The way Esperion is firing on all cylinders is entirely the vision that Fukuda had for his youth development. Take inspiration from Europe, but keep the freedom and fun in place. The unorthodox approach is what is allowing Esperion to gain the momentum in this match.
Seeing how Esperion is giving everything they have. There was the worry that Ashito would have injured himself much like Fukuda did, but thankfully that wasn’t the case. As he delivers the winning goal which is a callback from his line from the beginning of the series. The only difference is that he says he is the reincarnation of Tatsuya Fukuda. This is outstanding after reading the manga from start to finish.
One thing that is most interesting at the end of the match is to see that smile from Damien. This might be one scenario where a loss is what he needed. For him soccer was his salvation, but it is clear that this match showed him a side of the sport that he missed out. For Kuribayashi him being excited for just winning even through a support role is notable.
It’s good to see the 1st year practicing with the senior team after the match. The funny part we see is Ashito playing with the juniors. It is very much in Ashito’s outlook to want to meet some of the new players. He is unconventional, but of course he was the one who requested his teammates to try out and practice with the senior team.
Also the way that Ashito and Hana’s relationship is handled is very well. They start dating offscreen, which is fun to notice as the manga wraps up. It’s good to see how the both of them are motivating each other to achieve their goals. Not living through the other each living their own fulfilling lives. Their relationship continues to be one of the many strong parts of this series which is such a well-rounded series all around.
