Takahashi Yoichi | Hungry heart

Japanese: ハングリーハート
Synonyms: Hungry Heart - Wild Striker
Type: Manga
Volumes: 6
Chapters: 49
Status: Completed
Published: 2002 to 2004
Genres: Comedy, School, Shounen, Sports
Mangaka: Takahashi Yoichi (Story & Art)
Serialization: Shounen Champion

Synopsis: Kyosuke Kano has lived under the shadow of his successful brother Seisuke all his life who is a professional soccer player. Tired of being compared and downgraded at, he abandoned playing soccer until a boy from his new high school discovered him and asked him to join their team. Kyosuke joins it and befriends two other first year players named Rodrigo and Sakai with the dream of becoming professional soccer players themselves.

Related series:

Adaptation: Hungry Heart: Wild Striker

Groups Scanlating

Gomasuri

Tadanohito

Source: MAL Manga info, Baka updates

Side notes: I became to know this manga via anime which seems to be way for me to dive into manga pool.XDD I remember that I kinda didn't like the anime, so it ended on my long "On-Hold" list and I turned to see about the manga. The art is typical for the publishing time and not to my liking but the story is a bit better... if you get to read it to the finnish. The one scanlation groups are inactive status and the second... they're active but there is no continuation for this series and their attention seems to gone over to hentai manga translations.

Art is good for a shounen manga and "clean" but the time when it was made beginning of the 2000... has a strong characteristic label all over it... mainly on the drawing style which is as I said not to my liking. Charas are still decently planned and crafted so if and when it's translated to the finish I'm going to read it... now I'm just poking it around. 

Main characters

Kyosuke Kanou (叶恭介)

Kyōsuke learns the tricks and trades of soccer from his illustrious older brother, A.C. Milan playmaker Kanō Seisuke. After Seisuke's departure, he slowly loses interest in the game, but rediscovers his love for it after a fated meeting with Miki. Initially joining as the coach of Jyoyō's girl's soccer team, the determination exhibited by the girls, especially Miki, invigorates his passion for soccer, and soon he joins Jyoyō's male soccer team, emerging as their ace striker.

Kouji Sakai Jefferson (境 ジェファーソン 公司)

Known for charming all the girls in school, he is Jyoyō's goalkeeper. He is also known for his superior acceleration speed. His mother is Swedish and his father has Japanese blood.

When he first went to Jyoyo high soccer team, he was very cocky and felt less respect for the Japanese Soccer but that changed as the story progressed.

Miki Tsujiwaki (辻脇美紀)

Miki is the captain of Jyoyō Akanegaoka's female soccer team. She convinces Kyosuke to become the team's manager and helps him realize that he stills loves soccer, making him join Jyoyō Akanegaoka's male team. After that she still cheers him on at every game. She will sometimes scold Kyosuke when he is upset. They are described as having a weird relationship and know each other very well. Nothing is revealed about her personal life out of school and soccer. 

hafaz-soccer.blogspot

Rodrigo (ロドリゴ)

A transfer student from Brazil who wants to go pro in order to help his large family. While he appears to be cold, self-centered and only driven by money at first, his attitude radically changes after his meeting with Kyosuke. Rodrigo is Jyoyo's playmaker, who earns the interest of several professional J. League clubs. In the final year, he becomes the captain of Akanegaoka.

Source: MAL