To no one’s surprise, Ashito does not take the suggestion from Fukuda very well. Though one thing that is clear is that Fukuda treats Ashito more like a professional than a high schooler. Which shows the difference in how he and Nozomi treat him. In fact, Nozomi acts more like a proper coach in how to motivate him. While Fukuda treats him more like an adult, that is a lot of pressure to put on a high schooler.
One of the powerful scenes happens between him and Hana. Where Ashito’s eyes look dead, and that is no surprise. Since he feels he has to follow Fukuda’s suggestion. Hana reminds him that he always has a family he can come back to when it becomes too much. Despite Hana being the only one who isn’t too knowledgeable on soccer, she clearly understands people very well. In many aspects, she and Fukuda are polar opposites in this story. At the end of the day, soccer is just a sport; it shouldn’t have a stranglehold on your life. Which can be said about many hobbies we have.
Ashito has the fire in his eyes in taking on this challenge. Of course, it could be easy to give up and go home. It’s always better to face things head-on. He can still strive to be the best forward, and he doesn’t have to completely dictate what he wants going forward. With that being said, Hana is more likely right that Fukuda isn’t mentioning all his cards. After all, he didn’t mention that he wanted Ashito to be a fullback at the start and why he had Nozomi guide him gradually when it was time.
It’s no surprise that Ashito has his struggles in his first attempt as a defender. As it is, it is a different game. Concepts like covering are something he didn’t have to deal with when playing as a forward. Still as a fullback, Ashito’s vision is at full use, which is clear why Fukuda had his eyes on him playing there. Despite his struggles, Ashito was able to make plays that only Ashito could have made. It’s good to see even after that game the fire is still there for Ashito.
In Anri’s discussion with Togashi and Yuuma, discussing what Fukuda is planning, is interesting. For Anri her having a bias in the Central positions has the most impact. In that Ashito playing fullback is a waste. Kind of an example: sometimes only players understand the value where their impact is never shown with numbers or on the screen. Still, it makes sense that Fukuda would want Ashito to aim to be a playmaker. Perhaps Fukuda wants Ashito to understand defenders and fullbacks in that transition.
Ashito follows even more of Nozomi’s advice in that he should incorporate all of Kuribayashi’s playstyle. The most notable one is how he unconsciously turns his neck constantly. Makes sense in how Kuribayashi can survey the field and see that he always has 4 options. This is a notable skill that Ashito needs to pick up. But no doubt it won’t be easy.
