"Then let's get started... Neo-Egoist League, 3rd Match. Germany vs. England!"
Kick-Off!
0:00
The game began with a simple pass from the Bastard München side, Michael Kaiser laying it back to Alexis Ness.
The game was on.
Nagi and Chigiri rushed forward instantly, closing in on Ness from both flanks.
'They're pressing from the first second,' Chis Prince thought, watching from the sidelines. 'Good! Put more pressure on them before they even settle.'
Ness barely had time to think... he sent the ball back to Kurona, Bastard's Right wing-back.
Kurona took one touch and immediately felt Murano closing down on him. He passed the ball off to Kunigami before Murano could reach him.
Murano pivoted firmly, redirecting himself onto Kunigami, but Kunigami had already returned it to Kurona.
By now, five Manshine players had swarmed the right flank, boxing in anyone who dared hold the ball for more than a second.
Kurona had no choice. He turned and ran the ball all the way back into his own box, crossing it to Yukimiya out wide on the left.
Chigiri lunged in with a sliding challenge but was late because Yukimiya had already lofted a perfectly timed weighted lob toward the center circle.
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0:11
Three players met to fight possession on the ball that was dropping down.
Kunigami for Germany, Agi and Reo for England.
Kunigami used Reo's body to support and leap higher, timing his header and flicking the ball down into Isagi's path.
Isagi was surrounded the instant it landed.
Three Manshine players closing from the front, one more from behind. Isagi held off Arthur just long enough to pass it sideways to Hiori.
Hiori spotted a gap where Manshine's Young had stepped out of position and sent a long ball through it, out toward the left flank where Ness and Agi were already sprinting.
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0:24
Ness got there first. Agi covered him instantly, cutting off both the pass and shot lanes.
Ness didn't lose his composure. He slid the ball straight through the gap in Agi's legs, aiming for Kaiser.
Daemon who was guarding Kaiser kicked the ball away before it reached Kaiser's feet.
The ball then fell back out to the left flank where Ness first received the long ball. Hiori retrieved the loose ball, then pass straight to Ness near the corner flag.
Ness feinted past Reo and whipped a cross high into the penalty box.
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0:34
Three Manshine players were waiting inside, Kaiser was among the players crowding the six-yard box.
Murano pushed Kaiser off the ball's path entirely. But in doing so, let it slide untouched, right past both of them.
It dropped into open space behind the defense.
Right where Isagi was lurking.
Two Manshine players lunged desperately to intercept it
Isagi executed a quick no-look back-heel to send the ball curling into the net.
Germany 1 - 0 England.
All in just 46 seconds.
---
Reset
This time it was Manshine's kickoff, and the second the whistle blew, they were all in attack mode, running deep into Bastard's half before Germany could even reset their formation.
Murano raised a hand, calling for the ball on the right flank.
The moment it landed at his feet, three Bastard midfielders closed in around him.
He took those three midfielders off their rhythm with a single sidestep which game him the space to cut in the middle.
Kunigami filled the space almost as fast as it opened, meeting Murano shoulder-to-shoulder, trying to shake him off the ball through pure strength.
Murano leaned into the contact instead of away from it, using his own arm to hold Kunigami off by his chest just long enough to slot a cross into the box.
Bastard Munchen's Kurona lunged to intercept and missed.
The ball dropped straight into Nagi's path.
He didn't hesitate...
He trapped the ball and struck with great power but was headed out by Yukimiya, after Gagamaru failed to save it.
Nagi was frustrated but Murano clapped to encourage him, "Not bad!"
Manshine were awarded a corner.