Having found out about Seven's achievements in Nadeshiko Japan,
we went to watch the practice match
against the German women's champions, SF Frankfurt.
At first, Nadeshiko was under pressure,
but through the revival of the "Little Witch,"
Seven's great playing leveled the field.
They didn't pull off a win,
but Seven, in her blue uniform,
definitely took a step closer towards a new stage of playing.
I can't lose to Seven, so I've got to try my best, too!
The Division of the Soccer Club
Before the approaching inter-high match,
we, the Enoshima Soccer Club,
continued more and more game-like practices.
However...
Football Club
The subject at hand is teamwork,
which is effective in a real game situation.
We'll be practicing in a red and white match format today as well.
Coach, what happened to Araki?
He hasn't said he'll be absent,
so he should be here, eventually.
Hey, hey!
What?
What is that? Chocolate?
S-Someone must have...
Found some chocolate cornets.
I'm confiscating it.
Wow, so much...
I'm confiscating it.
H-Hang on! Those are my emergency rations!
Hey, Araki.
Huh?
Don't "huh?" me.
Be on time.
Right, right.
Araki-kun,
if one person is late, everyone suffers.
I expect you to be prompt.
Got it, Iwaki-chan.
Let's get practice started.
Bring it.
Here I come.
No good.
The moment you feint, your eyes still go to the ball.
Right.
I'll crush you!
Through the legs, again.
This time postplays and headers alone won't cut it.
If you don't polish your foot skills, you won't play in the match.
We still have a ways to go.
We're not working together as a group.
Hiro! Check from the front line.
Right.
Hey! That was dangerous.
Too easy!
What'd you say?
I won't let you through!
Here, Kaoru-chan!
Yes, Araki-san.
Araki, you could have shot that normally, couldn't you?
That's so boring.
I've got to pull an artistic loop here.
Hey, Araki, the competitive games are coming up.
You can't be playing...
Huh? I'm not playing, Kaiouji,
I'm just trying to do a loop when I can,
so I can pull it off in a game.
Araki.
All right, that's enough.
Back to practice.
Get it together.
So annoying.
Man, I'm tired.
Time for a break.
Hey, the first half isn't over.
It's a little early but everyone take a break.
Be sure to stay hydrated.
Araki, have you gotten fatter?
Stop looking at my stomach.
What's wrong?
We can't continue like this.
SC under Coach Kondo had a sense of tension.
In comparison, your methods are too soft.
Even though our supposed conductor, Araki, is so out of shape,
the coach lets him get away with it...
I don't think a lackluster team like this one could win a competitive match.
I understand.
I'll take your opinions into consideration.
Now, now. There's no need to be so bristly.
You've got to have fun at practice, right, Captain?
Are you messing with me?
Break it up.
We're resuming practice.
I cannot participate in a practice like this any longer.
Excuse me.
Sawamura-san!
Excuse me.
Hey...
Coach...
It's all right.
I'll talk to them myself.
What a pain.
I wonder what's going to happen?
Hey, want to go over to Sawamura-senpai's house
and see if we can convince him to come back to the team?
You're right.
It's all right. If we talk to him, I'm sure he'll understand.
You two.
What do you want?
Sawamura-senpai, I'm asking you,
please come back to the team.
Please.
I want to play with all of you.
Please.
I feel bad about making you guys worry,
but as long as he continues as coach,
I have no intention of returning.
But that's...
No matter how many times you ask, you won't change my mind.
Sorry.
Chocolate Cornets
See you later.
Looks like Sawamura's group is serious.
As it is, we'll be two different teams again.
I understand what they're saying as well.
In any case, go ahead and start practice.
No good! You're still looking.
R-Right!
The ball's too far from your feet.
Okay!
Takase! Fore-check!
If they steal it, follow it right away!
Shit!
Araki!
Kaoru-chan!
Okay.
Hino-san!
Nice save, Reo.
Li-san's behind me again?
My bunting is the best.
Your reaction is still too slow.
Sharpen your reflexes.
What are you mumbling to yourself?
Sorry, but there's no need for you to play.
This is my position.
What are you doing, Takase-kun?
If this was a match, that would be a yellow card.
Sorry.
My bad.
It's okay.
What's wrong, Kaoru-kun?
I thought I'd pass it through his legs again,
but this time he grabbed my shirt and pulled me to the ground.
Huh?
Takase, what are you getting all heated for?
It's nothing.
The red and white practice match is over!
I'll collect your jerseys.
Takase-kun, are you okay?
What do you mean?
Well, you weren't yourself before.
Something like that isn't a big deal, right?
My legs are weak, so I just used my arms.
Takase-kun...
You're really progressing smoothly.
Even the doctor from cardiology was surprised
and said it was a miraculous recovery.
There's basically no possibility of rejection at this point.
It's only natural, Dr. Mine.
This is my brother's heart, after all.
That's true.
Then that's all for today's counseling.
Okay.
By the way, I found an interesting article in a soccer magazine.
Article?
Let's see, I think it was around here...
Oh, here it is.
High School Soccer
It's a special inter-high edition!
You're interested, right?
Yes. May I take a look?
Wow! It says we're contenders for the championship.
We were runner-up last year...
It's Takajo-san!
Akira Takajo.
The third year at Kamakura, right?
Kamakura High Without a Weakness! Number 10 is there for me!
The king of the field: Akira Takajo
He was supposed to pair up with my brother as a forward.
Last year at the Kanagawa match, he was the top scoring king.
He's number 10 for Kamakura.
On his own on the field, the man who is promised freedom...
Yoin Academy!
Asuka-san is called the emperor of Kanagawa, right?
The high school affiliated with Shonan University is in here, too!
You know the school?
Yes. They're a veteran team that
advances to the finals every year.
"Kanagawa's Eye of the Storm."
"An iron defense and fighting spirit,
only a first year, but a definite regular..."
What's wrong?
Hibino...
Koichi Hibino.
You know him?
Yes. Sort of.
I see.
But the article I wanted to show you was this one.
This school from the West Tokyo region.
Tokyo Soccer Academy High School
Tokyo Soccer Academy High?
This is the place that Seven said was for training soccer players.
So they'll be competing this year.
Silva?
Leonardo Silva is at a Japanese high school?
I bet you're surprised.
Leonardo Silva
He's being treated like a pro.
Brazil's Jewel is at a Japanese High School?
I want to enjoy Japanese soccer
Silva's going to be in the inter-high tournament.
He was Suguru-san's friend and rival, right?
Y-Yeah.
I wonder if it has something to do with you, Kakeru-kun.
Huh?
Why Silva-kun would play soccer in a Japanese high school...
Could it be because you, Suguru-san's brother, are here?
Th-That has nothing to do with it. With me.
Look. The article even says maybe he
was offered a large sum of money to play.
Well, I should be going.
Good luck.
Excuse me.
Sorry, sorry.
What's wrong, Kakeru? You're out of breath.
Seven, it's nothing.
Kakeru,
you know...
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Sorry to do this. I just didn't feel confident by myself.
I wouldn't know what to say.
What are you talking about?
Takase.
After what happened yesterday,
and since he didn't come to practice today.
I thought maybe he'd lost faith in himself,
because I got carried away and kept passing the ball
through his legs on purpose.
The soccer club is in danger of falling apart.
If Takase stops showing up at a time like this,
it would be a problem.
I want to go to Takase's house and apologize.
Takase will quit the soccer club, if I leave things like this.
I see. Yeah, I get it.
Here? This is his house?
Yeah, there's no mistake.
Takase
Yes, can I help you?
We're from the Enoshima High Soccer Club.
Is Michiro-kun home?
My brother isn't back yet.
You're Michiro-kun's younger sister?
Yes.
These are Takase-kun's, right?
That's amazing.
From middle school for... basketball?
So Takase-kun was in the basketball club during middle school.
Yes. Until his second year.
So he switched to the soccer club in his third year?
Why?
Our father's company went bankrupt
and we were left with a lot of debt.
So my brother quit basketball.
What do you mean by that?
Don't go saying unnecessary things, Chika.
Takuro.
We're visiting.
We're first years in the same soccer club as Michiro-kun.
You're the younger brother?
Yes, I'm Takuro.
This is Chika.
What are you doing here?
Actually, I wanted to talk to him.
But that aside, Takuro-kun,
why did your brother quit basketball
and start playing soccer in his third year?
Because there's no money in it.
Of the sports where you can go pro and make money,
in Japan, it's either baseball or soccer.
You can make money overseas with soccer,
and there are those players who make tons of money,
but basketball only recently developed a pro league,
and few players make money overseas.
When we went bankrupt,
my brother said he would do his best to feed his family.
He said he would pay back the debts
and put Mom and Dad at ease.
So despite being the best in the province,
he quit basketball and transferred to soccer in his third year.
Soccer has feints like basketball
and favors players with height.
Takuro-kun, do you play basketball?
I do. I thought about quitting as well,
but my brother told me to keep playing the sport I like.
The sport you like?
I bet my brother would rather play basketball.
Even now he must.
When is your brother coming home?
It should be pretty soon...
I forgot!
He said he'd be late because he's working overtime,
so Chika and I should have dinner by ourselves.
Overtime?
Mom is in the hospital because she's overworked,
so my brother stepped in to work part-time at night.
That's different from the advertised price!
I'm terribly sorry.
I'll do it again.
Takase-kun's been working after practice.
He's so responsible.
I wonder. I don't like it.
I understand his reasons
but playing soccer just to go pro and make money?
I don't like it.
If he wants to play basketball,
then he should play, no matter the reason.
Kaoru-kun!
Get it together.
I'm sorry.
So that's what's been going on.
In this country, the menu is...
I can understand why Kaoru-kun was opposed to the idea that
Takase-kun would transfer to soccer for the sake of money,
but seeing Takase-kun
take time off from his club to work hard
was honestly a bit of a shock.
If Takase-kun were to quit soccer now...
I can't help but feel I should be grateful
that I can continue playing the soccer that I love,
thanks to the heart my brother gave me
and thanks to my mother and father
who work for their family.
Thank you for the meal.
Okay.
Father,
thank you.
It's nothing.
What was that about?
Who could be here at this time of night?
Kakeru-kun.
Be quiet.
Why'd you call me out this late?
I wanted you to see that.
Takase...
He's been kicking the ball like that this whole time.
I think he kicks it against the wall to practice controlling it
in the darkness where it's hard to see how it will return.
So he's practicing by himself to make up
for the time he's lost at club.
Because it's the soccer that he
gave up his beloved basketball for,
he's desperate to do anything to go pro and make money.
Take a closer look at Takase's face.
Does he really look like someone who's kicking a ball for that reason?
There was a time when I used to kick a ball alone in the park like that.
So I can tell that Takase-kun came out to the park
because he just really wanted to kick the ball.
It may be true that the reason Takase-kun
started playing soccer
was because he wanted to go pro and make money,
but now...
Kaoru-kun!
Hey!
You!
I won't be had again and again!
Your feet are still slow!
Shut up!
Kakeru!
Nice pass.
I'm taking it to the goal!
You're easy!
Takase-kun.
Seven!
Mishima-san?
Takase-kun.
You!
She's good.
Hey, Takase.
What, Matoba?
Soccer's fun, isn't it?
Obviously.
It's got to be fun!
That day was incredibly fun.
But...
What's this? There are a lot of absentees today.
Of the former SC members... only two showed up.
This won't even amount to a practice.
What's going to happen next?
Next Episode: Enoshima Soccer Club Reborn
The Enoshima Soccer Club just can't seem to unite.
Kakeru continues to run alone to try to bring everyone together.
A practice match was suddenly proposed in the midst of it all.
A fierce fight that will go down in history
and Coach Iwaki's faith pushes them forcefully.
Araki and the rest are overpowered by a formidable enemy,
while Oda and his crew can't do anything but watch.
What do they each think of the other's appearance?
Next time on Knight in the Area,
episode 12: "Enoshima Soccer Club Reborn."
Hurry, Kakeru! Faster, faster!