Sayonara, Football

Nozomi Onda, a second-year middle school student, loves soccer and possesses strong technical skill, stamina, and refined play style, but is barred from competing in official matches because she is a girl. Despite having grown up playing alongside her male teammates, Nozomi struggles with the increasing physical gap between them and watches as they advance beyond her, including her younger brother Junpei. Although her coach recognizes her talent, he refuses to let her play due to the physical demands of boys soccer. Refusing to give up, Nozomi trains harder than anyone, continuing to support and drive the team while holding onto her desire to play "beautiful soccer." ==Media==

Manga The series is written and illustrated by Naoshi Arakawa. It was serialized in Kodansha's Magazine E-no from June 20, 2009, to August 20, 2010. Its chapters were compiled into two tankōbon volumes. Kodansha USA is publishing the series digitally and in print. Volumes Film An anime film adaptation of the series, titled , was announced in September 2020. The film is animated by Liden Films and directed by Seiki Takuno, with Natsuko Takahashi writing the script, and Masaru Yokoyama composing the music. It was originally set to premiere on April 1, 2021, but it was delayed to June 11, 2021. The staff said it was due to "unforeseen circumstances", but they also expressed hope of the new coronavirus getting contained. Crunchyroll streamed the film outside of Asia. In Southeast Asia, Muse Communication licensed the film. ==Reception==

The series was nominated for the Mangawa award in the shōnen category in 2017. Caitlin Moore from Anime News Network praised the series, praising it for its "highly technical soccer action" and treatment of gender issues in sports, while criticizing the art for faces. Koiwai and Takato from Manga News also gave the series praise, calling it "finely presented". ==References==