The pass wasn't meant to be seen.It cut through two defenders but curved just wide enough to look like a mistake.Until it wasn't
Ren slid onto it at the last second flicking it back behind him.Dazai didn't hesitate.He smashed it toward goal
Bar down
Goal
But Kei wasn't watching the ball anymore
He was watching the reaction
Three defenders turned to argue.Two looked at their coach.One even checked the sideline replay screen
And that told Kei everything
"They don't trust their instincts anymore" he muttered under his breath
Amano heard him and nodded grimly
That was the real goal
Not the one on the scoreboard
The one inside their minds
Break their confidence and the rest unravels
Kei had started feeding information five plays ago.Small things.A glance.A shoulder drop.A late run
All designed to suggest a pattern
But the pattern was fake
And now the defenders were guessing where truth ended and misdirection began
By minute 87 the opposing midfielder hesitated on a press
Kei noticed
He didn't exploit it yet
He waited
Let the doubt fester
Because when the final blow came it wouldn't be flashy
It would be precise
And it would leave no room for recovery
As the game ticked toward injury time Kei whispered one last thing to himself
"They don't need to see me"
He looked toward the sky
"They just need to feel like they never could"