Whoa, with the usual fast pace of this series, this match suddenly slowed down the pacing a lot, to give a great feel of the match. And even then it’s not even certain that this will deliver Tatsumi’s first win:the best they can do is 0-0 with such a set-up in which everyone defends. You would expect Tatsumi to suddenly change strategy as soon as the second half starts, but even that is no possibility here. It might just be that this match is just another part of the chain that will lead the ETU to victory, and that this is just a match meant to solidify the team’s defence.
It’s also great to see that the opponents here know what they’re doing. They’re not just very powerful, but also use their head in their tactics. The weak link is just that they don’t know that Kuroda devoted a section of his life to one particular player. It’s interesting how that coach didn’t notice that, even though Tatsumi did; it’s probably out of cockiness. He kept talking about professionalism, and how he desires such a team, but at the same time he feels like a coach whose head is a bit too much in the clouds.
The photographers were also a nice addition, it’s part of what makes this show so addictive. They don’t just show a bunch of photographers to the side, they also give them a bit of depth by talking about their profession.
Also, what was up with Tsubaki at the end? Was last episode’s cliff-hanger just a sneaky red herring or something? This could prove to be interesting, considering how Sera collapsing only turned out to be a minor deal (I really thought that that guy would be so badly hurt that he would at least not be able to walk straight for the duration of this match).
Rating: ** (Excellent)
I’m worried about Tsubaki at the end. Remember that part of the OP, where he is running and his sight turn white? This could end up as soome kind of weird powerup or some braindamage.
I’m betting that his vision is narrowing because he’s “locked in” and can see that alllllll of Nagoya’s players are moving up / to the sides, leaving him a VERYYY clear path to Nagoya’s goal.
Next episode, he’s gonna run straight down the field and score – well, that’s my guess anyways.
What a great way to end the episode! I think Tsubaki is alright. I think he is just focusing on the game, but at first I thought it was from a concussion caused by that save.