duel. He headed the ball towards his teammate Hilton. Hilton brought the ball forward, at the same time, Freddy raised his hand, he signaled that he was in a free position. Hilton gave the ball to Freddy.


    Freddy penetrated the Aston Villa defense area. N''Zogbia tried to stop Freddy. However, Freddy easily passed N''Zogbia by moving the ball from the right foot to the left quickly. After passing N''Zogbia, C. Clark stepped up and tackled Freddy. Freddy flicked the ball to the right, then he jumped to avoid Clark''s tackle. After that, Freddy gave a floating pass towards Crage.


    Crage adjusted his position, behind him, Collins had been continuing to push Crage. Crage received Freddy''s pass with his chest, then he kicked the ball with the inside of the foot. The ball moved behind Collins. Kazuki ran and received the ball, he broke through the penalty box through the gap between Collins and Dunne.


    Kazuki then made a powerful shot towards the goalpost. Aston Villa goalkeeper, Brad Guzan managed to reach the ball, then the ball bounced outside the penalty box after being blocked by Guzan. The referee blew the whistle and awarded a corner for the Southampton team.


    Hugo took the corner. After the whistle sounded, Hugo kicked the ball gently. The ball flew high into the middle of the penalty box. The players scrambled to adjust themselves to the best position to head the ball. They all were jumped at the same time. Richard Dunne, Aston Villa center-back, was lucky. He managed to head the ball out of the penalty box.


    S. Petrov prepared to receive the ball, but Okhalo stepped up and snatched the ball, the Southampton center-back crossing the ball into the center of the box. When Aston Villa''s defenders weren''t ready yet, Kazuki had already adjusted his position. Kazuki jumped up and did a bicycle kick, the ball was kicked by Kazuki hard. Brad Guzan leaped and extends his arms to block the ball. However, the ball was not blocked by Guzan. The ball entered the Aston Villa goalpost.


    "Goaall! A wonderful bicycle kick was shown by Kazuki. I think this goal deserves the Pusk¨¢s Award.. With this goal, Southampton managed to take the lead in the 14th minute," inside the Sky sport studio, Jim Kaglin exclaimed excitedly seeing Kazuki''s beautiful goal.

 Chapter 55 - Aston Villa (2)

    The match continued, Aston Villa who was left behind the Southampton score slowly got up. The 5-4-1 formation changed to 3-6-1 after two full-backs moved into the middle court. Namely, Stephen Warnock a right-back, and also a left-back is Carlos Cuellar. With the rise of the two defenders into the middle, the Aston Villa players had a superior number of players in the middle court. Gradually, they took the dominance of the match from Southampton.


    In the 23rd minute, Aston Villa got a chance. C. Cuellar passes to S. Petrov. Crage put the pressure on Petrov, but Petrov kept the ball stably.


    He grabbed the ball with his feet then pinched it with both feet and did a rainbow flick to throw the ball over Crage''s head, soon after that, Petrov kicked the ball to the right. Albrighton bounced the ball backward with his header, he had dueled against Wright-Phillips in the air.


    Warnock received the ball and pushed it forward. Benson prepared to block Warnock, but Warnock didn''t run straight, instead, he ran diagonally to the center. Warnock passes the ball to Charles N''Zogbia.


    Charles collided physically with Simone when he was fighting to receive the ball. Then, Charles gave the floating pass into the middle of the penalty box. In the middle of the penalty box, Hilton, Okhalo, and Gabriel Agbonlahor jumped for the ball. Among the three players, Agbonlahor is taller and physically stronger, he won the aerial duel and headed the ball into Southampton.


    Dean Smith managed to reach the header and bounce it off the field. Aston Villa gets a corner kick. Stephen Ireland would be kicking a corner-kick, He kicked the ball when the referee''s whistle had sounded. The ball spins to the far post. Rudolf and Albrighton are in the most ideal place. They both jumped at the same time. Rudolf managed to jump higher, but his elbow swung back and hit Albrighton in the chest.


    Rudolf managed to head the ball outside the box, but Albrighton fell after being hit by Rudolf''s elbow. The referee immediately pointed to the spot. He also gave Rudolf a yellow card. Albrighton was taken by Aston Villa''s team health workers off the pitch for initial treatment.


    Southampton''s players tried to persuade the referee to overturn his decision, but the referee stood by the decision. Gabriel Agbonlahor will take the penalty kick.


    Outside the penalty box, Kazuki was communicating with the Aston Villa players. He asked Ireland, "Guess, which side do you think he''s going to kick? Right or left?"


    Ireland thought this was a trap, so he simply replied nonchalantly, "I don''t know."


    However, Carlos Cuellar who was nearby spontaneously said, "I bet he will kick to the right."


    "What are you talking about, Cuellar?!" Stephen Ireland glared at his partner, while Kazuki had dashed behind Gabriel Agbonlahor and signaled for Dean Smith to jump to the right.


    The referee''s whistle sounded, Gabriel kicked the penalty to the right, but Dean Smith had guessed the direction of the penalty correctly, so the ball was caught by Dean Smith easily.


    Outside the penalty box, Kazuki gave Cuellar a thumbs up while shouting, "Best friend forever!"


    Cuellar held his head as he realized what he had done was wrong. Beside him, Stephen Ireland scolded him fiercely.


    Southampton immediately started the counterattacks. Dean Smith throws the ball sideways. Freddy received the ball and dribbled the ball across the half-line. He gave Hugo a through the pass. The Southampton right-winger had beaten Clark in a speed race. He broke through the penalty box, when the Aston Villa goalkeeper shifted to the right, Hugo provided a pass to the left of the penalty box. Crage who had been there put the ball into the empty net.


    The screams of the Southampton fans echoed. Southampton''s players were hugging each other at the side of the pitch. With this goal, Southampton managed to lead 2-0 in front of Aston Villa.


    "I couldn''t believe it! Southampton''s counterattack was so quick, so simple, but it got through the Aston Villa goalpost. Credit for this attack goes to Dean Smith, who guessed Agbonlahor''s penalty right."


    At minute 33, Aston Villa gets a chance again. Aston Villa striker, Gabriel Agbonlahor, managed to escape the offside trap, he received a cross from Albrighton. After receiving the pass with his chest, Gabriel Agbonlahor kicked the ball with all of his power. The ball shot like a bullet towards the top right corner of the goalpost.


    Dean Smith was leaping and extended his arm toward the ball. His right hand managed to touch the ball so that the ball changed its direction. The ball hit the post and bounced to the left of the penalty box. Stephen Ireland came and kicked the ball. Like Spider-Man, Dean Smith reacted quickly, after he fell, he immediately stood up and blocked Stephen Ireland''s shoot.


    The ball bounces outside the penalty box. Rudolf was about to receive the ball when S. Petrov grabbed the ball and kicked it towards the center of the net. Once again, Dean Smith showed a valuable save for Southampton. He jumped and caught the ball tightly.


    The Aston Villa players opened their eyes wide. They did not believe the three opportunities that came up could not be converted into a goal. Dean Smith''s excellent performance made Aston Villa players wonder, was Dean Smith are Spider-Man son?


    Meanwhile, Southampton players praised Dean Smith.


    "Nice save, Smith."


    "You react quickly, I wouldn''t be surprised if you have a superpower."


    "You''re so cool, bro."


    "Stop it, you idiots. Hurry back to your respective positions. You missed a chance to counterattack." Dean Smith sent his teammates out of the goalkeeping area.


    The match continued, Aston Villa and Southampton players were fighting for the ball in the center of the field. To keep up with the 6 Aston Villa players who were in the middle, Kazuki and Crage retreated deep into the middle. They help Simone and the others to get the ball.


    On the pitch, George managed to analyze the special characteristics of Aston Villa midfielders and their special duties. N''Zogbia and Petrov were defensive midfielders, they had often been tasked with cutting passes from Southampton''s midfield to the forward. Not only that but they had also been tasked with making small foul to break the attack that Southampton was trying to build.


    After that, there were Albrighton and Stephen Ireland, both players played on the side, but after the two Aston Villa fullbacks, Warnock and Cuellar, moved up to midfield, the position of Albrighton and Ireland changed to be a bit to the middle. They served as attacking midfielders who helped Gabriel Agbonlahor score goals.


    Among all Aston Villa players. Warnock and Cuellar were the busiest. When Southampton attacks they turn into fullbacks, when the ball is in the middle of the pitch they turn into midfielders, and when Aston Villa attacks they turn into wingers.


    After knowing this. George gives instructions to Southampton players to focus on attacking the wings.. He ordered both Southampton fullbacks to go up alternately to help Southampton attack.

 Chapter 56 - Aston Villa(3)

    At the end of the first half, Aston Villa was attacking Southampton continuously. But the goddess of luck was not on their side. Until the end of the first half, Aston Villa still could not score a goal. Southampton was maintaining the score 2-0 until the referee whistle had sounded.


    In the dressing room, the Southampton players discussed what happened in the first half. Kazuki also told how Cuellar informed him about Gabriel Agbonlahor''s penalty kick habit. Hearing the full story from Kazuki made them laugh.


    George walked into the dressing room after giving the Southampton players enough time to rest. He clapped his hands while he said, "Attention please, sit down and listen to me."


    Southampton''s players sat in front of their lockers. Some of the players who were drinking put down their bottles of water. After seeing all the players were sitting neatly, George nodded slightly. Then, he began to explain, "You guys have done well, in the first half we managed to lead by two goals from Aston Villa. However, we must not let our guard down."


    George pointed at the board showing the formation of players from both teams. He pointed at Stephen Ireland. "This guy will most likely be replaced by Darren Bent. Rudolf, I want you to keep an eye on Darren Bent. According to the statistics, Darren Bent will play more on the wing. Benson, Wright-Phillips you have to guard the left flank well.


    In the second half, keep your stamina up and if there is an opportunity to attack, make good use of it. Adding goals is always a good thing. That''s all, get ready for the second half."


    ***


    The second half started again after the Aston Villa players kick-off. As George said, Darren Bent has replaced Stephen Ireland. Rudolf marked Darren as George had assigned him.


    Aston Villa started the second half. They controlled the ball with the advantage of players in midfield. Southampton did not press Aston Villa in a hurry. They put up two lines of players, forming a wall that would put pressure on the Aston Villa players as the ball approached.


    At the beginning of the second half, both teams played at a slow pace. Aston Villa did not push themselves to attack Southampton, while Southampton, who had the advantage, chose to play passively and wait for the opportunity to counterattack.


    In the 48th minute, Southampton got a chance. Rudolf managed to cut the pass that goes to Darren Bent. He gave the ball to Hugo. Cuellar pressed Hugo with his body. Hugo gave Freddy a pass, so Cuellar who had to guard the flank area had to chase Freddy.


    Freddy relied on his speed to run into the final third of the Aston Villa defense area. He provided a curved crossing pass towards the middle of the field.


    Kazuki tried to get the ball, but it was very difficult for him because the Aston Villa defender was guarding him tightly. The ball failed to receive by Kazuki and Crage. However, Wright-Phillips, who is on the left, managed to receive the ball. He gave a hard kick towards the goalpost. Unfortunately, the kick deviated from the net.


    In the 56th minute, Darren managed to break through Rudolf with his skills. He brought the ball to the front of the box, then gave it to Gabriel. The Aston Villa striker relied on his physicality to hold off Okhalo, then bounced the ball back to Darren. Darren dribbled past Okhalo, then shot the ball with all his power. The ball hit the post and bounced off the field.


    Aston Villa coach, Alex McLeish showed a disappointed expression. His coaching record at Aston Villa is terrible when compared to the previous Aston Villa coach. If Aston Villa loses to Southampton, then their fortune will be worse.


    In the 63rd minute, Aston Villa got a free-kick. Albrighton was brought down by Hilton in front of the penalty box. Darren will take the free-kick. Southampton was built a human fence in front of Darren. After the referee blew the whistle, Darren kicked the ball. The ball rotates towards the right of the Southampton goalpost. Dean Smith jumped up and punched the ball hard. The ball flew off the field.


    In the 67th minute, the two teams clashed fiercely in midfield.


    Under pressure from N''Zogbia, Simone was forced to pass the ball to Rudolf. However, the pass was not smooth because N''Zogbia pushed Simone with his body.


    Rudolf and Petrov rushed forward for the ball. Both of them came to the front of the ball at the same time. Then, they moved coincidentally. Rudolf and Petrov swung their legs to send the ball forward. The ball is kicked by both players concurrently so that the ball is refracted sideways.


    These two players turned around immediately. They were entangled their hands and pushing each other. Then, they were stepping on their feet to try to knock down the opposite player. No one knew who stumbled first, but both fell at the same time.


    After falling to the ground, the two players had stood and pushed each other. The referee blew the whistle to signal paused the match, but the two players were blaming relentlessly each other for their dirty actions.


    Seeing the two men face to face with anger and almost crushing each other, players from both teams were afraid that Rudolf and S. Petrov would act out of line, so they rushed to separate them.


    The referee blew the whistle and asked Rudolf and Petrov to come to face him. Then he gave a yellow card to both players. Because Rudolf already had a yellow card, the referee gave him a red card for the accumulation of 2 yellow cards.


    George was furious on the sideline and shouted at the fourth referee, "Why a yellow card?! Obviously, it was a minor foul. This is so unfair to us."


    The fourth referee warned George not to speak nonsense. Aston Villa coach Alex McLeish felt very uncomfortable when he heard George complained, then he shouted, "The referee''s decision was fair, don''t talk bullshit, both players got yellow cards, what are you complaining about?!"


    Both players did get a yellow card but Rudolf who got a yellow card in the first half was clearly more disadvantaged by this decision. Assistant coach James Ward pulled George back. If George continued to argue, there is a chance the referee will send him to the stands.


    Southampton had to play with 10 men in the 68th minute. George replaced Crage with Dallas. Southampton''s formation was changed to 4-4-1, with Kazuki alone upfront.


    After Rudolf left the field, Aston Villa played very aggressively. As a result, in the 75th minute, they managed to score one goal. The goal was preceded by Dallas'' failure to keep Darren well. Darren, who managed to get rid of the Dallas defense can penetrate the Southampton defense easily. He made a one-two pass with Gabriel Agbonlahor before kicking the ball straight into the corner. Dean Smith failed to save the ball.


    Aston Villa managed to reduce the gap to 1-2.

 Chapter 57 - The Limit

    After Aston Villa scored the first goal, they got even more excited to attack Southampton''s defense. Meanwhile, Southampton continued to struggle to withstand Aston Villa attacks. The range of activity of Southampton''s players increased. Especially Simone and Dallas, the two players were working together to become a barrier to hold on to Aston Villa''s attack in the middle. Meanwhile, Hugo and Wright-Phillips guard the side area.


    In the 82nd minute, Kazuki was pulled off by George and replaced by a defender. After Kazuki was pulled off, the Southampton players managed to total defend. This was made Aston Villa players troubled to score goals. Southampton fans watched this with pounding hearts when they saw their beloved team come under constant attack.


    Fortunately, until the end of the second half, Aston Villa failed to score again. Southampton managed to win the game with 10 men. The final score of this match is 2-1, Southampton won the game. With this victory, Southampton Established their position in 15th position in the English Premier League table.


    ***


    "You''ve progressed well," said the GM suddenly. Normally, he would never start a conversation with Kazuki if it wasn''t Kazuki who started it.


    Kazuki looked at the GM in amazement, "What''s wrong? It''s really weird seeing you start the conversation first."


    "Really? I''m just proud of your progress," the GM replied with a laugh. It had not been a year since Kazuki met the GM, but things had changed. Starting from an unknown player as one of the most talented young players in Europe. The improvement was extraordinary.


    GM stopped laughing, he looked at Kazuki and asked, "Have you felt it? The limit."


    Limit. Everything has its limit. Likewise with [Dream Training]. As the GM said, Kazuki was also starting to feel the limitation. He was not feeling any progress in some aspects he is training like shoots, passes, dribbles, and other things.


    The GM opened his mouth and explained, "If inexperienced footballers are level 1 and experienced footballers are level 10 then [Dream Training] helps you reach level 10 as quickly as possible. But it won''t help you go beyond level 10. Every football player has a different upper limit. Talented people have a higher upper limit than less talented people."


    Kazuki exhaled, then, he asked, "So, I''ve met my limit?"


    The GM replied, "No, but it''s close. The only thing preventing you from reaching your upper limit is your immature body."


    Kazuki''s body hadn''t reached its peak yet, because of that he couldn''t reach the upper limit of his abilities. On the other hand, this meant that it was very difficult for Kazuki to strengthen himself through training. The only benefit of training every day is to maintain your current abilities.


    "Aren''t you disappointed after hearing what I said?" asked the GM.


    "I know, but I think I''m good enough. I''ve scored quite a few goals. Although I''m not getting stronger anytime soon, as long as I maintain my skills then everything is fine."


    "Good then, but Kazuki you have to remember one thing."


    Kazuki asked, "Remember what?"


    The GM narrowed his eyes and said seriously, "In football, relying on teammates is a good thing. But in certain situations, such a habit will cost you something."


    Kazuki frowned, he didn''t understand the meaning of GM''s sentence. After a while, he stopped trying to understand the sentence.


    ''In important matches, there will always be moments when your teammates can''t be relied on. What sets star players like Ronaldo and Messi apart from the rest is their ability to shine in influential matches. However, Messi''s ability to shine in significant matches began to decline as his role in a team began to change to become more backward and become a playmaker rather than a goalscorer.


    This makes Messi more dependent on his friends than Ronaldo. Therefore, in a critical match, when Messi''s teammates didn''t play well, it is very difficult for Messi to change things around.


    Ronaldo is different, people called Ronaldo a selfish player, but Ronaldo never disappoints other players'' expectations of him. Unfortunately, he has lost his dribbling skills, so Ronaldo also often struggles when the midfielders can''t supply him with the ball.''


    The GM sighed, then he whispered, "To be a good footballer you have to rely on your friends. But to be a star player, you have to rely on yourself."


    ***


    A week later, in the 34th match between Southampton and Arsenal. Kazuki understood what GM meant. In this match, Kazuki was always guarded by two people. Every time he got the ball, fouls and physical pressure were used to stop him.


    With two people guarding Kazuki, the other players should be able to take advantage of this opportunity. However, Osmund, who was Kazuki''s partner at the time was unable to take advantage of the opportunity.


    In the 12th minute, Kazuki provided a pass after successfully controlling the ball for the first time. The ball flew forward, Osmund was able to outperform the Arsenal center-back by increasing his speed. But Osmund failed to convert the opportunity to goal. Even though he had gone one-on-one with the Arsenal keeper.


    In the 19th minute, Arsenal scored through Van Persie''s header. Southampton, who conceded a goal was trying to build the attack. However, Kazuki continued to be tightly guarded, Even after he switched positions with Hugo, the Arsenal midfielder and full-back were marking him. Wherever Kazuki changed positions, the Arsenal players would change their formation, making it easier for them to guard Kazuki.


    In the 32nd minute, After experiencing continuous failure, Kazuki managed to break through the Arsenal penalty box for the first time. The Arsenal center-back covered the space for Kazuki to shoot, so Kazuki pass the ball to Hugo, who was in the free position. However, Hugo disappointed Kazuki''s expectations. The Southampton right-winger failed to shoot accurately even when he was not guarded by Arsenal defenders.


    Until the end of the first half, Southampton was still behind with a score of 1-0. George adjusted by replacing Osmund with Ryan. However, Arsenal coach Arsene Winters seemed to have guessed George''s strategy, he changed Arsenal''s formation to 5-4-1, he made the decision, so Arsenal could isolate Kazuki from the other Southampton players easily.


    This worked because Southampton was unable to make a shot on goal. Their attacks always end in the middle of the field. In the 69th minute, Theo Walcott managed to change the score of the match to 2-0.


    Arsenal was controlling the ball and didn''t let Southampton have a chance to attack. The Gunners scored again in the 78th minute after Arteta received a through ball from Van Persie.


    Towards the end of the game, Southampton managed to get a free-kick. Kazuki who took the free-kick managed to break into the Arsenal net. Kazuki didn''t celebrate the goal because even though he scored, Southampton still lost. Kazuki''s goal became the last goal that appeared in this match.


    The final score was 3-1 for Arsenal''s victory. In this match, Kazuki realized that his thoughts regarding winning the Premier League were just nonsense if his comrades were unreliable. Southampton would have a chance to win the match if Osmund had not wasted any chances early in the first half.


    At the post-match press conference between Arsenal and Southampton. Arsene Winters gave his opinion regarding Kazuki.


    "He is a good player. I had to put two players in to keep him from scoring. However, he still scores goals, even from free kicks. He also creates some chances with his passes. I hope to buy him if I could."


    George also praised Kazuki at the press conference. However, Kazuki didn''t feel happy about the praise he was getting.. His goals are worthless if he can''t make the team win the game.

 Chapter 58 - Endorsement

    Kazuki opened the car door. Inside the car was the figure of Furochi sitting in the driver''s seat. He wore a neat formal suit. Furochi twisted her neck, he looked at Kazuki and said, "Come in."


    Kazuki entered the car and sat beside Furochi. After closing the car door, he put on his seat belt. Then, Kazuki was asking a question Furochi, "You called me in the morning and told me to dress up, so where are we going?"


    Furochi explained his purpose to call Kazuki in the morning, "A company made an offer to make you as their brand ambassador. The company makes a great offer, especially for players who are just starting their careers as you. The various bonuses they offer are also very good."


    Kazuki snapped his fingers. He guessed, "Is it, Nike? Adidas? Konami?"


    Furochi shook his head, "Avisca."


    "Wait¡ª What the fuck did you say?"


    "Avisca."


    Kazuki had good acquainted with the company. Avisca is a Japanese company that started its business in the consumer electronics sector. Their products are electronic devices intended for everyday use and can be used for entertainment, communication, and business. The problem is Kazeshima Corp owns 80% of Avisca.


    Yep, Avisca is a subsidiary of Kazeshima corp.


    "Why did you accept the offer from my father''s company?" Kazuki protested. He turned his face annoyed.


    Furochi looked at Kazuki and scolded him, "I don''t care about your matters, but this is a business, no matter if they offered this contract because of your father or because of their own intentions. Most importantly, they have sent an official offer, I will not reject it. Likewise with you."


    Kazuki who heard Furochi''s words, knew that Furochi had no intention of listening to his opinion this time. He had to accept Furochi''s decision.


    "Didn''t other companies make an offer?"


    "Yes, but I declined. Their offer doesn''t meet my requirements. Kazuki, you might think that since your performances on the field are so good that the company will scramble to endorse you.


    In fact, they see the market behind the player. From a club perspective, Southampton doesn''t have a fan base that extends all over the world like Manchester United. You are from Japan, of course, Japan is a good market, but you are not the most popular athlete in Japan. Then, personal fans, although there are many people following your social media, but I''m sure 80% of them are Southampton club fans rather than your fans." Furochi explained in detail the reasons why the endorsement offers of other companies did not meet Furochi''s expectations.


    Kazuki fell silent when he heard Furochi''s explanation. Even though he didn''t know much about endorsements and so on, he knew that Furochi couldn''t lie. Therefore, when Kazuki heard Furochi''s explanation he wondered, ''Am I really not that popular? Isn''t my face not too bad?''


    "So, are you suggesting that I should have moved to a big club?" According to Furochi''s words, the club is a factor in consideration. That is, if Kazuki moves to Manchester United, then the Manchester United fans will automatically become his fans too. Of course, if Kazuki played well there.


    Furochi shook his head and said, "Money is important to me, but your career progress is more valuable than money. Therefore, you should choose what the best for yourself, then I will help you make it happen."


    After a few hours of driving, Furochi and Kazuki arrived at the Avisca company branch in London.


    ***


    After coming to the Avisca branch office, Kazuki followed Furochi to do the contract signing. Kazuki allowed Furochi to start a conversation while he looked through the contract papers. He knew that the product he was going to advertise was a cellphone with an android system.


    Kazuki whispered to Furochi, "Hey, isn''t iPhone more classy than Android? Do you really want me to be the brand ambassador of this cellphone?"


    Furochi replied, "Of course, Iphone is more classy than Android, but if you talk about popularity then android is more popular, especially in developing countries. Kazuki, with your identity as an Asian footballer, you should advertise products that are popular in Asia. That way you can become the representative of Asian footballers. If you can get Asian football fans to acknowledge you, then how many companies do you think will be fighting for your sign?"


    "Whatever," said Kazuki. He believed Furochi had his ideas about Kazuki''s career development off the field. As a footballer, he just has to do his best on the pitch. Kazuki would leave the affairs off the field to Furochi.


    Although Kazuki is signing the contract right now, but the AD shot won''t be done right now. However, some preparations are required first.


    ***


    Apart from the off-field affairs, on the daily training, Kazuki started to develop new habits. He always asked young players like Ryan and Rustan to do additional training with him. The reason for that was because Kazuki felt he had to make sure the development of his companions went well. With that way, then they could help Kazuki to achieve his secret goal next season, which is to win the Premier League.


    In addition, Kazuki also discovered a new function of [Dream Training].


    "Hey GM, [Dream Training] can you record the data of all players in the world, right?" asked Kazuki.


    "Theoretically, yes," GM nodded in agreement with Kazuki''s hypothesis.


    If [Dream Training] was able to collect a lot of data and create advanced AI that could help Kazuki train, then [Dream Training] was indirectly more effective than any scout in the world.


    "Then can you collect data on players who play in the lower leagues and see who are quality players that have low transfer prices right now?"


    The GM was silent, after a while he opened his mouth and said, "You don''t have permission to use that function."


    Kazuki frowned and asked, "Why?"


    "The thing you''re asking has nothing to do with training. That''s why you can''t use the data collection function," retorted the GM.


    Even though the GM said that Kazuki kept trying to persuade the GM, but his persuasion was in vain. In the end, Kazuki knew that he was better off focusing on training himself than expecting a good player to help his goal, which was to make Southampton win the Premier League next season.


    Meanwhile, week 35 of the English Premier League is about to begin. Southampton will face Liverpool, the leader of the table. In this match, Kazuki wants Southampton to at least be able to hold Liverpool to a draw.


    The reason was that Kazuki''s meeting record with the big six was not good. Kazuki lost 4-2 to Tottenham, then managed to draw against Chelsea, but he lost 5-0 to Manchester City and 3-1 to Arsenal. Kazuki had never won against The Big Six. It would be a shame if Kazuki ended the 2011/2012 season without a win against The Big Six. At least he wants to win either against Liverpool or against Manchester United later in the 38th week.. Although it is very difficult to reach a victory.

 Chapter 59 - The Reds

    At his pre-match press conference, Liverpool manager Ralf Ragnick shared his thoughts on Liverpool''s 35th round match against Southampton at Anfield.


    "We are absolutely ready to welcome Southampton in Anfield. Van Dyke is still injured, we won''t be playing him in this game. But it doesn''t matter. We still have other players.


    Southampton is a good team. They achieved good results despite their defeat against Arsenal. We will try to prevent Kazuki to score a goal, he is a dangerous player. But Ahmed is in a good performance, I''m sure Liverpool will win this game."


    There were no arrogant words, but everyone could sense Ralf Ragnick didn''t really care about Southampton. Liverpool is unbeaten in Anfield throughout the 2011/2012 season. Their record makes most football fans believe that Liverpool will win this match. Even some Liverpool fans visited Kazuki''s social media account and congratulated him on two consecutive defeats.


    Even Juventus, who beat Liverpool could only achieve a draw against Liverpool at Anfield stadium. With such a record it is natural for all parties to consider this match without any tension at all. Although Liverpool''s mainstay center-back, Sergio Van Dyke could not be present in this match.


    In Southampton''s pre-match press conference, George was low profile. Regarding this game, he said, "Liverpool this season is a very scary team, especially at home. Our chances of winning this game are pretty low. However, we will try our best, no matter what the result is.


    Even though Liverpool has lost Van Dyke, they still have Matip and Gomez, these two players cannot be underestimated. Their forward Ahmed is on fire in the latest match.


    In this game, our target is to draw against the Reds."


    George''s words were honest from his heart. Although George is an ambitious coach and greatly admires Kazuki''s abilities, he still thought that Southampton''s chances are tiny in this match.


    Before the match, even the Southampton fans themselves were not expecting a win. Kazuki could see that mentality appearing in his comrades as well. They seemed to have expected defeat even if the match had not yet taken place.


    Kazuki felt this mentality was very dangerous, especially for some players he cared about a lot like Ryan, Rustan, and Wright-Phillips. He didn''t want these young players to also be infected with pessimistic thoughts. He was believing miracles would not come to Southampton when the Southampton players themselves do not believe in miracles.


    The day before the match took place, right after the daily training, Kazuki gathered Ryan, Wright-Phillips, and Rustan.


    Ryan, Wright-Phillips, Rustan will start on the match tomorrow to replace Crage, Kounde, and Hugo. The reason why George included these young players instead of Southampton''s 3 main players was because George had given up on this match. He thought it is better to save the energy of the veterans than to make them play against a club like Liverpool which ended in defeat.


    "What do you think about tomorrow''s match?" asked Kazuki.


    The three players looked at each other. They wondered why Kazuki was asking such a thing. After a while, Ryan Jr, spoke up, "According to the strategy made by the coach, we will focus on defending during the game. However, I don''t think we can stop Liverpool from scoring goals."


    Rustan added: "I''m not optimistic about tomorrow''s game. We might lose. We''ve played Arsenal, and we lost. Now we''re going to face Liverpool who is much stronger than Arsenal or Tottenham."


    Wright-Phillips had a different opinion from the other two, "tomorrow''s game will be very difficult, but I want to win it. I mean, wouldn''t it be very special if we were the first team to beat Liverpool in Anfield?"


    Kazuki snapped his fingers, "Right, there it is. No matter how we defend, Liverpool will probably score. However, if we can make good use of every attacking opportunity then there is still a chance that we can win tomorrow''s match. This is a personal request from me, I would like to you guys undergo tomorrow''s game as the most important match in your life."


    Ryan was surprised to hear Kazuki''s request, he asked to confirm what he heard, "Do you want to beat Liverpool for Manchester United?"


    Kazuki shook his head, "It''s not like that. I''m sure all footballers have a dream of becoming great players. And such a dream cannot be achieved if we go through a match without putting 100% of our effort into it."


    Rustan shouted excitedly, "I''m excited after hearing your words. You''re right, I had a dream like that too. I feel ashamed of myself for giving up before the match started."


    Ryan nodded in agreement with Rustan''s words, "I don''t think there''s anything wrong with us trying to do our best."


    "I''m starting to imagine, if we win against Liverpool how excited the English media will be?" Wright-Phillips speculated.


    "If Liverpool loses the most excited of course in Manchester Daily," replied Kazuki.


    ***


    Rangnick is not a new coach in German football. He entered the world of coaching in 1983 as a player and coach for his hometown club, FC Viktoria Backnang. It was at the 6th division club that Rangnick began to develop the philosophy which is now known as gegenpressing.


    In February 1983, Rangnick''s team met Valeriy Lobanovskyi''s Dynamo Kiev when the two met in a friendly. The difference in level obviously cost Rangnick''s team a total loss, but he did learn one thing. The Dynamo Kiev players kept pressing throughout the game.


    Valeriy Lobanovskyi is not Ralf Rangnick''s only inspiration. In addition to the legendary Ukrainian coach, Rangnick''s style of play was also influenced by Arrigo Sacchi. From Arrigo Sacchi, Rangnick took one of the keys to the legendary AC Milan coach''s game, namely the zonal marking system.


    Together with his friend Helmut Gro, Rangnick then wrote his own training manual and began developing the attractive tactic now known as gegenpressing.


    Gegenpressing is a phrase in German or English known as counter-pressing. Instead of reforming formations or returning to the defensive line, players will try to win back possession after previously losing the ball


    The reason why gegenpressing is so effective is that gegenpressing targets the opponent''s transition period. In a transition period, players who defend will move forward, defenders will be caught off guard thinking their team is going to attack, and more importantly, the opposing team is not ready to defend again. In an interview, Ragnick once said, "There is no better playmaker than gegenpressing." It means, no playmaker in the world could create a better attacking opportunity than gegenpressing.


    Of course, behind these advantages there are disadvantages. First, gegenpressing is not very effective on opponents who don''t want to control the ball. Second, this tactic is very exhausted for the players. Once an injury crisis appears, then Liverpool will go down from the top of the table. Third, excellent individual abilities. An example of a third weakness was when Liverpool faced Juventus.. At that time, Mattheo was able to get rid of pressing Liverpool players with ease.

 Chapter 60 - The Reds (2)

    "Good evening everyone. I, Jim Kaglin, will accompany you all to watch the match week 35 of the English Premier League, between Liverpool and Southampton at Anfield Stadium.


    Liverpool is still in charge of leading the Premier League standings. They are 5 points ahead of Manchester United. Fun fact, in the 2011/2012 season Liverpool have never been experienced defeat at their home. A great achievement from the Reds.


    In tonight''s match, Liverpool would not play their mainstay defender Sergio Van Dyke who was injured in the previous match. Gomez and Matip will guard Liverpool''s defense tonight.


    On the other hand, Southampton, who had just lost against Arsenal, had to fight hard because they had to fight against Liverpool. Although no one was injured, George turned out to have young players in this match.


    Ryan Jr will replace Crage upfront. Rustan replaces Hugo on the right-wing. Finally, Wright-Phillips will play on the left-wing. As usual, Kazuki played as the main striker, he had stabilized his position in place beat, Osmund, after showing an outstanding performance. So far Kazuki has recorded 11 goals and 5 assists.


    Let''s see the formation of the two teams in tonight''s match.


    Liverpool will return to using a 4-3-3 formation. So far Liverpool rarely changes their formation. Coach Ralf Ragnick is very confident with this formation.


    Goalkeeper: Jim Becker;


    Defenders: Glen Johnson, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Jose Enrique;


    Midfielders: Jordan Henderson, Steven Roger, Lucas;


    Forwards: Ahmed, Sisinho, Sterling


    Meanwhile, Southampton also fielded their main formation 4-4-2.


    Goalkeepers: Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Vicente, Okhalo, Hilton, Ben Carter;


    Midfielders: Rustan, Rudolf, Simone, Wright-Phillips;


    Front: Kazuki, Ryan Jr.


    From the data that has been collected regarding this match, 89% chance of Liverpool winning, 6% chance of a draw, and 5% chance of Southampton winning. It seems like everyone agrees that Liverpool''s lead is too big for Southampton. So far Southampton has always lost against The Big Six, holding Chelsea to a draw was one exception throughout the 2011/2012 season.


    I hope Southampton can surprise Liverpool. Let''s watch together the first half between Liverpool vs Southampton."


    On the pitch, Liverpool fans sang their proud chants from the start of the match. Southampton''s players feel pressure from Liverpool fans.


    Liverpool started the first half kick-off. The Reds was a team that started the game, so Southampton immediately focused on running a low-block strategy.


    In the 3rd minute, Lucas provided a pass to Glen Johnson. Wright-Phillips tried to stop Glen Johnson but the Liverpool left-back was very good with the ball. He tricked Wright-Phillips and barged past him. Johnson moved the ball, he sent a long pass down the right flank. Ahmed collided with Ben Carter. Slowly Ahmed started to get ahead of Ben Carter but the Southampton left-back gripped Ahmed''s shirt so tightly that the Liverpool player fell and failed to get the ball.


    The referee blows the whistle. He gave Liverpool a free kick in the right area of ??the Southampton defense. Steven Roger took the free-kick. Liverpool''s players and Southampton players crammed in the penalty box The Saints.


    Steven Roger kicks the ball after the referee''s whistle. The ball curled into the middle of the box, Henderson jumped to head the ball, but Rudolf interfered with his jump, so his header was less accurate. The ball flew off the field. Goal kick for Southampton.


    The team against Liverpool will feel the same way. Tense. Throughout the match, the Liverpool players continued to run to do pressing. One mistake could result in a deadly attack. Therefore, Southampton did not try to have the ball. Once they got the ball, Southampton counter-attacked immediately, and if that fails at least Southampton players have to commit a foul to stop Liverpool''s attack.


    In the 7th minute, Southampton managed to get the ball. Vicente provides a pass to Rustan. Lucas rushed to press. The Southampton right-winger relied on his speed to try to break through Liverpool''s right side. However, Lucas made a clean tackle and brought down Rustan. After that, Lucas gave the ball to Steven Roger.


    Simone gave Roger a body charge so that Roger who was preparing to receive the ball fell. The referee blew the whistle indicating Simone had committed a foul.


    Liverpool took a quick free-kick. Steven Roger sent a pass to Jordan Henderson. Rudolf tried to stop Henderson but the Liverpool midfielder managed to get rid of Rudolf. He gave the ball to Sisinho who did his job as a false nine. Sisinho flicked the ball to the side, he turned his body and passed Okhalo who had been following him on his back.


    Sisinho then gave a flat pass to the left. Sterling ran diagonally through the Vicente defense. He brought the ball into the penalty box and provided a sharp pass to the right side of the goalpost. Ahmed duels with Hilton to get the ball. Luckily, Hilton managed to get the ball off the field before Ahmed got it.


    Liverpool fans were disappointed that their team failed to score. Even so, they still applauded to encourage the Liverpool players.


    The corner kick will be taken by Glen Johnson. After hearing the referee''s signal, Glen Johnson kicked the ball aiming the far post. The ball curled to the far post. Lucas and Vicente jump together to get the ball. Vicente managed to head the ball outside the penalty box.


    The ball bounced in front of Kazuki. Kazuki picked up the ball, then turn around his body preparing to counterattack. Just as Kazuki turned around, he saw the figure of Steven Roger preparing to tackle him. Kazuki pushed the ball to the right with his outer foot then bounced it to the left with his inner foot. Steven Roger wasn''t fooled by Kazuki''s trick. He stretched out his leg to intercept the ball, but Kazuki pushed the ball through the space between Roger''s legs. Kazuki managed to nutmeg Roger, after that, he was chasing the ball.


    Kazuki dribbled the ball quickly. In just a few seconds he crossed the halfway line. In front of him, there were Matip and Gomez who were intending to stop Kazuki. Kazuki provided a through pass to the right. Rustan and Jose Enrique competed for speed to get the ball.


    Rustan managed to win the duel, the teenager touched the ball first than Jose Enrique.


    Kazuki, Rustan, and Ryan had discussed Liverpool''s habit. When they are hit with the counterattack, Liverpool''s purpose is to turn off the opposing striker, in this case, was Kazuki. Therefore, when Southampton counter-attacked, Rustan''s target of the pass was not Kazuki who was pinned by two Liverpool defenders but Ryan who followed Kazuki from behind.


    Rustan gave Ryan a cut-back pass. Matip shifted his focus to Ryan while Gomez continued to mark Kazuki. Ryan made a fake shot then passed it to Kazuki. Kazuki was facing the opposite direction of Liverpool''s goal, Gomez stuck tight to prevent Kazuki from turning his body, but he didn''t expect Kazuki did not turn his body at all. Kazuki shot the ball with his heel. The shot was so unexpected that Jim Becker didn''t have time to react.


    "Goaaaaall! I couldn''t believe my eyes, what happened?! Southampton scored the first goal in the 9th minute.. A very genius shot from a Kazuki put Southampton ahead in this match."

 Chapter 61 - The Reds (3)

    Liverpool fans did not expect their team to concede first. This rarely happens when the Reds play against other teams. It must be admitted that Southampton is not a club that just waits to be defeated. They will fight against Liverpool with full strength.


    Coach Ralf Ragnick signaled to Liverpool''s players to didn''t influence by the goal earlier. Meanwhile, Liverpool fans had been cheering their favorite club to score a goal as soon as possible to equalize.


    Liverpool started kick-off again. Southampton had back to defend when Liverpool was controlling the ball. Apart from gegenpressing, one of Liverpool''s weapons are their full-backs. Enrique and Glen Johnson have similarities. They are both very good at the crossing, long passes, and breaking through the opponent''s penalty box.


    In the 13th minute, Glen Johnson brought the ball forward. He passed the ball to Jordan Henderson who was beside him, then he was running past Wright-Phillips. Wright-Phillips backed away following Glen Johnson. Jordan Henderson gave the ball to Sisinho. The Brazilian had a duel with Simone to get the ball. Sisinho stretched his legs and pulled the ball back. Then, he turned and chased the ball.


    Rudolf rushed to steal the ball, but Sisinho changed the direction of the ball. Steven Roger went up to help Liverpool attack. Sisinho gave a flat pass towards him. Roger received the ball and gave a pass to the left side. Sterling competed for speed with Vicente to catch the ball that bounced close to the touchline. Sterling managed to get ahead of Vicente, he kicked the ball back with his outside foot before the ball went out of the field.


    Liverpool''s left-back, Jose Enrique, took the ball and crossed it into the middle of the field. Ahmed managed to escape the offside trap and received the ball. After that, he shot the ball. However, Okhalo tackled and bounced Ahmed''s shot off the pitch.


    Corner-kick for Liverpool. Steven Roger will once again take the corner. Both teams gathered in the Southampton penalty box. Steven Roger kicked the ball when the referee blows his whistle. Henderson managed to head the ball, but his header was too weak, consequently, Dean Smith caught Henderson''s header easily.


    Liverpool was continuing to attack. However, Southampton still defended well. Even though Southampton was still ahead, but people still believed Liverpool will turn things around. There is a reason for this. According to data, Liverpool has turned things around from a disadvantage situation to win in 7 league games this season. This can happen because Liverpool players'' stamina was terrifying. So, people who were tired the first time on the field, it''s not Liverpool who keep running but their opponents.


    Therefore, even though Liverpool had fewer goals than Southampton, they were still confident that they will win this match.


    This belief increased when they finally managed to break into Southampton''s goal. In the 21st minute, Enrique provided a cross pass into the middle of the penalty box. Sisinho managed to escape the offside trap, he casually kicked the ball into the Southampton goalpost. At that time, the Southampton players couldn''t react, the reason was that Enrique was in 2 out of 3 Southampton areas when he crossed. Yes, it was a very beautiful long-range cross. Sisinho''s movements are also very accurate as if he had read Enrique''s cross.


    "Goaaalll! Sisinho equalized after scoring against Southampton. 90% of the credit for this goal goes to Enrique. I think this is one of the most beautiful assists I have ever seen in my life."


    Liverpool fans cheered, finally the goal they had been waiting for came. The cheers filled the Anfield Stadium. Southampton''s players feel the pressure. They did not expect Liverpool to easily equalize. At the side of the pitch, Southampton coach George Eastgate kept shouting cheers for the players.


    Southampton started to kick off. Liverpool rushed to press the Southampton players. Liverpool''s wild movement made the Southampton players unable to handle the ball calmly.


    In the 27th minute, Okhalo sent a pass to Simone, but the pass was seized by Steven Roger. Steven Roger gave the ball to Sisinho. Okhalo immediately dropped Sisinho, he was pushing Sisinho down. The referee blew the whistle and awarded a free-kick to Liverpool.


    Ahmed will take the free-kick. Ahmed several times scored goals from free-kicks. The hallmark of Ahmed''s free-kick is a powerful kick using his right foot, he makes the ball fly straight like a rocket.


    After the referee gave the signal, Ahmed kicked the ball hard. The ball crossed over the fence made by Southampton players and then moved straight into the top right corner of the Southampton goalpost. Fortunately, Dean Smith managed to predict Ahmed''s kick. He held the ball with his palm. Then, the ball bounced off the field.


    In the 31st minute, Southampton launched a counter-attack. Dean Smith throws the ball to the right. Ben Carter, Southampton left-back, received the ball and carried the ball forward. Jordan Henderson blocked Ben Carter''s path, Rudolf came and helped Ben Carter. He made a one-two pass with the Southampton left-back.


    Just past Jordan Henderson, Ben Carter had to face Glen Johnson, who had rushed towards him. He had no choice but to give the ball to Ryan. Roger did a body charge on Ryan so that the Southampton young player lost his balance for a while. However, Ryan continued to try to control the ball at his feet. The Liverpool players have surrounded him, if he doesn''t pass then Liverpool will get the ball. Ryan chipped the pass with a Rainbow flick and threw the ball over the heads of Liverpool players.


    Kazuki received the ball with his chest, at the same time, he had felt Gomez push him from behind. Kazuki turned his body slightly and kicked the ball far towards the right of the field. The Liverpool players who were provoked by Ryan were mostly on the left, so Liverpool''s right area was unoccupied.


    Relying on his speed, Rustan crushed Enrique in a speed duel. As a Spanish player, Enrique has good technique, but Rustan''s speed is clearly faster.


    Rustan did not control the ball but immediately kicked the ball into the middle of the penalty box. Kazuki forcefully adjusted his position even though he felt physical pressure from Gomez, who was tightly guarding him. Kazuki managed to get the ball, but his shooting angle was minuscule. Kazuki kicked the ball strongly. The ball slid through the space between Gomez''s hand and body. Jim Backer''s vision was blocked by Gomez''s body, so he wasn''t ready for Kazuki''s kick. The ball hit the post and bounced into the net.


    Kazuki immediately ran towards the Southampton fan stands and did a front flip. After that, he stood beside the field line and spread his arms. Southampton fans celebrated the goal with great fanfare. On the other hand, the Southampton players hugged Kazuki who was still maintaining his goal celebration posture.


    "Goaaall! A straight shot from a tight angle was done by Kazuki. Game On! Southampton is ahead of Liverpool for the second time.. I believe Southampton will surprise you in this match."

 Chapter 62 - The Reds (4)

    Southampton''s goal was surprising Ralf Ragnick. If it''s just one goal maybe Ragnick could think of it as a coincidence, but Southampton has scored two goals, which means the team is in a good performance. Although Ragnick still believed in Liverpool''s victory, he did not dare to underestimate Southampton, especially since their young striker, Kazuki, frequently gave Liverpool surprises.


    At the time against Tottenham, Kazuki scored two goals. Against The Cityzen, Kazuki did not score, but he was the player with the highest rating among others Southampton players in the match at that time. Then, Kazuki scored 1 goal against Chelsea. In the match against Arsenal, Kazuki created many chances, it''s just that the other Southampton players were not able to take advantage of those opportunities well, in such circumstances Kazuki still scored goals.


    "Looks like number 28 is doing well, are we going to mark him tighter?" asked the Liverpool assistant coach.


    Ralf Ragnick rubbed his chin. He then said, "Let Jordan Henderson and Gomez guard him tighter. Also, tell Lucas to help Enrique defend the left side. The player named Rustan has excellent pace, Enrique has a hard time keeping him by himself."


    The assistant replied, "Lucas doesn''t look like he''s going to be happy with your instructions."


    Ragnick sighed, among the Liverpool players, the player with the least running distance, apart from the goalkeeper, in every game was Lucas. Lucas really helps Liverpool in building attacks, but he is a bit lazy when Liverpool has to defend.


    Ralf finally decided, "Just give him the instructions, if he doesn''t comply, I''ll replace him."


    The assistant coach nodded, he then ran to the side of the field and called Jordan Henderson, and relayed Ragnick''s instructions to him.


    Meanwhile, after conceding the second goal, Liverpool returned to attack Southampton. They had the ball dominantly in two-thirds of the Southampton defense''s area. The Saints continued to try to survive Liverpool''s attack by piling players in the penalty box.


    In a deadlock like this, a floated pass would be Liverpool''s best way to break into Southampton''s goalpost. However, Liverpool''s forwards were less proficient in aerial duels. Ahmed and Sisinho may be able to do it once in a while, but they were not the kind of players who are good at aerial duels.


    Enrique and Glen Johnson bombarded the Southampton defense with sharp crosses into the penalty box. However, Okhalo and Hilton were able to withstand the attacks launched by Liverpool.


    In the 40th minute, Southampton managed to get the ball. Enrique''s cross that failed to be used by Liverpool''s forwards was successfully secured by Okhalo. The Southampton center-back headed the ball out of the box. Rudolf received the ball and gave it to Vicente. Lucas intercepted Vicente and gave him a tackle. Lucas managed to bring down Vicente, but the ball bounced into the middle.


    Ryan got the ball and dribbled into the Liverpool defense area. Steven Roger came from behind and held Ryan''s shirt tightly. Ryan passed the ball to Kazuki. However, Jordan Henderson did a body charge which pushed Kazuki up. Henderson then got the ball. After that, he gave it to Glen Johnson.


    Shortly after that, Glen Johnson crossed the ball into the penalty box. Ahmed managed to get the ball but Okhalo blocked Ahmed, so the Egyptian had no space to shoot. Ahmed pulled the ball with his feet and turned around. Then, he gave the ball to Sterling.


    Sterling received the ball, now he was only dealing with the goalkeeper. Sterling kicked the ball. When all the Liverpool fans were about to cheer, Sterling''s shot flew high above the Southampton goalpost. Sterling immediately held his head in shock from his kick. In such a close range, Sterling failed to kick the ball properly.


    Until the end of the first half, Liverpool could not equalize.


    George is still satisfied with his team''s performance, even he did not expect Southampton to be ahead in the first half. Therefore, he did not change players. He only made a few adjustments to his defensive strategy. In the first half, Liverpool''s fullbacks were too free, so they could send dangerous crosses.


    Meanwhile, Liverpool also did not change their players. Ragnick still trusts his players. He only motivated the players to play better. Of course, he also criticized Sterling for wasting chances. Even though Sterling is still young, Ragnick had high expectations of him. He made a note in his heart if Sterling still wasted chances in the second half, then Ragnick would replace him.


    After 15 minutes, the game starts again. Southampton started the second half with a kick-off. After Southampton started the kick-off, Liverpool immediately pressed aggressively. Early in the game, Southampton tried to attack Liverpool.


    Sisinho gave pressure to Okhalo, who had the ball. The Southampton center-back gave Hilton the ball. Hilton bounced the ball, then he pass the ball to Simone. Steven, Roger went upward and confronted Simone. The Southampton captain used his hand to keep Roger away from the ball, then he passed the ball to Southampton left-back, Ben Carter.


    Ahmed ran to press Ben Carter, while Henderson had guarded Wright-Phillips. Carter pulled the ball, then pushed the ball diagonally to the center. Ahmed tried to grab the ball, but Ben Carter changed the direction of the ball to be horizontal to the side. After that, Ben Carter gave Rudolf the pass. Rudolf broke free from Lucas'' guard, then continued the ball with pass it to the right. Vicente did a body charge on Sterling, then took the ball.


    The Southampton right-back kicked the ball forward. Rustan had received the ball, when he was receiving the ball, Rustan bounced it over Enrique''s head who was behind him, then, he ran after the ball. Rustan immediately provided a through ball into the middle.


    Kazuki accelerated his run, he tried to get the ball before Matip. Kazuki managed to get the ball, but his position was too sideways, so he couldn''t face the Liverpool goalpost comfortably.


    Kazuki gave a back-pass to Ryan. Ryan received the pass then, he gave a cross to the left. Wright-Phillips broke through the box and got the ball, he shot straight to the goalpost. This time Jim Becker caught the ball easily.


    Jim Becker threw the ball forward. Steven Roger defeats Simone in an aerial duel. Then he headed the ball to the right. Liverpool right-back Glen Johnson pushed the ball forward and ran with all his might. Sisinho and Ahmed were swapping directions suddenly. Sisinho ran to the side while Ahmed ran to the center. Sisinho received the ball from Glen Johnson and then provided a through ball to Ahmed.


    The Egyptian player received the ball and then dribbled it into the Southampton penalty box. Dean Smith ran to try to get the ball from Ahmed, but Ahmed calmly passed Dean Smith and then kicked the ball into the empty net. Ahmed immediately ran to the side of the field and celebrated.


    Liverpool fans cheered loudly. They vent their joy together. Meanwhile, Southampton''s players kept their heads down, they didn''t expect Liverpool''s counter-attack to be so sharp.. However, this is Liverpool, a team that has led the 2011/2012 English league table from the start of the season.

 Chapter 63 - The Reds (5)

    After conceding the second goal, Southampton started kick-off again. This time, the tempo of the game decreased. Even though the score is still the same, Liverpool was confident to win the game. Time is still long, there are still many opportunities for Liverpool to score goals.


    Another reason Liverpool slowed down the tempo was to lure Southampton out and control the ball. It''s harder to score when Southampton defends than when Southampton possessed the ball.


    Southampton tried to build the attack. However, Liverpool will strengthen the pressing when Southampton players had crossed the halfway line. In the 51st minute, Liverpool launched an attack again. Steven Roger managed to cut the ball that Rudolf gave to Simone. Steven provides a straight pass towards Sisinho.


    The Brazilian received the ball and flicked it to the right, after that, he kicked the ball into the penalty box. Okhalo and Ahmed pushed each other while rushing towards the ball. Ahmed made it first, he kicked the ball to the left. Sterling prepared to receive the ball, but Hilton cut the pass and threw it off the field.


    Liverpool gets a corner kick. Steven Roger took the corner again. Then, he kicked it when the referee''s whistle had sounded. The ball bounced to the far post. Sisinho jumped up and dueled Rudolf for the ball. Sisinho managed to bounce the ball into the middle of the penalty box. Ahmed rushed to kick the ball, but Dean Smith managed to hold the ball.


    In the 62nd minute, Henderson got a yellow card. The Liverpool midfielder brought down Wright-Phillips as Southampton attempted to counterattack. The referee gave awards a free-kick to Southampton.


    Simone became the executor of the free-kick. He gave Ryan a pass, Steven Roger rushed to snatch the ball from Ryan, but the young man passed Steven Roger with a Marseille turn technique.


    Immediately, he provided a through ball to the left. Wright-Phillips received the pass, Ahmed went down to press, but Ben Carter came on and helped Wright-Phillips. Wright-Phillips managed to escape from Ahmed''s guard after making a one-two pass with Ben Carter.


    After that, Wright-Phillips gave Kazuki a pass. When Kazuki received the ball, Gomez blocked Kazuki to prevent the Japanese player from breaking through the penalty box. Kazuki was forced to shoot from outside the penalty box. The ball missed from the goalpost, goal kick for Liverpool.


    In the 73rd minute, Sterling was substituted after wasting the umpteenth chance. Ragnick lost his patience with Sterling in this match. He brought in Downing to replace Sterling.


    In the 76th minute, Rudolf was replaced by Dallas after he was injured when his foot landed incorrectly during an aerial duel with Jordan Henderson. After 76 minutes, Liverpool''s attack became ferocious. The match has entered the final 15 minutes of normal time. This long and tiring match is coming to an end. As the leader of the Liverpool standings, want to immediately score the winning goal.


    In the 81st minute, Downing teamed up with Enrique on the left, they managed to disrupt the Southampton defense and enter the penalty box. Downing provided a straight pass to the right. Ahmed managed to receive the pass, at the same time Dean Smith ran forward. Ahmed flicked the ball gently over Dean Smith''s head. But the ball was too slow, so Dean Smith still had time to save the Southampton goalpost.


    In the 85th minute, Southampton launched an attack. Okhalo passes the ball to Ben Carter. The Southampton left-back brought the ball forward. Jordan Henderson was pressing him, Carter changed the ball directions and gives it to Simone.


    Steven Roger did a body charge and took the ball from Simone, but the next second Hilton went up and made a tackle, Hilton managed to get the ball. The referee did not blow the whistle, so Hilton immediately passed the ball to Rudolf. The Southampton midfielder brought the ball forward, Sisinho chasing it from behind, while Lucas blocked Rudolf''s pass for Rustan.


    Rudolf crosses deep to the left. Wright-Phillips competed for speed with Glen Johnson. Glen Johnson won the duel, he gave the ball to Gomez. Liverpool''s central defender sent a long pass into the middle of the field.


    Sisinho and Okhalo had an aerial duel. As a result, Sisinho managed to head the ball to the left. Downing pushed the ball forward, then runs as fast as possible. Vicente caught Downing but before the Southampton right-back caught him, Downing crossed to the right.


    Ahmed escaped the offside trap and managed to receive the pass well. Ahmed just had to deal with Dean Smith. The Southampton goalkeeper ran forward to snatch the ball, but Ahmed passed him and kicked the ball into the empty net.


    "Ahmed! Ahmed Abdul Salah! This Egyptian player managed to put Liverpool ahead of Southampton in the 85th minute. This is Anfield! Looks like Anfield is still maintaining its awesomeness tonight."


    Liverpool fans cheered while mentioning Ahmed''s name. The Liverpool fans'' euphoria was so strong that the Southampton players felt heavy pressure. Only 5 minutes left in normal time. Southampton had to score again to equalize.


    Ahmed then ran to the sidelines and kneel. After that, he stood up and cuddled with other Liverpool players. On the touchline, Ragnick also celebrated the goal with his assistant, while George covered his face with both hands, the Southampton coach was feeling helpless to see Ahmed''s goal. There''s nothing wrong with Southampton, it''s just that Liverpool is too strong.


    At this point, everyone thought Liverpool would win. Even the Southampton players themselves. However, no one thought that in the 89th minute, Henderson got a red card. The Liverpool midfielder brought down Ryan in front of the penalty box, so he got his second yellow card in this match.


    The game was thrilling again.


    Kazuki became the executor of the free-kick. He took a deep breath. The pressure he felt was very heavy, all attention was on him. The referee''s whistle had sounded clear. Kazuki ran slowly then kicked the ball. The ball spun in the air as it slowly moved toward the far post. Ryan jumped and headed the ball into the net, Jim Becker failing to catch the header.


    "Goaaalll! Ryan Jr''s header made Jim Becker pick up the ball again from the net for the third time in this match," said Jim Kaglin enthusiastically.


    The atmosphere at Anfield Stadium became silent for a moment. The Southampton players immediately cheered, they hugged and celebrated the goal. Moments later, the chants of You''ll Never Walk Alone echoed through the Anfield stadium. The referee gave 5 minutes of added time. Liverpool fans believed their team will make a miracle again.


    In extra time, the game was fierce, even though Liverpool only had 10 players, but their spirit was absolutely incredible. Liverpool managed to create a chance, but unfortunately, Downing failed to score. In the final seconds of the game, Southampton got a corner kick.


    Ryan took a corner this time. He put the ball on the grass. Then get ready to kick. The referee''s whistle sounded. However, Ryan suddenly walked forward past the ball. The Liverpool players relaxed, they thought Southampton would replace the man who took the corner.


    At that moment, Ryan walked backward and kicked the ball quickly. All Liverpool players were not ready, so Kazuki immediately shot the ball into Liverpool''s goalpost.


    "Oh, looks like there''s going to be a substitute taking a corner. Huh? Corners took quickly, Kazuki!!! Goaaallll!!"


    The Liverpool players immediately surrounded the referee, they questioned the validity of this goal. However, the referee declared the goal was valid because the whistle had sounded first. Liverpool fans booed the referee, and Southampton players thought there was cheating going on.


    However, Kazuki and the Southampton players continued to celebrate. No time left, Southampton won the game this time. After Liverpool kick-off, the referee immediately blew the whistle signaling the end of the match.


    The 35th match week between Liverpool and Southampton is officially over. In this match, Southampton won 4-3. Kazuki scored a hat-trick for the second time in his career. While Ahmed managed to score a brace.. Kazuki and Ryan were the two players who contributed to the victory of this."

 Chapter 64 - Furlough

    Somewhere, Manchester United was facing Fulham. The game had entered the 86th minute, the score was 3-0, Manchester United had an advantage over Fulham. On the bench, Sir Alex Henderson sat quietly. Beside him, the Manchester United assistant coach suddenly leaned to Sir Alex and whispered in his ear, "Sir, Liverpool lost against Southampton."


    Sir Alex''s expression changed instantly, he turned his head then asked, "Really?"


    The assistant nodded his head, "The final score of the game was 4-3. Kazuki managed to score a hat-trick and also an assist. Now we are only 2 points behind Liverpool. We still have a chance to overtake Liverpool."


    Sir Alex nodded, he made a smile and said, "Great, that boy helped us pull Liverpool off the throne, he has the Red Devil''s DNA flowing through his bodies. We have to make sure he comes back to Old Trafford."


    Moments later, the match was ended. Manchester United beat Fulham with a score of 3-0. Sir Alex attended the post-match press conference. He answers general questions such as his opinion about this match, the players who competed, and others. Finally, The Sun asked questions about Liverpool''s defeat.


    "Sir, Liverpool''s game against Southampton is over. Liverpool lost the match. Now, Manchester United is only 2 points behind, do you think Manchester United can overtake Liverpool''s position?"


    Sir Alex coughed and adjusted his voice, then he said, "Liverpool are playing well this season but as a result, their players are the players who feel the most fatigue among Premier League teams. We are struggling to catch up to their points. However, I think we still have a chance. Liverpool''s players have not been champions for too long, even this season they have to wait again, I''m sure Liverpool''s chance to win the league will come in 7-9 years, but not now."


    The Sun again asked, "Manchester United''s last game in the Premier League was against Southampton. Don''t you think that Manchester United might lose like Liverpool?"


    "Southampton is a good team, but I believe we can win the game."


    "So are you thinking to call Kazuki and maybe giving him a talk, so he doesn''t get too fierce against Manchester United?"


    "That allegation is completely absurd. Kazuki is a Southampton player at this time, it is his duty to help Southampton win the game. I will not do something underhanded like that."


    After a while, the press conference was over. The next day, the media reported Southampton''s win over Liverpool as the most surprising match in the 2011/2012 season. However, the competition was fierce. No one imagined that when Liverpool took the lead in the 85th minute, Southampton would turn things around completely.


    In addition, Kazuki''s third goal was also debated, the media supporting Liverpool thought the goal was illegitimate, but their claims were meaningless because the chief referee of England had confirmed that Kazuki''s third goal was valid. Despite that goal, people were aware that Kazuki had now scored 14 goals and 6 assists in just 12 matches. Kazuki''s goal contribution reached 20 goals in total. As a reminder, Southampton only scored 18 goals in the entire first half of the 2011/2012 season.


    People were sure that Kazuki would win the best young player of Premier League 2011/2012 beating Hazard, Sterling, Theo Walcott, Ruggard, and others. Only three-match weeks left in the 2011/2012 Premier League season, the media guessed how many goals Kazuki would score in the next 3 matches.


    Meanwhile, Kazuki was experiencing tension in his muscles. This was known after the Southampton doctor team saw to examine Kazuki''s overall condition.


    Edward Jones, as the doctor who checked Kazuki''s condition, came to George who was waiting outside the examination room.


    George approached Edward, who had just come out of the examination room. He asked, "How is Kazuki''s condition?"


    "He needed one or two weeks of rest. George, I know Kazuki is playing well, but you have to manage Kazuki''s time at the field wisely. Rotate as much as possible. You shouldn''t rely too much on that brat." George trusted Kazuki''s ability, therefore he let Kazuki play continuously replace Osmund. However, for now, Kazuki required a good combination of rest and play.


    George who heard Edward''s words admitted his mistake, "You''re right. I''ve been relying on him too much lately. I will arrange for Kazuki''s match time to be adjusted."


    This means that Kazuki would not participate in the 36th round match of the English Premier League between Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers.


    Meanwhile, Edward also told Kazuki to truly rest. He forbade Kazuki to do sports at his house. Apart from that, Edward also advised Kazuki to relax and enjoy his time off. Kazuki didn''t need to be seriously hospitalized, but Edward asked Kazuki to rest well at home.


    Kazuki called Shiraishi to pick him up home. After 10 minutes of waiting, Shiraishi finally arrived. Kazuki boarded Shirashi''s car and asked the girl to drive him home.


    Shiraishi was surprised that Kazuki came home earlier than usual. She asked the Japanese young man.


    "Did something happen? You came home earlier than usual. Besides, why didn''t you bring your car, I''m not your driver, you know."


    Kazuki replied, "My driver is on vacation, and I''m lazy to drive my car. You''re my personal assistant, after all, doing things like this is already part of your job."


    Kazuki then added, "The team doctor asked me to take a week off, he said my muscles are tense, and I need rest."


    Shiraishi knew Kazuki''s habits. That person would touch the ball whenever he had leisure, if the team doctor asked Kazuki to rest, then Shiraishi as Kazuki''s personal assistant would make sure the youth rested completely.


    "Do you think the tour includes rest?" Kazuki asked suddenly.


    Shiraishi raised her eyebrows, she was surprised by Kazuki''s words, because this young man rarely goes out if not for an invitation from someone else.


    "Which place do you wanna visit?" Shiraishi asked.


    "I want to have a good look around this city. Find out the most popular tourist attractions in Southampton, I want to visit them one by one."


    Shiraishi was silent for a while before saying, "Are you asking me out?"


    "No, I just want you to accompany me, don''t you have to record my daily activities?" Kazuki said, refuting Shiraishi''s guess.


    Shiraishi stared at Kazuki for a while before turning her face away, she then said, "Huh, coward."


    Kazuki had been in Southampton for a few months, but he had yet to visit the famous tourist spots in this city. Most of his time he spent practicing football. Just imagine, morning till noon he would do daily training, in the afternoon Kazuki would train his physique at home, and night he would train in [Dream Training]. This cycle must be loosened.. After all, Kazuki wasn''t a robot.

 Chapter 65 - Title Race

    In the 36th round of the English Premier League. Liverpool managed to beat Aston Villa with a score of 2-0. The media was waiting for Liverpool''s blunder had to be disappointed with this result. Liverpool coach, Ralf Ragnick, firmly said Liverpool only needs to win two more games to win the English Premier League 2011/2012 season, and it is not a difficult problem for Liverpool.


    Although, Liverpool''s opponents in rounds 37 and 38 are not as easy as Ragnick thinks. In the 37th round, Liverpool has to face Everton. Even though Everton lost in every aspect to Liverpool but as city rivals, Everton would be very happy if Liverpool failed to win the Premier League. Then, in the 38th round, Liverpool faced Blackburn. Blackburn itself is in 18th position under Wigan Athletic. Everyone knew that the team that is struggling between the relegation zone is sometimes the hardest team to beat at the end of the season because they would fight desperately to win the game.


    Meanwhile, Manchester United was still closely following Liverpool by two points less. They managed to beat West Ham United 1-0 to keep following Liverpool. Even though Liverpool hadn''t made any blunders, Manchester United fans believe they still had a chance. The reason was because Manchester United''s schedule was easier than Liverpool''s match schedule.


    In the 37th round, the Red Devils would face Sunderland. Then, in the 38th round, they would face Southampton. Sunderland and Southampton are in mid-table. They have been safe from the relegation zone, defeat and victory will not have too big an impact on both clubs. Unlike Blackburn, Southampton of course would not fight all out against Manchester United in the last round, right? That''s what Manchester United fans thought.


    On the other hand, Southampton who faced Wolverhampton Wanderers had to settle for a 1-1 draw. The match was very difficult. Southampton in that match fielded senior players such as Osmund, Crage, Kounde, and Hugo in the front line. However, these four people had a hard time breaking through Wolverhampton Wanderers'' defense.


    Osmund and Kounde had successive chances, but they failed to take advantage of them. The Wolves managed to score first through Steven Fletcher''s hard kick in the 43rd minute. Southampton could only equalize the score in the 76th minute of Hugo''s cross which was converted by Crage''s header.


    Although Southampton failed to win, certainly, they will not be relegated even if Southampton loses the next 2 matches, because there is a 7 point gap with Blackburn who is in 18th position.


    The same thing always happens to mid-table teams, when they were not threatened with relegation but also had no chance to compete on the European stage, then their desire to win decreases. Without a purpose, they seem to lose the will to win. Of course, the bonus goals might make the forwards play with passion, but the rest of the players are in poor form.


    Southampton fans had not complained about this result, but as fans of course they wanted their team to win, no matter if the win had an impact or not.


    On the other hand, Kazuki who was on furloughed for a week finally returned to doing daily training. During the week he spent with Shiraishi, things had changed. First, he more liked Southampton city. Even though Kazuki knew that he would leave Southampton one day, but he wanted to give something to this city before he left it.


    Second, his relationship with Shiraishi has improved greatly. Even so, there is still no clear status between the two. Third, Kazuki started to utilize [Dream Training] for something other than practicing football. He studied several foreign languages ??such as French, Spanish, Italian, and German. The main reason Kazuki learned these four languages ??was because, in the future, he might leave England to play for another major European league club.


    The GM was protesting Kazuki''s behavior and thought what Kazuki was doing violated the [Dream Training] rule, which is there to train players'' football skills. Of course, after Kazuki negotiated, GM finally gave in. After all, by learning other languages, Kazuki''s communication with players from those countries would be easier.


    Time passed quickly, finally, the 37th week of the match began. The opening match in Week 37 is Liverpool against Everton. A few hours later, there was Manchester United against Sunderland. These two matches will be the main focus. Meanwhile, the next day, Southampton will play Leeds United.


    The opening match between Liverpool and Everton presents a very fierce match. The match took place at Goodison Park Stadium. Until the 10th minute, each team has received a yellow card. Everton was using foul to hinder Liverpool. Everton did not hesitate to commit a dangerous foul.


    Then in the 17th minute, Everton scored the first goal through Belliand''s kick. This goal made the Everton fans cheer. Liverpool found it difficult to build attacks because Everton always made tackles to stop Liverpool players.


    Until the first half ended, Liverpool still could not equalize. Apart from that, Everton has got 4 yellow cards while Liverpool has got 3 yellow cards, no red cards have come out, but the game tension was very hot.


    At the start of the second half, an incident occurred. Steven Roger screamed in pain after Leon Osman knocked him down. In the replay, it appears that Leon Osman''s leg hit the shin of Steven Roger''s left leg. Leon Osman''s foul was so dangerous that the referee immediately gave him a red card. Steven Roger was replaced by Charlie Adam.


    After the incident, the Liverpool players seemed to rise. They turned things around and attacked Everton all-out. However, Everton piled their players in the penalty box, so Liverpool struggled to penetrate the defense. Liverpool''s goal appeared in the final minutes of the second half through Jordan Henderson''s header. That way, Liverpool was held to a draw by Everton 1-1. After the game was over, Ragnick was so angry he lashed out at the Everton players for playing dirty.


    Manchester United, who knows the result of Liverpool''s match was very happy. They did not waste this opportunity by crushing Sunderland 4-0 without reply. That way, Manchester United equalized their points with Liverpool. However, Liverpool''s goal difference was 10 goals more than Manchester United.


    If Liverpool won the game against Blackburn, then Manchester United must have beaten Southampton by a score of more than 10 goals. Of course, it is very difficult. Even so, Manchester United remains optimistic, the reason was because Steven Roger was injured. The possibility of Liverpool losing or drawing against Blackburn was very high.. As long as they have beaten Southampton, then Manchester United will have a chance to overtake Liverpool.

 Chapter 66 - Leeds United

    Under Marcelo Bielsa coached, Leeds, which was a promoted team now ranks 7th in the English Premier League. Marcelo Bielsa managed to turn Leeds into a strong team in both defense and attack. In building attack, Calvin Phillips as a defensive midfielder is placed between defenders and other midfielders. At first glance, it looks like a disconnection between Calvin and the other midfielders, but this is done on purpose.


    Leeds United did not build attacks with short passes. They were taking advantage of Calvin Phillips, who had a high accuracy of his long pass. His presence far behind was to provoke the opponent to press. As soon as the opponent presses, then Calvin could send a forward pass.


    Then, there were Rodrigo and Klich''s role comes in. Both are midfielders who had high posture. They played an important role in winning the aerial duel so that Calvin''s long pass was not wasted.


    In defense, Leeds employed a radical man-to-man system. Players were not afraid to get out of position when the opponent baited them to a different side. This tactic had a high risk, but the payoff could be worth it if executed well. Of course, this strategy had its drawbacks, especially against big clubs that had great players. In addition, Leeds also often had used high-intensity pressing, although their pressing was not as good as Liverpool''s, but it was quite difficult for the opponent.


    In this match, Southampton brought Kazuki as a substitute. Even though George already knew that Kazuki had recovered, but just in case, he didn''t include Kazuki. Dean Smith was back as Southampton goalkeeper in this match. The combination of Hilton and Okhalo were believed to be a central defender again. Benson''s left-back was filled with while on the right, Freddy was back as a starter.


    In midfield, Simone and Rudolf were starting as the mainstays again. Rustan replaced Hugo on the right flank while Kounde started in this match. Upfront, Anthony finally got his chance, he was accompanied by Ryan.


    On the other hand, Leeds United was using a 4-1-4-1 formation. Illan Meslier was the goalkeeper for Leeds. At defender, Luke Ayling was at right-back, while Diego Llorente was at left-back. Junior Firpo and Liam Cooper were trusted by Bielsa to be central defenders. Then, There was Calvin Phillips, who became a defensive midfielder. Raphinha and Jack Horrison filled the wing positions. In the middle, there was a combination of Rodrigo and Mateusz Klich. Then in front, Patrick Bamford became a striker as usual.


    At the start of the game, the intensity of the game was not so high. Both teams were still trying to build attacks. In midfield, Ryan was very active around the pitch to help Southampton build attacks. Rodrigo and Klich pressed tirelessly in midfield to stop Ryan. The constant pressure from Leeds clearly made Southampton uncomfortable.


    In the 7th minute, Simone made a long pass into the right area, but Rustan lost the duel for the ball against Diego Llorente. Leeds didn''t counterattack immediately, instead, they let Calvin organize the attack. The reason was because Southampton had not been pressed at forward, overall Southampton still maintains two lines of defense.


    In the 16th minute, Calvin sent a long pass into the middle. Rodrigo managed to head the pass to the side. Diego Llorente overlapped to help attack, he received the ball from Rodrigo and then carried the ball forward. After that, he gave the ball to Rapinha who was Leeds'' left wing. Rapinha competed for speed against Freddy. Fortunately, Freddy managed to throw the ball first.


    Until the 20th minute, no shoot on target had been created, each attack is always interrupted in the middle of the field. Neither Leeds nor Southampton, neither of them played aggressively. Leeds United had lost hope of playing in the Europa League so winning or losing in this match will not have much impact on Leeds. Southampton is in the same situation.


    In this match, both teams tend to play safe. On the one hand, Southampton knew that aggressively pressing, will only have a bad impact because of the presence of Calvin Phillips. Besides that, Leeds was also afraid of Southampton''s counterattack. Southampton''s right side, which was occupied by Rustan and Freddy, was the most intimidating side for Leeds because both players have a very good pace.


    In the 32nd minute, Southampton''s counterattack came. As expected, Southampton''s right side poses a frightening threat to Leeds. Rustan got past Diego Llorente and dribbled the ball into the middle of the penalty box. Rustan then gave a cut pass towards Ryan. Ryan got away from Liam Cooper and gave Anthony a through ball. The Southampton striker made a first-time shot. Unfortunately, Anthony''s shot was too straight for Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier, so he could catch the ball easily.


    In the 38th minute, Leeds got a free kick on the left side of the Southampton box after Benson was forced to tackle Jack Horrison. Calvin Phillips executed the free-kick. After the referee''s whistle sounded, He swung his leg and kicked the ball. The ball flew curved into the middle of the penalty box. Patrick Bamford jumped and managed to head the ball. However, the ball bounced off the field.


    Until the end of the first half, the scores of both teams were still zero. Southampton''s match against Leeds United in the first half tends to be boring. Southampton did not create a shoot on target other than the opportunity that occurred in the 32nd minute. While Leeds failed to create a shoot on target in the first half.


    During the break, George did not change his strategy. Kazuki could see that George intended to play safe until the end of the match. George''s coaching career was arguably safe after Southampton was able to avoid relegation. Therefore, George''s determination to win this match was not too big. Even so, that didn''t mean that George didn''t want to win, because, in the second halves, there''s a high chance that George will substitute Anthony with Kazuki.


    Meanwhile, Leeds became more aggressive than in the first half. Although Marcelo Bielsa didn''t attach any importance to this match, currently Leeds was playing in their stadium, so they must try to win the game as best they can.


    In the 47th minute, Leeds scored a goal. Calvin Phillips'' long pass was successfully utilized by Mateusz Klich. Klich managed to head the pass into the middle of the penalty box. There, Patrick Bamford grabbed the ball and kicked it hard. The ball entered the Southampton goalpost and managed to make Southampton concede their first goal of this match.


    The goal left Southampton confused, George instructed the Southampton players to play safe, but if Southampton fell behind, Southampton had no other choice but to attack Leeds.


    The intensity of the match increased roughly.

 Chapter 67 - Leeds United (2)

    After Leeds'' first goal, Southampton made several attempts to equalize the score. The first attempt was made in the 52nd minute, Simone gave the ball to Kounde. Southampton tried to use Kounde''s pace to break through on the right side of the Leeds defense. Kounde faced off against Luke Ayling, the Southampton left-winger trying to get past Luke Ayling but, he was following suit. Kounde gave up and passed the ball to Benson, who was behind him.


    Jack Harrison pressed Benson aggressively. Benson turned his body and gave the ball far back. Hilton received the ball with her chest and gave it to Okhalo. Okhalo passed the ball to Freddy. The Southampton right-back ran very fast. Rapinha and Calvin Phillips moved to the right to close Freddy''s space. The Southampton right-back provided a pass to Rustan. With one touch, Rustan returned the ball to Freddy. Freddy got past Rapinha, then he gave Ryan a through ball.


    Ryan ran into the penalty box and received the pass. He then gave a hard kick towards the Leeds United goalpost. The ball hit the post and bounced off the field.


    In the 59th minute, Southampton got another chance. Dean Smith who managed to catch Leeds''s attack immediately threw the ball to the right side. Freddy pushed the ball that he received forward and ran at full speed. He changed his running position slowly to the middle. Mateusz Klich used his hands to block Freddy''s body. The two players pushed each other. Freddy then gave the ball to the right. Rustan who also ran immediately received the ball and crossed the middle line of the field.


    Rustan relied on his speed to beat Diego Llorente. After that, he gave a diagonal pass into the middle of the field. While Anthony had tried to free himself from Firpo and Cooper''s guard, but he was failed, Cooper manages to cut off Rustan''s pass. He then threw the ball off the field.


    Moments later, Freddy threw the ball into the field. Simone managed to receive the ball and gave it to Okhalo. The Southampton center-back provided a progressive pass towards Rudolf. Rodrigo used his physique to annoy Rodrigo, but Rudolf stubbornly dribbled the ball forward and passed it to Ryan. Cooper stepped forward and put the pressure on Ryan. Meanwhile, Ryan flicked the ball to the right side. After that, he turned his body and kicked the ball from outside the field.


    In the 65th minute, it was Leeds'' turn to get a chance. This scheme starts again from midfield. Ryan tried to snatch the ball from Calvin, but the Leeds defender easily escaped Ryan''s guard. After that, Rudolf stepped forward to tackle Calvin, but the Leeds player juggled the ball and passed Rudolf. After that, he gave a long pass to the left. Rapinha immediately ran at full speed. He elbowed each other with Freddy. This time, Rapinha was superior, he managed to bring the ball into the penalty box. After that, he gave a horizontal pass into the middle of the penalty box.


    Patrick Bamford jumped as he leaned forward. He headed the ball from Rapinha. The ball slid straight into the Southampton goalpost. Dean Smith blocked the ball and bounced it off the field.


    Bamford held his head, regretful that he had missed such a good opportunity.


    In the 71st minute, both teams made substitutions. Kazuki came in to replace Anthony, while Daniel James came in to replace Rodrigo. In contrast to Rodrigo who has a tall stature, Daniel James has a normal posture, his advantage lies in his ability to dribble and break through the opponent''s defense.


    With Kazuki''s entry, George also gave out new instructions. He asked the other Southampton players to support Kazuki. George had no doubts about Kazuki''s ability to score goals, but it was clear that Leeds United was aware of that fact as well. Marcelo Bielsa would not let Kazuki touch the ball in the penalty box. Therefore, it takes the support of the other players so that Kazuki can score goals more easily.


    In the 76th minute, Okhalo made a tackle on Daniel James. He managed to get the ball without a foul. Okhalo immediately gave the ball to Simone. Mateusz Klich stepped up to press Simone. The Southampton captain gave the ball horizontally to the left side. Benson did overlap and dribbled the ball forward.


    Benson crossed the halfway line. Jack Horrison stretched out his leg to knock Benson down. He managed to hold the ball, but Benson kicked the ball at Jack Horrison''s feet with a strong force. His feet didn''t touch Jack''s feet, so the referee didn''t judge this as a foul. Kounde managed to receive the ball kicked by Benson. He turned and dribbled the ball in front of the Leeds penalty box. After that, he gave a curved pass into the middle of the penalty box. Kazuki had rid of the offside line, then he kicked the ball into the Leeds net.


    Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier managed to hold off Kazuki''s shot, but the ball bounced back to the right side of the penalty box. Hugo came and pushed the ball into the net. The referee blew the whistle while pointing to the center of the field. Southampton immediately celebrated the goal together. Leeds United fans couldn''t help but mourn, seeing Southampton celebrate the goal. On the sidelines, Marcelo Bielsa got angry and kicked the water bottle violently. He didn''t expect that a few minutes after Kazuki entered Southampton, Southampton immediately scored a goal.


    After a while, the game started again. Leeds United played more aggressively. They were running tirelessly and continued to put pressure on Southampton. However, Southampton''s players were able to withstand the pressure well. Kazuki and Ryan also came down to midfield to help Southampton control the ball.


    In the 83rd minute, Kazuki gave a long pass suddenly to the right. Rustan who escaped the offside trap managed to receive the ball well. The Southampton young player brought the ball into the penalty box. Cooper blocks Rustan''s shooting space. The Southampton right-winger returned the ball to Ryan.


    Ryan gave a short floating pass to the left side of the penalty box. Kazuki ran towards it and gave the ball a header. Unfortunately, his header missed the goalpost. Even though the opportunity ended in vain, Kazuki still gave a thumbs up towards Ryan. He had to admit even though Kazuki had practiced heading, but he didn''t master the heading thing completely.


    Until the final whistle of the second half sounded, no more goals were added. Leeds had to accept a draw against Southampton at home. Meanwhile, in this match, Kazuki failed to score a goal or an assist, but his good performance still received appreciation from George. With this game over, there is only one Southampton game left this season. That was the match against Manchester United in the 38th Premier League match.

 Chapter 68 - Premier League Champions

    The 2011/2012 season is almost over. Among the top 5 European leagues, only the Premier League had no clear winner. In the Spanish league, Real Madrid finally managed to win the La Liga title after the previous 3 seasons Barcelona monopolized the title. Barcelona''s failure to win the title shows that Guardiola''s era is over. There will be big changes in Barcelona going forward. Meanwhile, La Liga''s top scorer was successfully obtained by Quaresma, who played for Real Madrid with 27 goals.


    Then, switching to the French league 1, Montpellier surprisingly managed to win the league, they had beaten their rivals, PSG. No one expected, after losing Oliver Gerrard in the previous season, Montpellier would win this season. This time the player who was influential in bringing Montpellier to win league 1 was Paul Pogba who became the king of assists with 15 assists and also Anthony Martial who scored 20 goals. Both players had been targeted by big clubs. Montpellier will lose both players next summer.


    The Italian Serie A League was dominated again by Juventus after the previous season, Inter Milan managed to steal the Serie A League championship. The record for goals in one season in the Italian League had been broken by Mattheo. The Argentinian scored a crazy record, until the 37th Giornata, Mattheo managed to score 48 goals in the Serie A League. This number of goals is very shocking considering Serie A is very famous for their defense. Not only that, but Mattheo also scored 20 assists, far ahead of his competitor, Sneijder, who only scored 14 assists. Everyone agrees, Mattheo will win the Ballon d''Or again, even if Juventus fail to win the Champions League.


    Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund won the Bundesliga again for the second time. The person who contributed the most to the glory of Borussia Dortmund was their coach, J¨¹rgen Klopp. He managed to turn Borussia Dortmund into a compact team. Meanwhile, Phillips Zico was becoming the top scorer again with 23 goals. Despite his age, Phillips managed to show his competence as a living legend for Bayern Munich.


    On the other hand, the 2011/2012 Champions League Finalists had been determined, Chelsea managed to beat Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate. This season, Chelsea had eliminated Real Madrid and Barcelona, ??making the Blues dubbed as the Spanish club killer. Their opponent was Bayern Munich, who also got rid of Manchester United. The final between Chelsea and Bayern will be held on May 19, 2012. Bayern is favored because the final will be held at their home, the Allianz Arena.


    Chelsea''s success to the final made Mourinho very excited, finally, after so long time, Mourinho returned to the Champions League final, the last time he went to the final was when he coached Porto in the 2003/2004 season. At Inter, he failed to reach the final after being thwarted by Juventus.


    The last round of the English Premier League opened with Liverpool''s match against Blackburn. This match is a concern because if Liverpool manages to win, then Liverpool will surely win the 2011/2012 Premier League because there is a 10 goal difference between Liverpool and Manchester United. However, If Liverpool draws or loses, then Manchester United will have a chance to win the Premier League this season.


    Losing the figure of Steven Roger will certainly have a big impact on Liverpool. In that match Charlie Adam became a starter, replacing Steven Roger. Meanwhile, Downing also became a starter, replacing Sterling. In a very important match, Ralf Ragnick could not believe Sterling, who often missed opportunities. Fortunately, the figure of Sergio Van Dyke has recovered from injury, the Liverpool center-back returned to play in this match.


    Under the gaze of thousands of Liverpool fans, the match between Liverpool and Blackburn was started. Since the beginning of the match, Liverpool immediately carried out an aggressive attack. Blackburn was forced to stay in their penalty box after Liverpool dominated the Blackburn half.


    Liverpool did not hesitate to continue pounding the Blackburn goalpost. However, Blackburn''s goalkeeper performance in this match was very good. Until the 10th minute, the Blackburn goalkeeper managed to save 3 shots on target.


    In the 15th minute, Liverpool got a chance. Glen Johnson sent crossing passes into the middle of the penalty box. Sisinho won the duel and headed the ball to the right. Ahmed showed his agility in the box, he managed to get the ball first and shot the ball. Too bad, the Blackburn center-back blocked Ahmed''s shot.


    At minute 20, Liverpool began to lower the tempo. After 20 minutes of continuous attacking, they realized that if this continued, Liverpool would be exhausted and Blackburn''s counter-attack would be very threatening. While recovering energy, Liverpool was reducing the intensity of the match.


    In the 27th minute, Liverpool suddenly changed the rhythm of the game. Jordan Henderson sent a through ball to the left flank. Downing managed to escape the offside trap and sent a flat pass into the middle of the penalty box. Sisinho and the Blackburn center-back had a physical confrontation. Sisinho gave a back-pass to the back. Lucas received the ball and gave a kick from outside the penalty box. Unfortunately, Lucas'' shot missed the goalpost.


    In the 35th minute, Liverpool was counter-pressing Blackburn after losing the ball in midfield. They surrounded the Blackburn midfielder who carried the ball and closed access to the player''s pass to other players. The Blackburn midfielder gave a less accurate pass forward. Sergio Van Dyke cut the pass and gave the ball to Jordan Henderson.


    Henderson passes the ball to Enrique. Enrique takes the ball across the halfway line, after that, he moved the ball to the right side of the pitch. Quick as lightning, Ahmed passed Blackburn''s left-back and received the ball. Then he pushed the ball into the penalty box. The Blackburn keeper stepped forward and Ahmed curled the ball over the Blackburn keeper''s head and the ball was entering the net.


    Liverpool finally managed to open the score in the 36th minute. Liverpool fans cheered and shouted Ahmed''s name. Meanwhile, Ralf Ragnick and his assistants celebrated the goal. As long as Liverpool maintains their advantage, Liverpool will win the English Premier League after a long time.


    Ahmed''s goal became the last goal that occurred in the first half. Until the final minute of the first half, Blackburn could not score a reply. The first half of the match was completely controlled by Liverpool, the Reds'' possession of the ball reached 68%.


    In the second half, Liverpool applied a conservative strategy. They weren''t as aggressive as they were in the first half. Even Blackburn tends to have the ball more than Liverpool. This is done because Liverpool play better when they didn''t have the ball. By letting Blackburn control the ball, Liverpool could launch a counter-attack better relied on Ahmed or Downing.


    Although Blackburn started to control the ball, they could not threaten Liverpool''s goalpost because the Reds put pressure on the Blackburn players who entered the Reds defense area.

 Chapter 69 - Premier League Champions (2)

    In the 48th minute, Blackburn attempted an attack. Steven Nzozi passed the ball to David Jr Hoillett. Lucas stepped forward and pressed. Hoillet provided a pass to Blackburn''s left-winger, Mauro Formica. With one touch Formica returned the ball to Hoillet who had passed Lucas. Hoillet brought the ball into the middle and then gave a cut-pass towards Blackburn''s shadow striker, Robin Rochina.


    Robin Rochina penetrated the Liverpool penalty box. However, Sergio Van Dyke immediately made a clean tackle. The ball was pushed off the field, while Rochina fell due to a tackle by Sergio Van Dyke. The referee awarded a corner kick to Blackburn. David Dunn will execute the corner kick. The Blackburn players gathered in the Liverpool penalty box. The referee''s whistle was blown, David immediately kicked the ball with a strong force. The ball flew to the far post of the goal. Blackburn striker Yakubu leaped for the ball, but Sergio Van Dyke was so skilled he managed to throw the ball out of the box.


    In the 53rd minute, Liverpool attacked again. Van Dyke managed to intercept the ball from Yakubu''s feet. He immediately gave the ball to Joel Matip. Matip ran with the ball forward and gave it to Lucas. With one touch, Lucas sends a pass towards Enrique. Liverpool''s left-back immediately brought the ball quickly. Jason Lowe came in and did a body charge. Enrique fell, so the referee blew the whistle and awarded a free-kick to Liverpool.


    After the referee''s whistle sounded, Enrique kicked the ball with measure. The ball curled to the left. Downing jumped and headed the ball to the middle. Jordan Henderson received the ball and then did a speculative shoot from a far distance. Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson caught the ball easily.


    In the 59th minute, Jason Lowe, David Dunn, and Robin Rochina formed a triangular pass. They were working together to break into Liverpool''s left defense. Liverpool''s formation became more to the left to block the Blackburn players who tried to break through from the left. Rochina crossed the ball to the right. Mauro Formica came and cut Rochina''s pass. He pushed the ball into the penalty box, then send a cut-back pass to Yakubu. The Blackburn striker passed Jim Becker, who moved forward and then kicked the ball into the empty net. But Sergio Van Dyke jumped and miraculously managed to head the ball out of the box.


    Yakubu who was about to celebrate a goal was silenced by a save made by Sergio Van Dyke. The save was so amazing that the Liverpool fans gave a standing ovation. On the side of the field, Ragnick looks relieved to see Liverpool not conceding.


    In the 64th minute, Liverpool made a substitution, Lucas was withdrawn and replaced by Gomez. Liverpool''s formation changed to 5-2-3. Ragnick''s desire to maintain this score can be seen in the changes that he made. The inclusion of Gomez did not mean Liverpool play too passive. Instead, they pushed two full-backs to the side of the midfielders.


    In the 69th minute, Liverpool launched an attack. Jim Becker delivers a goal kick forward. Sisinho and Christopher Samba were dueling in the air. Sisinho managed to head the ball back. Jordan Henderson received the ball and provided a through ball to the right. Ahmed ran off the offside trap and pushed the ball into the box. After that, he gave a straight kick towards the goalpost. The ball hits the top post and bounces back. Martin Olsson came and threw the ball out of the penalty box.


    In the 75th minute, Blackburn got a chance. Steven Nzozi steals the ball from Charlie Adam''s feet. He pushed the ball forward, then chased it. Jordan Henderson chased him from the side, holding Nzozi''s shirt. The Blackburn midfielder gave the ball to David Dunn. Downing stepped back and added to the pressure on Dunn. The Blackburn player used his hands to withstand the pressure from Downing. Then, he passed a straight pass to Jason Lowe.


    Enrique clung behind Jason, he was trying to steal the ball from Jason. Jason received the ball from David Dunn and pushed it through the gap between Enrique''s legs. After that, Jason turned around and chased the ball. Joel Matip came in from the middle and made a tackle. The Liverpool defender managed to push the ball out of the field.


    The game time was decreasing. Liverpool''s fans are in a very good mood. As long as they maintain their current lead, then Liverpool will win the Premier League 2011/2012 season. Meanwhile, the Manchester United fans who watched this match were very nervous. They had been continued to support Blackburn to score goals. For a moment, all the Red Devils fans supported Blackburn.


    Manchester United fans'' prayers had been answered. In the 87th minute, Joe Gomez did a handball in the penalty box. The referee immediately pointed to the white dot indicating that Blackburn will get a penalty kick. The atmosphere at Anfield broke, the fans booed the referee in charge, a few fans threw things into the field. Liverpool''s players gathered and surrounded the referee. This time they didn''t give up, they kept persuading the referee to overturn his decision, but the referee refused.


    The penalty kick was not canceled. Yakubu puts the ball over the white dot. He will face off against Jim Becker. Liverpool fans booed Yakubu, they hoped Yakubu missed the penalty kick. The referee''s whistle sounded, Yakubu kicked the ball to the left. Jim Becker managed to guess the direction of the ball, but he failed to save the goal. When the goal was created, Blackburn immediately celebrated the goal with great fanfare. At that moment, Yakubu turned into a hero for Manchester United fans.


    The goal made some fans cry, if the result is a draw, then Manchester United will have a chance to overtake them. Being overtaken by Manchester United in the last game is something they didn''t want to experience.


    After a while, the match resumed. Liverpool attacked Blackburn all out. Ragnick unhesitatingly used the two substitution quotas by bringing in the attackers. Official gives 5 minutes in addition. For five minutes, the Reds was never stopped attacking Blackburn. However, until the end of the match, the Merseyside club failed to win.


    This result is a very bad result for Liverpool. Because it is the Manchester United match that will determine the Premier League champion. In a press conference, Ragnick said, "We failed to determine the championship in this match, but that doesn''t mean we will lose the league championship to Manchester United. Southampton is a strong opponent, we experienced it ourselves. I''m sure Southampton could surprise Manchester United.


    On the other hand, I don''t think this result is Gomez''s fault. He''s been fighting for Liverpool really hard this season, one mistake can''t erase his services."


    If Liverpool failed to win, Gomez, who gets a handball, will be the scapegoat for Liverpool''s failure. Ragnick hopes Liverpool fans will not blame Gomez if the Reds fail to become Premier League winners.


    All the attention of football fans is on the match between Manchester United vs Southampton.. This match will determine the winner of the 2011/2012 Premier League season.

 Chapter 70 - Decisive Match

    The next day, the match between Southampton and Manchester United was held at St Mary''s stadium. The match was held in the afternoon. Southampton''s home stadium was full of Southampton fans as well as Manchester United fans who filled the away fans stand.


    Before the game, George Eastgate did not give any targets for this match. Manchester United who would win will definitely play all out. He only hoped that Southampton''s game will not disappoint the fans.


    In this match, the officials brought an imitation trophy to the St Marry''s stadium. However, this match will determine who wins the 2011/2012 Premier League season.


    "Good afternoon Everyone. I, Jim Kaglin along with Andy Cole and Carragher, will accompany you to watch the decisive match between Southampton and Manchester United. In this match, Manchester United needs a win to take first place from their rivals, Liverpool.


    What do you two think about this match? Andy, you first."


    Andy Cole corrected his sitting position and gave his opinion on the match, "Before the match, Sir Alex had mentioned that all Manchester United players are in a very good performance. I think it is hard to imagine Manchester United will lose this match. Even though Southampton had beaten Liverpool, but Van Dyke''s absence at that time became one of the reasons why Southampton won. With Van Dyke, Kazuki would not be too ferocious.


    In this match, Fadick and Rio Fernand are clearly better than Gomez and Matip. As long as Kazuki can be frozen, it will be very difficult for Southampton to beat Manchester United."


    Carragher immediately replied to Andy Cole''s argument. He said, "I think you underestimate Southampton too much. They not only have Kazuki but a young player named Rustan also has good pace, I''m sure he will contribute greatly to Southampton''s counter-attack. There is also Ryan, this player has good technique, he can distract the Manchester United defense. Southampton is very strong on the counter-attack, I believe a draw is very possible in this match."


    Jim Kaglin cut the conversation off. "Well, let''s save your opinion and see the starting line-up of the two teams. In this match, Manchester United will field a 4-3-3 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Edwin Van Der Sar;


    Defenders: Valencia, Fadick, Rio Fernand, Evra


    Midfielders: Paul Scholes, Park Ji Sung, Carrick;


    Front: Luis Nani, Christopher Ron, Welbeck.


    Meanwhile, Southampton uses a 4-4-2 formation. A very typical formation from coach George Eastgate.


    Goalkeepers: Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Vicente, Hilton, Okhalo, Benson;


    Midfielders: Rustan, Simone, Rudolf, Kounde;


    Front: Kazuki, Ryan.


    Next, we''ll see how the first half of the Southampton-Manchester United game goes."


    A few minutes later, after the opening ceremony of the match was over, the first half between Southampton and Manchester United officially started. Southampton, who started the kick-off immediately possessed the ball. Meanwhile, Manchester United played calmly, they did not immediately press Southampton. The intensity of the match at the beginning was not too high. Both teams played it safe.


    However, in the third minute, when Park Ji Sung snatched the ball from Kazuki''s feet, Manchester United suddenly moved simultaneously. Park Ji Sung provided a pass to Paul Scholes. The Manchester United midfielder received the ball with his chest and then controlled the ball with his knee. After that, he passed Kounde''s guard.


    After passing Kounde, Paul gave the ball to Welbeck. Welbeck received the ball and faced Vicente. Just as Vicente thought Welbeck was going to burst past him, Welbeck suddenly shot from outside the box. Dean Smith, who was guarding the goalpost did not expect Welbeck to shoot the ball suddenly. Fortunately, Welbeck''s shot missed the goal. However, the attack made Southampton defenders feel the pressure.


    The rhythm of the game remained low, but Manchester United''s style of play was very dangerous for Southampton. Manchester United always makes sudden attacks, every time they get the ball, the Manchester United players pass the ball straight forward. Luis Nani, Ron, and Welbeck often carry out unexpected attacks. The cooperation of the three Manchester United forwards was very smooth.


    In the 7th minute, Manchester United gave a surprise attack again. This time, Scholes suddenly gave the floated pass to the right. Luis Nani quickened his pace, then he picked up the ball from Scholes with his outside foot, so it bounced right past Benson. Nani moved quickly past Benson and brought the ball into the penalty box.


    Southampton''s players transitioned so well that Simone and Rudolf had dropped into the box. Nani gave the ball to Carrick who was outside the penalty box. Carrick kicked the ball hard. Dean Smith ran to the left and pushed his body hard, he managed to hold the ball. The ball bounced to the left side of the Southampton defense. Kounde took the ball and kicked it forward.


    Ryan prepared to receive the ball, but Rio Fernand headed the ball off the field. Southampton failed to launch a counter-attack, but they managed to survive Manchester United''s attack. Until the 8th minute, Kazuki only touched the ball a few times. He was standing alone up front, right next to the Manchester United center-back. Southampton still cannot attack the Red Devils defense.


    In the 10th minute, Southampton finally got their chance. Vicente did an overlap, then he got past Luis Nani with Simone''s help. After that, he brought the ball into the middle of the field. Paul Scholes stepped up to put pressure on him. Vicente gave the through pass forward. Park Jisung held Ryan at his back, but the Southampton player managed to push the ball to the right. Rustan accelerated his run and grabbed the ball just before Evra reactions.


    After that, Rustan sent a crossing pass into the middle of the penalty box. Kazuki who was sandwiched by two Manchester United center-backs attempted a header. However, he lost the aerial duel against Fadick. He gave a thumbs-up to Rustan even though the pass was too difficult for Kazuki.


    Until the 10th minute, both teams still couldn''t score. Manchester United managed to provide some threats to the Southampton defense, but unfortunately, they failed to turn those opportunities into goals.


    In the 12th minute, Ron, who escaped from Okhalo''s guard, received a cross from Valencia. The Manchester United right-back had stepped up to help the Red Devils attack Southampton. Ron received the ball with his chest and volleyed it. Dean Smith jumped up and held the ball with his palm. The ball bounces over the goal. The corner kick was awarded to Manchester United.


    Paul Scholes will take the corner kick. Manchester United players gather in the Southampton penalty box. Under the gazes of ten thousand people, Scholes kicked the ball confidently. The ball twisted in the air and curled into the goalmouth. Carrick pushed his body through Southampton''s player and headed the ball firmly. The ball successfully bounced into the goalpost.. Dean Smith failed to save the goalpost.

 Chapter 71 - Decisive Match(2)

    "Goaaalll! Michael Carrick managed to head the ball into the Southampton net. Manchester United managed to score their first goal. They are getting closer to the league championship," Jim Kaglin shouted excitedly.


    Meanwhile, Andy Cole clapped and expressed his opinion, "Carrick, managed to escape the guard of the Southampton players. A blunder by Rudolf, he should have guarded Carrick properly."


    "You can smile now, Liverpool were ahead too at first but let''s see until the end of the game," Carragher said sarcastically.


    The game continued, even though Southampton had left behind Manchester United by 1 goal. But the tempo of the game had not changed. Southampton did not rush to attack Manchester United. Under Sir Alex Henderson coaching, Manchester United this season had very well transitioned.


    Although the tempo of the play did not change, Southampton tried to build an attack. Ryan went backward and helped Rudolf and Simone to build the attack. In the 15th minute, Ryan managed to escape from Park Jisung''s guard. He then passed the ball to Kazuki. Kazuki''s position was too down, so he chose to pass the through ball to Kounde.


    On the left, Kounde burst past Valencia, then crossed to the left of the Manchester United defense. Rustan entered the penalty box and gave the first-time kick. Too bad, Rio Fernand had blocked Rustan''s kick.


    Corner awarded to Southampton. Ryan took the corner kick. The Southampton players began to gather in the Manchester United penalty box. The referee blew his whistle, Ryan then kicked the ball. Southampton''s players jostled for the ball. Fadick won the ball, he managed to head the ball outside the penalty box. Paul Scholes received Fadick''s header, he turned and dribbled the ball quickly.


    Simone came and clung to Scholes, he applied pressure and blocked Scholes with his hand. The Manchester United midfielder gave a flat pass to the right. Luis Nani who had been running quickly picked up the ball but as soon as he had picked it up Benson came and made a tackle. Benson managed to thwart Manchester United''s counter-attack.


    In the 23rd minute, the atmosphere of the match heated up after Luis Nani and Benson clashed. Nani thinks Benson''s defense act was too rude. Meanwhile, Benson accused Nani of doing a lot of diving. The two clashed, so their comrades immediately separated the two players. The referee gave a stern warning to both.


    In the 27th minute, Kazuki finally got a good moment. Southampton started the attack with Hilton''s long pass. Rudolf received the ball and pushed the ball back. Rudolf''s movement made Michael Carrick lured forward. So that Vicente entered the gap created by Carrick, Rudolf immediately gave Vicente a back-pass.


    Welbeck saw Vicente''s movement, so he immediately backed away to disturb Vicente. Vicente leaned to the right and then pulled the ball with his left foot. Just as Welbeck was about to take the ball, Vicente turned 180¡ã and grabbed the ball with his right foot. He got past Welbeck.


    Park Jisung stepped forward from his post to close Vicente''s movement, but Simone emerged as a passing option. Vicente immediately provided a pass to the side towards Simone. The Southampton captain gave Ryan a flat pass. Rio Fernand stepped forward to put pressure on Ryan, this time Ryan flicked the ball to the side. He then gave Kazuki a through ball. Kazuki and Fadick competed for the ball. The Japanese player managed to get the ball first.


    Fadick pushed Kazuki aside using his body. Kazuki pulled the ball back and spun around, he then delivered a powerful kick towards the goalpost. Edwin Van Der Sar performed well, he managed to catch the ball. Edwin''s reaction was so fast that Kazuki was surprised to see that his kick was caught by Edwin.


    The match continued past the 30th minute. The intensity of the match increased highly than before. Manchester United began to press Southampton strongly. In the 32nd minute, Kounde blundered his pass to Okhalo too weakly, so Paul Scholes managed to get the pass very quickly. He then provided a breakthrough pass into the middle of the penalty box. Ron made it past Hilton, he then gave a powerful shot to the left. Dean Smith''s position was too far, so he couldn''t reach the ball. The second goal was created, Manchester United managed to lead by two goals over Southampton.


    Jim Kaglin shook his head in disbelief at what he saw, "What are you doing Kounde?! The blunder made by Kounde was exploited by Manchester United very well. Southampton must be 2-0 down in the first half."


    Andy Cole smiled happily and said, "Glory Glory Manchester United! Christopher Ron didn''t waste a good pass from Paul Scholes. Two goals won''t be enough, I''m sure Manchester United can add more advantage over Southampton."


    Carragher consoled himself and continued to say encouraging words to Southampton. "I still believe Southampton can get a draw. Before half-time at least Kazuki should score. I believe in his ability."


    The match between Southampton and Manchester United continued, but Manchester United did not relax their pressing. On the other hand, the Red Devils put pressure on the Southampton players. This made the Southampton defenders were forced to use long passes to build attacks. Too bad their passing accuracy was too low so the Manchester United Defense was able to cope with their long passes.


    The less time in the first half, the more fierce the pressure Manchester United put on it. More and more physical confrontations are created. Both teams were seen fighting hard for the ball. In the 41st minute, Park Jisung managed to snatch the ball from Simone''s feet, he then gave a pass to Carrick. Rudolf did a body charge on the Manchester United midfielder.


    Carrick tried to keep the ball at his feet, he then gave a flat pass to Valencia, who rose forward. Valencia dribbles the ball into the Southampton defense area. He then provided a through ball to the right flank. Luis Nani and Benson collided physically. Their bodies collided violently against each other. Luis Nani managed to get the ball, but Benson pushed with his body so Nani fell.


    Nani immediately stood up and approached Benson. The Southampton left-back also returned Nani''s gaze.


    Benson said sarcastically, "You have a weak body, you think you can match Quaresma? Know your place, asshole."


    Nani replied to Benson''s words, "Don''t say nonsense when you are still playing for a mediocre club like this."


    The referee immediately separated the two players, he gave a yellow card to Benson and awarded a free-kick to Manchester United. Paul Scholes will execute the free-kick. He gave the sign to the Manchester United players. Immediately after the referee whistled, Paul kicked the ball into the middle of the penalty box. The ball spun towards the near post, Okhalo and Rio Fernand dueled for the ball. Okhalo won the duel, but the ball he headed just hit the post and bounced into the Southampton net.


    The Manchester United fans immediately cheered. Meanwhile, the Manchester United players celebrate together. A 3-0 lead is too big. This season, Manchester United is unbeaten as they lead 3-0 at half-time.


    The goal made Liverpool fans who watched the match feel depressed. It''s very difficult for Southampton to turn things around.. Until the end of the first half, Manchester United was still leading 3-0.

 Chapter 72 - Decisive Match (3)

    What means a victory in a match? For coaches, victory is about the impact. Winning in the Champions League final is certainly different from winning in the league. For players, winning is all about records, whether it''s goals, assists, or good defensive performances. In modern football, where matches can be analyzed in detail, even defenders can be seen from how good their match data was.


    However, for the fans, winning was about happiness. For Southampton fans, who were always far from the championship, winning every game was something to be happy about. Although Southampton''s current opponent was Manchester United, even though winning this match did not have any impact, they still wanted their favorite team to win.


    Kazuki exhaled, after deep thought. He really wanted to win this match. His desire had nothing to do with the league championship. He just wanted to win for the fans. However, he knew George and the other players didn''t really care about this match. Therefore, he decided to speak about his opinion.


    Kazuki raised his hand. George, who was talking about tactics in the dressing room noticed Kazuki. He stopped talking and asked Kazuki, "Is there something you want to say?"


    Kazuki gave his opinion, "Coach, can we go all out in the second half? I mean, winning or losing doesn''t really matter to Southampton, that''s why we have to play attacking. At least to entertain the fans."


    George was silent for a moment before saying, "At the start of the second half, Manchester United might have loosened up their defense, however, they were already 3 goals ahead. You can use that moment properly to score a goal. Sir Alex Henderson was an experienced coach, he won''t let that moment too long. He will make a change after you tried to score a goal.


    If you guys can use that moment well, we would have a chance to at least level things up."


    The rest of Southampton players doubted that this team can turn things around, however, their current opponent was Manchester United.


    However, as Kazuki said, it was better to fight until the last minute than to let Manchester United dominate the game too much. Despite the result, at least Southampton had tried.


    After a while, the second half of the 38th round match between Southampton and Manchester United started. Manchester United started the second-half kick-off with confidence.


    Some Manchester United players like Luis Nani even looked like they wanted to score and start the goal feast in the second half. However, Southampton gave a different play style from the first half.


    In the first half, Southampton followed Manchester United''s low tempo of play, this time Southampton forced the game to run with high intensity with tight pressing against the Manchester United players.


    They didn''t hesitate to commit fouls to stop and disrupt the Manchester United attacks. Simone and Rudolf were running continuously to break the attacks of Manchester United players and also build Southampton attacks. Ryan stepped back and helped the two Southampton midfielders. He had a duel with Park Ji Sung.


    In the 49th minute, Park Ji Sung pushed Ryan with his body so that Ryan lost his balance. After that, he snatched the ball from Ryan''s feet. Shortly after, Park Ji Sung won the ball, Ryan immediately ran and grabbed the back of the South Korean player''s shirt.


    After that, he used the tip of his foot to kick the ball which was guarded by Park Ji Sung. Rudolf rushed towards the ball, then he kicked the ball hard forward.


    Rustan, who is on the left side of the Manchester United defense, immediately responded to the pass from Rudolf. He received the pass with his chest and then controlled the ball. After that, he turned around while preventing Evra from stealing the ball from him.


    Then he kicked the ball into the space in front of Ryan. Ryan with all his power dueled Park Jisung to pick up the ball. After he managed to get the ball, Ryan gave a lob pass into the empty area between the goalkeeper and the Manchester United defender.


    Kazuki, who was already prepared earlier, immediately escaped from the offside trap. He ran fast for the ball. Kazuki got the ball, but at the same time, Rio Fernand had stuck his foot out to block Kazuki''s kick.


    Suddenly, Kazuki pushed the ball with his right foot towards the left. Fadick tried to take the ball, but Kazuki changed the direction of the ball slightly forward, after which he gave a directed kick with his left foot.


    The ball hit the top post and bounced into the Manchester United net. As soon as the ball went in, Kazuki and the other Southampton players celebrated the goal. Southampton fans in the stadium cheered, celebrating Kazuki''s goal.


    Jim Kaglin said with enthusiasm, "game on! Southampton managed to score their first goal of the match. An appreciation should be given to Ryan, who has worked hard to give Kazuki an opportunity. Fortunately, the Japanese player managed to execute the opportunity very well."


    Andy Cole showed an expression of regret, he said, "Manchester United didn''t seem focused at the start of the second half. I saw some mistakes in Manchester United''s defense. Especially, Edwin, he should have come forward and caught the ball, but he was too late so Kazuki can get the ball first."


    Carragher gave his opinion, "There is still a long time to go, with this goal Southampton still has a chance to at least equalize the score."


    Andy Cole laughed softly and said: "Sir Alex Henderson is an experienced coach, he won''t let that happen. I''m sure Manchester United will adjust the strategy soon. This goal will bring Manchester United back into focus."


    Just as Andy Cole said, as soon as Southampton scored, Sir Alex, stood up from the bench he walked to the sidelines. No need to speak, Sir Alex''s action immediately became a sign for Manchester United players to play more seriously. Victory in this match is very important, Manchester United could not lose against Southampton.


    After the Red Devils took the kick-off, they controlled the ball quietly. The formation between the lines is very tight so that Southampton''s pressing can be eliminated with a one-two pass. Accuracy of good passing was the key for Manchester United to withstand the pressure exerted by Southampton.


    After a while, Manchester United decided to start the attack in the 55th minute. Scholes, who managed to get rid of Rudolf''s guard, gave the ball forward. Ron ran backward to receive the ball, he was followed by Okhalo behind him. Ron returned the ball to Carrick.


    Carrick launched a through ball forward. The gap left by Okhalo was quickly exploited by Welbeck. The Manchester United player was chasing the ball fast. However, Hilton came along and made a clean tackle. Welbeck fell in the penalty box, but it was not a foul.. Vicente immediately took the ball and launched a counterattack.

 Chapter 73 - Decisive Match (4)

    Vicente dribbled the ball quickly. Carrick moved to the side, he intended to stop Vicente. His movement was closed Vicente''s space, so the Southampton right-back gave the ball to Simone. Simone, who had just received the ball, was immediately interrupted by Park Ji Sung. The Korean player went up to press.


    Simone used his physical strength to turn around and gave a pass to Rudolf. Paul Scholes immediately stuck his foot out and cut the ball before it reached Rudolf. Fortunately, Benson stepped up and got the ball bounced. He provided a long pass forward.


    Kazuki dashed towards the ball. Beside him, Fadick and Rio Fernand pinched Kazuki tightly as they held onto the shirt and stretched their arms, making it difficult for Kazuki to run faster. By the time they got close to the ball, Kazuki knew he would fail to get it, so he was sliding his body on the grass then kicked the ball to the left side. Fadick fell because he tripped over Kazuki''s body, but the referee didn''t blow the whistle. Kounde who was running past Valencia immediately grabbed the ball and shot it powerfully. Edwin Van Der Sar reacted quickly, he used his hands to stop the ball. Kazuki who had been running immediately headed the rebound ball into the goalpost.


    "Goaaaaaall! An unyielding effort from Kazuki managed to make Southampton reduce Manchester United''s advantage to 3-2. An unexpected counter-attack managed to make Manchester United conceded for the second time." At the Skysports studio, Jim Kaglin cheered with excitement.


    Andy Cole showed a gloomy expression, he said irritatedly, "The goal shouldn''t have been valid. Fadick fell before Kazuki kicked the ball, so Kazuki''s action should have been counted as a tackle. The referee made a fatal mistake here."


    Carragher quipped at Andy Cole''s words, "Didn''t you see the replay? The two actions happened simultaneously, but Kazuki clearly touched the ball first, so you can''t judge this as a foul."


    Jim Kaglin cut them both off and said: "A goal is a goal, despite the controversy, now Southampton needs just one goal to equalize. Looks like Liverpool still has a chance to win the title."


    On the pitch, Sir Alex pulled Luis Nani out and brought on Darren Fletcher. He felt Manchester United need to strengthen their midfield, especially with Ryan going backward to Southampton''s midfield, automatically Southampton had 5 players in midfield. This forced Manchester United fullbacks to rise to the midfield and help the other player, and this was put to good use by both Southampton wingers.


    The match between Manchester United and Southampton was continued. With the entry of Darren Fletcher, Manchester United had better control of the ball. Manchester United''s formation changed to 4-4-2, similar to Southampton. This makes Southampton players in midfield have to face 1 on 1 with Manchester United players. Moreover, unlike Southampton, the four Manchester United players are purely midfielders. On the Southampton side, Rustan and Kounde were more of a winger than midfielder.


    The rhythm of the game is firmly held by Manchester United. Southampton, who was aggressive at the start of the second half is now starting to calm down. The difference in the quality of players between the two teams is starting to show up. The cooperation of the Manchester United players made the Southampton defense feel the threat again. Southampton was forced to keep playing down their defense. They began to retreat and form a defensive line in front of the penalty box. Kazuki and Ryan also helped Southampton defend.


    In the 66th minute, Manchester United got a chance. It was preceded by a clever movement from Paul Scholes who managed to pass Rudolf. After that, the Manchester United midfielder brought the ball to the front of the penalty box. He gave the ball to Ron. Hilton followed Ron, but the Manchester United striker made a back-pass and gave Scholes the ball back. After that, Paul Scholes kicked the ball from outside the penalty box. His shot was inaccurate, so the ball went off the field.


    In addition, besides shooting from outside of the penalty box, Manchester United also tried to cross the ball several times. Fortunately, Manchester United players crossing were not accurate, so Hilton and Okhalo could easily clear the ball off the field. In terms of defense, a thick wall was built by two Manchester United defensive midfielders, Park Ji Sung and Darren Fletcher. Both players managed to block attack after attack that Southampton tried to do.


    Entering the 75th minute, Manchester United began to slow down the rhythm of the game, they did not try to score goals but continued to possess the ball with short passes between players.


    Southampton had started to relax their pressing, thus making Manchester United more comfortable to possess the ball. Manchester United fans couldn''t wait for Manchester United to score their fourth goal. However, 3 goals were too risky because Southampton could equalize at any moment.


    On the other hand, Liverpool fans feel uneasy seeing Southampton playing too passively. They want to see Southampton score immediately. If Southampton played too passively, it would be very difficult for them to score the third goal.


    In the 83rd minute, Valencia stepped up to help the attack. He received a short pass from Darren Fletcher. Ryan rushed to the side and put pressure on Valencia. The Manchester United right-back pushed the ball straight forward and accelerated his run. Kounde who helped Southampton defend, immediately made a tackle to bring down Valencia. Tackle Kounde missed the ball but dropped Valencia, so the referee gave him a yellow card.


    Paul Scholes took the free-kick quickly. He gave the ball to the right side of the Southampton defense. On the right, Carrick managed to get the ball. But Vicente was standing in front of him, ready to intercept Carrick. Evra went up and helped Carrick to create a 2 vs 1 situation. Evra managed to break through Vicente''s defense. The Southampton right-back ran after Evra and then stuck his foot out to block Evra''s cross.


    However, Evra did a trick, he pulled the ball back and gave the ball back to Carrick. Meanwhile, Vicente fell due to gravity. Carrick provided a short pass to Welbeck. Welbeck who stabbed into the penalty box immediately took the ball, then he gave a directed kick to the right side of the goalpost. The ball bounced in front of the goalmouth.


    Ron came and gave a kick. Just when everyone hoped he was going to score, Ron''s shot was gone over the post. Even Sir Alex was seen patting his forehead, he did not expect Ron to make such a mistake that Manchester United could take advantage of this opportunity to score the fourth goal. Luckily, Manchester United was still ahead, so Sir Alex wasn''t too angry with Ron''s mistakes.


    On Southampton''s side, Dean Smith shouted angrily. He asked his teammates to take Manchester United''s players seriously. Simone as captain gave words of encouragement. Time went on, even though Manchester United could not score the fourth goal, the fans began to calm down because Southampton''s chances of scoring were getting less and less. Meanwhile, Liverpool fans felt their heart beat fast as the game entered injury time.


    The refereeing official gave 4 minutes of added time. That time is still enough for Southampton to be able to break into Manchester United''s goalpost. However, Sir Alex also knew this very well. He entered a center-back to replace Welbeck who began to run out of stamina.


    In the 92nd minute, Dean Smith managed to catch Park Ji Sung''s long-range shot. He threw the ball forward. Southampton started to move in unison. The Saint''s formation went up, so they could control the ball in the Manchester United defense area well. Manchester United is trying hard to keep the pressure on Southampton players to get them to make a passing mistake.


    Entering the 93rd minute, Manchester United put pressure on Southampton, who were in control of the ball. However, at that time, Darren Fletcher failed to get the ball from Simone, so the Southampton player managed to send a pass forward.


    "This will probably be Southampton''s final attack, with less than a minute left in the game. Oh, Southampton, still alive here."


    Ryan received the ball, he was surrounded by Manchester United players in front of the penalty box. He pulled the ball and spun around, his shirt being pulled by one of the Manchester United defenders, so he fell, but he still managed to give a pass to Kazuki.


    "Ryan gets the ball, he passes it to Kazuki," Jim Kaglin''s voice was quivering, obviously he was nervous about whether Southampton''s attack would succeed or not.


    Kazuki dribbled the ball forward, Rio Fernand stuck out his foot to hold the ball, but Kazuki flicked the ball and changed the direction of the ball, after that he kicked the ball firmly with his right foot. The ball slid into the left side of the goal sharply. Edwin Van Der Sar failed to react, at that moment the roar of the crowd in the stadium seemed to shake St Marry''s Stadium.


    "Kazuki! Goaaaaallll!! I swear you''ll never see something like this happen again!" In the Sky Sports studio, Jim Kaglin, Andy Cole, and Carragher stood in shock at the goal. Carragher looked very happy while Andy Cole looked still stunned as if he couldn''t believe what had just happened.


    The time remaining is too short, it is difficult for Manchester United to score again.. With that, Liverpool will certainly win the 2011/2012 Premier League championship with a goal difference advantage of 10 from Manchester United.

 Chapter 74 - Back To Japan

    After the goal celebration ended, Manchester United started kick-off again. After the kick-off was done, they immediately launched an attack. However, Southampton lined up so neatly that Manchester United''s players struggled to break into the penalty box. After judging that there was no more time, Paul Scholes finally took a long shot from outside the penalty box. Too bad, Dean Smith caught the shot easily.


    The referee sounded the long whistle, signaling the end of the match. The Manchester United players immediately fell on the field. Some of them wept, while others looked down sadly. Last season, Manchester United also failed to win the league championship because they lost to Chelsea, the club that made them fail was Manchester City. Now they failed again, Manchester United failed to overtake Liverpool because they failed to beat Southampton.


    This is certainly a sign that Manchester United''s brilliant era under Sir Alex Henderson was starting to fade. With the rise of Manchester City and Liverpool seemingly coming back from the grave, the Premier League will be increasingly difficult for Manchester United to continue their dominance.


    Meanwhile, Kazuki managed to score 17 goals and 6 assists in just less than half a season. Maybe if he played a full season then Kazuki would destroy the record for most goals scored in a debut season which was still held by Kevin Phillips, Sunderland 1999-2000. Even so, the achievements made by Kazuki were undeniably something very extraordinary.


    Even the British media who often glorify their young players admit that Kazuki''s appearance this season was a very sensational debut season. Even with Kazuki''s performances in this half-season, Kazuki was one of the young players who had the potential to win the golden boy in 2012. Now, people were just waiting whether Kazuki''s performance this season will be maintained next season?


    While Southampton was drowning in their euphoria, suddenly an incident caught everyone''s attention in the stadium. Manchester United coach, Sir Alex Henderson suddenly fell, the assistant coach of Manchester United immediately approached Sir Alex. His expression changed, he immediately signaled to the officials to call an ambulance that was ready at the side of the stadium to enter here. Manchester United''s medical team immediately surrounded Sir Alex.


    The ambulance immediately approached the Manchester United bench. The Manchester United medical team immediately carried Sir Alex into an ambulance. The situation in the stadium was immediately quiet, the crowd whether it was Manchester United or Southampton fans were not clear what had happened. They were worried about Sir Alex''s condition. After all, Sir Alex Henderson is a legend in this Premier League.


    At the press conference, the assistant coach explained that Sir Alex had suffered a heart attack. He asked for prayers from all parties to support Sir Alex. Sir Alex''s exact condition is uncertain, but the assistant coach is optimistic about Sir Alex''s condition. After the match ended, the focus of the media changed from reporting on Liverpool, who won the 2011/2012 Premier League season to Sir Alex''s condition.


    The day after Southampton''s match against Manchester United ended. Sir Alex''s condition is stable. Although Sir Alex''s condition was declared fine. However, with Sir Alex''s condition, it is highly recommended for him to stop being the coach of Manchester United. This season will probably be Sir Alex''s last season at Manchester United.


    The condition of Manchester United fans was getting worse. After their team failed to win the Premier League then their legendary coach will now retire. Obviously, it made the Manchester United fans slump. Especially with the presence of Liverpool fans who always flood the posts of Manchester United fans with one word, 93.20. It was the time when Kazuki scored a goal.


    This slump made some fanatical fans look for a scapegoat for all the misfortunes received by their favorite club. That person was Kazuki. Kazuki''s social media account was attacked by several fanatical fans so that every post was filled with insults and insults. This incident immediately made legends and Manchester United players defend Kazuki. After all, Kazuki was only fighting for his current club, which was Southampton.


    The people who were on Manchester United''s side didn''t want Kazuki to hate Manchester United because of the actions of the fanatical fans. That''s why they spoke up and told the fanatical fans to stop their actions.


    Regardless of the ongoing controversy out there. Kazuki himself started preparing to return to Japan. The main reason is that the Japanese national team called him in the 2014 world cup qualifiers in the fourth round of the AFC zone. Actually, with the current Japanese national team squad, without even calling Kazuki they will win. Moreover, the quality of the Japanese national team in Asia is very good. However, it would be controversial if Kazuki who had been playing very well was not called up by the Japanese national team.


    Apart from that, the other reason was to meet his mother. Even though Kazuki didn''t want to meet his father, hearing his mother cry asking Kazuki to visit him made the young Japanese man helpless.


    Two days before Kazuki left for Japan. Furochi made a call to him. Kazuki had already guessed that Furochi would certainly make a call. However, the English Premier League summer transfer window had been opened. Even though Kazuki had stated that he would not transfer to another club, but there would undoubtedly be a club that would try to seduce Kazuki.


    Kazuki picked up his cell phone and said to Furochi, "Is it about another transfer? Didn''t I tell you to just refuse all closed talk about my transfer? I don''t care if it''s Sir Alex or Mourinho, I don''t want to talk about transfers at the moment."


    [I know you don''t want to move right now, I respect your choice, but a little transfer news is actually good for raising your salary. Southampton board would accept a higher salary raise if there was any transfer news about you.]


    Kazuki was silent, he knew that Furochi wanted to use transfer pressure to bargain about Kazuki''s salary again. However, at this time Kazuki had already completed his contract renewal with Southampton, his salary at Southampton was already the largest, there was no need to raise the salary any higher. For Kazuki the salary was just a status symbol, having the highest salary meant Southampton had recognized the importance of Kazuki to the team and this was enough for Kazuki.


    Therefore, he immediately raised his voice then said, "Don''t use such things, I don''t need them."


    [Wait, we can still get¡ª]


    Kazuki hung up the call, with an annoyed face he put his cell phone on the table. From the kitchen, Shiraishi walked out while wearing an apron. She had just cooked some food for Kazuki. She put on a confused face then asked Kazuki, "I heard your voice just now, what''s the problem?"


    Kazuki smiled gently as he said, "It''s nothing, I''m just a little annoyed."


    Shiraishi was silent for a while before saying again, "What is my father? If he gets into trouble with you, just say so. I will scold him. That old man always crosses the line sometimes if you don''t scold him."


    Hearing Shiraishi''s words, Kazuki decided to be honest. He told what Furochi said that made Kazuki feel irritated.


    Shiraishi nodded his head, "Do you mind if I replace my father and become your agent? With my father''s nature, one day he will cross the line that you have set. Even though I have never been a football player''s agent, but I can still learn it. Step by step."


    In fact, many football players choose their families as agents. One example is Mattheo''s father, who became an agent for his son. Now Kazuki and Shiraishi''s relationship was getting closer. Kazuki felt more comfortable if this woman replaced Furochi to be his agent.


    Kazuki stood up and approached Shiraishi. He then brought his face closer and looked down at her face. Their eyes stared at each other. A few seconds later, he lowered his face and kissed Shiraishi''s lips. The girl didn''t refuse Kazuki''s kiss. Instead, she returned the kiss while wrapping her arms around Kazuki''s neck.


    A few moments later, they broke into a kiss.


    "I''ve finished cooking your favorite dish. Let''s eat first," Shiraishi whispered.


    Kazuki moved his hand from Shiraishi''s back towards the girl''s butt. He then squeezed it. Kazuki then said, "I want to eat something else."


    ****


    The journey from England to Japan took a long time. Fortunately, Kazuki managed to land at Narita airport, Tokyo safely. It had been a long time since Kazuki had set foot in this country. It was undeniable that Kazuki began to miss the Japanese atmosphere, even though he had adapted to life in England.


    Even though Kazuki intended to visit his mother. However, he did not intend to stay there. Therefore, he immediately booked a hotel together with Shiraishi. At first, Kazuki wanted to take Shiraishi to meet his parents but, considering his father''s nature, he knew that bringing Shiraishi was a bad idea. So he went to his parents'' residence alone.


    With such a large amount of money, Kazuki''s father didn''t live in a luxurious house like most people. His father and mother live in a traditional Japanese house. The house has a very large yard. Although it looks traditional, but the house is well maintained, many helpers take care of the house every day.


    Kazuki visited the house at night. He came with Shiraishi''s car. The gatekeeper opened the gate carefully and let the car that Kazuki was driving in. They seemed to have known about the arrival of their bosses'' son.


    After finishing parking the car, Kazuki walked down from the vehicle. He saw the figure of an adult woman who immediately walked quickly towards him. The woman spread her arms and hugged Kazuki tightly. She then burst into tears, saying, "My son, I miss you so much. I''m so glad you came back safely."


    Kazuki returned his mother''s hug and said, "I missed you a lot too, mom."


    After a while, his mother let go of the hug. She wiped the tears from her eyes with a small smile. Even though she is in her 40s, she still maintains her beautiful face. Kazuki was guessing how much money his Mother had spent caring for his face so that it still maintained such a beauty.


    "Come on in, your father will be home soon."


    Kazuki nodded, he followed his mother into the house.


    While waiting for his father to come home. Kazuki''s mother asked various questions about Kazuki''s life in England. Of course, Kazuki told things in as much detail as possible. He talked about his friends, how Kazuki strove to achieve this kind of feat, and other things. Except for [Dream Training]. [Dream Training] was something that Kazuki wouldn''t tell anyone about.


    While chatting about many things, time passed quickly. Finally, Kazuki''s father returned home. Knowing her husband had arrived, Kazuki''s mother immediately welcomed the husband''s arrival. Kazuki walked after his mother behind and saw the figure of the father he had not to meet for so long.


    Kazuki''s mother said softly, "Welcome, Honey."


    Kazuki''s father nodded in response to his wife''s words. His eyes then fell on Kazuki.. Moments later, an atmosphere of silence suddenly appeared in this family gathering.

 Chapter 75 - World Cup Qualifications

    It was very difficult to describe Kazuki''s true feelings for his father. There was a part of Kazuki that was disappointed because his father didn''t support Kazuki''s decision to become a soccer player. Another part is the feelings of a child that wants to acknowledge by his father. Kazuki wanted his Father to acknowledge his success as a soccer player. Kazuki''s feeling for his father was not pure hatred. It''s a complex feeling.


    Knowing the complicated relationship between father and son, Kazuki''s mother immediately turned her attention to inviting her husband and son to dinner. Finally, the Kazeshima family started a full 3 member dinner for the first time in many years.


    Too bad, The warm atmosphere that Kazuki''s mother wanted to create failed. Kazuki was busy eating his food, and so was Kazuki''s father. The two of them were still not chatting, so the atmosphere at the dining table turned cold. Kazuki''s mother continued to talk about many things to try to warm up the atmosphere.


    Just as Kazuki thought this atmosphere would last until he left, but his father suddenly spoke up. After finishing his meal, he looked at Kazuki and said, "You did a great job in England."


    Kazuki suddenly fell silent. He felt his feelings explode. His eyes suddenly became wet, his vision became a bit blurry. He dropped his head and wept his eye.


    He pleaded, "Yes, I am. Because that I don''t need your help to achieve it. Therefore, don''t try to use your company to help me." Of course, what Kazuki meant was Avisca that had made Kazuki as their product brand ambassador.


    Kazuki''s father added in his words, "But that''s not enough, you have to do better. If this is all, then being my successor to manage the company is better than continuing your career."


    "I know, stop talking like that. You don''t need to motivate me. I''ll do better."


    Kazuki suddenly felt that his father seemed to have given up on forcing Kazuki to stop his career as a footballer. However, after thinking for a while, Kazuki felt his father gave up because the career of a football player wasn''t that long. Most players retire at the age of 30 or more. At the age of 30, it was not too late for Kazuki to learn to manage a company.


    After guessing his father''s thoughts, Kazuki felt a little relieved. He didn''t know what he would do after retiring from the world of football, but at least Kazuki was relieved because it meant that his father would not interfere with his career as a footballer anymore.


    ***


    After finishing dinner, Kazuki immediately said goodbye to his mother and father. The next day, he must immediately gather with other players to practice before the World Cup qualifying round 4 group B.


    In this group b, Japan was accompanied by Australia, Jordan, Oman, Iraq. Among the four countries that are Japan''s opponents, only Australia, who could be trouble for the Japanese national team. The other teams left behind in terms of quality to Japan and Australia.


    Japan''s current coach is Luis Arragon. Although not a famous coach, but this coach had known about Japanese football for so long. However, Arragon had been coached on several Japanese clubs over the past 5 years. You could say he was very familiar with the Japanese league itself. Under Arragon''s coaching, Japan used pretty neat ball possession tactics. At least against Asian countries, Japan had always managed to maintain high ball possession, even when they met with South Korea.


    While being coached by Arragon, Japan often came up with a false nine strategy with Okazaki as a striker. This made Kazuki wonder what Arragon would do to him. There''s no way Arragon could turn a Japanese team that had played with false nines into a striker-centered team. It will only make the Japanese national team''s training in vain. The only thing left was to adjust Kazuki''s position.


    Firstly, even though Kazuki could play as a false nine, his scoring ability would only be wasted if he was far from the goalpost. The thing that Arragon could do was move Kazuki aside. True, the wing position had always been a position that plays a major role in scoring goals in Arragon''s gameplay.


    The right-wing position is frequently filled by Kagawa so Kazuki will probably play on the left-wing to compete with Yuya Osaka. This is a little funny because Kazuki chose his career as a striker because Japan did not have a reliable striker, it turns out that after Kazuki played in the Japanese national team he instead played as a winger.


    On the next day, Kazuki arrived at the Saitama training center. When he arrived there were lots of cameras taking pictures of his car and even some reporters were trying to communicate with Kazuki who was in the car. Kazuki ignored them, he told Shiraishi to go ahead.


    After entering the training center, Kazuki was greeted by the coaching team. Arragon''s assistant, Miyatake, greeted Kazuki happily.


    "Welcome to the Japanese national team, Kazuki. I''m so glad you could attend the call we''ve been given. Your presence is eagerly awaited by everyone."


    Kazuki smiled slightly and replied, "As a Japanese citizen, I am also very grateful for this opportunity you had given to play for this country. It is my dream to wear blue t-shirts and perform on the international stage."


    A while later, Kazuki changed his clothes and came with Miyatake to the field. On the pitch, he saw some players had arrived at the training center and were doing a little warm-up. Overall, today''s training hadn''t started, yet there was still about half an hour before the official training started.


    Kazuki''s arrival was welcomed by the other players. Especially the captain of the Japanese team, Makoto Hasebe, his position in the Japanese national team is a midfielder. Hasebe has been playing at Wolfsburg since 2008. Apart from Hasebe, another player that Kazuki recognizes is Okazaki.


    However, he did play against Okazaki at Southampton. The other players might not be so clear on Kazuki''s abilities, but Okazaki who saw Kazuki''s play firsthand knew how admirable this young player was.


    As Kazuki expected, Arragon communicated with him about Kazuki''s position. Kazuki himself agreed to Arragon''s request to play on the left flank. Although in this half of the season his achievements as a young player were outstanding, but he didn''t want to so arrogantly spoil the strategy that Arragon had built. Kazuki only asked for one thing from Arragon, which was the right to execute the opportunity.


    The ability that Kazuki had confident was his shoots. Because of that, Kazuki asked for the right to take most japan opportunities in the match from Arragon. Arragon knew that well, however, the 17 goals Kazuki had scored in the Premier League was enough to prove how good Kazuki''s shot was. Therefore, the coach from Spain agreed to Kazuki''s request.. That way, Arragon had to devise a scheme where Kazuki could make the most of his abilities.

 Chapter 76 - Oman

    For the next few days, Kazuki was seriously following the Japanese national team training. In addition, besides attending the training, he also took the time to answer several interviews with the media in Japan. Everyone was looking forward to Kazuki''s first appearance in the Japanese national team.


    Meanwhile, slowly, the other players recognized Kazuki''s ability. At a glance, it might not seem like anything stands out, but when someone looks at the whole, you can see how amazing things are about Kazuki''s gameplay. First, the success ratio of Kazuki''s long passes and crossings on the left wing is very good. Second, even though Kazuki couldn''t always break through the defenders, at least he always stopped the opponent''s possible counterattack by committing minor fouls or throwing the ball off the field.


    Of course, Kazuki''s success in adapting to the left-wing position was due to the help of [Dream Training]. With continuous practice Kazuki got used to adapting on the left flank, it''s normal for him to adapt quite immediately. Perhaps, one of the things that became his disadvantage playing on the left flank was Kazuki''s lack of speed. It must be admitted that Kazuki''s techniques and skills are not always able to make it past the right-back during training earlier.


    To deal with this, Kazuki even started to learn how to run better to increase his running speed. This lack of Kazuki was also seen by Arragon. He wondered what to do so that Kazuki could play to his fullest ability without breaking the strategy he had developed.


    A week had passed and the match between Japan and Oman is about to start. This match will take place at Saitama Stadium 2002, of course in the city of Saitama. In the afternoon, Japanese football fans began to enter the stadium with various attributes that showed their support for the Japanese national team, which was about to play.


    In the press conference before the match, the Oman coach stated that this will be a very difficult match for Oman because Japan is better than Oman. He also said that Oman would fight for the best possible outcome. Meanwhile, Arragon responded casually to the press conference, The only thing bothering Arragon was the question of why Kazuki wasn''t starting this match.


    Arragon chose not to field Kazuki as a starter. Moreover, He would consider Kazuki to enter the second round. The main reason was that Arragon wanted to see the difference in Japan''s national team gameplay when he was played Yuya Osaka as a left-winger and played Kazuki as a left-winger.


    Japan fielded a 4-3-3 formation in this match. In the goalkeeper position, there is Kawashima who will guard the goalpost. Two central defenders who will help Kawashima maintain Japan''s defense are Yoshida and Konno. The right-back is filled by Uchida, while the left-back is filled by Nagamoto. The front three midfielders are occupied by Yamaguchi, Keisuke Honda, and Hasebe. The Japanese left-winger is Yuya Osaka, the striker is filled by Okazaki and the right-winger is Kagawa.


    With this line-up, Japan started the match. From the start of the match, Japan immediately dominated the game. They forced Oman to hide in the penalty box. The coordination and passes between players carried out by the Japanese national team were so smooth, while Oman also did not press so that Japan was more comfortable playing the ball in the Oman defense area.


    Although did not play aggressively, Oman managed to build a solid wall in front of the penalty box, which make it difficult for Japanese players to enter the penalty box. Attack after attack by the Japanese national team always failed in the penalty box. The build-up of Oman players in front of the goalpost makes it difficult for the Japanese national team players to penetrate the penalty box.


    Even though Japan was very dominating, until the 15th minute, there had not been a single shot on target that was created. The quality of Oman''s counterattack is quite easy to handle, but Japan is still struggling to score goals. This causes the match to be deadlocked. Arragon shook his head helplessly. Although Japan had been able to improve the quality of their short passes, short passes inside the Oman penalty box are very difficult to do. Even Barcelona has difficulty facing a layered defense like this, let alone Japan.


    Japanese players began to try a long shot from outside the penalty box. In the 23rd minute, Hasebe slipped through the Omani defensive midfielder to allow him to send a powerful shot from outside the box. Too bad, the Oman goalkeeper jumped in and caught the kick with ease. The direction of the shot was too predictable.


    Apart from kicks from outside the penalty box. Japan also got a free kick on the left side of the Oman defense. Kagawa will take the free-kick. After the referee blew the whistle, Kagawa kicked the ball past under the feet of the Omani players, who became the human fence. The ball managed to go into the corner of the goalpost, unfortunately, it hit the post and bounced the other way.


    In the 34th minute, Japan, who was still in control of the ball, conceded first. The Omani counterattack, which Oman had always carried out, now had been successfully executed. Konno failed to receive the ball well, then a quick sprint by the Omani striker allowed him to get the ball before Konno. The Oman striker brought the ball wildly into the Japanese penalty box. Kawashima stepped up to ambush the ball, but the Omani striker got past Kawashima and scored.


    The Japanese national team fans looked disappointed with this goal. After seeing the Japanese national team attack continuously, they are of course frustrated to see Oman easily score goals. Subsequently, after the goal, Japan started kick-off again. Then, they immediately attacked Oman in full force.


    Aggressive attacks continued to be launched by the Japanese national team players. However, the performance of the Oman goalkeeper tonight was great. He managed to thwart two opportunities owned by Japan. First a volley from Okazaki, second he also saved a hard kick from Kagawa.


    Fortunately, before the first half ended, Japan finally managed to break into Oman''s goalpost. The beautiful teamwork between Keisuke Honda, Kagawa, and Okazaki resulted in a penalty. The Oman center-back brought down Honda, who dribbled the ball in the penalty box. Hasebe became the executor of the penalty this time. Under the gazes of tens of thousands of people, Hasebe managed to execute the opportunity well. The 1-1 score was maintained until the end of the first half.


    Although this result is quite good for Oman, but for Japan, it is not an ideal result. World cup qualification is very important, Japan must collect as many points as possible in this fourth qualifying round, so they can ensure the Japanese team will compete in the world cup quickly.


    At the beginning of the second half, the coach of the Japanese national team fielded Kazuki to replace Yuya Osaka, who appeared unsatisfactory on the left side.

 Chapter 77 - Oman (2)

    Arragon instructed Kazuki to use his ability that could exploit the gaps to find the best shooting space. The other Japanese players would give Kazuki a pass as soon as the opportunity came. With the entry of Kazuki, Arragon hoped that Japan could break into Oman''s goalpost as soon as possible. At least if Oman fell behind, then they will come out of the box and try to attack Japan. Without a bunch of players in the penalty box, Japan won''t have trouble scoring goals.


    The second round of the 2014 World Cup Group B qualifiers between Japan and Oman has officially started. Oman did not make any changes at the start of the second half. Meanwhile, Japan entered Kazuki to replace Yuya Osaka. The spectators who saw Kazuki being on the field immediately cheered. Most Japanese football fans were well aware of the achievements that Kazuki made at Southampton. They were very excited to see Kazuki''s first appearance for the Japanese national team.


    After using [Dream Training] for a whole week, Kazuki had become very familiar with the left-wing position. He knew what strengths he can take advantage of and the weaknesses that will come at this position. Kazuki had pretty good skills, he managed to win the duel against the AI ??fullbacks in [Dream Training]. The AI ??fullback had an ability equivalent to the average fullback ability in the five major European leagues.


    Oman''s fullback level is far behind than fullback in the five major European leagues. Even though Kazuki admitted that the Omani right-back had pretty good physical abilities, in his ability to control the ball, Kazuki was quite confident. In the 47th minute, Kazuki made a quick dribble on the left-wing. The Oman right-back adjusted his position and tried to block Kazuki''s movement. Kazuki circled the ball with his two feet, after that, he suddenly flicked the ball forward.


    Kazuki rushed to chase the ball, meanwhile, the Oman right-back was also trying to catch up to Kazuki. Behind Kazuki, the other Omani players also started to catch Kazuki''s movement. The Oman right-back caught up with Kazuki, but the Japanese player pulled the ball back and crossed to the right of the field. The thing that Kazuki just did was the switch. A technique of moving the ball from the side of the pitch to the other side quickly.


    Kagawa received the ball with his inside foot, then he carried the ball into the penalty box. The Omani players moved to cover the shooting space for Kagawa. The Dortmund player gave a flat pass towards Okazaki. The Oman center-back tried to take the ball from Okazaki but failed, the Leicester man setting the ball with his back heel. The ball moved backward.


    Kazuki who had run to the center of the penalty box immediately kicked the ball. The ball slid into the right side of the goalpost. The Oman goalkeeper jumped, he was trying to get the ball, but too bad it was too late. The ball was successfully lodged in the net of Oman. Two minutes after the second half started, Japan managed to lead 2-1 from Oman.


    On the touchline, Arragon celebrated the goal with his assistant, Miyatake. Arragon expressed his admiration for Kazuki, "He is on a different level. We are very lucky to have him."


    Miyatake nodded in agreement, he said, "I think he is the missing piece of Japan''s success. A success higher than the Asian Cup champion."


    The spectators cheered, they were celebrating Kazuki''s goal. Sounds of joy and screams of laughter filled Saitama Stadium. Japan national team players celebrate together. They hugged Kazuki and congratulated him on his first goal for the Japanese national team.


    As Arragon predicted, Oman, who had taken the kick-off now ventured to control the ball. Against the Japanese national team, they at least wanted to achieve a draw, of course, if possible they also wanted to win. Getting into the world cup is the very main goal of every country in the world.


    Unfortunately, Oman''s efforts did not produce the results they had hoped for. Overall, Japan can reduce the threat posed by Oman. The presence of Hasebe and Yamaguchi as defensive midfielders was able to cut through the passes made by the Omani midfielder going forward.


    On the other hand, with the advancement of the Oman midfielder, a certain gap was created between the defenders and the midfielders. The Omani defensive midfielder also went too far, so that in the 51st minute, Japan immediately punished the mistakes made by the Omani defensive midfielder.


    Hasebe provided a flat pass forward. The ball passed the Omani defensive midfielder and was well received by Keisuke Honda. The Oman defensive midfielder who realized his mistake immediately turned around and chased after Keisuke Honda. However, the Japanese attacking midfielder dribbled the ball quite fast. Before the Omani midfielder reached him, Keisuke immediately gave a long pass to the right.


    Kagawa received the ball and flicked it forward. He dribbled the ball slightly sideways to the center. This made the Omani left-back leave his post to chase Kagawa. At the same time, Okazaki escaped the offside trap while running to the right. Oman''s slightly empty right position made it easier for Okazaki to receive the ball from Kagawa.


    Two Oman center-backs chased Okazaki and closed the shooting range for Okazaki. However, Okazaki provided a pass to the left with accuracy. Kazuki broke free from Oman''s right-back and sent a powerful shot towards the goalpost. The ball shot like a rocket into the Oman goal. Japan is again ahead of Oman. The score changed to 3-1. With this score, it is clear that Oman will find it very difficult to catch up with Japan''s goals.


    After Japan''s third goal, Oman returned to playing passively. Japan had the ball dominantly, but Oman, who had piled up players in the penalty box, made it difficult for Japan to increase their advantage. Kazuki himself was also not as free as before. Two to three players were deployed to guard Kazuki''s movements.


    Oman continues to play like a turtle. The counterattack they had now become extremely violent. They only sent a long pass to the striker and expected the striker to score without the support of other players. This certainly makes it easier for Japan to anticipate Oman''s counterattack.


    Japan only managed to increase their advantage in the 91st minute through a penalty that Kazuki executed. In the 92nd minute, the referee blew the long whistle to mark the end of the match. Kazuki''s debut in the Japanese national team ended perfectly, he managed to score a hat trick on his first appearance.


    Kazuki''s slick appearance in the Japanese national team made Kazuki''s status in Japan rise drastically. Previously, Kazuki was just a well-known athlete, but now he is a very hot Japanese football star. There are many public figures from various fields who praised his appearance.. Of course, various companies also contacted Kazuki''s agent asking the Southampton player to attend in a commercial or a cameo in a TV series and others.

 Chapter 78 - Jordan

    Meanwhile, Kazuki was in Japan for the world cup qualifiers. A rumor regarding the transfer of Mattheo Rodrigues has spread throughout Europe. Reportedly, Mattheo will move from Juventus this season. Real Madrid, Barcelona, ??Manchester City, and Paris Saint-German have issued official offers to Juventus.


    The highest bidding club was Paris Saint-German with 150 million euros. Followed by Manchester City with 130 million euros. Meanwhile, Real Madrid is offering a player swap option. They offered 3 players to Juventus in exchange for Mattheo. In fact, it is reported that Real Madrid is willing to release Quaresma to Juventus if Juventus wants him. Please note, Quaresma is currently the number one star at Real Madrid.


    Juventus'' contract with Mattheo will expire next season, Juventus who do not want to release Mattheo for free next summer of course will not hold Mattheo, especially after Mattheo refused a contract renewal offered by Juventus. Now, it was only Matthew''s decision, where he would go next.


    Barcelona seems to be an exception in Matthew''s choice. Barcelona just lost Guardiola after the coach resigned. The loss of Guardiola made Barcelona''s future difficult to predict. PSG was also a very difficult choice because Mattheo, who was still in his prime, certainly does not want to play in the French league. Real Madrid and Manchester City were ideal choices for Mattheo.


    Apart from targeting Mattheo, Real Madrid had been so aggressive this season that they were also eyeing Gareth Neill and Moric from Tottenham Hotspur. Real Madrid''s ambition to win the UCL again was burning. In the English league, Chelsea, who had just won the Champions League, was targeting Fabregas, who wanted to move from Barcelona.


    On the other hand, Manchester United has officially entered a new era. Sir Alex retired from the world of football. Manchester United will be managed by David Moyes. Manchester United this season has 3 main targets, namely Kazuki, which is very difficult to achieve considering Kazuki has stated many times that he will remain at Southampton. Then Pogba and Antony Martial, the duo who brought Montpellier to the French league champions.


    Liverpool on the other hand wanted to enhance their bench. Especially in the attacking and midfield sectors. The players Liverpool was eyeing this season was Tony Kross from Bayern Munich, Coutinho a young player from Inter Milan, and finally Maddison, a player from Leicester City. Arsenal and Tottenham have yet to show their transfer activity. There is no word on whom these two clubs will sign this summer.


    With so many transfers being made in the Premier League, the title fight for next season will be even more difficult.


    ***


    Fame does not always bring merits. Kazuki suddenly learned about it. After Kazuki became popular in Japan, some people naturally wanted to take advantage of Kazuki''s popularity. That''s what some female adult film performers had done. They posted on their Twitter regarding Kazuki. Some expressed their admiration for Kazuki, some promised to give Kazuki a special gift, some even boldly invited Kazuki to meet in person. Kazuki naturally understood that these women only wanted to take advantage of Kazuki''s popularity, of course, if Kazuki responded then they would be happy.


    The problem is that Shiraishi who managed Kazuki''s account is now always sullen because Kazuki''s various social media accounts are always sent by indecent videos and photos from various women, the videos were sent by ordinary citizens to some famous public figures. Kazuki even had to calm down Shiraishi many times to keep Shiraishi from getting angry. Finally, Kazuki posted a warning not to send him obscene photos and videos.


    Meanwhile, Japan''s next qualifying match is against Jordan. The match will be held at the 2002 Saitama Stadium again on June 8th. After facing Jordan, Japan will face Australia at Brisbane Stadium. Furthermore, the Japanese qualifying match will be held again in September. This means that this summer, Kazuki will only fight Jordan and Australia. Australia was the toughest opponent this summer.


    After a few days of training with the Japanese national team. Kazuki started to build chemistry with the other players. He began to understand the habits and abilities of his teammates, this made it easier for him to work with other players. With Kazuki''s ability, there was no problem for him to cooperate with other players.


    The match that Japanese football fans had been waiting for is finally here. Japan will face Jordan in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. In this match, Arragon rotates. He allowed several young players to appear in this match. On the right-wing, he gives a chance to Misaki Taro, a 20-year-old player who now plays for PSV Eindhoven. Meanwhile, Isagi Yoichi came on to replace Keisuke Honda as an attacking midfielder. Although Isagi didn''t have the flashy skills of Keisuke Honda, he had composure, and he was able to read the situation on the field very well. Moreover, Kazuki also appeared as a starter this time.


    Meanwhile, in another position, Arragon fielded again the same people as yesterday''s match. Okazaki, Hasebe, and Yamaguchi were still playing as usual.


    On the other hand, Jordan plays a 4-3-2-1 formation, which is a variation of the 4-3-3 formation. The player to watch out for from Jordan is their midfielder, Baha''a Abdurrahman, or often called Rahman. This player is the only Jordanian player to play in the five major European leagues.


    Japan started the kick-off match and the match between Japan and Jordan officially started. Unlike Oman, which played passively against Japan. Jordan was bolder in competing with Japan in possession of the ball. They used their physical strength to compete with Japanese players. Overall posture, Jordanian players had physical abilities that were superior to Japan. Jordan made use of their physical abilities to suppress the Japanese players.


    Even so, the passing abilities and skills of the Japanese players were much better than the players from Jordan. The proof is in the 7th minute, Japan managed to open the score of the match. It started with Hasebe who managed to beat Rahman in a duel. The captain of the Japanese national team sent the ball forward. Isagi fell backward and pushed the ball to Yamaguchi. Japan''s defensive midfielder received the ball smoothly and then kicked the ball forward.


    Okazaki jumped up and used his header to pass Misaki Taro on the right. Misaki had high speed, he managed to reach the ball first. He then escaped from the offside trap and brought the ball quickly into the Jordanian penalty box. The Jordanian goalkeeper ran out of his nest, he jumped to pounce on the ball from Japan''s player. Misaki calmly passed the ball to the left. Kazuki came over, then kicked the ball into the empty net.


    After scoring a goal, Kazuki and Misaki embraced. Kazuki could see that Misaki''s abilities and talent were quite good. The crowd cheered to see their favorite team score a goal. After this goal, Kazuki was surprised to see Jordanian still had brave to try to snatch possession from the feet of the Japanese players.


    In the 15th minute, Jordanian again saw Japan break into their net easily. Starting from a counter-attack that was initiated by the Japanese right-back, Uchida, who rose to the top. He provided a one-two with Yamaguchi to get past the Jordanian. After that, he gave a flat pass towards Kazuki. Kazuki adjusted his position then quickly and crossed into the center of the penalty box.


    Okazaki greeted the ball by heading it. The Jordanian center-back failed to cut through Kazuki''s cross, so Okazaki headed the ball freely. The ball was not headed hard but was so targeted that the Jordanian goalkeeper failed to save the ball. Japan''s second goal was created through Okazaki''s header.


    The counter-attack carried out by the Jordanian national team was too easy for Japan to block. Jordan was still stubbornly trying to take control of the ball from the feet of the Japanese players. They don''t seem to have given up, even if they have conceded two goals. As a result, in the 23rd minute, they conceded again for the third time, this time Hasebe''s long-range shot was too strong, so the ball hit the post and bounce into the net.


    With this goal, it can be seen that Japan is likely to start the goal feast against Jordan. The supporters of the Japanese national team were seen dissolved in the euphoria of victory. Although Japan had not officially won this match, it is very difficult to imagine how Jordan will get out of this situation and turn the situation around.


    In the 34th minute, Jordan for the first time scored in this match. Rahman managed to send a beautiful pass to the front of the Jordanian striker. The Jordanian striker volleyed in from outside the penalty area, which Kawashima failed to contain. The goal rekindled the fire in the struggle situation of Jordan.


    However, 3 minutes after Jordan scored a goal, Japan woke Jordania up in their daydream. Japan scored again after Kazuki managed to enter the penalty box and tricked the Jordanian center-back in the box, so he got a very comfortable shooting space for him. Kazuki''s second goal included a solo goal, so Kazuki felt a little proud of his ability.


    In the 47th minute, Japan scored for the fifth. Isagi Yoichi managed to release a volley which resulted in a goal after receiving a pass from a corner which was executed by Hasebe. Isagi''s goal dashed Jordan''s hopes of at least a draw against Japan.


    The first half between Japan and Jordan ended with a score of 5-1 for Japan''s advantage. With this score, it is clear that the Japanese players will play the match more freely. When the second half started, Coach Arragon started to replace some players and gave the young players a chance to play in this match.


    At the start of the second half, the Japanese players who appeared full of enthusiasm immediately put pressure on Jordan, who had just finished starting the kick-off. Yamaguchi grabbed the ball when things got messy. He struggled to send the ball back. Konno received the ball from Yamaguchi and passed the pass to Nagamoto.


    The left-back of the Japanese national team dribbled forward. The Jordanian winger stepped up to press. Nagamoto pulled the ball with his right foot and then kicked the ball with the tip of his left foot. The movement of the right wing-back was disturbed a little, so Nagamoto immediately chased the ball quickly. After that, he gave a flat pass forward.


    Misaki Taro flicked the ball he received over the head of the Jordanian left-back. He chased the ball and gave a false cross. The deceptive move managed to lure the Jordanian left-back into making a tackle to block the ball. Then he carried the ball with his feet into the penalty box.


    Misaki then provided a floating pass to the far post. Kazuki got out of the guard, then he headed the ball into the Jordanian goal with ease. Japan''s sixth goal was created. The Jordanian national team suffered a major massacre tonight. The second half has just begun and Jordan was 5 goals behind Japan.


    Meanwhile, the performance of the Japanese game was increasing. Various individual actions and satisfying cooperation were successfully shown to the Japanese national team supporters. The Japanese style of play was becoming more entertaining for fans as well as players. On the other hand, a desperate Jordan also played openly. As a result, in the 67th minute, Jordan''s goalpost was broken for the 7th time. The score of the match changed to 7-1.


    After the score was so uneven, Coach Arragon pulled out the main players who played in today''s match such as Kazuki, Okazaki, and Hasebe. Arragon replaced Kazuki in the 75th minute. Even though there were many goalscorers this time, Kazuki''s game still had to be appreciated.


    In the 79th minute, Misako Taro scored again. Japan got a free kick in front of the Jordan penalty box. In front of tens of thousands of people, Misaki managed to show a beautifully curved free-kick. Misaki''s kick managed to break into Jordan''s goal. The score changed to 8-1.


    Time passed faster. It must be admitted that the Japanese national team''s game this time was so entertaining. Even until the end of the match, they still maintained such a high intensity of the attack. The proof is in the 88th minute, Japan broke into Jordan''s goal for the 9th time.


    The attack was preceded by Uchida''s solo dribble forward. Uchida, who managed to pass several players, then gave Yamaguchi a pass. The Japanese defensive midfielder immediately gave a long pass to the front.


    Isagi received the ball with his chest and dribbled the ball back to goal. Suddenly, he turned his body, past the Jordan center-back, and ran towards the Jordan goal. Another defender tried to block Isagi''s shot, but Isagi''s shot went into the corner of the net making it very difficult to reach.


    The score of 9-1 lasted until the end of the game. Although many predicted Jordan''s defeat, no one expected Jordan to lose so badly to Japan. This score is the biggest defeat for Jordan. The Japanese national team, which has just crushed Jordan in a week, will face their toughest opponent in this qualifying round, Australia.


    The match between Japan and Australia is one of the highlight matches in the AFC zone world cup qualifiers.. All sides were looking forward to clashes between the two countries.

 Chapter 79 - Australia

    [Crazy! The Japanese National Team crushed Jordan by a score of 9-1.]


    [Analyzing the reasons why the Japanese national team was so vicious in the match against Jordan. Is it the impact of Kazuki''s presence?]


    [Will Misaki Taro follow in Kazuki''s footsteps with a career in Europe next season? See which clubs have made bids for Misaki.]


    [Japan''s captain''s response to Japan''s victory over Jordan, Hasebe: We are very lucky to have quality young players.]


    Various Japanese sports magazines discussed Japan''s victory against Jordan with great enthusiasm. After all, this is the fourth round of world cup qualifiers. Any country that has made it to this stage is not a country with a weak national team. Although it must be admitted that the strength of the Japanese national team is above them.


    Not only Japan but this victory was also discussed in Korean football magazines. In football, competition between Japan and South Korea was very fierce. Whether it''s in the Asian cup or the world cup qualifiers, the competition between these two teams never ends. Several sports magazines in Korea argued that the Japanese media exaggerated this victory. Of course, some admitted that the new generation of Japan was indeed very strong. Especially after Kazuki thwarted Park Ji Sung''s Manchester United to win the league championship. Korean sports media began to look for young Korean players who could compete with Kazuki.


    On the other hand, China could only be silent watching its two neighbors fight, in the football sector, China was lagging behind South Korea and Japan even though the Chinese Super League was also gaining popularity by bringing in famous players from Europe.


    The match against Australia will be a test for Japan, how far this team can compete on the international stage. Australia''s move from the Oceania Football Federation to the AFC made Australia one of the contestants who could compete with Korea and Japan in Asia. In addition, many Australian players have made careers in Europe''s five major leagues.


    On the other hand, the transfer window in Europe is getting hotter. Pogba and Anthony Martial were officially at Manchester United. Manchester United bought Pogba for 70 million euros and Anthony for 80 million euros. With the inclusion of these two players, it is hoped that Manchester United could win the title after failing two times in a row.


    Meanwhile, Manchester United seem to turn their attention to Van Persie after Kazuki as their main target was very difficult to realize. Van Persie also seems dissatisfied with the salary given by Arsenal. He was not satisfied with the achievements achieved by Arsenal. Arsenal has not tasted the Premier League title in years. With the current Premier League situation, it seems very difficult for Arsenal to win the Premier League.


    Southampton was moving in this summer window. Anthony declared retirement this season. In addition, several players also decided to move, one of them was Dallas who lacked playing minutes because he failed to compete with Rudolf and Simone. In addition, Hugo reportedly wanted to move to Leicester City, The Fox has made an official offer from Leicester.


    In addition, some players entered Southampton, a surprise for Kazuki because Joe Bennet, his friend at Manchester United under-18s, actually moved to Southampton on loan with an option to buy. With the entry of Bennet, Southampton could fill the hole left by Dallas. Meanwhile, on the right, Southampton still needs to find a replacement for Hugo if the player goes to Leicester City.


    In the Spanish league, shocking news came from the Catalan club, Barcelona. J¨¹rgen Klopp has officially replaced Guardiola as Barcelona coach. Everyone thought that Enrique who did well in the academy would be appointed as coach of the Barcelona first team but Barcelona President, Russell seems to have other ideas.


    The appointment of J¨¹rgen Klopp was very surprising because J¨¹rgen Klopp did not have any relationship with Barcelona before, please note that Barcelona coaches were always chosen from former Barcelona players who have become coaches. At least if you didn''t have a relationship with Barcelona then the coach must be someone who was in line with Barcelona''s tiki-taka principles, but J¨¹rgen was not that kind of person.


    Klopp''s appointment was part of the clean-up of Cruyff''s influence carried out by Barcelona president Russell. He wanted to rid Barcelona of the old tradition of glorifying Cruyff too much. This was also the reason Guardiola resigned from Barcelona. He did not like Russell, who was anti-Cruyff.


    ***


    On the other hand, the Japanese national team went to Australia with their entourage using a special plane. Kazuki had to separate from Shiraishi because the national team didn''t allow non-staff people to join in on this trip. After hours of traveling, Kazuki and company finally arrived in Australia.


    The Japanese federation has prepared a large bus to welcome the Japanese national team at the airport. After that, the group took the bus to go to the hotel that had been rented.


    The match will be held in 2 days. There is still time for the Japanese national team to prepare more tactics and strategies.


    The Australian national team players had an average height higher than Japan. Australia was able to take advantage of these advantages by playing highball. In the Asian Cup, Australia often uses this strategy to beat other Asian teams. In addition, besides height, they also had stronger physical abilities. Against Japan who plays ball possession, Australia will definitely use their physicality to violate and prevent the attacks that the Japanese national team players build.


    In a press conference the day before the match, Australia coach Fernandes Da Costa said, "Our players are very well-prepared to face the Japanese national team. Our goal in tomorrow''s match is to win the game.


    Japan is a strong team, they are currently in a hot performance. However, I believe Australia has a chance to win tomorrow''s match. The most dangerous player in the Japanese national team is, of course, Kazuki, we couldn''t deny that this half-season the Japanese player has shown extraordinary achievements. We''ll be keeping a close eye on him."


    The media of both countries both agree that the chances of their national team winning was only 50%, Australia did not dare to be arrogant, however, Japan had just proven their strength in the 2011 Asian Cup. Meanwhile, Japan also respects Australia as one of the great powers in Asian football.


    The match between Australia and Japan will be held at the Brisbane stadium at 20.00 local time. This match was not only broadcast in Japan and Australia but also broadcast in other Asian countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Jordan, Oman, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, UAE, etc. The day before this match took place, South Korea had also finished playing in group A against Uzbekistan.. They won with an own goal from Shorakhmedov.

 Chapter 80 - Australia (2)

    "Hello everyone, I''m Hoshino Sakamaki and Mr. Shimura Izunomiya will accompany you to this event. This time we bring you the 2014 world cup qualifier fourth round group b between Japan and Australia," Hoshino Sakamaki, the presenter of sports on TvTokyo greeted the audience.


    Shimura Izunomiya is one of the match analyzers owned by TvTokyo. In this match, he will help Hoshino in analyzing the match between the Japanese national team against Australia.


    "What do you think about this match, Mr. Shimura?"


    "I think it will be a very exciting match. In the previous match, Australia was only able to draw against Oman, while our national team was able to beat Jordan with a score of 9-1. Australia has only played one game, which is different from us, who have played 2 times. To not get negative results in a row, Australia needs a win in this match. But it''s not an easy thing to achieve that."


    Hoshino nodded his head seriously. He then asked again, "Who do you think players from both teams will be the key to this match?"


    "From the Japanese national team, I think Kazuki will be an influential player in this match. He plays in the English league, one of the toughest leagues in the world, and he has scored a lot of goals. This young man should be used to facing defenders with extraordinary physical abilities like those owned by Australian players.


    Meanwhile, on the Australian side Tim Cahill will be a key player in this match, he played for Everton and once faced Kazuki. He is also a very experienced player against the Japanese national team."


    "Okay, then let''s see the starting lineup of the two teams.


    Australia uses a 4-2-3-1 formation, a mainstay of Australia''s formation.


    Goalkeepers: Mathew Ryan;


    Defenders: Ryan McGowan, Alex Wilkinson, Matthew Spiranovi?, Jason Davidson;


    Defensive midfielders: Mile Jedinak, Matt McKay


    Attacking midfielders: Tommy Oar, Mark Bresciano, Mathew Leckie;


    Front: Tim Cahill


    On the other hand, Japan uses a 4-3-3 formation.


    Goalkeeper: Kawashima


    Defenders: Uchida, Yoshida, Konno, Nagatomo;


    Midfielders: Yamaguchi, Keisuke Honda, Hasebe;


    Front: Kagawa, Okazaki, Kazuki


    That''s the formation and the players that both coaches fielded. Then let''s see how the first half match between the two teams goes."


    Australia started the first half kick-off. Cahill gave the ball to Bresciano, then Bresciano returned the ball to Cahill. After that, Cahill kicked the ball back and Australia began to adjust their position.


    Japan uses a high backline, their defender line went up when the forwards pressed Australia''s backline. So there is no space between the lines that Australia could take advantage of. Even so, the Australian national team tried to take advantage of their advantages in aerial duels by sending long passes. Too bad, as soon as Cahill got the ball, Yoshida immediately tackled Cahill, so Australia only got a free-kick from the middle of the field.


    At the beginning of the first half, both teams were still playing at a fairly slow tempo. But as soon as the time entered the 5th minute, Japan started to have the ball. Short passes between players began to be made to dismantle the Australian defense.


    In midfield, Hasebe who just got the ball suddenly fell after getting a push from Bresciano. Australia did indeed commit offense after violation to disrupt the rhythm of Japan''s play. Of course, they are also smart enough to never commit a serious foul, so the referee doesn''t award cards to the Australian players.


    In the 8th minute, McKay snatched the ball roughly from the feet of Okazaki. The referee did not blow his whistle, so Australia immediately launched a counterattack. McKay provided a pass to Australian right-back Ryan McGowan. The player dribbled the ball forward, but Kazuki chased after him and interfered with McGowan. A distracted McGowan accidentally dropped the ball a bit into the middle. Yamaguchi immediately went up and took the ball.


    McKay ran to Yamaguchi and made a tackle. Yamaguchi managed to survive the tackle by McKay. He then gave the pass forward. Okazaki dropped to pull Australian center-back Alex Wilkinson forward. He then returned the ball to Hasebe who was penetrating the Australian defense. Hasebe dribbled the ball into the Australian penalty box and then provided the pass to Kagawa. Kagawa immediately made the first time shoot, but Spiranovic managed to block the ball with his foot. The ball bounced off the field.


    In the 12th minute, Wilkinson managed to snatch the ball from the Hasebe feet, He then passed the ball to Australian left-back Jason Davidson. Kagawa went up and put pressure on Davidson, so Davidson gave the ball to Jedinak. The Australian defensive midfielder then kicked the ball hard to provide a long pass forward. Bresciano stepped forward and held the ball with his chest, then he kicked the ball to the right. Tommy Oar dribbled the ball, which was blocked by Nagatomo.


    Tommy Oar brought the ball to the side of the court and pushed the ball hard. Then he ran after the ball. Nagatomo also ran to catch Tommy Oar, but Tommy stretched his arms and made it difficult for Nagatomo to catch Tommy. After that, Tommy gave a cross into the penalty box. Cahill ran and headed the ball hard. The ball hit the post and bounced off the field.


    Cahill held his head, he regretted missing such a good opportunity. Even so, he gave a thumbs-up to Tommy who had crossed him. The Australian national team supporters also looked disappointed by Cahill''s failure, but they soon gave the Australian national team another boost.


    In the 19th minute, Japan got a free-kick after Kazuki was fouled by Spiranovic in front of the penalty box. At the free-kick, this time, Kazuki would be the executor. The reason was that the position of the ball was so fitting for Kazuki''s free-kick. At the free-kick, this time Kazuki wanted to try a new style.


    After the Australian national team built a human wall with the tallest players, they allowed the referee to blow the whistle. The referee then blew his whistle, the Australian players who became a living wall immediately jumped, the reason, because Kazuki''s free kicks were often straight and so strong that they had to immediately block the free kick with their bodies.


    However, they didn''t know, Kazuki had learned another style of the free-kick, he kicked the ball letting the ball roll past under the feet of the jumping Australian players. The ball went fast and went into the goalpost. Australia goalkeeper Mathew Ryan didn''t react, as he didn''t expect Kazuki to take such a free-kick.


    The referee immediately blew the whistle, the goal was legal.. The Japanese national team players immediately celebrated in front of thousands of Australian national team supporters, who were disappointed to see their favorite team concede the first goal.

 Chapter 81 - Australia (3)

    "Excellent! A genius free-kick by Kazuki. He managed to trick the Australian national team and score the first goal for Japan in this match."


    "This was a brilliant action from Kazuki. I''m sure the Australian players had learned how Kazuki''s free kicks were often taken, but Kazuki took the free-kick with something different. He waited for the Australian players to jump before Kazuki kicked the ball firmly and flat. 1-0 for Japan''s advantage," Shimura gave his analysis. He clapped his hands to appreciate Kazuki''s genius action.


    On the sidelines, Fernandes Costa seemed to be shaking his head, he didn''t expect Japan to score with a free-kick. He immediately stood up from the bench and shouted and gave encouragement to the Australian national team.


    The match continued, the Australian national team players kick-off for the second time. As soon as they kicked off, Australia launched a swift attack. Bresciano gave the ball back to Australian center-back Wilkinson. Okazaki put pressure on Wilkinson, while Kazuki closed Wilkinson''s pass option to Ryan McGowan.


    Here, they were fooled, Wilkinson was a defender who also has the ability to dribble, so he passed Okazaki who puts pressure on him. Wilkinson then dribbled the ball quickly, while the other Australian players also ran to attack. Keisuke Honda had tried to knock Wilkinson down, but he failed. Instead, Keisuke Honda himself tripped and fell. The referee did not blow the whistle because Wilkinson did not commit a foul.


    Wilkinson gave the ball to Bresciano who was in a free position. Meanwhile, Bresciano who received the ball immediately sent a through ball to the left. Mathew Leckie tried to receive the ball, but Uchida ran so fast and grabbed the ball before Leckie then he threw the ball off the field. Throw-in for Australia.


    McKay threw the ball to Leckie. The Australian left-winger caught Uchida''s body, who tried to steal the ball from him. Then, Leckie gave the ball to Bresciano. Yamaguchi made a body charge on Bresciano, so the Australian attacking midfielder lost his balance, but he still managed to provide a pass to Jedinak.


    Jedinak then poked the ball forward. Cahill had a physical confrontation with Konno, but he was still able to make a volley shoot toward the goalpost that was guarded by Kawashima. Kawashima managed to block the shot, but the ball bounced over the net. A corner-kick for Australia.


    Jedinak sent a signal to the Australian players, who gathered in the Japan national team penalty box. The referee then blew the whistle. Jedinak kicked the ball hard. The ball floated towards the far post. Bresciano managed to escape from Yoshida''s guard, he then headed the ball. But the ball hit the post and was thrown out of the box.


    Wilkinson managed to receive the rebound ball, then gave a hard shot from outside the penalty box. Fortunately, the kick missed the goalpost so it only resulted in a goal kick for Kawashima. Even though the attack was failed, it served as a warning to the Japanese defense.


    The pressing system managed by the Japanese clearly failed when Wilkinson could shake Okazaki. The system then failed again when Keisuke Honda failed to bring down Wilkinson. The Australian defender turned out to be a big surprise for the Japanese national team. This makes Japan had to be careful in pressing.


    Time began to run, Japan found it difficult to control the ball. The Australian national team began to dare press the Japanese players who were holding the ball. In the mid-line, the three midfielders of the Japanese national team struggled to maintain control of the ball. Forward players such as Kazuki, Kagawa, and Okazaki also came down to help Japan in controlling the ball.


    The help was really felt, so that in the 27th minute, Japan got another chance. It began with Kagawa movement, which managed to deceive McKay. Then, Keisuke Honda appeared beside Kagawa as a pass option.


    Kagawa gave the ball to Keisuke Honda, soon after that, Keisuke immediately provided a through ball to Kagawa. Kagawa managed to break through into the penalty box thanks to Keisuke Honda''s help. Spiranovic tried to block Kagawa''s path, but the Dortmund man pulled the ball back and turned around his body, then flicked the ball to the left.


    Okazaki bounced the ball forward, Kazuki then appeared from the gap between the players and kicked the ball. Fortunately, Mathew Ryan still had time to use his feet to block Kazuki''s kick. The ball bounced forward and Wilkinson immediately threw the ball off the field.


    In the 32nd minute, the Australian national team got a very beautiful opportunity. Kagawa who failed to break through Spiranovic made the ball at his feet move to Spiranovic''s feet. The Australian center-back then provided a pass forward.


    McKay flicked the ball into the air and then kicked the ball hard. The ball slid far forward, over the line of the Japanese defender. Tommy Oar who was in an onside position immediately ran towards the ball. Nagamoto was far behind because he had overlapped before. Konno was forced to replace Nagamoto''s task in stopping Tommy Oar.


    However, Konno''s speed was far behind Tommy''s so the Australian managed to grab the ball first, then he pushed the ball diagonally into the middle. Team Cahill collided with Yoshida''s speed. The Everton player managed to grab the ball first, but Yoshida managed to push Tim Cahill to move slightly to the left so that his position was not ideal for releasing a shoot. Cahill was forced to provide a pass to Bresciano. Bresciano, who was not guarded by Japanese defenders, immediately dribbled the ball into the penalty box.


    He faced one on one with the Japanese national team goalkeeper, Kawashima. Bresciano flicked the ball into the corner, however, Kawashima jumped and managed to parry the ball. After successfully brushing the ball away, Kawashima immediately swung his arms excitedly while roaring. Yoshida and Konno hugged the Japanese national team goalkeeper and gave him praise.


    "Great save from Kawashima. He managed to stop a shot from Bresciano. Australia was unlucky this time. Kawashima''s performance seems to be in good form. Japan managed to hold the score 1-0 until 33 minutes. There are still plenty of chances for both teams to change scores and circumstances."


    Hoshino shouted excitedly. The Australian attack had made the audience on television also thumping. They were very nervous to see Australia getting such a good opportunity. Luckily, Kawashima performed well.


    Both teams attacked each other tirelessly. Japan, which usually dominates possession, Now having a hard time doing it with the pressing provided by Australia. They also often penetrated the fullback sector because the two fullbacks often overlap to help Japan in carrying out attacks.. Although many opportunities were created but until the end of the first half, both teams still maintained the score of 1-0.

 Chapter 82 - Australia(4)

    "What changes should the two teams make in the second half, Mr. Shimura?" Hoshino asked.


    "Japan has to be more careful with counter-attacks by Australia. Several times, our fullbacks have fallen behind the Australian wingers. Transitions have to be done better. Japan can make small fouls to stop Australia''s counter-attacks. Apart from that, the forwards'' Japan must also be able to take advantage of every opportunity they get as well as possible, against a team like Australia we will not get too many chances in one game.


    Meanwhile, Australia must also be able to take advantage of the opportunities they have. Finishing becomes a clinical problem for them. I think coach Fernandes Da Costa will include other players who can help Australia in the attack. Australia played quite well in the first half. They were just unlucky not to be able to block Kazuki''s free-kick."


    Shimura explained his thoughts on the first half and his analysis of what the two teams should do. Hoshino nodded, trying to digest Shimura''s analysis. Then he continued to ask, "What are your predictions for the game in the second half?"


    "I''m still optimistic about the Japanese national team, it will be a tough match, but the winner, in the end, will be the Japanese national team."


    "Alright then let''s see how the second-round match goes."


    On the field, the two teams lined up and walked out of the corridor. They seem ready to start the second half. After that, they walked to the field and took their respective positions. The kick-off will be done by the Japanese national team. The referee blew the whistle as a signal of the second-half start between the Australian national team and the Japanese national team.


    Kazuki and Okazaki passed each other the ball and started the second half of the match. Okazaki then kicked the ball far back. The Japanese national team was reorganizing. The formation of the Japanese players moved forward as a whole. Tim Cahill, Tommy Oar, and Mathew Leckie pressing upfront. Tommy Oar and Leckie took a shift on pressing. If the ball is on the right, then Tommy went forward while Leckie slightly backs down, and vice versa.


    Yamaguchi and Hasebe were two points that will help the defense in eliminating pressing. They also took turns in guarding Bresciano. If one of the Australian defensive midfielders comes forward to press, then Keisuke Honda will use that space to receive the ball from Yamaguchi or Hasebe.


    The Japanese formation sometimes changes asymmetrically depending on where the ball is. When the ball is on the right then Okazaki will go also to the right while Kazuki who is a winger will replace the position left by Okazaki then Japan''s left-back, Nagamoto will step up to replace Kazuki''s position on the wing.


    In the 48th minute, the dynamic formation applied by Japan managed to make this team score for the second time. This attack was preceded by a long pass sent by Hasebe to the right. McKay moved to the left to close space from the side, while Australian left-back Jason Davidson also went up for the ball. Another Australian defensive midfielder, Jedinak marked Keisuke Honda.


    At that time, Okazaki appeared on the sidelines of the Australian players, Kagawa immediately gave the pass to Okazaki. Australian center-back, Wilkinson, rushed at Okazaki who escaped from the Australian players.


    Okazaki dribbled the ball down to the right of the Australian defense, then crossed into the middle of the penalty box. Kazuki had beaten Spiranovic in a duel of pace, then he met Okazaki''s pass with a powerful shot into the right side of the net. Australia goalkeeper Mathew Ryan jumped and tried to catch the ball but failed. Japan managed to increase the advantage to 2-0.


    "Goaaaaalll! Impressive! Arragon''s set up in the second half seemed very successful. Kagawa and Okazaki''s moves led to the Australian players gathering on the right side so Kazuki can freely score goals. One defender is not enough to stop this young man," Hoshino cheered loudly.


    "Kazuki has shown his capacity as a ferocious striker, this tactic is a door that opens the opportunity for Kazuki to play in a central position even though his position in the Japanese national team is on the left-wing. In addition, the accuracy and ingenuity of passing from Okazaki should be appreciated. Japan managed to lead 2-0 over Australia."


    On the sidelines, Fernandes Da Costa shook his head as Japan scored the second goal. This goal was more of a Da Costa tactical error than a player. He didn''t expect Okazaki to come closer to the right, so he had to shift Wilkinson a little to the right as well. This made Kazuki only guarded by Spiranovic which proved to be ineffective.


    Fernandes called the assistant coach of the Australian national team. His assistant walked over and asked, "Any instructions, coach?"


    "Let Milligan and Zola warm up."


    "Okay, sir."


    Unlike other Australian players, Zola has mature technical skills, he was able to dribble and carry the ball better than most players in the Australian national team, even better than Wilkinson. Fernandes hoped Zola''s inclusion will allow Australia to counter-attack more effectively, not just threw long passes forward.


    Meanwhile, Milligan was better than Jedinak. Milligan''s most important ability was his capability to read the direction of the attack, in a crucial moment, Milligan often stands out and thwarts enemy attacks.


    In the 51st minute, the Australian national team made a substitution. Zola came on to replace Leckie while Milligan came on to replace Jedinak. At the same time, Japan also made substitutions. Murasuke Inoha came on to replace Yamaguchi. Inoha was a Japanese player who plays for a Belgian club. In contrast to Yamaguchi, who began to be elected when Arragon became the coach of the Japanese national team. Previously, Inoha had been the starter.


    Yamaguchi had better passing and technical skills than Inoha but in terms of defense, Inoha was far above Yamaguchi. This change also signaled that Arragon was anticipating Australia''s next attack.


    Substitutions made by the two coaches will be a duel in itself. Which change has more impact on this match? Everything is determined by the players who were actually on the field, as good as any tactics designed by the coach will be in vain without good implementation by the players.


    With Zola coming to replace Leckie, Australia started trying to attack Japan from the left. Kagawa, Inoha, and Japanese right-back Uchida were busier than usual. Zola''s dribbling ability which was supported by other Australian players made Japan a bit overwhelmed, fortunately, Inoha''s entry was really on target because he managed to stop several attacks that Australia had tried to build.


    In the 63rd minute, Australia finally scored a goal. This goal was created when Tommy Oar and Zola suddenly switched positions.. Nagamoto, Kazuki, and Hasebe were unprepared for the sudden change, so Zola was able to dribble past the Japanese defense from the Australian right flank.

 Chapter 83 - Australia(5)

    After that he gave a cross into the middle of the penalty box, Tim Cahill lunged after the ball and then headed it backward. Bresciano came in from the second line to escape the Japanese guard and sent a powerful shot. Kawashima failed to catch this shot well, so Australia managed to score and reduce Japan''s advantage.


    "Goaaaalll! Bresciano! The changes that Zola brought to the Australia national team was so unreal. The rhythm of the game began to be held by Australia since Zola and Milligan''s entry. Finally, Australia scored a goal through Bresciano''s hard shot."


    "Apart from this goal, Australia is indeed a troublesome opponent. The reason why Australia continued to hold the rhythm after the substitution was because attacks and passes between Japanese players were disrupted. In this case, Milligan played a big role in cutting Japan''s attack."


    The Australian national team supporters who came to the stadium felt excited. Finally, after being left behind 2-0 by Japan, Australia managed to chase Japan''s score. Cheers were sent by the Australian fans who attended this match to the Australian players who were playing on the pitch.


    The match resumed. After conceding one goal, Japan began to play cautiously, although they still had the ball, but the possession was mostly played in their own defense. Every progressive pass forward is often to get distracted by the Australians.


    In the 67th minute, Australia got another chance. Inoha''s short pass to Yoshida was cut by Tommy Oar. Tommy, who had just cut the ball, immediately provided a breakthrough pass forward. Tim Cahill tried to catch the pass, but Konno managed to clear the ball off the field. The Australian national team got the corner kick.


    The Australian players gathered in the penalty box of the Japanese national team. They were adjusting the best position to receive the ball. The referee blew the whistle and signaled to Zola take the corner kick. Zola ran slowly, then kicked the ball. The ball drifted slowly towards the near post. McKay dueled in the air against Yoshida. McKay managed to head the ball, but unfortunately, the ball headed out of the field.


    Although the attack failed, the Australian players were increasingly eager to attack. The dominance of the Australian national team in the last 10 minutes made the Australian players more daring in attacking the Japanese national team. In fact, they also began to take over possession of the ball from Japan''s player feet.


    In the 73rd minute, Okazaki made a speculative shot from distance. The Australian goalkeeper performed well, he caught the shot made by Okazaki. In the next second, Mathew Ryan immediately threw the ball he caught to Jason Davidson, Australia''s left-back. Kagawa rioted Davidson, he was trying to take the ball from the feet of the Australian player.


    Fortunately, Davidson managed to force himself past Kagawa after he used his body to restrain Kagawa. After that, he immediately gave the pass forward. Milligan received the pass, but Hasebe immediately viciously tried to steal the ball from Milligan''s feet. Australia''s defensive midfielder was forced to provide a back-pass. Wilkinson went up and dribbled. Okazaki did a body charge on Wilkinson, so Wilkinson''s body wobbled a little and the ball flew to the left side.


    Kazuki adjusted his position to receive the ball that was aiming at him. However, Ryan McGowan jumped and crashed Kazuki''s body causing him to fall. The referee did not blow the whistle, so Ryan immediately dribbled the ball forward. Kazuki who had just fallen immediately got up and chased Ryan McGowan.


    McGowan''s action earlier should have been a foul, Kazuki didn''t know if the referee didn''t see it or pretended not to see it, but he wouldn''t let his mistake lead to a goal. Inoha blocked McGowan, so McGowan slowed down his run. At that time Kazuki immediately chased McGowan then crashed his body towards McGowan after that he took the ball from McGowan''s feet. However, just as Kazuki was about to bring the ball forward, the referee''s whistle sounded.


    The referee from Saudi Arabia suddenly gave Kazuki a yellow card. Kazuki protested, as did Arragon who was on the sidelines. However, the referee ignored Kazuki''s protest. Finally, Kazuki could only raise his hand helplessly.


    Australia got a free-kick, but fortunately, the distance between the kick point and the goal was far enough so that this free-kick was quite safe. Zola executed this free-kick, and as expected the Japanese players managed to block Zola''s kick. The Japanese players tried to counterattack, but Milligan made a clean tackle and brought down Inoha, he also threw the ball off the field so that the momentum of the Japanese counterattack was lost.


    Entering the 80th minute, Arragon immediately made a change of players. He pulled Keisuke Honda who was playing quite bad and then entered Okubo. Besides that, he also pulled Kagawa who was tired, and put Misaki Taro in. The entry of new players at least made Japan more able to withstand Australia''s ferocity, which was getting worse and worse.


    In the 82nd minute, Konno managed to cut Zola''s pass to Tim Cahill, he then provided a short pass to the right. Uchida received the ball from Konno, at the same time, Tommy Oar stepped forward and was about to grab the ball from Uchida. Uchida kicked the ball with his left foot, when Tommy Oar moved, he suddenly pulled the ball back and pushed the ball straight past, Tommy. After that, he chased the ball and passed Tommy.


    Bresciano moved sideways to help McKay on the counterattack, but Inoha blocked Bresciano with his body. McKay moved to the side and blocked Uchida''s running path. Uchida sent a diagonal pass into the middle. Okazaki, who came down to receive the ball in the empty area left by McKay. Milligan and Wilkinson stepped up and pinned Okazaki from both directions.


    Misaki Taro deflected his run into the middle of the penalty box, he broke through the gap left by Wilkinson, Okazaki immediately gave a high pass towards Misaki Taro. Spiranovic moved to close Misaki''s shooting space, but Misaki gave Kazuki a pass. Kazuki kicked the ball strongly towards the left. Mathew Ryan jumped and caught the ball, but the ball went in a few seconds before Ryan''s catch. The ball had crossed the goal line and Kazuki clearly scored.


    Kazuki was about to celebrate the goal, but the referee blew the whistle, the Japanese national team players immediately surrounded the referee. Misaki and Kazuki were the clearest about the goal, they were trying to convince the referee that the goal had happened.


    However, the Referee remained firm in his stance. He stated that no goal was scored. The Japanese national team must accept this unfair decision. The match resumed. Entering the end of the second half, Australia started fiercely to dominate the match, but in the end, they failed to equalize.. Japan managed to achieve a narrow 2-1 victory with two goals from Kazuki, while Australia managed to get one goal through Bresciano''s kick.

 Chapter 84 - International Champions Cup

    With the victory achieved by Japan, this team managed to rank first in Group B in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, the fourth round of the AFC zone. After this match was over, Kazuki also prepared to enjoy his vacation. The league was still far from the start, before Southampton''s pre-season training comes, it''s good for Kazuki to enjoy a vacation first, of course without neglecting daily training.


    Meanwhile, the Japanese media acknowledged that Kazuki''s performance in these three qualifying matches was very good. The other Japanese players also praised Kazuki. Kazuki''s fans in Japan and other Asian countries are also slowly increasing. This can be seen from the surge of followers on several of his social media accounts.


    On the other hand, summer transfers were heating up. Numerous European clubs have completed their first transfers. Meanwhile, a major transfer is still very difficult considering there is still more than a month before the 2012 summer window will close.


    The transfer saga that has attracted the most attention is the transfer of Mattheo Rodrigues. Zaradona''s successor is now increasingly clear that he will move either to Man City or Real Madrid. Barcelona''s fans may not be willing to see the player of their dreams go to a rival club, but their current coach J¨¹rgen Klopp would spend money on some good price player rather than buy the exorbitant price of Mattheo.


    Meanwhile, Quaresma''s agent spoke about the transfer of Mattheo, he said that Real Madrid did not respect him as a player, and made it a bargaining chip so Quaresma decided to move to another club regardless of whether Real Madrid got Mattheo or not.


    This made a drama. After all, if Real Madrid fails to get Mattheo then they will be at a loss because they also lose Quaresma. In the Premier League, Van Persie is officially in the red devil uniform. Instead, Arsenal managed to get Welbeck and 30 million euros. Arsenal, who continue to release their star players certainly make the Gunners supporters feel disappointed.


    In addition, Chelsea finally got Fabregas. Barcelona officially releases Fabregas to Chelsea for 50 million euros. This release has been approved by Jurgen Klopp himself because Fabregas is no longer interested in continuing to be in the Catalan club. On the other hand, Chelsea also released several players who did not get enough playing time, such as Romelu Lukaku and Kevin de Bruyne. Romelu was released to West Bromwich Albion, while De Bruyne was released to Wolfsburg.


    On the other hand, Tottenham hijacked a young player from South Korea who plays for Bayer Leverkusen, Son Heung Min. This transfer certainly makes the South Korean media very happy, they hope that Son can compete with Kazuki in the English league. Some media are realistic and choose to wait for Son Heung Min''s performance in the future.


    The lively transfers in the Premier League also cannot be separated from Kazuki. Even though he has repeatedly refused transfers proposed by other clubs, there are still various clubs that continue to try to tempt him, even they directly call Kazuki himself instead of his agent, Furochi.


    This made Kazuki angry, and he warned them to do not to keep in touch with him or else he would report the actions of the clubs to UEFA. It''s illegal to officially contact players before a transfer happens, but of course, this is just bullshit as many clubs still do it.


    ***


    In early August, Southampton gave notice to Southampton players who were on holiday for pre-season training. Kazuki who was on vacation with Shiraishi was also preparing to return to England. The surprising thing about pre-season training this time around was the invitation of Southampton to the International Champions Cup to be held in the United States. The ICC has become the biggest pre-season tournament since the ICC started in 2010. In previous years, the International Champions Cup would only invite big clubs in Europe, but this time the International Champions Cup also invited some lucky middle-class clubs to be selected.


    A week later, Kazuki and Shiraishi arrived in the United States, Los Angeles. They came to an apartment near a training center that had been rented by Southampton. There are still a lot of players yet to come, so most of the current players are reserve players that follow Southampton''s first team in pre-season training.


    Coach George Eastgate welcomed Kazuki, he congratulated Japan on winning at the world cup qualifier. George also said that he watched the match between Japan and Australia, he saw that Kazuki had improved again in less than a month.


    The training carried out in the early days was to return the body of a player who just had a holiday to its best form. Kazuki saw several players who had accumulated quite a lot of fat in just a month, he could imagine the vacation that these players had for over a month must have been very enjoyable.


    Fortunately, Kazuki himself was able to control food and exercise continuously even during vacations, so his body was actually in the best condition.


    A few days later, Joe Bennet, one of Southampton''s new signings this season, arrived in the United States. The arrival of Bennet certainly brought its memories to Kazuki. As soon as Bennet arrived, Kazuki immediately greeted him.


    The two hugged for a moment, then shook hands. "I never thought that I would reunite with you," Kazuki said to Bennett. Actually, Kazuki thought that Bennet would stay at Manchester United all the time without thinking about moving or going on loan.


    Bennet said lightly, "You are progressing very fast, I certainly don''t want to be left behind. Ethan, who saw you have been successful and known in England, is now training hard at Manchester United, I think he will also be called up to the Manchester United first team, unfortunately, he didn''t want to leave Manchester United."


    "It''s not like you go from Manchester United. You''re just on loan, I mean, you still haven''t moved from Manchester United." Bennet''s talent was quite striking since childhood, of course, Manchester United would not let him go that easily.


    "It''s true, but thinking realistically, it''s very difficult for me to compete with players in the Manchester United first team, especially with Pogba coming in midfield."


    "Anyway, welcome to Southampton buddies."


    Bennet''s arrival made Southampton''s squad rejuvenate. Now at Southampton, there were a lot of young players who had good talent. The inclusion of young players certainly had its advantages and disadvantages. It is up to Southampton coach George Eastgate to manage Southampton''s young players.


    Meanwhile, Southampton''s first pre-season match will be against Arsenal. This match would be Kazuki''s second time meeting Arsenal. He remembered in the league last season, Arsenal had beaten him. Even though it was only a pre-season game, but Kazuki wanted to win this match and avenge Arsenal.


    The match will be held in three days, Southampton still had plenty of time to adjusted their tactics and the new formation or strategy that will be used in the league next season.. This will also be a test for Kazuki, the extent to which Southampton can currently advance will probably determine how far Southampton could struggle in the 2012/2013 league season.

 Chapter 85 - Arsenal

    In this International Champions Cup, 16 teams were invited. The 16 teams will be divided into 4 different groups. Then in the group, a match will be drawn between the clubs in the same group. Then the winners of the first match will compete against each other, while the clubs that lose in the first match will also compete against each other. After that, the club position in the group will be determined based on points, goals, and head to head.


    After that, the club that is in the first position in each group will start a match against each other to determine the champion. The second-placed club in all four groups will compete for 5th-8th place. The third-placed club will compete for a 9-12th place. Likewise with the club in the fourth position.


    Southampton was in group B along with Arsenal, Valencia, Juventus. Southampton will play against Arsenal, while Valencia play Juventus. If Southampton won then Southampton will play against the winner of the match between Valencia and Juventus.


    In this competition, there are 3 teams from the English league, 3 teams from the Spanish league, 2 teams from the Italian league, 2 teams from the German league, 1 team from the French league, a total of 11 teams from Europe. Then there is the LA Galaxy team that competes in MLS, there is also 1 team from the Korean league and 1 team from the Japanese league, 1 team from the Brazilian league, and finally 1 team from the Argentine league. In total, there are 5 clubs from outside Europe. Even though the difference is very large, it can be said that it is natural because the European continent dominates in the league competition.


    In the future, it can be said that the International Champions Cup will go bigger and bigger. This will make it easier for big clubs to find quality pre-season matches because the International Champions Cup gathered big clubs.


    At the start of this season, George Eastgate tried to implement a new tactical system. With the changes that have occurred at Southampton at this time, George realized that Southampton was no longer suitable to continue to play defensively and passively. With the presence of Kazuki, Ryan, Rustan, Wright-Phillips, and Joe Bennet, Southampton''s ability to attack will definitely increase. George tried to make the Southampton ability to attack as useful as possible.


    For that, he tried to apply a 4-2-3-1 formation. In the plan in this formation, Simone and Rudolf will be defensive midfielders and play more backward. Then Joe Bennet will play as an attacking midfielder who is also a playmaker up front. Rustan can play as a right-winger and then Ryan can play as a left-winger.


    Wright-Phillips could be a flexible replacement. He could play as a defensive midfielder, but he could also play on the left-wing. Meanwhile, Ryan could replace Joe Bennet as a playmaker and attacking midfielder.


    The thing that distinguished the current tactical system and last season was the focus on the game. George is trying to make Southampton become a more active team than just reactive. He tried to apply a series of attacking tactics. In addition, he also tried to get used to the Southampton players in controlling the ball.


    The new tactical system certainly required adaptation. The first test for this new tactical system was Arsenal. Although Arsenal may only field a second-tier team, Southampton must play seriously. George''s targets in the match against Arsenal was didn''t lose in possession ball or shot on target.


    ***


    The match between Southampton and Arsenal has officially started. Arsenal fielded a team full of young players and also some new signings. No arsenal star dropped in this match. Kazuki could understand that because only one or two of Arsenal''s star players were attending the pre-season event at this time.


    Even so, Southampton must take this match seriously. Arsenal is Arsenal, whoever plays for them. This match will be the first try to see if George Eastgate''s new tactical system could work or not.


    Meanwhile, on the Southampton side, Hugo who will soon be moving was not present, then Simone, Hilton, Okhalo, and Dean Smith were also still not present. He didn''t play Freddy in this match, and neither did Kounde. Southampton also actually did not field their main player in this match.


    Arsenal started the first half kick-off. Solid individual collaboration and good playing skills had always been Arsenal''s hallmark. The tactical system arranged by Arsene Winters looks the same as before. It was quite easy for Arsenal to take control of the game early in the match as their opponents, Southampton, still have adapted to their new tactical system.


    Both teams played quite openly. Southampton was also brave in attacking Arsenal''s defense. Even though it was only a pre-season match, the spectators who attended the stadium were quite entertained by this match.


    Most of the audience were Americans who just want to see entertainment. They were not supporting Southampton or Arsenal. Therefore, they cheer for both teams whenever the opportunity arises.


    In the 38th minute, Southampton scored the first goal. The goal came through counter-pressing that Southampton did immediately after they lost the ball. Bennet managed to snatch the ball from one of Arsenal''s players. After that, he sent a long pass to the right of the field. Rustan who was in an onside position immediately ran to bring the ball into the penalty box.


    The arsenal center-back tried to stop Rustan but the Southampton right-winger turned the ball 90¡ã and sent a straight pass towards Kazuki. Kazuki received the ball and dribbled it to the right of the goalpost. It also makes the goalkeeper move to the right. Then Kazuki sent a pass to the left. Ryan, who was not guarded by Arsenal players easily sent the ball into the net.


    Southampton scored a goal. The goal was the only goal that was created in the first half. The match in the first half was quite exciting, but both Arsenal and Southampton often lost the ball in the middle of the field so that the shots on target of both teams were only 3 to 4. Arsenal managed to get 4 shots on target, but the quality of their shots was too poor.


    There are no restrictions on substitutions so that in the second half both teams replaced a number of personnel. The reason was to see the performance of all players. The coach needs to see how the old and new players perform against the tactical system he had designed. This can make it easier for the coach to determine the main players when the season starts.


    One of the substitutions was to withdraw Ryan and replace him with Wright-Phillips. Meanwhile, Arsenal also included Theo Wallcot in the second half. Wallcot was one of the main Arsenal players present at this pre-season event.


    The second half began with a kick-off by Southampton. In the second half, Arsenal dominated again. The entry of Theo Wallcot made Arsenal''s attack even more dangerous.. Fortunately, Southampton''s counter-attack was no less dangerous.

 Chapter 86 - Valencia

    In the 56th minute, Arsenal managed to reply to a goal through Theo Wallcot''s hard kick. Cooperation between Arsenal players made Southampton players confused. At a crucial moment, Arsenal''s young striker, Jay Smith, managed to send in a beautiful curled pass. The pass seemed to avoid the Southampton players and immediately looked for Wallcot. The pass was successfully executed by Theo Wallcot.


    Southampton''s reserve team goalkeeper Foggan Schluzstein failed to catch the kick. As a result, Arsenal managed to equalize the score. Arsenal''s game was beautiful enough that the crowd''s cheers for this goal were very high.


    The match continues. After things became equal, Arsenal tried to continue their dominance, but the pressing applied by the Southampton players was too tight, so Southampton was able to hold Arsenal''s game. The presence of Joe Bennet made Southampton''s game better. The rhythm and vision of the attack were better than Southampton''s previous game. But Bennett also had a fatal weakness, he didn''t look good in confrontations against Arsenal''s players.


    In the 76th minute, Vicente provided a pass to Bennet. The player on loan from Manchester United drove quickly and got rid of the Arsenal players who guarded him. He then poked the ball to the left. Wright-Phillips came and immediately sent the ball that he received, into the middle of the penalty box. Kazuki escaped from an offside position and kicked the ball into the Arsenal goalpost with ease.


    The goal managed to put Southampton back ahead of Arsenal. Then at 80 minutes, George pulled out Kazuki and put in Theodore, who happened to be brought in this pre-season training. Theodore was a Southampton b team or reserve team player. Kazuki had almost forgotten about the person if not for his name.


    In the 91st minute, Southampton scored again. Bennett, who was separated from Arsenal''s defensive midfielder, shot from outside the penalty box. The ball slid straight into the corner of the goalpost. The Arsenal goalkeeper did not have time to save the goalpost that he was guarding.


    The final score of the match was 3-1. Southampton managed to win from Arsenal. Meanwhile, Valencia also managed to beat Juventus on penalties. The two big teams in this group lost. In the next match, Southampton will be against Valencia, as long as Southampton won, the first position will be obtained.


    Meanwhile, George''s target in the match against Arsenal itself failed to be achieved. Although Southampton won but Arsenal recorded 58% possession of the ball. They also recorded 10 shots on target in contrast to Southampton who only recorded 6 shots on target. This shows that there are still things that George can evaluate from the Southampton team.


    Two days later, the match between Southampton and Valencia was held in the evening. Valencia fielded a different formation and players than against Juventus, while Southampton fielded a different composition but still used a 4-2-3-1 formation.


    In this match, Kazuki did not become a starter but instead became a substitute. This time, George wanted to see Southampton play without Kazuki as a striker. Instead, he fielded Osmund as the main striker.


    In this match, Southampton performed worse than the first game. Bennett, who was back as a starter, suddenly played badly. He often loses the ball while dribbled the ball. Not only that, but he also frequently made mistakes in passing.


    Meanwhile, Osmund also struggled to penetrate Valencia''s defense. On the wing, Ryan performed quite well on the left, but his cross was regularly missed by Osmund. Then, on the right-wing, Rustan looks tired and often loses in duels against Valencia''s left-back.


    In the 30th minute, George replaced the players who were not showing their best form with other players. Crage came in for Bennet, while Kazuki came in for Osmund. Crage swap positions with Ryan so that Ryan fills the attacking midfielder post.


    Although Valencia managed to dominate in the first 30 minutes, they failed to convert their chances into goals. This could be regret for Valencia because George''s substitution made Southampton bounce back.


    In the 41st minute, Kazuki scored the first goal of the match. He managed to score a goal through a counter-attack scheme. Ryan sent a long and measured pass forward, and Kazuki managed to win the duel against the Valencia center-back. When facing the one-on-one goalkeeper, Kazuki rubbed the goalkeeper with his skills and then put the ball into the empty net.


    Until the first half ended, no goals were created again. Southampton tried to strike back late in the first half, but Kazuki''s shot this time was caught by the Valencia goalkeeper.


    At the beginning of the second half, Valencia replaced several players. Meanwhile, Southampton also made substitutions. Rustan and Ryan were pulled out and replaced by other players. Both teams made substitutions at the start of the second half. The rhythm of the game of both teams became quite slow. Southampton still had the ball, but they were not rushed to attack Valencia.


    In the 60th minute, Southampton finally launched an attack. Crage accelerates on the left side. Valencia''s right-back held Crage''s shirt while trying to block the player. Crage is not as fast or as good as Ryan in handled the ball, so he preferred to back-pass Simone received the back-pass and then gave the pass to his side.


    David Hower, a substitute who has also been called up to the first team this season, provided a cross into the middle of the penalty box. The two Valencia defenders kept Kazuki tight, but the Japanese player managed to stick his foot out and bounce the ball to the side. Vicente, who did the overlap kicked the ball hard. The ball made it into the Valencia goalpost. 2-0 for Southampton advantage.


    The match went more smoothly. Southampton continued to dominate the game. Change after change made by Valencia, but overall they began to fail to get the ball from Southampton. George''s new tactical system was taking shape.


    In the 75th minute, Kazuki scored again through the penalty spot after the Valencia center back had previously played handball. Kazuki who was the executor managed to handle the penalty calmly. Southampton won 3-0 over Valencia.


    In the final minutes of the second half, Valencia rose and tried to reply to a goal. They managed to get some golden opportunities, unfortunately, Valencia failed to convert those opportunities into goals. In this match, finishing seems to be a problem for the Spanish side.


    Until the end of the game, the score was still 3-0. Southampton still showed superiority against Valencia. The victory made Southampton firmly occupy the top of Group B. On the other hand, Arsenal finished second after beating Juventus with a score of 4-0.. Juventus fielded several core players but still could not avoid defeat against Arsenal.

 Chapter 87 - Real Madrid

    Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea managed to finish in first place in their respective groups. After the draw, Southampton will play against Real Madrid, while Bayern Munich will play against Chelsea. The winners will advance to the finals, while the losers will compete against each other to determine third place.


    The Real Madrid coach said that he would field most of the main players in the semi-finals of this International Champions Cup. Of course, one of the main reasons was to please the fans. The spectators present were not stupid, they would naturally be disappointed if they only saw the match between the second-tier teams.


    Meanwhile, George Eastgate has also decided to field the best formation that Southampton currently had. Although this is only a pre-season match, the International Champions Cup is certainly very interesting for Southampton, who was always far from any championships. If a miracle occurs and Southampton beats Real Madrid, then Southampton had a chance to win the International champions cup this year.


    The match this time will be held at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, United States. According to reports, more than 40,000 spectators have purchased tickets to watch Real Madrid''s match against Southampton. Of course, almost all the spectators came in a Real Madrid white t-shirt.


    Shortly after, the match between Southampton and Real Madrid began. As the Real Madrid coach said, 5 main Los Galacticos players played in this match. First, there is their central defender Sergio Ramos, second, there is goalkeeper Iker Casillas, third is attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil, fourth is winger, Angel Di Maria, and finally, there is Olivier Gerrard. To remind again, Gerrard is a former Chelsea player who chose to transfer to Real Madrid.


    Meanwhile, in this match, Southampton fielded a 4-2-3-1 formation again. George played again Joe Bennet in the attacking midfielder position. In addition, he also played Ryan in the left-wing position and Rustan in the right-wing. Didn''t forget, he also played Wright-Phillips side by side with Simone. All of Southampton''s most talented young players played in this match.


    Real Madrid starts the first half kick-off. With the quality of the Real Madrid squad, it is clear that Southampton immediately was dominated by Real Madrid. However, Southampton dared to fight and press Real Madrid. This makes the start of the first half quite exciting. Both teams seemed to attack each other wildly.


    Real Madrid still had the ball despite strong pressure from Southampton. Every individual ability at Real Madrid was very strong. It is very difficult for Southampton players snatched the ball from Real Madrid players in a 1 vs 1 situation. This made Real Madrid more than able to withstand Southampton''s pressure.


    Southampton''s goalpost had been threatened several times by Real Madrid''s attacks. Even so, Southampton was still lucky to keep their goalpost. Of course, Southampton was not completely passive either. But their attack now failed as Kazuki was completely pressed by Sergio Ramos. He had a very hard time getting a chance.


    Besides, even if Kazuki won the chance, his next opponent would be the legendary Real Madrid goalkeeper, and breaking into his net would not be easy.


    In the 22nd minute, Real Madrid managed to score the first goal. The movement of Angel di Maria on the right side made Southampton confused. Finally, Angel di Maria gave the ball back to Ozil. Then, Ozil crossed into the penalty box. Oliver Gerrard managed to escape the guard, then he kicked the ball strongly to give Real Madrid a one-goal lead over Southampton.


    The crowd supporting Real Madrid cheered with joy to see their favorite team score a goal. The game resumed, but Southampton still failed to get the ball from Real Madrid''s possession. Southampton could only wait for Real Madrid''s players to make mistakes, while was trying to rely on counter-attacks.


    In the 35th minute, Real Madrid once again added the lead. Angel di Maria''s shot was blocked by the goalkeeper and turned into a corner. Ozil took the corner kick. The ball flew into the penalty box and was headed by Sergio Ramos into the Southampton goalpost.


    Southampton was 2 goals behind Real Madrid. It''s very difficult to turn things around because Real Madrid''s players have a lot more quality than Southampton''s players. Even so, Southampton still hasn''t given up, they are patiently waiting for the opportunity to arise.


    At the end of the first half, Vicente ran and overlapped on the right, helping Rustan to penetrate the right. The one-two collaboration between Vicente and Rustan managed to make Rustan break into the Real Madrid penalty box. He then provided a short pass to Bennet. Joe Bennet without hesitation immediately took a powerful kick.


    Casillas punched the ball outside the box, but Wright-Phillips managed to collect the ball. Then, he gave a breakthrough pass to Kazuki. Kazuki made his body ready to receive the ball, but Ramos used his body and shifted Kazuki''s position. Kazuki forced his body to fight back, as a result, he was quite successful and was able to steal the ball from Ramos'' feet.


    Then, Kazuki took a powerful kick that went straight into the goalpost. The ball hits the post and bounces into the net. This goal reduced Real Madrid''s advantage over Southampton. Even so, until the end of the first half, Real Madrid was still winning 2-1.


    At the start of the second half, Southampton and Real Madrid did not make any changes. Real Madrid still dominated the game as usual. This time they played quite patiently in the face of pressing from Southampton.


    In this second half, Southampton''s defense went better, not just pressing, They also dare to make a foul if the foul was needed to stop Real Madrid''s attack.


    They also fully understand that defense was the duty of every player so Southampton''s forwards were calmer in carrying out their duties in defense.


    When the teamwork of the opponent was not high, Southampton''s defensive strategy looks bold and adventurous, plus solid and rugged, but very practical and effective.


    The most important thing was that most of the team were quite careless in defense, so it is easier to get caught off guard when Southampton turns around for a quick attack or counter-attack when the attack was just getting started.


    Southampton''s patience in defending paid off, in the 64th minute, Southampton got a chance to counter-attack. This was started by Simone, who managed to tap Ozil''s pass to Gerrard. Simone who got the ball immediately moved it to the feet of Wright-Phillips. Real Madrid immediately counter-press and attacked Wright-Phillips who had the ball but luckily, Joe Bennet appeared as a passing option.


    Bennett then dribbled the ball forward. One of the Real Madrid players tried to steal the ball from his feet, but Bennett moved the ball from his right foot to his left and quickly changed the direction of the dribble.. After that, he sent a long pass to the right side of the field.

 Chapter 88 - Raumdeuter

    Rustan relied on his speed to duel with Real Madrid''s left-back. The pace of Real Madrid''s left-back was not inferior to Rustan''s, so this player must stubbornly try to break through from the right. Even so, the Real Madrid left-back managed to throw the ball off the field with a clean tackle.


    Rustan panted while holding his waist, he didn''t expect that getting past Real Madrid''s left-back was so difficult. Even at full speed, Rustan still couldn''t breakthrough from the right side. With the attack failed, Southampton had to look for other opportunities to score goals.


    In the 73rd minute, Simone, Wright-Phillips, and Ryan formed a triangle position and helped each other to break into the left side of the Real Madrid defense. Ryan managed to send a through ball to Wright-Phillips, who had run into the middle of the field. The Real Madrid defensive midfielder approached Wright-Phillips and tried to steal the ball from Wright-Phillips'' feet, but, Kazuki popped up from the front. Wright-Phillips immediately passed the ball to Kazuki.


    Sergio Ramos went up and restrained Kazuki''s body from turning around. Kazuki didn''t push himself, instead, he gave a pass to Joe Bennet, who was beside him. Bennet turned his body and did a Marseille turn to break through the Real Madrid penalty box. After that, he sent a curling kick into the top right corner of the goal. Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas immediately ran and jumped. His finger managed to touch the ball and bounce the ball off the field.


    The failure made the Southampton players somewhat frustrated. Attack after attack launched by Southampton only failed. After the attack, Real Madrid began to stabilize their game. This time they calmly had the ball.


    It was very difficult for Southampton to keep up with Real Madrid because they were exhausted. Entering the 80th minute, the mentality of the young players in the Southampton team began to get lower. Apart from a few players like Kazuki and Joe Bennett, the other players started to make mistakes.


    Real Madrid put this to good use. In the 85th minute, Wright-Phillips made the wrong pass. Instead of giving the ball to Simone, he gave the ball to Ozil. The German-blooded Turkish player did not waste Wright-Phillip''s blunder. He immediately dribbled the ball quickly in front of the Southampton penalty box. After that, he immediately gave the ball to the right-wing.


    Angel di Maria left the Southampton left-back away with his pace. He immediately grabbed the ball. The Southampton center-back made a tackle, he was trying to stop it, but Angel di Maria changed direction and flicked it in front of Oliver Gerrard. The French striker did not hesitate to send a powerful shot that went straight into the Southampton net. Conceding this makes Southampton down.


    In the following minutes, Real Madrid had the ball and the rhythm of the game. Until the end of the game, the score was still 3-1. Southampton lost in the semi-finals. Even so, this is not the end of Southampton''s journey in the International Champions Cup, they will face the team who lost the match, Chelsea, against Bayern Munich for the 3rd place of this pre-season tournament.


    After the match ended, Kazuki asked Sergio Ramos to swap shirts. In this match, the Real Madrid defender made Kazuki difficult. Especially with Iker Casillas as Real Madrid goalkeeper. This made it even more difficult for Kazuki to score. Luckily, Kazuki was still able to score one goal in this match.


    ***


    "So tiring," Kazuki laid his body down on the grass. He was currently in [Dream Training]. He repeated the match between Southampton and Real Madrid many times, again and again in [Dream Training] but from 10 attempts only 1 win was achieved by Southampton.


    In a normal match, as long as Kazuki got even a second of opportunity with sufficient shooting space, then he could score a goal. However, he was aware that against top goalkeepers, it is very difficult to score goals even when he gets chances.


    From 10 trial matches, Kazuki only scored 4 goals. Even though this was quite good compared to the chances Kazuki got, Kazuki felt the odds and goals ratio was quite low.


    Against Real Madrid, the other players clearly had a hard time helping Kazuki, so Kazuki almost always fought against the two Real Madrid center-backs alone. Another reason was that Real Madrid''s game against Southampton managed to isolate Kazuki from the other players.


    While waiting for the match against Bayern Munich to come, Kazuki would continue to train in [Dream Training]. Bayern has a great goalkeeper. Manuel Neuer. The challenge against Bayern Munich will not be lower than against Real Madrid. In addition, Bayern Munich will probably field all their star players in this last match. The level of the match against Bayern will only increase sharply.


    Apart from Neuer, Bayern also has two very fast wingers, namely Arjen Ruben and Frank Trippery. Both players have incredible speed. Then in front, the legendary player Phillips Zico, Zico''s ability and experience clearly cannot be underestimated. In the position of attacking midfielder, Thomas M¨¹ller filled the post.


    Although in the attacking midfielder position, Muller did not have a fixed position. Muller called himself Raumdeuter or interpreter of space. He used to explore the last third of the enemy''s defense and move around looking for space. Muller used to position himself between the midfield and the opponent''s defense, or channels, as people used to call it.


    Channels were more easily defined as channels or networks created by the space between one player and another. Usually used by players in determining the direction of movement without the ball, both in their efforts to receive passes and in tricking the opponent''s defense to open up space for teammates.


    However, what makes him a more difficult player to keep up with is the fact that a Raumdeuter didn''t rely on the attributes that most wingers rely on; such as speed, agility, dribbling skills, or his ability to cross.


    The main attributes of a Raumdeuter was anticipation, decision-making, composure, and most importantly, his off-ball movement.


    A Ramdeuter was capable of exploiting space.


    Seeing the possibility behind the impossible was his main skill.


    Ramdeuter was also one or two steps ahead in the right place and the right timing whether it is behind the defense, on the flanks, between defense and midfield, or various other positions and situations.


    If Kazuki played in the midfield, with his understanding of space, there was a possibility that he could imitate Muller''s gameplay, or even better since his abilities in all areas were quite good, even if not good enough, Kazuki just needed to train hard in [Dream Training]. Too bad, Kazuki would rather be an executioner than an initiator.

 Chapter 89 - Bayern Munchen

    Someone asked his friend, "Why do we have to watch this game? I think Arsenal against Inter Milan is more entertaining."


    He was surprised that his friend really wanted to watch Southampton''s match against Bayern Munich because he thought the match was definitely not as exciting as Arsenal against Inter Milan. Southampton''s match against Bayern will obviously be dominated by Bayern.


    Almost 95% of the people who came to the stadium believed Bayern''s victory. They saw how Real Madrid had beaten Southampton 3-1. Of course, Bayern, who was UCL finalists last season, could undoubtedly do better than Real Madrid. Moreover, the German team fielded the entire main team.


    "I have a good feeling about this game. You may not pay much attention to Southampton, but I don''t think they are a bad club. Of course, their overall performance will be worse than the big clubs. But football is a sport where the smaller clubs have a chance to beat anyone. I really have a feeling Southampton will surprise me in this game."


    His friend explained about his hunch. Of course, he did not believe his friend''s hunch. But he chose to comply with his friend''s wishes and decided to watch this match.


    The two of them entered the stadium. After a while, they arrived at the spectator stands. They chose an empty seat. The opening ceremony for the match between Southampton and Bayern was undergone.


    "James, are you sure that this game will surprise us? Seeing the star players at Bayern Munich and the faces of some unknown youngsters at Southampton made me doubt your hunch."


    "Trust me, John, just watch the game and enjoy the match."


    After the ceremony was over, the two teams started shaking hands and after that, they went to their respective posts. The captains of both teams approached the referee. The main referee tosses a coin. Then he appointed Southampton as the team to kick off the first half.


    Southampton was getting ready to start the game. The referee''s whistle sounded loud. The crowd cheered as Southampton played against Bayern Munich for third place in the International Champions Cup tournament.


    Bayern Munich appears with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Their goalkeeper of course was Manuel Neuer. The figure who occupied the right-back position was Phillips Ram. Two central defenders who helped Neuer in defense were Jerome Boateng and Dante. Then, the left-back who will face Rustan was David Alaba.


    Switch to defensive midfielders, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez. These two players were the most stable options in maintaining the depth of the Bayern Munich defense. Then on the right side was Arjen Ruben, a Dutch player who was also known for his skills in dribbling, speed, crossing ability, and accurate long-range left-footed shots.


    On the left was Frank Trippery, the French player who was described as fast, slick, and had excellent dribbling. Then in the attacking midfielder position, of course, there was Thomas M¨¹ller. Finally, in the striker position, Phillips Zico became a mainstay for Bayern.


    Compared to Bayern Munich, which uses all its main players. George prefers to use a mixed player, because although other Southampton main players such as Dean Smith, Hilton, Okhalo, Rudolf, and others have arrived, but their condition had not been confirmed. It is better to use the young players he had used during the International Champions Cup.


    At the beginning of the match, Bayern Munich immediately had the ball, they played aggressively at the beginning of the first half. In the 5th minute, Bayern immediately got a golden opportunity.


    In the formation, Bayern and Southampton were both 4-2-3-1. In general, Bayern''s attacking midfielders were facing the defense of two Southampton defensive midfielders. However, Thomas M¨¹ller points out the meaning of Raumdeuter.


    Instead of playing behind Phillips Zico, he played alongside him. This makes Simone who was in charge of guarding Muller confused, if he follows Muller and backs off to guard him then Southampton''s players in midfield will be reduced drastically.


    But if he didn''t mark Muller then Southampton''s two center-backs will have a duel with Bayern''s two strikers and that was obviously a dangerous situation. Relying on one player to mark one player in defense can only be done by a team that was really strong in defense.


    However, when Simone stepped down to guard Muller, Schweinsteiger stepped up and filled Muller''s position in attacking midfielder. Then, Phillips Ram provided a long-range pass to Trippery.


    The Bayern Munich left-winger received the ball and flicked it forward. Trippery''s movement was seen but the Southampton defenders, so they retreated backward, but Muller had contra movement with Southampton defenders, he stayed in the place. Southampton''s defenders were gone backward, but the midfielder didn''t mark M¨¹ller yet. The space between the Southampton defender and the midfielder was wide open.


    Trippery provided a cut-back to Muller. The German player then adjusted his position and kicked the ball firmly. The ball immediately entered the Southampton goalpost because the goalkeeper failed to reach it. This made Bayern one zero lead in the 6th minute.


    Simone''s mistake was to focus on Trippery''s movement rather than Muller''s. On the other hand, Wright-Phillips, who became a defensive midfielder be guarded by Schweinsteiger. This attack proved Muller''s understanding of space, as well as how other players have adapted to Muller''s way.


    In the stands, John who saw the goal shook his head and said, "I know I shouldn''t have trusted your hunch, James. This match will end in carnage."


    "Wait patiently John, it''s not over yet," James tried to reassure John.


    On the pitch, Southampton, who conceded the first goal started to play more seriously. The focus of the defenders also began to improve. This makes Bayern Munich''s aggressiveness at least somewhat submerged. All of Southampton''s players were still focused on defending as Bayern''s players were to keep trying to attack.


    In the 9th minute, Simone made a tackle from the front. He managed to knock Muller and snatch the ball from his feet. The tackle was clean, so the referee didn''t blow the whistle. Southampton, who just got the ball, immediately faced Bayern Munich''s tight pressing. They clearly want to destroy the counter-attack that Southampton was trying to build.


    Simone immediately gave the ball to Wright-Phillips. Martinez ran straight ahead and tried to steal the ball from Wright-Phillips'' feet.


    The Southampton defensive midfielder used a V technique to change direction and provide a through ball to the right. Rustan immediately ran at full speed. However, David Alaba was no less fast, he managed to catch up with Rustan even at a disadvantage.


    As the result, David Alaba managed to throw the ball first. Southampton''s counter-attack failed as Rustan lost in a speed duel against David Alaba. Southampton still getting throw-ins. At least the ball was still controlled by Southampton.. They could try to attack Bayern Munich once again.

 Chapter 90 - Bayern Munchen (2)

    Freddy threw the ball into the field. Rustan bounced the ball off with his feet. The ball was moving to Bennett. Schweinsteiger stretched out his foot for the ball from Bennett. The youngster pulled the ball and made the ball away from Schweinsteiger. Then, he provided a through ball into the penalty box.


    To escape offside, the forward must have the same mind as the midfielder. With days of practice, Kazuki started to adapt to Bennett''s gameplay. Therefore, when Bennett got rid of Schweinsteiger, he immediately looked for the best position. After Bennet officially sent the pass, Kazuki ran and escaped from Dante''s guard. With the goalpost position on his side, Kazuki shot the ball with his left foot without looking at the goalpost itself.


    Neuer''s position was somewhat hindered by Jerome Boateng''s body clinging to Kazuki''s back, so he reacted slower than usual to Kazuki''s kick. As a result, Southampton managed to equalize the score. The crowd looked surprised by the goal, but they immediately applauded. At first, they thought Bayern would absolutely dominate the game, but it looks like things are not as bad as they imagined. Southampton could still show resistance against Bayern Munchen''s attack


    After the goal, Bayern started the kick-off and the game continued. In Bayern Munich''s tactics, attacks were not only initiated by Muller but also by their two wingers Trippery and Ruben. In the 14th minute, Ruben showed Benson, Ruben''s superiority as a Bayern winger.


    Ruben, who received the ball from Muller immediately penetrated forward. When Benson followed the movement, he used his left foot as a support and then kicked the ball, pulled the ball, and kicked it again to the side. In the blink of an eye, Ruben changed the direction of the ball from straight in a vertical line to horizontal toward the penalty box. The action was so fast that Benson was too late to react.


    Ruben immediately brought the ball into the penalty box. Southampton''s center-back came to defend, but Ruben again turned the ball vertically towards the goalpost. Then he gave a flat pass into the goalpost mouth. Phillips Zico slipped through the net, he sent a low shot to trick the keeper. However, the Southampton goalkeeper''s feet was able to block Zico''s kick. Freddy, who got the bounced ball, immediately threw the ball out of the field.


    The attack clearly set the alarm for Southampton''s defense. Ruben''s ability and Zico''s movement made the Southampton players realize that all Bayern Munich forwards had their strengths, and they were able to carry out their strengths to the best of their ability, so it is very difficult for Southampton to predict what kind of attack Bayern will do.


    The match resumed. Southampton and Bayern Munich were still looking for their second goal. Southampton was not completely defensive, they were also fighting in midfield for control of the game. The battle in the midfield was certainly dominated by Bayern Munich, but at least Southampton could still show some resistance.


    In the 23rd minute, Ryan dribbled the ball quickly from the left. When Phillips Ram tried to tackle him, Ryan pulled the ball back and spun around to avoid Ram. He continued to carry the ball quickly, but Martinez did a body charge that made him sway. Before Martinez took the ball from his feet, Ryan replied to Martinez with a body charge too. Then he pushed the ball with his feet.


    It''s a shame the ball was managed to get by Bayern Munich center-back Jerome Boateng. The center-back provided the pass far forward. Bayern Munich players immediately moved together to counterattack. Muller received the ball with his chest and gave the ball to Schweinsteiger. The Bayern Munich defensive midfielder gave the ball to Bayern Munich left-back, David Alaba, who rose to help the attack.


    David Alaba and Frank Trippier made a one-two to send David Alaba past Southampton right-back Freddy. He then provided a cross into the middle of the penalty box. Zico jumped higher than the two Southampton center-backs. With ease, he broke into Southampton''s goalpost.


    Bayern''s second goal put the German club one goal ahead of Southampton. The game continued after the goal has occurred. Southampton as usual tried to get their chance as long as the opportunity arose. But Bayern was controlling the ball quietly. Bayern''s overall individual ability was far above Southampton.


    In the 32nd minute, Southampton got a good chance. Freddy managed to steal the ball from Frank Trippery''s feet. Freddy then dribbled the ball and started Southampton''s counterattack. He carried the ball across the halfway line. Then, he crossed the ball to the front of Kazuki from a long distance.


    Kazuki accelerated his running ability, then he received the ball with the outside of his left foot. Facing Neuer alone, Kazuki kicked the ball strongly towards the right. However, Neuer managed to guess the direction correctly. The ball bounced to the left. Ryan appeared and snatched the ball, after that, he poked the ball into the middle of the field. Kazuki adjusted his position, then he did an overhead kick. His right foot kicked the ball into the corner.


    Neuer unexpectedly returned to save the net for the second time. The ball bounced to the front of the penalty box, Wright-Phillips kicked the ball from outside the penalty box. The ball flew towards the Bayern goalpost for the third time. This time, Jerome Boateng headed the ball off the field.


    Southampton failed to take advantage of three opportunities in a row. This made the Southampton players surprised and shocked at the same time. They did not expect Bayern to defend well. Especially Kazuki, he didn''t expect his two shots in succession to be blocked by Neuer.


    Despite surviving Southampton''s counterattack, Bayern Munich also began to be wary of Southampton''s counterattack. Southampton clearly had a chance to equalize or even turn things around. However, there was still plenty of time left.


    In the 38th minute, Bayern got a free kick in front of the penalty box. Southampton''s players lined up and became a living fence. Martinez will be the one to execute the free-kick. The referee blew the whistle and Martinez kicked the ball slowly. The ball passed the Southampton players and fell a few yards from the goalkeeper. Muller moved earlier than the others, he then kicked the ball into the Southampton net.


    Bayern Munich scored again for the third time. The spectators who had thought that Southampton could show resistance against Bayern felt disappointed. Bayern was too great for Southampton, all the audience accepted it. Now, they did not have high expectations of Southampton.


    After the goal, the Southampton players fought hard to get the second goal. They were continuing to press Bayern Munich while waiting for the opportunity to come. But unfortunately, until the end of the first half, the score was still 3-1 to Bayern Munich''s advantage.. The first half ended, and Bayern took the lead over Southampton, as most had predicted.

 Chapter 91 - Bayern Munchen (3)

    During the game break. George adjusted his tactics. Bayern had 2 goal lead, they also had a varied attack. The best option against Bayern Munich was to do a high line of defense and apply high pressing. Defending passively will only have a negative effect, as Bayern had players who were capable of tearing down Southampton''s defense in an instant.


    George also fielded the two wings of Southampton slightly back. Its function, was so that this winger could guard and cut the pass to the wing area. With a few adjustments, Southampton was ready for the second half. A few minutes later, the break ended, and the players returned to the pitch for the start of the second half between Southampton and Bayern Munich.


    Neither team made any substitutions. Moments later, the second half officially began. Bayern started the second-half kick-off, Phillips Zico and Muller exchanged passes, then Zico kicked the ball into the Bayern Munich backline. After that, he walked forward and looked for his position.


    Southampton immediately put high pressure on Bayern Munich. They only left two defenders behind as the last wall while the other players came forward to do press. What was done by Southampton clearly made it difficult for Bayern to carry out an attack build-up.


    In the 47th minute, Kazuki ran to Boateng who was holding the ball. Bayern Munich left-back David Alaba was closely guarded by Rustan while Dante was marked by Joe Bennet. Bayern''s two defensive midfielders were heavily guarded by the Southampton defensive midfielder, this left Boateng no choice but to provide a back-pass to Neuer.


    Manuel Neuer had good dribbling skills and also good skills. People who watch Bayern''s gameplay for the first time will immediately be surprised to see a goalkeeper bravely playing the ball at his feet when a striker was pressing him. The 26-year-old goalkeeper was confidently holding the ball while Kazuki quickly approached him.


    As Kazuki stuck his foot out to grab the ball, Neuer kicked the ball with his right foot towards the left. Kazuki tried to grab the ball with his right foot, but this move was just a trick. As Neuer pulled the ball with his left foot, Kazuki dropped his body and pushed the ball using his left foot. The ball rolled past Neuer''s body. Neuer realized his mistake and immediately turned to prevent a goal. But it was too late. The ball was a split second quicker than Neuer''s safe.


    The referee blew the whistle, he was stating the goal was valid. Neuer tried to convince the referee that the ball had not crossed the goal line, but the linesman clearly saw the ball had gone in, so Neuer''s protests was ignored by the referee.


    Kazuki''s instincts wasn''t as great as that of top center-back players, but at least he was capable enough in guessing the trick Neuer wanted to pull off. After scoring the goal, Kazuki walked past Neuer and patted him on the shoulder, he whispered to Neuer, "Now we draw."


    Kazuki had scored two goals, while Neuer saved two golden opportunities that Kazuki had. In terms of individuals, he feels that his score with Neuer is a draw, even though Bayern still leads with a score of 3-2 for Bayern''s advantage.


    Kazuki''s goal at the start of the match took the Bayern players by surprise. It was clear they weren''t ready to concede early in the second half. This again shows that Southampton was not a team that could be underestimated. At least in this match, Southampton showed a fairly satisfactory resistance.


    Just a few minutes from the kick-off of the second half, Bayern had to kick-off again. The game continued, Southampton was still applying high pressure, but this time Bayern''s players dropped further back to give Bayern a numerical advantage in defense, so they could cope with the pressure from Southampton.


    Direct pass forward becomes a way for Bayern to avenge Southampton. However, the Southampton players did not leave space for the Bayern players to send a long pass. Southampton really pushed forward, leaving only one center-back to keep Phillips Zico at the back.


    In the 50th minute, the Bayern Munich coach entered Tony Cross to replace Martinez. One of the advantages of Tony Cross was his ability to defend the ball and long passes. Cross''s ability was a natural counter to Southampton''s tactics. Realizing this the Southampton players immediately adjusted, they didn''t press too high but only piled players in the middle making it difficult for the Bayern players to pass forward.


    In the 54th minute, Bayern got the first chance in the second half. Tony Cross passed Bennett in a complicated way. He then gave the ball to Schweinsteiger, Wright-Phillips stepped up and tried to get the ball from Schweinsteiger''s feet. Bayern Munich''s defensive midfielder managed to escape from the Wright-Phillips attack and gave the ball to Muller, who filled the space left by Wright-Phillips.


    Muller turned around and pushed the ball forward. He then brought the ball a little sideways. One of Southampton''s center-backs stepped up to mark Muller, but at that point, Ruben ran into the space the defender had left. Muller gives the ball to Ruben.


    Bayern''s right-winger dribbled the ball quickly. Another Southampton center-back left Phillips Zico and ran into the gap between Ruben and the goalkeeper. At that point, Ruben was supposed to pass to Phillips Zico, but instead, he chose to shoot. It was clear the Southampton center-back blocked Ruben''s shot, so the ball bounced off the pitch.


    The choice that Ruben made annoyed Zico. He raised his hand and showed a gesture of disbelief at what Ruben was doing. Ruben looks apologetic. Muller patted Ruben on the shoulder, he was giving a gesture to relax. Bayern was still ahead, in important matches, Ruben certainly couldn''t be selfish, but this is only a pre-season game, he didn''t want his teammates to fight each other over trivial things.


    In the 59th minute, Southampton counterattacked. Freddy snatched the ball from Trippery''s feet. Then, he immediately passed the pass forward. Rustan flicked the ball he received to the right. He did that to avoid the figure of the Bayern left-back who was standing behind him. David Alaba chased Rustan, the pace of the Bayern left-back was not inferior to Rustan''s, so Rustan immediately sent the ball to his partner instead of a duel with Alaba.


    Bennett who was running received the ball with his right foot. Schweinsteiger tried to snatch the ball from Bennet''s right foot, the young man moved the ball to his left, then his left foot pushed the ball forward. Bennett passed Schweinsteiger, then chased the ball. After that, he kicked the ball far forward.


    Kazuki did a running race with Dante and Boateng. They ran towards the ball at full speed, on the opposite side Neuer also came out of his post to pick up the ball. Kazuki and Neuer''s speeds were both fast, so there was a risk of a collision. Neuer was a fraction of a second quicker to get the ball. He shifted the ball from its place and threw the ball out of the field.


    Kazuki breathed heavily. He tried to calm his breath after running at full speed.. Neuer showed a smirk as he said, "You''re slower than a slug, man."

 Chapter 92 - Bayern Munchen (4)

    Bayern began to regain control of the game. They made short passes between players. They were patiently trying to dismantle the Southampton defense. Meanwhile, Southampton was also defending well. On the right, Freddy intercepted Trippery several times, while Benson kept Ruben well.


    In midfield, Simone and Wright-Phillips and the rest of the center-backs had understood about keeping Muller, so Muller''s move was always closely watched. The match entered a stagnant phase so both teams had difficulty changing the score.


    Entering the 70th minute, Southampton got a very good opportunity. Benson managed to bring down Ruben, he immediately took the ball from Ruben''s feet and sent a pass to Wright-Phillips. Muller made a body charge, but Wright-Phillips stubbornly kept the ball. He then gave the ball to the Southampton center-back.


    Southampton center-back sent a long pass forward. Joe Bennet held the ball with his chest, behind him, Tony Cross immediately intervened with Bennet. Fortunately, Bennet was able to keep the ball. He then provided a through ball to the left. Ryan received the ball and then dribbled it quickly. Phillips Ram made a tackle and knocked Ryan down roughly. Southampton missed the good chance they had.


    Benson took a free kick where Ryan was dropped. After the referee blew the whistle, he executed a free kick with a flat pass towards Simone. Simone gave the long pass into the penalty box. There, Kazuki who was heavily guarded by Dante still took the time to pass to the left side.


    Ryan tried to grab the ball that Kazuki headed. But Ram appeared and took the ball first. Ryan tries to snatch the ball from Ram''s feet. Too bad, Ram was too experienced for Ryan. Ram was using his hands to keep Ryan away from the ball. After that, he kicked the ball off the field.


    Once again, Southampton failed to threaten the Bayern Munich goalpost.


    The match continued, in the 75th minute, Southampton got another chance. This time Wright-Phillips was cutting the pass released by Schweinsteiger. As soon as Wright-Phillips got the ball, another Southampton player started to run to attack. Simone received the ball from Wright-Phillips. He adjusted the ball for a moment, then crossed to Joe Bennet.


    Tony Cross kept Bennett tight, so Bennett returned the pass to Simone. The Southampton captain brought the ball forward, then sent a through ball to the right. This time, Rustan managed to get rid of David Alaba. He brought the ball and broke into the Bayern Munich penalty box from the right side. Dante immediately closed the gap left by Alaba.


    Rustan pushed the ball with his left foot, then used his outside foot to quickly push the ball back. Dante is also quite good, he was not ease fooled and tried to thwart what Rustan was doing by closing space for Rustan to send the pass. Too bad that he was a fraction of a second late, Rustan sent the pass before Dante stuck his foot out.


    The ball rolls into the goalpost''s mouth. Kazuki wriggled into the gap between Boateng and Schweinsteiger, then he stuck his foot out to bounce the ball into the net. Kazuki failed because the ball didn''t hit his leg. But, the ball hit Boateng''s body and bounced towards the goalpost. Fortunately, Neuer showed a super reaction. He jumped and grabbed the ball before it went into the net.


    Boateng seemed to thank Neuer for keeping him from scoring his own goal. Meanwhile, on the side of the field, George seems disappointed by this failure. Neuer''s appearance made it difficult for Kazuki, who was often Southampton''s mainstay.


    Southampton''s constant counter-attack made Bayern wary. Although they were controlling the ball more than Southampton. But Southampton''s counter-attack was not something Bayern Munich could simply ignore. It would be great if they could add a goal and sever Southampton''s hopes of turning things around.


    This makes Bayern motivated in attacking Southampton. In the 81st minute, Tony Cross provided a pass to Muller. The Raumdeuter exploited the space between Simone and Wright-Phillips. After that, he received the ball and turned his body. One of Southampton''s center-backs stepped up and tried to close the space for Muller. At that point, Muller dug into the penalty box and got rid of the center-back.


    In the next second Muller curled a cross that passed the last defender to Zico and then Phillips Zico grabbed the ball. Calmly, Zico kicked the ball towards the goalpost. The ball was gliding on the grass. The Southampton goalkeeper stretched his legs and managed to keep the ball.


    One of Southampton''s center-backs met the rebound by heading it to the right. Trippery tried to get the ball, but Freddy with full speed kicked the ball forward. The ball slid to the left side of the field. Ryan ran and received the ball, he then carried the ball across the halfway line. Phillips Ram was lagging because he had just overlapped.


    Ryan carries the ball diagonally toward the center. At the right moment, he gave the ball a breakthrough in front of Kazuki. It was Kazuki who had gained a superior position over Jerome Boateng. He managed to get the ball and then dribble it quickly. Boateng tightly gripped Kazuki''s shirt.


    The moment Kazuki entered the penalty box, Boateng''s gripped hand was too strong, so he fell inside the penalty box. Boateng immediately raised his hand, but the referee saw the foul clearly. He immediately pointed to the penalty spot. In addition, the referee also gave a yellow card to Boateng. Boateng didn''t protest this time, Southampton getting a penalty in the 82nd minute.


    Kazuki became Southampton''s penalty taker, he put the ball in the penalty box then slowly walked back. In front of the goal Neuer pointed to the top of his head and said "Do a panenka, and I''ll give you my sister''s number."


    Neuer tried to influence Kazuki but in a penalty shootout like this Kazuki was quite confident in facing Neuer. The referee then blew the whistle. Kazuki took a stance, then kicked the ball gently. Neuer jumped to the right, but the ball curled gently into the middle. Kazuki did the panenka just like Neuer said.


    Kazuki''s friends immediately entered the penalty box and hugged Kazuki while Kazuki turned to face Neuer and said,


    "Bro, where''s your sister''s cell phone number?"


    ***


    Kazuki''s goal made the score 3-3. Southampton equalized. The match was hot again. The audience who saw Kazuki''s goal clapped in satisfaction with the entertainment they got.


    The match continues. Bayern tried to score. They attacked Southampton all-out in the final minutes of the game. But Southampton''s defensive performance deserved a thumbs up. They made no mistakes and remained disciplined in defending. Until the long whistle sounded, Bayern failed to score. With a 3-3 draw, the match will go into extra time.. Southampton managed to hold the game against Bayern heading into extra time.

 Chapter 93 - Bayern Munchen (5)

    In the stands, John and James were watching the match. A bunch of spectators gave applause when the referee blew his whistle. At first, John thought that Bayern would continue to dominate in the second half, but he did not expect Southampton to make it 3-3. This match was filled with exciting moments.


    "I didn''t expect your hunch to be right, James," said John.


    "My hunch is never wrong, Southampton does give us a surprise. Regardless of who wins later, this match is definitely one of the most exciting matches in this year''s International Champions Cup. What''s more, the number 9 player from Southampton managed to score a hat trick, with his ability, I expected that he would win the golden boot next year."


    James spoke up his opinion. He had done several searches regarding Southampton and of course, James knew Kazuki was the most talented player at Southampton. Apart from that, there were numerous young Southampton players who performed well.


    Moments later, the first half extra-time match between Southampton and Bayern Munich began. Both teams made substitutions. Southampton included three players, two central defenders, namely Hilton and Okhalo. In addition, George also included Kounde to replace Bennet. Ryan would replace Bennett''s position.


    Meanwhile, Bayern replaced Phillips Zico with Mandzukick, and then they also replaced Trippery with Axelsen. Finally, the Bayern Munich coach entered Tymoshschuk to replace Schweinsteiger.


    With this change, both teams started the first half of extra time. Southampton started the kick-off. Kazuki passed the ball to Kounde. Then, Kounde returned the ball to Kazuki. Next, Kazuki gave Ryan a pass. The Southampton young player sent a long pass to Southampton center-back Okhalo.


    Mandzukick stepped up and applied pressure. Okhalo then provided a pass to Benson. Southampton''s left-back was immediately blocked by Ruben. Simone approached Benson as a pass option. Benson gave the ball to Simone. The Southampton defensive midfielder dribbled the ball at low speed, and then he gave Ryan a pass.


    Ryan held the ball while Southampton made the transition from defense to attack. After that, he returned the ball to Wright-Phillips, Thomas Muller tried to get the ball from Wright-Phillips. Fortunately, he managed to give the ball to Freddy. Freddy stepped forward and overlapped. He was helping Southampton in the attack. Tymoshschuk came and blocked Freddy. The Southampton right-back tried to force himself past Tymoshschuk but the Bayern Munich midfielder cut the ball off Freddy''s leg and sent it off the pitch.


    In the following minutes, Bayern continued to try to get the ball out of Southampton''s feet, but Southampton''s players played it safe by returning the ball when Bayern applied pressure. The Bayern players kept trying until their efforts paid off in the 94th minute.


    Wright-Phillips, who was lack of care, make Muller easily steal the ball from his feet. Muller''s action became a sign for other Bayern players to immediately launch the counterattack. Muller provided a through ball to the left. Axelsen and Freddy were fighting for the ball. They pushed each other''s bodies. However, Axelsen, who had just entered, clearly had more energy than Freddy, who had been playing since the beginning.


    Axel passed Freddy and kicked the ball slowly into the penalty box. After that, he immediately sent a flat pass into the middle of the penalty box. Mandzukick was running. He ran fast and grabbed the ball. He immediately sent a strong shot to the right of the goalpost. Southampton goalkeeper failed to save the net in time.


    Bayern scored the fourth goal in this match. Mandzukick immediately ran to the sidelines. He high-fived Axelsen then hugged the rest of the Bayern players. Goals in extra time always made the mentality of the other team drop. It''s very difficult to equalize because the players were already tired.


    This match was only a pre-season game, there was no need to fight it out. Several such thoughts appeared in the minds of the Southampton players. Even George himself would not be angry if Southampton failed to win. Moreover, their opponent was Bayern Munich, clearly failure was something that could be tolerated.


    However, Kazuki didn''t want to give up. Likewise with other young players. Wright-Phillips immediately took the ball from the net and ran into the middle of the penalty box. His action signaled to start kick-off as soon as possible. There was still time for Southampton to score and equalize. Although it is difficult but as long as it is not impossible then they should not give up.


    The game resumed and Southampton had the ball. They were not in a hurry to attack Bayern. Southampton slowed the tempo and tried to build on the attack from the bottom. Slowly they advanced and raised the defensive line. Southampton''s short passes had pretty good accuracy.


    In the 103rd minute, Kazuki, Ryan, and Kounde made a triangular pass. Kounde managed to break through into the Bayern penalty box. After that, Kounde immediately sent a pass to the right before the Bayern players closed the space for him. From the right, Rustan broke through and grabbed the ball. He unhesitatingly dribbled the ball forward and then kicked the ball firmly.


    Neuer caught the ball easily. Rustan was holding his head, disappointed. Despite having conceded three goals, it must be admitted that Neuer performed quite well. The goals Southampton scored would probably have been more than 3 goals if not because of Neuer''s brilliant action. The German goalkeeper threw the ball forward.


    The attack became Southampton''s last attack in the first half of extra time. Until the first half ended, the score was still 4-3 for Bayern Munich''s advantage. The match will continue into the second half of extra time after a short break.


    It wasn''t long before the second half officially began. Bayern started the kick-off of the second half. They controlled the ball quietly. Southampton didn''t have the energy to press high, so they let Bayern play with the ball.


    In the 109th minute, Muller found space between the left-back and the center back. Tymoshschuk immediately provided a through ball to Muller. The player penetrated the penalty box quickly. Okhalo tried to intercept Muller, but Muller stopped his pace suddenly, so Okhalo passed Muller due to repulsion. Then Muller sent a kick. The ball spins and went to the top right corner of the goalpost. But the ball hit the post and went off the field.


    In the 115th minute, Southampton made an attack. Wright-Phillips managed to escape the siege of Bayern''s defensive midfielder. Southampton''s players immediately moved. Kazuki and Kounde suddenly switched positions, this made the Bayern players who marked the two people confused. Wright-Phillips took advantage of this to provide a through ball for Kounde.


    Kounde relies on his speed to break through the penalty box. Jerome Boateng used his body to push Kounde into a tight corner. Kounde pulled the ball back and then turned 180¡ã. Kounde then gave a flat pass into the middle. Ryan came and met the pass with a first-time kick. This time Neuer failed to catch the ball because the corner chosen by Ryan was very difficult to achieve.. Southampton managed to equalize for the second time.

 Chapter 94 - Bayern Munchen (6)

    The second half of extra time ended. Southampton''s final score against Bayern Munich was 4-4. There were many ups and downs moments, that were very thrilling in this match. This fierce match finally reached the penalty shootout. The most memorable pre-season match for Kazuki would come to an end. It didn''t matter who wins, this game was teaching Southampton a big lesson.


    Bayern Munich goalkeeper stood in front of goalpost. The first penalty taker was Kazuki. The referee blew his whistle, then Kazuki kicked the ball calmly. Neuer jumped to the right, while Kazuki kicked to the left. Southampton''s first shot was successful.


    Then it was Mandzukick''s turn to face the Southampton goalkeeper. Compared to Dean Smith, Luis Ognevo as Southampton''s second-tier goalkeeper was much worse quality. Therefore, comparing Ognevo with Neuer was ridiculous. Mandzukick managed to score the first penalty for Bayern.


    Kounde emerged as Southampton''s second kicker. As a senior player at Southampton, George hoped that Kounde could show his quality. Fortunately, Kounde was able to complete his task well, although Neuer could guess at his shot.


    Then Axelsen came on as Bayern''s second kicker. The referee blew the whistle and the Bayern Munich player kicked the ball into the middle of the goal, while Ognevo jumped to the left. The ball hits the Southampton net. Bayern''s second penalty kick was successfully executed.


    Rustan stood in front of Neuer nervously. In this match, Rustan was less shining than usual. Several times he lost duels against David Alaba. In an exhausted mental state, Neuer managed to catch the ball that was kicked by Rustan. The young player looks to be lowering his head, disappointed with his shot. The rest of Southampton players cheered on Rustan then encouraged Ognevo.


    Arjen Ruben, Bayern Munich''s right-wing player, shows his quality as a world-class player. He fooled Ognevo with ease. Bayern managed to score a third penalty. This successfully shot put more pressure on Southampton, especially Ryan. If he failed, then Southampton will automatically lose.


    In critical condition, Ryan shot the ball, Neuer jumps to the right while Ryan kicks straight into the middle. This young player managed to overcome the pressure and make Southampton see hope again.


    The next penalty kick will be taken by Muller. In facing Luis Ognevo, Sang Raumdeuter was able to handle the pressure well. He kicked to the right strongly and quickly. Although Ognevo guessed the direction correctly, but he failed to save the kick.


    Simone came forward. The fifth turn will be taken by the Captain of Southampton. The referee blew the whistle, then Simone kicked to the left. Too bad his shot was so weak that Neuer was able to catch the ball well. Simone immediately covered her face with both hands and felt sorry.


    The referee blew the long whistle, Bayern managed to win the match in the penalty shootout by 4(3)-(4)4. They were able to get third place in the 2012 International Champions Cup, meanwhile, Real Madrid won this year and Chelsea had to settle for second place.


    All in all, the International Champions Cup pre-season competition had ended. The official competition was approaching soon. Transfers that had not been completed, one by one, begin to complete. Just a few days after the ICC finished, various transfer news exploded across sports magazines. The most magnificent transfer of course was the transfer of Mattheo Rodrigues to the Santiago Bernab¨¦u.


    On that day, various Decules from all over the world were heartbroken. Barcelona had always been the club most passionate about pursuing Mattheo. Since Mattheo was little, Barcelona was the first club to find Mattheo. No one believed the world''s number one player would move to their rival club, Real Madrid.


    Besides Mattheo, Real Madrid also brought in Gareth Neill and Moric, they also brought in several other players. This made the European media equally give a warning for other clubs, this Real Madrid may be the greatest squad in the club''s history. With so many high-quality players, Real Madrid will be a scary team if the coach who managed them can make good use of these players.


    Apart from Real Madrid, other European clubs had also completed their main transfers one by one. There had been many confirmed transfer rumors. There are also unexpected transfers. Various transfer news filled the media. At Southampton''s side, Hugo officially left the club. Southampton also brought in various new players. There were no famous players like the big clubs, but those players were enough to fulfill George''s request.


    Other Premier League clubs had also completed their major transfers. Tony Cross was officially introduced by Liverpool, along with Phillips Coutinho and Maddison. Liverpool''s midfield will improve. Liverpool''s goal this season was to defend the league title and win the Champions League.


    Meanwhile, Manchester City, which was often hunting a bunch of players, this summer, looks calm. Overall, The Cityzen squad was indeed good. They just need to get rid of the non-contributing players and replace them with more useful players. Streamlining the squad could help the club as a whole.


    This summer, the Red Devils had brought in their targets, namely Pogba, Anthony Martial, and Van Persie as a substitute for the failure of Kazuki transfer. Although Sir Alex had retired, but the Red Devils fans seem quite confident with their squad, however, David Moyes'' coaching record was not bad.


    On the other hand, Chelsea seems to be a bit calm, apart from signing Fabregas they had sold several players to bring in players who were less well known. With their current squad, Chelsea shouldn''t really need new players.


    The sluggish performance of Tottenham and Arsenal in summer transfers made the media predict that this 2012/2013 season, the two teams from London would have difficulty finishing in the top 4 positions. Both teams however lost their valuable players.


    Southampton''s first game of the season will be on 19 August. They will face Manchester City at Saint Mary''s Stadium. There were still a few days before the match takes place. Final preparations and the process adapting of new players was continuing during this period.


    Every day, Southampton players were exercising to perfect and apply their new tactics better. Under the tutelage of George, Southampton which was full of young players began to slowly flap its wings. With a 4-2-3-1 formation, George was hoped Southampton could control the attack better. Especially after facing Bayern Munich which had a variety of attack methods.


    On the other hand, Southampton''s weakness was also seen by George. Joe Bennet''s ability is less stable, Sometimes he could complete his task well, but there were days when Bennet failed to show his maximum performance. Ryan could replace Bennet but Ryan''s ability as a playmaker was a bit lacking.. Crage could be a great option to be a playmaker, but the player is sorely lacking in vision.

 Chapter 95 - Manchester City

    The official match in England was begun with the Community Shield, which will feature Liverpool against Manchester United. In that match, Liverpool defeated Manchester United with a score of 2-0. Red Devils fans started the season with a loss. The disappointing thing was Manchester United playing so badly, every player seemed confused about what they should do.


    People judged that the impact of losing Sir Alex was deeper than they thought. Will the Manchester United players who were always with Sir Alex accept Moyes'' presence? It could only be answered when the season had run. However, it is too early to judge Moyes'' work.


    In London there, the Blues Chelsea also won the European Super Cup against Sevilla. Mourinho''s team was now one of the favorites to win the Premier League besides Liverpool and Manchester City.


    The first Premier League match will be preceded by a match between Chelsea and Tottenham. The Blues who claim to be the king of London will face the challenge from the Lilywhite. This match will be broadcast live by Sky Sports.


    In that match, Tottenham surprisingly won. The match was so hot. There were 6 yellow cards and one red card that came out of the referee''s pocket. Mourinho was very angry with the referee''s decision, he issued accusations that some people didn''t want to see Chelsea triumph in England. His words immediately brought sanctions from the FA. The final score of the match was 1-0, the goal was scored by Luminaire from the penalty spot.


    The match between Southampton and Manchester City had arrived.


    "Welcome everyone, back again with me, Jim Kaglin, in the first round of the Premier League between Southampton who will host their visitors Manchester City. This will be the first match between Manchester City and Southampton at the start of the season.


    At the start of this season, Southampton had stirred up a youth storm. There were a lot of lads who did well last season, we''ll see how they do this season. Despite being left out by a few main players, I think Southampton this season was stronger than last season.


    Manchester City this season is not as vicious in summer transfers as in previous seasons. However, the quality of the players they had should not be underestimated.


    It''s hard to predict the outcome of this game, but I think Manchester City had the advantage over Southampton. Last season, City had beaten Southampton, could they repeat that result today? Or even Southampton, who can overthrow Manchester City in this first round? Let''s look at the starting line-up of the two teams.


    Goalkeepers: Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Freddy, Okhalo, Hilton, Benson;


    Defensive midfielders: Simone, Rudolf;


    Attacking midfielders: Rustan, Ryan, Kounde;


    Forward: Kazuki.


    Meanwhile, Manchester City returned to using the 4-3-3 formation they often used last season.


    Goalkeeper; Joe Hart


    Defenders: Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov


    Midfielders: Yaya Toure, David Silva, Samir Nasri


    Forwards: Aguero, Dzeko, Milner


    With these two formations, which team will win? Let''s see how the first half goes."


    At the stadium, Southampton fans, filled the stadium to support Southampton. Many of them wore jersey number 9, Kazuki''s new number. This season Southampton supporters were more optimistic about the club than last season, the good results Southampton achieved in pre-season games had also added to the confidence of Southampton fans.


    On the pitch, Southampton started the first half kick-off. Kazuki exchanged passes with Ryan. Then Ryan kicked the ball back. Players on both teams move to adapt to the strategies they apply. Manchester City was not in a hurry to put pressure on Southampton. They let Southampton control the ball in the early game.


    Over time, Manchester City had changed from a team that only relied on the individual skills of players to a team that was able to build good tactics. Their tactical abilities and execution were quite high. That''s why many media believe this season Manchester City will be a Premier League challenger.


    Back in the game, the attack that Southampton was trying to build failed when Kompany managed to intercept the ball. He cut Ryan''s pass to Kazuki well. Manchester City was controlling the ball now. They did not rush to attack, under the control of Yaya Toure and David Silva, Manchester City took over the match.


    In the 9th minute, Yaya Toure made an individual action and broke through Rudolf alone. Then he passed Dzeko, Hilton kept Dzeko well so the Manchester City player could only bounce the ball to David Silva who was preparing to break into the Southampton penalty box.


    Silva took the ball into the Southampton penalty box. The Southampton players were careful with Silva''s action, the Spaniard suddenly gave the ball to the right. Aguero slipped under Benson''s watch, he then kicked the ball hard. But unfortunately, the ball flew over the post. The first chance that Manchester City had, failed to convert into a goal.


    After these opportunities, the intensity of the match became higher. Manchester City had taken the opportunity again. In the 14th minute, David Silva made a long pass from far to the left. On the left-wing, Milner tried to get rid of Freddy''s guard. Too bad Freddy could defend well, so Milner provided a pass back to Yaya Toure.


    The former Barcelona player sent a cross from the left side to the middle of the penalty box. The ball curled into the middle of the penalty box. Edin Dzeko attempted to head the ball but failed. No player had managed to head the ball, so the ball spins towards the right side. Benson grabbed the ball as Aguero chased him, then he kicked the ball forward.


    Simone received the ball with his chest, then he passed the ball to Ryan. Nasri rushed to Ryan and made a tackle, he dropped Ryan who was about to receive the ball. The referee blew the whistle and then gave a warning to Nasri. Southampton failed to launch a counter-attack.


    In the 18th minute, Southampton launched the first threat. Rudolf managed to steal the ball from Yaya Toure''s feet, he then sent the ball to Simone. The Southampton captain received the ball then avoided David Silva who was aiming for it, soon, he gave Rustan a pass. On the right, Rustan who received the ball immediately gave Ryan a pass and then ran fast-forward. Ryan adjusted his position and gave Rustan a through ball.


    Rustan made it past Kolarov. But Lescott came and closed Rustan''s space. At that time, Kazuki moved closer to the right. Rustan passed the ball to Kazuki. The Japanese player is now surrounded by Manchester City players. He defended the ball well and gave a straight pass to the right. Kounde appears Manchester City defenders turn to focus on Kounde. Manchester City''s right-winger provided a pass to the center. Ryan, who had entered the penalty box, immediately kicked the ball strongly.. Too bad, Joe Hart caught the ball well.

 Chapter 96 - Manchester City (2)

    Both teams played openly, although Southampton was mostly attacked, but Southampton also didn''t play passively, they actively tried to attack Manchester City. Southampton''s active behavior made Manchester City coach Robert Mancini feel happy, it''s easier to play against an open-played club than against a defensive club. Of course, he thought like that because he was confident in the club that he coaches. In terms of attack and defense, Mancini thought Manchester City was better than Southampton.


    Mancini''s words were true, Manchester City was indeed more dominating than Southampton. However, Southampton was more efficient than Manchester City. The reason was simple, Kazuki was better than Dzeko. Dzeko''s Premier League goals last season were just 15 goals, and he has played more games than Kazuki.


    This was evident in the 24th minute, Southampton, who counterattacked quickly moved towards the Manchester City defense. Rudolf who brought the ball immediately sent a pass to Ryan. Nasri again tried to annoy Ryan, but this time Ryan was more clever, he avoided Nasri by using a marseille turn and then sent a pass to Kounde.


    Zabaleta immediately made a tackle to bring down Kounde, but the left-winger still managed to hold on, he quickly caught up with the bounced ball and then crossed it into the center of the box. Kazuki ran to the left to receive the ball from Kounde, after that he used a whiplash turn to pass Kompany and dribbled the ball to the right, after which he shot the ball strongly into the right corner of the goalpost. Joe Hart jumped and tried to reach the ball, but he failed.


    Kazuki didn''t wait, and he immediately ran to the sidelines, he slid on his knees while bending his arms. The cheers of Southampton fans filled the stadium, they were delighted to see Southampton score their first Premier League goal of the season.


    "Goaaaalll! Kazuki''s first goal came so fast. He shows the exact reason why people think that Kazuki is the most deserving of the golden boy of 2012."


    This goal left Mancini speechless, he did not expect in an openly battle, Southampton actually scored faster. Even though the opportunity was not too fatal, but Kazuki''s ability and movement were so beautiful that he was able to convert the opportunity into a goal. In contrast to Mancini, George Eastgate looked happy, he hugged his assistant and excitedly celebrated Kazuki''s goal.


    After the celebration ended, the match resumed. Manchester City starts kick-off. Edin Dzeko gave the ball to David Silva, Silva then returned it. After that, Dzeko sent the ball to the City backline.


    Both teams were still playing openly, just as before. But this time, city was increasingly eager to break into Southampton''s goalpost. They were more aggressive than usual. Both City fullbacks also stepped up to confine Southampton in their defense. The Cityzen controlled the ball in the Southampton defense area.


    Even so, they were still patiently waiting for the right moment to attack Southampton''s goalpost. Meanwhile, they were still playing with the ball. In the 31st minute, David Silva, Nasri, and also Milner formed a triangular pass, Silva managed to send a through ball to Nasri who had been running into the penalty box. Hilton tried to block Nasri''s path to pass to Dzeko. So Nasri returned the ball to David Silva. Silva then gave the ball to Dzeko.


    Edin Dzeko back face the goalpost, so he adjusted his position and did an overhead kick. He managed to kick the ball with a strong but the result the ball deviated from the target. Manchester City just missed the opportunity. Edin Dzeko looked to apologize to Silva.


    When Manchester City kept wasting good chances. Southampton again launched a counterattack in the 37th minute, Freddy who managed to snatch the ball from Milner dribbled the ball quickly. He then sent the pass to Rudolf. Rudolf pulled the ball back and avoided David Silva, he then gave the ball to Simone. The Southampton captain bounced the ball to Benson, who did overlap.


    Yaya Toure made a tackle and brought down Benson. The referee blew the whistle and awarded Southampton a free-kick. Manchester City managed to break Southampton''s counterattack. The free-kick was taken by Okhalo, while another Southampton player stepped up to attack.


    Okhalo gave a long pass forward, Kazuki returned the ball back by heading it. His position is a bit far from the goalpost, so he doesn''t force himself to head towards the net. Ryan received the bouncing ball from Kazuki with his chest and gave a pass to Simone, then Ryan ran into the penalty box. Simone returned the ball to Ryan.


    Nasri followed Ryan''s movement, so the Southampton youngster gave the ball back with his heel. Benson popped up, he went all the way up and into the box. Benson received the ball from Ryan and sent a cross to the right. Rustan volleyed the ball, but David Silva blocked it with his body. The ball bounced off the field.


    In the 40th minute, Manchester City did a fast break. When the ball was stolen from Kounde''s feet by Zabaleta, Manchester City immediately counterattacked quickly. Zabaleta sent the ball to Yaya Toure''s feet. Yaya Toure passed Ryan, who tried to stop him. After that, he gave the ball to David Silva. Rudolf attacked David Silva, he stretched out his leg to intercept Silva. However, the Spaniard transferred the ball from his right foot to his left, then tilted his body and passed Rudolf. The movement looks very agile.


    Silva then gave a long pass to the right. Aguero received the ball and did a diagonal dribble towards the center. Dzeko signaled for a pass, but Aguero opted to dribble the ball into the middle and shoot powerfully into the left corner. Dean Smith jumped in and made a save. The ball bounced in front of the goalmouth. Dzeko happened to be there, he kicked the ball too hard, so the ball flew over the goal.


    In front of the fallen goalkeeper, Dzeko missed a good chance instead. Dzeko who knew his stupid act immediately crouched down and held his head. He was surprised that he missed such a good opportunity. Aguero stare at Dzeko with a cynical eye from a distance, none of the Manchester City players were encouraged Dzeko.


    Dean Smith patted Dzeko on the shoulder and said, "You''re just out of luck."


    Seeing the opposing goalkeeper cheer him on made Dzeko feel sad, how could a striker like himself allow the opposing goalkeeper to comfort him. Dzeko immediately got up as if nothing had happened.


    The match continued, at the end of the first half, Southampton again created opportunities. However, it was a shame that Kazuki''s kick this time was too weak for Joe Hart to catch it easily. Until the end of the first half, both teams were unable to change the score. Southampton had a 1-0 lead over Manchester City.. The first half ended with Southampton leading.

 Chapter 97 - Manchester City (3)

    During the break, George praised the appearance of the Southampton players. Against Manchester City, they did not lose focus and maintained their tactics with discipline. Even so, he also reminded Southampton to careful in the second half. Because it must be admitted, Southampton''s current advantage was really too easy to be destroyed.


    Southampton''s luck in the first half was quite good because Manchester City wasted many chances. In the second half, Mancini will definitely make adjustments. Because of that, at the beginning of the second half, Southampton must not lose focus. Furthermore, George set the first 10 minutes in the second half as crucial minutes.


    After a short break, the players returned to the field. George didn''t make a substitution, but Mancini did. The Italian coach entered Belloti and pulled out Dzeko. Belloti was a talented player from Italy, at the Euro Cup last month, Belloti became one of the players who contributed to bringing Italy to the final, despite losing to Spain.


    It''s just that Belloti had a childish and unruly attitude, this makes a lot of Belloti''s potential wasted. Belloti''s condition was unpredictable, when he was in good form, he could score a hat trick. But in bad form, Belloti could get a red card at any time. Entering Belloti was a gamble for Mancini.


    The second half whistle sounded. Manchester City started the second-half half kick-off. Under the gaze of tens thousands Southampton fans, the first round of the 2012/2013 season''s second half had officially started. Manchester City played aggressively at the start of the second half. They seemed in a hurry to equalize the score.


    As George said, Southampton calmly built up the defense. In facing the aggressiveness of Manchester City, Southampton defenders did their job well.


    In the stands, the Southampton fans continued cheering on their proud team even though Southampton was currently under constant attack by Manchester City.


    "Let''s counterattack! Resist the new rich clubs and strike back!"


    "Good job Captain! Just tackle the Spaniard."


    "Nice catch Smith! I''ll give you a discount at my shop if you play well today."


    Various people encouraged the Southampton players to continue good performance on Southampton''s defense. In the 49th minute, Southampton launched a counterattack. Hilton kicked the ball forward powerfully. Rustan immediately chased after him, he raced with Kolarov to reach the ball. Rustan ran early, so he had the advantage over Kolarov, but the Manchester City left-back held onto Rustan''s shirt so tightly that the Southampton man struggled to show his best pace.


    Rustan passed the ball to the middle, if he continued to carry the ball then Kolarov might steal the ball from him, so Rustan was forced to pass the ball. Ryan received the ball and dribbled it forward. Kompany used his body to push Ryan aside, but Ryan still managed to send a through ball towards Kazuki.


    The pass was too weak, so Lescott cut the pass. The Manchester City center-back then gave the ball to goalkeeper Joe Hart. Manchester City escaped Southampton''s counterattack. Nice try from Southampton. Despite failing to score a goal, a counterattack like this could make Manchester City more careful in attacking so that The Cityzen''s attack was not as aggressive as before.


    ***


    Belotti walked leisurely in the Southampton defense. At this moment, he was in a good mood. Mancini said he would trust Belotti more after he proved his quality at Euro 2012. To repay Mancini''s trust, Belotti wanted to score goals. Without hesitation, he approached David Silva and said, "Give me the ball, I will score."


    David Silva glanced at Belotti, this teammate is very difficult to predict, Silva does not know whether Belotti was currently reliable or not, but if Mancini includes him then it means the coach trusted him and Silva also decided to trust Bellotti at this time.


    He replied, "When the opportunity comes I will pass you the ball, make sure to score the goal."


    Bellotti nodded, thanked Silva, then ran back to his position. After Southampton''s counterattack failed, Manchester City returned to build attacks from behind. Southampton tried to apply pressure so that Manchester City was not too free in building attacks. However, the skills possessed by The Cityzen''s midfielders were so good that they were very easy to cope with the pressure that Southampton puts on them.


    In the 54th minute, Yaya Toure snatched the ball from Simone, then he gave the ball to Silva. Rudolf tried to steal the ball, but Silva quickly grabbed the ball with his right foot, then he twisted his body while defending the ball. His eyes glanced briefly at Bellotti''s position. At the right moment, Silva kicked the ball forward. The ball flew to Bellotti, who was ready to run.


    The Italian player received the ball with his chest and dribbled the ball into the penalty box. Okhalo tried to block Bellotti, but he twisted his body and passed Okhalo. Aguero suddenly dashed forward, provoking Hilton''s movement. Bellotti chose to continue his dribbling and used Aguero to lure Hilton forward. After that, he kicked the ball firmly into the far right of the goalpost. Dean Smith jumped trying to reach the ball but failed.


    Bellotti managed to score and equalize the score to 1-1. The Manchester City players surrounded Bellotti and congratulated him. They didn''t expect Bellotti to score so quickly. They realized that Bellotti was in a good performance.


    In the stands, one of the middle-aged men supporting Southampton shook his head as Manchester City scored. His 13-year-old son, looked at his father and asked, "Dad, will Southampton lose?"


    "If it was last season, I would believe Southampton will lose. But this season, Southampton was different. We have good players. We always have a chance to beat Manchester City," said the man. That thought was honest. Since Kazuki''s appearance, Southampton had fallen behind several times, but they have kept on coming back, even in some matches, they managed to turn things around to the extreme and won the match.


    This has made Southampton fans more accustomed to seeing other teams equalize or take the lead. Before the game ends, they always support Southampton knowing that this team will keep fighting until the whistle blows. The confidence of the Southampton fans grew even deeper.


    After the first goal earlier, Southampton restarted the kick-off. They continued the game quietly. Manchester City put slight pressure on Southampton. Southampton could still handle this pressure well.. Ryan, who played as a playmaker, began to try to find the right opportunities for Southampton to attack.

 Chapter 98 - Manchester City(4)

    The bright sun covered the light of the lamp. Kazuki''s performance made the media care less about the other Southampton players. One that rarely discussed was Ryan Jr. The Welsh player was not as good as Kazuki who scores a lot of goals. Nor was Bennett, whose talent had been recognized since childhood. However, Ryan was one of the players who have intelligence on his gameplay.


    In the 61st minute, Ryan gave the ball to the left. At that time, Kounde was heavily guarded by Zabaleta. Using his right foot, Kounde provided a through ball behind Zabaleta. Zabaleta''s position was slightly up, leaving a space behind him. Ryan, who was running in that direction immediately received the ball from Kounde. Kompany moved to the left to cover the space there. Meanwhile, Yaya Toure stepped into the middle to replace Kompany.


    Kounde penetrated the penalty box through the gap between Kompany and Yaya Toure. Ryan provided the pass forward for Kounde. Kompany responded to this after Kounde. Kounde''s position was not ideal for shooting, so he gave the ball back with a back heel.


    Ryan received the pass and dribbled the ball into the middle of the penalty box, then he launched a powerful shot into the left corner of the goalpost. Ryan''s position was covered by Kazuki''s body, so Joe Hart could not see Ryan''s figure kicking the ball. It made Joe Hart''s reaction quite slow and a goal was created.


    It only took a few minutes for Southampton to reply Manchester City''s goal. The goal immediately sparked a commotion at Saint Marry''s stadium. Southampton''s players celebrate the goal on the touchline.


    "Good goal Ryan."


    "I was surprised to see that Kounde and Ryan''s movements were so smooth. You seem to be able to guess each other''s thoughts."


    "Good job everyone!"


    This goal put Southampton back ahead. In this match, Southampton did not hesitate to target victory. Even if their opponent was Manchester City. The first win was a great opening season prize for Southampton fans.


    Of course, maintaining this advantage was not easy. Manchester City will do its best to turn things around. Therefore, Southampton must patiently try to withstand Manchester City''s attack while trying to find opportunities.


    In the 66th minute, Manchester City launched an attack. David Silva moved down the right side along with Zabaleta. The Manchester City right-back stepped up to help The Cityzen attack the Saints. Kounde did his best to snatch the ball, but Zabaleta was assisted by David Silva, so he got past Kounde easily. Ryan also tried to mark David Silva, but it was very difficult for Ryan to turn off Silva''s movement.


    Zabaleta dribbled the ball from the right. Then he passed the ball forward. Bellotti was heavily guarded by Benson, so he quickly returned the ball to Zabaleta. The right-back then kicked the ball firmly to the left. Kolarov ran at full speed and headed the ball forward. Milner received the ball from Kolarov and pushed the ball through the gap between Freddy''s legs. Then he chased the ball and penetrated the penalty box.


    Okhalo walked to the left to close off Milner''s space. Yaya Toure entered the penalty box and became an option for Milner''s passing. Manchester City''s left-winger sent a pass to Yaya Toure. Yaya Toure immediately kicked the ball. The ball curled towards the far post. There, Aguero dueled with Hilton to head the ball. Too bad Aguero wasn''t good with aerial headers, so Hilton easily threw the ball out of the box.


    Manchester City failed to take advantage of this opportunity. However, Manchester City continued to press Southampton. Entering the 70th minute, Manchester City really dominated the match. They controlled the midfield and kept trying to find chances to score.


    In the 72nd minute, Samir Nasri dribbled the ball forward. He faced Rudolf then he passed Rudolf with a little trick, Simone immediately did a body charge which made Nasri fall. The referee gives a free-kick to Manchester City. David Silva was the player who will execute the free-kick.


    Manchester City players gather in the Southampton penalty box. They try to take advantage of this set of balls to score goals. David Silva took a deep breath. The referee blew his whistle, Silva walked slowly and kicked the ball. The ball spun over the Southampton players'' heads and into the goalmouth. Kompany jumped there to meet the ball.


    Kompany and Okhalo headed the ball together. Okhalo managed to put more power, so the ball bounced in front of the penalty box. Ryan and Nasri struggled for the ball, luckily Ryan was one step ahead. Ryan immediately sent a long ball to the right side of the field.


    Rustan rushed forward. His eyes caught sight of the slowly approaching ball, he accelerated to get past Kolarov''s figure and received the ball. Rustan brought the ball diagonally to the center. Lescott launched a tackle and brought down Rustan''s figure. The tackle was so clean that the referee only gave Southampton a throw-in.


    Freddy was the one who took the throw-in. He threw back so that Hilton received the ball. The center-back gave the ball to Okhalo. Then, the ball passed to Southampton left-back, Benson. Bellotti tried to steal the ball from Benson, but he struggled, Benson kept the ball at his feet firmly. Then, Benson sent a pass to Rudolf.


    David Silva stepped forward and tried to snatch the ball from Rudolf. The Southampton midfielder used his hands to hold David Silva, and then he provided a through ball to Simone. Simone was running and passed the ball far forward. Kazuki ran over, he was trying to receive the pass. However, the ball was too forward, so Joe Hart caught the ball well.


    In the 79th minute, Manchester City got such a good opportunity. This was preceded by a counter-attack, Manchester City. Kolarov passed the ball to Yaya Toure. Yaya Toure dodged Ryan with a Marseille turn, then he immediately gave the ball to David Silva. David Silva pulled the ball to the right, soon, he accelerated through the gaps between the players, after that, he sent in a through ball as Aguero escaped the offside trap.


    Aguero''s position was superior to Okhalo''s, so he easily dribbled the ball forward. The only opponent left was Dean Smith. The Southampton goalkeeper stepped up to stop Aguero. The Argentinean poked the ball past Dean Smith.


    Okhalo ran quickly after the ball. Just before the ball bounced into the net, he made an overhead kick and kicked the ball out. The referee didn''t blow the whistle because the goal didn''t happen. The match was still going on.


    Southampton''s counter-attack came.

 Chapter 99 - West Ham

    Hilton kicked the ball forward. Simone received the ball and then passed it to Freddy, who had gone up to overlap. Freddy immediately dribbled the ball past the centerline of the field. Then he gave the ball to Ryan. At the same time, Rustan escaped the offside trap, Ryan immediately sent a through ball to Rustan.


    The Southampton right-winger sent a cross from the right side of the penalty box. Kazuki adjusted his position, then jumped up and did a volley. His body immediately fell onto the grass after kicking the ball. Fortunately, the ball went into Joe Hart''s net, so Southampton managed to score for the third time.


    The Southampton players gathered around Kazuki and hugged him. Winning 2 goals made Southampton''s victory in this match more stable. After this goal George immediately replaced Kazuki and several other players also came in, he put in a defender and started playing negatively. Manchester City kept trying to score goals. In the 89th minute, Aguero managed to score, but his goal was the last goal of the match.


    Southampton won the match with a score of 3-2. In this first round, they managed to get the fans off to a great start. In this match, Kazuki became the man of the match with two goals.


    ***


    The next day, George took the day off from practice and told the players to rest well. Southampton''s next match will be against West Ham United. However, there was still a week before the match took place.


    During this week, apart from practicing, Kazuki also often played PS4 with Ryan. They were both good gamers. The thing that caught Kazuki''s attention, when it came to games, was the rating given in FIFA 2012. Kazuki checked Southampton and looked at the stats. Kazuki was quite satisfied with the stats that FIFA provided, it was just that he was not satisfied to see that his header stats was quite low.


    Kazuki intentionally posted his complaint on a social media account. Of course, he was only half-joking. However, Kazuki did not expect several other players to respond to his post with such enthusiasm.


    Gareth Neill protested that his speed was lower than Mattheo''s in FIFA 2012. Oliver Gerrard protested that his shooting accuracy was too low. Sergio Ramos also protested that his physical stats was weaker than Van Dyke''s. This wave of protests was followed by many other football players. So EA immediately apologized and promised to fix the statistical error.


    Kazuki didn''t expect his prankster action to have such a wide impact.


    ***


    Kazuki drove his car towards Southampton training ground. Near the entrance, some fans signaled to Kazuki so that Kazuki stopped the car, he opened the car window. The group of people asked for an autograph and a photo with him. Kazuki was fine, he agreed to the request.


    When he was done, he returned to drive his car inside. After finishing parked the car. Kazuki walked into the changing room. After changing clothes, he entered the training ground. The place was still empty because the practice would start in an hour. Even so, Kazuki developed a habit of arriving earlier than scheduled.


    He used that hour to run and do some light exercises. Kazuki''s abilities were already quite good, the most important thing for him was to maintain his best state for as long as possible. Every football player would definitely run into bad circumstances once in a while, Kazuki should be able to get over those circumstances as quickly as possible.


    After a long time of training, finally one by one Southampton players came to the training ground. They immediately greeted Kazuki who was practicing. Kazuki''s habit was already known to the other Southampton players, so they weren''t surprised to see Kazuki arrive earlier than the other players.


    Moments later, George and the rest of the coaching staff arrived. Southampton started their daily training. Starting with physical training and warm-up, Southampton players underwent serious training after the training was completed, now entering the main training menu.


    The main training today was the positioning and coordination of players.


    In modern football, defense and attack was a unified whole. The striker was the most forward defender and the defender was the most back striker. In making a team into a single unit, a tactical system and good player coordination were needed.


    When a team was attacking, how many people need to stay in the back to keep the counter-attack? When a team defends, what is the task of each player? Who should be looked after? Which spaces should be closed? Without an understanding of the overall situation, it is very difficult for a team to become a unified entire.


    George tried to make Southampton into a unified entire. That''s why George''s demands on Southampton players were always high. Especially the young players who were now Southampton''s mainstay. In this case, George tries to make Rustan and Ryan better trained in defense. Forward players must be able to defend well. That''s George''s principle.


    When the players in a team were able to understand their task well and were able to carry it out. Then the team will undoubtedly be a strong team. With Southampton''s quality, it is very difficult to achieve that, but at least they were trying to do their best.


    Apart from the things above, George was also increasingly aware that Kazuki was not limited by one position only. Therefore, he tried to find the best way to utilize Kazuki''s abilities without sacrificing the best ability he had, scoring.


    Southampton training was continued every day. Unknowingly, the second round of the English Premier League was getting closer. In this round, Manchester United will play Chelsea. A big match at the start of the season. In the first round, Manchester United managed to beat Leeds narrowly while Chelsea feasted on goals at home against Swansea.


    The second round of the 2012/2013 English Premier League season between West Ham United and Southampton will begin.


    "Welcome everyone, Jim Kaglin here, I will accompany you to watch the match between West Ham United and Southampton.


    In the first round, Southampton surprisingly managed to beat Manchester City with a score of 3-2 while West Ham also won when they traveled to Wolverhampton Wanderers. A little note, this will be Kazuki''s first time facing West Ham in the senior event. The previous season, Kazuki missed the match against West Ham because he had not played in the first team yet.


    Of course, this got everyone excited, will Kazuki be able to score against West Ham? Or will West Ham beat Southampton and marked Kazuki well in this match?


    Let''s look at the line-up of the two teams. Southampton again fielded the 4-2-3-1 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Freddy, Okhalo, Hilton, Benson;


    Defensive midfielders: Simone, Rudolf;


    Attacking midfielders: Rustan, Joe Bennet, Ryan;


    Front: Kazuki.


    Meanwhile, West Ham United fielded a 4-4-2 formation.


    Goalkeepers: J. J??skel?inen;


    Defenders: G Demel, J Collins, W Reid, J O''Brien;


    Midfielders: Taylor, M Diam¨¦, K Nolan, M Noble;


    Front: M. Jarvis, C. Cole


    Let''s see how the first half match between the two teams goes."

 Chapter 100 - West Ham (2)

    Southampton had confidence in winning this match. Victory against Manchester City made The Saints have higher expectations this season.


    West Ham United kick-off in the first half. At the start of the game, Southampton immediately put pressure on West Ham. Southampton''s players moved regularly, targeting the Hammers players who had the ball. Southampton lured West Ham to provide a pass into the middle. The reason was Southampton players fill the midfield with more players, while West Ham put their players on the side.


    In the 3rd minute, Simone managed to steal the ball from Nolan''s feet, he then gave a pass to Benson. West Ham midfielder Diame tried to stop Benson, but the Southampton left-back was very good with the ball. He tricked Diame and barged past him. Benson moved the ball, he sent a long pass to the right flank.


    Rustan collided with O''Brien''s in terms of speed. Slowly, Rustan began to outperform O''Brien, but the West Ham right-back grabbed Rustan''s shirt so tightly that the Southampton player fell and failed to get the ball.


    Southampton had played aggressively from the start of the game. Even so, West Ham was still able to withstand Southampton''s attack. On the right, Rustan''s pace became a weapon for Southampton early in the first half, luckily O''Brien always had a way to thwart Rustan.


    Joe Bennet''s first debut went smoothly in the first 7 minutes of the match. He didn''t make any rookie mistakes. He steadily distributed the ball from the backline to the front. Although Southampton had been attacking fiercely, golden opportunities had not appeared. Shot on target had not been obtained, Southampton was still struggling to penetrate the West Ham defense.


    In the 9th minute, West Ham managed to get the ball. O''Brien made a clean tackle to bring down Rustan, after which he quickly crossed for Noble. Rudolf moved to the left and blocked the way for Noble. Noble passed the ball to Nolan, who moved past Rudolf. Too bad, Noble''s through ball was so strong that Hilton managed to snatch the ball.


    The Southampton center-back provided a long pass forward. The ball flew high into the West Ham defense area. Bennet adjusted, he clashed physically with Diame for the ball, Diame managed to win the duel with ease. But Diame''s header was cut by Simone. The Southampton midfielder provided the pass to Bennet. Bennet protected the ball from Diame''s pursuit and then passed the ball to the left.


    Ryan received the ball. He tried to break through the penalty box from the left, but Demel managed to hold Ryan''s movement well. He blocked the ball, making the ball go off the field. The corner kick for Southampton.


    Ryan became the one who executed the corner kick. On the other, Southampton players gathered in the West Ham penalty box. The referee blew the whistle, then Ryan immediately kicked the ball. The ball did not go near the goalpost but at Rudolf who was at the forefront of the penalty box. Rudolf took the pass with his foot, then he adjusted and shot from outside the box.


    J??skel?inen, the West Ham goalkeeper, jumped and managed to catch the ball well. West Ham fans clapped their hands in appreciation of J??skel?inen''s safe.


    "Very good chance from Southampton. The corner taken by Ryan leads to Rudolf''s figure, which escapes from the guarded. Rudolf''s powerful shot was caught well by the West Ham goalkeeper. Southampton failed to change the score."


    The match continued, West Ham was trying to build attacks slowly. However, Southampton continued to put pressure on West Ham. Rudolf was very active on the right to help Freddy defend. When the ball was on the right, Southampton will lean the formation to the right and surround the West Ham players. When that happened, the left side of the field became somewhat empty.


    In the 16th minute, West Ham tried to take advantage of the width of the field. Reid passed to Diame. Bennet tried to annoy Diame but Diame easily eliminated Bennet''s pressure. He then gave the ball to Nolan. West Ham left-back O''Brien stepped forward to overlap, Nolan sent the ball.


    Rudolf dashed to the left and intercepted O''Brien''s figure. O''Brien had a physical confrontation with Rudolf. He could still keep the ball. After that, he gave the pass to Nolan. Rustan was running and tried to steal the ball, but Nolan held the ball well. He then returned the ball to Diame. The West Ham midfielder adjusted his position while dribbling the ball. After that, he sent a long pass to the right.


    Southampton''s right side was empty, Taylor easily picked up the ball and dribbled it forward. Southampton left-back Benson came into the middle, so he was too late to close the area. Okhalo ran beside Taylor, preparing to intercept him, while Hilton and Simone watched Jarvis and Cole''s movements.


    In one-on-one situations, the West Ham players clearly have the advantage. Taylor gave a flat pass into the middle of the penalty box. Jarvis beat Hilton in a chase duel, Jarvis then turned and crossed for Cole. Cole managed to get the ball but when he kicked, Simone was slid and blocked Cole''s shot.


    "Wonderful counter-attack from West Ham United. The hammers used wide to break through the Southampton defense. Taylor gave a low pass through the middle. Jarvis gave Cole the ball. Oh! What a beautiful block. Captain Simone showed excellent defense. He saved Southampton''s goal from conceding. The score is still 0-0."


    The corner will be taken by Diame. The West Ham defensive midfielder has a good right foot. As soon as the referee gave the signal, Diame kicked the ball hard. The ball went to the far post, players from both teams jumped for the ball, but Cole was the one who managed to head the ball. Cole successfully headed the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal. Dean Smith failed to parry the ball, so the ball went into the net.


    "Goaaaall! West Ham scored the first goal through¡ª Owh the referee declared the goal invalid, what happened? Let''s see the replay."


    In the replay, it could be seen before Cole scored, his hand swung first and his elbow hit Simone''s forehead. Obviously, the offense was created before the goal occurred. The West Ham players were arguing about the referee''s decision, but the referee was firm on his decision.


    Southampton escaped from the goal, the referee awarded Southampton a free-kick from the place where the foul occurred. West Ham could only accept the referee''s decision, so the score is still 0-0.


    Until the 18th minute, the score was still 0-0, but several chances occurred. The match started to heat up. At home, West Ham did not want to lose against Southampton.. Both teams started to play more openly.

 Chapter 101 - West Ham(3)

    In the 24th minute, West Ham received a tough ordeal. Southampton started the attack with a through ball from Bennet to the left. On the left side, Ryan broke through Demel and entered the penalty box. At the same time, Kazuki immediately shot out of Collin''s guard. Ryan passed the ball towards Kazuki. The Japanese player greeted the ball with a header that deflected the ball.


    Too bad, Reid blocked the ball with his body, he immediately threw the ball forward. Rudolf jumped high and defeated Nolan in an aerial duel. He managed to head the ball forward. The ball bounced in front of Bennett. The player adjusted his position and gave a hard shot towards the goal. J??skel?inen was pushing his body flew, his right hand grabbed the ball and pushed the ball away from the goalpost.


    Again, West Ham''s luck was terrible, the ball fell at Simone''s feet, so Simone easily pushed the ball into the West Ham goalpost. J??skel?inen tried to save the goal, but it was too late. The ball went smoothly into the West Ham net. The referee blew the whistle to confirm the goal. Southampton''s players immediately celebrated the goal in front of the Southampton fans'' stands.


    "Bennet gave a through ball to Ryan. Good move from Ryan, he managed to break through to the penalty box. Just pass it to Kazuki. Oh, too bad, Kazuki''s header was blocked by Reid. Nolan was about to receive the ball, great! Rudolf managed to head the ball into the net. Bennet hits the ball, excellent save from J??skel?inen. Goaaaall! Simone''s rebounding effortlessly in! Southampton finally took the lead in the 25th minute."


    West Ham restarted kick-off. The intensity of the game soared after Southampton''s goal. West Ham started using fouls to stop Southampton''s attack. In the 27th minute, West Ham midfielder Nolan was shown a yellow card by the referee after a tackle on Rudolf.


    Dirty fouls committed by West Ham disrupted the flow of Southampton''s attack. Southampton began to struggle in building attacks as West Ham continued to commit fouls to disrupt the flow of the ball. In the 33rd minute, West Ham got a chance to counterattack. Crossing pass from Freddy successfully headed by Collins out of the penalty box. Diame received the ball and gave it to Demel.


    The West Ham right-back ran fast. He dribbled the ball across the halfway line, but Rustan soon caught up from behind and held Demel''s shirt tightly. Demel passed the ball to Taylor. But before Taylor received the ball, Benson ran towards him and pushed Taylor''s body with his body. The referee immediately blew the whistle, gave a warning to Benson, then awarded a free-kick for West Ham United.


    Diame stood in front of the ball. Free kick distance this time was quite ideal. The wall was built by the Southampton players. With the support of the fans, Diame kicked the ball. The ball curled over the player''s wall and towards the goalpost. Fortunately, Okhalo managed to clear the ball with a header.


    Freddy rushed to the ball and carried it forward. However, he was soon stopped by a tackle from Noble. The ball rushed off the pitch and Southampton failed to counterattack.


    The high intensity of the match made the Southampton players start to feel pressured by the attacks launched by West Ham United. West Ham attacks always relied on the crossing ball from the opponent. Although simple, this strategy often made Southampton almost concede.


    Fortunately, in this match, Okhalo and Hilton were in good form. They managed to win the aerial duel against Cole and Jarvis. Southampton''s strong defense shone under West Ham''s attack. In the 37th minute, Jarvis got away from Hilton''s guard, at the same time Nolan rushed the ball forward. Jarvis caught the ball and hit it hard, but Okhalo appeared and blocked Jarvis'' shot.


    In the 41st minute, Cole fell in the middle of the penalty box. In replays, it appears that Cole intentionally threw himself in front of Hilton, but the referee misjudged, he pointed to the penalty spot while giving Hilton a yellow card. Southampton protested but to no avail, the referee was very firm in his stance.


    Cole took the penalty. As soon as the referee whistled, he kicked the ball confidently. However, Dean Smith put in an excellent performance, he managed to guess the direction of the penalty and blocked it with both hands. Cole who saw it was surprised, he did not expect his penalty kick missed.


    "Cole is going to take the penalty. He''s getting ready to kick. The whistle blows, he hits the ball to the right, Great! Super save from Southampton keeper Dean Smith. Too bad such a good chance didn''t turn into a goal. Southampton is still 1-0 up over West Ham."


    After the penalty failure, the West Ham players seemed to experience a psychological decline. They became less aggressive than before. This made Southampton again dominate in the final minutes of the first half.


    In the 45th minute, Noble went up to try to press Freddy while Nolan tried to keep Simone. Freddy pulled the ball back as Noble advanced, then he pushed the ball diagonally into the middle. After that, he passed Noble and chased the ball. Nolan rushed for the ball, but Freddy gets the ball first, he made a pass to Simone.


    Simone who escaped Nolan''s guard immediately pulled the ball and brought the ball forward. At the right moment, he gave Bennet a pass. The silence bothered Bennet again. Throughout the first half, Bennet always lost the duel against Diame. However, this time Diame failed, Bennet managed to trick him with a simple trick. Bennet then dribbled past Diame.


    Collins went up to intercept Bennett. At the same time, Kazuki immediately moved and broke free from Reid''s guard. Bennet gave the ball through to Kazuki. The ball was slightly tilted to the right, so Kazuki could catch up with the ball more easily than Reid. However, as a result, Kazuki''s shooting space became narrow, Kazuki provided a pass to the left side, Ryan entered the penalty box and gave Bennet a pass.


    Bennett entered the penalty box, then used his left foot to kick the ball. The ball curved towards the top left corner of the goalpost. The West Ham United goalkeeper reacted quickly enough, he jumped after Bennet had kicked the ball. The ball hits the outside post and bounced off the field.


    "Bennet faced Diame, brilliant! He passes Diame, to give Kazuki a through ball. The Japanese player crosses to the left side of West Ham United''s penalty box. Ryan gets into the box. He gives Bennet a pass.. Shot! Ah! what''s up with Bennet? Your accuracy needs to be improved, there is space to shoot, but Bennet''s shot misses the goal."

 Chapter 102 - West Ham(4)

    The first half ended with a score of 1-0. In the end, West Ham failed to score even though they had several chances. Southampton also failed to score a second goal. Finishing looked like to be a problem for Southampton. In the first half, Kazuki didn''t get many chances. Even so, Kazuki''s movement was able to create a gap for other Southampton players to get opportunities.


    Overall, George was satisfied with Southampton''s performance in the first half. Although there were many shortcomings, but for a team like Southampton it was normal. In the second half, West Ham will definitely launch an attack. It was important for Southampton to form a stable defense, so Southampton could withstand the onslaught from West Ham.


    The second half of the match began, neither Southampton nor West Ham made any substitutions. Southampton then started the second half with a kick-off. At the start of the second half, Southampton tried to slow down the tempo with slow passes. West Ham tried to put pressure on Southampton. However, Simone and Rudolf dropped to the back and became connection points for the Southampton defense.


    Under the influence of Southampton, West Ham slowly lowered the intensity of their pressing. Southampton became more comfortable in possession of the ball. Just as West Ham fell into the slow tempo built by Southampton, the team whose nicknamed The Saints launched an attack.


    In the 48th minute, Joe Bennet found a space between the left-back and center-back. Rudolf immediately provided a through ball to Bennet. The player penetrated the penalty box quickly.


    Reid tried to intercept Bennet, but the player stopped his speed suddenly, so Reid passed Bennet due to repulsion. Then, Bennett sent the pass. The ball was spinning and went to the far post. Kazuki appeared and headed the ball purposefully. J??skel?inen tried to hold the ball, but the direction of the ball was too awkward for him to hold it. Finally, the ball was slid freely into the net.


    "Goaaaalll! Bennet put on world-class gameplay! He''s created such a beautiful pass to Kazuki. This number 9 player wasn''t disappointing Bennet, Kazuki executed Bennet''s pass so well. Bennet had in the same team as Kazuki on the junior stage. This time, on the senior stage, they are to meet again. Hopefully, we can see more Kazuki and Bennet teamwork at Southampton."


    Kazuki hugged Bennett. He expressed his gratitude by saying, "I never expected you to give me such a pass. What a great assist."


    "Thank you, luckily you finished my pass well. Otherwise, my efforts were in vain."


    The rest of Southampton''s players also approached and joined in celebrating the goal. On the sideline, George shamelessly celebrated the goal in front of the West Ham coach. Meanwhile, the West Ham coach looked annoyed with Southampton''s goal. The goal disrupted the strategy that he applied in the second half.


    The match resumed after Southampton finished their celebration. West Ham kick-off and the game started again. This time, they played aggressively. West Ham attacked Southampton fiercely. In the 51st minute, Rudolf, who just got the ball was immediately dropped by Nolan. Jarvis went backward and received the ball from Nolan.


    Okhalo tried to take the ball from Jarvis, but the player passed the ball to Taylor. Benson was dueling Taylor, both of them were running as hard as they could to catch the ball. Taylor managed to get the ball first. Then, he gave the ball back.


    Demel received the ball and then dribbled it into the penalty box. He then provided a cross. Cole jumped up and was physically engaged in the air against Hilton. This time he won, Cole headed the ball to his side. Jarvis came in through the gaps and hit the ball hard. Too bad, the ball was bounced over the goalpost.


    "Nolan intercepts, he passes the ball to Jarvis. Okhalo goes up and presses. Jarvis provides a through ball. Taylor and Benson are dueling, Taylor gives a back-pass to Demel. West Ham right-back goes into the box and crosses to Cole, he heads the ball, shot! Jarvis missed such a good chance. West Ham still failed to open the score."


    Jarvis'' failure on the pitch made the West Ham coach look emotional on the sidelines. He showed an angry gesture. The camera panned as he uttered some dirty words. The West Ham coach''s anger was understandable, however, the team had chances after chance, but West Ham''s finish was underwhelming. West Ham would have scored two or more goals if they had taken the chances which they got successfully.


    In the 58th minute, Maiga came on for Jarvis. West Ham coach still had not given up on the pursuit of victory. The substitution was indeed a good option this time. Didn''t want to lose to West Ham, George also made substitutions, he entered Wright-Phillips to replace Ryan. Wright-Phillips'' defense was better than Ryan''s, so the inclusion of Wright-Phillips could help Southampton defend.


    Substitution made quite a big impact on the match. In the 65th minute, Simone accidentally dropped Maiga in front of the penalty box. This made West Ham get a free-kick at such an ideal distance. Muhammad Diame again became the free-kick taker. Shortly after the referee blew the whistle, Diame kicked the ball lightly past the Southampton players and fell into the goalmouth.


    Chaos occurred in the Southampton penalty box. In the chaos. Maiga took the opportunity, he managed to get the ball, then, he kicked the ball into the goalpost. Dean Smith failed to anticipate the attack, so the ball rolled into the net, Southampton conceded for the first time in this match.


    "Goaaaall! Maiga! A brilliant decision when the West Ham coach put this player on the pitch. In less than 10 minutes, he has scored for West Ham! Game On! West Ham still has a chance to overturn Southampton."


    Noise like lightning filled the stadium. The West Ham players as well as the coach and staff were celebrating the goal with enthusiasm. After several times wasting opportunities, West Ham finally scored too. This clearly raised West Ham''s spirit.


    In the 73rd minute, Maiga, Noble, and Nolan formed a triangle position and helped each other to break into the left side of the Southampton defense. Noble managed to send a through ball to Nolan who had run into the middle of the field. Southampton''s defensive midfielder Rudolf went over to Nolan and tried to steal the ball from Nolan''s feet, but Cole popped in the front. Nolan immediately gave Cole a pass.


    Hilton went up and held Cole from turning around. Cole didn''t push himself, instead, he gave Diame, who was beside him, a pass. Diame twisted his body and used his physique to force his way into the Southampton penalty box. After that, he sent a curled shot into the top right corner of the goalpost. Southampton goalkeeper Dean Smith immediately ran and jumped.. His finger managed to touch the ball and bounced the ball off the field.

 Chapter 103 - Sunderland

    West Ham was trying and finding the flaw in Southampton''s defense, but Southampton''s neat and disciplined defense managed to withstand attacks from West Ham''s players. Until the last minute of the game, both teams did not score again. Southampton won the match with a score of 2-1. Southampton''s goals were created by Simone in the 25th minute and Kazuki in the 49th minute. On the other hand, West Ham United managed to reply a goal through Maiga''s kick in the 66th minute.


    This victory was Southampton''s second successive victory. The Saints was in 4th place with 6 points, losing on goal difference to other clubs. Southampton was able to give a good start, so the fans were happy with this club.


    On the other hand, after the match was over, Kazuki was brought by George to the press conference room. Kazuki became one of the players who performed well at the start of the season. The journalists excitedly interviewed Kazuki. They asked the reason Kazuki stayed at Southampton instead of accepting offers from other clubs.


    Kazuki replied, "For now, Southampton is the best club for me. I am very happy to have a coach who gives me so much confidence. I am also very happy with my teammates here."


    Kazuki''s commitment to stay at Southampton for at least this season earned the support of the Saints fans. They knew that Kazuki would leave one day. However, they were still happy to see Kazuki choose to play for Southampton this season.


    The press conference went smoothly, there were no controversial questions asked by journalists. One question that was, quite boldly, was about Southampton''s targets this season. Analysts admit that Southampton was arguably on par with mid-sized clubs like Everton, Leeds, and Leicester. The best prediction from the media for Southampton this season was 5th place.


    As long as Southampton could maintain squad stability, it was not impossible for them to at least reach the top 5 positions. However, many factors could affect a team. The deepness of the bench was a serious problem for Southampton. With Kazuki, Southampton had a chance to beat every team, but the thing to note was when Southampton did not field Kazuki, they were like two different teams.


    This season, Kazuki was also likely to play in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. This made George have to do a good rotation, so Southampton''s players do not suffer injuries.


    On the other hand, in early September, the 2012 Golden Boy elections took place. Several players were Kazuki''s rivals in the 2012 Golden Boy election.


    First, Pogba, brought Montpellier to win the French league. Second, Isco had helped Real Madrid win the La Liga. Lastly was Alexander Pato from AC Milan. In terms of achievements, it was very difficult for Kazuki to beat them. However, in the statistics, it was clear Kazuki was crushing his rivals.


    The British media supported Kazuki. After all, Kazuki was the winner of England''s Young Player of the Year 2011/2012.


    Although Pogba now played at Manchester United, the achievement that Pogba made, was when he played at Montpellier, because of that the British media were more supporting Kazuki, on the other hand, Manchester United had to support Pogba, even though some people also wanted to support Kazuki. Pogba was a Manchester United player while Kazuki was just a former academy player. It was clear who had to be supported.


    In addition, Kazuki also won Player of the month in August. The 3 goals that Kazuki made, had a big impact on Southampton''s victory, so the Premier League chose Kazuki over Ahmed who scored 3 goals too.


    In the third round, Southampton will face Sunderland. Just like West Ham. This was also Kazuki''s first time playing against Sunderland on the senior stage. In the previous season, Kazuki had no chance against this team.


    Sunderland''s first two rounds went badly. They had lost 1-0 to Sheffield, then lost 3-0 to Arsenal. This made Sunderland fall in the relegation zone. Of course, to avoid 3 consecutive negative results, then Sunderland needs to win the game against Southampton.


    On the other hand, Southampton who was playing at home wants to continue their positive trend. Beating Sunderland could extend Southampton''s win. In this match, Southampton captain Simone will not play. He got injured in training. Wright-Phillips will be the man to replace Simone. Meanwhile, the captain''s armband will be handed over to Okhalo.


    Southampton''s fans were very enthusiastic to watch this match. One of them was Jerry Miguelson. He was the owner of a shop which was near Saint Mary''s stadium, Jerry had always been a loyal Southampton fan. Together with his friend, Bob. He intended to watch Southampton''s game against Sunderland.


    "Bob, did you buy the tickets?" asked Jerry.


    Bob reached into his pocket and showed Jerry two tickets. "Of course I did. I spent hours waiting in line. The rest of the guys got their tickets too. Let''s go in."


    Jerry nodded, he then said, "I''ll give you a discount later."


    They were both jostled with the other Southampton fans. The crowd slowly filled the stadium, even though the match was still a long way off. Bob and Jerry chose seats according to the tickets they bought.


    While Southampton fans filled the stadium, Southampton players were warming up while waiting for the game to take place. In this match, George rotated. He didn''t play Rustan on the right but instead replaced him with Crage. He also replaced Freddy and included Vicente.


    This change made Southampton''s right side more defensive than aggressive. Without Rustan, there was no longer any winger who could break through the opponent''s defense with speed. This will obviously make Southampton in trouble. Even so, Rotation was needed.


    "Good afternoon everyone, I hope you are all well. This afternoon I will accompany you to the third round of the English Premier League 2012/2013 season. Southampton will host their guests, Sunderland. Both teams require a win this afternoon.


    Let''s look at the formation of the two teams.


    Southampton started with a 4-4-2 formation. After using a 4-2-3-1 formation in the previous two matches, Southampton finally returned to using a 4-4-2 formation. A formation that became the hallmark of George Eastgate.


    Goalkeepers: Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Vicente, Hilton, Okhalo, Ben Carter;


    Midfielders: Crage, Wright Phillips, Rudolf, Kounde;


    Front: Kazuki, Ryan.


    Meanwhile, Sunderland went down with a 2-3-4-1 formation. In this formation, there are 2 centers back at the end of the Sunderland defense and three defensive midfielders where two of them are wing-backs who are parallel to the defensive midfielders. Then there are 2 attacking midfielders and 2 wingers.


    Goalkeepers: Mignolet;


    Defenders: John O''Shea, Carlos Cuellar


    Defensive midfielders: Cattermole, Larrson, Craig Gardner;


    Attacking midfielders: Kieran Richardson, Collback, James McClean, Stephane Sessegnon;


    Front: Fraizer Campbell."

 Chapter 104 - Sunderland (2)

    " Sunderland''s formation looks unique at first glance, it seems like this team is stacking players in midfield, but when they are defending, Sunderland''s formation changes to 5-4-1. 3 defensive midfielders will step back in line with defenders. Of course, in attacking mode, the defensive midfielder will move forward to form 7 people in midfield. This will be an advantage for Sunderland.


    For more details, let''s watch the first half between Southampton and Sunderland in the third round of the English Premier League."


    At the start of the first half, Southampton started the kick-off. Kazuki gave the ball to Ryan, then the ball was returned to Kazuki, after that, the Japanese player kicked the ball back. Then Southampton stretched the formation. The match officially started.


    Sunderland was not aggressive at the start of the game. They maintained a 2-3-4-1 form, so the build-up of players in midfield made it difficult for Southampton to carry out an attacking build-up. Southampton''s two defense midfielders, Rudolf and Wright-Phillips, were closely guarded by Sunderland''s attacking midfielders Collback and McClean. Meanwhile, the Sunderland striker pressed the Southampton midfielder and the Sunderland''s wingers kept the two Southampton fullbacks tight.


    This forced Southampton to use a long pass forward. Even so, Larrson''s position in the gap between Southampton''s lines could get the ball. Sunderland tried to attack Southampton in the 3rd minute. Larrson who had just received the ball immediately gave the ball to Cattermole. Sunderland''s right wing back brought the ball forward. Crage tried to restrain him, but Cattermole''s speed was more than enough to get rid of Crage.


    He then provided a long pass forward. Collback received the ball from Cattermole, behind him, Rudolf was guarding Collback tight. Fortunately, Larrson stepped forward, so Collback could provide him with a short pass. Then, Collback turned and ran into the Southampton''s defense. At that time, Larrson also gave him a through ball.


    Collback, who was about to receive a pass from Larrson, prepared to break through the penalty box, but Okhalo could steal the ball from Larrson''s feet quite easily. Sunderland failed to penetrate the Southampton penalty box, but their spirit began to grow. The advantage they used in midfield made it difficult for Southampton to build the attacks.


    On the touchline, George also noticed this problem. Wright-Phillips'' job in this match was crucial, he needed to help the back line in building the attacks, he also needed to avoid pressure and stole the ball from Sunderland. In addition, he needed to tighten his guard against Sunderland''s attacking midfielder. In a situation like this, Wright-Phillips was clearly lacking compared to Simone.


    In addition, the long pass released by Wright-Phillips was less accurate. This made Sunderland easily intercept the pass sent by Wright-Phillips. George decided, if Wright-Phillips did not improve the quality of his gameplay in this first half, then he would replace Wright-Phillips at the beginning of the second half.


    In the 8th minute, Sunderland got a chance. In midfield, Ryan, who just got a long pass from Rudolf, was immediately interrupted by Larrson. Ryan''s ball came loose, so Collback could pick it up and give it to John O''Shea. O''Shea then sent a pass to the left wing back Craig Gardner.


    Craig dribbled forward, he made a one-two with Sessegnon to break through Southampton''s left. After that, he sent a cross from the left side. The ball flew and then turned into the middle of the penalty box. Fraizer Campbell managed to head the ball, unfortunately his header was missed the goalpost.


    Sunderland still failed to break into Dean Smith''s goal. Even so, they still controlled the match in the first 10 minutes of this first half. As time went on, the depressed Wright-Phillips played even worse. He began to miss the ball often and failed to keep the ball at his feet. This made the build up of Southampton''s attack faced an obstacle.


    The failure that faced by Southampton made Sunderland continue to freely control the game. The proof was in the 15th minute, once again they got a good chance. This time it was Collback who saw Wright-Phillips fail to receive a good pass. He immediately stuck his foot out and pulled the ball back. Collback turned and passed the ball to the right fullback, Cattermole.


    Sunderland''s right fullback carried the ball over the halfway line. Meanwhile, Crage performed a body charge to stop the Cattermole movement. Cattermole managed to keep the ball well, then he crossed to the left side of the field. Sessegnon received the ball with his chest and then dribbled forward. He teamed up with McClean to enter the penalty box.


    McClean received the ball from Sessegnon but at that time Rudolf immediately interfered with McClean, so he had difficulty defending the ball, as a result Rudolf managed to steal the ball. Rudolf put the ball forward, Ryan stepped back to meet the ball, but Larrson was cut through the pass.


    After that, he immediately passed the ball to McClean. McClean immediately sent a breakthrough pass into the penalty box. Collback broke away from Wright-Phillips'' guard, then he penetrated the penalty box. Then, he accepted the pass and made a speculative shoot. McClean''s shot failed, the accuracy was still not good.


    The match was dominated by Sunderland. Until the 20th minute, The Saints still couldn''t get out of the pressure. They had not recorded a shot on target at all. No matter how great Kazuki was, if his team couldn''t pass the ball to him, then he couldn''t score. The support from the fans were continuing, but Southampton was still struggling to get out of the pressure.


    For the umpteenth time, Southampton''s pass was intercepted in midfield. Larrson''s presence became a powerful attack breaker in this match. In the 24th minute, Larrson was running fast, then he was skating, the ball bouncing off his body. Larrson stood up, he managed to give a cut back, the ball was passed and went to Ryan, this time he dribbled the ball forward.


    The figure of Wright-Phillips, who look frustrated, brought Larrson down with a tackle that was quite dangerous. Larrson tumbled to avoid a tackle from Wright-Phillips. The referee without hesitation immediately gave a yellow card to Wright-Phillips.


    In the 28th minute, Sunderland launched an attack. This time, it was Gardner who managed to steal Vicente''s pass to Crage. After doing so, Gardner immediately gave the ball Larrson. Sunderland''s central midfielder carried the ball forward. This time he avoided the figure of Wright-Phillips and provided a pass for Collback.


    Collback and McClean showed good cooperation to break into the Southampton penalty box. After that, Collback gave a flat pass horizontally to the center of the penalty box. The figure of Campbell kicked the ball with great power. The ball hits the outside of the goalpost and bounces off the field.. This made Sunderland''s attack failed for the umpteenth time.

 Chapter 105 - Sunderland (3)

    The match was still on. Far away on the front lines, Kazuki who was tired of waiting ahead, decided to swap tasks with Ryan. He asked Ryan to be a pure striker, while Kazuki would be a shadow striker and help Southampton''s midfield in building attacks.


    In the 33rd minute, Dean Smith threw the ball to Okhalo. Then, the Southampton center-back gave the ball to Wright-Phillips. Collback advanced to press Wright-Phillips. At the same time, Kazuki showed his face and signaled Wright-Phillips to pass the ball to him. Wright-Phillips immediately gave Kazuki a flat pass.


    James McClean approached Kazuki, but the Japanese player calmly pushed the ball through the gap between McClean''s legs and then chased the ball. McClean reacted fast enough, he immediately turned around, grabbed Kazuki''s shirt and chased after him. The moment he was close to the ball, Kazuki pulled the ball with his feet, then he turned his back on McClean and pushed McClean down with his butt. A second later, Kazuki sprinted towards the Sunderland defense.


    Larrson immediately approached Kazuki to stop him, but the Elastico skill that Kazuki showed made Larrson fail to focus, so Kazuki could break past him easily. Kazuki gave Crage a pass, then he immediately dashed into the penalty box. Crage gave him a pass at the right time to get Kazuki out of the offside trap. Kazuki unhesitatingly kicked the ball vigorously.


    Mignolet looked good, in reaching the ball quite quickly. But the ball bounced in front of the goalpost. Just as Ryan was about to poke the ball, Cuellar slid to kick the ball off the field. Although Kazuki failed to score, he managed to make Southampton hit the first shot on target in this match.


    His action also raised the spirits of the Southampton players. After being pressed for a long time by Sunderland, it was Southampton''s turn now. What was unexpected was that Sunderland quickly adjusted to Southampton''s changes. They would without a doubt commit fouls whenever Kazuki carried the ball. It made Southampton''s attack faltered.


    Seeing the figure of Kazuki who became the target of the Sunderland midfielders made George feel worried. Even though he wanted to win, but Kazuki''s injury would be a very expensive price for Southampton. However, he decided to hold on, at least until the first-half ended. The reason why Kazuki dropped into the midfield was because of Southampton''s inability to build up attacks. As long as Southampton resumed operations as usual, then Kazuki would return to the front.


    In the 38th minute, Southampton counterattacked. A kick from outside the penalty box which was cleared by Collback was caught well by Dean Smith. The Southampton goalkeeper kicked the ball powerfully forward.


    Kazuki dueled with Larrson. He managed to win the duel. Kazuki adjusted his body and kicked the ball far to the left side. Kounde and Cattermole were dueling for the ball. Kounde used his speed to pick up the ball, Cattermole prepared to block Kounde''s kick. However, Kounde pulled the ball back and turned, then he accelerated into the penalty box.


    Cattermole''s hand gripped Kounde tightly, Kounde knew he had to pass or the attack Immediately. He chose to give Ryan the pass. Cuellar was nearby, so he immediately tried to steal the ball. Ryan pulled the ball as Cuellar stuck his foot out, he unhesitatingly twisted his body, so Cuellar had a hard time stealing the ball. Then Ryan gave the ball to the side.


    Rudolf''s figure has entered the penalty box, he received the ball from Ryan and immediately kicked it. Mignolet jumped up and used his finger to push Rudolf''s shot. Kazuki suddenly stuck out his leg to put the ball into the goalpost. The ball moved into the net.


    "Goaaaalll! Southampton did¡ª oh, looks like Kazuki was in an offside position. Let''s see the replay, ah right he was offside. Too bad Southampton failed to score."


    Southampton''s players and fans who were about to celebrate the goal suddenly sighed in disappointment, seeing the linesman raise the flag. Even though Southampton scored a goal, unfortunately the goal ended offside. Even so, it was undeniable that it was a nice try. Southampton started to play better than the beginning of the match.


    In the 44th minute, Wright-Phillips forced a pass towards Kazuki as Larrson kept Kazuki so Larrson easily cut the ball. Then he gave it to Collback. Collback provided a through ball to the right. Kieran Richardson received the ball, he then raised his foot and made a fake move. When Ben Carter was affected by his movement, Kieran immediately burst into the penalty box.


    He provided crossing ball into the middle of the penalty box. Campbell competed with Hilton, then he headed the ball to the left. McClean came in and kicked the ball hard. Dean Smith failed to react in time. The ball goes into the Southampton goalpost. This means Southampton conceded for the first time in this match.


    "Sunderland managed to break the deadlock. The mistakes made by Wright-Phillips is used well by Sunderland. The cooperation displayed by the Sunderland players are quite good."


    Until the first half ended, the score was still 1-0 for Sunderland''s advantage. The Sunderland players ended the first half happily. Meanwhile, Southampton looked tired from this first half. They did not expect when Southampton started to rise, it was Sunderland who scored first.


    However, the most depressed was Wright-Phillips. The mistakes he made in the first half were so eyes catching. If the opponents were Liverpool instead of Sunderland, Southampton might have conceded five goals.


    In the dressing room, Wright-Phillips looked down, he was not daring to look at George at all. The other players didn''t encourage Wright-Phillips either. Encourage Wright-Phillips did not make things any better. This young man needed to learn from his mistakes this time. Of course, George wouldn''t blame Wright-Phillips for the fall.


    The first half was thrilling. Even though Wright-Phillips made mistakes, that didn''t mean the rest of the players did their job right. The wing sector was successfully dominated by Sunderland. Likewise with the midfield.


    Luckily, after Kazuki got down to midfield, things changed for the better. Kazuki''s ability to hold the ball, dribble and pass became something that changed the direction of the match. Thanks to Kazuki''s action, several golden opportunities were created. Unfortunately, this opportunity failed to be utilized properly.


    In the second half. Wright-Phillips clearly needed to be replaced. It takes players who could hold the ball and also pass it forward without fear of pressure. On the other hand, George also needed some adjustments up front. Players like Kounde and Crage who were on par with the Striker make the midfield short of people. George decided to pull both wings back and make them both pure midfielders.. That way, Southampton will not lose too much in midfield.

 Chapter 106 - Sunderland (4)

    Early in the second half, George replaced Wright-Phillips with Orlando Bloom. Orlando was brought in from Nottingham Forest this summer to fill the position left by Dallas. In the championship league, he put on a steady performance as a defensive midfielder. However, this was the first time Orlando appeared in the Premier League. George hoped that Orlando could live up to his expectations.


    The match between Southampton and Sunderland had officially started. At the start of the second half, Southampton immediately put pressure on Sunderland with an aggressive game. In the 46th minute, Southampton immediately got a chance. Orlando managed to get rid of Collback, who tried to steal the ball from him. After that, he passed the pass to Kazuki. The Japanese striker received a pass from Orlando and then adjusted himself, so that the ball was not stolen by Larrson.


    After that, he provided a through ball to the right. The ball curved to the right. Crage received the ball casually, he didn''t try to break through but gave Ryan a pass. Ryan received the ball while his body held by John O''Shea. At the same time, Kazuki barged into the penalty box. Ryan then gave Kazuki a through ball.


    Kazuki received the ball smoothly, then he gave a hard shot towards the Sunderland goalpost. The ball hits the post before bouncing into the net. Sunderland goalkeeper Mignolet reacted late, so he could only see the ball enter the net. The goal was immediately greeted by deafening cheers. Southampton fans did not hesitate to vent their joy.


    "Goaaaaalll! What an amazing shot. Southampton managed to make it 1-1 with Kazuki''s hard shot. Now the situation is back in balance. Southampton still have a chance to win the game."


    The goal left Sunderland''s players frustrated. They did not expect Southampton to score the goal, so early in the second half. In less spirited circumstances, Sunderland started the kick-off again. After the goal, Southampton began to press Sunderland slowly.


    The player advantage in midfield had also been overcome with adjustments. Southampton''s two full-backs will guard Richardson and Sessegnon. While Orlando and Hilton will look after Collback and McClean, Rudolf will move up a bit as a connection point between the lines. Kazuki will drop close to Rudolf then Ryan will also be up front to pose a threat to the Sunderland defender. Crage and Kounde will focus on guarding Cattermole and Gardner.


    In the 51st minute, Sunderland tried to launch an attack on Southampton. Larrson managed to steal the ball from Ryan''s feet. After that, he dribbled the ball forward and then gave the pass to Cattermole. Kounde did a body charge. He interfered with Cattermole in carrying the ball. In a state of urgency, Cattermole provided a long pass forward. Orlando made an intercept. He managed to get the ball before Collback, he then sent a pass to the left side.


    Ben Carter stepped forward boldly. He dribbled the ball against Richardson''s figure. Fortunately, he managed to avoid a tackle from Richardson. Then, he unhesitatingly passed the ball to Rudolf. Rudolf received the ball, he then turned 180¡ã and dribbled the ball quickly across the halfway line.


    Rudolf passed the ball to Kazuki. Larrson immediately pushed Kazuki who had just received the ball with his body. Kazuki fell down immediately, the referee immediately awarded Southampton a free kick. The free kick angle wasn''t very good, so Kazuki let Ryan kick the ball. Meanwhile, Kazuki followed with the other players went into Sunderland''s penalty box.


    Moments later, the referee blew the whistle to signal Ryan. The player kicks the ball as soon as possible. The ball passed over the player''s wall and then gone to the far post of the goalpost. Rudolf jumped and tried to head the ball, but Collback''s figure interfered with him, so he missed. The ball passed the Southampton players and flew off the field. The referee only gave a goal-kick to Sunderland.


    The match resumed. In the 59th minute, Sunderland had another chance, this time, Richardson was providing a long pass to the left of the field. The ball was too high, so it looks like it will fall out of the penalty box. Fortunately, Sessegnon headed the ball into the field. Gardner, who was doing the overlap immediately took the ball from Sessegnon''s header. He then provided a cross into the penalty box. McClean, who received the pass, volleyed in, but the ball gone high without direction.


    A brilliant opportunity that unfortunately was wasted by Sunderland. In the 66th minute, Southampton attacked Sunderland relentlessly. This attack was preceded by a long pass sent by Orlando. Kazuki received the ball after defeating Larrson in an aerial duel. He then provided a through ball to the left of the field. Kounde did a sprint against Cattermole. This time he won. Kounde pulled the ball back as Cattermole was about to catch up.


    Shortly after that, Kounde provided a pass to the middle of the penalty box. The ball curled into the goalmouth. Ryan appeared and headed the ball. Mignolet''s hand punched the ball, so the ball bounced in front of the penalty box. Rudolf appeared and gave a hard shot. Unfortunately, the ball hit the top post and then bounced into the middle of the penalty box. At the same time, Kazuki adjusted his body so that his back was against the goalpost, and then he did an overhead kick.


    However, Kazuki''s kick was too weak that Mignolet managed to catch it. The Sunderland goalkeeper managed to get past Southampton''s successive attacks. Southampton''s luck this time was quite bad for missing consecutive chances.


    Sunderland tried to get up, in the 71st minute, Sunderland launched an attack. Larrson gave the ball to Cattermole. Sunderland''s right wing back immediately dribbled the ball forward. Kounde ran after Cattermole. Just as Kounde was about to reach him, Cattermole stopped the ball suddenly, causing Kounde to pass it just like that. He then dribbled the ball into the middle and gave a long pass to the left.


    Sessegnon pushed the ball into the penalty box and chased it. At the same time, he passed Vicente and got the ball first. Without hesitation, he gave the pass into the middle. Campbell broke free from Okhalo''s guard. Then he gave a shot. But the ball was blocked by Hilton with his body. As a result, the ball bounced off the field.


    In the 81st minute, Collback made a pass error. As a result, Orlando snatched the ball from him. The Southampton Defensive Midfielder carried the ball quickly forward. As McClean tried to snatch the ball, Orlando sent a gouged pass to the side. Rudolf received the ball and gave it to Ryan.


    Ryan flicked the ball to the right, then chased it. Soon, he gave Crage a through ball. At that time, Crage was in such a good position that he managed to outpace Gardner. Later, he gave a flat pass into the middle. Kazuki wanted to receive the ball however, he was heavily guarded, so Kazuki chose to let the ball pass through the gap between his legs.


    Mignolet who was already focusing on Kazuki failed to react seeing what Kazuki was doing. The next second, Kounde kicked the ball towards the Sunderland goalpost. Mignolet failed to catch the ball, Southampton managed to score the second goal.

 Chapter 107 - Portsmouth

    Until the end of the game, Southampton still lead with a score of 2-1. Sunderland failed to maintain their lead in the first half. As a result, Southampton won this match. This made Southampton win 3 matches in a row. This was one of Southampton''s best season openings for the last 5 years.


    On the other hand, Kazuki continued to lead the top scorer with 4 goals. His closest competitor was Ahmed, who still scores 3 goals. The Egyptian player failed to score in the 3rd round of the Premier League. Meanwhile, Southampton had scored 7 goals and conceded 4 goals. They failed to keep a clean sheet in these 3 matches a week. This indicates that Southampton''s defense was still lacking compared to the previous season.


    The change in strategy was one of the reasons, but the performance of the players was also an undeniable factor. It must be admitted that Southampton''s youth players had been less stable lately, except for Kazuki and Ryan, other young players had experienced ups and downs in their performances. This was one of the reasons why Southampton conceded quite a lot of goals in just 3 matches.


    In the next match, Southampton will be against Portsmouth. The match between Southampton and Portsmouth was called the South Coast Derby. This derby was somewhat forgotten because Portsmouth played in the championship league or the second caste league in England, but this season Portsmouth managed to return to the Premier League after winning the championship league.


    Southampton could be proud because they had been competed in the top tier of the English league for several seasons in a row, but in terms of the title they still lose to Portsmouth. This team won the top caste of the English league twice, namely in 1948-1949 and 1949-1950. They also won the FA Cup in 1939 and 2008. While Southampton only won the FA Cup in 1976.


    For the first level competition Southampton had met Portsmouth 71 times, Southampton won 35 games, lost 21 and drew 15 times. Meanwhile, if you count all matches, Southampton had met Portsmouth as much as 140 times, Portsmouth won 63 times compared to Southampton who won 57 times. The two had drawn 21 times.


    Although both had pride in this Derby. However, the record for the biggest wins is always held by Southampton. First, Southampton 5 Portsmouth 1(FA Cup, 13 January 1906), second, Portsmouth 5 Southampton 1 (18 October 1919), third, Southampton 5 Portsmouth 1 (11 September 1920), fourth, Southampton 5 Portsmouth 1 (27 August 1960), fifth, Southampton 4 Portsmouth 0 (17 April 1975).


    Therefore, in the match against Portsmouth, Southampton fans had a reason to believe that their team would win. However, even though Southampton was superior in the match later. Portsmouth may not just give up, especially, since the match will take place at their home, namely Fratton Park.


    "Good evening everyone, back again in the fourth round of the English Premier League. In this round, we present the south coast derby between Southampton and Portsmouth. Portsmouth is a promoted team who went through the first 3 matches quite well. They managed to get one win, one draw, and one defeat, while Southampton brilliantly won 3 consecutive match including beating Manchester City.


    Will Southampton continue their positive trend? Or will Portsmouth be able to give Southampton their first defeat at the start of the season? Let''s take a look at the formations of the two teams.


    Goalkeepers: Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Freddy, Hilton, Okhalo, Benson.


    Defensive midfielders: Simone, Rudolf.


    Attacking midfielders: Rustan, Joe Bennet, Ryan.


    Front: Kazuki.


    Meanwhile, Portsmouth displays a 4-3-2-1 formation.


    Goalkeeper: Simon Eastwood.


    Defenders: Liam Walker, Yassin M, Gabor Gyepes, Adam Webster.


    Defensive midfielders: Johnny Ertl, Jade Wallace, Shaun Cooper.


    Attacking midfielders: Ashley Harris, Izale Mcload


    Front: David Connoly.


    Well, then let''s see the performance of both teams in the first half."


    Under the manager Michael Appleton, Portsmouth transformed into a team that was very good at counter-attacking. They were the type of team that will wait for the opponent to attack, then launch a counterattack. You could say Portsmouth was a defensive team. The fulcrum of Portsmouth''s counterattack was Izale Mcload. This player was a key Portsmouth champion in the league championship.


    Early in the first half, Portsmouth let Southampton controlled the ball. They were not provoked by Southampton''s short pass. Portsmouth will only put pressure on Southampton when the ball crosses the final third of the Portsmouth defense. They were shrinking the defense area to make Southampton difficult to penetrate the Portsmouth defense.


    Fortunately, Southampton had been practicing play patiently. They were in no rush to attack Portsmouth. Bennet as a playmaker was continuing to patiently wait for the right moment for Southampton to launch an attack. In the 7th minute, Southampton had a good chance. Kazuki''s movement lured the Portsmouth center-back forward. This allows Ryan to easily penetrate into the penalty box. Bennett gave a long pass towards Ryan.


    Too bad, Gabor Gyepes managed to block Ryan''s kick. It made Southampton''s first shot missed. However, this effort should be appreciated. After that failure, Southampton still continued their dominance. However, Portsmouth began to raise the tension of the match.


    In the 12th minute, Portsmouth launched a counterattack. As soon as Jade Wallace had snatched the ball from Bennett''s feet, he pass the ball to Johnny Ertl. Johnny received the ball and penetrated forward. Rudolf moved forward to tackle Johnny, but Harris appeared behind Rudolf. Johnny sent the ball to Ashley Harris.


    The young man received the ball from Johnny then relied on his speed to approach the Southampton penalty box. Then he provided a through ball to David who escaped the offside trap. Too bad Ashley''s pass was too strong, so Dean Smith confiscated the ball before David.


    In the 17th minute, Simone managed to thwart Portsmouth''s counterattack. He made a clean tackle on Izale. Then he took the ball across the halfway line. At that time, he immediately gave a long pass forward. Portsmouth, which was still in the process of transitioning left an opening for Kazuki to exploit. The Japanese player managed to receive the ball from Simone freely.


    Then, Kazuki tricked Yassin, then he passed Yassin and gave a powerful shot into the corner of the net. The reaction of goalkeeper Simon Easwood was quite fast. He managed to parry Kazuki''s shot, so the ball bounced in front of the goalpost. At that moment, Joe Bennet appeared and gave a shot to the left. Eastwood who had fallen could not catch the shoot, so the goal was created.


    "Goaaaaaall! A sharp, precise, shot by Bennett put Southampton ahead over Portsmouth 1-0. This goal became Bennet''s first official goal at the senior stage."


    Southampton''s players celebrated the goal under the gaze of thousands Portsmouth fans.

 Chapter 108 - Portsmouth (2)

    This goal made Southampton more confident. Portsmouth was still passive in controlling the ball, so Southampton could immediately snatch the ball from the feet of the Portsmouth players as soon as Portsmouth took the kick-off. Despite having scored, Southampton still played patiently. They know patience was key in dealing with a passive team like Portsmouth.


    In the 26th minute, Southampton got a chance. The collaboration between Ryan and Benson, allowed Benson to penetrate Liam Walker''s defense. After that, Benson provided a pass into the penalty box, but this time Gabor managed to head the ball forward. Shaun Cooper grabbed the ball, which Gabor headed quickly. Then he made a progressive pass forward. Wallace received the ball, at the same time, Rudolf came and did a body charge. Wallace fell, but the referee did not blow the whistle.


    Rudolf immediately took the ball and passed it forward. Kazuki broke free from the offside trap. However, his position was too sideways, so Kazuki gave a first touch pass to the right. Rustan escapes from the guard of the Portsmouth defenders. Then he shot the ball casually. The ball went into the Portsmouth goal for the second time. Rustan immediately gave Kazuki a hug. Kazuki''s pass that made Rustan score easily. Of course, Rudolf was also instrumental in it.


    In minute 33, Portsmouth launched a counter-attack. This time, Shaun gave a pass to Portsmouth''s left-back, Adam Webster. This player overlapped forward. When Freddy tried to keep him, Adam made a one-two pass with Izale. He managed to get past Freddy. Then he dribbled the ball diagonally to the center.


    Ashley Harris quickened his run, he crossed Okhalo and escaped offside. Webster immediately gave a curved pass towards Harris. The pass was completed by Harris with a volley, but the ball flew over the goalpost. The Opportunities failed to be used properly.


    In the 39th minute, Southampton had a chance, Bennet managed to escape from Wallace''s guard, this made him able to provided a pass to Kazuki. Yassin M stuck to Kazuki''s back so tightly, that this Japanese player couldn''t turn his body, Kazuki could only return the ball to Bennett. At the same, time, Simone broke through the penalty box.


    Seeing Simone''s figure, Bennett gave him a through ball. Simone received the ball from Bennet, then pass it to the left. There was Ryan, Ryan then performed a fake shot, a second later he gave the ball to Kazuki which escaped Yassin M''s guard. Then Kazuki kicked the ball hard. This time, Eastwood failed to anticipate Kazuki''s kick properly. As a result, Southampton managed to break into Portsmouth''s goalpost for the third time.


    Kazuki immediately ran to the edge of the pitch and did a kneed slide while crossing his arms in front of his chest. The Southampton fans, who looked a small amount compared to the Portsmouth fans, immediately cheered and shouting Kazuki''s name. Southampton had a 3 goal lead in the first half, it was very difficult for Portsmouth to turn things around.


    "A very beautiful goal was shown by Kazuki. Southampton are 3-0 up against Portsmouth. Looks like the Saints are too strong for Portsmouth. Although there is still a second half, but I think the game is over. Southampton will win again."


    Portsmouth launched attack after attack towards the end of the first half, but they failed to change the score. Until the end of the first half, Southampton still lead 3-0 over Portsmouth. Southampton and Portsmouth did not make many changes in the second half. The only thing that had changed is that Portsmouth was more aggressive in pressing Southampton. However, Southampton played down their formation, making it difficult for Portsmouth to snatch the ball by force.


    At the beginning of the second half, precisely in the 48th minute, Southampton immediately counter-attacked. Dean Smith throws the ball sideways. Freddy received the ball and dribbled the ball across the halfway line. He provided a through ball to Rustan. The Southampton right-winger beat Adam Webster in a race of pace. He broke through the penalty box, when the Portsmouth goalkeeper shifted to the right, Rustan provided a pass to the left of the penalty box. Kazuki put the ball into the empty net in front of him.


    Southampton extended the lead to 4-0. At this time, the Portsmouth supporters started to leave the stadium. They didn''t want to see their favorite club slaughtered by their rivals. The players and coaching staff were starting to get sluggish. Meanwhile Southampton was getting hotter.


    In the 55th minute, Johnny Ertl brought down Bennett in front of the penalty box. The referee immediately awarded a free kick to Southampton. Kazuki became the one who executed the free kick. As soon as the referee sounded the whistle, Kazuki kicked the ball.


    Okhalo welcomed the ball in front of the goalmouth. His head bounced the ball into the corner of the net. Eastwood failed to catch the ball, so Southampton scored for the fifth time.


    In the 59th minute, Kazuki was withdrawn to be replaced by Osmund. Because the victory in the match was in hand, George decided to save the energy of the core players. In the 64th minute, he pulled out Ryan as well as Bennet. Southampton began to apply defense and counter-attack. Meanwhile, Portsmouth look less enthusiastic in attacking Southampton.


    The result in the 70th minute, Southampton scored the sixth goal. Hilton, who snatched the ball from David Connoly''s feet, immediately gave Freddy a pass. The Southampton right-back did overlap forward. When Izale tried to stop Freddy, he passed Simone. The Southampton captain gave the ball he had just received far forward.


    Kounde who came to to replace Ryan immediately bounced the ball into the middle of the field. Crage, who came on for Bennett, received the ball and then provided a through ball forward. Osmund used his pace to overtake the Portsmouth center-back, then he calmly tricked the keeper and scored.


    Osmund''s goal made the score 6-0. Portsmouth, who was 6 goals down trying to find a consolation goal. They didn''t want to lose without scoring goals. However, Southampton, who always failed to keep a clean sheet in the last 3 matches, certainly didn''t want to concede anymore.


    The result, Southampton locked themselves in the penalty box so that Portsmouth find it difficult to attack Southampton. On the other hand, Southampton counter-attack was also threatening. As a result, the game entered a stagnant state. Both teams seem hesitant to attack.


    This makes the game run boring. Until the end of the match, Portsmouth failed to score a goal. Finally, Southampton got their first clean sheet of the season. The result of this match also became the record for the biggest win in a South Coast derby. Southampton fans had a sweet dream tonight, while Portsmouth fans wished it was all a dream.


    On the other hand, Kazuki resumed his super performance. He scored 6 goals in 4 games. Not to forget, he also scored several assists.. His appearances made many teams regret not going all-out in pursuing Kazuki.

 Chapter 109 - Leicester

    [The South Coast derby has ended tragically for Portsmouth, Southampton is in extraordinary performance.]


    [Portsmouth Coach : It''s my fault, we lost strategically and also the quality of the players.]


    [Looking at how far Kazuki can shine in this season, the top scorer candidate for 2012/2013? ]


    Various magazines reviewed Southampton''s win over Portsmouth. This was Southampton''s fourth straight win. Although there were only four but so far only 3 teams have been able to maintain their victory. First, Chelsea, followed by Liverpool and finally Southampton. Of the three teams above, it was clear, Southampton was the only middle club that still maintains a winning streak.


    On the other hand, Kazuki who had scored 6 goals left his competitor, Ahmed, who had only scored 2 goals. If Kazuki could maintain his consistency in scoring goals. So there was no doubt that this year''s top scorer will fall to the young man from Japan.


    It was almost a year for Kazuki to get [Dream Training]. The changes that [Dream Training] had brought about were truly extraordinary. Kazuki''s ability was now able to match Europe''s top stars. But overall his abilities are still below superstars like Mattheo. The presence of Dream Training also allowed Kazuki to stably display his best performance. This helped Kazuki to get through the ups and downs of appearances that young players usually experienced.


    As examples, there were Rustan, Wright-Phillips and Joe Bennet. These three players sometimes play well but often they play worse than their usual performance. Especially Wright-Phillips, he spent too many time at the night club and having fun with the other players which made his performances on the training ground were often subpar.


    One of the things that made young players fail to fulfill their potential was a lack of discipline. Having fun was not wrong, but if you had too much waste your time to interfere your professional life, then that''s when you destroy your professional life.


    While what happened to Joe Bennet and Rustan was normal, even though they both appear bad at times, this was more because of the instability of the mentality of the two players. For example Rustan, sometimes he wants to stand out and force himself to break into the opponent''s penalty box instead of providing a pass.


    Under these circumstances, Southampton faced the Carabao Cup. Southampton will play against third tier club, so George did not include the main players in the big list of matches. He played substitutes who often filled the bench.


    In the match, although it was fierce, Southampton finally won with a score of 3-1. Osmund scored two goals while Vicente scored 1 goal. This victory made Southampton advance to the next round of the Carabao Cup.


    After the victory, the fifth round of the Premier League was coming. The most exciting match in the fifth round was the match between Chelsea and Manchester City. Apart from the defeat they suffered from Southampton, Manchester City managed to win 3 league rounds in a row. David Silva, Belloti and Aguero performance was in a hot state.


    Meanwhile, Southampton will travel to the King Power Stadium to face Leicester. The Fox started the season quite badly. After losing Maddison they failed to find someone who could replace Maddison''s role in midfield. From the 4 rounds that have taken place Leicester were only able to collect 2 draws, one defeat and one win.


    In a pre-match interview, Nigel Pearson gave an admission about the match, he said, "Southampton are in good perform. This game will be a tough challenge for Leicester. Looking at Southampton now, I''m not surprised if at the end of the season they can reach Top 4. As long as Kazuki can maintain his performance, I think Southampton is a very threatening team.


    Even so, we will still try to do our best in tomorrow''s match. After all, King Power is our home."


    What Nigel Pearson said regarding Southampton was taken as a joke to many. Just because Southampton achieved 4 wins in a row doesn''t mean they can reach the top 4. The Premier League still had a long way to go. Consistency was the main key. The deepness squad of each medium club was lost to the big clubs. On the other hand, although Southampton was have good players, it was not mean Southampton will always win. The tactics and strengths of the players were either soft power such as enthusiasm, or hard power, namely the ability or skill of the player as a whole.


    The above became something important if a team wants to achieve good results in the league. One example was Montpellier. Although at first glance, it looks like Pogba and Anthony who brought the team to victory. But, actually, the Montpellier genius coach was more important. Analyze every game of Montpellier and you will discover how genius Nagelsman was.


    Oliver Gerrard, Pogba, Anthony Martial were products of Nagelsman''s coaching abilities. Reportedly, Real Madrid was interested in signing Nagelsman. But for now the coach was still coaching Montpellier. According to the media, one of the reasons Nagelsman rejected Real Madrid was for trying to make a breakthrough in the Champions League.


    Meanwhile George responded to Nigel Pearson''s words in a pre-match interview. He said, "We must not underestimate Leicester. Even though they have lost a key player there are some players who are doing quite well at Leicester despite their poor results.


    Southampton will come to King Power Stadium in full force. All players are in good condition. In this match, Simone was able to compete again."


    George was right because if you look at the Leicester game, one can see two players who really stood out. First, Riyad Mahrez, this player looks more mature than last season. From four matches he has made 1 goal and 2 assists. Second, Ngogi Kante. He always performed tirelessly in midfield. Help alternate defense and attack. The performances of these two players were clearly better than last season.


    On the other hand, Hugo, who came from Southampton, performed quite well. Besides that, some young players like Vardy and Drinkwater look to be quite promising players. Nigel Pearson was also a great coach, George hadn''t the brave to underestimate Leicester City.


    If Southampton could win this match, then they will extend their winning streak since the start of the season. This will be an achievement for the club nicknamed The Saints.


    The next day Leicester fans filled up the King Power Stadium. In facing Southampton, they gave full support to The Fox. The game against Leicester was tougher than against Portsmouth. Kazuki himself was really looking forward to this match, he wanted to see how far Kante had progressed.


    Various media were waiting whether Southampton will continue their winning streak? will Kazuki be able to score in five consecutive matches? These questions could only be answered after watching this match.

 Chapter 110 - Leicester (2)

    "Good evening everyone, this time skysports will present match week 5th of Premier League. In this round, we will broadcast the match between Leicester City Vs Southampton. I, Jim Kaglin, will be accompanied by my best friend, Micheal Keaton.


    Good evening Keaton, who do you think will win tonight?" Kaglin asked Keaton.


    Keaton seemed to think for a moment, then he explained, "My guess is Southampton. Leicester have great potential but Nigel Pearson is still looking for a player who can fill the hole left by Maddison. At the moment Drinkwater is projected to replace Maddison but both players have different characteristic. Leicester still need an adjustment."


    "Hasn''t Southampton also lost some players, say Denilson, Hugo and others. This team is also actually trying to make changes to their tactics. So what is the difference between Southampton and Leicester''s changes?"


    What Kaglin said was true, Southampton and Leicester were both missing a few key players, but how come Southampton did well at the start of the season when Leicester didn''t?


    Keaton replied, "Yes, Southampton lost Hugo but they still have Rustan. They lost Denilson but still Ryan. Both players have been filling the hole well so far."


    In this case Southampton was lucky. They had young players who were able to perform quite well. This was an added value for Southampton. It must be admitted that the Southampton Academy was indeed quite good in finding talented players.


    Jim Kaglin then continued, "let''s look at the formation of the two teams. Today Leicester came with a 4-1-2-3 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Kasper Schmeichel;


    Defenders: Daniel Aimerte, J. Evans, Fofana, C. Soeyuecue;


    Defensive midfielders: Ngogi Kante;


    Attacking midfielders: Drinkwater, A. Perez;


    Forwards: Hugo, Adam Traore, Riyad Mahrez.


    Meanwhile Southampton came with a 4-2-3-1 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Freddy, Hilton, Okhalo, Benson;


    Defensive midfielders: Rudolf, Simone;


    Attacking midfielders: Rustan, Joe Bennet, Ryan;


    Front: Kazuki.


    Both teams played their new formations this season. Judging from the past few games. The players who were fielded by both teams seemed to be players who performed quite well in several matches. For more details let''s watch the first round match take place."


    After losing Maddison, Leicester lost their ability to control the rhythm. Instead, they were now better at ball control. This was happened due to the different characteristics of Maddison and Drinkwater. Drinkwater''s playing style was stable. He rarely created good chances but his game was so stable that he was often able to carry out his duties in midfield well.


    On the other hand, Leicester was also relying more on the wings than before. Hugo and Riyad Mahrez had played quite well on both flanks.


    In the early minutes of the game, Leicester who started the first half kick-off immediately controlled the ball. Southampton did not do pressing but made a mid-block strategy by making a wall in midfield. This aims to make it difficult for Leicester players to control the ball.


    In the 6th minute, Leicester launched an attack. This started with Kante''s action, which cut Rudolf''s pass to Bennett. He then gave the ball to Perez. Shortly thereafter, Ayoze Perez sent a cross to the side for C. Soeyuecue who went up front to help Leicester attack.


    Soeyuecue received the ball with the inside of the foot. At that moment, Rudolf moved to cover Soeyuecue''s path. However, Riyad Mahrez went down to help Soeyuecue. Then the Leicester left-back gave the ball to Mahrez. At that moment Freddy went up to block Mahrez. But the Leicester winger pushed the ball past Freddy then dribbled past the Southampton right-back.


    Immediately, Mahrez crossed the ball off into the middle of the penalty box. The ball bounced into the penalty box. But Adama Traore lost in the aerial duel, so Southampton was able to defend their goal from threats.


    Traore seems to apologize to Mahrez. The striker position was indeed a hole in the current Leicester squad. Adama was not suitable to fill this role. On the other hand, Vardy''s performance was still unstable so Nigel can''t just believe him.


    In the 11th minute, Southampton launched an attack. Rudolf managed to snatch the ball from the feet of Ayoze Perez. Then, he passed the ball to Bennett. Kante kept Bennett tight, so the player could only give the ball back to Simone.


    The Southampton captain dribbled the ball forward then provided a breakthrough pass to the right. Rustan immediately ran a duel with Soeyuecue to get the ball. This time it was Rustan who won the duel. He immediately made a cut-inside into the penalty box. But Soeyuecue suddenly tackled him. Rustan failed to break through while the ball bounced off the field. The referee did not blow the whistle indicating that Soeyuecue did not commit a foul.


    Ryan will take a corner. Southampton''s players entered the box in a hurry they didn''t want to miss any chances to score. After everything was ready, the referee blew the whistle, immediately, Ryan kicked the ball. The ball spun and curled into the goalmouth. At that moment Kasper Schmeichel dashed out of his post and picked the ball up in the air.


    Southampton''s attack failed, Kasper was able to handle Southampton''s corner well. The match continued. Tonight, Southampton did not insist on taking possession of the ball from Leicester. The reason was that because when Rustan was playing, Southampton''s counter-attack will be a serious threat to Leicester.


    This was proven on the previous occasion. Rustan''s speed was able to beat Soeyuecue who was his opponent on the right wing. In the 18th minute, Leicester tried to break into Southampton''s goal. Once again, Kante became the start of the attack. He was able to steal the ball from Bennet''s feet. Then, he passed the ball to Drinkwater.


    Simone moved forward and did a body charge. Drinkwater lost his balance but he was still able to pass in Ayoze Perez. The Leicester midfielder moved forward while dribbling the ball. Perez''s hand was active in keeping Rudolf away from the ball. He then gave the bait to Hugo. The former Southampton player broke through the penalty box and received the ball from Perez.


    He then shot the ball from the right side of the penalty box. Hugo''s shooting angle was too narrow so Dean Smith was able to catch Hugo''s shot well. Then, the Southampton goalkeeper threw the ball forward. Simone received the ball then gave Benson a through ball. The Southampton left-back received the ball and carried it across the halfway line.


    Afte that, Benson gave Kazuki a long-range pass. The Japanese player was now flanked by two central defenders. He also didn''t have the advantage in speed so Kazuki painstakingly passed the ball to Ryan''s figure on the left.


    Ryan received the ball and pushed it into the penalty box. He approached the goal while dribbling the ball, when the goalkeeper switched to the left side. Ryan passes to the right. Rustan came and kicked the ball. However, the ball drifted far from the target.. Rustan seems to be holding his head regretfully.

 Chapter 111 - Leicester (3)

    Rustan''s failure to execute the ball made Kazuki shake his head. Rustan looked in a hurry to kick the ball. He was less of calm, causing his kick to be lack of aimed. A wasted opportunity. However, time was still long, Southampton still hadn''t lost.


    In the 21st minute, Ryan''s breakthrough failed. Daniel Aimerte managed to make a clean tackle to tackle Ryan. Then, the Leicester right-back immediately took the ball and passed it to Kante. Bennet tried to annoy Kante, but the smiling friendly player tricked Bennet into pretending to provide a pass when he doesn''t touch the ball at all. That kept the ball rolling, while Kante took advantage of Bennet''s interrupted moment to chase the ball.


    Kante then kicked the ball with his tips. The ball moved to the figure of Ayoze Perez, who was ready to welcome the ball. In the next second, when Ayoze was preparing to receive the ball, Rudolf immediately hit Ayoze with his body so that the Fox midfielder was lying on the ground.


    For violations this time, the referee did not hesitate to issue a yellow card. Rudolf was angry, he felt a warning should be more suitable for the current situation than a yellow card. However, the referee, who saw Rudolf''s intentional in bringing down Perez, did not want to compromise with Rudolf.


    A futile foul ends with a yellow card. Rudolf was felt guilty. He did not think his fad action would harm Southampton. By getting a yellow card, Rudolf must be careful in violating other players. This means, Leicester will deliberately target Rudolf. If Rudolf committed a foul, there was a possibility of a red card, but if Rudolf did not commit a foul then Leicester could score. An ideal situation for Leicester at the moment.


    In the 28th minute, Leicester managed to take advantage of Rudolf''s yellow card well. The attack was initiated by Fofana''s long pass, the central defender into the midfield. Ayoze received the ball, then he faced Rudolf. In front of Southampton''s defensive midfielder, Ayoze made several step-overs before displaying a rather provocative display of skill, then Ayoze edged past Rudolf. Rudolf had a hard time keeping Ayoze on, very difficult to play while being careful not to commit a foul.


    Ayoze who managed to get past Rudolf''s figure immediately provided a breakthrough ball to Adama Traore. With great speed and positioning, Adama managed to outpace Hilton and Okhalo. Then he gave a powerful shot to the right. This time, his shot was so precise that Dean Smith failed to parry the ball. Adama managed to score the first goal for Leicester in this match.


    "Amazing! Beautiful move from Ayoze. He sent a measured pass to Adama Traore. Luckily, Adama did a great job. He scored his first goal of the season. Leicester beat Southampton 1-0."


    Kazuki really struggled to get the moment in the first 30 minutes, Nigel''s way of guarding Kazuki really worked. First, he put Kante in front of Bennet, so Kante would always interfere Bennet in giving Kazuki a pass. Second, he placed the two centre-backs level with Kazuki, so that they would both block any passes from either flank.


    With blocking from 3 directions, it was very difficult for Kazuki to get a chance. However, players on the wings should be able to take advantage of this Leicester strategy to use the wings'' area more aggressively as that was Leicester''s weakest point.


    In the 35th minute, Southampton tried to take advantage of the wings. Benson stepped forward. He along with Ryan worked together to break into the left side of Leicester. With Simone''s help, they managed to defeat Aimerte''s figure. When Ryan entered the penalty box, Fofana who was guarding Kazuki on the left had to move slightly to the left to guard Ryan.


    That''s where the opportunity comes. Kazuki who was only guarded by Evans, instantly moved towards a steady position. Ryan took a good look at Kazuki''s movements. He then gave Kazuki a flat pass. The Japanese player adjusted his posture and kicked the ball firmly into the left corner. Kasper Schmeichel failed to catch the ball. Southampton managed to equalize.


    "Good! A great kick as usual, sent by Kazuki to find the net. Southampton managed to equalize before the whistle sounded. There are still 10 minutes more before the first half is over. There is still a possibility this score will change."


    Southampton''s players celebrated the goal happily. Being able to score a goal means that there was still a chance to win. Furthermore, Southampton had a chance to achieve 5 consecutive wins in the Premier League.


    The game continued after Leicester started the first half kick-off. They were not in a rush to attack Southampton. Southampton''s counter-attack was threatening enough, so Leicester had to be careful. In contrast, Leicester''s players now had the ball and make short passes in midfield.


    Leicester just attacked in the 43rd minute. Daniel Aimerte suddenly ran into the middle of the field. Kante immediately gave the ball to him. Simone tried to stop him, but Aimerte gave a pass to Drinkwater. Escaped from Simone''s guard, Drinkwater immediately dribbled the ball to the front of the penalty box.


    He gave a short pass to Adama. The striker found his position a bit awkward, so he returned the pass with a back-pass. Receiving the ball from Adama, Drinkwater kicked the ball from the front line of the penalty box. The quality of his shots was good, but Dean Smith''s saves was better


    The Southampton goalkeeper managed to catch the ball. Leicester''s attack ended there. Until the first half ended, The Fox did not attack again. Southampton also failed to launch an attack. The 1-1 score was maintained until the referee sounded the whistle.


    At halftime, George made some changes. First, he entered Orlando to replace Rudolf, who received a yellow card. Then he entered Kounde to replace Bennett. It must be admitted that Bennet''s performance under Kante''s defense was really unsatisfactory. Therefore, George entered Kounde and then swapped Kounde''s position with Ryan so that the young player could appear to replace Bennet in the middle.


    As discussed earlier, Ryan and Kazuki were two young players who put on a steady performance. Even though Ryan didn''t display ability as good as Kazuki, but he was definitely useful in every match.


    The second half started with a kick-off by Southampton. In this second half, Southampton still played patiently. They only carried out a trial attack that ended in failure. Then the ball was then taken over by Leicester City.


    In front of their fans, The Fox appeared aggressive in the second half. In the 49th minute, Leicester launched an attack. Drinkwater, Ayoze Perez and Mahrez formed a triangle. Then they worked together to break down Southampton''s defense on the left. Perez gave a gouged pass to Mahrez who penetrated into the penalty box. Then, a volley was launched by Mahrez from the left side of the penalty box.


    However, the ball was caught well by Southampton goalkeeper, Dean Smith.. Then, Southampton''s counter-attack came.

 Chapter 112 - Leicester (4)

    Dean Smith threw the ball to the right, Freddy pushed the ball forward and ran fast. Perez tried to chase after him, but Freddy''s speed was too fast. Then, the Southampton right-back provided a cross to Southampton''s right wing, namely Rustan. Relying on his speed, Rustan showed a very surprising running speed, he passed Fofana who was trying to tackle him.


    Moments later, Rustan entered the Leicester penalty box. There was only Leicester center-back Evans guarding Kazuki and then goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. Rustan saw a wide open opportunity. Kasper Schmeichel ran to try to snatch the ball from Rustan''s feet. Cleverly, Rustan flicked the ball to the side to avoid getting attacked by Schmeichel. Then he pushed the ball to find the best position before shooting the ball into an empty net.


    At the same time, Evans left Kazuki and ran towards the goal. He tried to stop Rustan''s kick that had been going fast. Evans slid across the grass, then his feet managed to block the ball. Schmeichel immediately caught the ball rebound quickly.


    "Ahh! Rustan''s very good chance. Oooh! Brilliant! Evans, saved Leicester''s goal from crisis. It''s a shame Southampton failed to score after getting such a good chance. Until now, the score of both teams is still the same 1-1."


    Jim Kaglin seemed deeply regretful of how much Rustan had squandered the opportunity. Opportunities like that were rare. If Rustan kicked with a little more force, then there was no chance for Leicester to save themselves. Even so, Evans'' rescue was brilliant. He left Kazuki at the perfect moment. If he left too early, then Rustan would give Kazuki a pass. However, if Evans left Kazuki too slowly then a goal would occur.


    Evans'' save was the best saving moment in the early 2012/2013 season.


    The game continued after Southampton''s failure to score. Leicester regained control of the ball. The fact, despite Southampton was failing to score on the counter-attack earlier, that attack was made Leicester play more cautiously. Even though they had the ball, now the Fox was more like trying to pass the time than trying to find opportunities to attack.


    By the way, Orlando''s entry had a different impact than Rudolf. There was no doubt that both were equally good defensive midfielders. But the way the two of them look after the players were different. Rudolf made frequent fouls to achieve his goal, either stopping the ball or capturing the ball. But Orlando used his tall and big body to do regular zoning or blocking.


    Orlando''s only weakness may be in other aspects, such as his dribble was not as good as Wright-Phillips. His passing was not as solid as Simone. Or he was not as expressive as other players, making it difficult for Southampton players to approach him.


    In the 55th minute, Perez tried to break through the Orlando defense, but the player could easily predict Perez''s movement and then stole the ball from him. After that, Orlando gave the ball to Simone. At the same time, Kante seemed to run fast and cut the ball by sliding. He then gave a long pass towards the penalty box.


    Adama prepared to receive the ball, but this time Okhalo headed in perfectly. As a result, the ball bounced towards Simone. Simone moved forward to meet the ball, he was also on guard against Drinkwater and Kante. Then Simone gave Benson a pass. The Southampton left-back had been moved forward since Okhalo headed the ball.


    As Benson moved forward on the left side, Kounde''s figure seemed to start shifting his body slightly to the right, leaving an empty space on the left to be exploited. Benson who saw that did not hesitate, he immediately dribbled the ball very quickly. He didn''t seem to intend to give any pass at all.


    Daniel Aimerte prepared to stop Benson''s steps. However, the Southampton player showed skills that managed to deceive Aimerte. He took Aimerte to the side, then used McGeady Spin to get past him. Then Benson entered the penalty box. He provided a through ball to Kounde.


    The Southampton left-winger dribbled the ball forward, then sent a measured shot. The ball went perfectly into the net. Kasper Schmeichel failed to save the Leicester goal. The cheers of Southampton fans in the visitors'' stands filled the gloomy King Power Stadium.


    "Goaaaall! Kounde, what a shot! A perfect counter-attack that was completed well. Southampton now take the lead in the 56th minute. The score is now 2-1."


    Southampton frequently left behind against opponents, but when they catch up the score and take the lead, it''s very rare for them to concede again.


    "Can we win? Southampton are playing really well."


    "Traore is useless, why didn''t the coach include Vardy, he looks better."


    "We are still one goal ahead, no need to worry. There is still plenty of time for Leicester to overtake Southampton."


    In the 63rd minute, Evans did a handball in the penalty box. Handball was done clearly by him in front of the referee. As a result, Southampton got a penalty kick. Kazuki became the one who executed the kick.


    The referee blew the whistle, in front of tens of thousands of Leicester fans, Kazuki took the penalty kick calmly. Kasper Schmeichel was wrong in guessing the direction of the ball, so the ball easily nestled in the Leicester net. Kazuki turned his body and pointed both fingers upwards. After that, he received hugs from the rest of Southampton players.


    Simone looked at Kazuki curiously, he said, "I wonder what makes you able to execute every penalty kick so well? Is your mentality made of steel?" Simone had often taken penalty kicks before and had missed several times, but George started to set Kazuki as the first taker, so the other Southampton players rarely took penalties.


    "I don''t know, maybe the goddess of luck is crazy about me," said Kazuki jokingly.


    "Cold, sharp, well done. Kazuki''s penalty increased Southampton''s lead over Leicester. With this goal, Leicester are 2 goals behind Southampton."


    In the 76th minute, George made the last substitution. He fielded Osmund and pulled Kazuki out. As Southampton''s main asset, he wanted to save as much of Kazuki''s power as possible. Meanwhile, Leicester also made some changes, first, Vardy came on to replace Adama Traore. Second, Hugo was pulled out and replaced by A. Davies. Finally, Drinkwater was withdrawn and replaced by Ihenacao.


    The change of the two coaches made the conditions on the field change. Leicester seemed to want to take advantage of the counter-attack to attack Southampton, while the Saints lacked strength in attacking Leicester. In the 84th minute, Vardy managed to score a goal through Leicester''s counter-attack. But unfortunately, he was offside. The incident made hope rekindled, Leicester attacked Southampton continuously. But Southampton defended well.


    The Premier League 5th round match ended with Southampton''s 3-1 win over Leicester.. Southampton won again for the sixth time this season, including a win in the Carabao Cup.

 Chapter 113 - Tottenham

    Southampton''s winning streak made everyone feel complacent. As the result of that, in the 6th round of Premier League season 2012/2013, Southampton got the first defeat. This defeat was given by Wolverhampton Wanderers. In this match, Southampton failed to score a goal. Kazuki fought hard in the front, but the support from the midfielders was too lacking, so he only had 3 chances throughout the match, That 3 chances was a difficult opportunity to execute.


    In that match, even Ryan, who always appeared stable, now seemed to disappear throughout the match. As a result, The Wolf managed to rip Southampton''s net 3 times. This defeat made the media that previously praised Southampton sky-high, agreed to say, Southampton was back to the original. That was mean, they were considering that it was a normal for Southampton to lose like this.


    However, some of their opinion was true, there was a lot of luck in Southampton''s 5 wins. Sooner or later, Southampton will feel defeat. However, what disappointed Kazuki was that Southampton''s defeat was due to his teammate''s poor performance. If Southampton lost after doing their best, perhaps Kazuki wouldn''t feel too disappointed.


    Being too emotional, Kazuki forgot to reply to an extended arm from George at the end of the match. This incident went viral in the magazine.


    In the latest The Sun magazine, they included one of the articles entitled, [Is this Kazuki''s true nature? This young player has star syndrome!] In that article, The Sun brought up Denilson''s problem again, then The Sun carelessly concluded that Kazuki was an arrogant person.


    Meanwhile, other magazines also reported more or less the same thing, although not as provocatively as The Sun. On the other hand, even though Kazuki was angry with The Sun''s article, he knew this was the result of his own actions. Instead of taking care about The Sun, the first thing Kazuki did was apologize to George in the next day at the training ground.


    He explained to George that he was disappointed at the time because of the Southampton defeat. Luckily, the coach didn''t really mind it. Instead, George gave a piece of advice to Kazuki.


    "I have no issue with your actions. I understand you didn''t mean to do that. After all, you''re still young Kazuki, it''s only natural if sometimes you let go of your emotions. But remember, you have intention to do that or not, it doesn''t matter. These things will get the attention of the wider community, because you are a public figure.


    If one day you become a great star, playing in a big club, you have to show yourself as an inspiration and role model for many people. I know you''re a good person, and I know you can do it."


    Kazuki was touched by George''s words, he didn''t expect to get advice from the coach. Even though George was not a very genius tactician, Kazuki really liked this man for his personality and belief in young players. Especially to Kazuki.


    Every human being was not free from mistakes, as well as public figures, but when a public figure made a mistake, this mistake will be magnified by the media, so that the public and group of haters of that public figure will boldly release hate speech and justify their insults through wrongdoing which the public figures had done.


    This was not only true in football, but in all fields. This made Kazuki wonder again, apart from being a great soccer player, had he become an inspiring public figure?


    Does he have to do a donation or something? However, nowadays donations or such like thing will only be branded as an image. No matter how good a person was, there will be people who label that person badly.


    Thinking of this, Kazuki decided to do everything according to his way of life only. After all, he didn''t live to live up other people''s expectations.


    ***


    Meanwhile, the league cup or carabao cup matches are back. Southampton vs Norwich City. In this match, George entered the semi main players. He played several players such as Wright-Phillips, Crage, Osmund, Jimmy, Ben Carter and others.


    Southampton got fierce resistance from Norwich City. At the end of the first half, the score was still 0-0. Both teams played very fiercely in midfield, but failed to score. The second half was running, both teams were still struggling to score goals. In the end, George put Kazuki on in the 70th minute. Fifteen minutes later, The Saint scored a goal through Kazuki''s volley. Finally, Southampton won with a score of 1-0 over Norwich City.


    However, in the next draw, Southampton will face Arsenal in the Carabao Cup. The next Carabao Cup match will definitely be fierce.


    In the 7th round, Southampton will welcome Tottenham at Saint Mary''s Stadium. This match will be a challenge for Southampton. Could The Saints got back to winning path after losing to Wolverhampton Wanderers? Or will they sink and go on a losing streak?


    Different from the previous season, this season Tottenham had undergone significant changes. Firstly, this was Andre-Villas Boas'' first season at Tottenham, replacing Harry Greenknap. Second, Tottenham''s main players now looked different from the previous season. This Tottenham change had an unfavorable impact on The Lilywhite, it could be seen from Tottenham''s record in 6 rounds of the Premier League. They only won 3 times, drew 1 time and lost 2 times.


    Losing players like Gareth Neill, and also coaches like Harry Greenknap, made Tottenham feel confused at the start of this season.


    "Good evening everyone, welcome to the 7th round of the Premier League between Southampton and Tottenham.


    Southampton will host Tottenham at their home, namely Saint Mary''s Stadium. Both teams have experienced changes this season, especially Tottenham. They lost players like Gareth Neill and Moric. It can be seen that the loss of these two players had a significant impact on Tottenham.


    They brought in Roberto Saldado from Valencia to replace the position left by Gareth Niell. In addition, in midfield they brought in Erik Lamela, and Christian Eriksen. So far, although these new players have performed quite well, unfortunately, they have not been able to fill the hole in Tottenham''s formation.


    In this match, Southampton will use the 4-2-3-1 formation again.


    Goalkeepers: Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Vicente, Hilton, Okhalo, Benson;


    Defensive midfielders: Orlando, Simone;


    Attacking midfielders: Rustan, Joe Bennet, Wright-Phillips;


    Front: Kazuki.


    On the other hand, Tottenham used a 4-3-3 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Llorente;


    Defenders: Zouma, Michael Dawson, Anderson, Kyle Walker;


    Midfielders: Flaminho, C. Eriksen, Moussa Dembele;


    Front: Saldado, Luminare, Shradder.


    Let''s watch the first half between Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur in the 7th round of the Premier League."

 Chapter 114 - Tottenham (2)

    Southampton started the first half kick-off. George devised his strategy against Tottenham. Compared to Leicester, George found Tottenham easier to deal with. The reason, Tottenham was very lacking in teamwork. In the few games, Tottenham had been analyzed. Their weak point was in midfielders. Christian Eriksen was not able to handle his duties as the core of the game.


    Eriksen was typically a constructive rather than creative midfielder. Eriksen rarely made long-range passes like Moric did, but he often made short passes to organize the team. It was a shame that Tottenham''s strategy was the opposite of Eriksen''s ability. This was a tactical mistake made by Andre-Villa Boas.


    In the 7th minute, Southampton began to attack Tottenham, the attack was initiated by the overlapping movement of Vicente''s figure. Vicente went into midfield, Simone who noticed Vicente''s movement immediately gave him a progressive pass. Vicente received the ball from Simone, at the same time Mousa Demb¨¦l¨¦ moved to stop Vicente.


    Joe Bennet appeared as a pass option. Vicente gave the ball to Bennett. As the ball approached him, Bennett flicked the ball to the left. Around him was Eriksen who was chasing Bennett. The attacking midfielder sent the ball to Kazuki. Then Kazuki returned the ball to Bennet when Bennet had passed Eriksen. Then, on the right side, Rustan broke into the Tottenham penalty box. Bennett gave Rustan a gouged pass.


    Rustan headed the ball slowly, then he sent a powerful shot towards the goalpost. Llorente charged towards the ball. He pounced on the ball nimbly. Southampton''s attack ended in failure, but it was a warning for Tottenham.


    On the sidelines, Andre-Villa Boas shouted angrily.


    "Don''t just walk, dammit! Run! Go after the ball! Don''t let them attack!" Boas used hands as a signal. Boas'' action that was so striking was also highlighted by the camera.


    The game continued, Tottenham was trying to attack Southampton. Eriksen gave the ball to Moussa Demb¨¦l¨¦ which went wide to the left. When receiving the ball, the figure of Orlando immediately hit Demb¨¦l¨¦. Demb¨¦l¨¦ seems to have lost his balance. Then, Rustan stole the ball from Demb¨¦l¨¦''s feet, he turned and sent a pass in the direction of Bennet.


    Bennett received the ball, he turned to the left and kicked the ball towards Wright-Phillips. Wright-Phillips dashed forward. He then pushed the ball diagonally into the penalty box. Kazuki ran quickly. Kazuki kicked the ball firmly towards the net. But Dawson blocked the kick. The ball bounced to the left. Zouma quickly grabbed the ball. He then adjusted his position and dashed forward. Wright-Phillips tried to hold off Zouma, but the defender ran too fast. Wright-Phillips tried to tug at Zouma''s shirt, but was too late.


    Zouma kicked the ball to the middle, Flaminho received the ball from Zouma. He then passed the ball forward. Shradder rushed towards the Southampton defense. He sent a cross into the penalty box. Luminaire adjusted his position and headed the ball. But the goalkeeper caught the ball easily.


    In the 10th minute, Southampton got a free kick in front of the penalty box. Bennet was the one who executed the free kick. Kazuki purposely gave the free kick to Bennett. On this day, Bennett played well, looks like he was in good perform.


    After the referee blew the whistle, Bennett kicked the ball hard. The ball curled past the human fence, it then grazed the right side of the goalpost. At that moment, Llorente jumped to the right. His finger managed to hit the ball, but the ball bounced into the net. Bennet immediately swung his arm vigorously. He did not expect his free kick to end with a goal.


    Southampton''s players hug Bennett. They congratulated Bennett. Meanwhile, Southampton fans cheered to celebrate the goal.


    "Goaaaall! Bennett had a quality free-kick. Southampton scored the first goal of the game."


    In the 18th minute, the game continued, Tottenham again tried to break into Southampton''s goal. Tottenham''s counter-attack started from Kyle Walker''s quick movement on the left side. The Tottenham left-back broke past Rustan. Then, he made a one-two with Flaminho after which he burst into the Southampton box. After that, he gave a flat pass to Saldado. Tottenham right-winger Saldado kicked the ball hardly.


    Hilton blocked Saldado''s kick. Then, the ball bounced in front of the penalty box. Simone met the ball and threw the ball off the field. Southampton managed to hold off Tottenham''s attack.


    In the 23rd minute, Orlando snatched the ball from Eriksen, and then he gave Simone a pass. The Southampton captain gave the ball to Rustan. Rustan was confronting with Kyle Walker, in a duel of speed, Rustan failed to beat Kyle Walker, but the Tottenham left-back failed to clear the ball properly, so that the corner kick was given to Southampton.


    Bennett got ready to kick the ball, he signaled to the Southampton players gathered in the Tottenham penalty area. As soon as the referee blew the whistle, Bennet kicked the ball hard. The ball curled into the penalty box. The players fought each other for the ball in the penalty box, finally, Anderson got the ball, he kicked the ball out of the penalty box.


    In the 28th minute, Tottenham got a very good chance. Eriksen''s movement in the middle failed to be guarded by Orlando and Simone. He broke away from the care of Eriksen''s midfielders. Then, he received the ball from Moussa Demb¨¦l¨¦, then penetrated into the penalty box.


    He then passed horizontally to the left, Shradder''s figure managed to kick the ball firmly into the net. Dean Smith''s leg outstretched, he managed to block the ball just in time. The ball was then discarded by Okhalo.


    In the 33rd minute, Bennet ran fast, he then received the ball, and tricked Eriksen, soon, he passed it. Bennet''s action caught the attention of Tottenham defenders. On the right side of the figure of Orlando entered the penalty box quietly. At the right moment, Bennett gave the ball to Orlando. At the same time, Rustan broke into the penalty box. Orlando gave Rustan a back-pass. Then, Rustan passed the ball to Kazuki.


    Kazuki adjusted his position, he gave a volley towards the goalpost. Llorente jumped up trying to hit the ball, but the shot was too strong and directed, so he failed to get the ball. The ball hits the net. Under the frozen stares of the Tottenham players, Kazuki scored Southampton''s second goal.


    The goal put tremendous pressure on Tottenham. After kick-off, the team nicknamed Lilywhite attacked Southampton fiercely. Southampton defended neatly, they were able to withstand the fierce pressure that Tottenham exerted. Until the first half ended, Tottenham failed to score. They ended the first half with their heads down. Tottenham trailed 2-0 to Southampton.


    In the second half, Tottenham must come back, or they will fail in this match.

 Chapter 115 - Tottenham (3)

    "Good job everyone, you did your best in the first half. I''m happy to see some players are in very good condition. I hope you could maintain your performance. In the second half, Tottenham will attack us. So defend well, do as instructed as I''ve set. Remember, even if Tottenham score a goal, you have to stay calm and follow our strategy."


    George gave his opinion. In this match, George hoped Southampton could win the game. Tottenham''s situation, which was still a bit chaotic, must be used as much as possible. On the other hand, he also believed his tactical level was higher than Andre-Villa Boas. Therefore, he believed that Boas'' adjustment will not cause difficulties for Southampton.


    The second half was about to start, the Southampton and also Tottenham players walked out of the hall. In the middle of the Hallway, Kazuki glanced at Kyle Walker, then he whispered to Rustan who was in front of him.


    "Who do you think is faster between you and the Tottenham left-back?" asked Kazuki idly. In this match, the two fastest players will definitely be Walker and Rustan. In the first half, Rustan and Kyle Walker seems matched, if Rustan was in a better position he would have won, but if Rustan and Walker were in the same position it was difficult for Rustan to break through Walker.


    Rustan narrowed his eyes and answered quietly, "He''s faster than me, but speed isn''t everything, I''m sure I can still break through."


    "It''s very strange to hear you say speed isn''t everything. Didn''t you almost cry when you were injured in the first place for fear of losing your speed?"


    "When? I forgot," replied Rustan while speeding away from Kazuki.


    At the start of the second half, Tottenham started the kick-off. Luminaire gave the ball to Saldado, then the ball was returned to Luminaire and the player kicked the ball back. Then Tottenham stretched the formation. The match officially started.


    Eriksen received the ball, the Tottenham midfielder kicked the ball into the back line. Southampton also stepped forward, Kazuki and wingers like Wright-Phillips and Rustan stepped up to put pressure on the Tottenham players.


    Tottenham''s back line made short passes calmly, then returned the ball to Eriksen. Tottenham launched the attack, Eriksen gave the ball to Moussa Demb¨¦l¨¦. Demb¨¦l¨¦ adjusted himself to avoid Orlando, who was chasing him. After that, he gave the pass far to the right. Saldado received the ball with his inside foot, at the same time, Benson rose to bring down Saldado. The Tottenham right-winger made a rainbow flick, so the ball went over Benson''s head and into the right side of the box.


    Saldado used his speed to catch the ball, but Hilton''s figure found the ball first, the Southampton center-back kicked the ball forward. Tottenham failed to attack.


    In the 50th minute, Tottenham attacked again. A one-two pass between Eriksen and Flaminho managed to make Flaminho escape from Simone''s guard. Flaminho then kicked the ball straight ahead. The striker, Luminaire, passed the ball to the left with his heel, Shradder running fast. He managed to get the ball before Vicente. Then, he crossed to the right. Saldado headed in, but the header was too weak as a result, Dean Smith took the ball easily.


    In the 55th minute, Okhalo managed to snatch the ball from Luminaire''s feet. After that, Okhalo provided the pass to Orlando. Eriksen tried to snatch the ball from Orlando''s feet however, Orlando was positioning himself with his back to Eriksen, so very difficult for Eriksen to get the ball. Then, Orlando gave the ball to Simone. Simone carried the ball briefly before releasing a pass to Joe Bennet.


    Bennett received the ball and then pushed past Dawson. He prepared to pass to Kazuki. But after he sent the ball, it turned out that the ball accidentally hit Dawson''s hand. Immediately after that Kazuki and Bennet raised their hands, they shouted handball in unison. The fans also shouted together. But the referee crossed his arms in a loud voice he said, "Dawson''s hand is passive, it''s not handball."


    Southampton was disappointed by the decision, but Tottenham''s players immediately launched an attack, so Southampton did not have time to submit their complaints to the referee. Dawson immediately provided a long pass forward. Eriksen received the ball and with one touch he passed it to Flaminho. Simone went to Flaminho and sent a tackle. Flaminho first gave the ball to Shradder, but Vicente managed to throw the ball off the field.


    Tottenham counter-attack failed. As soon as the attack stopped, several players approached the referee, trying to argue with the referee about handball. However, the referee did not heed them, even the referee threatened to give a yellow card if the Southampton players continued to protest. Finally, Southampton had to accept the unfair decision.


    In the 62nd minute, Zouma managed to intercept Bennet''s pass to Wright-Phillips. Immediately, Zouma pushed the ball forward rapidly. He shot in a straight line ahead. Simone moved to the left to stop Zouma. However, Zouma provided the pass to Flaminho, which Simone left behind. After that, Zouma ran past Simone.


    On the other hand, Flaminho immediately provided a breakthrough for Zouma. The ball went forward. Benson''s figure stepped forward to grab the ball in the air, however, Saldado moved to block Benson, so Zouma could receive the ball calmly and past Benson.


    On the left side of Southampton, Zouma provided a cross into the middle of the penalty box. The ball curled into the middle of the penalty box. Luminaire headed the ball firmly. Dean Smith leapt and reached for the ball. As a result, the ball bounced over the goalpost and gone off the field.


    Corner awarded to Tottenham. Eriksen will take the corner kick. Eriksen''s left foot was good enough that he was trusted by Andre-Villa Boas as one of the free kick takers. Soon, the referee blew the whistle loudly. The ball moved to the far post of the Southampton net.


    Orlando was dueling with Moussa Demb¨¦l¨¦, Demb¨¦l¨¦ managed to win the duel. He then headed the ball into the middle of the penalty box. In front of the goalmouth, Flaminho streched his foot forward. The ball then went into the Southampton goalpost.


    "Goaaaaaall! Tottenham caught up with a corner. Flaminho took advantage of the chaos in front of the box to kick the ball into the Southampton goalpost. Game On! Tottenham need just one goal to equalize."


    The goal sparked intense excitement for Tottenham. The players as well as the coaching staff celebrated the goal with joy. While, George was aware that this goal could trigger a wave of attacks from Tottenham. Because of that, he immediately gave instructions to the Southampton players to remain calm and follow his instructions.. Southampton then restarted the game with a kick-off.

 Chapter 116 - Tottenham (4)

    In the 68th minute, Tottenham again attacked Southampton. The attack was preceded by the movement of Flaminho. He passed to Saldado. Benson defended well, but Saldado passed the ball back to Zouma. Wright-Phillips tried to snatch the ball from Zouma''s feet. However, Zouma dodged it well, he then gave the ball to Anderson.


    Tottenham locked Southampton in their own defense area. Anderson, who received the ball from Zouma sent a long ball to the left. Shradder received the ball with his chest, at the same time, Kyle Walker ran through to the left side of the Southampton defense. Shradder gave him a through ball.


    The ball moved quickly towards the touchline, just before the ball went off the field, Kyle Walker pushed the ball into the penalty box. He then passed the figure of Vicente and ran into the penalty box. Moments later, Kyle Walker, who was preparing to provide a pass, was tackled by Orlando. Orlando''s tackle was clean, so the referee didn''t blow the whistle.


    In the 74th minute, Bennet provided a through ball to Kazuki. At that time, Kazuki was in such a bad position that he failed to get the ball. Tottenham goalkeeper Llorente took the ball first. Then, Llorente threw the ball to the left. Kyle Walker received the ball from Llorente, he pushed the ball forward. Simone prepared to tackle Kyle Walker, but at that time, Kyle Walker accelerated his run. It was so fast that Simone just skipped by Walker.


    Kyle Walker kept running. There were only two central defenders in front of him. Meanwhile, Tottenham had three players who were running alongside Walker. Hilton tried to block Walker, however, the Tottenham left-back changed the direction and moved past Hilton. Hilton''s hands tried to reach Walker''s figure but failed, as a result, Hilton fell and could only see Walker''s figure running fast.


    After entering the penalty box, Walker immediately provided the pass to Saldado. The Tottenham player kicked the ball towards the goalpost. However, Dean Smith managed to block it. The ball bounced in front of the goalpost, Luminaire volleyed it. Okhalo blocked Luminaire''s volley. Orlando came in and grabbed the rebound, then he threw the ball off the field.


    Tottenham was continuing to launch attacks on Southampton. Fortunately, Southampton was able to withstand the onslaught of Tottenham. They managed to form a solid defense in the face of Tottenham attack. Even though there was an opportunity to qualify, Tottenham failed to take advantage of the opportunity, so Southampton still led by one goal over Tottenham.


    Towards the final minutes of the game. Southampton launched a counterattack. Orlando snatches the ball from the feet of Moussa Demb¨¦l¨¦. Then, he passed the ball to Bennett. Bennet flicked the ball to the left, then passed the ball to Wright-Phillips. Wright-Phillips held the ball while Benson struck. He then sent the pass far forward.


    Benson kicked the ball, he crossed the ball go Kazuki. Kazuki had beaten Anderson in the penalty box, he headed the ball towards the left of the Tottenham goalpost. Llorente''s reaction this time was very good, in the end, Southampton failed to score. Until the game ended the score was still maintained, Southampton beaten Tottenham with a score of 2-1.


    At the end of the match, Andre Villa Boas received various sharp questions from the media. His poor performance made Boas a target for the media. The questions irritated Boas, he then left the press conference room. On the other hand, George expressed his joy in this victory. The reason was clear that Southampton was able to bounce back from the defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers.


    ***


    "We haven''t talked in a long time."


    Kazuki looked at the GM who was talking. Together with Southampton this season. Kazuki had done his best. He almost consistently scored goals in every match where Kazuki played, either as a starter or a substitute.


    Kazuki said sarcastically, "Lately [Dream Training] is getting more and more useless, what can I talk to you about?" The closer you get to the top, the harder it was to become stronger. This was what made the current Kazuki feel no progress at all by training in [Dream Training].


    "At least if you train here, it will be easier for you to maintain your performance at peak condition. Besides, don''t you want to hear what I have to say?" asked the GM with a smile.


    Kazuki narrowed his eyes and asked, "I want to hear it, tell me."


    "Now [Dream Training] has a new feature. This feature is called, Level up with your friend. You can appoint 5 soccer players to train with you here. First, [Dream Training] will copy 5 player data in real time, then [Training] Dream] will run AI based on the data of these 5 players.


    That AI will train with you here. AI can also grow in all aspects just like you. Of course, the growth speed aspect is only half your growth speed. Then after that, we will send the AI ??data to the original player you appointed. As a result, these players will unconsciously improve in terms of ability.


    You can change the player you appoint every day. That''s the latest feature of [Dream Training], how?"


    Kazuki''s eyes lit up. This feature could improve other players. Indirectly, Kazuki could improve the Japanese national team players. This could make the Japanese national team stronger as a whole. Of course there was also Southampton, but unlike the Japanese national team, the priority of improving Southampton''s players was lower than the Japanese national team.


    First, there was no guarantee the player he was improved on won''t move away from Southampton mid-season. Second, the Japanese national team will always be with Kazuki while Southampton won''t. Of course, this feature was also important for Kazuki to ensure that Southampton will be able to win the Premier League.


    However, for the sake of the Japanese national team, Kazuki will only provide a quota of 1 player out of 5 players he appointed for Southampton. Then, he will also replace the Southampton player he appointed every night.


    "Excellent feature. I take my word for it, [Dream Training] is really useful. However, GM, are players training here really not going to notice any oddities?"


    GM shook his head, "Their growth will not be as fast as yours, furthermore, they will probably only find their daily training effective."


    Kazuki''s new features make him even more confident in his pursuit of the 2012/2013 Premier League championship. Of course, even using this feature, it doesn''t mean Southampton will suddenly become a very strong team. However, there are many aspects that determine the strength of a team.


    But with this feature, Southampton''s progressives will definitely be better. Mature players will be able to maintain their better form, while younger players will find it easier to reach their best state. Kazuki hoped this feature would help him in winning more championships.. Until now on the senior stage, Kazuki had not achieved any championship despite having performed well.

 Chapter 117 - Arsenal

    In the 8th round of the English Premier League, Southampton faced Huddersfield. The promoted club had suffered 6 consecutive defeats and one draw. Southampton will play Huddersfield in an away match.


    The match took place with Southampton''s dominance so strong. They really dominate Huddersfield in possession and other aspects. However, until the first half ended, Southampton still failed to score because Huddersfield applied a tight defense at home. The goal was created in the second half in the 79th minute, through Simone''s header, which made good use of Kazuki''s free kick.


    This victory made Southampton snatch the first place from Chelsea. The club nicknamed the blues got a draw in this round. Chelsea overall collected 19 points from 8 matches, while Southampton won 21 points from 8 matches.


    Then, a week later, Southampton met Arsenal in the Carabao Cup. Southampton did not underestimate Arsenal, even though they knew that Arsenal might not be too focused on this Carabao Cup match.


    "Welcome to the Carabao Cup round 3 Southampton will travel to the Emirates Stadium to take on Arsenal.


    At the press conference, Arsene Winter expressed his opinion on the Carabao Cup. He criticized the FA for its overcrowded schedule. This is understandable because among the top five European leagues, only England who has two cups in one season.


    But on the other hand, I don''t think Arsene will field a second tier player, even if he underestimated the importance of the Carabao Cup. After all, the Carabao Cup and FA Cup are competitions where Arsenal has a chance to win. I''m pretty sure Arsene Winter doesn''t want to end the season with zero titles.


    Alright, let''s take a look at the formation of the two teams. First, Arsenal. On this evening, Arsenal fielded a 4-2-3-1 formation.


    Goalkeeper: Wojciech Szcz?sny


    Defenders: Carl Jenkinson, Laurent Koscielny, Vermaelen, Kieran Gibbs;


    Defensive midfielders: Mikel Arteta, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain;


    Attacking midfielders: Gervinho, Santi Cazorla, Theo Walcott;


    Front: Podolski.


    Southampton fielded a 4-3-3 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Luis Ognevo;


    Defenders: Freddy, Jimmy, Okhalo, Ben Carter;


    Midfielders: Wright-Phillips, Ryan, Orlando;


    Front: Rustan, Kazuki, Osmund.


    Alright, let''s watch the first half between Arsenal and Southampton."


    In this match, Osmund played as a left wing, with his pace it was easy for Osmund, although he rarely played on the left wing. At the beginning of the first half, Arsenal kick-off. Soon after, they had the ball.


    Despite Arsene Winter''s disparaging remarks about the Carabao Cup, Arsenal was really cares about this tournament. This could be seen clearly from the composition of Arsenal''s players, who were almost entirely the main players.


    With the composition of the main players, Arsenal would easily dominate the match. In the 8th minute, they pressed Southampton on the left, it was caused by Arsenal''s left back, Kieran Gibbs who actively helped Walcott in attacking Southampton. Freddy on the left was helped by Wright-Phillips to guard the Southampton''s defense


    However, Walcott''s individual action destroyed the efforts of Freddy and Wright-Phillips. Walcott passed the two players and then sent the pass to Podolski in the middle of the penalty box. The new Arsenal striker headed the ball into the goalpost, but Ognevo reactively caught the ball. The first attempt, Arsenal ended in failure. However, this is not the end of Arsenal''s dominance.


    In the 14th minute, Santi Cazorla broke free from Ryan''s defense with ease. He then received a pass from Oxlade-chamberlain. He spun around, swerving away from the Southampton''s defense, then he unleashed a long-range shot. Luckily, his shot missed the Southampton''s net.


    In the 23rd minute, Orlando stole the ball from Mikel Arteta''s feet. Then, he gave the ball to Ryan. The young player dribbled the ball forward. Then, he provided a through ball to the right. On the right side, Rustan collided with Kieran Gibbs'' speed. In the end, Rustan won the duel. Then, he sent a cross into the middle of the penalty box. Kazuki failed to receive the ball because Vermaelen headed the ball off the field.


    Southampton gets a corner kick. But the opportunity failed again when Wojciech Szcz?sny caught the ball in the air.


    In the 29th minute, Arsenal got a good chance. Teamwork between Theo Walcott and Santi Cazorla made the Southampton defense confused. At that moment, Cazorla immediately sent a pass to the right side. Gervinho received the pass and gave the ball to Podolski. The German player kicked the ball, but his shot was blocked by Jimmy.


    In the 37th minute, Arsenal got a free kick after Cazorla was brought down by Orlando in front of the penalty box. Cazorla executed a free kick well. The ball curled into the corner, but Ognevo guessed and saved Cazorla''s shot. The first half ended with Southampton, who was able to hold Arsenal 0-0 even though the Gunners continued to beat them.


    At the start of the second half, Arsene Winters brought on Aaron Ramsey to replace Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. While George entered Simone to replace Wright-Phillips. In the second half, Southampton played more attractively than in the first half.


    Southampton launched an attack in the 48th minute, Okhalo snatched the ball from Podolski''s feet, then he kicked the ball forward. Simone accepted the ball, the Southampton midfielder ran away from Ramsey who was trying to steal the ball, then, he passed the ball to Ben Carter who overlapped. Ben Carter dribbled the ball forward, when Arsenal''s players tried to knock him down, Ben Carter gave the ball to Ryan.


    Ryan penetrated the penalty box. Then, he gave a back-pass to Osmund. A second later, Osmund poked the ball to the right. Rustan came and kicked the ball hard. However, the Arsenal goalkeeper parried the ball well. A moment later, Koscielny grabbed the rebound ball and threw it off the field.


    In the 55th minute, Arsenal got a golden opportunity. Gervinho took advantage of Ben Carter''s pass error. He raced and snatched the ball from Carter, then dribbled diagonally into the box. Faced with Okhalo, he immediately provided a cut-back pass to Cazorla. The Spaniard then kicked the ball firmly towards the goalpost.


    Ognevo managed to touch the ball, but the ball could not be stopped. Finally, Southampton''s net vibrated, Arsenal managed to break the deadlock with Santi Cazorla''s goal. The Arsenal players and fans who attended immediately celebrated the goal. The Southampton players could only look down at Arsenal, who celebrated a goal.


    In the 67th minute, Southampton tried to score. This time, Simone received a pass from Ryan, then he kicked the ball firmly from outside of the penalty box. The ball hits the top post and bounces in front of the goalpost. Kazuki broke free from the guard of the two Arsenal defenders as Simone passed the ball, so he easily kicked the ball into the net. Arsenal goalkeeper failed to save the goalpost.. Southampton equalized 1-1.

 Chapter 118 - Arsenal(2)

    In the 75th minute, Southampton launched a counter-attack. Hilton kicked the ball forward powerfully. Rustan immediately chased after him, he raced with Kieran Gibbs to reach the ball. Rustan ran early, so he had the advantage over Gibbs, but the Arsenal left-back held onto Rustan''s shirt so tightly that the Southampton man struggled to show his best pace.


    Rustan passed the ball into the middle, he knew if he continued to carry the ball, then Gibbs might steal the ball from him, so Rustan forced to pass the ball. Kazuki received the ball and dribbled it forward. Vermaelen used his body to push Kazuki aside, Vermaelen''s push made it difficult for the Japanese player to aim at the goalpost. Finally, Kazuki''s kick deviated from the net.


    In the 88th minute, Arsenal launched an attack, Mikel Arteta gave the ball to Gervinho. The Arsenal right-wing gave the ball back to Santi Cazorla. Simone gave Cazorla a tight press, but the Spaniard was too slippery for Simone to guard. As a result, Cazorla was able to provide a flat pass to Arteta who went up to the front. Arteta then provided a floating ball to the left.


    Theo Walcott penetrates into the Southampton''s penalty box. He managed to receive the ball, but the Saints defenders kept Theo tight, so the wonderkid struggled to break through the crowd of Southampton defenders.


    In difficult circumstances, Theo first pushed the ball through the gap between Freddy''s legs, then, he slipped past Freddy and was about to receive the ball, but Jimmy immediately blocked Theo Walcott''s movement, so the player was fell. At that moment, the ball slipped out of Jimmy''s control. Walcott immediately stood up and kicked the ball into the middle.


    Podolski passed the Southampton players and kicked the ball which in front of him with power. The ball slid strongly towards the goalpost. The Southampton goalkeeper, Luis Ognevo jumped and parried the ball with his fist. The ball was thrown to the right side of the penalty box. Gervinho swiftly preceded Ben Carter, then, he provided a cut-back pass to the front of the penalty box. Cazorla received the ball and sent a through ball. Walcott escaped from the guard, he immediately kicked the ball from Cazorla with great force. As a result, Southampton conceded the second goal.


    Luis Ognevo failed to catch Walcott''s shot, the reason was that ball hit Okhalo''s body before entered the goalpost. This made Ognevo wrong in assessing the direction of the ball. This put Arsenal ahead of Southampton, and the Saints did not have much time to equalize.


    Until the end of the game, Southampton failed to score a second goal. As a result, Arsenal had beaten The Saint in the third round of the Carabao Cup. This failure made Southampton realize that their team was not strong enough to face multiple competitions. Maybe it was best if Southampton just focus on the league.


    This defeat was Southampton''s second defeat of the season. After the game was over. Several media revealed again that Southampton had run out of oil. There were many who believe Southampton''s good form at the start of the season will soon crumble.


    The 9th round of the English Premier League again presented a challenge for Southampton. They will host Everton. People were still wondering if Southampton could really continue their good form in the league?


    On the other hand, Kazuki started running the new feature [Dream Training] he appointed players like Misaki Taro, and Isagi Yoichi from the Japanese national team. Meanwhile, from Southampton, Kazuki was more focused on strengthening the midfield players first. However, a good midfield support will make it easier for Kazuki to score goals.


    A few days later, the match against Everton arrived. The day before the match, George surprised the Southampton players by not including Kazuki in the starting line-up. Rotation was one of the reasons why George didn''t play Kazuki. The Japanese player had played the full of Carabao Cup match against Arsenal, George was worried that Kazuki would experience injury, so he let Kazuki warm up the bench in this match.


    "Good evening everyone, welcome to the 9th round of the Premier League. In this match, Everton will visit Southampton''s house.


    A surprise issued by Southampton. They didn''t place Southampton''s most goalscorer, namely Kazuki. With Kazuki''s absence, I''m sure Everton will heave a sigh of relief. On the Everton side themselves, despite having changed coaches, while their previous coach, David Moyes moved to Manchester United, while Moyes'' job at Everton was replaced by Rafael Benitez who was sacked from Intermilan last season.


    Under Benitez coaching, the team nicknamed The Toffees performed quite well by packing 5 wins and 3 draws and 1 defeat. This result is not a bad result for a team like Everton. However, their opponent is Southampton, who at the start of this season appeared impressively. The Saints have only lost once, against Wolverhampton Wanderers.


    In this match, Southampton used a 4-3-3 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Vicente, Okhalo, Hilton, Benson;


    Midfielders: Simone, Joe Bennet, Rudolf;


    Front: Crage, Osmund, Kunde;


    Meanwhile, Everton use a 4-3-2-1 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Tim Howard;


    Defenders: Tony Hillbert, Phil Jagielka, Sylvain Distin, Leighton Baines;


    Defensive midfielders: Seamus Coleman, Darren Gibson, Steven Pienaar;


    Attacking midfielders: Fellaini, Leon Osman;


    Front: Nikica Jelavic.


    At the Southampton side, they did not feature Rustan, a winger who had been a mainstay at the start of the season. Ryan was also absent, which was a surprise, because apart from Kazuki, he was the most consistent young player at Southampton. Then, as expected, Kazuki didn''t play as a starter.


    Meanwhile, Everton use their main formation in the hands of Benitez. Nikica Jelavic is now getting more minutes than Belliand. Meanwhile, several Everton players have also performed very well under Benitez''s coaching.


    All right, let''s watch the first half of the game between Southampton and Everton."


    Under Benitez, Everton had become more flexible than ever before. Everton could change their formation from 4-3-2-1 to 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 depending on which they need. When they want to control the ball, the formation changes to a 4-3-3, it all changes depending on the situation on the pitch.


    Darren Gibson became the most important player of the tactics used by Benitez at Everton. His role, whether in defense or attack was very critical. Darren Gibson''s main task was to provide assistance at the back and front lines according to conditions on the pitch. Darren''s ability to read situations and his individual skills was enough to place Darren at the level of a big club player.


    It''s a shame because Darren also has a fatal weakness, which was not good at marking opposing players. So far, Benitez had outsmarted Darren''s weakness by bringing Steven Pienaar''s figure closer to the middle.. Despite his weaknesses, Darren was a player that Southampton should keep an eye on.

 Chapter 119 - Everton

    At the start of the game, the intensity of the game was not so high. Both teams were still trying to build attacks. In midfield, Bennet was very active around the pitch to help Southampton build attacks. Pienaar and Darren Gibson pressed tirelessly in midfield to stop Bennett. The constant pressure from Everton clearly made Southampton uncomfortable.


    In this match, Crage and Kounde played more centrally, so they often helped Southampton in dealing with the pressure exerted by Everton.


    In the 7th minute, Simone made a long pass into the right area, but Crage lost the duel for the ball against Baines. Everton did not immediately counter-attack, instead they let Darren Gibson set the attack. The reason was that Southampton have not been provoked forward, overall Southampton still maintains two lines of defense.


    In the 12th minute, Bennet stepped up to press Darren. However, the Everton player managed to move Bennet, so Darren easily passed Bennet. Then, Darren sent a pass to Coleman. At the same time, Tony rushed forward to overlap. Coleman gave the ball to Fellaini. The Everton attacking midfielder held the ball firmly, he tried to avoid the figure of Rudolf, who tried to steal the ball from him.


    Fellaini provided a pass for Jelavic who went backward. Jelavic, with his back to Hilton, then provided a through ball to the right. Tony Hillbert, Everton''s right-back, immediately competed with Benson for the ball. Just before the ball crossed the touchline, Tony pulled the ball back. Then, he sent the ball back to Fellaini.


    It did not take long for Fellaini to launch a cross to the left. Baines figure headed the ball into the middle. There was Nikola Jelavic who was looked after by Hilton while Okhalo guarded Leon Osman. Jelavic held Hilton with his hands, then he pushed the ball towards Osman. Leon Osman ran and kicked the ball. Too bad, Okhalo managed to hold the ball with his feet.


    Everton attack failed to result in a goal.


    In the 18th minute, Darren sent a long ball forward. Simone kept Osman from moving. The two players duel for the ball. Simone managed to secure the ball, he then gave a pass to his partner, Rudolf. Fellaini immediately came and disturbed Rudolf. As a result, Rudolf made a mistake, he gave a pass that was too weak to Bennet, so Darren Gibson managed to intercept.


    Gibson dribbled the ball forward. He gave a flat pass towards Leon Osman. Osman ran to do a body charge on Simone, who tried to get close to him, then he approached the ball and pushed it forward. Jelavic ran backward and returned the ball to Fellaini. The Belgian player then sent a pass to Tony Hillbert who overlapped. Hilbert received the ball and pushed his way through the gap between Benson and Hilton.


    After that, Hilbert provided a cross into the middle of the penalty box. Nikola Jelavic dueled in the air against Okhalo, the Southampton center-back won the duel. He managed to head the ball to the right. Vicente, who got the ball immediately threw it off the field. Everton attack failed again.


    At the beginning of the first half, Everton played aggressively, especially their two fullbacks, namely Tony Hillbert and Leighton Baines. They do not hesitate to attack forward in place of the winger. While Fellaini and Leon Osman played in half-space, namely the corridor between the flank area and middle area


    It''s a shame that the overlap of the two fullbacks could not be utilized properly by Southampton. The reason was because Crage and Kounde were both pulled a bit to the middle, so there was Everton defenders who guard them. This was clearly George''s tactical error. It showed that Benitez''s coaching level was better than George''s.


    In the 25th minute, Southampton counter-attacked for the first time in this game. Simone this time managed to cut the Everton attack well. He then gave the ball to Rudolf. Fellaini again tried to annoy Rudolf, but this time Rudolf didn''t panic, he made the right pass. Benson received a pass from Rudolf, he then flicked the ball to the side. The reason, to stay away from Tony Hillbert who was guarding him.


    Benson then kicked the ball powerfully forward. Bennett received a pass with his chest, he then gave the ball to Crage. The Southampton player received a pass from Bennet while avoiding Steven Pienaar, who tried to steal the ball from him. Crage then gave the ball through to Osmund. The ball was too strong, Tim Howard reached the ball ahead of Osmund. Finally, Southampton''s attack failed.


    Osmund gave Crage a thumbs up. Even though the ball was too strong, he appreciated Crage''s breakthrough pass. Meanwhile, Crage seems to regret his poor pass. On the side of the field, there was the figure of George, who was pacing back and forth. He looked worried about this match.


    Even so, George did not regret his choice to not playing Kazuki. As Southampton''s asset, George didn''t want Kazuki to be exhausted. That was why he rotated. Even though he knew, Kazuki''s role was really important in Southampton.


    In the 31st minute, Darren Gibson again stole the ball from Bennet''s feet. Gibson immediately kicked the ball to the side. Steven Pienaar walked slightly wide to the left side. Crage tried to catch him, but Steven used his outside foot to kick the ball towards Leighton Baines who did overlap. Baines received the ball from Steven, he then gave the ball to Leon Osman, who fell behind. Simone chased Osman but the Everton player quickly gave the ball to Darren Gibson who was moving in the opposite direction.


    Darren Gibson then dribbled the ball into the penalty box. As Okhalo stepped up to knock him out, Gibson quickly crossed for Fellaini. However, when Fellaini was about to receive the ball, Rudolf immediately tackled him.


    Rudolf''s tackle hit Fellaini''s leg, causing Fellaini to fall and howl in pain. Rudolf felt his tackle didn''t really hit Fellaini''s leg, so he immediately told Fellaini to get up. The Everton players pulled Rudolf away from Fellaini. Then, the referee came and gave Rudolf a yellow card. Both teams protested, Everton felt Rudolf deserved a red card, while Southampton felt a yellow card was too much.


    In the end, Rudolf could not escape the yellow card. Immediately after, Rudolf got a yellow card. Fellini, who was carried off the pitch on a stretcher, now stands up and walks towards the free-kick point. Rudolf gave Fellaini an annoyed look as he said, "You can win an Oscar with your acting, you bastard."


    The match resumed. Fellaini became the one who executed the free kick. He kicked the ball after the referee blew the whistle. The ball went to the front of the penalty box. Darren Gibson received the ball with his chest and kicked the ball with his feet before it hits the ground. The ball bounced high and fell in front of the goalpost. Nikola Jelavic launched his body in the air and headed the ball.. Too bad the ball hit the post and went off the pitch.

 Chapter 120 - Everton(2)

    In the 39th minute, Southampton launched again an attack. First, Benson managed to steal the ball from Tony Hilbert. Then he immediately ran straight ahead. Tony Hilbert trailed behind Benson, so the lane in front of Benson was completely empty. Coleman moves to the left to close the lane on the left. However, it makes Crage more free. Benson passed the ball to Crage. At that time, Phil Jagielka stepped forward to take down Crage. Fortunately, the player managed to send a back-pass to Simone.


    With one touch, Simone sent a through ball to Bennet. Bennett won the duel against Darren Gibson, then he entered the penalty box while dribbling the ball. Soon, he kicked the ball towards the goalpost. Tim Howard leaped to hold the ball. His hand managed to reach the ball, then pushed the ball away from the net. The ball bounced in front of the penalty box, Rudolf arrived and took a long-range shot from outside the box.


    The ball was far from the target, so the opportunity was wasted. In the final minutes of the game, both teams began to attack each other. However, they both failed to break the deadlock in the end, Southampton being held to a draw by Everton in the first half.


    In the second half, George immediately entered Rustan to replace Crage. Then he also included Ryan to replace Kounde. In George''s design, Ryan will play as a false nine, while Osmund will go to the left in place of Kounde. With Ryan dropping into midfield, it will certainly make it easier for Joe Bennet.


    Meanwhile, Everton also made substitutions. First they entered Ross Barkley to replace Leon Osman. Then they replaced Coleman with Steven Naishmith. Overall, Everton formation changed from 4-3-2-1 to 4-2-3-1 with Darren Gibson and Steven Pienaar as defensive midfielders and Fellaini as attacking midfielders.


    Everton started the second half kick-off. At the start of the game, they immediately controlled the ball. Southampton''s press with low intensity towards Everton. At the start of the second half, both teams played it safe.


    Only in the 49th minute, opportunities arose. Simone managed to tackle Fellaini. He snatched the ball from the Everton midfielder. Then, Simone gave the ball to Joe Bennet. Darren as usual tried to steal the ball from Bennet, but when Darren Gibson advanced, Joe Bennet immediately sent a pass to Ryan. Steven Pienaar tried to keep Ryan but the Southampton player was too slippery, he got past Pienaar and provided Rustan with a through ball.


    The Southampton right-winger ran fast, he pushed the ball into the middle of the penalty box and penetrated. Rustan was then surrounded by Everton defenders, so he had to give Ryan a pass.


    Ryan received a pass from Rustan. He then flicked the ball to the left and kicked it. Unfortunately, Ryan''s kick hit the Everton player''s body, so it bounced to the left. Sylvain Distin heads the ball off the field. Southampton''s chances finally ended in failure. However, this attack made Southampton even more confident.


    In the 57th minute, Jagielka managed to cut off Bennet''s pass to Ryan. After that, he immediately gave the ball to Pienaar. Bennet chased Pienaar, but the player quickly found a through ball to Darren Gibson''s running figure. Darren received a flat pass from Pienaar. Then he gave the ball to Tony Hilbert. Tony stepped up and passed Fellaini. The Everton attacking midfielder avoided Simone and provided a through ball to the right.


    Rose Barkley ran fast. In the face of Benson, Rose made a step-over before kicking the ball past Benson. Then he chased the ball, Rose then made a cut-inside into the penalty box. Hilton ran towards him, he blocked Rose''s running path. Rose provided the pass to Fellaini. Fellaini sent a cross to the far post.


    Naishmith comes in and volleyed the ball. The ball was blocked by Dean Smith. Finally, the ball bounced off the field. Everton only get a corner-kick only.


    In the 66th minute, Jagielka gave a pass far to the left. Leighton Baines received the ball and gave it to Steven Pienaar. Southampton defensive midfielder Rudolf tried to snatch the ball from Pienaar. Pienaar passed the ball to Darren Gibson. Darren Gibson in a one-on-one situation with Joe Bennet.


    Darren Gibson leaned to the right, then quickly pushed the ball to the left. Bennet reacted swiftly to steal the ball from Gibson, but Gibson pushed the ball to the right with his left. Gibson managed to break through Bennett.


    The Everton forward moved themselves after seeing Gibson break through Bennett. However, this time Gibson did not choose to pass the ball, he kicked the ball firmly from outside the penalty. Dean Smith jumped and blocked Gibson''s kick. However, the ball bounced off the field. Corner-kick for Everton.


    Rose Barkley took the corner. The Everton players, including the tall center-back, gathered in the Southampton penalty box.


    Rose Barkley kicked the ball after the referee''s whistle sounded. The ball flew into the area in front of the goalpost. Okhalo, Southampton center-back, duel with Nikola Jelavic. Luckily, Okhalo won the duel. The ball bounced to front of the penalty box. Ryan received the ball, but Jagielka, the Everton center-back, snatched the ball from Ryan''s feet. After that, he gave a hard kick to Dean Smith. The kick hit the post and bounced off the field.


    In the 74th minute, George finally put Kazuki into the match. He replaced Osmund, who performed poorly as a left wing. Ryan will move to the left, while Kazuki returns to the center as a striker. The inclusion of Kazuki will certainly get extra attention from the Everton players.


    In the 83rd minute, Southampton got a chance. Simone made a clean tackle to bring down the overlapping Leighton Baines. Without saying much he gave a long pass towards Rustan who was free from guard. Rustan relied on his speed to overtake the Everton defender and receive the ball.


    He then dribbled into the penalty box. After that, Rustan was blocked by Jagielka. In front of Jagielka, Rustan pushed the ball to the right then pulled it to the left quickly. Jagielka looked calm in the face of Rustan''s trick, he then stuck his foot out to reach the ball to Rustan''s left. But Rustan kicked the ball through the gap between Jagielka''s legs.


    The ball went to the goalmouth. Kazuki was able to reach the ball, but his position was too narrow, so he pushed the ball to the right. Ryan immediately appeared, then pushed the ball into the unguarded net. Southampton managed to score a goal in the 84th minute. This goal became the only goal that was created in this match.. Southampton won the 9th round of the Premier League.

 Chapter 121 - WBA

    In the 10th round, Southampton faced West Bromwhich Albion. In this round, Southampton fielded the main players from the start. Southampton used a 4-2-3-1 formation. Dean Smith appeared as the goalkeeper. The fullback position was again filled by Freddy and Benson. The position of center back was filled by the duo Hilton and Okhalo.


    The defensive midfield duo in midfield were Simone and Orlando. Rudolf got a suspension of accumulation of 3 yellow cards. Then, Joe Bennet returned to the start even though his performance in the match against Everton was less than satisfactory. On the wings Rustan and Ryan filled the right and left wings. Then as usual, Kazuki occupied the striker position.


    On the other hand, West Bromwhich Albion hadn''t changed much compared to last season. The figure of Ben Foster was still guarding the West Brom goalpost. Then West Brom''s midfield duo were Liam Ridgewell and Gareth McAurey. Jonas Olsson at left-back and Billy Jones at right-back.


    In the middle, Morrison filled the right midfielder position. Then there was the figure of Claudio Yacub who became the defensive midfielder, he replaced George Thorne who last season played as the main player. Next, Yousuf Mulumbu from the Democratic Congo. Finally Chris Brunt on the left.


    Up front was Romelu Lukaku, a Belgian player who has impressed this season. So far he has collected 4 goals. He was a duet with Shane Long, a player from Ireland. Overall West Brom used a 4-4-2 formation.


    At the start of the match, West Brom immediately started the first half kick-off. In this match, Southampton played at a low tempo early in the first half. They let West Brom play with the ball, while they themselves built block areas in midfield. This block area was created with a formation shape set by George Eastgate. This shape aims to force West Brom to play on the wings.


    In the 4th minute, Jonas Olsson gave a pass to Claudio Yacub, but Bennet''s figure overshadowed Yacub, so he couldn''t play the ball comfortably, then, Yacub forced the pass forward. Before Yousuf Mulumbu received the ball, Orlando cut it first. Soon, Orlando sent the ball towards the right wing. Rustan gave the ball back to Freddy.


    The Southampton right-back again provided a through ball forward. Rustan duel with West Brom left back, namely Jonas Olsson. Even though Olsson often plays on the left, but he was not a pure left back, so Olsson''s speed was loose compared to Rustan''s. The Southampton winger provided a pass into the middle of the penalty box.


    Kazuki tried to get the ball, but he was blocked by McAurey. Then, Ridgewell took the opportunity to head the ball weakly forward. Claudio Yacub received the ball and then gave it to Billy Jones. West Brom reorganized the formation.


    Southampton failed to score but they remain confident to keep pressing West Brom. In the 10th minute, Olsson sent a progressive pass towards Chris Brunt. The West Brom left midfielder brought the ball forward and then tried to provide a cross into the penalty box. Too bad Simone cut the crossing pass with his foot. He then gave the ball to Hilton.


    Hilton gave Okhalo the ball. Okhalo took the ball and passed it to Benson. Benson stepped forward, he took the ball into the middle, but James Morrison soon blocked Benson''s path. Benson gave Orlando the ball, the Southampton defensive midfielder gave the ball to Ryan.


    Ryan gently returned the ball to Benson who went past Morrison. Benson dribbled the ball into the middle quickly. Claudio Yousuf chased Benson but the Southampton left-back gave a low pass to the side. Bennett received the ball, and gave the ball to Rustan.


    The Southampton right winger pushed the ball into the penalty box, he penetrated into the penalty box. Rustan changed the direction of the ball, as Ridgewell tried to steal the ball from him, he gave Kazuki a flat pass. Kazuki was running tried to get away from McAurey, he stuck out his leg to change the direction of the ball. He managed to change the ball direction, but unfortunately the ball positively caught by Ben Foster''s arms.


    Southampton again failed to attack West Brom. However, this attack shows how strong Southampton''s defense was. Without a good defense, it was difficult for a team to launch an attack. Simone who blocked Chris Brunt''s cross was a key player in this attack.


    In the 17th minute, it was West Brom''s turn to get a chance. The attack was initiated by Claudio Yacub who managed to tackle Bennett who was dribbling the ball. As soon as Claudio Yacub stole the ball from Bennet''s feet, he then gave the ball to Yousuf Mulumbu. Orlando rose and was about to push Mulumbu down with his bodies, however, Mulumbu had enough strength to withstand the pressure from Orlando. Then, Mulumbu turned past Orlando and dribbled the ball forward.


    In front of the penalty box, Mulumbu gave the ball to Shane Long who went down. Shane Long was guarded by Okhalo, but he cleverly back-passed into the box behind him. Lukaku seemed to understand Shane Long''s intentions, so he moved behind Okhalo as soon as the ball came in, Lukaku pushed the ball forward and delivered a powerful shot towards goalpost.


    The ball slid so fast to the right side of the goalpost. However, the direction of the ball was too wide, so the ball went outside the penalty box. West Brom failed to take advantage of the opportunities they got. They also failed to get their first shot on target.


    In the 24th minute, West Brom tried their luck by attacking from the middle. Claudio Yacub pushed the ball forward and provided a flat pass towards Yousuf Mulumbu. However, this time Bennet could cut the ball by sliding on the grass. Then Bennet got up and gave a pass to Freddy who rose to the front. Freddy received Bennet''s pass and brought it to the front of the penalty box.


    Freddy faced Ridgewell, he pushed the ball to the right, then broke through to the left quickly. Ridgewell was able to catch up to Freddy''s pace and not be fooled by his tricks. But at that moment, Freddy turned his body while pulling the ball to the right. He changed the direction of the ball so well that Ridgewell struggled to catch Freddy. Southampton''s right-back broke into the penalty box.


    Freddy gave a flat pass towards Kazuki. With only McAurey''s guard, Kazuki was able to easily break free and get into a good position, he then received the ball from Freddy and kicked it into the net. The ball slid straight into the center of the goalpost.. Ben Foster stretched his arms ready to catch the ball but the ball slipped between Ben Foster''s legs and easily went into the West Bromwich Albion net.

 Chapter 122 - WBA(2)

    The West Bromwich Albion coach patted his forehead and shook his head. He felt helpless with Southampton''s goal. It was Ridgewell''s fault for failing to guard Freddy well, but McAurey also failed to keep Kazuki. However, this was only a manifestation of the difference in the quality of Southampton and West Brom players. Kazuki definitely a top striker, despite Freddy''s up and down performance but he had always been Southampton''s mainstay on the right side.


    West Brom restarted the game. They did the kick-off after Kazuki and his friends finished the celebration. After the game started again, West Brom tried to build-up attacks. But the pressure exerted by Southampton, made the West Brom players uncomfortable in building attacks.


    In the 29th minute, Claudio Yacub provided a pass to the right. There was James Morrison who received the ball. However, Benson rose and immediately made a tackle from the front. Benson''s tackle was clean, so the referee didn''t blow the whistle. Morrison fell while Benson got the ball. Soon, Benson gave the ball to Bennet.


    Bennet ran and carried the ball quickly. Ryan moved from the left to the center, Benent immediately gave Ryan a pass. Just then, Kazuki moved to the right so the center back players moved slightly to the right. Seeing a gap in front of him, Bennet immediately ran to the penalty box. Ryan, who saw that, gave him a through ball. Then, Bennett received the ball and shot the ball powerfully. Ben Foster was still strong in saving the ball, he parried Bennet''s shot with his hand.


    McAurey received the rebound. He then threw it away quickly before another Southampton player grabbed the ball. Southampton''s attack failed to break into the West Brom goalpost. However, the attack had managed to make the West Brom''s defense felt threatened.


    In the 36th minute, West Brom got a second chance. They launched a counterattack. Simone''s long shot was caught by Ben Foster. The goalkeeper then throws the ball far forward. Yousuf Mulumbu jumped to duel with Orlando. Their heads clashed to the ball. This time Yousuf managed to head the ball to the right. Morrison quickly grabbed the ball before Benson got it.


    Morrison immediately gave a pass towards Shane Long. Okhalo made a body charge, the Irish striker resisted Okhalo''s physical confrontation and then provided a through ball towards Lukaku. The 20-year-old used his physique to push Hilton away from the ball, he then got a pass from Shane Long and kicked the ball firmly.


    The ball hit the top post and flew high. Lukaku approached trying to guess where the ball fell. But the ball fell close to Dean Smith, so the goalkeeper caught the ball easily.


    In the 41st minute, Southampton got a corner kick. Ryan executed the corner kick. This time Ryan kicked the ball slowly towards Benson who was nearby. Then Benson gave a cross into the middle of the penalty box. The crowd of players in the penalty box tried to fight over the ball, but it was Kazuki who managed to head the ball. Too bad his header deviated from the target.


    The first half ended with Southampton winning 1-0 over West Bromwich Albion. Statistically, Southampton really dominated the match, even though West Brom actually had several chances. Blocking the area in the middle made it difficult for West Brom to pass the ball from the middle so that the right and left sides became options. Fortunately, the Southampton fullback and the support of the central midfielder were able to stem West Brom''s counter-attack.


    In the second half, West Brom made a substitution. They replaced Shane Long with Markus Rosenberg. This change was intended to strengthen West Brom''s midfield. On Southampton''s side they made no substitutions at all. The composition of the players was still in good condition. Even so, George may save a substitution quota for the 70th minute and above.


    West Bromwich Albion''s second half match against Southampton began with the kick-off of The Saints. In the second half, Southampton tried to control the ball as much as possible. They want to control the rhythm of the game and also minimize the possibility of West Brom''s counter-attack.


    Bennet did a good job of maintaining connectivity between lines. West Brom who added strength in midfield tried to snatch the ball from Southampton. But very difficult. Southampton players were very compact in possession of the ball. The positioning of players was the key to Southampton''s success in controlling the ball.


    An attack began in the 56th minute, Bennett moved to the left to attract the attention of Claudio Yacub. Bennet then provided a pass into the middle. Orlando moved forward and received a pass from Bennet. Then he passed the ball to Kazuki. the Japanese player returned the ball back to Simone.


    breakthrough pass given to the right by Simone. Rustan chased the ball from the side. He beaten Olsson and received the ball from Simone. Then he sent a pass to Ryan on the left. Ryan provided a cut-back to Bennett. The young player from the Manchester United Academy kicked the ball into the top right corner.


    West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Ben Foster leapt to the right. He reached for the ball and pushed the ball away from the goalpost. The ball was pushed off the field. Corner for Southampton. Ryan again executed a corner kick. He gave a short pass to Freddy. Then, Freddy gave a back-pass to Ryan who moved behind him. Ryan sent pass into the left post of the goalpost. Benson came unguarded, he then stuck his foot out and deflected the ball into the net.


    Benson''s goal put Southampton ahead for the second time over West Bromwich Albion. The Saints were getting closer to their ninth win. Of course, if Southampton win, they will be stronger at the top of the table.


    This goal also made George Eastgate did a passionate celebration. This good start to the season certainly made George even happier. He will get a lot of bonuses if he managed to bring Southampton at least to the Champions League zone. How about the champion? For the moment George wasn''t dare to think about that. The stronger the desire to win, the burden on the players will increase. George didn''t want that to happen.


    After the goal, Southampton continued to control the game in the second half. West Brom several times tried to launch a counterattack. However, Southampton''s defense this time was quite solid. They could suppressed West Brom attacks. Until the end of the match Southampton continued to maintain a 2-0 lead over West Brom.


    This victory made the big media start exaggerating Southampton. The Sun even challenged The Big Six to beat Southampton otherwise the EPL Championship this season would fall into Southampton''s hands. Southampton had beaten City as well as Tottenham. Next they will face Liverpool''s challenge.. The champions of the Premier League a previous season.

 Chapter 123 - Liverpool

    At his pre-match press conference, Ralf Ragnick confidently said he would beat Southampton. One of Liverpool''s shortcomings this season appeared in the back line. Van Dyke wa injured again along with Matip who was also injured. This made Liverpool''s defense more fragile than usual. On the other hand, Sisinho''s performance up front was also unstable this season.


    Ironically, that Liverpool''s midfield was now the strongest sector owned by the Reds. The arrival of players such as Tony Cross who had played against Southampton while he still in Bayern Munich uniform, then Maddison who last season was at Leicester and lastly Coutinho. The Brazilian was less well known but he has played quite well at the start of the season.


    "Welcome everyone, I, Jim Kaglin, accompanied by Carragher here, will accompany you to watch the 11th round of the Premier League. This time Southampton will host Liverpool at Saint Marry''s Stadium.


    At the moment Southampton are firmly at the top of the table with 24 points while Chelsea are trailing behind them with 22 points. Liverpool are stranded in 7th position with 15 points. Van Dyke''s injury at the start of the season made Liverpool''s defense fragile. It will be very interesting to see if Southampton will be able to beat Liverpool like they beat Tottenham and also City or if Liverpool will give Southampton their second defeat in the league."


    Carragher then explained his opinion, "Liverpool had a chance to beat Southampton. Arsenal beat Southampton, even though Southampton were playing with half a substitute players at the time. Wolverhampton also beat Southampton. I don''t think this team is so perfect. The only thing that makes this team look strong is Kazuki''s presence."


    "So do you think Kazuki was the only player who brought Southampton to the top of the table?" asked Jim Kaglin.


    "That''s not what I mean, of course there are some other players who are doing well but you can''t deny that half of Southampton''s achievement now is the presence of this Japanese player," explained Carragher.


    "Okay then let''s look at the formation of the two teams. In this match Southampton fielded a 4-2-3-1 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Freddy, Okhalo, Hilton, Ben Carter;


    Defensive midfielders: Simone, Rudolf;


    Attacking midfielders: Rustan, Ryan, Wright-Phillips;


    Front: Kazuki;


    Meanwhile Liverpool lowered the 3-5-2 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Jim Becker;


    Central defenders: Glen Johnson, Joe Gomez, Luis Enrique;


    Midfielders: Coutinho, Henderson, Steven Roger, Tony Cross, Maddison;


    Forwards: Ahmed, Sisinho;


    It is very surprising to see Liverpool playing with only 1 pure central defender namely Gomez. It looks like Henderson or Gerrard will step down and become a central defender for Liverpool. Meanwhile, Ragnick seems to want to take advantage of the midfielder''s advantages as much as possible. Can this be done well? With so many midfielders of the same type it''s possible that there will be players who have overlapping tasks."


    Carragher was also seen frowning at Ragnick''s formation. He did not hide his surprise, "This is a very risky gamble. Do Liverpool really take Kazuki seriously? One centre-back was definitely not enough to keep this player.


    "I think it will be an interesting game. Let''s see how the first half between Southampton and Liverpool goes."


    Southampton started the first half kick-off. Liverpool immediately applied aggressive pressing as soon as Southampton finished the first half kick-off. The ball fell to Hilton''s feet, Sisinho came towards him to press Hilton. The Southampton centre-back gave the ball to right-back Freddy. At that moment Luis Enrique, who was a center back, turned out to be far forward, he blocked Freddy from the front while Maddison blocked the path between Freddy and Simone. Freddy was forced to give the long pass forward.


    Coutinho aggressively grabbed the ball that was about to be received by Bennet then he kicked the ball to Steven Roger. Steven Roger received the ball and passed it to Maddison. The former Leicester player dribbled the ball forward. Luis Enrique did not hesitate to help Maddison. With one two pass, Maddison managed to break into the penalty box. Then he immediately gave a flat pass to the side.


    Ahmed ran through the gaps between the players and poked the ball into the Southampton goalpost. At that moment Saint Mary''s Stadium suddenly fell silent. They did not think that not even a minute into the game Southampton had conceded first.


    "Goaaaalll! Shocking! I can''t believe this, Liverpool managed to score against Southampton in 42 seconds. This is Liverpool''s fastest goal of the season. They played very aggressively. It was surprising that Enrique showed even though his position was central defender on paper but he went forward way forward to helping Maddison. A brilliant calculation from Ralf Ragnick."


    Carragher shook his head "I''m disappointed in myself for doubting Ragnick. He''s a genius, I don''t think even the Southampton coach could have guessed how a centre-back would go so far forward in a 3-5-2 formation. Yet this formation is synonymous with defending because usually in this formation when defending it will turn into 5-3-2. But in fact Ragnick turned 3-5-2 into 2-5-3 with Luis Enrique coming on."


    The game continued, Southampton started kick-off again even though one minute ago they just did it. Liverpool pressed Southampton again. But this time Southampton was more prepared. The rest of Southampton''s players came down to help cope with Liverpool''s tight pressing.


    After a while Southampton finally entered a stable state, Liverpool''s pressure was not as dangerous as at the beginning. Even so, with so many players in midfield, it was difficult for Southampton to build an attack. This made Southampton rely on direct pass forward.


    Southampton''s front line only leaves Kazuki and Rustan. Rustan was vital on the counter-attack while Kazuki was also vital to keep Liverpool''s centre-backs from getting too forward.


    In the 7th minute, Simone provided a long pass forward. Henderson guarded Kazuki tightly. He dueled Kazuki to head the ball. Kazuki won the header but Gomez immediately brought down Rustan who just got the ball from Kazuki''s header. He didn''t want to risk letting Southampton launch a counter-attack.


    Southampton''s free kick gets from the middle of the field. Simone again kicked the free kick. The ball slid forward. This time Steven Roger managed to head the ball to the side. Glen Johnson then ran quickly forward and grabbed the ball that had Roger''s headed. When Rudolf tried to stop him. Johnson provided pass to Coutinho.


    The player carried the ball diagonally to the center. Then, he gave the ball a through ball forward. The ball slid past the Southampton centre-back. Ahmed tried to reach it but Dean Smith got the ball first.. Liverpool''s attack failed because Coutinho''s pass was too strong.

 Chapter 124 - Liverpool(2)

    After a long time, Southampton fans again felt how short of breath when they saw their favorite team being suppressed by Liverpool. They watched the game with trepidation. Every time Liverpool''s players ran towards the ball, there was a fear that Southampton''s players would make a mistake that could score Liverpool''s second goal.


    The mental quality of the players was very important when they were kept under pressure like this. Among the Southampton players who appeared in this match, there were indeed two players who were very lacking in this aspect. First, there was Wright-Phillips, and the second was Ben Carter. Both players were on the left side so Liverpool continue to press the left side of Southampton.


    In the 12th minute, this was proven by the carelessness of Wright-Phillips. Rudolf who was controlling the ball provided pass to Wright-Phillips. Coutinho immediately attacked Wright-Phillips who was about to receive the ball. Henderson and Glen Johnson supported Coutinho''s action by blocking access to Wright-Phillips'' passes. Under those circumstances, Wright-Phillips should had chosen to kick the ball off the pitch if he couldn''t get past Coutinho.


    Too bad Wright-Phillips instead chose to provide long pass to Ryan. Henderson immediately grabbed the ball before the ball reached Ryan''s feet. He then gave a pass to the left. Tony Cross stepped forward and received the ball, Simone pressed Cross but the German moved the ball from his right foot to his left quickly and he pushed the ball forward. Maddison received the ball, before Freddy came to him he immediately returned the ball to Tony Cross who passed Simone.


    Tony Cross crossed the ball into the middle of penalty box for Sisinho. Hilton stepped forward, guarding Sisinho tightly. Sisinho received the ball then pulled it back. He then turned around. Hilton moved quickly he followed Sisinho''s direction and was about to tackle him. However, Sisinho tricked Hilton with a back-pass.


    Tony Cross received a cross from Sisinho and moved into the penalty box through the gap left by Hilton. After that he immediately kicked the ball into the right corner of the goalpost. However, Okhalo came and headed the ball. Okhalo''s header deflected the ball so Tony Cross failed to score.


    Ahmed, who was ready to receive the ball, immediately raised his hand and posed as if to ask what Cross was doing. Ragnick also seemed to turn around and cursed. Liverpool failed to take advantage of the opportunity to expand their advantage.


    After the failure Southampton now got the ball. They tried to build another attack. Liverpool''s pressure was still as dangerous as ever. But this time Southampton managed to push the ball forward. Simone who received a pass from Okhalo was dropped by Tony Cross. This made the referee give Southampton a free kick from the middle of the field.


    Okhalo then kicked the ball far forward. Simone clashed physically with Cross as they prepared to welcome the ball from Okhalo. The two players were jumping together and head the ball. Henderson prepared to receive the ball, but Rudolf made a body charge until Henderson was pushed. He then took the ball and kicked it firmly into the penalty box.


    The situation was still in a state of chaos so Kazuki easily broke free and arrived at the most ideal position. He then met Rudolf''s cross with a first-time volley. The ball glided like a straight line towards the net. Luckily, Jim Becker was in the right position he could parry the ball with his fists.


    "Ow! A terrible threat came so suddenly. Gomez should have watched Kazuki better. Fortunately Jim Becker''s performance was quite good. Southampton almost equalized the score, " Jim Kaglin looked surprised by the sudden opportunity.


    On the pitch Southampton coach George Eastgate waved his hand in frustration. Whereas if Southampton could score goals, then the psychology of the Southampton players will be better, so that Southampton''s mistakes will be reduced.


    After the opportunity failed, Liverpool regained control of the ball. They put pressure on Southampton who had just come out of the cage to come back to defend. With quality midfielders, Liverpool could transform into a club that emphasizes possession in an instant. But Liverpool is Liverpool. They don''t have long to hold the ball. When the opportunity arose, they immediately attacked.


    In the 24th minute, Coutinho moved to the center with the ball. Then, he gave a long pass to the left side. Maddison received the ball. Freddy went up trying to snatch the ball from Maddison. At that point Luis Enrique was back on the pitch but this time it was Rustan who followed him down the Southampton defense. Maddison passed the ball to Tony Cross.


    Tony Cross dribbled the ball backwards. Simone followed closely so that Cross immediately gave a pass to the right. Coutinho received the ball with his chest. At the same time Liverpool right-back, Glen Johnson ran past Ben Carter. Coutinho provided a through ball to Carter.


    Carter tried to make a tackle. His body slid across the grass. However, Glen Johnson stopped the ball and pulled it back when Carter made a tackle. Glen then turned and pushed the ball into the penalty box. Then he chased after him. When Rudolf came down to help Southampton defend. Glen provided a pass to Sisinho. The Brazilian player welcomed the bait with a first time kick. But the ball hit the Southampton player''s body and bounced off the field.


    In the 31st minute, Liverpool got a free kick. Ben Carter dropped Coutinho on the left side of the Southampton defense. The person who executed the free kick this time was Steven Roger. As soon as the referee blew the whistle, Roger confidently kicked the ball.


    The ball then floated into the penalty box. Players from both teams huddled together and physically competed for the best position. Then, Henderson who was about to head the ball was suddenly held back by Hilton so he failed to head the ball.


    The ball finally went out of the field, no player headed it so the referee only gave Southampton a goal kick. Until the 30th minute the score was still 1-0 Liverpool winning through Ahmed''s quick goal. Although Southampton was under pressure but at least they were only one goal behind Liverpool.


    In the 37th minute, Okhalo managed to snatch the ball from Sisinho. Southampton launched a counterattack. Okhalo gives the ball to Simone. Tony Cross tried to distract Simone but the captain easily freed himself from Cross''s guard and then he passed the ball to Ryan.


    Ryan Jr. received the ball. Steven Roger stepped forward to take the ball from Ryan''s feet. The young Southampton player dribbled the ball to the side and then provided a through ball to the right. Maddison chased after Rustan who was running fast. He then cut off the direction and blocked Rustan''s path. The Southampton right winger provided a cut pass into the penalty box. Freddy had entered the penalty box, he then gave Ryan a pass. Ryan channeled Freddy''s pass at Kazuki.


    Kazuki unleashed a speculative kick but unfortunately Gomez blocked it easily.

 Chapter 125 - Liverpool (3)

    The match resumed. Entering the end of the first half, the tempo of the game slowed down. Liverpool controlled the ball, this madebSouthampton continue to defend while waiting for another opportunity. In the 47th minute, Liverpool attacked Southampton for the last time. Liverpool midfielders make short passes to each other. Coutinho gave the ball to Henderson. Henderson then gave a pass Sisinho.


    The Brazilian received a pass and avoided Okhalo who tried to snatch the ball. Then he gave the ball to Maddison. Maddison then provided a through ball to Tony Cross, who tried to penetrate the Southampton penalty box. The former Bayern Munich man received the ball with his heel and curled the ball over his head and down in front of him. Tony Cross then gave a volley shot towards goalpost.


    The ball hit the top post before bouncing into the goalmouth. Ahmed stuck his foot out and poked the ball into the net. However, Dean Smith''s feet blocked the ball, so the ball bounced back. At that point Okhalo came and threw the ball off the field. The referee''s whistle sounded the first half ended with the result 1-0 for Liverpool''s advantage.


    In the dressing room, the Southampton players immediately released their tiredness.


    "I really hate against Liverpool. They have monster stamina. We run around all the time just to avoid Liverpool pressing." Wright-Phillips expressed his annoyance. Even the forwards did not escape the pressure from Liverpool''s players. Although the pressure was not as big as the defenders.


    "It can''t be helped, this is their style of play. Draining the enemy''s stamina is also one of their strategies isn''t it? I think they succeeded in that," said Rudolf flatly. Although he became one of the players who ran the most in the first half, but it seems Rudolf was not as tired as Wright-Phillips. This showed that he had good stamina.


    Ryan suddenly said, "Sorry everyone, I did pretty badly in the first half."


    "Don''t worry it''s not your fault, I also have a lot of trouble giving you a good pass. Moreover, the quality of Liverpool''s midfield is very good. It''s natural for us to feel pressured," said Simone as Southampton captain.


    "Right, we all played pretty badly."


    "Look, the most valuable player here also missed those two opportunities just now. Don''t think too much about it," said Rustan while pointing at Kazuki.


    After a few minutes, George Eastgate entered the dressing room. After that, he immediately gave an explanation of Southampton''s tactics in the second half. In the first half, Liverpool''s midfield was really full so Southampton struggled to build attacks. In response, George changed Southampton''s formation to 4-1-4-1.


    With this formation, Ryan will play between the back line and midfield, the goal was to make it easier for these players to build a second attack. The two defensive midfielders will step up as connect point. When Southampton attacked Ryan would passed the two midfielders, so the formation would again change to 4-2-3-1.


    Shortly after, the second half match between Southampton and Liverpool started again. Neither team made any player changes. They still trust the players who played in the first half.


    Liverpool kick-off the second half, so they immediately had the ball. This time Southampton seemed able to withstand the onslaught of Liverpool. They made two layers of defense with a solid so that Liverpool struggled to enter the final third of the field. But control of the ball was still in the hands of Liverpool.


    In the 47th minute, Southampton thwarted Liverpool''s attack. Tony Cross who tried to break through could be stopped by Simone. The Southampton captain then gave the ball to Rustan. Rustan kicked the ball back at Freddy. The Southampton right-back moved away from Maddison. He then provided a through ball to Ryan.


    Ryan immediately changed the direction of the ball towards Rudolf. Henderson tried to intercept Rudolf but failed. Rudolf provided a pass to Wright-Phillips. The left winger immediately provided pass to Ryan. Glen''s position was a bit advanced so Ryan immediately gave a through ball towards Kazuki.


    The ball went to Kazuki then the player did a whiplash turn to turn around and push the ball into the penalty box. Kazuki then chased after the ball. Gomez pushed him too much so Kazuki only left a small shot space. Then he kicked the ball with all his might.


    The ball hits the post and bounced to the right side of the goalpost. Rustan came and entered the ball into the net easily. The ball went in and rattled Liverpool''s net.


    "Goaaaaall! Southampton rekindled the fire of hope to beat Liverpool in this match. Rustan''s goal made it 1-1. Now Liverpool need more aggressive than before, If you want to win this game."


    While Jim Kaglin was excited, Carragher looked disappointed. He shook his head and said, "Luis Enrique let go of Rustan. It''s a shame that a team like Liverpool couldn''t find a good defender."


    The goal sparked high enthusiasm from Southampton fans. They cheered and celebrated the goal. Meanwhile, coach George also did not hesitate to show his joy. This goal was not just about equalizing but about the possibility of winning.


    Liverpool started the kick-off again after Southampton finished celebrating a goal. Although it had been equated by Southampton. Liverpool had good psychological qualities. They were not affected by the goal. The team was still executing their strategy well.


    On the other hand, Southampton also continued to maintain their solid defense. On several occasions, Tony Cross and Henderson seemed unable to break through Simone and Rudolf. The two players managed to form a wall in the middle. Especially with Ryan who could guard Sisinho, so Liverpool was getting more and more difficult in dismantling Southampton''s defense.


    In the 55th minute, Liverpool finally attacked in the second half. They used a hard shot from outside the penalty box to try to break into Southampton''s goalpost. Fortunately, such a shot could still be managed by Dean Smith so that the Southampton goalpost was still maintained from conceding a second time in this match.


    In the 59th minute, Southampton launched an attack. Ryan managed to beat Sisinho in an aerial duel. He headed the ball to Hilton. Hilton brought the ball forward, at which point Freddy raised his hand he signaled he was in a free position. Hilton gave the ball to Freddy.


    Freddy penetrated into the Liverpool defense area. Maddison came and tried to stop Freddy. However, Freddy passed Maddison with ease. He kicked the ball to the side of the court, then used a twist of the body to clear Maddison''s guard.


    Tony Cross immediately ran towards Freddy. Freddy immediately gave the ball Simone the Southampton midfielder to hold the ball while waiting for Ryan to come forward. As soon as Ryan stepped forward, Simone sent him a through ball. Guarded by Roger made Ryan without hesitation to kick the ball forward at the first touch.


    Kazuki ran past Gomez and touched the ball with the back of his foot.. The ball changed direction, but unfortunately it went too far to the side so Kazuki failed to score.

 Chapter 126 - Liverpool (4)

    In the 61st minute, Steven Roger stole the ball from Kazuki''s feet. He passed to Tony Cross. Cross clashed elbows with Simone for the ball. Cross stuck his foot forward and pulled the ball hard. The ball moved through the gap between Simone'' legs, he then spun and controlled the ball, a moment later Cross passed the ball to Maddison.


    Maddison received the ball but Freddy hit it hard. The referee blew the whistle, he then gave Freddy a warning. Meanwhile, Maddison immediately made a quick free-kick. He provided a pass to Sisinho. Hilton straightened and blocked Sisinho''s pass at Ahmed. Forcing himself into a position like this will only make Liverpool''s attack fail, Crage gave the ball to Henderson who rose to help attack. Henderson immediately gave a long pass towards Coutinho. The ball flew high to the right.


    Coutinho and Ben Carter, Southampton right back jumped in unison. Coutinho jumped higher this time, he headed the ball back. Behind, Glen Johnson who did the overlap received the ball. He gave it to Ahmed.


    Ahmed changed the direction of the ball with one touch, he then turned his body and chased the ball. The Southampton centre-back stood in front of Ahmed to prevent the Egyptian striker from breaking through the box. Ahmed lifted his leg and faked a shot. He then pushed the ball to the right and provided a breakthrough pass that moved flat on the grass.


    Sisinho went into the box with Ryan and Hilton, his position being guarded by these two players on both sides. Sisinho struggled to receive the pass, he managed to receive the pass but his position became less comfortable because he was not facing directly towards the goalpost. Instead of wasting chances, Sisinho launched a kick towards the corner of the goalpost. However, the kick actually flew far off the field.


    Sisinho apologized to Ahmed while giving him a thumbs up for his through ball pass. It was too difficult for Sisinho to make a point when he was interrupted by two defenders.


    In the 66th minute, Liverpool launched an attack again. Roger passed the ball to Glen Johnson. The right centre-back immediately brought the ball forward. As Wright-Phillips approached. He sent the ball back to Roger. Steven Roger pushed the ball forward and gave Henderson a pass. Henderson flicked the ball to the side past Rudolf and then provided the pass to Coutinho. Ben Carter clung to Coutinho until Coutinho gave the ball back to Glen Johnson.


    Glen Johnson then kicked the ball to the right, he changed the direction of the attack. Maddison received a pass from Glen Johnson. Freddy watched Maddison''s movements. At that moment Luis Enrique drove past Freddy. Maddison immediately sent a breakthrough ball to Enrique. Freddy and Hilton move to lock up Enrique''s position.


    Tony Cross emerged from thegap. He managed to get away from Simone. Enrique passed the ball to Cross but Simone interrupts him immediately. Cross provided a back-pass to Maddison. The former Leicester player kicked the ball into the middle of the penalty box.


    Sisinho moved and headed the ball to the right. Ahmed came on but Okhalo closed his space so Ahmed pulled the ball back and pass to Steven Roger. Roger who always replaces the position of central defender was now in front of the penalty box. He gave a powerful shot from the front of the penalty box.


    The ball hits the top of the post and bounces down. At that moment Dean Smith jumped up and caught the ball. At that point Liverpool thought the ball had crossed the line so they immediately celebrated.


    "Goaaaaal! Liverpool beat Southampton again! Steven Roger''s kick¡ª What happened?! The referee didn''t approve the goal." Jim Kaglin looked confused. The screen then shows the process of Steven Roger''s kick. There it looks like the ball had completely crossed the line. This clearly shows that the referee''s judgment was wrong.


    Carragher exploded at the time, "What kind of cheating is this? Was the referee blind? The ball clearly crossed the line. I couldn''t believe it. The Premier League is the world''s top league, and there are still controversies like this that arise, it''s a shame."


    The Liverpool players completely surrounded the referee. Even Steven Roger as captain seemed unable to calm down this time. On the sidelines, Ragnick was seen shouting at other referees who were on the sidelines.


    "Are you guys received an illegal money? Do your job properly! We deserve a goal!"


    The situation seems very chaotic. The referee needed to issue several yellow cards before the players finally calmed down. Steven Roger''s goal was not recognized by the referee. The score was still 1-1. Southampton started the game again.


    In the 75th minute, Ryan stole the ball from Maddison''s feet then he gave Simone a pass. Simone kept the ball from Tony Cross'' stealing, he passed the ball to Rudolf. Rudolf sent a through ball to the left. Wright-Phillips ran and received the ball. At that moment Glen Johnson immediately got up and approached Wright-Phillips.


    With the technique of V Wright-Phillips beat Johnson and then brought the ball to the left side of the Liverpool penalty box. Then he passed the cross ball to Kazuki. Kazuki detached from the offside position. He received the ball with his chest. Gomez approached him so that Kazuki had no shooting space. He then kicked the ball with his heel to the side.


    Ryan came and kicked the ball. Jim Becker tried to reach the ball but failed. Southampton scored again for the second time. This goal was immediately greeted by loud cheers from Southampton fans. Meanwhile Kazuki and Ryan embraced. Ryan''s efforts to keep running from one edge of the field to the other didn''t seem in vain.


    After the goal, George pulled Kazuki and Ryan out of the match and included Osmund and Orlando. Meanwhile, after Kazuki came off the pitch, Ragnick did something crazy, he didn''t hesitate to replace Gomez the only pure centre-back at Liverpool with Sterling. Liverpool''s desire to attack was truly unstoppable.


    Liverpool dominated the late game. Several successful opportunities Ahmed and his comrades got. In the 87th minute, Ahmed had a chance but the referee raised the offside flag. Ahmed finally failed to score until the end of the match.


    Southampton again won the match in the Premier League. However, at the end of the match the media''s focus was on the controversial decision of the referee. Ragnick did not hesitate to blame the referee''s decision for this defeat.


    On the other hand, Southampton itself was silent about the decision of the referee controversy. Obviously they don''t want to pretend to be blind to the controversial decision. However, as a beneficiary, Southampton will also not blame the referee for the controversial decision.


    On the other hand, the victory over Liverpool made Southampton able to beat three of the Big Six in the premier league.. The remaining Big Six were Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal.

 Chapter 127 - Blackburn

    After more than a week since Kazuki used the new feature. The impact on the players was starting to show. Kazuki focused the improvement on Orlando, Joe Bennet, and Wright-Phillips. Bennet''s appearance, which was initially unstable, slowly maintained its performance.


    Orlando was also now more stable and had become the second choice in the defensive midfield sector after Rudolf and Simone. Although, Wright-Phillips was sometimes didn''t take serious his training but Kazuki couldn''t deny that he was an important part of Southampton.


    In the next round, Southampton will visit Blackburn''s stadium. In this 12th round, Southampton have a great opportunity to continue to win. George stated in a press conference that Southampton would be ready for their 11th win.


    After the day which Southampton against Blackburn came. George fielded the players who usually were on the bench in this match. One reason was to perform rotations.


    Against Blackburn who performed poorly in the first 10 games of the 2012/2013 season, Southampton dominated the game. In the 7th minute, Ryan, who played as a left winger, managed to break through Blackburn''s right-back. Then he sent a cross into the middle of the penalty box. Kazuki greeted the pass with a volley. Too bad the kick was aimed at the goalkeeper, so it can be caught easily.


    Continuing in the 15th minute, Southampton launched an attack again. Dean Smith caught the ball from the Blackburn striker. He then threw the ball to Vicente. Then, the Southampton right-back brought the ball forward. He dodged pressure from the Blackburn players before sending a pass for Bennett.


    Joe Bennet flicked the ball over Blackburn''s defensive midfielder. Then he gave a long pass to Kazuki. Blackburn''s two centre-backs guarded Kazuki well, and the Japanese player knew his position was not ideal for headed it to the goalpost. He immediately gave the ball to the right by heading the ball to Rustan who was on the right.


    Rustan received the ball he pushed the ball forward and then sent a flat pass horizontally to the left. Ryan kicked the ball hard. Blackburn goalkeeper was failed to catch it. Southampton scored the first goal.


    The match then continued. In the 25th minute, Blackburn almost equalized. Their midfielder managed to release a long kick from outside the penalty box after Orlando failed to keep him. The kick hit the post and bounced off the field. This attack sounded the alarm for the Southampton defense which from the start was rarely attacked.


    In the 34th minute, Southampton launched an attack. Simone managed to snatch the ball from the feet of the Blackburn midfielder. He then gave the ball to Bennet. Joe Bennet brushed Blackburn''s defensive midfielder and then brought the ball to the front of the penalty box. Then, he sent a breakthrough pass to Kazuki.


    The Japanese player ran to receive the ball, his body pushed to the side by the Blackburn centre-back. Facing a tight space, Kazuki remained confident in sending out a kick. The ball was floating straight towards the goalpost. The ball passed through the gap between the keeper''s hand and body before perfectly landing in the Blackburn net.


    Kazuki managed to score a goal. Southampton was two goals ahead of Blackburn. The goal made Blackburn''s hope in the pursuit of victory at home begin to fade. Now, all they wanted was to level things up. Therefore they must really keep the defense from Southampton attacks.


    In the 44th minute, Vicente who did the overlap got a sharp tackle from Blackburn''s left back. Vicente''s injury appeared severe enough that the Southampton medical team guided Vicente off the field. Blackburn left back get a red card as a reward for his actions. Winsley Hart came in to replace Vicente. Winsley was an 18-year-old who was called up from Southampton''s academy.


    The first half ended with Southampton 2-0 advantage over Blackburn. Blackburn replaced a forward with a left back. Now their formation has changed from 4-3-3 to 4-3-2. With a shortage of players up front, it will certainly make Blackburn weaker in counter-attack. Southampton did not hesitate in attacking Blackburn from the start.


    In the 48th minute, Southampton launched an attack. Winsley boldly overlapped from the right. The player who just made his debut seems very brave to deceive the Blackburn players with his action. He then gave the ball to Rustan. The Southampton right winger received a pass from Winsley and then sent a cross into the middle of the penalty box.


    Kazuki headed the ball back. His position at that time was too close to the goalkeeper. Bennett received the ball, he then pushed the ball to the side and gave Ryan a through ball. Blackburn goalkeeper swiftly moved to the left side. However Ryan gave the ball to Kazuki. Kazuki immediately stuck out his leg. Southampton''s third goal was created.


    After the goal, Blackburn seemed to lose his enthusiasm to play. In the 55th minute, Orlando cut Blackburn''s pass. He then gave the ball to Simone. Simone passed the ball to Ben Carter who overlaps. Ben Carter passed the ball to Ryan. At that moment Ryan and Joe Bennet ran cross paths. Bennett went to the wing, while Ryan went to the right. Ryan then provided a through ball to Bennet.


    Bennet received the ball and gave a cross into the goalmouth. The Blackburn centre-back managed to head home but his header hit another Blackburn player and bounced into the net. Southampton immediately celebrated the own goal.


    This own goal also made Blackburn really lose his spirit. Blackburn fans also seem to leave one by one.


    In the 65th minute, Southampton got a free kick from the front of the penalty box. This time, Southampton gave the opportunity to Bennet. As soon as the referee blew the whistle, Bennett kicked the ball. The ball slid over the player''s wall. Orlando jumped high and deflected the ball. 5-0, Southampton completely destroyed Blackburn.


    In the 78th minute, Bennett, Ryan and also Ben Carter worked well on the left. It made the Blackburn players focus to the left to defend. Bennet took the opportunity to send a pass to the right. Rustan received the ball and gave Simone a cut-back.


    Simone kicked the ball hard. The ball slid into the right side of the goalpost. The Blackburn goalkeeper jumped to the right. Luckily, he still had time to parry the ball. Southampton failed to extend the lead. But their attacks did not end there.


    In the 89th minute, Southampton scored again. Starting from a corner kick. Bennett provided a very beautiful cross. Kazuki made good use of the cross. He managed to send a powerful header towards net. Southampton scored again for the sixth time. Meanwhile, Kazuki has now scored his first hat-trick of the season.


    The match ended with a score of 0-6.. Blackburn crushed at the feet of the guest, Southampton.

 Chapter 128 - Aston Villa

    Southampton''s big win over Blackburn made the media start spreading the theory of Southampton''s threat to the 2012/2013 premier league championship. Some media confidently display analysis that shows the possibility of Southampton winning the premier league this season.


    However, it was opposed by many parties. A storm of injuries sooner or later will hit Southampton. They believe Southampton will fall on the devil''s schedule in December and January. In those two months the premier league schedule was really busy so Southampton was very likely to fall there.


    Regardless of the debate over Southampton. Southampton themselves continued their training in peace. The club as well as the coach have yet to announce their goals for this season. However, Southampton players were starting to guess that Southampton might be eyeing the top 4. With the current situation it was not impossible to get it. If Southampton could really finish in the top 4 then next season they can compete in the Champions League.


    The players were excited at the thought. Champions League! There were a lot of players who have never played there. Every football player in the world wants to play in the Champions League. Every appearance in the champions league was appreciated by the big clubs.


    Kazuki''s performance in the premier league had been perfect. However, if he plays well in the champions league then his market price will definitely rise drastically. Too bad it was useless to Kazuki. Because next season though Southampton could play in the champions league. He''s still going to leave this club.


    In the 13th round Southampton will welcome a challenge from Aston Villa. St Mary''s Stadium was full as usual. Southampton fans always echo their proud slogans. In this match George again fielded Bennet. However, he benched Ryan. On the left wing, Wright-Phillips played for Ryan.


    Then in the defensive midfielder sector, Rudolf and Orlando were now an option. On the right wing Freddy played again considering Vicente was still injured. The match starts with Southampton kick-off.


    In contrast to the time against Blackburn, Aston Villa presented a fairly inconvenient resistance. They really press like crazy so that the Southampton players were not comfortable. On the other hand, Aston Villa also guarded Bennet so tightly that Southampton seemed to have lost a link between the lines.


    However, luckily after unknown help from [Dream Coaching] Bennet was able to show a good performance despite being heavily guarded by Aston Villa players.


    In the 9th minute, Freddy stepped forward. He then received a pass from Hilton. Freddy diverted the ball from his right foot to his left while avoiding an Aston Villa player''s foot. He then pushed the ball forward and past the player.


    Freddy then gave a pass to Rustan. The player did a nutmeg on Aston Villa''s left back. Rustan then passed the Aston Villa player. He then made a cut-inside into the penalty box. After that he then gave a floating pass to the left. Bennett who entered the penalty box received the ball with his chest. He then passed the ball to Kazuki.


    Kazuki delivered a powerful kick towards the goalpost. However, the appearance of the Aston Villa goalkeeper was quite good. He managed to parry the ball. Southampton failed to score. However, these opportunities made Aston Villa broke out in a cold sweat. They was sensed how threatening Southampton''s attack was.


    In the 18th minute, Southampton again launched a counterattack. Okhalo managed to steal the ball from the feet of the Aston Villa striker. He then gave the ball to Simone. Aston Villa midfielder tried to bring down Simone but failed. Simone then gave the ball to Rudolf.


    Rudolf received the ball and launched a through ball to the left. Wright-Phillips received the ball with his chest. Aston Villa right-back hit the body Wright-Phillips the referee blew the whistle. Aston Villa right-back was given a warning. Southampton get a free kick from the right side of the Aston Villa penalty box.


    Bennett became the one who executed the free kick. As soon as the referee blew the whistle, Bennett kicked the ball. The ball slid over the player''s wall and landed in the goalmouth. Simone shoot the ball firmly. But the Aston Villa goalkeeper slapped the ball off the field.


    In the 27th minute, Simone managed to steal the ball from the feet of the Aston Villa midfielder. He then gave a long pass to the right side. Rustan and Aston Villa''s left-back collided with speed. Then he dribbling the ball diagonally into the penalty box. Immediately after that Rustan sent the ball to the left side. Wright-Phillips broke into the penalty box and received the ball from Rustan.


    After that Wright-Phillips provided a short pass into the middle. Kazuki greeted the pass with a powerful kick. Aston Villa goalkeeper failed to catch the ball. Southampton scored the first goal of this match.


    In the 39th minute, Southampton''s opportunity came. Freddy managed to snatch the ball from the left winger Aston Villa. He gave the ball to Rudolf. The Southampton midfielder received the ball from Freddy and dribbled it while the rest of the players started moving towards the Aston Villa defense.


    Rudolf gave Kazuki a long pass. The Japanese player received the ball using his chest. He controlled the ball, he kicked the ball past the head of the Aston Villa defender who was behind him, at the same time, Kazuki turned and ran past the player.


    Kazuki pushed the ball forward then gave a flat pass to the right. Rustan accelerated his run, he passed the left-back Aston Villa. Rustan changed his direction to a diagonal towards the middle of the penalty box.


    Then, he curled a pass towards Wright-Phillips. The Southampton winger used his pace to receive the ball but just as he was about to kick the ball right-back Aston Villa made a tackle to block Wright-Phillips'' shot.


    The ball bounced to the left of the penalty box. The Aston Villa centre-back got the ball but Bennett and Kazuki pressed the defender to release the ball. He prefers to throw the ball out of the field.


    Moments later, Southampton threw the ball into the field. The player who threw the ball was Benson. The Southampton left-back threw the ball to Simone. The captain passed the ball to Kazuki. Kante clung to Kazuki while was trying to steal the ball. Kazuki provided a through ball to Wright-Phillips.


    Wright-Phillips tried to fool the Aston Villa right-back, unfortunately he failed. The Southampton winger didn''t push himself past Aston Villa''s right-back, he gave a pass back to Kazuki. Kazuki changed the direction of the ball to the right suddenly.


    He then kicked the ball hard. The ball spun towards the top right corner of the Aston Villa goalpost. Aston Villa goalkeeper managed to block the ball with his hands. The ball bounced into the middle of the penalty box. Bennet swiftly grabbed the ball and kicked it towards the net.


    Aston Villa goalkeeper could not hold Bennet''s shot. Southampton''s second goal was created after Bennet managed to use the ball rebound.. Southampton celebrated the goal with enthusiasm.

 Chapter 129 - Aston Villa(2)

    The first half ended with the score 2-0. In the second half, Southampton and Aston Villa did not make a substitution. The match started immediately. Aston Villa started the second half with a strong attack, early in the second half. In the 49th minute, the Aston Villa midfielder stole the ball from Bennet''s feet. He then passes the ball forward. Aston Villa''s attacking midfielder received the ball, he then kicked the ball to the left and avoided Simone''s chasing.


    Then he sent a breakthrough pass forward. The Aston Villa winger had beaten Freddy. Then he sent a cross into the middle of the penalty box. The Aston Villa striker headed in but unfortunately his header was too weak, the ball was easily caught by Dean Smith.


    In the 55th minute, Southampton counterattacked Aston Villa. Rudolf won the aerial duel against the Aston Villa midfielder. He then chased the ball and gave it to Benson. After getting the ball, Benson dribbled the ball forward. He then made a one-two pass with Wright-Phillips and broke through the left side of the Aston Villa defense.


    Benson provided a cross into the middle. Aston Villa''s centre-back headed the ball forward. Simone snatched the ball before the other Aston Villa players got it. He then sent a shoot from outside the penalty box. The ball hit the post hard before being thrown off the field.


    In the 61st minute, Bennet received a beautiful pass from Freddy. He shot the ball firmly, but unfortunately the shot was saved by the Aston Villa goalkeeper. Wright-Phillips got the rebound.


    He then tricked the goalkeeper with a fake shot and passed it to Kazuki. Kazuki immediately ran towards the ball then kicked it hard. Too bad the ball didn''t enter the net. The ball slid to the side of the goalpost.


    In the 68th minute, Dean Smith ran forward. He then caught the ball from the feet of the Aston Villa striker. Action by Dean Smith thwarted Aston Villa''s chance which almost become a goal. Soon after, Dean Smith threw the ball to the left at Benson. Benson who received the ball immediately received pressure from the Aston Villa players. Benson then provided pass to Simone.


    Simone dribbled the ball back. He managed to pull the Aston Villa midfielder forward. Then, Simone turned and gave the ball to Bennett who appeared behind the Aston Villa midfielder. Simone gave Bennet a long pass. Bennett received the ball with his chest then pulled the ball back. After that, he turned and ran while carrying the ball.


    Bennet then sent a long pass to the right. Rustan ran fast relying on his speed to surpass Aston Villa''s left-back. He then pushed the ball into the penalty box and chased it. Just before the Aston Villa centre-back blocked his path, Rustan changed direction and then sent a flat pass to Kazuki.


    Kazuki tried to shoot the ball. Unfortunately his shot was blocked by the body of one of the Aston Villa centre-backs. Southampton failed to extend the score over Aston Vila.


    In the 74th minute, Southampton got another chance in the second half. Bennet passed the Aston Villa midfielder in a tricky way. He then gave the ball to Simone, one of the Aston Villa players stepped up and tried to snatch the ball from Simone''s feet. The Southampton defensive midfielder managed to escape the attack of Aston Villa players and gave the ball to Rudolf who filled the space.


    Rudolf turned around and pushed the ball forward. He then brought the ball a little sideways. One of Aston Villa''s centre-backs stepped up to mark Rudolf but at that point Rustan ran into the empty space that the defender had left. Rudolf sent the ball to Rustan.


    Southampton right winger from England was dribbling the ball quickly. Another Aston Villa centre-back left Kazuki and ran towards the gap between Rustan and the goalkeeper. At that time Rustan was supposed to pass Kazuki but he chose to take a kick instead. It was clear the Aston Villa centre-back immediately blocked Rustan''s shot so the ball bounced off the pitch.


    If Southampton was behind or equal to the opponent. Kazuki would probably scold Rustan. But because Southampton was in a superior score, he chose to understand other player''s choice.


    In the 79th minute, Southampton started the attack with a counter-movement between Simone and Freddy. Simone came down to lure the Aston Villa midfielder forward, while Freddy sprinted forward to exploit the gap left by the midfielder. After that, Freddy received the pass given by Simone. Another Aston Villa player cut off Freddy''s running path. Freddy was about to give a pass but he saw that all his teammates were being guarded tightly. Freddy did a forward lob pass while expecting Kazuki to accept the pass.


    Even though the ball was hard to reach but Kazuki forced himself to try to get it. He tried to have a physical confrontation against the Aston Villa centre-back. But the referee blew the whistle, a foul was committed by Kazuki when he was about to get the ball. Too bad Southampton''s chance to extend the lead failed.


    In the 85th minute, Aston Villa launched a counter-attack. After the Aston Villa goalkeeper caught Bennet''s kick. He then threw the ball at the centre-back. Aston Villa''s centre-back sent the ball to the left-back. Then the left-back dashed swiftly forward. Blocked by Rustan, he chose to pass the ball to the Aston Villa midfielder. Bennet stepped forward, he was trying to take the ball from the midfielder.


    Aston Villa''s central midfielder managed to keep possession despite Bennet''s aggressive attempts to steal the ball. He then provided a pass to the Aston Villa attacking midfielder. Immediately after receiving the pass, the attacking midfielder sent a through ball to the flanks.


    The Aston Villa winger was in a superior position to Benson. He then received the ball and dribbled it diagonally into the penalty box. Immediately after, the player provided a cross to the left side. The Aston Villa left winger stopped a pass and launched a cut-back pass to the Aston Villa striker. Aston Villa striker kicked the ball to the right side of the goalpost.


    This time Dean Smith failed to parry the Aston Villa striker''s shot. Aston Villa managed to score a goal in the final minutes of the game. This sparked the fighting spirit of Aston Villa again. Aston Villa attacked Southampton all-out in the final minutes of the game. However, substitutions and defensive discipline were key to Southampton''s success in holding back the onslaught of Aston Villa.


    Southampton ended the game with a win. Southampton won 2-1 over Aston Villa. The score 2-1 was the most scored in Southampton matches. This made the media speculate about the score 2-1. Put that aside.. Now Chelsea will face Southampton in the next round.

 Chapter 130 - Chelsea

    "Welcome to the 14th round of the English Premier League. Tonight SkySport presents a match between the two current leaders of the table, namely Southampton against Chelsea. So far Southampton have only suffered 1 defeat. They have beaten Manchester City, Tottenham and finally Liverpool. Meanwhile Chelsea have experienced one draw against Manchester City and one loss.


    On the Southampton side, the number 9 player, Kazuki Kazeshima, has become a mainstay for The Saints. This player has scored 15 goals and assisted 4 in the Premier League this season. In addition there are also Ryan with 4 goals and 5 assists, Rustan 2 goals and 4 assists, and Joe Bennet 3 goals and 4 assists. These four young players contributed to creating a very strong Southampton.


    Meanwhile Chelsea who just won their first UCL last season continued to chase Southampton from behind to compete in winning the premier league championship 2012/2013 season. This season Hazard was starting to stable and could become a mainstay for the Blues. In addition, Dusan Removic has also shown a fairly stable performance. In the midfield the inclusion of Ramires and Oscar made Chelsea''s midfield even stronger.


    Alright let''s see the formation of the two teams. Southampton came in with a 4-2-3-1 formation. They have used this formation since the start of the season.


    Goalkeeper : Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Freddy, Hilton, Okhalo, Benson


    Defensive midfielders: Orlando, Simone


    Attacking midfielders: Rustan, Bennet, Kounde


    Front: Kazuki.


    On the other hand, Chelsea apply a 4-3-3 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Peter Krech;


    Defenders: Azpilicueta, Cole, David Ruiz, Ivano


    Midfielders: Ramires, Oscar, Shank Lambert


    Forwards: Hazard, Dusan Removic, Zelatta.


    All right, let''s watch the game between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Birdge."


    Chelsea started the first half with a kick-off. Dusan and Hazard exchanged passes before sending the ball into the back line. Southampton didn''t bother to pressing Chelsea, they let Chelsea controll the ball. Mourinho was a conservative coach at all times. Even though Chelsea won the UCL this season, he still used the bus parking strategy. Therefore, attacking aggressively will only had a bad effect.


    Even so, Chelsea''s attack was not something that can be underestimated. The fact that Hazard and Zelatta both had individual skills and good dribbling makes it difficult for any team to defend. Moreover, there was Dusan who was always looking for opportunities. Obviously, Chelsea''s attack couldn''t be ignored.


    In the 6th minute, Orlando managed to steal the ball from Ramires. He then gave the ball to Bennett. Bennett received the ball but Oscar interrupted him. Lambert suddenly came and helped Oscar to get the ball. Chelsea managed to stop Southampton''s attack. Now they started the counterattack.


    Lambert passed the ball to Ramires. The player avoided Orlando''s chasing and then provided a pass to Azpilicueta. Azpilicueta dashed forward. He helped Chelsea to attack. Azpilicueta sent the ball to Hazard. Hazard used his left foot to dribble the ball past Benson. He then entered the penalty box and provided a floating pass into the middle. Okhalo managed to head the ball off the field.


    In the 10th minute, Rustan who was preparing to receive a pass from Bennet got a physical attacked from Ivano. Failing to control the ball, Ivano stuck his foot out and kicked the ball to Oscar. Oscar received the ball while avoiding Bennet. He then gave the bait to Lambert. Simone moved to guard Lambert, so he didn''t have much space to move. Lambert crossed the ball to the left. Ivan appeared. He was followed by Rustan behind him. Ivano dribbled the ball forward. Then he gave the ball to Zelatta.


    Zelatta received the ball and controlled it. He pushed the ball to the right then suddenly pulled it and it spun 180¡ã. Zelatta managed to avoid Freddy and entered the penalty box. But he was intercepted by Hilton. The ball bounces off the field. Corner kick for Chelsea.


    The opportunity earlier was dangerous enough that the other players immediately gave Hilton their thanks. Southampton managed to survive the Chelsea attack. On the other hand Zelatta took a corner. He did so by providing a short pass to Ivano. Freddy ran towards Ivano, but the Chelsea left-back returned the ball to Zelatta.


    Zelatta ran on the boundary line. He confronted Rustan. Zelatta kicked the ball into the gap between Rustan''s legs. He then forced himself to chase the ball but Southampton goalkeeper Dean Smith took the ball first.


    Dean Smith caught the ball and signales the Southampton players to go forward. After that, he threw the ball forward. Simone received the ball with his chest, then controled the ball with his feet. Then, he turned around and ran using all his strength. Too bad the David Ruiz came and made a tackle to stop Simone.


    In the 15th minute, Benson gave Simone a pass. The Southampton captain pushed the ball past Lambert then Bennett picked up the ball and returned it to Simone as the player stepped forward past Lambert. Simone then provided a through ball to the right. Rustan ran at speed with Ivano. However, he failed.


    Rustan didn''t push himself, he turned around and gave Freddy a pass. Freddy took the ball into halfspace. The space between the middle and the wing area. He then gave the ball to Orlando. Orlando, who rose to the front of the penalty box immediately gave a long-range shot. The ball went fast before being stopped by the palm of Peter Krech. Kazuki dashed towards the rebounding ball. Then he kicked it towards the net. Cole jumped up and headed Kazuki''s kick off the field.


    Kazuki was seen holding his head. He didn''t expect Cole to reactively hold him back. After a while he sighed. There were still many opportunities that might be created. Southampton was still not behind.


    Corner kick taken by Bennett. He stood in front of the ball and looked at the crowd in the Chelsea penalty area. After taking a deep breath, he ran slowly then kicked the ball firmly forward. The ball floated in the air and then spins towards the goalmouth. Kazuki jumped ready to receive the ball but Peter Krech ran and punched the ball forward.


    Ramires received the ball. Then he gave Azpilicueta a pass. The Chelsea right-back brought the ball quickly into the Southampton defense area. Simone ran to the left he then did a body charge to push Azpilicueta off the field. Azpilicueta was pushed out but the ball was passed to Hazard.


    Hazard carries the ball quickly. He ran diagonally into the penalty box. Then he released a pass into the middle of the penalty box. Dusan Removic stretched his legs and bounced the ball towards the net.. But the ball was right at Dean Smith, so the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball well.

 Chapter 131 - Chelsea(2)

    The first 20 minutes, the game was so intens. Southampton and Chelsea began to attack each other. Although Chelsea was a conservative team, in facing Southampton, they did not hesitate to play openly. The speed race when transition moment was proof that this match went so fast.


    In the 21st minute, Oscar cut the ball that was about to be received by Bennet. He then gave the pass to Lambert. Lambert received the ball and dribbled it diagonally to the right. Simone clung to Lambert''s side, he was trying to stop him. Lambert then gave the ball to Ramires. Orlando made a tackle but Ramires pushed the ball aside and overcame Orlando''s tackle. He then dribbled the ball forward.


    Ramires sent the ball to Hazard. Benson immediately hit Hazard. At that moment Ramires ran past Benson. Hazard with his outside foot kicked the ball towards Ramires. Ramires received the ball and made a cut-inside. He pushed the ball into the penalty box and faced Okhalo. Lambert went into the penalty area as a passing option. Ramires immediately gave the ball to Lambert.


    The Chelsea midfielder kicked the ball hard. The ball slid into the corner of the goalpost. Dean Smith jumped and slapped the ball away from the net. Hilton received the rebound. He then gave it to Freddy. Zelatta used a clean tackle to steal the ball from Freddy. He then provided a cross into the middle of the penalty box. Dusan adjusted his position and sent a volley shot. Dusan''s volley was too powerful so it went over the goalpost.


    "A good chance for Chelsea. A one-two between Hazard and Ramires. Ramires gets the ball to Lambert. Shot! Oh Dean Smith keeps it. Hilton takes the ball. He gives it to Freddy. Zelatta! He steals the ball, crosses to Dusan. Bam! Ah, it''s a shame that Dusan failed to take advantage of this opportunity."


    The game continued to 27 minutes, Hazard brought the ball to the center horizontally. He then kicked the ball from outside the penalty box. Dean Smith managed to catch the ball. He then kicked it forward. Simone duels with Lambert. He managed to head the ball at Freddy. Freddy quickened his run. He crossed the middle line. Then he brought the ball a little to the middle.


    Freddy then provided a through ball to Rustan and then ran into the penalty box. After that Rustan received the ball and made a cut-back giving the ball back to Freddy. Kazuki was so tightly guarded that he could only pass the ball back. Bennett kicked the ball hard. The ball hits the top post and was thrown off the field.


    "Sorry, I messed up our chances," said Bennet to Kazuki.


    Kazuki patted Bennett''s shoulder as he said, "I did it too, take it easy. There''s still time. Let''s try again."


    Bennett nodded.


    In the 33rd minute, David Ruiz snatched the ball from Kazuki''s feet. He then passed it forward to Oscar. Oscar received the ball but Bennett quickly interrupted him. Oscar sent a pass to Azpilicueta. But at that moment Kounde was chasing Azpilicueta so he quickly gave Ramires a pass.


    Orlando rammed into Ramires'' body, but he kept his balance and gave the pass to Lambert. Lambert''s position was so good that he escaped from Simone''s defense. Hilton stepped forward to stop Lambert. He tackled Lambert. The living legend of Chelsea immediately fell due to a tackle from Hilton.


    The referee immediately approached and gave Hilton a yellow card. On the touchline, Mourinho shouted ''red card'' while protesting at the referee. Free kick awarded to Chelsea in front of the penalty box. Obviously this was a good opportunity to break the deadlock score.


    Kazuki also came behind to help with the defense. Southampton began to organize the defense line. However, when Dean Smith was still setting the wall for Southampton players. Hazard was seen whispering to the referee. Kazuki looked at Hazard suspiciously he immediately ran backward. Hazard kicked the ball while Southampton was still managing the defense. Kazuki jumped up and headed the ball away from the goalpost.


    On the pitch, Mourinho expressed his disappointment. Obviously he hoped Chelsea score a goal soon. As long as Chelsea score goals then they could use the bus parking tactic as quickly as possible. Mourinho seems more confident with parking the bus than an open attack like this. In the end Chelsea failed to open the scoring.


    In the 39th minute, Zelatta was dropped by Freddy, this time it was not a violation, so Freddy immediately brought the ball forward. He dribbled the ball fast. Lambert moved to the left to block Freddy''s path. But it caused Simone to be released. Freddy sent the ball to Simone. The Southampton captain crossed the halfway line and brought the ball closer to the penalty box.


    Simone then provided the pass to Bennet. Bennet brought the ball into the penalty box. He confronted David Ruiz. Bennett leaned to the left then moved to the right suddenly. This made Ruiz move to follow Bennett. At that moment Bennett pushed the ball to the left and quickly passed Ruiz. Then he sent a pass at Kazuki.


    Kazuki struggled as he was trying to break free from Cole. Then he stuck his foot out and took Bennett''s pass. The ball hit Kazuki''s leg and bounced into the goalpost. Peter Krech failed to react in time. Southampton managed to break the deadlock in the 40th minute. Immediately after the goal was created Kazuki ran towards the stands for Southampton supporters. He took off his shirt and waved his hand in the air.


    The other Southampton players surrounded Kazuki. They offer their congratulations and admiration. As soon as Kazuki finished celebrating the referee came and gave a yellow card for Kazuki topless. Kazuki didn''t mind it because he already knew that such a celebration would result a yellow card.


    45 minutes, Chelsea launched an attack. Peter Krech passed to Cole. Kazuki immediately ran over and pressed Cole. Cole provided the pass to David Ruiz. David dribbled the ball forward. He then sent the ball to Oscar. Oscar pushed the ball to the left to avoid Bennet then gave the ball to Ramires. The player was immediately stopped by Orlando. Ramires could only return the ball back to Azpilicueta.


    Azpilicueta slid forward with the ball. He then carried the ball diagonally to the center. Then he passed Hazard. Hazard accepted the pass and tricked Benson with his moves. He then entered the penalty box. When dealing with Okhalo. Hazard did a body feint, after which he accelerated his dribble. Hazard then sent a hard shot from the middle of the penalty box.


    Dean Smith showed a super reaction. He jumped and slapped the ball away from the goalpost. But at that moment Dusan appeared and gave a shot towards net. Hilton slid across the grass and used his body to block Dusan''s kick.


    Southampton managed to survive from the Chelsea attacks.

 Chapter 132 - Chelsea(3)

    The first half ended with the score 1-0. Southampton got to break Chelsea''s net through Kazuki''s goal. Entering the break, the coaches of both teams was began their respective instructions to their teams. Mourinho clearly scolded the Chelsea players.


    There were many opportunities for Chelsea to score but unfortunately they failed to take them. In a normal game, throwing away chances like that was not a problem but in facing Southampton who have a ferocious striker like Kazuki then throwing away opportunity was a fatal blunder.


    Having a striker like Kazuki made Southampton more capable to take advantage from every opportunity. This was reflected in the data in the first half Chelsea completed 7 shots on target while Southampton only 3. Chelsea also recorded 57 possession balls compared to 43. You could say Chelsea really dominated from all aspects except goals.


    Meanwhile, George himself reminded his players to be careful. Any big club should not be underestimated. To secure the lead, Southampton must minimize the mistakes. Against Chelsea George still didn''t dare hold the ball too long, he told Southampton''s players to attack as soon as possible when they got the ball.


    The match started again. Southampton started the second half kick-off. They started to stretch the formation and started built an attack. In the 47th minute, Southampton immediately launched an attack. Hilton stepped forward and received a pass from Dean Smith. He then sent the ball to Okhalo when Dusan tried to steal the ball from him. Okhalo dribbled the ball forward. He gave the ball to Orlando. Orlando held the ball and guarded it.


    Orlando gave the ball back to Okhalo. Okhalo launched a long pass to the left. Kounde dueled in the air, he managed to head the ball into the middle. Bennet snatched the ball before Oscar. He then gave the ball back to Kounde. Kounde dribbled the ball into the penalty box.


    Kounde immediately gave a pass to the right side. Rustan came in to receive the ball with his chest and kicked the ball firmly. Peter Krech caught the ball well. Krech was clearly very well trained, Rustan''s shot was too positive so it was easy for Krech to catch the ball.


    In the 50th minute, Ivano snatched the ball from Kounde. He then gave the ball to Oscar. Oscar pushed the ball with his heel through the gap between Bennet''s legs. He then turned and ran past Bennett and chased after the ball. Not only that, he also sent the ball to Azpilicueta.


    Azpilicueta took the ball across the halfway line. After that he gave it to Ramires. Ramires tricked Orlando with a fake move. Then he brought the ball to the front of the penalty box. Immediately, Ramires provided a cross towards the penalty box. Dusan raised his feet trying to meet the ball but failed the ball past Dusan and went out of the field.


    Dusan looks frustrated. He then apologized to Ramires. Chelsea''s chances wasted again. On the side of the field, Mourinho was seen telling several players to warm up. The tactician was clearly not satisfied with the performance of some players. He wanted to replace these players.


    In the 58th minute, Orlando crashed with Ramires'' body, causing the midfielder to lose his balance. After that he pulled the ball from Ramires feet. Then he gave the ball to Simone. Simone spin the ball to avoid chasing Lambert.


    Then he gave the ball to Freddy. The right-back bounced the ball forward with his feet. He then chased the ball quickly. Just as Freddy was about to collide with Oscar, he changed direction. Freddy then gave a cut pass to Bennet which escaped Oscar''s guard.


    Bennet received the ball but Cole stepped forward and tried to interfere Bennet. Bennett gave the pass to Kounde. Kounde immediately met the pass with a powerful shot. The ball spun towards the center of the net. Kazuki who was only guarded by David Ruiz immediately received the pass and gave a shot towards the goalpost. Too bad Peter Krech''s reaction this time was so good. He managed to block Kazuki''s kick.


    In the 66th minute, Zelatta got the ball from Lambert. He then dribbled the ball slowly forward. Then he pushed the ball forward. Freddy followed him quickly. Zelatta suddenly stopped and pushed the ball horizontally into the box. Zelatta passed Freddy and entering the box.


    He then gave the pass to Dusan. This time Dusan was guarded tightly so the player headed the ball backward. Lamvert received the ball and pass it to Hazard. Hazard pushed the ball forward and gave a shot towards goalpost. Okhalo still had time to reach out and tackle Hazard''s kick.


    Chelsea chance again failed. This time Southampton, who had finished stacking players in the penalty box, made it difficult for Chelsea to attack them.


    In the 70th minute, Southampton got a chance to counterattack. Dusan Removic''s kick was caught by Dean Smith. He then threw the ball to the left. Benson received the ball. He immediately gave a pass to Kounde because Hazard was chasing him. Kounde went down to provide the pass to Orlando. Orlando dodged Ramires and kept Ramires'' body away from the ball with his hands.


    Orlando passed the ball to Bennett. Bennett received the ball and showed a rainbow flick. He passed Oscar and dribbled the ball to the front of the penalty box. After that he gave the ball to Rustan. Rustan received his dribble a bit backwards when Freddy immediately passed Rustan. Rustan immediately gave Freddy a through ball. Freddy received the ball and provided a cross into the middle of the penalty box.


    The goal keeper, Peter Krech stepped forward and picked up the ball in the air. Kazuki didn''t have time to head in the Southampton attack which ended in failure. Even so Southampton was still able to maintain its lead.


    In the 76th minute, Chelsea made a substitution. Mourinho entered Victor Dembaba to replace Dusan Removic. He also included John Mikel Obi to replace Oscar. Meanwhile Southampton also made their substitutions, including Wright-Phillips to replace Kounde. Then entered Ryan to replace Bennet.


    In the 81st minute, Southampton got another chance. John Mikel Obi made a mistake. He gave Cole a pass that was too weak, so Ryan easily sabotage the pass. He immediately gave Kazuki a breakthrough pass. Unfortunately, the pass was too strong that Kazuki didn''t have time to reach it. Peter Krech saved the pass first.


    In the 88th minute, Chelsea got a free kick in front of the penalty box. This time Hazard became the executor of the free kick. In front of the ball he stood with Zelatta. The referee blew the whistle, Zelatta was running forward then jumped over the ball. At that time Hazard immediately kicked the ball. The ball slid past the player''s wall and into the goalmouth Victor Dembaba jumped and changed the ball direction. The ball was entered the goalpost. Chelsea equalized.


    This result maintained to the end.. Southampton was held to a draw by Chelsea.

 Chapter 133 - Norwich City

    [Southampton held to a Chelsea draw! Man City overtook the Blues from second place.]


    [Lambert: We have to admit that Southampton was playing well. Today we didn''t play well, there were a lot of chances but the goal came too late.]


    [Who can stop Southampton? Analysis of Southampton''s chances to win the first half of the 2012/2013 season.]


    [Can a devil schedule in December stop Southampton? Arsenal and Manchester United ready to take down Southampton!]


    This draw was actually bad for both teams as City continue to catch up at the back. However, the media regretted this draw more because they expected that Chelsea could beat Southampton. Of course this draw made both of them, either Southampton or Chelsea feel annoyed.


    In November, Southampton had 5 games. Fortunately, The Saints managed to win all five of those matches. They won against West Bromwich Albion, then Liverpool, Blackburn, Aston Villa and finally Chelsea. Southampton managed to pass the busy schedule successfully.


    In this month, Kazuki returned to best performance by making 6 goals and 1 assist. Kazuki''s performance clearly allowed him to win November''s Player of the Month again. George, who also coaches Southampton, had a great chance to winning the best coach in November.


    In December, Southampton''s schedule was as busy as November. On the 1st, Southampton will face Norwich City. Then on the 8th, Southampton will visit Swansea City. On the 16th, Southampton will then play Leeds United. On the 22nd, Southampton will visit the Emirates Stadium once again to meet Arsenal. Finally on Boxing Day on the 26th, Southampton will face Manchester United.


    With such a busy schedule, it was no suprise if many clubs that initially led the table in November suddenly collapsed in December. Luckily, Southampton was able to focus on the league as they were eliminated in the Carabao Cup. Imagine how difficult the situation for a big club in December. Champions League, Carabao Cup, Fifa World Cup (especially for Chelsea who just won the UCL), and others. Thinks about that, it was normal if coaches of the big clubs always protest about the Premier League schedule


    In the evening, December 1st. Southampton welcomed the arrival of a group of players at the St. Mary''s. The day before the match, George had announced the big list and also Southampton''s starting line-up for this match.


    Dean Smith was back to keep the goalpost. Although he rarely kept a clean sheet, his performance was indeed quite good. There had been a change at center-back. George rotated and gave Jimmy and Hiltona chance to help Dean Smith in defending the Southampton defense. Then, Winlsey Hart returned to fill the right-back position. Vicente had just recovered from injury while Freddy needs rest. Ben Carter replaced Benson at left back.


    Then in midfield, Orlando, Wright-Phillips, and also Ryan filled the midfielder position. In this match George used a 4-3-3 formation, so the burden of defense was on Orlando and the other two midfielders could help Orlando as needed. Then up front, George put Kazuki in the middle, then Osmund on the left and finally Crage on the right. He also rested Rustan in this match.


    Although many of the main players were not present, the presence of Kazuki and Ryan was actually enough to make George confident in beating Norwich.


    On the other hand, Norwich City was using a 4-4-2 formation. The composition of their players namely, John Ruddy; Russell Martin, Sebastian Bassong, Michel Turner, Javier Garrido; Robbert Snodgrass, Bradley Johnson, Wes Hoolahan, Anthony Philkington; Grant Holt, Chris Martin.


    The match started with Southampton kick-off. With a 4-3-3 formation. Southampton had control over the midfield due to their superior number of players. This was because the two midfielders in Norwich City''s 4-4-2 formation were wingers who play somewhat up front. The Norwich City player to watch out for was their striker Grant Holt. He was Norwich City''s captain and goalscorer this season.


    Entering the early minutes, Southampton immediately controlled the match. They pushed Norwich City back into their own defense area. After some training, Southampton''s possession was getting smoother. At least if the pressing by the opponent was not as fierce as Liverpool or other big clubs, Southampton could still survive with short passes.


    In the 8th minute, Orlando gave Wright-Phillips a flat pass. The player then received the ball and pushed the ball to the right. Then, as Wes Hoolahan moved to the ball direction, Wright-Phillips pushed the ball through the gap between Wes Hoolahan''s legs. Then he ran past the player and got the ball again.


    After passing Wes Hoolahan, Wright-Phillips gave Kazuki a pass. Kazuki, with his back facing the Norwich net, received the ball while holding down Sebastian Bassong who had pressure behind him and then passed it to Ryan. Ryan penetrated into the penalty box, he was closely guarded by Michel Turner. Then he pulled the ball back and provided a flat pass to Wright-Phillips.


    Wright-Phillips immediately made a first-time shot. However, Wright-Phillips'' shot failed, the ball went over the Norwich City top post. Southampton''s first chance failed to convert into a goal.


    Minutes to 15, Winsley Hart provided a pass to Orlando. Orlando pulled the ball to the side, he tried to get away from Chris Martin who tried to steal the ball from him. Then Orlando provided a through ball to Southampton left-back, Ben Carter. The player relied on all his speed to run and receive the ball. He then deflected the ball when he met Robert Snodgrass. After that, he gave the pass to Ryan.


    Ryan took the pass. He pushed the ball to the left to avoid Bradley Johnson then provided a through ball to the left flank. Osmund ran fast. He dueled against Norwich right-back, Russel Martin. Osmund pushed the ball with the back of his foot into the box after which, he turned 90¡ã and stabbed into the box.


    After that, Osmund used his feet to kick the ball into the middle of the penalty box. Kazuki was about to grab it but Sebastian Bassong threw the ball away first. Southampton''s corner kick. Ryan executed the kick. He was using his right foot to kick the ball, the ball was flying towards the penalty box. Orlando won the duel against Bradley Johnson. Too bad his header missed to the right post side.


    In the 26th minute, Southampton finally scored. Ryan passed the ball to the right. Crage took the ball. He sprinted onto the touchline pulling Norwich''s left-back into the touchline then pass the ball to Winsley Hart who went up to help Southampton attack. Winsley Hart brought the ball into the penalty box.


    He then sent a cross to the left of the penalty box. Osmund burst in and headed the ball into the middle of the penalty box. Kazuki volleyed at a critical angle and managed to score. His shot was too strong for Norwich goalkeeper, John Ruddy to anticipate.


    The goal put Southampton a goal ahead of Norwich City. The match resumed after Southampton finished celebrating. Norwich City start kick-off. Southampton immediately pressed after Norwich City started kick-off. Southampton was not satisfied with a 1-0 advantage. They want to add more advantages.


    In the 30th minute, Norwich City tried to launch an attack. Michel Turner provided the ball to Norwich left-back, Javier Garrido. Crage tried to annoy Garrido, but the Spanish player was able to get past Crage easily. He then gave the ball to Bradley Johnson. Ryan immediately tried to steal the ball from Bradley, luckily, the player was able to keep the ball. Soon, he gave the ball to Wes Hoolahan. Wes Hoolahan dribbled forward and found Anthony Philkington on the left.


    Anthony received the ball he then faced Winsley Hart. When Anthony was about to pass Winsley, this young man stubbornly clung to Anthony, so that the Norwich player had difficulty, finally Winsley kicked the ball out of the field. Norwich only won a corner kick.


    Wes Hoolahan took a corner kick after the referee had blown the whistle. The ball curled into the goalmouth quickly. Crowds of players jostle for the best position. Sebastian Bassong managed to head the ball but unfortunately his header was caught by Dean Smith well.


    In the 38th minute, Southampton again launched an attack. This time Jimmy sent a long pass forward. Orlando dueled with Wes Hoolahan then headed the ball at Wright-Phillips. Wright-Phillips received the ball and dribbled it forward. After a while, he gave the ball to Ryan. Ryan who had just received the ball was immediately dropped by Bradley Johnson. The result Southampton get a free kick from outside the penalty box.


    Kazuki became the player who would execute the free kick. He and Ryan stood in front of the ball while the rest of Southampton players entered the penalty area preparing to welcome Kazuki kick. The referee blew the whistle, Ryan ran then jumped over the ball. Kazuki then came over and kicked the ball. The ball immediately went to the far post. There Orlando deflected the ball with his head. John Ruddy failed to anticipate the ball, so Southampton managed to score for the second time.


    Orlando enthusiastically ran towards the Southampton fan stands. He was very happy with his decision to make a transfer to Southampton. When he accepted Southampton''s offer, he did not expect Southampton to reach the first position in the Premier League until the current round. Orlando saw Kazuki who was approaching, he then immediately hugged him.


    At Southampton, there was no player that Orlando respected more than Kazuki. The reason was clear, Kazuki''s talent and charm made Orlando want to continue playing with Kazuki. Victory kept coming if Orlando plays this Japanese player.


    Until the end of the first half, Southampton maintained a 2-0 advantage.

 Chapter 134 - Swansea

    Entering the second half, both teams did not make significant changes. Southampton still used their players but Norwich replaced Chris Martin with Simeon Jackson.


    The match started with a kick-off by Norwich City. In this second half, George focused on play steady and maintaining a low rhythm as much as possible. He wanted Southampton to save their energy to face a devil schedule in December.


    In the 49th minute, Orlando stole the ball from the Simeon Jackson. He then gave the ball to Wright-Phillips. In this match, Wright-Phillips'' performance did not disappointing. It seems Wright-Phillips was more serious in practicing his skills and reducing his time to visit the bar.


    Back in the game, Wright-Phillips provided Ryan a pass. Ryan passed Bradley Johnson with a tricky move. Soon, He passed the ball to Crage who moved into the middle. Crage gave a back-pass to Ryan, who ran towards the right side. Ryan faced Javier Garrido. He dribbled the ball towards the side line, then, he pushed the ball into the penalty box and chased it.


    Fortunately, the Norwich centre-back managed to get the ball first than Ryan. He kicked the ball off the field. Southampton''s chance at the start of the first half failed to be exploited. But fortunately, there was still plenty of time for Southampton to get another chance.


    In the 56th minute, Osmund teamed up with Ben Carter. They broke through the Norwich defense from the left side. Ben Carter then moved the ball to the far right of the field. Crage received the ball, he sent the ball to Winsley Hart, who broke into the middle of the penalty box. Winsley Hart received the ball, soon, he gave a powerful shot. But unfortunately, his shot was blocked by Sebastian Bassong.


    In the 66th minute, Kounde came in to replace Osmund. Simone also came in to replace Ryan. Southampton started to tighten their defense. The ball posession was also held in the hands of The Saints.


    Norwich began to lose the will to press Southampton. They seem to have given up to try disrupt Southampton''s dominance of the ball. This made Southampton able to control the ball well. They really put pressure on Norwich. In the 73rd minute, Norwich conceded again. Simone gave Kazuki a long pass. The Japanese player was clamped by two people, so he had difficulty controlling the ball.


    Kazuki could only pass the ball towards the left. Wright-Phillips into the penalty box. He received a pass from Kazuki and launched a powerful shot into the Norwich goalpost. The Norwich goalkeeper leaped towards the ball. His finger managed to touch the ball and push it. Too bad the ball hit the post and bounced into the net.


    The Norwich players and coaching staff seemed to have their heads lowered. Meanwhile the loud voices of Southampton fans filled the stadium. Southampton''s victory was in sight. In their eyes this match was over. Norwich chance to turn things around was only a few percent.


    In the 81st minute, Norwich tried to build an attack. John Ruddy caught the ball. He immediately kicked the ball to the right. Russell Martin received the ball and pushed it in front of Kounde, who was disturbing Martin, but Russell Martin got past Kounde. He then gave the ball to Robert Snodgrass. Robert soonly channeled the ball to Bradley Johnson.


    Bradley Johnson received the ball and passed it far forward. In front Simeon Jackson grabbed the ball before Orlando received it. He then he dribbled the ball past Orlando. Then, he sent a breakthrough pass to Grant Holt who escaped the offside trap. Grant Holt took a pass from Simeon Jackson. A flat kick launched by Grant Holt.


    Dean Smith stuck his foot to the left, he was trying to block Grant''s kick. But he missed Grant''s shot too far from his feet. As a result Southampton failed to get a clean sheet once again. Fortunately, that goal was the last goal that happened in this match. Southampton with a mighty 3-1 win over Norwich. Too bad another match, Man City and Chelsea also won.


    A week later, Southampton visited the Swansea City stadium. In the 16th round of the English Premier League Southampton against Swansea. Southampton''s victory against Norwich yesterday made Southampton confident to win at the opposing stadium. In this match George reserved Kazuki. The reason being, he wanted to save Kazuki''s energy for the next match.


    George fielded another main player besides Kazuki. At the back, Freddy, Hilton, Okhalo, Benson returned to guard the Southampton defense. Combination of defensive midfielders was Simone and Rudolf. Then in front were Rustan, Bennet, Kounde. Ryan became the player who replaced Kazuki.


    The match immediately started after a while. Swansea city started the first half kick-off. In this match Southampton played quite relaxed. They allowed Swansea to calmly build on the attack but would put pressure on Swansea when Swansea City''s players entered the Southampton half.


    In the 5th minute, the long pass that targeted the Swansea striker was immediately secured by Hilton. Hilton then pass the ball to Freddy. Freddy quickly dribbled the ball. He then changed the direction of the ball and avoided a tackle by Swansea players. Soon, Freddy gave the ball to Simone. Simone flicked the ball to the left and gave Bennet a pass.


    Bennet received the ball, he then held Swansea defensive midfielder. Then he gave the pass to Ryan who retreated backwards. The Swansea centre-back was a bit forward to follow Ryan. Ryan received a pass from Bennett. He then provided a through ball to Kounde. Kounde brought the ball into the penalty box through the gap left by the Swansea City centre-back. A few meter from goalpost. he hit the ball hard but another center-back jumped and blocked Kounde''s shot.


    Southampton''s first attack immediately failed to be blocked by the Swansea centre-back. The match continued to minute 14. Ryan and Bennet made a counter-movement. Ryan moved forward to lure the Swansea centre-back while Bennet moved behind the Swansea centre-back. Simone provided a through ball towards Bennet.


    Bennet received the ball, he then dribbled forward and crossed to the right of the Swansea defense. Rustan stopped the ball with Rustan foot, the referee raises the flag. Rustan was in an offside position. Southampton attack again failed.


    In the 23rd minute, Dean Smith managed to catch the Swansea striker''s hard kick. He then threw the ball far forward. Bennett saw Dean Smith''s pass, he turned and ran while adjusting his position. Bennett received the pass with his foot then he saw Rustan who raised his hand. Bennet immediately sent a through ball to Rustan.


    Rustan received the ball and pushed it forward. The Swansea center-back reached out his hand, he was trying to grip Rustan''s shirt. But too late, Rustan had accelerated leaving the other players. He dribbled the ball diagonally towards the center. He entered the penalty box and faced the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper stepped forward and was about to ambush Rustan.


    Rustan flicked the ball to the right. Then keep running. He then easily put the ball into the empty net. The Swansea fans who saw the goal fell silent. They looked disappointed to see Southampton''s goal. Even though Kazuki''s absence from the starting lineup made Swansea feel excited. But sadly, Southampton made Swansea aware that even without Kazuki this team was already a good team. With the potential and the help of the new feature [Dream Training] Kazuki was sure Southampton was at least a mid-level club in the Premier League without Kazuki''s presence though.


    In the 31st minute, Southampton attacked again, this time, Rudolf managed to cut the flow of the ball. He then gave the ball to Simone. Simone dribbled the ball forward and fed Kounde. Kounde received the ball he didn''t break through to the wing but sent a pass to Bennet. Bennet accepted it, he stopped the pass to Swansea defensive midfielder and then provided a cross into the middle of the penalty box.


    Ryan took the pass with his chest. Just as he was about to control the ball with his feet, the Swansea centre-back dropped it. The referee immediately blew the whistle and pointed to the spot. The Swansea players surrounded the referee pleading for mercy. Penalties didn''t change, Southampton got a penalty kick.


    Ryan stands in front of the ball. He took a deep breath and kicked the ball powerfully to the left. Too bad the Swansea goalkeeper got the ball right. He caught Ryan''s kick. The Swansea fans immediately applauded giving the goalkeeper the award. Ryan looks disappointed. He often saw Kazuki score a penalty goal with ease. He thinks the penalty was not a big problem.


    I can do that too. Such a thought crossed Ryan''s mind. However, it turned out that it was not as easy as Ryan imagined. The atmosphere and pressure of taking a penalty kick was really something no normal one can endure.


    The first half ended with Southampton winning 1-0 over Swansea. The match continued in the second half after 15 minutes of half-time. Immediately after 15 minutes both teams walked out of the hall and onto the field. Southampton became the team that started the kick-off.


    In the second half, Swansea tried to launch an attack. At the start of the second half, Southampton felt the storm of attacks launched by Swansea. Fortunately the Southampton players could withstand the onslaught of Swansea. Dean Smith''s performance coupled with stable defense from Okhalo and Hilton made Southampton able to withstand Swansea''s attacks.


    In the 66th minute, Southampton scored again. They scored with Rudolf''s powerful shot from outside the box which bounced through the bodies of the Swansea players before heading into the net. This goal made Southampton''s advantage to two goals. Thanks to this goal, Southampton also began to reduce the attack Swansea.


    In the 78th minute, Swansea made a substitution as well as Southampton. George wanted to add to the defense while Swansea wanted to attack Southampton more fiercely. In the 84th minute, the Swansea winger provided a pass into the middle of the penalty box. The Swansea striker made an overhead kick and managed to reply to Southampton with a goal.


    The goal was unfortunately the last goal in this match. Southampton managed to secure victory with a score of 2-1. Not a bad score. But again Southampton failed to get a clean sheet. Southampton''s attacking strategy may be the reason why this team concedes a lot.


    By adding energy to the attack, the defense will automatically be thinner. Although people say that attack was the best defense but without a good defense as a base it was very difficult to launch an attack.


    Again, defense was a sector that must be reviewed carefully by George. On the other hand, Southampton was not a club like Manchester United. It''s natural to have flaws. But to win the championship, Southampton must be able to fix these shortcomings as well as possible.


    Southampton''s win over Swansea, also extend their lead over second-placed Man City who suffered a draw while Chelsea tasted defeat in this round.

 Chapter 135 - Leeds

    Kazuki opened his eyes slowly. The white ceiling was the first thing he saw. He took a deep breath and slowly raised his upper body. He positioned himself to sit on the bed.


    The bedroom door was opened. The figure of a woman with long hair wearing an apron appeared from the door. The woman gave Kazuki a morning smile and said, "You''re awake, honey?"


    Kazuki ignored Shiraishi''s question. Instead, he replied to Shiraishi''s question with another question, "What time is it? I have to go practice."


    "Didn''t you say that today''s practice is a day off?"


    Kazuki scratched his head and remember that coach George had given him a day''s vacation. He then nodded and said, "You''re right, today is my day off."


    "Good then, let''s have breakfast first," said Shiraishi.


    Kazuki got up from the bed and followed Shiraishi into the dining room. The two of them ate the food Shiraishi had prepared for breakfast.


    Shiraishi''s current occupation was following his father Furochi to learn how to be a good agent. She was really serious in her words to become Kazuki''s agent. Shiraishi''s spirit was welcomed by Kazuki. The young man gave full support to his lover.


    Furochi himself seemed to agree with his daughter''s relationship with Kazuki. Perhaps from the start, this was Furochi''s purpose of introducing his daughter as Kazuki''s personal assistant.


    The vacation time given by George Kazuki was filled with his time with Shiraishi. They watch movies, visit the mall, play in the park, and so on.


    Southampton will be playing their 17th game in the English Premier League. Their opponent in this match was Leeds. Marcelo Bielsa was still the coach of Leeds. However, unlike last season, Bielsa this season seems unable to maintain the appearance of Leeds last season. Leeds was now perched in 16th position and was only a few points away from the relegation zone.


    The line-up for Leeds in the match against Southampton was as follows. Illan Meslier; Luke Ayling, Firpo, Liam Cooper, Reynolds; Rodrigo, Calvin Phillips, Fernando; Raphinha, Patrick Bamford, Horizon.


    Meanwhile Southampton fielded the formation as follows. Dean Smith; Vicente, Okhalo, Hilton, Benson; Simone, Orlando; Rustan, Bennett, Ryan; Kazuki.


    Both teams fielded their mainstay players in the first half of this season. Southampton played Vicente who had recovered from his injury. Meanwhile Leed played Fernando, their new player whose form did not live up to Marcelo Bielsa''s expectations. Fernando''s performance throughout the premier league was very average he doesn''t have any striking data but also not too bad.


    At the meeting last season, Southampton struggled in dealing with Leed United''s tactics. But this season, George had managed Southampton well, so Southampton will not lose tactically against Leed United. The pressure from Rodrigo and Fernando early in the half was easily eliminated by the presence of two defensive midfielders. On the other hand, Calvin Phillips also couldn''t do much because Bennet kept his movement in front.


    Bennett often lost in duels against other players but luckily this time he didn''t lose. He really took good care of Calvin. In the 9th minute, Southampton launched an attack. Orlando broke past Fernando and gave Bennet a pass. Bennett received the ball, but Calvin tried to distract him. In confronting Calvin, Bennett used deception. He quickly passed Calvin and headed in front of goalpost.


    Bennet then provided a flat pass to the right side of the Leeds defense. Rustan left Reynolds behind with his speed he then dribbled the ball into the penalty box. Soon, Rustan passed the ball to Kazuki. Kazuki tried to shoot, but his position was shifted by Liam Cooper, so Kazuki failed to aim the goalpost with his shot.


    In the 16th minute, Simone provided pass to the left side. Ryan tried to get the ball, but he lost the duel against Luke Ayling. Luke used his header to pass the ball to Calvin. Kalvin was heavily guarded by Bennet, so he could only give the ball back to Firpo. Firpo then immediately kicked the ball forward before Kazuki reached him.


    The ball bounces high forward. Then, Rodrigo tried to get the ball. He dueled Simone. Rodrigo won, he sent the ball to Raphinha. Raphinha picked up the pass, but Benson immediately brought him down with a clean tackle.


    Leeds failed to use their chances well. Southampton back in control of the ball. In the 21st minute, Horrison, who was about to receive the ball, was cut off by Vicente. Vicente who cut the Leeds pass immediately gave the ball to Orlando. Orlando spun while securing the ball from the theft . He then gave the pass to Bennett.


    Bennett received the ball and pushed it diagonally to the side. He then gave the ball to Ryan. Ryan held the ball for a few seconds, then Benson ran towards the left side of the penalty box. Ryan gave Benson a through ball.


    Benson hit speed with Luke Ayling, after that, he pushed the ball back at Ryan. Ryan received the ball, his position was free so he put the ball into the penalty box. Then Ryan gave the ball to the right side of the penalty box. Rustan stabbed in from the right, he then bounced Ryan''s pass into the middle.


    Kazuki greeted the pass with a first-time kick. The ball slid into the net that was guarded by Illan Meslier. Illan jumped up and slapped the ball with both hands. The ball bounced back. Kazuki was about to grab the rebound ball, but Liam Cooper threw the ball away first so Kazuki didn''t have time to steal it.


    In the 29th minute, Southampton launched another attack. This time Dean Smith managed to catch Patrick Bamford''s kick. He then throws the ball forward. Okhalo accepted the ball. He gave a pass to Hilton when Bamford stepped up to press him. Hilton dribbled the ball forward. Moments later, he gave the ball to Vicente.


    Vicente went up and took the ball. He avoided the aggressive pursuit of Leed United''s left winger, Jack Horrison. Fortunately, Vicente managed to avoid him. The ball gone to Simone. Simone broke free from Rodrigo and sent the ball to Bennet. The young player on loan from Manchester United passed through Calvin with ease. After that he launched a powerful shot from outside the penalty box.


    The ball hit the outside post before bouncing off the field. The match resumed. In the 38th minute, Leeds got the moment to counterattack. Luke Ayling stole the ball by cutting Bennet''s pass on Ryan. He then provided a pass for Kalvin who escaped from Bennet''s guard then Kalvin sent a long ball forward.


    Fortunately there was Okhalo who won the aerial duel against Bamford.. Okhall then threw the ball off the field.

 Chapter 136 - Leeds (2)

    In the 47th minute, Southampton got a penalty. Kazuki was fouled in the penalty box by Firpo. Facing Illan Meslier, Kazuki was able to execute a penalty kick well. Southampton''s first goal came late in the first half. The goal certainly made Leed United frustrated. After 45 minutes of holding off Southampton''s onslaught, they did not expect to concede a penalty.


    The match entered the break. Both coaches made changes. George pulled Ryan out and replaced him with Kounde. In the first half, Ryan''s performance was less than satisfactory, he wasted chances so often that a counterattack was created. With the inclusion of Kounde, George was hope Southampton''s left side could be more agresively.


    Meanwhile on Leeds United''s side, Marcelo Bielsa pushed Kalvin''s position forward. The reason was to avoid Bennett. He put Calvin slightly forward then pulled Fernando back. In addition, he also allowed Horizon to move slightly to the center to replace Fernando. On the left, Leeds left-back Reynold will rise to winger.


    The match restarted. As before, both teams played quite safely in the early stages. But the changes made by the two coaches were starting to show their effect. In the 47th minute, Fernando stole the ball from Bennet''s feet. He then gave it to Calvin. Calvin received the pass and controlled the ball carefully. Orlando went up and tried to steal Calvin''s ball. Horrison who moved into the middle was free, Calvin gave Horrison a pass.


    But at that moment, Hilton went up and closed the space left by Orlando. He committed a foul to stop the flow of the ball for Leed United. Leed failed to continue the attack, but with that attack, it was shown that Marcelo Bielsa''s adjustments were starting to take effect.


    In the 56th minute, Luke Ayling intercepted Bennet''s cross for Kounde. Luke immediately gave Calvin a flat pass. Just like before, Orlando went up, but this time he really guarded the possibility of Calvin''s pass to Horrison, so Calvin chose to give Rodrigo a pass. Rodrigo walked backwards and received the ball from Calvin.


    After that, he gave a back-pass to Horizon. Horizon who was in the middle received the ball. Then he poked the ball to the left. Reynold penetrated into the penalty box. He received a pass from Horrison. Reynold then gave Patrick Bamford a pass. The pass seemed too awkward for Bamford, so the striker simply stuck his foot out to change the direction of the ball.


    Unfortunately, the ball was too weak so it was easily caught by Dean Smith. Southampton''s counter-attack came. Dean Smith immediately gave the pass to Vicente. Vicente received the ball. He then provided a long ball forward to Rustan. Rustan was not guarded by anyone because Reynold''s rise, he received the ball and ran quickly towards the Leeds United defense.


    Liam Cooper moved towards Rustan. He tried to close Rustan''s path to the Leeds United penalty box. Rustan then gave a pass into the middle and then continued to run ignoring Cooper. Kazuki received the ball and directly gave it back to Rustan. Rustan received the ball, he pushed the ball aside as the goalkeeper stepped forward. Then, Rustan kicked the ball into the goalpost.


    Kazuki came over to Rustan and congratulated him. Rustan''s pace had always been one of Southampton''s biggest threats. Despite not scoring personally but Kazuki was happy to see Southampton score the second goal. With this Southampton winning 2-0 over Leeds United.


    In the 66th minute, Kazuki was pulled out by George. In the face of the devil''s schedule, George wanted to conserve Kazuki''s energy as much as possible. George entered Theodore to replace Kazuki. This was Theodore''s official debut in the senior team.


    In the 69th minute, Leeds hit back. Firpo managed to steal the ball from Theodore''s feet. He gave it to Fernando. Fernando moved to avoid Bennet and gave the ball to Calvin. Calvin received the ball, this time he immediately sent a long ball to the right. Raphinha received the ball from Calvin then he pushed the ball forward and was about to cross.


    Benson stretched out his leg and blocked Raphinha''s cross. Corner kick awarded to Raphinha. Calvin became the one who executed the corner kick. Immediately after the referee blew the whistle Calvin kicked the ball flat to Fernando. Fernando provided rhe ball back to Calvin. Calvin brought the ball, a few moments, later gave a flat pass into the middle of the penalty box.


    Patrick Bamford stuck his foot out but he failed to meet Calvin''s pass. The result was the ball swinging off the field untouched.Calvin looks frustrated with it. Patrick failed to read his partner''s movements. He should have guessed what Calvin wanted to do.


    In the 78th minute, Leeds United managed to get the ball. Kounde''s cross which failed to be used by Southampton forward. Theodore was successfully guarded by Firpo. The Leeds United central defender headed the ball out of the penalty box. Fernando received the ball and gave it to Luke Ayling. Kounde intercepted Luke and tackled him. Kounde managed to bring down Luke Ayling, but the ball bounced into the middle.


    Bennet got the ball and dribbled into the Leeds defense area. Calvin came from behind and gripped Benner''s shirt tightly. Bennett passed the ball to Theodore. However, Fernando did a body charge that made Theodore encouraged. Fernando then got the ball. After that he gave it to Reynold.


    Shortly after, Reynold crossed the ball into the penalty box. Patrick Bamford managed to get the ball, but Okhalo blocked Bamford so the player had no space to shoot. Bamford grabbed the ball with his feet and spun around. Then, he gave the ball to Raphinha.


    Raphinha received the ball, now he was only dealing with the goalkeeper. Raphinha kicked the ball. When all the Leeds fans were about to cheer, Raphinha''s shot flew high above the Southampton net. Marcelo Bielsa kicked the water bottle hard when he saw Raphinha waste such a good chance.


    Southampton continued to dominate the game towards the end. George also made the final substitution to strengthen the Southampton defence. Leeds kept trying to find goals. Marcelo Bielsa was not afraid to bet.


    He replaced several defenders with attackers. But instead of getting a goal, Leeds conceded again in the 89th minute, on a counter-attack, Rustan became the third goal scorer in this match.


    The match ended with Southampton''s 3-0 win over Leeds United. Rustan was named the best player in the match with two goals. With this win Southampton was getting closer to the half season championship.. The last two opponents Southampton have to face are Manchester United and Arsenal.

 Chapter 137 - Moyes And MU

    Sir Alex''s expectation for his successor, David Moyes, at Manchester United was very high. Although at the beginning of the season David Moyes showed a less convincing performance, but Sir Alex believed Moyes need enough time to handle Manchester United. Just trust the process.


    Therein lies the problem. The process of big club transition was sometimes the most crucial period. To get back up, it took a lot of time. But will Manchester United fans gave Moyes that much time? No matter how bad Manchester United was, in the hands of Sir Alex, the Red Devils was at least always in the top 4 positions. But look at the current Premier League table. Manchester United was stranded in 7th position.


    The sudden change and reality that did not match with expectations, made Manchester United fans, especially fanatics were bullying Moyes to the fullest. Every Manchester United game there will be someone raised the #MoyesOut banner. After Sir Alex''s retirement, Manchester United seems to be sinking.


    Manchester United fans didn''t have that much patience. After failing to win Premier League two years in a row, Manchester United clearly want to win this season. But look at how Manchester United played under Moyes. Obviously they were frustrated.


    Van Persie, who hopes to win the Premier League championship with Manchester United, seems to regret his choice to see the Red Devils stuck in 7th position. Several times in front of the media, Van Persie was not shy to express his disappointment with the Manchester United coach. Apart from Van Persie, new players like Pogba and Anthony Martial had not have a good harmony with David Moyes.


    Meanwhile, the old Manchester United players seem to be in doubt. On the one hand they want to support Moyes because Sir Alex really trusts Moyes. However, on the other side, differences in coaching, differences in results and others, make them unable to trust Moyes as the coach of Manchester United.


    In the midst of this anxiety, Manchester United welcomed Southampton at Old Trafford. Last season, Southampton beat Liverpool and gave Manchester United hope to win. But Southampton was also the one who thwarted Manchester United''s Premier League champions.


    Bennett, who was loaned out by Manchester United, will now face his own club. Bennet himself probably never thought that the club he played would be in higher level than Manchester United themselves.


    Kazuki, who was released by Manchester United last season, will also face his old club for the second time. You could say Southampton had a close relationship with Manchester United.


    "Welcome to the 18th round of the English premier league. This time Manchester United will welcome Southampton. The fate of Manchester United and Southampton seems to have turned around. At the start of the season, many media were confident about Manchester United. The arrival of Pogba, Anthony Martial and Robin Van Persie should have make Manchester United more competitive in the fight for the premier league.


    Meanwhile Southampton, who lost several players, is predicted to be at best only reaching 8th position. But now look at the reality. Southampton is at the top of the Premier League table while Manchester United are in 7th position. This shows us that in football anything can happen.


    Alright for this match Manchester United fielded a 4-3-3 formation. The players who played are as follows.


    Goalkeepers: David de Gea;


    Defenders: Rafael da Silva, Johnny Evans, Rio Fernand, Patrice Evra.


    Midfielders: Carrick, Pogba, Cleverly


    Front: Anthony Martial, Robin Van Persie, Christopher Ron.


    Meanwhile, Southampton used their flagship formation, namely 4-2-3-1.


    Goalkeepers: Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Freddy, Okhalo, Hilton, Benson;


    Defensive midfielders: Simone, Rudolf;


    Attacking midfielders: Rustan, Ryan, Kounde;


    Front: Kazuki.


    Alright, both teams have entered the penalty box. Let''s watch the game between Manchester United and Southampton."


    Manchester United started the game with a kick-off. Immediately after Manchester United kick-off, Southampton put pressure on Manchester United. In facing the Red Devils, Southampton played aggressively. Too bad Manchester United had Pogba. The player was able to calmly eliminate pressure from Southampton and even help other players to get out of pressure.


    At the beginning of the first half, Pogba seemed busy helping Manchester United withstand high pressure from Southampton. At some point, he tried to release a long pass. However, Ryan always bothered him. Ryan knows Pogba''s long pass was dangerous for Southampton. Although Southampton attacked fiercely. However, no opportunities had been created yet.


    A new opportunity appeared in the 9th minute, Pogba provided a long pass to Robin Van Persie. Van Persie clashed with Okhalo in an aerial duel. He then provided a pass to Anthony Martial. Anthony received the pass then ran with the ball at high speed. Then he approached the penalty box. Anthony tricked Hilton and entered the penalty box. Then he gave a powerful kick.


    Too bad Anthony''s kick flew over the post. Goal-kick was given to Dean Smith. Anthony seems to be wasting his chances. Robin Van Persie also looked angry with Anthony''s aimless kick. Robin was free at that time.


    In the 15th minute, Southampton launched an attack. Rudolf looks for the ball from Thomas Cleverly. He then brought the ball forward and gave it to Ryan. Ryan received the ball, but he immediately gave it to Simone. The Southampton captain provided a long pass to the right. Rustan immediately ran, he collided with Evra speed. Rustan was ahead but Evra held Rustan''s shirt, so Rustan had trouble running.


    Southampton free kick. The referee blew the whistle and gave Evra a light warning. Ryan took the free kick. He and Kazuki stood in front of the ball. Kazuki ran first. While in front of the ball Kazuki made a fake kick. Manchester United players hooked, then Ryan immediately took the free kick.


    The ball immediately drove towards the center of the penalty box. Rudolf appeared among the crowd of players. He then changed the direction of the ball with a header. But David de Gea did well, he managed to block Rudolf''s header with his hands. As a result, these opportunities failed to convert into goals.


    In the 21st minute, Pogba passed Ryan. He then passed the ball to Carrick. Carrick received the ball, but he was under Simone''s pressure, so Carrick only passed the ball to the Manchester United right-back. Rafael da Silva went forward, he received the ball and dribbles the ball forward. Rafael gives the ball to Anthony. Then ran to the right flank of Southampton.


    Anthony provided a through ball to Rafael. Rafael received the ball from Anthony, soon, he sent a cross into the middle of the penalty box. Dean Smith ran off the field, then he caught the ball while it was still in the air. His actions made Robin Van Persie fail to take advantage of that opportunity.. Manchester United and Southampton still failed to break the score 0-0.

 Chapter 138 - Moyes And MU(2)

    The 27th minute, Southampton launched an attack. Simone snatched the ball from Carrick, when Carrick tried to pass it. Immediately, he passed the ball to Rudolf. Rudolf let go of Cleverly''s guard, after that, he received Simone''s pass with his right foot. Then, Rudolf gave a pass to Kounde. The Southampton left winger received the ball, but he was guarded by Rafael da Silva making it difficult to turn around.


    Kounde passed the ball back to Benson. Benson, who rose to assist the attack, was now dribbling the ball diagonally to the middle. He then gave Ryan a pass and advanced into the penalty box. Ryan took the pass, then, with a touch, he sent Benson''s pass back. Benson received a through ball from Kounde. Then he immediately sent the ball that he received to Kazuki.


    Johnny Evans cuts Benson''s pass. He then threw ball to the outside the ground. Throw-in near the corner of the pitch. Kounde threw the ball at Benson. The Southampton left-back returned the ball to Kounde. A second later, Kounde sent a cross into the middle of the penalty box.


    Rudolf jostled among the other players, he then jumped up with a bang. His jump was higher than other players. Then, he headed the ball with his head. The ball flew towards the goalpost. David de Gea reacted by moving to the left. He then used his hands to slap the ball away from the goal.


    Southampton attack failed again.


    Entering the next minutes, the intensity of the match increased. Manchester United and Southampton began to counterattack each other. In the 33rd minute, Bennett gave Kazuki a short pass. The Japanese player released a powerful shot from outside the penalty box. Unfortunately, De Gea gameplay was impressive. He managed to catch the ball with both hands.


    De Gea then threw the ball forward. The ball was received by Rio Fernand. He immediately passed the pass to Patrice Evra. Rustan frantically tried to annoy Evra, but the Manchester United left-back was assisted by Cleverly to get rid of Rustan. Evra immediately sent a long pass to Pogba. Pogba received the ball, he then accelerated his run while avoiding Ryan''s pursuit.


    Pogba saw Robin Van Persie in a good position, after that, he sent a long ball forward. Van Persie broke free from Okhalo''s guard, a moment later, he ran quickly forward then jumped and headed the ball.


    The ball that he headed curled up and then dived sharply down. Dean Smith was fooled by the movement of the ball, so he failed to catch the ball. Van Persie''s header into the Southampton net.


    "Goaaaaall! Van Persie''s artistic header made the ball find the net! Such a good counter-attack launched by Manchester United. Bravo! 1-0 to the hosts Manchester United."


    Manchester United celebrated the goal with great fanfare. In this match, the Red Devils fans would not be surprised if Southampton beat Manchester United. After all, this team had beaten many other teams. However, if Manchester United manage to beat Southampton of course they will be happy.


    The match resumed. Southampton started the kick-off after conceding the first goal. On the touchline, George had signaled to play patiently. Manchester United''s counter-attack was so sharp that Southampton had to be careful. However, there was still a long time to go and Southampton still have a chance to level the score.


    In the 39th minute, Okhalo managed to snatch the ball from Van Persie. He gave it to the front. Rudolf came down and picked up the ball. Behind him Cleverly followed Rudolf''s movements. The Southampton defender returned the ball to Hilton then spun around and ran fast. Hilton understood Rudolf''s idea, he sent Rudolf a through ball.


    The bait was too heavy so Rudolf failed to get the ball. Luckily Ryan managed to get the ball. The player then gave the ball to Freddy. The Southampton right-back stepped forward with the ball at his feet. Christopher Ron who followed behind was chasing Freddy, finally he managed to catch up to Freddy, he gave Freddy a physical confrontation, so that Freddy was pushed off the field.


    Southampton got a throw-in. Freddy threw the ball at Simone. Simone tried to keep the ball from being stolen by Carrick. He gave the ball to Rudolf. Rudolf passed the ball that he got to Okhalo.


    The Southampton center-back provided a long pass to the left side of Manchester United. Kounde ran fast, some players were still gathered on the right, so Rudolf only needed to face Rafael. He managed to get past Rafael then penetrated the Manchester United penalty box. Then he gave the ball to Ryan.


    Ryan received the ball and then gave a firmly shot from in front of net. The ball slid fast towards the goalpost. However, the ball just hit the top post and bounced off the field.


    In the 45th minute, Manchester United sent the final attack. Johnny Evans intercepted Ryan''s pass. He then gave it to Pogba. Ryan moved towards Pogba. He clung to the player and kept pestering him. Pogba sent a pass to Carrick. Pogba''s pass was quite weak, but fortunately Carrick was able to get the ball.


    Carrick gave a flat pass to Rafael. Rafael dribbled the ball across the halfway line. After that, he passed the ball he carries into the middle. After that he gave a flat pass to Cleverly. Cleverly welcomed the ball with a first time kick. The ball went from long distance towards the goalpost.


    Dean Smith ran to the right then jumped. His hand managed to reach the ball. He then pushed the ball away from the net. The ball was pushed in front of the goalpost. Hilton reached the ball before Van Persie he threw the ball off the field. After these opportunities failed Manchester United and Southampton was not able to score again.


    The first half match ended with a 1-0 advantage for Manchester United. Entering the break. Both teams adjusted their strategy. In the first half, Southampton looked difficult in dismantling Manchester United''s defense. The reason, their two wings failed to shine in the first half. Ryan himself also lost in midfield against Pogba.


    George made some adjustments so Southampton was able to play better in the second half.


    The game resumed after 15 minutes of rest. Southampton started the first half kick-off. At the beginning of the first half, the intensity of the match was still slow. Southampton controlled the ball quietly without fierce pressure from Manchester United.


    The match only became fierce when it entered the 50th minute. Ryan, who had just received the ball, got a dangerous tackle from Pogba. This caused Ryan to be guided off the field. Pogba got a yellow card for his action. But Southampton was forced to replace Ryan. Bennett didn''t make the big list, so George decided to include Osmund.. He pulled Kazuki back to take Ryan''s place.

 Chapter 139 - Moyes And MU(3)

    ''It''s been a long time since I played as an attacking midfielder.'' thought Kazuki. He looked around. The view here was definitely wider than up front as a striker. He could also clearly see Pogba who seems was returning his gaze. In the next few days, Golden Boy will be announced. Pogba was still one of Kazuki''s toughest competitors.


    When Southampton had the ball, Kazuki slowly brought Southampton''s style of play to be more aggressive. When Rustan penetrates on the right, Kazuki will help Rustan get the second ball. This made Southampton keep the ball possesion even if they had lose the ball. You could say Kazuki''s presence increased Southampton''s counter-press.


    In the 55th minute, Kounde lost the ball after Rafael had dropped him. Rafael passed the ball to Pogba. However Kazuki hit Pogba''s body. When Pogba lost his balance. He stole the ball. The Manchester United defense prepared to face Kazuki.


    Facing Johnny Evans, Kazuki leaned his body to the left. He then quickly broke through the Manchester United defense by pushing the ball to the right. Evans moved on instinct. He followed Kazuki to the right. At that time Kazuki turned around and gave a pass to Rustan.


    Rustan welcomed the ball with a first time kick. The ball flew and gently entered through the left corner of the goalpost. Kazuki immediately approached Rustan and hugged him.


    "Nice shot, dude."


    "Your pass was great, I think you''re more suited as an attacking midfielder."


    The goal made Southampton equalize. The Saint managed to make the score changed to 1-1 the same.


    "Take care of Kazuki! Don''t let him go!" Moyes continued to give instructions from the sidelines. He looked annoyed to see Southampton score a goal. He felt that Pogba should be more active watching Kazuki.


    The match resumed. In the 61st minute, Patrice Evra managed to tackle Rustan, he then gave a pass to Cleverly. Cleverly provided the ball to Pogba. Kazuki chased Pogba, but Pogba immediately sent a flat pass towards Carrick. The Manchester United midfielder received a pass from Pogba and then passed it to Anthony Martial.


    Anthony Martial dribbled the ball forward. He faced Freddy. However, Anthony was able to beat Benson easily. Then he gave the ball to Pogba who had climbed forward. Just as Pogba was about to receive the pass, Kazuki appeared from behind and kicked the ball towards the Southampton defender. Hilton took the ball. Then he gave a long pass to the right side.


    Rustan quickly brought the ball. His movements were too fast that he left Patrice Evra far behind. Rustan then brought the ball into the penalty box. Rio Fernand stood up and blocked Rustan. Rustan gave a lob pass forward. Osmund ran and shot the ball. Unlucky, Osmund''s shot was caught by David de Gea.


    In the 66th minute, Southampton got a free kick. Kazuki was brought down by Pogba in front of the penalty box. He was appointed as a free kick taker. However, at that time Rustan approached Kazuki and said that he was in good shape and wanted to take the free kick.


    Kazuki accepted Rustan''s request. He gave this free kick to Rustan. The referee blew the whistle. Kazuki dashed forward a moment then passed the ball he had to kick. The Manchester United players seemed to be moving at the time, but the ball didn''t appear. They were surprised, at the same time, Rustan immediately kicked the ball.


    The ball flew curled into the corner of the net. The ball hit the post and bounced into the goalmouth. Fortunately, Osmund was able to execute the rebound well. He kicked the ball into the goalpost. Southampton beat Manchester United with a score of 2-1.


    "Goaaaaal! It only took a small poke from Osmund to make it 2-1. The accuracy of Rustan''s free-kicks was quite good. His collaboration with Kazuki fooled many Manchester United players."


    In the 71st minute, Manchester United attacked Southampton. Simone failed to stop Carrick''s movement. He received the ball from Pogba''s pass and then dribbled the ball quickly to the front of the penalty box. Carrick then gave the ball to Van Persie. Van Persie pushed the ball past the players behind him. He then turned and chased the ball.


    After getting the ball, Van Persie''s position wasn''t ideal to shoot, so he released a pass to the front of the penalty box. Pogba received the pass, he pushed the ball forward then kicked the ball hard. At the same time Kazuki dashed from the side and slid in front of Pogba.


    His body managed to block Pogba''s hard kick. The ball bounced forward. Rudolf got it, but Cleverly brought down Rudolf for the referee to blow the whistle and Southampton''s planned counter-attack failed.


    In the 77th minute, Manchester United attack was more ferocious. Pogba managed to beat Kazuki in an aerial duel. He then gave the ball to Cleverly. Cleverly passed the ball to Patrice Evra. Evra sent the ball forward and Christopher Ron received the ball. He then sent the ball back to Cleverly who had freed himself from Rudolf''s guard.


    Cleverly received the ball. He looked to the right and crossed the ball to Anthony Martial. The ball went to the end of the pitch, so Anthony and Benson race to reach the ball first. Anthony managed to reach the ball. Then he gave the ball to Rafael. Rafael dribbled the ball into the penalty box.


    Rafael confronted Hilton. He changed the direction of the ball. Then, the Manchester United right-back sent a flat pass horizontally to the left side of the penalty box. Van Persie was about to welcome Rafael''s pass, but Dean Smith grabbed the ball first. He then throws the ball forward.


    Simone received a pass from Dean Smith with his chest. Then he sent a long pass to the right side. Rudolf ran as hard as he could with the ball. He kept pushing the ball forward as he slowly passed Rio Fernand. Then Rustan dribbled the ball into the penalty box.


    With a narrow angle, Rustan forced himself to shoot towards Manchester United''s net. David de Gea saved the Manchester United goalpost again.


    In the 85th minute, David de Gea caught Kunde''s shot. He threw the ball to the right. Rafael da Silva received the ball. He pushed the ball aside and dodged Kounde. Then, Rafael dribbled the ball into the middle and gave Pogba a pass. Pogba was heavily guarded by Kazuki, so he quickly passed the ball to Cleverly. Rudolf frantically tried to steal the ball from Cleverly. But the player tricked Rudolf and got past him.


    Cleverly brought the ball to the front of the penalty box. Then he provided a breakthrough pass to Anthony Martial. Anthony moved, he then passed Benson and gave Van Persie a pass. Robin Van Persie leaped and took a volleyball kick. This time his shot managed to break into the Southampton net.


    This goal was also the end of this match. Manchester United drew 2-2 against Southampton.


    In a press conference, The Sun started the conference with boos for Manchester United. A reporter from The Sun said, "Congratulations to Mr Moyes for holding off current leaders Southampton. This was a very good achievement considering Southampton had beaten a lot of big clubs."


    Moyes who heard that was certainly angry. He took the microphone and said "We had a lot of chances but luck was not on our side. I think this draw was luck for Southampton not for us."


    "How do you think Southampton was lucky when one of their players, Ryan Jr, has to be out for two months when Pogba only gets a yellow card. What do you think of the referee''s assessment of this game?" asked The Independent. News of Ryan''s condition has reached the media. This made them sure that the storm of injury will hit Southampton.


    "I will not comment on the performance of the referee. It is not my right to comment on it." Moyes knew that the referee''s decision regarding Ryan was in their favor. In addition, the FA always punishes coaches who criticize the referee''s performance.


    "Despite not scoring goals, Kazuki''s performance in this match was quite good. Does Manchester United regret not signing him last summer?" asked The Guardian.


    "We have a lot of good players. I think adding one or two more will not change Manchester United''s problem. Players are not the problem," said Moyes. He tried to protect the players he coached even though some players did oppose his rule at Manchester United. However, he did not know his words were a blunder.


    The Sun excitedly asked, "If players are not the problem, do you admit that you are the problem itself?"


    Moyes tried to explain what he meant, but The Sun and other sports magazines continued to berate Moyes with questions until Moyes finally decided to walk away from the press conference.


    In contrast to the chaos during the interview with Manchester United. George and also the media seem calm in discussing Southampton.


    This draw allowed Manchester City to surpass Southampton in the table, if The Citizen was able to achieve full points when visiting Tottenham Hotspur. Although George admitted that he was disappointed, this result was actually what he had predicted.


    Kazuki really carried this team all the way to the top of the table, but football was a team game. Without quality partners it was difficult for Kazuki to continue to bring victory to Southampton.


    However, rather than the outcome of this match, he was more worried about the storm of injuries. George had rotated as much as possible but the risk of injury was always there no matter how often George rotates. However, he could not control everything on the football field.


    Without Ryan''s presence, the burden on the attacking midfielder fell to Bennett. But Bennet needed a substitute. The only way was to pull Kazuki back and let Osmund play in the front. Osmund''s replacement was Theodore who can be called occasionally.


    However, if another player got injured again, it will be difficult for Southampton to maintain their form like in the first half of the season. Some players like Rustan, Simone, Okhalo, Hilton and Dean Smith was really hard to replace.. Even if there was a replacement then the quality was definitely worse.

 Chapter 140 - Arsenal

    A few days later, Totti Sport announced the golden boy winner. Kazuki officially won the award. The next day, Totti Sport visited Kazuki who was training at Southampton''s training ground. They gave trophies and certificates. After that Kazuki took a photo and the last session was the interview.


    1. How did you feel when you found out you won the golden boy?


    "It''s an honor for me when someone recognizes the hard work I''ve done. Of course, I''m very happy to win this award. I hope I can fulfill the expectations of football fans and also the golden boy itself regarding my career."


    2. As the first Asian player to win the golden boy, how do you feel?


    "I feel very proud. I hope this is not the last time an Asian player won this award. After all, football is everyone''s sport. I hope this victory will be a good inspiration to my Asian colleagues."


    3. Despite not winning any championships to date. The stats you''ve shown are insane. Southampton is currently second in the premier league. How big do you think Southampton''s chances of winning the premier league championship are?


    "I have to admit that it was very difficult. One of the reasons why we are doing so well is because the smaller clubs treat us as a small club. If they treat us the way they treat the Big Six, then the difficulty will increase highly.


    However, the opportunity certainly still exists. We will continue to fight to do our best. Whatever the result that we will get later."


    The next day various sports media announced the news of Kazuki''s victory. Especially in Asia. This news was increasing the grow of enthusiasm of Asian football fans. Competition, inspiration, and perhaps envy towards Kazuki would make players from other countries even more excited.


    Southampton fans themselves feel proud of the golden boy''s victory. This was the first time a Southampton player has won a golden boy. Not only that, other players were also very excited. They wanted to see and hold the cup. Holding the trophy seems to be something that was very rare for Southampton.


    In the midst of this enthusiasm. Southampton match against Arsenal was coming. At the pre-match press conference. Arsene Winters admits that he was confident that Arsenal was the only team that had beaten Southampton twice since Kazuki played for Southampton. If there was a club that claimed to be able to beat Southampton, then Arsenal would be the one to raise their hand first.


    That''s how deep Arsenal''s belief was in winning the game against Southampton. Especially when Ryan, one of Southampton''s main players, was injured. Of course Arsenal''s chance to win the game was getting bigger.


    In facing Arsenal itself, Southampton really train seriously. George even did some targeted training. Beating Arsenal and regaining Southampton''s honor (at least for George and Kazuki''s era) was Southampton''s main goal this time around.


    Southampton welcome Arsenal on boxing day on the 26th. Only 4 days from the game against Manchester United. You could say Southampton''s preparation was too short, but they had to fight the Gunners.


    In this match, Kazuki returned to playing as attack midfielder while Osmund filled the striker position. Counter-attack became Southampton''s main theme in this match. They chose to give up the ball possesion after learning from previous mistakes.


    The day before the game arrived, Southampton held a joint activity. Southampton players wore Santa Claus costumes and handed out gifts to passers-by. Apart from the club, some players also give gifts to fans who was in poor financial condition.


    There was no excessive party because the next day the players had to play. But Southampton''s activities was enough to show that this club cares about its fans.


    The next day on the 26th, Arsenal took their players to Saint Mary''s stadium. In this match Arsenal was looking to win. The only Arsenal player who was not present was Gervinho. But there is still Welbeck who can replace him.


    "Merry Christmas everyone, may we all feel the blessings on this meaningful day. Back again in the 19th round, the Premier League. In this match Southampton will play against Arsenal. Currently Southampton are in second place in the table while Arsenal are in fifth position.


    In this match, both teams are looking to win. For Arsenal, they want to strengthen their dominance over Southampton. Since being strengthened by Kazuki, Southampton have met 3 times with Arsenal. Southampton have lost two in two meetings and have only won Arsenal as an Arsenal bench player who played at that time.


    Alright let''s see the formation of the two teams. Arsenal fielded a 4-2-3-1 formation.


    Goalkeeper: Szczecny;


    Defenders: Jenkinson, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Kieran Gibbs;


    Defensive midfielders: Mikel Arteta, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain;


    Attacking midfielders: Welbeck, Santi Cazorla, Theo Walcott;


    Front: Podolski.


    Meanwhile Southampton also fielded a 4-2-3-1 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Freddy, Okhalo, Hilton, Ben Carter;


    Defensive midfielders: Orlando, Rudolf;


    Attacking midfielders: Rustan, Kazuki, Wright-Phillips;


    Front: Osmund.


    In this match, George preferred to field Kazuki as an attacking midfielder rather than play Bennet. This makes me curious, can Kazuki play his position well like when he played as a striker or not? That will be answered in the first half of this match."


    Southampton started the first half kick-off, they stretched the formation and immediately built up the attack. Although both use a 4-2-3-1 formation, the application of the tactics of the two teams was different. Southampton in this match played a counter-attack strategy so that both wings played slightly forward.


    On the other hand, the Arsenal winger was not only a traditional winger but also helps the Gunners in controlling the midfield of the match. This could be seen in several other Arsenal matches.


    On the other hand, George fielded Wright-Phillips instead of Kounde. In fact, Kounde''s speed and sharpness on the wings were clearly stronger than Wright-Phillips. The reason was actually simple, Wright-Phillips will not play as a pure wing. In George''s tactics in this match Wright-Phillips, Kazuki, and Osmund can shift positions when needed.


    Osmund would play to the left in place of Wright-Phillips as a winger, Kazuki could move forward as a striker, then Wright-Phillips would play in place of Kazuki in midfield. In addition, the presence of Wright-Phillips could also block Arsenal''s right-wing sector attack. His existence could break Jenkinson''s connection with Welbeck.


    In the 5th minute, Arsenal lost the ball due to counter-press. Starting with the pressure that Kazuki gave to Mikel Arteta, Arteta gave Cazorla an inaccurate pass. Finally Rudolf could cut the pass. After that, Rudolf brought the ball forward and gave it to Orlando.


    Orlando controlled the ball at his feet, he then held Alex Oxlade-chamberlain''s body with his hands and then passed the ball to Freddy. Freddy went forward carrying the ball. He changed his direction slightly to the center then passed the ball to Kazuki. Kazuki surpassed Mikel Arteta then received the ball. Then, he passed Osmund who started running sideways.


    Osmund received a pass from Kazuki then took it to the left side of the Arsenal defense. Second later, he gave a pass back. Wright-Phillips got the ball and then sent a long pass into the middle of the penalty box. Kazuki who was already in the penalty box tried to receive the ball but Koscielny kicked the ball out of the field.


    In the 11th minute, Arsenal launched the first attack. Szszesny threw the ball to Kieran Gibbs. Kieran pushed the ball aside then changed direction to the right, and past Rustan''. Soon, he gave Alex Oxlade-chamberlain a pass. After that, Alex received the ball and launched a long pass to Santi Cazorla. Santi Cazorla caught the ball with his chest and gave Welbeck a flat pass.


    Welbeck got rid from Rudolf and dribbled the ball into the middle. Then he did a powerful shot from outside the penalty box. Dean Smith leaped up and grabbed the ball in the air. The Southampton goalkeeper saved Welbeck''s powerful shot.


    In the 17th minute, Southampton sent a counter-attack. Okhalo managed to intercept and steal the ball from Podolski''s feet. He then brought the ball forward and gave it to Freddy. Freddy gave Orlando a pass, then he ran forward. Orlando touched the ball with one touch, he immediately sent the ball back to Freddy who had passed Theo Walcott.


    Freddy relied on his speed to go straight on the right side. Alex Oxlade-chamberlain moved to the right and blocked Freddy''s path. Freddy passed the ball to Orlando. Mikel Arteta pushed Orlando with his body, but Orlando held on and gave Kazuki a pass.


    Kazuki tricked Vermaelen with his movements. He then dribbled the ball into the penalty box. When Koscielny moved to close Kazuki''s space, the Japanese player poked the ball and allowed Osmund to receive Kazuki''s pass. Osmund received the ball with his chest then kicked the ball hard.


    Arsenal goalkeeper parried a shot from Osmund. Southampton got a corner kick. Kazuki was appointed as the corner kick taker. He kicked the ball gently to Freddy. Freddy returned the ball to him. Kazuki then gave a crossing to the center of the penalty box.


    Orlando jumped high, he pressed Alex Oxlade-chamberlain who also jumped. Then he headed the ball firmly into the Arsenal net. The ball missed a few inches to the left of the post.


    Entering the 20th minute, Arsenal locked Southampton. The Gunners started to actively control the ball, while Southampton put a low block line to give the number of players an advantage at the back. Southampton''s line changed to 5-4-1. Orlando dropped between the centre-backs while the attacking midfielders and Rudolf formed a line. Rustan stayed in front as the spearhead of the counterattack.


    In the 23rd minute, Arsenal got a chance. Santi Cazorla sent a beautiful pass into the middle of the penalty box. Orlando got the ball and threw it away. But Orlando''s kick was weak, so Theo Walcott was able to grab the ball that Orlando threw away. Walcott sent the ball back into the middle. Cazorla received Walcott''s pass then sent a powerful shot.. The ball hits the goal post and bounces off the field.

 Chapter 141 - Arsenal (2)

    In the 28th minute, Arsenal got another chance. Kieran Gibbs and Theo Walcott worked together on the left and broke down the Southampton defense. Gibbs sent a cut-back bait into the middle of the penalty box. Alex Oxlade-chamberlain received the pass and shot the ball hardly into the right corner of the goalpost.


    Dean Smith ran to the right and smacked the ball. The ball was thrown forward. Rudolf grabbed the ball and gave the ball to Ben Carter. Welbeck quickly knocked Carter down. The foul he did was breaking Southampton''s counter-attack.


    Ben Carter sent the ball back into the field. Orlando received the ball then gave it to Hilton. Podolski went up and pressed Hilton. Hilton passed the ball to Okhalo. Okhalo then kicked the ball to the right. Freddy received the ball and passed Walcott with ease. The right-back was crossed the halfway line and kicked the ball to Kazuki.


    Kazuki adjusted his position and sent a pass at Rustan. Rustan ran quickly he passed Kieran Gibbs and stabbed into the penalty box. Vermaelen moved to close the space for Rustan to run. Rustan stopped his run and gave a pass to Orlando.


    Orlando sent a flat pass to Kazuki. Kazuki took the first time kick towards the Arsenal net. Szczency flew to the left and punched the ball hard. The ball went to the left of the field, Wright-Phillips snatched the ball before Jenkinson got it. Then he sent a long pass into the middle of the penalty box.


    Kazuki got the pass and passed it to Osmund as he was in a bad position to shoot. Osmund got Kazuki''s pass, then he kicked the ball towards the Arsenal goal. This time, Szczesny was late in reacting so the ball went smoothly into the Arsenal''s net.


    "Goaaaall! Southampton managed to break into the Arsenal goalpost. Osmund didn''t waste a pass from Kazuki. Southampton lead by one goal over Arsenal."


    St Mary''s Stadium rumbled loudly when the goal was created. Southampton fans celebrated the goal with the players. In this peaceful Christmas atmosphere it would be even more beautiful if Southampton won against Arsenal. Meanwhile, the game resumed after Southampton''s players finished celebrating a goal.


    In the 33rd minute, Mikel Arteta snatched the ball from Kazuki''s feet he then sent a pass to Alex Oxlade-chamberlain. Alex received the ball and gave it to Santi Cazorla. Cazorla tricked Rudolf with his moves, then he crossed for Theo Walcott.


    Walcott penetrated into the penalty box. He then sent the ball to the right of the Southampton penalty box. Welbeck received the ball from Walcott. He unleashed a powerful shot. But his shot was blocked by Hilton''s foot. The ball bounced to the left side of the Southampton defense. Ben Carter snatched the ball and sent it far forward.


    Wright-Phillips received the ball. His position was now in the middle of replacing Kazuki. He then adjusted his position and released a long pass into Osmund''s left side for a duel with Jenkinson. He fought physically. Osmund almost got past Jenkinson but Jenkinson knocked him out.


    Southampton get a free kick near the Arsenal penalty box. Kazuki again trusted to take a free kick. The referee blew his whistle loudly. Kazuki walked slowly and sent a mighty shot that split the wind. The shot was like a rocket that glided to the top right corner of the goalpost. Unfortunately, the ball hit the post and bounced off the field.


    In the 39th minute, Southampton managed to get a golden opportunity. Freddy cut Kieran Gibbs'' pass to Theo Walcott. He then sent a pass to Orlando. Orlando moved back and lure Alex Oxlade-chamberlain forward. At that moment Freddy moved past Alex Oxlade-chamberlain. Orlando immediately sent ball to Freddy.


    Freddy received the ball and launched a flat pass to the right. Rustan faced off against Kieran Gibbs. He pushed the ball to the right then suddenly changed the ball direction to be vertical forward. He accelerated his run and sent a long pass into the middle of the penalty box.


    Szczesny went out of his position, he picked the ball, brought it up and kicking it far forward. Santi Cazorla and Rudolf dueled in the air. Rudolf won it. He managed to head the ball towards Kazuki. Kazuki got the ball. He then pushed the ball through the gap between Mikel Arteta''s legs. He then turned and chased the ball.


    Soon after that, Kazuki gave a shot from outside the penalty box. Too bad his shot missed the goalpost. The ball slid over the goalpost just an inch from the top post.


    "Aahh! Beautiful kick from outside the penalty box launched by Kazuki. Too bad the accuracy was still lacking. Southampton failed to expand the advantage while Arsenal are still 1 goal behind Southampton."


    Southampton launched the final attack in the 45th minute. Orlando hit Alex Oxlade-chamberlain''s body firmly. He then stole the ball from his feet and passed it to Rudolf. Rudolf moved backwards to avoid Santi Cazorla''s pursuit. He then gave the ball to Ben Carter. Ben Carter dribbled the ball forward and overlapped.


    He crossed the halfway line and gave Wright-Phillips a pass. Wright-Phillips held the ball at his feet while Kazuki dashed past Jenkinson. Wright-Phillips provided a through ball to Kazuki who was on the left side of the Arsenal defense. Kazuki received the pass and stabbed into the penalty box.


    The moment Koscielny tried to take the ball from him Kazuki immediately changed the direction of the ball. Soon, he dribbled the ball into the middle of the penalty box. When he was surrounded by Arsenal players, Kazuki gave a back-pass to Wright-Phillips. The player launched a quick shot towards the net. The kick hit the post and bounced off the field. Southampton failed to score at the end of the first half.


    At half-time. Neither team made any adjustments at all. Southampton''s tactics proved to be working well. Meanwhile it''s hard to understand why Winter hasn''t changed Arsenal''s players. Maybe he still wanted to give them a chance.


    At the start of the second half the intensity of the match went smoothly. Arsenal had the ball as usual, and dominated Southampton. However, Southampton just calmly waited for the counter-attack to come. This made it difficult for Arsenal to dismantle the Southampton defense.


    Passing and coordination between playersplayers was very important if the opposing players put up such a tight formation. This made Arsenal''s attack just stop there. Even so, the Gunners still control the ball. They were patiently waiting for the right time to attack Southampton again.


    In the 47th minute, Cazorla provided a through ball to the right side. Welbeck confronted Ben Carter. Then he passed the ball back to Jenkinson. Jenkinson provided a cross into the middle of the field.. Podolski headed the ball but Southampton goalkeeper Dean Smith managed to catch Podolski''s header well.

 Chapter 142 - Arsenal(3)

    In the 53rd minute, Southampton started the attack with a counter-movement between Rustan and Freddy. Rustan went down to lure Kieran Gibbs forward, while Freddy ran forward to exploit the gap left by Kieran Gibbs.


    After that, Freddy received the pass that provided by Orlando. Alex Oxlade-chamberlain cut off Freddy''s run path. Freddy was about to give a pass, but he saw that all his teammates were being guarded tightly. Freddy did a forward lob pass to Kazuki and Osmund, he hope they were be able to receive the pass.


    Kazuki fought against Vermaelen to head the ball. He headed the ball towards Osmund. Osmund then kicked the ball. But Szczesny''s hand reached the ball and threw it away from the net. Osmund apologized to Kazuki for failing to take advantage of the pass. Despite being annoyed, Kazuki nodded at Osmund.


    In the 59th minute, Rudolf gave the ball to Kazuki who went backward to help Southampton build on the attack. Kazuki passed the ball to Wright-Phillips. Arsenal right-back Jenkinson and Arsenal defensive midfielder Mikel Arteta put pressure on Wright-Phillips and Kazuki. However, Ben Carter overlapped to help both. Wright-Phillips found Benson and ran forward. Benson provided a long pass for Wright-Phillips.


    Jenkinson competed with Wright-Phillips for the ball. Wright-Phillips managed to get the ball, he pulled the ball back and then turned his body. He passed the ball to Kazuki who was following him from behind. Kazuki received the ball at that moment Mikel Arteta pushed on him, he then pushed the ball through the gap between Arteta''s legs. He passed Arteta, after which, he provided a pass to the right side of the Arsenal penalty box.


    Rustan managed to receive the ball well. Kieran Gibbs and also Alex Oxlade-chamberlain covered Rustan''s space, so he couldn''t shoot at Arsenal''s net. Rustan did a fake shot to fool the two. Then, he pushed the ball to the side and passed it forward. Osmund ran to catch the ball, however, Szczesny managed to get the ball before Osmund could kick the ball.


    In the 63rd minute, Arsenal attacked Southampton. Alex Oxlade-chamberlain got the ball after snatching it from Orlando. He ran to bring the ball into the Southampton defense area. He gave the ball to Santi Cazorla. Okhalo tried to steal the ball from Cazorla, but Cazorla managed to avoid Okhalo, he then provided a through ball to the left. Theo Walcott came on from the flanks to run with Freddy to get the ball through. Walcott managed to get the ball. He provided a sharp pass to the right side with one touch.


    Podolski deflected the ball into the Southampton goalpost with his right foot. The ball rolled into the Southampton net. But Dean Smith managed to extend his legs and hold the ball kick Podolski. The ball bounced off the field. Southampton was able to withstand attacks from Arsenal in critical condition.


    In the 70th minute, Bennett came on for Osmund and Rudolf came on for Wright-Phillips. George gave instructions that Southampton would change their formation to 4-3-2-1. This formation was definitely more defensive than before. However, Southampton still had Rustan as the initiator of the counterattack and then Kazuki as the executor.


    In the 73rd minute, Arsenal''s opportunity came. Vermaelen managed to snatch the ball from Kazuki. He gave the ball to Mikel Arteta. The Arsenal midfielder received the ball from Vermaelen and dribbled it while the rest of the players started moving towards the Southampton defense.


    Arteta provided a long pass to Cazorla. Cazorla received the ball using his chest. He controlled the ball, he kicked the ball past Rudolf''s head who was behind him, at the same time, Cazorla turned and ran past Rudolf.


    Cazorla pushed the ball forward then gave a flat pass to the right. Welbeck quickened his pace, he passed Ben Carter. Welbeck changed his direction to a diagonal towards the middle of the penalty box. Then, he curled a pass towards Podolski. The Arsenal striker used his speed to receive the ball, but just as he was about to shoot, Okhalo made a tackle to block Podolski''s shot.


    The ball bounced to the left of the penalty box. Freddy gets the ball but Theo Walcott and Cazorla press Freddy to let the ball go. Freddy was threw the ball out of the field.


    Moments later, Arsenal threw the ball into the field. The player who threw the ball was Kieran Gibbs. The Arsenal left-back threw the ball to Alex Oxlade-chamberlain. The player gave the ball to Cazorla. Simone clung to Cazorla, he was trying to steal the ball. Cazorla sent a through ball on Theo Walcott.


    Walcott tried to fool Freddy, but the Southampton right-back was not fooled by Walcott''s fake move. The Arsenal winger didn''t push himself past Freddy, he gave a pass towards Cazorla. Cazorla changed the direction of the ball to the right suddenly. He then kicked the ball hard. The ball spun towards the top right corner of the Southampton goalpost. Dean Smith managed to block the ball with his hands. The ball bounced into the middle of the penalty box. Podolski swiftly grabbed the ball and kicked it towards the net.


    Luckily there was Hilton, he blocked Podolski''s kick, so Arsenal for the umpteenth time failed to score. Failure after failure adds the heavy burden on the shoulders of the Gunners. Although the score wad still 1-0 but they were starting to feel that 1-0 is too hard to chase. Southampton run their defense well. they built a solid wall so it was difficult for Arsenal to break down their defense.


    In the 78th minute, Dean Smith caught Cazorla''s kick from outside the penalty box. He then threw it to Simone. Simone received the ball and passed it to Rudolf. Rudolf dodged Cazorla and then provided a through ball to Orlando. Orlando got rid of Alex Oxlade-chamberlain. After that he sent a long pass towards Rustan who was free from guard.


    Rustan received the ball and turned the direction of his run. Vermaelen was trying to bring down Rustan. But Rustan only lost his balance for a moment before continuing to run again. Then he passed the ball to Kazuki. Koscielny really dragged Kazuki into a less than ideal angle. Kazuki was forced to pass the ball to Bennet.


    Bennett took the pass. He faced the Arsenal goalkeeper one on one. Bennet then tricked Szczesny, then kicked the ball into the goalpost. The thunderous cheers of Southampton fans echoed through St Marry''s stadium. This goal made Arsenal''s burden even heavier. They had to score two goals in less than 15 minutes.


    Winters continued to encourage Arsenal from the side of the field. Towards the last minute Arsenal really attacked Southampton like crazy. Even Szczesny stepped up to help the attack. In the final minutes Arsenal got a free kick. Cazorla executed the kick well. Arsenal replied to Southampton a goal.. However, the goal was Arsenal''s last goal in this match.

 Chapter 143 - New Year

    The year 2012 was near to it end. Facing this new year, Kazuki started remember the goal which he set last year. Firstly was to be Southampton''s main player. Now hw was not only Southampton''s main players. Kazuki was also the most valuable player at Southampton. His journey in one year was so fast, from a player who had just left the academy to become the most shining player this year. What he achieved simply raised the top bar for the best Asian players in Europe.


    Although it must be admitted that there were Asian players who stand out at big clubs and could perform well, but to be so phenomenal and become the most talented young striker was something different. Kazuki beat Pogba in Golden Boy. It was a proved that he was recognized as the most talented young player today.


    The title of Premier League Championship was one of the things that Kazuki did not yet possess. With a club like Southampton, it was very difficult to reach the champion. This season, Southampton was out of the Carabao Cup, only two potential championships could be won, namely the League and the FA cup. In the league Southampton was still in second place in the standings, only losing in goal difference to Manchester City. Meanwhile the FA Cup third round, where the EFL clubs and Premier League clubs start, will take place in January.


    On the other hand, the winter transfer window was almost here. Clubs who finished their half seasons underwhelming, might be moving in this transfer window to fill holes in their squads. Tottenham, Manchester United and Arsenal, ended their first half of the season poorly.


    Transfers will be one solution to fix deficiencies in their team. On the other hand, Southampton, who was also starting to experience the injury crisis, was also starting to move on transfer window to add their squad depth. However, Ryan, one of Southampton''s main players this season must be out for more than 1 month from now.


    However, on those quiet days. A news shocking Kazuki. Arsenal was chasing Rustan. The Southampton player seems to be interested in a move to Arsenal.


    One of the reasons why Arsenal needed Rustan was the unstable performance of their winger. Theo Walcott seems to be in decline compared to last season while Welbeck had not been able to put in the form he showed at Manchester United.


    This news made Kazuki contact Rustan directly.


    "Rustan, are you really going to move to Arsenal? I mean, couldnt you wait until the end of the season?" Kazuki also never planned on continuing to stay at Southampton, it was highly possible that Kazuki would move on at the end of the season. But before he moved, Kazuki wanted to at least give Southampton a championship.


    "I don''t know. I mean, I''m not as good as you Kazuki. At the end of the season Arsenal could choose another player over me. You know, it''s Arsenal. Maybe those of you who are being targeted by many big clubs don''t feel too special about Arsenal. But for me it different,Arsenal are interested in me, is just something that i couldn''t deny" said Rustan.


    Seeing Rustan''s nervousness, Kazuki knew that there was a 70% chance that Rustan would move. "Then may luck be with you."


    Kazuki couldn''t force Rustan to change his mind. However, Rustan''s transfer will indeed make Southampton more difficult in their pursuit of the league title. Kazuki felt he should give more ratio to Southampton players in the latest [Dream Training] feature.


    Ryan was injured, Rustan was likely to move to Arsenal. Luckily Southampton was still able to keep Bennett until the end of the season, after the end of the season Kazuki was sure Manchester United would take Bennet back from Southampton. Besides Bennet there was still Wright-Phillips. Fortunately, recently Wright-Phillips took Southampton''s training seriously.


    Time flies fast, 2012 was gone. Southampton started kick off the FA Cup 3rd round on 3 January. Their opponent was Sheffield United. In that match George fielded Southampton''s main players. Southampton was able to break Sheffield''s resistance and achieve victory with Kazuki''s goals and also Kounde''s goals.


    A few days later, a union of winter transfers began to be carried out by clubs in Europe. It''s rare for big transfers to happen in winter transfer window. However, that doesn''t mean big transfers was impossible.


    On 6 January, Southampton officially released Rustan to Arsenal for a fee of 45 million euros. This transfer was believed to be a sign of Southampton''s collapse in the second half of the 2012/2013 season.


    The loss of Rustan made Southampton riotously brought Adam Lallana from Queen Park Rangers to Southampton. Adam Lallana was known as a fast player and also had good ball control. It''s a shame his ability declined after the injury. However, George believed Adam Lallana''s ability was enough to close the hole left by Rustan.


    On 12 January Southampton visited the Etihad Stadium to take on Manchester City. The Cityzen who was currently at the top of the table was believed by the media to beat Southampton easily because Southampton had lost their main strength in this match.


    "Good afternoon everyone, I, Jim Kaglin will bring you a match between the 1st and 2nd club on 2012/2013 on table at the moment. Manchester City against Southampton. In the first round, Southampton was able to beat Manchester City with a score of 3-2. But after that defeat Manchester City continued to win, until now Manchester was currently unbeaten apart from when they played Southampton.


    It will be interesting to see how this match goes. In this match Manchester City fielded a 4-3-3 formation.


    Goalkeeper: Joe Hart;


    Defenders: Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov;


    Midfielders: Yaya Toure, David Silva, Samir Nasri;


    Forwards: Belloti, Aguero, Milner.


    On the other hand, Southampton fielded a 4-2-3-1 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Vicente, Jimmy, Okhalo, Benson;


    Defensive midfielders: Simone, Orlando;


    Attacking midfielders: Kazuki, Bennet, Kounde;


    Front: Osmund.


    I was exited seeing Kazuki move to the right side. After Rustan moved to Arsenal, Southampton clearly lacked a right winger. Even though Adam Lallana has arrived, there was still an adaptation process that Adam Lallana must go through."


    The match started with the kick-off of the first half, Kazuki provided the pass for Osmund. Then, Osmund returned the ball to Kazuki. The match officially started. Southampton moved to stretch their formation. Manchester City applied low pressure to annoy Southampton.


    Under pressure from Manchester City, Southampton launched the first attack in the 3rd minute. Simone passed the ball to Kounde. Kounde caught the ball, then Benson rose and slid past Manchester City right-back Zabaleta. Kounde provided Benson''s through ball.


    Zabaleta''s movement was so fast that he immediately blocked Benson''s pass. Benson turned his body then provided a long pass to the right. Vicente received the ball from Benson with his outside foot. He then gave a long pass to Kazuki.


    Kazuki immediately received the pass and dribbled the ball into the Manchester City penalty box. He faced Lescott. Kazuki leaned his body to the left before moving swiftly towards the right. As Lescott chased after him. He pulled the ball back and turned 180¡ã. Then he pushed the ball aside and gave the shot.


    The ball missed to the side of the Manchester City goalpost. Despite not scoring a goal, Southampton''s attack was able to make Manchester City realize that Southampton was not that weak. Even though at the moment they don''t have Ryan and Rustan but Kazuki alone was enough to make Manchester City felt a threat.


    In the 8th minute, Manchester City attacked Southampton from the flanks. David Silva, who passed through Orlando, now brought the ball to the front of the penalty box. Then, David Silva gave a straight pass to Milner. Milner passed Vicente and then dribbled the ball into the penalty box. After that Milner kicked the ball in front of the Southampton goalpost.


    Aguero received the ball and launched a shot. The ball was blocked by Jimmy''s feet so the ball bounced to the goalmouth area. Okhalo immediately grabbed the ball and sent a long pass forward. Orlando received the ball from Okhalo and passes it to Bennett.


    One of Kazuki''s focuses in the latest [Dream Training] feature was Bennet. This allows Bennet to maintain his best performance, and even improve his abilities. Bennett passed Yaya Toure''s guard after that brought the ball to the front of the penalty box. He tricked Kompany and entered the box.


    Bennet then gave Osmund a flat pass. Osmund received the pass and kicked the ball towards the net. Joe Hart caught Osmund''s shot with ease. Southampton''s attack was able to be stopped by Manchester City.


    In the 13th minute, Manchester City launched an attack again. In midfield Yaya Toure and David Silva connected the ball with pass between those two. They messed up Southampton''s midfield. At that time David gave Aguero a pass. Aguero received the ball but Okhalo was able to steal the ball from Aguero and throw it away.


    In the 18th minute, Dean Smith caught the ball which was kicked by Aguero. After that, he threw the ball to Vicente. Milner, who saw that, immediately ran towards Vicente. When Vicente crosses he lifts his leg. The ball hit Milner''s leg and bounced behind Vicente. Milner immediately ran after the ball. Vicente tried to annoy him but failed.


    Milner provided a long pass into the middle of the penalty box. Aguero duel with Jimmy he got the ball with his chest. A second later, he shot the ball to the net. The ball was passed Dean Smith and shaking the net.. Manchester City was leading the score with 1-0.

 Chapter 144 - Clash

    In the 31st minute, David Silva did a shot from outside box. Dean Smith parried the ball, but Manchester City got a corner kick. David Silva stood in the corner and prepared to kick the ball. As soon as the referee''s whistle sounded, Silva kicked the ball so hard it flew into the goalmouth. When everyone prepared to receive the ball, ball was curved towards the goalpost. Dean Smith jumped up and slapped the ball. He saved Southampton from conceding.


    In the 38th minute, Milner burst into the penalty box, he beaten Vicente. He then provided a cut-back pass to Nasri. Nasri kicked the ball into the right corner of the net. However, Nasri''s kick was blocked by Jimmy''s body. The ball bounced to the left. Benson took the ball and kicked it forward. Simone received the ball from Benson and gave it to Bennet.


    Yaya Toure hit Bennet with his body, but Bennett was able to keep his balance well. He was continously dribbled the ball. Then at the right moment, he sent a long pass to Kazuki. Kazuki received the pass from Bennet with his chest. He confronted Kolarov. Kazuki pushed the ball forward, when Kolarov moved he changed the ball''s route then Kazuki dribbled the ball into the penalty box.


    In front of Lescott, he made a fake move. When Lescott was caught off guard, Kazuki bursted past him and sent a powerful shot towards the goalpost. The ball hit the top post and bounced in front of the goalpost. Osmund immediately responded by kicking the ball into the net.


    Jim Kaglin immediately shouted, "Goaaaall! Southampton equalized with a quick counter-attack. Osmund made good use of the rebound ball. He brought Southampton level against Manchester City."


    This goal at least made Southampton able to breathe again. The score 1-1 is definitely better than 1-0. Apart from these reasons, the most important thing was that this goal made Southampton players more confident. They know that Southampton is not over. Southampton''s struggle was not over.


    The first half ended with the score 1-1. Southampton was able to equalize in the final minutes of the first half. Both teams left the field with the same expression. Reluctance. Manchester City clearly felt bad to see Southampton equalize while Southampton felt they could beat The Cityzen if there was more time.


    The second half continued after a 15 minute break. In this second half, Southampton appeared more bold. After they did the kick-off, Southampton immediately launched an early attack. Kazuki threw the ball towards Orlando. Orlando ran down and lure David Silva forward then passed the ball to Simone. Simone dodged Yaya Toure and sent the ball to Benson.


    Benson received the ball from Simone and took the ball over the goal on the sideline. Belloti retreated to mark Benson. Benson then provided a pass to Kounde. As soon as Kounde received the ball, Zabaleta immediately locked Kounde''s movement from behind. Kounde gave the ball to Simone who came forward. With one touch, Simone sent the ball to Bennet.


    Bennett received the ball, then he pushed the ball past Nasri''s body. After that, he chased the ball and gave Osmund a through ball. Osmund took advantage of the gap and received the ball from Bennet, but the linesman raised the flag. Osmond was caught in the offside trap set by Manchester City.


    In the 51st minute, David Silva provided a pass to Aguero. Aguero received the ball, but he couldn''t turn around because Jimmy was stuck to his back. Then he pushed the ball sideways at Yaya Toure who raced into the box. Toure confronted against Okhalo, he tried to trick Okhalo with his moves but it was failed. Okhalo tackled the ball from the feet of Yaya Toure. Then he gave it to Orlando.


    Orlando controlled the ball calmly. He was avoiding David Silva, who tried to steal the ball from him. Soon, he kicked the ball toward Simone. Simone received the ball from Orlando and then after that, he brought the ball forward. Nasri moved closer to him but it made Bennett loose. Simone gave the ball to Bennett.


    Bennet picked up Simone''s pass after which he flicked the ball to the right to avoid Kompany''s feet. The Manchester City centre-back stepped up to stop Bennett. Osmund moved to the left to take advantage of the space that left by Kompany. Bennett sent a pass toward Osmund. The player received a pass from Bennet, but Lescott blocked his space to shoot to Manchester City''s goalpost.


    Osmund provided a back-pass. Kounde, who had entered the box, received a back-pass from Osmund, he then provided a through ball to the right. Kazuki received the pass from Kounde and kicked the ball vigorously. The ball could not be stopped by Joe Hart. The ball went into the Southampton net.


    "Kazuki! An astonishing goal. This player again showed a phenomenal performance. This goal made Southampton surpass Manchester City by one goal. Now The Cityzens are a goal behind at home."


    In the 58th minute, Southampton got a free kick after Bennet was brought down by Nasri. Kazuki executed the free kick, but the ball hit the human fence that Manchester City built. David Silva immediately kicked the ball far forward. Belloti received the ball from David Silva. Simone tried to block it but he dribbled quickly.


    Okhalo tried to stop it, but Belloti changed the ball direction quickly. He then kicked the ball firmly, when it reached the penalty box. Dean Smith jumped and blocked Belloti''s kick. Southampton managed to survive the counter-attack Manchester City.


    Belloti''s failure to score made coach Mancini seem frustrated. The match resumed. In the 64th minute, Simone sent a pass to Bennet. However, Nasri intercepted the ball. He then gave the ball to Yaya Toure. Yaya Toure got rid from Orlando and then provided the ball to Kolarov. Kolarov stepped up to help Manchester City attack. He received a pass from Yaya Toure and took it a little bit into the middle. He then gave the pass to Aguero.


    Aguero pushed the ball through the gap and chased it. Then Aguero''s powerful shot headed towards the net. Too bad the ball didn''t hit the goalpost. Manchester City attack was failed.


    In the 70th minute, Nasri made a mistake in receiving the ball. He did not receive the ball that was passed well. Bennet immediately grabbed the ball shortly after Nasri failed to control the ball. The Southampton player dribbled forward.


    Kazuki prepared to receive the ball but behind him Kolarov clung tightly. Kolarov seemed ready to commit a foul to stop Kazuki.


    Bennet gave the pass to Kazuki. Behind him, Kolarov pressed Kazuki so tightly, that Kazuki swayed slightly. However, Kazuki managed to bounced the ball to the side, he then turned his body, so that he was facing the direction of the Manchester City goalpost.


    Kolarov held onto Kazuki''s shirt so the Japanese player couldn''t run. Kazuki gave Osmund a through ball. Kompany tried to cut off Kazuki''s pass but he was too late, Kazuki''s pass was too fast for Kompany. Joe Hart leaned to the right trying to close the space for Osmund. Osmund eyed the left corner of the net, but his shot missed from the net. The ball bounced again, but Nasri came and threw the ball off the field.


    In the 76th minute, David Silva suddenly made a breakthrough pass that was deep into the Southampton defense area. Belloti ran quickly after the ball. Benson competed with Belloti, he did not hesitate to pull Belloti''s shirt so that the Italian player could not get past him. However, Belloti used his physical strength to force forward, Benson slowly released his grip until he finally fell down after he lost his balance.


    There were no Southampton players in front of Belloti except the goalkeeper. Dean Smith came forward to get the ball, but Belloti pushed the ball to the right and crossed it. Then he kicks the ball into the net. Belloti''s kick made Manchester City equalize. Mancini on the touchline was happy, as were as the Manchester City fans who was watching the game.


    In the 80th minute, Kazuki suddenly exploded, he passed Kolarov with a body feint, then brought the ball forward, Lescott made a tackle but Kazuki passed him with a marseille turn. Before the other players tried to stop him, Kazuki accelerated his run. He brought the ball into the middle and then made a shot from outside the penalty box.


    Goalkeeper Joe Hart jumped, he was trying to save his goalpost. However, Kazuki''s shot went too far into the corner so he failed to reach the ball. Luckily the ball hit the post before bouncing off the field. Even so the opportunity had scared Mancini. He immediately made substitutions to replace the players who were tired.


    In the 85th minute, Southampton got another chance. This opportunity began with the positioning exchange between Osmund and Kazuki. This time Kazuki made use of his passing ability. On this occasion, Kazuki received a pass from Simone, he again used a whiplash turn to past Kolarov who was clinging to his back. After that Kazuki immediately gave a long pass into the middle of the penalty box.


    Osmund from the offside trap, he ran and received the ball from Kazuki then immediately fired the ball to the left side of the Manchester City goalpost. This time Joe Hart''s reaction was very quick. He immediately parried the ball kicked by Osmund.


    In the 89th minute, Southampton managed to get a chance.Bennet stole the ball from Yaya Toure who tried to break through his guard. After getting the ball, Bennett gave it to Southampton midfielder, Orlando who was behind him. Manchester City midfielder Nasri stepped up and put pressure on Orlando. The Southampton player provided a pass to the right.


    Kazuki received the ball while Kolarov tried to run towards Kazuki with intention to make physical clash, so Kazuki lost the ball at his feet. Kazuki saw that clearly, he used his skill to get past Kolarov. After that he brought the ball quickly forward. He provided a through ball into the middle.


    Osmund who was tapped tightly by Kompany received Kazuki''s pass. He accelerated his run, Lesscot blocked Osmund''s path, Osmund pushed the ball to the right then moved it to the left quickly. He passed Lescott, but Nasri stuck to Osmund''s side to cover his shooting space.


    Osmund pulled the ball back and twisted his body, he then passed the ball to the left. kazuki ran faster than Kolarov, he kicked the ball to the right corner of the net.. Too bad his shot was too far to the right so it didn''t entering Manchester City net.

 Chapter 145 - Tottenham

    Southampton''s match against Manchester City ended in a 2-2 draw. The club that had benefits from this result was Chelsea. Chelsea took advantage of this opportunity very well. They managed to win the game and equalize the points with Southampton and Manchester City. This made all three teams have the same points.


    Next, Southampton face West Ham. In this match, they only fielded a few main players. The reason was to prepare for the 4th round FA cup match against Tottenham. Without Kazuki''s presence, Southampton tasted a second defeat. They lost 1-0 to West Ham thanks to Cole goal. Manchester City and Chelsea won their matches in this round.


    On 24 January Southampton visited Tottenham Hotspur stadium for the 4th round of the FA Cup. In this match Southampton fielded the main players as well as Tottenham.


    Southampton players who were played by George namely, Dean Smith; Freddy, Okhalo, Hilton, Benson; Simone, Rudolf; Wright-Phillips, Bennett, Kounde; Kazuki.


    Meanwhile, Tottenham''s starting line-up was as follows. Llorente; Zouma, Michel Dawson, Anderson, Kyle Walker; Flaminho, C. Eriksen, Moussa Dembele; Saldado, Luminaire, Son heung-min.


    The match then began. Tottenham started the game with a kick-off. The early minutes was crucial, Tottenham started the game with caution. Meanwhile Southampton was not reckless on press Tottenham.


    In the 8th minute, Tottenham tried to make the first attack. Eriksen delivered the ball to Moussa Dembele. Dembele received the ball and carried it forward. He then gave Son Heung-min a flat pass. The young man flicked the ball to the side and tried to get past Freddy. However, Freddy was experienced enough to stop the South Korean player.


    In the 16th minute, Southampton launched the first attack. Simone gave the ball to Rudolf. Rudolf accepted the pass but Flaminho interrupted him, so he immediately gave Bennet a pass. Bennet took the pass and pushed past Eriksen. Then he gave a lob pass to Kazuki. The ball headed towards the middle of the penalty box, Kazuki ran into the ball. But unfortunately he failed, the ball was successfully secured by Llorente.


    In the 20th minute, Wright-Phillips intercepted Kyle Walker, who tried to bring the ball forward. He ran to the right side of the penalty box and gave a flat pass to the middpe. Kazuki broke away from Anderson''s guard, he unleashed a powerful kick into the right side of the net. Llorente jumped and pounced on the ball. Kazuki''s shot failed to make a goal.


    In the 28th minute, Tottenham again launched an attack. Llorente passed the ball to Anderson. Anderson gave Kyle Walker a long pass. Wright-Phillips came in, he waw trying to bring down Kyle Walker. Walker changed the ball route and avoided Wright-Phillips. After that, he brought the ball into the middle. Eriksen got rid from Bennet''s mark, Walker sent the ball to him.


    Eriksen received the pass, but a sharp tackle knocked him down. Simone brought Eriksen down and cut off Tottenham''s attack. The referee blew the whistle and gave Simone a yellow card. Tottenham got a free kick.


    Eriksen stood in front of the ball, soon he kicked the ball after the referee blew the whistle. The ball glided like a rocket towards the net. Slowly the ball dipped down, Dean Smith failed to predict the ball''s route. So the ball pierced into the Southampton net. 1-0 to Tottenham''s advantage.


    In the 37th minute, Tottenham, who had dominated the game, launched an attack again. This time Tottenham built a teamwork in the right side of the Southampton defense. Saldado sent a cross pass to Luminaire. Fortunately, this time Okhalo was able to throw the ball in time.


    In the 46th minute, Southampton launched an attack, Okhalo who managed to snatch the ball from Luminaire''s feet gave the ball to Simone. Moussa Dembele tried to bring down Simone but failed, Second later, Simone took the ball across the halfway line. Then, he gave the ball to Bennett. Bennet flicked the ball forward with a rainbow flick, he ran past Eriksen and passed the ball to Wright-Phillips.


    Wright-Phillips did not run vertically forward but horizontally sideways. He received a pass from Bennet and gave Kazuki a through ball. Kazuki beaten Anderson in a duel, after that, he met the pass with a first time kick. The ball flew quickly into the net. Southampton managed to equalize at the end of the first half.


    Then the game resumed after 15 minutes of half-time. Neither team made any substitutions. At the start of the first half, Southampton was controling the ball after kick-off. They tried to lower the tempo of the match in early of second half. In the 47th minute, Bennett, who was control of the ball, suddenly, he sent a pass to Kounde. The Southampton left winger picked up Bennet''s pass and beaten Zouma.


    He then gave a cross to Kazuki. This time Dawson cut the pass and threw the ball off the field.


    In the 51st minute, Eriksen managed to cut the ball from Bennet''s pass to Kazuki. He then sent a pass to Flaminho. Flaminho got rid from Simone and ran forward with the ball. After that he gave the ball to Moussa Dembele. Dembele crossed to the left. Son Heung-min and Freddy struggled to receive the ball.


    Freddy gets the ball but Son kicked the ball, so the ball was out of Freddy''s control. Son then chased the ball. Freddy tried to push Son down with his body but Son pulled the ball back and turned his body. Then he broke into the penalty box.


    Son changed the ball direction as Hilton approached him. Immediately, he gave the ball to Eriksen who had just entered the penalty box. Eriksen gave a powerful shot towards the Southampton goalpost. The ball hits the goalposts and was thrown off the field. Tottenham failed to score.


    In the 59th minute, Southampton got a chance. Rudolf stole the ball from Dembele and then passed the ball to Bennett. Bennet gave the ball back to Simone. Simone continued the pass to Benson who rose forward. Benson brought the ball from the left side. He then gave it to Kounde.


    Zouma kept Kounde tight, shortly after that Kounde gave Benson a pass. Benson gave a cross towards Kazuki. Kazuki this time went down and received the ball, at the same time, Bennet penetrated into the penalty box. He then received a pass from Kazuki and sent out a explode shot.


    The ball hits the top post and bounced on the goalline. Llorente caught the ball before it crossed the line. Bennett moved his palm through his hair in annoyance, even though he could score a bit more, but luck didn''t seem to be on his side. Although Southampton failed to score, these opportunities made them more active in attacking Tottenham.


    As the game progressed, Southampton began to take possession of the ball from Tottenham.


    In the 63rd minute, George made a change as he entered Crage to replace Wright-Phillips on the right. This showed that George wants to increase Southampton''s aggressiveness in attacking. The substitution was also made by Tottenham, they gave a young player named Harry Kane the opportunity to play in place of Luminaire.


    In the 67th minute, Hilton stole the ball from Kane. He then sent a pass to Simone. The Southampton captain received the ball, then he sent a pass to Freddy to avoid Flaminho. Freddy dribbled the ball forward, instantly, he released a long pass to Bennet. Bennet''s duel in the air with Eriksen, he won the duel and sent a header to Rudolf.


    Rudolf received the ball, but Moussa Dembele stole it. Luckily there was Benson who covering the area. He managed to tackle Dembele and return the ball to Rudolf. The player dribbled the ball forward and gave Bennet a flat pass. Bennet returns the ball to Rudolf. The player launched the ball towards Crage. Crage penetrated the box, he faced Dawson and tricked Dawson then he sent a pass to Kazuki.


    Kazuki accepted it and bounced the ball towards the Tottenham net, this time Llorente failed to react fast enough so the ball entered the Tottenham net. Even though Southampton fans less than Tottenham fans, but their voice was filling the stadium. Southampton celebrated the goal with gusto.


    76 minutes, Tottenham launched an attack. Flaminho passed the ball to Eriksen. Eriksen broke free from Bennet and threw the ball to Kyle Walker. Walker dribbled the ball quickly towards the Southampton defense. After that Walker sent a pass to Son Heung-min. Son pushed the ball to the right but turned it quickly to the left and burst past Freddy.


    Freddy swiftly chased Son. However, Son cleverly provided a pass to Walker. Walker then broke into the penalty box without guard. He sent a flat pass that curved into the middle of the penalty box. Kane stuck his foot out and kicked the ball towards the goalpost. But Dean Smith''s reaction was very quick, he managed to catch the ball and prevent Southampton from conceding.


    In the 81st minute, Crage crossed the ball to Kazuki but this time Anderson intercepted and cut the pass. Anderson sent the ball to Eriksen. Bennet tried to steal the ball from Eriksen but failed, Eriksen provided a progressive pass to Flaminho. Flaminho tricked Simone and got past him. He then brought the ball to the front of the penalty box.


    Flaminho sent the ball to Kane. Kane flicked the ball sideways and spun while holding the ball. As soon as he entered the box, Kane launched a powerful shot towards goalpost. Too bad Okhalo blocked his shot well.


    The ball bounced off Freddy''s feet. Freddy immediately brought the ball forward with full power. He brought the ball slowly into the middle and then gave a pass to Bennett. Bennet took the pass with his chest andpassed the ball to the left. Kounde burst past Zouma and received the ball, then he passed the ball to Kazuki.


    Kazuki unleashed a shot from inside the penalty box.. But his shot was too side, so it failed to aim Tottenham''s goalpost.

 Chapter 146 - Leicester

    Until the end, the score was still 2-1 for Southampton''s victory. This victory made Southampton advance to the fifth round of the FA Cup. Next, Southampton will face a challenge from Sunderland.


    In the last three games Southampton had won against Tottenham, drew against Manchester City, but lost against West Ham. Media was believe Southampton was decline. Kazuki alone was definitely not enough to maintain the premier league''s second position. Losing Kazuki''s support players like Rustan and Ryan, who was injured, had a big impact on Southampton.


    However, they did not expect, Bennet would rise to become great helper for Southampton. He began to show a stable and calm game. Southampton face Sunderland.


    But in this game, Southampton showed that they still had the ability to be in the top 4 this season. Southampton finished off Sunderland with 5 goals, Kazuki got a hat-trick while Bennet made a hat-trick assists and one goal. Meanwhile, another goal was created by Kounde.


    This Victory was slapping media analysis. Bennet''s improved form was hailed as a sign that Manchester United''s academy was in the process of revival. However, on the other hand, this also made Manchester United fans even more angry with Moyes. Why did he agree to loan Bennet to Southampton?


    In addition, this also made Manchester United fans protest Moyes to play Ethan. It was widely known that Ethan was one of Kazuki''s friends while he was at the Manchester United Academy.


    Then February came. At the beginning of February the last 16 of the Champions League will begin. Clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City had to share their focus. On the other hand, Southampton must be able to take advantage of this opportunity to create as many points as possible.


    Southampton''s next match came. Southampton will face a challenge from Portsmouth. Although itit was said to be a south coast derby, the big difference between Southampton and Portsmouth this season made this derby was expected to be dominated by Southampton. After all, Portsmouth was at the end of the Premier League table.


    Then Southampton was proven that the statement was true. Southampton easily beat Portsmouth 4-0. Kazuki scored the first goal with a powerful shot after receiving a flat pass from Kounde.


    The second goal came after Kazuki gave Crage a pass. Crage managed to change the ball direction and put the ball into the Portsmouth net. Then the third goal came in the second half. Bennet managed to send an accurate long shot, the Portsmouth goalkeeper failed to catch the ball well. The final goal came after Simone headed in a ball from Bennet crossing in a corner kick.


    This result once again made analysts wonder, why was Southampton able to maintain such stability even though they did not have a deep bench? The answer was [Dream Training] Kazuki deliberately reduced the quota for the Japanese national team just for Southampton, so they could maintain a stable performance.


    Especially Bennet, Kazuki kept picking Bennet repeatedly every day in order to make Bennet develop and maintain his good performance.


    Even though he will only play for Southampton for a season and a half, Kazuki wants every Southampton fan to recognize him as someone who had big contributed to the club.


    "Good evening everyone, this time skysports will present week 24 of the English Premier League. In this round we will broadcast the match between Leicester City Vs Southampton.


    Two rounds before, Southampton showed explosive performance, they crushed Sunderland with a score of 5-0 then beat Portsmouth with a score of 4-0. Southampton''s playing style was very aggressive. This was happened with greay performance of Bennet and Kazuki.


    Meanwhile, Leicester is stranded in 10th position in the English Premier League. Not a bad position, but quite disappointing. After the good performance shown last season, of course there is disappointment to see Leicester back to being an ordinary mid-table club. Even so, there was some special notes, Leicester''s young players performance is getting more and more prominent.


    Alright without waiting any longer, let''s take a look at the formation of the two teams. First Southampton, in this match Southampton fielded a 4-5-1 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Winsley Hart, Jimmy, Okhalo, Ben Carter;


    Midfielders: Wright-Phillips, Simone, Bennett, Rudolf, Orlando.


    Front: Kazuki.


    Meanwhile Leicester will use a 4-1-2-3 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Kasper Schmeichel;


    Defenders: Daniel Aimerte, J. Evans, Fofana, C. Soeyuecue;


    Defensive midfielders: Ngogi Kante;


    Attacking midfielders: Drinkwater, A. Perez;


    Forwards: Hugo, Okazaki, Riyad Mahrez.


    It looks like Southampton in this match have a 4-5-1 formation that could turn into a 4-3-2-1 with Bennett and also Wright-Phillips slightly forward to supply Kazuki. Uniquely they use their three pure defenders. Will Southampton be passive in this match?


    Meanwhile, it seems that Okazaki is more trusted by Nigel Pearson this time than Adama Traore. It''s interesting to see how Okazaki performs against his teammates in the Japanese national team.


    Alright, the first half is about to start, let''s move to the situation on the pitch."


    When the game was about to start, Hugo looked at the Southampton players. He put on a gloomy face. His decision to move from Southampton at the start of the 2012/2013 season to Leicester City was a big blunder. If only he was still at Southampton maybe he would feel proud when he was at the top of the table.


    His eyes turned to Kazuki''s figure. Southampton''s change began when Kazuki entered the first team. At that time, Hugo didn''t think much of Kazuki. But the young man surprised him. He was different. Someone like that only appears once every generation.


    Hugo had never played with Mattheo Rodrigues nor against Mattheo. he only saw it on television. But Hugo dared to speak that Kazuki''s future couldn''t be lower than Mattheo''s. Mattheo had dominated football for several years, but if there was a player who could break Mattheo''s dominance, it would be Kazuki.


    Meanwhile, Southampton''s match against Leicester went smoothly. In this match George deliberately put 3 midfielders because as before, Leicester''s strength was in the middle and front. By stacking players in the middle, Southampton could cut off the flow of the ball forward.


    At the start of the game, George''s thought was proved correct. Although Leicester had the ball, they were very difficult to penetrate the Southampton midfield. This made them only control the ball in their defense area.


    If it was last season, Leicester had Maddison who was able to break through the siege of Southampton''s midfield. But Drinkwater, who was more stable and monotonous than Maddison, clearly couldn''t do it. Drinkwater will make no mistake on short passes but this time what Leicester needed was a creative pass.


    Southampton took this situation seriously. They were patiently waiting for Leicester to make a mistake. That patience then paid off. In the 9th minute, Kante''s pass was intercepted by Bennet. At that moment, Southampton''s players moved forward together. Bennet sent a pass back to Simone.


    Simone accepted the pass and diverted it to Rudolf. Ayoze tried to grab the ball from Rudolf, Rudolf instead provoked Ayoze forward and sent a pass to Winsley Hart. Winsley dribbled the ball through the gap left by Ayoze. His moved make Kante ran to stop Winlsey. However, Winsley easily provided pass to Bennet.


    The Southampton player who was loaned out by Manchester United, Bennet, got rid from Kante. Leicester centre-back, Evans was forced to step up to stop Bennett. At that point Wright-Phillips moved forward. Bennet gave the ball to Wright-Phillips. The player dribbled the ball into the penalty box.


    He then faked a shoot then passed the ball to Kazuki. A fake shot by Wright-Phillips was able to trick Leicester players into making it easier for Kazuki to score. He sent the ball into the far corner from Kasper Schmeichel. As a result the ball pierced sharply into the goalpost.


    "Oh my god! Southampton managed to score in 9 minutes. This was Kazuki''s fifth goal in 3 games. This is crazy, I don''t know if an angel has mistakenly put too much talent in a player? I highly sure Southampton will win this game."


    The goal did surprise Leicester. They didn''t expect less than 10 minutes Southampton would score. George''s tactics was succes as well as the good implementation of the Southampton players make this team really a team that could beat any team in the English league.


    Furthermore, Leicester started kick-off again. A job Leicester had to complete was to find a way to send passes to the front line. Because if they don''t, then they will only control the ball in their defense and end up making a mistakes. Mistakes like that will certainly be used as well as possible Southampton.


    Long passes coule be a solution but the problem was that among Leicester players, there are no players who have high accuracy in long passes.


    Plus even if the accuracy of the long pass was good, how could their forwards win the aerial duel? Okazaki clearly has no physical advantage over Okhalo and Jimmy. Mahrez? It was difficult. Hugo might be able to win the duel against Ben Carter. But in a 4-3-2-1 formation, Hugo also had to face Rudolf or Orlando in addition to Ben Carter.


    In the 16th minute, Drinkwater sent a pass towards Hugo. The former Southampton player received the ball but two Southampton players immediately surrounded him. He tried to keep the ball but failed, Orlando got the ball from Hugo''s feet then sent it to Rudolf.


    Rudolf then dribbled forward and then crossed to Simone as Drinkwater approached. Simone burst past Ayoze and took the ball forward. On the right, Winlsey Hart ran fast towards the right side of Leicester.


    Simone provided a through ball to Winlsey Hart. The young man beat Soeyuecue and managed to break into the Leicester penalty box. After that he gave the ball to Bennett.. Bennett who also broke into the Leicester penalty box immediately gave a strong kick. Too bad the shot was missed the net

 Chapter 147 - Leicester (2)

    In the 24th minute, Drinkwater tried to send a pass to Ayoze. Unfortunately, Simone cut the pass. The captain gave the ball that he stole to Orlando. Orlando sent the ball to Ben Carter, who ran forward. Hugo also ran behind to catch up to Carter, but he was quite far behind.


    Carter passed the ball to Bennett. Kante tried to steal the ball from Bennet''s feet, but Bennet was able to avoid him easily. He then provided pass to Wright-Phillips.


    Phillips received the pass and then sent it to the right side of the Leicester defense. Southampton right-back, Winlsey Hart was already there, he picked up a pass from Phillips and carried the ball further forward. When the ball was about to cross the field line, Winsley Hart turned and provided crossing ball to the middle of the penalty box.


    Kazuki was already prepared, the moment Hart sent a pass, he immediately jumped up and volleyed. However the ball turned out to be going too fast, Kazuki''s foot didn''t hit the ball. As a result, the ball passed through Kazuki and flew off the field. Winsley''s passing accuracy was far below Rustan''s and Bennet''s.


    The youth raised his hand apologetically at Kazuki. Although Winsley''s age with Kazuki was not too far apart, but Kazuki''s status at Southampton was highest, so Winsley put a respects to Japanese player.


    In the 31st minute, Drinkwater finally managed to release a key pass to Hugo. However, the problem was Hugo, who received a pass, immediately surrounded by Southampton players. At that moment Okazaki moved closer to Hugo. Hugo gave him a pass, but the ball was soon stolen by Okhalo. Okhalo gavs the ball he stole to Jimmy. The Southampton centre-back passed the ball to Winsley Hart.


    This time, Mahrez managed to tackle Winsley. The Algerian player brought the ball into the penalty box and gave a flat pass to the right side. Okazaki tried to receive the ball but failed, Okhalo managed to delay him so that Mahrez''s pass just drifted off the field.


    In the 37th minute, Simone tackled Ayoze and dribbled the ball forward. Then he sent a pass to Rudolf. Rudolf passed Drinkwater and transfer the ball to Bennett. Bennet quickened his pace, he then received Rudolf''s pass and changed the ball route. Kante, who was about to stop Bennet, failed because Bennet suddenly changed the ball direction.


    Bennet then sent a pass to Kazuki. The Japanese player accepted it and did a step-over. Then he pushed the ball to the right and past Fofana. After entering the penalty box, Kazuki unleashed a shot owards the goalpost. The ball hits the post and then bounced out of the net.


    Kazuki''s shot made Kasper Schmeichel''s heart beat faster. After facing Kazuki a few times, he felt like watching a horror movie every time he saw Kazuki shot the ball. In this match Schmeichel has already conceded 1 goal, he didn''t want to concede more.


    In the 44th minute, Ayoze fell after Simone tackled him. The referee saw it as a foul, he gave Leicester a free kick in front of the penalty box. This free kick position was ideal so this free kick was a great opportunity for Leicester to score.


    Mahrez stood in front of the ball. He was commanded by Nigel as the executor. If Leicester failed to score in the first half, it will be very difficult for them to change the flow of the game. The referee gave a signal, Mahrez ran slowly then kicked the ball hard.


    The ball slowly floated up, past the Southampton player''s wall. Then slowly the ball dipped downwards. Dean Smith moved to the left, he then jumped and tried to reach the ball. But the ball was too low so he failed to stop it.


    "Goaaaaal! Mahrez! A very beautiful goal was created by Mahrez. He managed to equalize Leicester against Southampton so the score changed to 1-1 before the first half ended."


    The goal managed to make Leicester end the first half with a smile. Meanwhile Southampton who had been equalized by Leicester ended the first half with a frown. It didn''t feel good to be equated at the last minute.


    "We wasted too many chances. I hope you guys could take the chances better. Also, use less foul in our defense area. In this match, set pieces will be Leicester''s biggest weapon because they couldn''t beat us in open play."


    George looked at the Southampton players with an even look. After a long time at the top of the table, George''s ambitions were increasing. Last season maybe he would not protest if Southampton lost or even drew. But this season he wanted Southampton to win and win. They were losing Rustan but fortunately Ryan will recover soon, George believed that Southampton have a chance to finish in the top four.


    The second half of the match begins. In the second half, Leicester did not make any changed and neither did Southampton. For Leicester, the line-up this time was already a very good line-up. On the other hand, Southampton have also fielded their best players.


    Nigel and George both understand that Leicester''s chance in this match lies in set pieces. Therefore the two of them made adjustments based on their respective judgments. Nigel told Leicester to increase long shot from outside the penalty box, if it was difficult to enter the Southampton penalty box. This purpose was to get more corner kicks.


    In the 48th minute, Leicester got a corner kick. In this position, Leicester have two options. First, they could take corners as usual. But the problem was, the only player who can be relied on in corner kicks was Leicester center-back, Fofana. Other players have not ideal posture. Second, Leicester could do a creativity in executing corner kicks.


    Mahrez as the executor chose the second way. He passed the ball to Soeyuecue. The Leicester left-back returned the ball to Mahrez. Mahrez penetrated into the penalty box. But Orlando stole the ball from him. Orlando then kicked the ball forward. Bennett received the ball from Orlando with his chest. He then gave the ball to Simone who was behind him.


    Simone brought the ball forward. Kante made a tackle to him, so the ball bounced to the left. Rudolf beat Ayoze and brought the ball forward. After that, Rudolf gave the ball to Wright-Phillips. Wright-Phillips pushed the ball to Kazuki.


    Kazuki broke free from the offside trap and carried the ball into the penalty box. Kasper Schmeichel ran forward, but Kazuki took a lob shot, he poked the ball, so that it went over Kasper''s head and enter the net


    Kazuki then ran to the side of the field, took off his shirt and stood up while opening both his arms. Southampton fans immediately shouted Kazuki''s name.


    Kazuki''s goal made Leicester coach Nigel Pearson only surrender. The counter-attack was very dangerous and Kazuki was able to take advantage of the opportunity well. When Leicester players fail to block the ball, 90% of the goals will happen.


    Despite conceding, Nigel still hopes that Leicester can at least hold onto Southampton. After all, they are only 1 goal behind. There is still a chance for Leicester to equalize.


    In the 55th minute, Bennet unleashed a long-range shot. Kasper Schmeichel was able to parry the kick well. Southampton got a corner kick. The player who executed the shot was Bennett. As soon as the referee gave the signal, Bennett kicked the ball to the center of the penalty area as the crowd of players competed for the ball.


    Simone and Evans compete for the ball. Simone jumped higher, so he managed to head the ball first. However, Simone''s header missed the net. Southampton failed to add to the lead.


    In the 63rd minute, Drinkwater gave Okazaki a pass. This time, Drinkwater''s long-range pass accurately aimed at Okazaki. The player received the ball then changed the ball direction and shoots. But Jimmy managed to block Okazaki''s shot as a result Leicester''s attack failed.


    Okhalo managed to get the ball. Okhalo gave a pass to Winsley Hart, Winsley ran quickly while dribbling the ball. But at that moment Ayoze moved to the left and sent a tackle to bring down Winsley. Winsley fell and the ball was pushed off the field. Southampton failed to launch a counter-attack.


    In the 69th minute, there was a substitution. Nigel brought in Adama Traore to replace Okazaki. He also included Crouch to replace Hugo. Leicester''s formation changed to 4-4-2. Mahrez was pulled back to add to the midfield while Crouch and Adama were in the striker positions.


    This change has quite a positive impact. With Mahrez dropping into midfield, Leicester was less oppressed in midfield. On the other hand, Crouch''s tall stature makes it easier for Leicester to use high passes from far. Not only that, there was also Adama Traore who can directly tear apart the Southampton defense.


    In the 75th minute, Ayoze passed the ball to Mahrez, Mahrez ran past Rudolf and tool the ball forward. Simone moved towards Mahrez. But the player from Algeria provided the pass to Drinkwater. Orlando was running toward the ball. Fortunately Adama appeared as a passing option. Drinkwater gave the ball to Adama. Adama Traore then dribbled the ball forward and provided Crouch''s cross.


    Crouch beat Okhalo in an aerial duel and headed the ball towards goalpost. Dean Smith swiftly jumped and grabbed Crouch''s header. Dean Smith''s save made the Southampton goal safe again.


    In the 82nd minute, Kante managed to steal the ball from Bennet. He then gave the ball to Drinkwater. Rudolf stepped forward to stop Drinkwater, but Drinkwater chose to pass Ayoze. Ayoze confronted Simone, he sent the ball to Adama Traore. Adama gave a pass to Mahrez who ran into the penalty box.


    Mahrez received a pass from Adama and then he tricked Jimmy. After that he passed the ball to Crouch. Okhalo appeared and cut the ball. He kicked the ball off the field so Southampton again survived from Leicester attack.


    Leicester continued to rise towards the end of the second half. But fortunately Southampton was able to defend well. As a result, there were no more goals after that. Southampton beat Leicester with a score of 2-1.. This victory made Southampton able to overtake Chelsea and return to second position.

 Chapter 148 - The Lilywhite Again

    Southampton''s victory this time once again proves that Southampton was not over. This team still had the strength to stay in the top 4 and even maintain the possibility of winning. Soon Ryan will also recover, Southampton''s chances of winning against other clubs will increase.


    Losing Rustan might had an impact on Southampton. But as long as Kazuki was there, Southampton was still a team worth considering.


    In the next match, Southampton will face Wolverhampton Wanderers. This team in the first round had given Southampton first defeat. In the second round this time Southampton intend to beat Wolverhampton. However, their achievements will tarnished if The Wolves was able to beat Southampton twice in a row in the premier league this season.


    In this match George did not fielded Kazuki. As a result, the game went pretty hard. Although Bennet''s appearance was quite good, but without a good forward Bennet also had difficulty breaking into Wolves goalpost. But fortunately Southampton managed to win the match with a score of 2-0 over Wolverhampton Wanderers. Both goals were scored by Osmund and also Kounde.


    Southampton''s success in beating Wolverhampton put the club back on winning path. After the defeat against West Ham. Finally they could feel the winning streak.


    Furthermore, Ryan had recovered. It is unknown if he could maintain his abilities. However, his recovery was definitely good news for Southampton. In the match against Tottenham, Ryan seemed ready to play.


    After meeting Tottenham in the FA cup, Southampton met this club again in the premier league. Southampton had met Tottenham 3 times in the 2012/2013 season. So far Southampton have won 2 of 3 match. If Southampton manage to beat Tottenham again then The Saint will be able to humiliate Tottenham with consecutive win in 3 match against Tottenham.


    The happiest club if Tottenham lose 3 games in a row against Southampton was undoubtly Arsenal. The club nicknamed the Gunners was eternal enemy of The Lilywhite.


    At the press conference before the match, Andre-Villa Boas seemed confident. He dared to state that Tottenham would win the game against Southampton. It seems, he hadn''t learning something about two defeats that Southampton gave to Tottenham.


    In the match against Tottenham, Southampton fielded Dean Smith in the goalkeeper section. Dean Smith''s position as a goalkeeper was indeed very stable. Then the Okhalo and Hilton duo were again trusted by George as Southampton''s last defensive wall. Then Freddy and Benson returned to play as wing-backs.


    Moving to midfield, Simone and Rudolf work as a defensive midfielder. Ryan moved to the right wing while Bennett returned to play as an attacking midfielder. Kounde played again on the left wing. Up front, of course, Southampton''s top scorer this season, Kazuki Kazeshima.


    Meanwhile, Tottenham played Llorente as the main goalkeeper, then, Dawson and Anderson as central defender. Zouma and Kyle Walker were back at full-back. The only change was in the midfield. They played Erik Lamela instead of Flaminho. That way Erik Lamela, C. Eriksen, Moussa Dembele became a midfield trio. Up front Shredder returned to play, Saldado was playing as a left winger, while Son Heung-min was substituted by Boas.


    The match between Southampton and Tottenham starts again.


    Southampton did not expect Tottenham to play aggressively at the start of the game. Immediately after kick-off began, Tottenham quickly launched an attack towards Southampton.


    In the 3rd minute, Erik Lamela gave Kyle Walker a pass. Ryan tried to stop Walker but the Tottenham left-back was very good at playing the ball. He tricked Ryan and barged past him. Walker moved the ball, he sent a long pass down the right flank. Saldado competed with Freddy''s speed. Slowly Saldado began to outperform Freddy but the Southampton right-back held onto Saldado''s shirt so that the Tottenham player fell and failed to get the ball.


    The referee blows the whistle. He gave Tottenham a free kick in the right area of ??the Southampton defence. Eriksen took the free kick. Tottenham players and Southampton players crammed into the Saints penalty box.


    Eriksen kicked the ball after the referee''s whistle sounded. The ball curled into the middle of the box, Dembele leapt to head the ball but Rudolf interfered with his jump so his header was less accurate. The ball flew off the field. Goalkick for Southampton.


    In facing Tottenham, Southampton had a pride. Because of it, whenThe Lilywhite attack Southampton so aggressively, Southampton replied them strongly. The two teams started attacking each other.


    The 8th minute, Southampton got a chance. Rudolf managed to cut the ball that goes to Moussa Dembele. He gave the ball to Ryan. Walker pressed Ryan with his body. Hugo gave Freddy a pass, so Walker who had to guard the wing area had to chase Freddy.


    Freddy relied on his speed to run into the final third of the Tottenham defense area. He provided a curved crossing ball towards the middle of the field.


    Bennett tried to get the ball, but it was very difficult for him because the Tottenham defender was marking him tightly. The ball failed to be received by Bennet properly. However, Kounde who was on the left, managed to receive the ball. He gave a hard kick towards Aston Villa goalpost. Unfortunately, the kick deviated from the net.


    In the 16th minute, Freddy stepped forward with the ball quickly. He showed body feint to get past Shradder. Freddy made a one-two with Simone to get past Tottenham midfielder Erik Lamela.


    Eriksen used a tackle to bring down Freddy, but the ball bounced off Ryan''s feet. Ryan saw that Eriksen''s tackle was not a foul so he immediately carried the ball quickly into the Tottenham defense area.


    Ryan gave a horizontal pass into the middle of the penalty box. Kazuki used his speed and good position to surpass Anderson. Just as Kazuki was about to receive the ball he saw the offside flag being raised by the linesman.


    Kazuki immediately approached the linesman and asked what was wrong. The linesman judged that Kazuki was half a body ahead of Tottenham''s defender, so it was judged as offside.


    In the 24th minute, Southampton tried to attack Tottenham. Southampton midfielder Simone provided a pass to Rudolf. Rudolf keept the ball from Moussa Dembele''s chase. He passed the ball to Ryan. Ryan received the ball and then passed Walker, who marked him. Ryan brought the ball forward, Tottenham defender Anderson came to close Ryan''s running space. Ryan provided a cross into the middle of the penalty box.


    Kazuki and Dawson clashed physically for the ball. In the end it was Tottenham goalkeeper Llorente who got the ball first.


    Southampton attack stopped. Tottenham launched a counterattack. The Tottenham defender managed to give the ball to Eriksen, Bennet did a body charge on Eriksen, so Eriksen almost fell, but he still managed to give the ball to Tottenham midfielder Erik Lamela, too bad Erik Lamela who just received the ball was hit by a clean tackle from Benson. As a result Tottenham attack stopped.


    In the 28th minute, Southampton managed to get a chance. Bennet stole the ball from Eriksen who tried to break through Bennet''s guard. After getting the ball Bennett gave it to Southampton midfielder Rudolf who was behind him. Tottenham midfielder Moussa Dembele stepped up and pressed Rudolf. The Southampton player provided a pass to the right.


    Ryan received the ball while Walker tried to run towards Ryan intending to make physical contact, so Ryan lost the ball at his feet. Ryan saw that clearly, he used his skill to get past Walker. After that he brought the ball quickly forward. He provided a through ball into the middle.


    Bennet who was taped tightly by Fellaini received Ryan''s ball. He accelerated his run, Anderson blocked Bennet''s path, Bennet pushed the ball to the right and then moved it to the left quickly. He went past Anderson, but Eriksen clung to Bennett''s side to cover the space for him.


    Bennett pulled the ball back and twisted his body, he then passed the ball to the left. Kazuki ran faster than Dawson, he kicked the ball into the right corner of the net. Llorente couldn''t catch the ball.


    Southampton managed to score the first goal. Kazuki immediately gave Bennet a hug. His efforts to give Bennet priority assistance in [Dream Training] were not in vain.


    Bennet''s individual action distracted the Tottenham defense so Kazuki could easily score. This goal also made the Tottenham coach, Andre-Villa Boas shouted angrily. He was shouting at the Tottenham players from the sidelines.


    The next minute, Southampton built a stable defense. They knew that after the goal Tottenham would be stimulated to attack Southampton more aggressively. By stabilizing the defense, Southampton was at least able to withstand and even launch attacks as quickly as possible.


    In the 35th minute, Tottenham launched an attack. Zouma pass the ball to Dawson. Dawson then passed the ball to Eriksen. Eriksen took the ball back as he move away from Bennett. He then gave a pass to the side. Andersin took the ball and gave the ball to Kyle Walker.


    Walker received the pass and ran fast. Ryan tried to stop him but Walker gave the ball to Dembele. Moussa Dembele then flicked a pass for Walker which went past Ryan. Walker pass the ball to Shradder. Shradder held the ball at his feet then passed the ball back to Dembele.


    Dembele made it past Rudolf. He then gave the ball to Erik Lamela. Lamela entered the penalty box and received the pass from Dembele. Hilton looks after Lamela closely. Erik Lamela pulled the ball back and gave it to Eriksen. Eriksen received the pass and gave a powerful kick.


    The ball hit the post and then fell into the goalmouth. Luminaire tried to take the ball but Okhalo managed to get the ball first. Okhalo kicks the ball forward. Okhalo''s kick started Southampton''s counter-attack.. As long as Southampton score the second goal then they could be said to have won 75% of this game.

 Chapter 149 - A Chance To Win

    Okhalo gave the ball to Ryan. Ryan brought the ball forward. He broke free frok Dembele by outpaced him. After that he accelerated his running. Ryan''s speed slowly increased. He was running past Kyle Walker. Then, Ryan provided a through pass into the middle. Kazuki received the ball and shot it. The ball passed Tottenham goalkeeper, Llorente, and shake the net.


    Southampton counter-attack managed to make them 2-0 up against Tottenham. This advantage will make it easier for Southampton to win the game. On the other hand, the goal also made Tottenham confused. They looked surprised by Southampton''s second goal. Southampton''s two-goal advantage was a burden that will continue to grow as the game progresses.


    At the end of the first half, Tottenham attacked Southampton all out. However, Southampton was lucky, they were able to keep their goal from conceding. Until the end of the first half, Southampton was still able to maintain their advantage.


    At the start of the second half, Southampton and Tottenham both made strategic changes. Tottenham somehow played more passively when they were clearly behind. On the other hand, Southampton control the ball and rhythm of the game as best as possible.


    In the 46th minute, Rudolf gave Simone a pass. Erik Lamela hit Simone''s body, as a result Simone was fell. Simone accidentally lost the ball, Eriksen ran forward and grabbed the ball that bounced off Simone''s feet. Then he kicked the ball hard to Shradder. Shradder dueled with Freddy. Fortunately, Shradder was able to defeat Freddy in the duel.


    Shradder then penetrated into the penalty box. He flicked the ball sideways when Hilton tried to tackle him. Then, Shradder provided a pass to the right side of the penalty box. Saldado gave a hard shot towards the Southampton goal. Dean Smith raised his hand and blocked Saldado''s hard shot. The ball flew up and went off the field.


    In the 55th minute, Benson received a pass from Okhalo. He pushed the ball to the side. Saldado followed Benson''s movement, but at that time, Benson quickly brought the ball to the right. Saldado was late, Benson crossed him and brought the ball into the middle of the field. After that, he gave the ball to Bennett. Bennet was dueling with Eriksen. Luckily, he managed to head the ball towards Kounde.


    Kounde accepted the pass, but he soon pass back the ball to Benson, who went up the front. Benson brought the ball leaned to the middle. He unleashed a powerful shot from outside the penalty box. The ball past through the gap between the players and then glided to the right side of the net. Too bad the ball was went too far to the right and went off the field.


    In the 61st minute, Dean Smith caught Luminaire''s shot. He then kicked the ball far forward. Bennet collided again with Eriksen. This time Eriksen had the advantage. He gave the ball towards Erik Lamela. Erik received the ball and then gave it with a backheel to Eriksen. Eriksen took a few steps forward and kicked the ball towards Shradder.


    Shradder flicked the ball to the right, then he immediately gave the ball into the middle of the penalty box. Luminaire managed to escape from the offside trap. He then changed the ball direction with his feet. Dean Smith failed to catch the ball, but Okhalo appeared and headed the ball out. Then Hilton secured the ball and kicked it off the field. Luminaire looked very disappointed, obviously he didn''t expect his shot to be blocked like that.


    In the 68th minute, Southampton and Tottenham both made substitutions. Tottenham included a young player named Harry Kane while Southampton included Wright-Phillips to replace Kounde. Once again, Southampton changed formation to 4-3-2-1. Wright-Phillips, Rudolf, Simone will be holding midfielders. With three defensive midfielders and four defenders, it is clear Southampton''s defense was getting solid and very difficult to penetrate.


    In the 73rd minute, Eriksen provided a pass to Erik Lamela. However, the ball was cut off by Wright-Phillips. He then brought the ball forward. Southampton''s players simultaneously dashed forward. Wright-Phillips sent the ball to Benson. Benson dribbled forward, he then passed easily over Shradder and gave the ball to Bennett.


    Bennett passed the ball to Ryan. Ryan avoided Anderson, then took the ball into the penalty box. After that, Ryan gave the ball to Kazuki. When Kazuki was about to receive the ball from Ryan, Dawson appeared and cut the ball. Dawson kicked the ball so it was thrown off the field.


    Dawson''s managed to keep Tottenham from conceding for the third time. Because of that, Dawson''s action received applause from the Tottenham fans. Southampton''s counterattack once again made the Tottenham defense break out in a cold sweat.


    In the 79th minute, Tottenham attacked Southampton. The attack started with Moussa Dembele''s pass to Shradder. Shradder baited Freddy to up forward. Shradder then gave the ball to Kyle Walker who had passed Freddy. Walker then pushed the ball into the penalty box. But when Walker was about to chase the ball that he had pushed. Hilton came and blocked him.


    The ball slid off the field. Corner kick for Tottenham. Eriksen became the one who executed the corner kick. The referee blew his whistle loudly, Eriksen slowly walked over and kicked the ball into the penalty box. The riot occurred in front of the Southampton''s net. The players fight for the ball. An advantage for Southampton, Okhalo managed to kick the ball off the field. Throw-in for Tottenham.


    In the 85th minute, George replaced Kazuki with Osmund. In the final minutes of the game, Southampton suffered attack after attack from Tottenham luckily they managed to hold on. As a result, until the game ended Southampton still won with a score of 2-0. This victory extended Tottenham''s lost streak to Southampton.


    Victory over Tottenham extended Southampton''s winning streak. In addition, this victory was also a good welcome for Ryan. After not playing for almost two months, Ryan finally rejoined Southampton.


    On the other hand, this victory made the media think carefully again. So far they had always avoided the artikel about the possibility of Southampton winning the league, but this time they decided to speak out about Southampton''s chances of winning the Premier League.


    The Sun put out an article entitled, [Southampton and the miracle, how close they are?] in which The Sun began to explain that they were optimistic about the miracle Southampton would create. They even wrote down the reasons why Manchester City and Chelsea will fail to compete with Southampton.


    Of course this article makes Manchester City and Chelsea fans angry. They believe that their favorite team that will win the championship, and obviously was not a team in the middle of nowhere like Southampton.


    The article created by The Sun was followed by other magazines. They were both optimistic that Southampton will win the championship. Although this article made Southampton fans happy. But the Southampton players felt a sudden heavy pressure. It must be admitted that although Southampton continue to win game after game, their goal was only the top 4, not champions.


    When the media was suddenly optimistic about the Southampton championship. Southampton''s mentality was suddenly disturbed. Young players like Ryan and Bennet were nervous. The pressure will increase every game.


    In the next match, Southampton suddenly won a draw against Huddersfield. The score in the match was 0-0. Kazuki failed to score and neither did the other players. In this match Southampton completely dominated the match against Huddersfield but failed to score a goal.


    This draw clearly made Southampton realize that thinking too much about winning was not a good thing. The burden that needs to be borne to maintain the championship goal was too great. It''s better to focus on winning every single game.


    The next week arrived. Southampton visit Everton Stadion.


    "Welcome everyone to the 28th round of the English Premier League. In this match Southampton will visit Everton''s home.


    In the previous match Southampton got a draw against Huddersfield. Meanwhile, Everton lost at home to Aston Villa. Both teams need a win to quickly back to the right track.


    In this match Southampton used a 4-3-3 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Vicente, Hilton, Jimny, Ben Carter;


    Midfielders: Orlando, Bennett, Wright-Phillips;


    Front: Ryan, Kazuki, Osmund.


    Meanwhile, Everton use a 4-3-2-1 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Tim Howard;


    Defenders: Tony Hillbert, Phil Jagielka, Sylvain Distin, Leighton Baines;


    Defensive Midfielders: Seamus Coleman, Darren Gibson, Steven Pienaar;


    Attacking Midfielders: Fellaini, Leon Osman;


    Front: Nikica Jelavic.


    Next, let''s see how the first half match between Southampton and Everton goes."


    At the beginning of the game Southampton immediately played aggressively. They put pressure on Everton who had just started kick-off. The pressure was carried out by Orlando and Wright-Phillips. That was made Everton uncomfortable.


    In the 7th minute, Darren stepped up to press Bennett. However, the Southampton player was fooling Darren, so that Bennet easily passed Darren. then, Bennet sent the ball to Ryan. At the same time, Vicente rushed forward to overlap. Ryan gave the ball to Orlando. The Southampton midfielder held the ball strongly, he evaded from Fellaini, who tried to steal the ball from him.


    Orlando passed the pass to Kazuki who fell backwards. Kazuki turned his back on Distin. Soon, he gave a through ball to the right. Vicente, Southampton right-back immediately competed with Baines for the ball. Just before the ball crossed the touchline, Vicente pulled the ball back. Then, he sent the ball back at Bennett.


    It did not take long for Bennett to launch a cross to the left. Ben Carter headed the ball into the middle. There was Kazuki who was guarded by Distin while Jagielka was guarding Ryan. Kazuki held Distin with his hand then he pushed the ball towards Ryan. Ryan ran and kicked the ball. Too bad Jagielka managed to block the ball with his foot.


    In the 14th minute, Bennett sent a long ball into the middle. Orlando managed to head the ball to the side. Ben Carter overlapped to helped the attack, he received the ball from Orlando and then carried the ball forward. After that he gave the ball to Osmund who left Southampton''s left wing. Osmund competed speed against Tony Hilbert. Luckily Tony managed to throw the ball first.

 Chapter 150 - Everton

    In the 19th minute, Bennet escaped from Fellaini''s mark. He passed the ball to Kazuki. Kazuki''s position was too deep, so he chose to pass the ball to Osmund.


    On the left, Osmund was running past Tony Hilbert, then crossed the ball to the right of the Everton defense. Ryan entered the penalty box and gave the first-time shot. Too bad, Distin calmly blocked Ryan''s shot.


    Corner-kick awarded to Southampton. Ryan took the corner-kick. The Southampton players began to gather in the Everton penalty box. The referee blew his whistle, Ryan then kicked the ball. Southampton players jostled for the ball. Jagielka finally got the ball, he managed to head the ball out of the penalty box. Darren received Jagielka''s header, soon, he turned and dribbled the ball quickly.


    Wright-Phillips came and clung to Darren, he applied pressure and blocked Darren with his hands. The Everton midfielder provided a flat pass to the right. Fellaini, who had been running quickly, picked up the ball, but as soon as he had picked the ball, Ben Carter came and made a tackle. Benson managed to thwart Eventon''s counter-attack.


    In the 26th minute, Kazuki finally got a good moment. Southampton started the attack with Hilton''s long pass. Orlando received the ball and pushed the ball back. Orlando''s movement made Pienaar lured forward. So that Vicente entered the gap created by Pienaar, Orlando immediately gave Vicente a back-pass.


    Leon saw Vicente''s movement, so he chased him and disturbed Vicente. Vicente leaned to the right and then pulled the ball with his left foot. When Leon was about to grab the ball, Vicente turned 180¡ã and pulled the ball with his right foot. He broke past Leon.


    Darren stepped forward from his post to close Vicente''s path, but Bennet appeared as a passing option. Vicente immediately gave the ball to the side towards Bennet. The Southampton player gave Ryan a flat pass. Distin stepped forward to put pressure on Ryan, this time Ryan flicked the ball to the side. He then gave Kazuki a through ball. Kazuki and Jagielka competed for the ball. The Japanese player managed to get the ball first.


    Jagielka pushed Kazuki aside using his body. Kazuki pulled the ball back and spun around, he then delivered a powerful shot towards the goalpost. Tim Howard did well, he caught the ball.


    In the 32nd minute, Everton got the ball. Vicente''s cross, which failed to be utilized by Southampton''s forwards, was successfully secured by Distin. The Everton centre-back headed the ball out of the penalty box. Darren received the ball and passed it to Hilbert. Osmund intercepted Hilbert and tackled him. Osmund managed to bring down Tony Hilbert, but the ball bounced into the middle.


    Fellaini got the ball and dribbled into the Southampton defense. Orlando came from behind and gripped Fellaini''s shirt tightly. Fellaini passed the ball to Nikola Jelavic. However, Wright-Phillips made a body charge that pushed Jelavic. Wright-Phillips then got the ball. After that, he sent the pass to Vicente.


    Shortly after that, Vicente crossed the ball to the middle of the penalty box. Ryan managed to get the ball, unfortunately, Distin blocked Ryan, so the player had no space to shoot. Ryan pulled the ball with his feet and twisted his body. Then, he passed the ball to Kazuki. Kazuki instantly did a powerful kick. The ball slid to Everton goalpost. Tim Howard jumped and tried to reach the ball but he failed. The ball was shaking Everton net.


    "Goaaal! Southampton broke the net with a powerful shot that Kazuki create! With this goal, Southampton managed to take a 1-0 lead over Everton."


    In the 38th minute, Jagielka pressed Hilton who control the ball. The Southampton centre-back gave the ball to Jimmy. Jimmy bounced the ball that he received to Orlando. Pienaar went forward and confronted Orlando. The Southampton player used his hands to keep Pienaar off the ball, then he passed the ball to Southampton left-back Ben Carter.


    Leon Osman ran to press Ben Carter, while Darren guarded Wright-Phillips. Carter pulled the ball, then pushed the ball diagonally to the center. Osman tried to grab the ball, but Ben Carter changed the ball direction to horizontal to the side. After that, Ben Carter provided a pass to Wright-Phillips. Phillips broke free from Darren''s mark then continued Carter''s pass to the right. Vicente made a body charge on Fellaini, then took the ball.


    The Southampton right-back kicked the ball forward. Ryan received the ball, when he received the ball, Ryan bounced the ball over Baines, who was behind him, then ran after the ball. Ryan immediately provided a through ball into the middle.


    Kazuki accelerated his running, he tried to get the ball before Jagielka. Kazuki managed to get the ball, but his position was too sideways so he couldn''t face the Everton goalpost comfortably.


    Kazuki gave a back-pass to Ryan. Ryan received the pass then, he gave a cross to the left. Osmund broke through the penalty box and got the ball, he immediately made a strong shot towards the goalpost. This time Tim Howard struggle to catch he ball, but at the end, he got the ball.


    Howard threw the ball forward. Darren beat Bennet in an aerial duel. Then he headed the ball to the right. Everton right-back Tony Hilbert pushed the ball forward and ran with all his might. Fellaini and Jelavic changed direction suddenly. Jelavic ran to the side while Fellaini ran into the middle. Jelavic received the ball from Hilbert and then provided a through ball for Fellaini.


    The Belgian player received the ball and then dribbled the ball into the Southampton penalty box. Dean Smith ran to try to get the ball from Fellaini, but Fellaini calmly passed Dean Smith and then kicked the ball into net. Fellaini immediately ran to the side of the field and celebrated.


    "Goaaaaal! Just minutes after Southampton scored, Everton immediately responded with a Fellaini goal. The score was back at 1-1. It looks like both sides are aiming to win the game."


    In the 44th minute, Southampton tried to attack Everton. Southampton midfielder, Bennet provided a pass to Orlando. Orlando held the ball from Coleman. He passed the ball to Ryan. Ryan received the ball and then got rid from Baines who guarded him. Ryan brought the ball forward, Blackburn defender Distin came to close Ryan''s path. Ryan provided a pass into the middle of the penalty box.


    Kazuki and Jagielka clashed physically for the ball. In the end the Everton goalkeeper got the ball first.


    Southampton attack stopped. Everton launched a counterattack. Everton defender, Jagielka managed to give the ball to Darren, Bennet did a body charge on Jagielka. Darren almost fell, but he still managed to pass the ball to Pienaar, unfortunately Pienaar who had just received the ball was hit by a clean tackle from Orlando.


    The 1-1 score lasted until the end of the first half.


    ****


    Southampton started the second half. They started the second half with a low rhythm. They played patiently. Southampton confided to win the match.


    In the 48th minute, Orlando sent a pass to Bennet. Bennet faced Darren and gave Ryan a long pass. Ryan received the ball, when Baines approached, Ryan gave the ball to Vicente. Vicente, who went up to help Southampton, immediately sent a cross into the penalty box. The ball curved towards Kazuki. But unfortunately the Japanese player lost in the aerial duel.


    Distin headed the ball to Darren. Everton immediately launched a counterattack. Darren broke free from Bennet and sent the ball to Coleman. Wright-Phillips stepped forward, but Coleman passed the ball to Leon, who was behind him. Leon received the ball from Coleman. After which, he passed the ball to Fellaini on the right. Fellaini flicked the ball forward and accelerated his run. Then he sent a flat ball into the middle of the penalty box.


    Jelavic outpaced Hilton and Jimmy and hit the ball firmly. The ball glided like a rocket to the right side of the goalpost. Fortunetly, Dean Smith was able to produce world-class saves. His reaction was quick, he flew and smacked the ball away from the net, Jelavic kicked the air in annoyance, while Dean Smith roared and was delighted to have blocked Jelavic''s shot.


    In the 55th minute, Bennet stole the ball from Darren. Then, he sent a pass to Orlando. Orlando got rid from Pienaar and gave Ben Carter a pass. Carter went up, he outpaced Leon Osman and continued to move forward with the ball. Tony Hilbert sent a tackle, he was trying to bring down Carter but failed. Carter evaded a tackle from Hilbert.


    Carter brought the ball to the left side of the field and then provided a cut-back. The ball immediately drove into the penalty box. Wright-Phillips got the ball. Soon, he sent a pass to Kazuki. Kazuki moved forward and provoked the Everton defender to follow him. Then he sent the bapp backwards. Bennet appeared and shot the ball. The ball quickly went to the top right corner of the net.. Tim Howard failed to block the ball Southampton managed to score again.

 Chapter 151 - Arsenal

    Southampton''s goal put the Saints 2-1 ahead of Everton. After the goal, Southampton continued their dominance in the second half. In the 64th minute, Bennett gave Ryan a pass. Ryan was running through Baines and sent a pass towards Kazuki. Distin jumped and headed the ball off the field.


    Southampton got a corner-kick. This time Ryan took the corner kick. Soon after that, referee blew the whistle and signaled for Ryan to kick the ball. Ryan then kicked the ball into the middle of the penalty box. Bennet ran to meet the ball with a hard shot. Unfortunately, Tim Howard was able to parry the ball that was shot by Bennett.


    The riot happened at the goalmouth. At that moment, Kazuki kicked the ball into the net. The ball hit the net and vibrate the net. Kazuki immediately ran to the side of the field while sliding on the grass. Southampton fans shouted Kazuki''s name. Kazuki''s goal put Southampton 3-1 ahead of Everton.


    After the goal, The match resumed. Everton who had left by 2 goals behind Southampton was playing with less enthusiasm. Southampton itself took this advantage to apply more defensive tactics. This increasing the difficulity for Everton to attack Southampton.


    In the 69th minute, Everton tried to attack Southampton through the wings. Baines stepped up to help Everton in attack. Darren passed the ball to Pienaar. Pienaar then gave the ball to Baines. Baines ran forward to receive the pass. He then faced Vicente. Baines gave the ball to Leon Osman. Leon accepted the pass and returned the ball to Baines when Baines had already passed Vicente.


    However, as soon as Baines received the ball he was immediately dropped by Vicente. Vicente''s tackle was so clean that Everton only got a throw-in. Everton effort ended in vain. Southampton had strengthened their defense when Everton did a throw-in.


    In the 75th minute, Southampton made a substitution. George included several defenders to replace the attacker. This George did so that Southampton could more easily defend against Everton. The next minute Everton control the ball. They really dominated the game. But even though the ball was in Everton''s possession, they were unable to enter the final third.


    Southampton''s defense was so strong that they were able to keep the scoreline until the end of the game. In the end the team nicknamed The Saints was able to beat Everton with a score of 3-1.


    Southampton''s victory wa sonce again a sign that this team was truly a league title contender this season. Despite stumbling several times Southampton continued to follow Manchester City which fortunately also encountered obstacles several times.


    Southampton will face Arsenal again for the umpteenth time in the fifth round of the FA Cup. If they manage to beat Arsenal then Southampton could advance to the FA Cup quarter-finals. Against Arsenal, Southampton clearly didn''t want to lose against them. Especially after the defeat suffered by Southampton in the Carabao cup.


    Southampton''s goal in the FA Cup was to win the championship. At least this was an alternative if Southampton fail to win the premier league. George didn''t want Southampton to end this incredible season without a trophy at all. Wouldn''t it be a shame if one of Southampton''s best seasons in their history ended without a title?


    Southampton then welcome Arsenal at St Marys Stadium. Whether in the league cup or FA cup, Arsenal will always be serious. In the league, Arsenal''s competitiveness was greatly inferior to other clubs, so in order not to end up without a trophy, Winter always gave his best in the FA cup and also the Carabao cup.


    "Welcome to the fifth round of the FA cup, in this round Southampton will face Arsenal. Arsenal are the team that has also kicked Southampton out of the Carabao Cup. It will be worth to wait and see if Arsenal can do that once again or get knocked out at the hands of Southampton.


    In this match Southampton put their main strength


    Goalkeepers: Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Freddy, Okhalo, Hilton, Benson.


    Midfielders: Simone, Rudolf;


    Attacking midfielders: Ryan, Bennet, Kounde;


    Front: Kazuki.


    Meanwhile Arsenal fielded a 4-3-3 formation in this match.


    Goalkeeper: Szczesny;


    Defenders: Jenkinson, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Kieran Gibbs


    Midfielders: Mikel Arteta, Santi Cazorla, Alex Oxlade-chamberlain.


    Forwards: Rustan, Santi Cazorla, Walcott.


    It will be interesting to see how Rustan action in this match. Please note since Rustan joined Arsenal in the winter transfer window, he has scored 4 goals and also 4 assists. That''s not a bad statistic compared to Welbeck who was brought in from Manchester United. Until now Welbeck was only able to score 1 goal and 2 assists.


    On the other hand, Southampton who have lost Rustan seem to still be able to compete in the premier league. This proves that Southampton has a strong competitiveness regardless of their squad which could be said to be only modest.


    All right, let''s just watch the battle between Southampton and Arsenal."


    Kazuki glanced briefly at Rustan. The player who has now joined Arsenal, he was leaving Southampton in the winter. Rustan''s departure also required Kazuki to use [Dream Training] to the utmost to support Southampton.


    Kazuki then kicked the ball towards Ryan and started the match with a kick-off.


    "Beat Arsenal!"


    "I know you can do it guys! Beat Arsenal!"


    "Tell Rustan he made the wrong choice, give the Gunners 3 goals!"


    Southampton fans excitedly shouted from the stands to cheer on the players. Rustan''s sudden transfer made some Southampton fans hate Rustan. They don''t really hate Rustan but why did he choose a winter transfer? Southampton still need to compete in this season. That''s what made Southampton fans hate Rustan.


    If only Rustan left next summer, Southampton fans wouldn''t hate him that much.


    In this match Southampton again used defensive tactics. Having played Arsenal a few times, George understood try to compete with Arsenal on possession ball was wrong. Every Arsenal player had been trained so well by Arsene Winter in the passing aspect. Therefore trying to take possession of the ball from Arsenal''s feet was simply stupid.


    In the 4th minute, Santi Cazorla sent a pass to Rustan. But when Rustan received it, Kounde immediately made a tackle to bring down Rustan.


    After dropping Rustan Kounde took the time to say to the player, "Sorry but I won''t let you use your speed in this match mate."


    After that Kounde gave the ball to Bennett. Santi tried to take the ball from Bennett. But the player sent the ball to the Southampton center back. Hilton received the ball from Bennet, after which he immediately transferred the ball to Freddy. Freddy flicked the ball into the middle to avoid Walcott, after that, he dribbled the ball quickly across the halfway line.


    At that moment his body went straight, after being hit by Alex Oxlade-chamberlain. Freddy took the time to provided a pass to Rudolf. Rudolf sent a pass to Bennett. Bennet immediately sent a through ball before Santi chased him. Kazuki used his physique to search the shot space. He then kicked the ball with all his might. Arsenal goalkeeper jumped to reach the ball but failed. The ball lodged in the Arsenal goalpost so Southampton lead Arsenal with one goal.


    "Goaaaal! Impressive, Southampton broke the Arsenal goalpost in the fourth minute. The coordination and movement of every Southampton player was so good that it resulted in a quick counter-attack."


    "Go! Go! Southampton."


    "Yeaaah! Let''s give that Gunners 2 more goals!"


    "We love you K9!"


    The nickname Holy Ninja Kazuki began to be rarely used when Kazuki no longer only relied on gaps but also became a complete striker. Meanwhile, Southampton fans called Kazuki with a new name, namely K9 or often read Knight as a pun on Knine. Since then, the number 9 had became a number that was very closely related to this Japanese player.


    After the goal, Arsenal started the kick-off. This goal clearly messed up Winter''s strategy. With this goal Southampton could take the advantage by using a counter-attack strategy. Stacking players in the back row seems to be a strategy that had proven to be effective against Arsenal.


    Who was Arsene Winter''s most hated opponent, in the premier league? Not Sir Alex but Mourinho! In Mourinho''s first period coming to England, Arsene Winter was irritated by Mourinho''s bus parking tactics. He felt Mourinhi''s strategy was shameless and showed no fighting spirit.


    However, thanks to Mourinho, everyone knows better how to stop Arsenal.


    In the 8th minute, Santi Cazorla provided a pass to Mikel Arteta. Arteta spun around and dodged Rudolf then passed the ball to Walcott. Walcott was immediately surrounded by Ryan and Freddy, he tried to break through Freddy but failed. Freddy gave the ball to Ryan. Ryan turned around and passed Bennett.


    Just now Bennett received the ball he immediately dropped by Cazorla. Cazorla''s was clear to destroy Southampton''s counter-attack. Benner complained to the referee.


    "Referee, did you see that? He brought me down again for the second time. I believe this is a good time to give the guy a yellow card," Bennett complained.


    "I just touched you a kido, don''t be too whiny, if you don''t want a physical confrontation just play with the doll," Cazorla quipped.


    The referee did not give a yellow card, but he still gave Cazorla a warning. Bennett was quite satisfied with this result, once again Cazorla dropped it then the yellow card would fly. That way Cazorla would definitely think more about dropped Bennett.


    Meanwhile, Cazorla also did not mind the referee''s warning. For him not to receive a yellow card was already a good thing. In this match Cazorla and Bennet will mark each other.. While Cazorla took down Bennett, there would be times when Bennet would also have to take down Cazorla.

 Chapter 152 - Arsenal(2)

    In the 15th minute, Koscielny provided a long pass to Jenkinson. The Arsenal right-back took the ball, Kazuki moved to the left to press Jenkinson. Jenkinson gave the ball to Santi Cazorla. Bennet did a body charge on Cazorla and kicked the ball towards Ryan. Ryan pushed the ball forward and Southampton''s attack was launched.


    Ryan returned the ball to Bennet while Kieran Gibbs was ready to tackle him. Bennet gave the ball back to Simone. Simone accepted the ball and took it slowly. Then, he sent the ball to Benson as Benson ran past him.


    Rustan''s ran beside Benson and tried to take the ball from Benson"s feet. Benson and Rustan pushed each other. But Rustan''s pace was too fast, so he managed to push the ball off the field and foiled Southampton''s attack.


    Benson threw the ball to Okhalo. Okhalo dribbled the ball calmly. He the moved and avoided Podolski. After that, he passed the ball to Hilton. Hilton continued the pass to Freddy. Soon, Freddy brought the ball quickly forward. Freddy was running past Walcott and continued to dribble the ball.


    Alex Oxlade-chamberlain started to approach Freddy to stop him. Freddy gave the ball horizontally forward. Ryan took the pass and dribbled it diagonally to the center. Kieran Gibbs ran to Ryan and left his post.


    At the time Freddy ran to the left side of the Arsenal penalty box which had been guarded by Gibbs. Ryan provided a through ball to Freddy. The player received the pass from Ryan and then provided a crossing ball to the middle of the penalty box. Kazuki was about to head the ball but Szczesny''s got out from his position and caught the ball.


    In the 22nd minute, Szczesny threw the ball to Vermaelen. Vermaelen brought the ball forward and then provided a pass to Kieran Gibbs. Gibbs dribbled the ball across the halfway line and faced Ryan. He then pushed the ball to the left as the ball was about to leave the field, Gibbs took it and dribbled the ball quickly into the middle. Ryan managed to follow the Gibbs running, but the next second, Gibbs provided the pass to Walcott.


    Walcott received Gibbs''s pass and avoided Freddy. He dribbled the ball into the penalty box. Hilton left her post to close the Walcott space. Walcott transfered the ball to Alex. But Rudolf appeared to cut the pass and sent the ball far forward. Bennet ran to chase the ball. Then, he kicked the ball softly to Kounde.


    Kounde was running so fast. He penetrated quickly to Arsenal defense. Koscielny approached Kounde then tackled Kounde. The referee immediately ran and showed a yellow card to Koscielny. The centre-back''s action was understandable because if Kounde went past him, the Arsenal would have been conceded.


    Free kick was taken by Rudolf. Meanwhile Southampton''s players stepped forward to help attack. The referee then blew his whistle, Rudolf kicked the ball, so the ball bounced low into the penalty box. Simone beat Mikel Arteta and headed the ball towards goalpost.


    Szczesny caught the ball but either because the ball was slippery or something, Szczesny accidentally dropped the ball he was holding. Kazuki immediately pushed the ball into the goal. The referee immediately gave a signal that the goal was valid. Szczesny looked away and slapped his forehead. He clearly felt guilty for his negligence.


    "Kazuki! Ooh goal scored by this player. Kazuki managed to take advantage of Szczesny''s negligence well. With this goal, Southampton now lead 2 goals over Arsenal. Arsenal must quickly turn things around or they will lose this match."


    In the 27th minute, Cazorla got past Bennet, he brought the ball forward, but Bennet grabbed his shirt, so Cazorla fell in front of the penalty box. Cazorla then got a free kick from where he fell while Bennet got a warning from the referee.


    Arsenal then get a free kick. Cazorla stood in front of the ball. This opportunity must be used as well as possible, so that Arsenal could maintain the opportunity to win this match. The referee blew his whistle, Cazorla ran slowly before kicking the ball hard. The ball curled past the Southampton players and fell in the goalmouth. Rustan managed to lift his leg to make the ball bounce into the net.


    "Goaaaal! Rustan managed to get the ball into the net of his former team. Arsenal are only 1 goal behind Southampton. If Arsenal managed to beat Southampton then this would be a very big irony."


    After scoring the goal, Rustan didn''t celebrate he just welcomed the Arsenal players who came to him. On the touchline, Arsene Winter waved his arms in the air and put on a happy expression when Arsenal scored.


    The game restarted after Arsenal finished their celebrations. Southampton then started the kick-off.


    In the 34th minute, Southampton launched another attack. This time Bennett received a pass from Simone and he breakthrough Cazorla. He then gave the pass to Kounde. Jenkinson quickly hit Kounde with his body to bring down Kounde, but the Southampton left winger pushed the ball back and allowed the ball to be picked up by Benson.


    Benson then brought the ball into the penalty box. Kazuki was being marked so tightly, Benson option pass was just Bennet. So he gave Bennet a pass. Bennet shot the ball from the front of the penalty box. The ball floated over the top post. Arsenal got a goalkick while Southampton''s attack failed.


    In the 40th minute, Mikel Arteta provided a pass to Kieran Gibbs. Gibbs passed the ball to Ryan and took the ball forward. He then passed the ball to Podolski who fell behind. Podolski received the ball, but he could not turn his body because Hilton locked his movement. Podolski passed the ball to Alex Oxlade-chamberlain.


    Oxlade saw Walcott who entered the penalty box. He immediately gave a lob pass towards Walcott. In the penalty box, Walcott bounced the ball with the outside of the foot. Cazorla received the ball which had bounced and gave a powerful shot from outside the penalty box. The ball hit the post and bounced off the field.


    Arsenal continued to attack Southampton, but until the end of the first half the club nicknamed the Gunners was failed to change the score. Until the end of the first half, Arsenal remained at a disadvantage with a goal behind Southampton.


    Statistics show that Arsenal won possession of the ball by 59%. They also made 12 shots although only 5 shots were shot on target. Meanwhile Southampton managed to shoot 8 shots and 6 of them were shot on target. This could be seen as Southampton''s efficiency in attack.


    Neither team made any substitutions. But each team''s strategy must have been adjusted. Arsenal need to score goals to win the game. If in open play it was difficult for Arsenal to score maybe Arsenal should using a set pieces. So, it will be easier for Arsenal to break into Southampton goalpost.


    On the other hand, Southampton in this match need to reduce fouls in front of the penalty box. They must be aware that Arsenal was something that cannot be underestimated. Doing a foul in front of the penalty box was same as giving Arsenal a chance.


    The second half of the match officially started. At the start of the game, Arsenal control the game, while Southampton suddenly launched pressure on Arsenal. Kazuki moved forward towards Koscielny. Koscielny sent a pass for Jenkinson, After that he sent the ball to Cazorla. But when Cazorla was about to receive the ball, Bennett cut the ball.


    Bennet then brought the ball forward. After that he gave a breakthrough pass to Kazuki. Kazuki ran at full speed. He was shot the ball that he received from Bennet with a strong shot. The ball hit the net when Szczesny failed to catch it. Kazuko immediately ran to the Southampton fans stand.


    "Hattrick! A hat-trick was scored in this match by Kazuki! Oh my god, amazing, I''ve never seen a young player with this greatness. Not just Golden Boy, I think Kazuki deserves to compete for the Ballon d''Or in 2013 "His performance and his achievements in bringing Southampton to competition to win the premier league championship is a miracle."


    The rumbling in the stadium continued. They muttered the same word. K9! Long live K9! For some Southampton fans who have supported this team for decades it might be a dream to see Kazuki wearing the Southampton shirt and scoring goals continuously. The feeling of seeing a favorite club that always loses and was far from the championship suddenly become a club competing for the premier league championship is something that was very difficult to describe.


    On the sidelines, Arsene Winter sat on the bench feeling helpless. His face showed a sad expression seeing Kazuki managed to score a goal.


    Winter shook his head saying, "I didn''t think we, the coaches of the big teams in the premier league, would miss someone who has enough talent to rival Mattheo."


    His assistant asked, "Isn''t Kazuki still at Southampton? We still have a chance to bring him to Arsenal, right?"


    Winters laughed softly, his Assistant''s remarks obviously very funny. "Kazuki''s price won''t be less than 80 million. Do you think the club would spend that much money? We even sold Van Persie. Manchester United, City and Chelsea still have a chance but the others don''t."


    "What about Liverpool?"


    "The American has spent his money to support Ragnick''s wishes player. Now Liverpool has returned to how it used to be and still has a fairly good competitiveness. Especially with Ahmed as the center of Liverpool''s attack, it is very difficult for the Reds to sign Kazuki."


    Putting aside his analysis, Winter felt Kazuki would move from England. Of course this was just a guess.


    While Winter was talking, Arsenal who conceded kept trying to break into Southampton''s net, but Southampton defended really well.

 Chapter 153 - The Team That Could Beat Anyone

    In the 55th minute, Arsenal tried to attack Southampton. Kieran Gibbs went forward to help. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain moved the ball to Gibbs. Gibbs used his speed to get past Ryan. He brought the ball forward and gave it to Walcott. Walcott received the ball but Freddy tightly guarded him. Walcott provided a pass to Cazorla. Simone and Rudolf began to press Arsenal''s midfield. Cazorla and also Mikel Arteta did a teamwork to get past Simone and Rudolf.


    After tgat Cazorla sent a pass to Podolski. Podolski returned the ball to Arteta who penetrated the penalty box. Okhalo looked after Arteta. Arteta forced himself to send a powerful shot. Okhalo calmly blocked Arteta''s shot. The ball bounced off the field.


    In the 60th minute, Arsenal didn''t give up, they started the possession ball again and dominated the game. This time Cazorla gave Rustan a through ball. Rustan took the ball and flicked it forward. Benson quickly followed Rustan''s movements. However, Rustan suddenly changed the direction of the ball to be horizonta. Benson''s did not stop in time, so Rustan easily entered the penalty box.


    Rustan sent a cut pass to Cazorla. Cazorla ran and kicked the ball. But Cazorla''s shot was too positive for Dean Smith, so he caught it easily. He then threw the ball forward. Rudolf received the ball but Mikel Arteta immediately approached him intending to knock Rudolf down.


    Rudolf passed the ball to Freddy before Arteta knocked him down. Freddy immediately ran forward. Kieran Gibbs was also behind Freddy so Freddy could easily get into the Arsenal defense. Meanwhile Ryan started to move to the center. Kazuki''s position was slightly behind Ryan''s position. Freddy then sent a pass at Kazuki. At that time Koscielny retreated to mark Kazuki. However Ryan ran through the gap that left by Koscielny, Kazuki sent a pass at Ryan.


    Ryan quickened his pace. He managed to get past the Arsenal players and face Arsenal goalkeeper, Szczesny. He evaded Szczesny and sent the ball into the Arsenal net.


    "Goaaaaal! Southampton! For the fourth time the the Saints had scored a goal to Arsenal net. It was something unexpected. Ryan''s goal really dropped the Arsenal situation n into the abyss."


    Southampton players hug together. They congratulated Ryan on scoring another goal. Unlike Rustan, Ryan''s speed was not that fast. Because it takes time for him to adapt in the right wing position. But fortunately, everything went smoothly.


    After this goal the game became increasingly unbalanced. Arsenal was already dispirited while Southampton also have no intention of wasting their energy any further. George began to attract a few main players and gave the opportunities for players who often sit on the bench.


    Until the whistle ended, Southampton still maintained their advantage. The score of the match ended with 4-1. Southampton totally destroyed Arsenal in this match. This game was once again proof that Southampton this season was a powerfull team.


    At the post match press conference. Arsene Winter spoke up about his lost against Southampton.


    "Entering the modern era, other leagues have shown that miracle was exists. There were clubs that was able to break the dominance of giant clubs in Europe''s major leagues. However, the Premier League was something special. We have 6 big clubs competing for the title. "We also have mid-sized clubs like Everton, Leeds and also Leicester. But I never thought that Southampton would be one of the contenders for the league championship this season.


    The only thing I can say at the moment was, good luck Southampton."


    After the FA Cup match ended, 4 days later Southampton played West Bromwhich Albion. In this match George gave the bench players a chance to play. There were many players who rarely appear now in this match. At the end of the match Southampton beat West Bromwhich Albion with a score of 1-0. Theodore was the only player to score.


    Then the following week, Southampton played Liverpool.


    "Welcome everyone to the 30th round of the Premier League. In this round Southampton will visit Anfield to challenge the 2011/2012 League champions, Liverpool. This season Liverpool has only been able to stay in fourth position. They were far behind Chelsea who are in third place. Meanwhile Southampton are now chasing points with Manchester City.


    One of Liverpool''s main problems is the inconsistency of the forwards except Ahmed. Sterling and Sisinho are unreliable, so any chances that are made often just end up being wasted.


    In this match Liverpool lowered the 4-3-3 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Jim Becker;


    Defenders: Glen Johnson, Van Dyke, Gomez, Luis Enrique;


    Midfielders: Coutinho, Tony Cross, Henderson;


    Forwards: Ahmed, Sisinho, Sterling.


    Meanwhile Southampton came with a 4-2-3-1 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Freddy, Jimmy, Okhalo, Benson;


    Defensive midfielders: Simone, Orlando;


    Attacking midfielders: Ryan, Bennett, Wright-phillips;


    Front: Kazuki.


    Alright let''s see carefully how the first round match goes."


    At the press conference, Ragnick now praised Southampton and admitted that it was difficult for Liverpool to beat Southampton. Although Ragnick praised Southampton, George reminded the players to be careful. A coach like Ragnick may be testing Southampton''s players mentality. Southampton shouldn''t get carried away by a single compliment.


    In this match Liverpool started the first half kick-off. On the other hand, Southampton immediately formed a two-layer defense to hold Liverpool. While defending Southampton''s formation changed to 4-5-1. In this formation Kazuki became the foremost player. He was level with Liverpool centre-backs. Neither Ryan nor Wright-Phillips was pure wingers. Because of that when Southampton''s formation formed 4-5-1. Both more like midfielders rather than wingers.


    The buildup of players in midfield makes Liverpool very difficult to pass the ball between players. Their counterpress strategy was also in vain if Southampton was not interested in having the ball. This made the beginning of the first half look deadlocked.


    In the 5th minute, Gomez provided the ball to Coutinho. Coutinho dribbled the ball forward. Then, he was stopped by Wright-Phillips. Coutinho pushed the ball to the right and gave the ball to Ahmed who was on the wing. Ahmed received the ball, but Benson''s immediately pushed Ahmed, so that the ball was pushed off the field.


    Glen Johnson threw the ball in, Coutinho managed to receive the pass, but Simone immediately stole the ball from Coutinho''s feet. Simone then passed the ball to Bennet. Tony Cross was chasing Bennett and tried to knock him out. Bennet sent a pass to Kazuki. The Japanese player immediately got a marked by Van Dyke. Kazuki was forced to sent a pass to Ryan. But unfortunately before Ryan received the ball, Gomez cut it. Southampton''s attack was failed.


    Liverpool''s defense was one of the most difficult for Kazuki to break through. The reason was Van Dyke. This world-class defender was a very strong defender for Kazuki. However, that didn''t mean Kazuki couldn''t beat him. It''s just that even if he lost, Van Dyke was still able to reduce the percentage of Kazuki''s success in shooting.


    In the 9th minute, Liverpool began to give Southampton an attack. Even though Southampton stacked players in the middle, Liverpool were still able to sent ong passes with accuracy. This time Van Dyke sent a long pass to the right. Ahmed jumped and won the aerial duel against Benson. He brought the ball quickly forward. Within seconds, Ahmed was running past Benson and changed the ball direction.


    He entered the penalty box , nd gave a pass to Sisinho as he continued to run. Sisinho returned the pass to Ahmed with a back-pass. Ahmed received the pass when he was infront of the net, Ahmed immediately unleashed a powerful shot towards the goalgoalpost. The kick was blocked by Dean Smith, so that it only resulted in a corner kick for Liverpool.


    Tony took a corner this time. He had a very good right foot. The referee blew the whistle, then Tony Cross kicked the ball into the penalty box. At that point Van Dyke jumped in and competed with Simone. Van Dyke managed to head the ball, but the ball went into the side of the goalpost, so that only resulted in a goal kick for Southampton.


    In the 16th minute, Tony Cross gave Sisinho a long pass. The Brazilian player stopped the ball using his chest. Then, he kicked the ball to Henderson. Henderson received the ball from Sisinho and gave it to Sterling. Sterling uses a little trick to get past Freddy. When he was about to sent a cross, Freddy came and cut the ball first.


    Freddy''s action made Liverpool''s attack stagnate. Liverpool took another corner, but this time Southampton managed to head the ball out of the box. Simone received the ball and sent it to Orlando. Orlando carried the ball forward while Henderson continued to brought him down the side. Soon he gave the bait to Bennet.


    Bennet was dropped by Gomez. Southampton''s attack faltered. Southampton got a free kick. Bennet took the shot and gave the ball to Wright-Phillips. Wright-Phillips brought the ball into the middle and then provided a through ball to Ryan. Ryan pushed the ball forward he passed the Liverpool players and laid a flat pass into the front of the goalmouth.


    Kazuki tried to reach the ball but failed. Jim Becker caught the ball.. Southampton attack was failed.

 Chapter 154 - The Red

    In the 21st minute, Glen Johnson made a teamwork with Ahmed, and Coutinho who on the right side. The result, Johnson passed the Southampton players on the right side. He then sent crossing ball into the middle of the penalty box. The crossing was reached Sterling who was on the left. Sterling shot the ball but Freddy blocked his shot. The ball was bounced to the outside penalty box.


    Southampton launched a counterattack. Simone, who received the rebound ball immediately sent a pass to Benson. Benson dribbled the ball forward. He then changed the direction of the ball, right before Henderson knocked him down. Benson quickly crossed the halfway line and gave the ball to Wright-Phillips. Wright-Phillips brought the ball into the middle then passed it to Kazuki. Kazuki moved to the left to lure Van Dyke.


    He then gave the ball to Bennet. Bennet was running to receive the ball. He got past Gomez and faced the goalkeeper, Jim Becker. Bennet kicked the ball firmly. Jim Becker jumped trying to reach the ball but missed. The ball then nestled in the Liverpool net.


    "Goaaaaal! Bennett! This player managed to score against Liverpool and put Southampton one goal ahead of the Reds."


    Liverpool fans couldn''t help but stare at Southampton celebrating their goal. Meanwhile Southampton fans cheered to support Southampton.


    This goal showed a hope for Southampton to beat Liverpool. Bennet goal also made Liverpool coach, Ralf Ragnick shaked his head. He then walked to the sidelines and shouted at the Liverpool players.


    Hearing Ragnick screaming, Liverpool players began to regain consciousness. The match then started again. After that, Liverpool suddenly became fierce. Something awakens them. In the 26th minute, Tony Cross provided a stunning pass, the ball flew from far past the Southampton players before curving towards Ahmed who raced into the box.


    Ahmed stopped the ball with his feet. Then push the ball forward. After that he shot towards the Southampton goalpost. Dean Smith stepped up and blocked Ahmed''s shot. But the ball bounced in front of the penalty box. Simone, who was preparing to receive the ball, was suddenly seized by Coutinho. The player then shoots the ball from outside the penalty box. The ball hit the post and bounces off the field.


    In the 32nd minute, Liverpool once again attacked Southampton. Coutinho gave a pass to Enrique who came overlap to help Liverpool attack. Enrique passed the ball to Sisinho, who stepped back to carry out his duties as a false nine. Sisinho then gave the ball to Sterling. Sterling received a pass from Sisinho and tried to break into the penalty box.


    However, Jimmy''s stole the ball from Sterling and gave it to Simone. Henderson did a body charge. Before Simone adjusted his position, Henderson, who came forward, and steal the ball from Simone''s feet. On the other hand Ahmed began to break into the penalty box. Henderson passed the ball to Ahmed. But Okhalo headed the ball out of the penalty box. Glen Johnson received the ball and sent it back into the middle of the penalty box.


    Sisinho managed to win the duel against Okhalo, soon, he headed the ball to the left. Sterling stepped forward and kicked the ball hard. The ball flew over top post. In the stadium, the sound of ridicule began to sound. Liverpool fans looked irritated with Sterling wasting a good chance. On the sidelines, Ragnick also looks helpless with Sterling.


    The match then continued. Liverpool''s ferocity does not end. Southampton felt tired in the face of Liverpool''s continuous attacks. Until in the 38th minute, Liverpool managed to break into Southampton''s net. This time Coutinho managed to free himself from Southampton players marking. At that moment, Tony Cross immediately gave him the pass. Coutinho received the ball with his chest. Then he gave a volley from outside the penalty box.


    The ball hit the post and fell in the goulmouth area. Okhalo and Dean Smith prepared to secure the ball, but they stopped both allowing their teammate to clear the ball. Okhalo thought that Dean Smith would catch the ball as well as Dean Smith who thought Okhalo would clear the ball. In that moment of confusion, Sisinho appeared and pushed the ball into the Southampton goalpost.


    "Goaaaal! This is a very fatal communication error. I don''t know how you can make this mistake when your opponent is Liverpool? Sisinho scored a goal using Southampton''s fatal blunder. Now the score is 1-1. The game tense is raising again. Southampton and Liverpool has a chance to win the match."


    Meanwhile Liverpool fans immediately cheered to see the goal. The simultaneous cheers of Liverpool fans and also the celebration of Liverpool players made Southampton fans speechless.


    Meanwhile on Southampton side. Dean Smith and Okhalo apologized to their teammates for making a fatal mistake. The other Southampton players gave both players encourage. Every player had made mistakes. After all, Southampton hadn''t lost. They still have a big chance to beat Liverpool in this match.


    In the final minutes of the first half the rhythm of the game slowed down. Until the end of the first half, the score did not change. The game entered a 15 minute break. In the dressing room George was berating Dean Smith and Okhalo for their blunder. In addition, he also evaluates the gameplay of each player. Then discuss about Southampton''s strategy in the second half. To beat Southampton, Liverpool used a long pass to ignore Southampton''s buildup in midfield.


    Geoege decided to pull out Ryan and Wright-Phillips further back then let them close the holes on the right and left. This made Wright-Phillips and Ryan only left Kazuki and Bennet behind him. But calm, George arranged for the left and right defenders to overlap more often.


    The second half of the match started with Southampton kick-off. After the game started Southampton immediately controlled the ball. While Liverpool advanced to press Southampton. It''s a shame that the substitution of Ryan and Wright-Phillips had left Southampton with a number of points behind.


    In the 48th minute, just as Liverpool''s players applied pressure, Ryan received the ball and sent a long pass towards Bennet. Bennet had a duel against Tony and managed to win the ball. He gave the ball to Freddy. Freddy walked forward quickly. He then received the ball from Bennet and dribbled it forward.


    Freddy then sent a breakthrough pass towards Kazuki. Kazuki accelerated his running and touched the ball with the tip of his foot. He then pulled the ball back and turned 180 degrees. Kazuki then brought the ball to the middle of amrrika and sent a powerful shot towards the Liverpool goalpost But Dean Smith was able to catch the ball that Kazuki kicked well.


    In the 55th minute, Tony Cross gave Coutinho a pass. The Brazilian then pushed the ball towards Ahmed. But before Ahmed got the ball, Wright-Phillips cut it. He pushed the ball towards Simone. Simone crossed the ball to Bennet.


    Bennet crossed the halfway line and gave the ball to Benson. Benson ran fast. But Van Dyke ''went over to the side and knocked Benson down. Van Dyke''s tackle was so clean that the referee didn''t blow the whistle.


    In the 60th minute, Southampton got a free kick from outside the penalty box after Kazuki was brought down in front of the penalty box. Bennet wast the one who executes the free kick. In front of the Liverpool fans, Bennett kicked the ball casually.


    The ball passes the Liverpool players. Kazuki jumped at the pass. He then headed the ball into the net. Jim Becker stretched his arms trying to reach the ball but failed. The ball goes well into the galpost..


    "Goaaaal! Kazuki! What a great header! He scored and put Southampton back ahead of Liverpool. Now Southampton have a higher chance of winning the game."


    In the 63rd minute, Southampton and Liverpool made substitutions. Maddison came on to replace Sterling. Meanwhile Kounde came on to replace Wright-Phillips. After this substitution, some changes could be seen in both teams. At Liverpool, Coutinho stepped up to replace Sterling while Maddison filled Coutinho''s previous post.


    On the other hand Southampton has now changed the formation to 4-4-2. Kazuki as well as Kounde became the players who were at the forefront. Kounde''s job was to be prepared at every opportunity to counterattack.


    In the 69th minute, Maddison pushed Bennet with his body, so that Bennett lost his balance. After that he snatched the ball from Bennet''s feet. Shortly after Maddison grabbed the ball, Bennet immediately ran and grabbed the back of the Liverpool player''s shirt.


    After that he used the tip of his foot to kick the ball which was guarded by Maddison. Orlando rushed towards the ball, then he kicked the ball so strong forward.


    Kounde, who moved to the left side of the Liverpool defense, immediately received the pass from Orlando. He received the pass with his chest and then controlled the ball.. After that, he turns around while preventing Enrique from stealing the ball from him.

 Chapter 155 - Chelsea

    Then he kicked the ball into the wide space in front of Bennett. Bennet vigorously confronted with Tony Cross to retrieve the ball. Aftera second, he managed to get the ball, Bennet gave a lob pass into the area between the goalkeeper and the Liverpool defender.


    Kazuki who was already prepared earlier immediately escaped from the offside trap. He ran fast for the ball. Kazuki got the ball, but at the same time Van Dyke had stuck his foot out to block Kazuki''s kick.


    Suddenly, Kazuki pushed the ball with his right foot towards the left. Gomez tried to take the ball, but Kazuki changed the direction of the ball slightly forward, after which he delivered a directed shot with his left foot.


    The ball hit the top post and bounced off the field. Southampton failed to score. Kazuki''s kick was only inches away from the goal. Although their attack failed, Southampton''s attack managed to awaken the fighting spirit in the souls of the players.


    In the 75th minute, Glen Johnson brought the ball forward. He passed the ball to Jordan Henderson, who was beside him, then he was running through Orlando. Orlando was went away following Glen Johnson. Jordan Henderson gave the ball to Sisinho. The Brazilian had a duel with Simone to get the ball. Sisinho stretched his legs and pulled the ball back. Then, he turned and chased the ball.


    Bennet rushed to steal the ball but Sisinho changed tricked him. Maddison stepped up to help the attack. Sisinho gave a flat pass towards him. Maddison received the ball and passed to the left. Coutinho competed with Freddy to catch the ball that bounced near the sideline. Coutinho managed to get ahead of Freddy, he kicked the ball back to the pitch with the outside of the foot before the ball went out of the field.


    Liverpool''s left-back, Jose Enrique, took the ball and crossed it into the middle of the field. Ahmed managed to escape the offside trap and received the ball. However, Okhalo tackled and bounced Ahmed''s shot off the pitch.


    Corner for Liverpool. Maddison will once again take the corner kick. both teams gathered in the Southampton penalty box. Maddison kicked the ball when the referee blows his whistle. Henderson managed to head the ball but his header was too weak for Dean Smith to catch Henderson''s header.


    Until the last minute, Southampton was able to maintain the advantage. The match ended with a score of 2-1. Southampton again continued their positive trend. This victory also made Southampton overtake Manchester City''s position at the top of the standings.


    Kazuki still continued his good performance. He managed to score one goal in this match and continues to lead the premier league top scorer.


    The following week Southampton played Blackburn in the 31st round of the premier league. In this round Southampton experienced obstacles. Despite fielding the main players but Southampton failed to get a win after Blackburn equalized the score in the final minutes of the match. The final score of this match was 2-2. Southampton goals were scored by Kazuki and Ryan.


    Entering the month of April, right on April 6 Southampton played against Aston Villa. In this match Aston Villa really played passively, making it difficult for Southampton to score goals. Aston Villa managed to hold the score 0-0 until the 90th minute. However, fortunately, Southampton managed to score a goal in the 91st minute through Kazuki''s powerful kick. As a result Southampton managed to win this match.


    On the other hand, Manchester City also continued their win and continued to lead Southampton by 2 points. Meanwhile, Chelsea was lagging behind after got a draw against Arsenal. The premier league championship was contested by two teams, Southampton or Manchester City.


    Meanwhile Kazuki again received the best player award in March. George also received the March Coach of the Year award. Next Southampton will face Chelsea. For Chelsea, beating Southampton was the same as returning to being a premier league competitor. Meanwhile, Manchester City certainly hope that the two teams end in a draw.


    "Good evening everyone, welcome back to the 33rd round of the English Premier League between Southampton and Chelsea which will be held at St Marry''s Stadium. Chelsea was 5 points behind Southampton and 7 points behind Manchester City. Beat Southampton was one way for them to return to being a champion. league championship contenders this season.


    On the other hand, Southampton certainly did not want to be far behind Manchester City. They need to win this game. I think this will be an interesting match.


    Let''s look at the formation of the two teams. First, Southampton. In this match Southampton used a 4-3-3 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Dean Smith;


    Defenders: Winsley Hart, Okhalo, Hilton, Benson;


    Midfielders: Orlando, Simone, Bennet;


    Front: Ryan, Kazuki, Osmund.


    Meanwhile, Chelsea use a 4-2-3-1 formation.


    Goalkeepers: Peter Krech;


    Defenders: Azpilicueta, Cole, David Ruiz, Ivano;


    Defensive midfielders: Ramires, Shank Lambert;


    Attacking midfielders: Hazard, Oscar, Zelatta;


    Front: Dusan Removic.


    Let''s see how the first half goes."


    Southampton started the first half kick-off. George had managed that in the first half Southampton''s focus was on playing steady and then launching attacks at the right time. Therefore, after starting the game, Southampton immediately controlled the ball slowly. Chelsea certainly do pressing. But Southampton was able to survive because Chelsea''s pressing was not so aggressive.


    In the 6th minute, Orlando received the ball from Okhalo. He then gave the ball to Bennett. Bennet received the ball but Oscar interrupts him. Lambert suddenly came and helped Oscar win the ball. Chelsea managed to stop Southampton''s attack. Now they started the counterattack.


    Lambert passed the ball to Ramires. The player avoided Orlando and then provided a pass to Azpilicueta. Azpilicueta dashed forward. He helped Chelsea to attack. Azpilicueta sent a pass to Hazard. Hazard used his left foot to dribble the ball past Benson. He then entered the penalty box and provided a lob pass into the middle. Okhalo managed to head the ball off the field.


    However, Southampton''s attack did not stop there, Oscar immediately had a physical confrontation with Simone. He then snatched the ball from Simone. He sent the pass into the penalty box.


    The Chelsea players who had just finished attacking, immediately returned to attack again. At that moment, Dusan was beating Hilton in an aerial duel and headed the ball towards Zelatta. Zelatta received a header from Dusan and kicked it towards goalpost. Dean Smith jumped up and caught the ball.


    "Oowh! Good chance from Chelsea. Oscar stole the ball from Simone''s feet, he then sent the ball into the penalty box. Dusan headed the ball to the left. Zelatta! Ah too bad Dean Smith was able to catch that kick."


    In the 11th minute, Winlsey Hart sent pass to Simone. Simone pushed the ball forward, when Lambert tried to steal it, Simone change the ball direction, He then moved the ball towards Bennett. Bennett turned around to avoid Oscar. Then gave a curved pass to Kazuki. Kazuki walked to backward and gave back the ball towards Simone. Simone sent the ball with one touch to Ryan.


    Ryan tried to beat Ivano, but he failed, Ivano snatched the ball from Ryan''s feet. At that point Winsley Hart stepped up and snatched the ball from Ivano''s feet. Winsley Hart then gave the ball back to Ryan. Ryan entered the penalty box and faced David Ruiz. Ryan provided a pass to Simone who went into the penalty box. Simone then kicked the ball towards the net.


    Peter Krech jumped and slapped the ball away from Chelsea goalpost. Osmund grabbed the ball and kicked it again. But the kick was too sideways as a result, the opportunity was wasted. Southampton still failed to score.


    In the 16th minute, Benson provided a pass into the middle. Simone was contesting with Lambert. He managed to head the ball towards Orlando. Ramires stepped up to put pressure on Orlando. Orlando passed the ball to Bennett. Bennet flicked the ball to the side and sent a through ball towards Ryan.


    Ryan took the ball, he stopped suddenly and turned around. After that he sent a crossing into the penalty box. Kazuki received the ball wiith his chest. After that he sent a powerful kick towards the net. Cole blocked the ball so it bounces off the field.


    Corner kick taken by Bennett. He stood in front of the ball and looked at the crowd in the Chelsea penalty area. After taking a deep breath, he ran slowly then kicked the ball forward. The ball floated in the air and then spun towards the penalty box. Osmund leapt to meet the ball but Peter Krech ran and punched the ball forward.


    Oscar received the ball. Then he gave Azpilicueta a pass. The Chelsea right-back brought the ball quickly into the Southampton defense area. Orlando ran to the left he then did a body charge to push Azpilicueta off the field. Azpilicueta was pushed out but the ball was passed to Hazard.


    Hazard carried the ball quickly. He ran diagonally into the penalty box. Then he released a pass into the middle of the penalty box. Dusan Removic stretched his legs and bounced the ball towards the net.. But the reflection was right at Dean Smith so the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball well.