Rindō Akiyama (
Appearance & Personality[]
Rindō is a boy with messy black hair and a tuft of light-coloured hair over his forehead. He is described by Coach Fukuda as a “pure white forward”.[1] The junior youth coach told Fukuda that Rindō does not listen at all and they are unsure what to do with him. He does not show any signs of nervousness or fear despite playing against big clubs.[2]
Background[]
Ten years before the story’s start, Rindō was trying to sleep while his older brother, Enshin Akiyama, was watching the match of the then SC Sabadell player, Tatsuya Fukuda, against Barcelona FC.[3]
Main Story[]
Rindō Akiyama is first seen travelling with Esperion Youth’s A-team on their way to Qatar for the Alkass International Cup tournament. While having a stopover in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Coach Daigo Benzen has the team look at material for the Cup. Eisaku Ōtomo spots Rindō beside his brother, Enshin, but gets distracted by Coach Nozomi Date who hands out material regarding the main players of the competing teams.[4]
In Qatar during the tournament’s opening match between R. Madrid and Aspire Qatar, Eita Takasugi and most of the youth team decide not to watch the game and, instead, maintain their focus on their first match against Barcelona FC. Ōtomo, dragging Rindō by the neck, barges into the conversation to ask where Ashito Aoi is. Yūma Motoki explains to the rest of the team that Rindō has yet to talk with Ashito. Somehow, they have managed to avoid each other and Ashito remains unaware of Rindō’s existence. Kanpei Kuroda worries that since both of them play on the left side, it could cause issues. Rindō, however, says he is fine and does not get along with Ashito.[5]
During the pre-match warm-up of Esperion versus Barcelona, Ashito finally notices Rindō. Ōtomo, Sōichirō Tachibana, Ryūichi Takeshima, and Yūma all laugh, realising that Ashito had no clue Rindō existed despite having been together on the plane ride to Qatar, practised together since arriving, and Ashito substituted with Rindō in the game against Esperion’s first team last week. At the mention of last week’s game, Ashito manages to sort of remember Rindō.[6]
Ōtomo introduces Rindō as a third-year junior high student from Esperion Junior Youth and Enshin’s little brother. He explains that Rindō played with them once while Ashito and Yūma were practising with the first team. Coach Fukuda decided to include Rindō in the tournament and place him in the starting lineup against Barça. Ashito finally remembers and describes Rindō as a really fast guy. He apologises, stating he was too busy thinking about his own plays. He praises Rindō for being able to play in this match despite being a junior high schooler. Rindō tells Ashito not to make weird movements like in the Aomori Seiran game before walking away.[6]
As Esperion and Barça players line up in the tunnel before the match, Aoi Kaneko grabs Rindō’s hand and tells him not to be nervous and to have fun in the game. Rindō is confused at her statement, not showing any signs of nervousness at all.[7]
At the beginning of the match, Rindō attempts to press Alex Falco but is easily bypassed by Barça’s intricate passing.[8] Rindō manages to escape his mark and receive a through pass from Ashito, shocking the crowd with his speed. Before he can cross or make a goal attempt, he gets tackled by David Obsidian, resulting in a counterattack by Barça which gets thwarted by Ashito who tracked back.[9]
In the middle of the first half, Haruhisa Kuribayashi is leading a charge. Rindō makes a decoy run at the edge of Barça’s penalty area, disrupting Barça’s defence and leaving space for Yūma to run into and receive Kuribayashi’s through pass. Yūma’s shot gets blocked by Nathan Starless, and Rindō is unable to go for the rebound as Starless manages to hold onto the ball.[10]
After falling behind 0-1 and just before the first half ends, Esperion manages to steal the ball from Barça after a well-timed press on Obsidian forces a hasty back pass. Rindō gets the ball and charges towards Barça’s goal.[1] The rest of Barça track back to defend, all wondering who Rindō is since he was not part of their preliminary research due to Fukuda selecting Rindō only a week before the tournament; they are unsure how to defend against him.[2]
As Rindō dribbles towards Barça’s goal, the Esperion fans in Japan remember his performance against the senior team where he would cut into their defence like a razor. José Arjoedia catches up to Rindō. Rindō, with his tongue sticking out, beats Jose with a sharp cut inside but is tackled by Obsidian before he can do anything. The ball falls to Yōichi Kiriki who passes the ball to Kuribayashi. Kuribayashi, back towards goal, flicks the ball into the net to tie the game.[2] As the players headed back to their half to restart the game, Tsukishima sends Rindō a thumbs up. Rindō replies by sticking out his tongue.[11]
In the second half after Demian Cant and Suzak Quarich get subbed on, Rindō is shocked after seeing Demian take on both Keiji Togashi and Nagisa Akutsu by himself—even sending Togashi tumbling—to make a shot attempt that Enshin barely batted away.[12] Afterwards, Rindō and the rest of the team struggle to steal the ball due to being worried about Demian.[13] Rindō, Takasugi, and Togashi attempt to surround Demian to steal the ball; Demian skillfully dribbles past Rindō and Takasugi, attracting more Esperion players to his position. Rindō is left standing in shock as he watches Demian flick the ball backwards to Jill Xhaka who scores a long-range goal from outside the penalty box.[14]
As the game continues after the goal, Rindō receives the ball but is quickly dispossessed by Demian.[15]
Skills & Abilities[]
TBA
Manga Appearances[]
Rindō dribbling, Manga Chapter 365.
Aki Tsukishima proposes to include Rindō in the youth team for the Alkass Cup. Manga Chapter 366.
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Anime Appearances[]
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Trivia[]
- Etymology: TBA
Quotes[]
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Statistics[]
TBA
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Volume 36 Chapter 365
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Volume 36 Chapter 366
- ↑ Volume 33 Chapter 333
- ↑ Volume 33 Chapter 338
- ↑ Volume 34 Chapter 344
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Volume 34 Chapter 347
- ↑ Volume 34 Chapter 348
- ↑ Volume 34 Chapter 349
- ↑ Volume 35 Chapter 352
- ↑ Volume 35 Chapter 358
- ↑ Volume 36 Chapter 367
- ↑ Volume 37 Chapter 375
- ↑ Volume 37 Chapter 376
- ↑ Volume 37 Chapter 377
- ↑ Volume 37 Chapter 378
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