The Rise of the Iron Wall!

Chapter 377: Hakodate Nishi’s Attempt to Control the Game

Well, Miki Yamane’s shout was subtle enough that it was enough to make Hakodate Nishi players feel anxious. They didn’t know what their opponent was up to, and this was worrying, since if a powerhouse team like them made this kind of signal, that meant they were about to do something drastic.

Still, the ball was on their side right now, and they decided to drag the game a little bit further with more possession. It helped that Takaaki’s confidence in controlling the tempo spiked after his last game, as his demeanor became closer to that of a veteran general right now. All of his commands were spot-on, and while it still wasn’t enough to get the team closer to the opponent’s penalty box, at least they controlled the whole possession for the next five minutes, which should be a record for the team.

"Usami, behind you! Be careful!"

"Pass it back! Pass it back! Don’t be hasty!"

"Kenji, don’t go too deep! You are getting isolated!"

"Yes, Denji! Hold it more! Hold it more!"

Brugh!

"FOUL!’

It was another round of collision, and this time, Denji managed to protect the ball well, enough to frustrate Shimizu Higashi High’s right winger into pushing him down. Unfortunately, it was in their own half, so the free kick wasn’t really that valuable. Still, Takaaki wasn’t disappointed, still having the mindset that a stable and pointless possession was definitely better in this case.

Before he got the chance for the free kick, though, Hiroshi suddenly came back from the front line just to cover his mouth and whispered something to Takaaki. "Oi, Takaaki, a possession ball is indeed good, but we have to do something progressive, you know?"

Well, the request was understandable. After all, the most painful thing for a striker wasn’t when they had to stay alone on the front when the team went full defense, but when the team held possession for so long without them getting a supply on the front line. Right now, Hiroshi started to feel anxious, asking Takaaki to get bolder.

In return, though, Takaaki just sneered at his friend sarcastically. "You and Jun are so deep even behind their defensive line, so how could I and the others get the ball to your feet? You want to lose the possession and wait for us to defend again?"

Hiroshi was stunned, then rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. Indeed, the boy didn’t notice it before, but he always put himself around the opponent’s players, always thinking of beating the defender head-on rather than getting into a good position first. He had the confidence, but that didn’t mean Takaaki or the others would agree with his method.

"Just tell Jun to get into a good position; I will see you. Now, shoo! Shoo!" Takaaki waved Hiroshi away before kicking the ball back to Ishinori, trying to spread the opponent’s defense apart slowly.

Hiroshi didn’t have a choice here. After all, he still needed the supply from the midfield. He told Kenji about it, and those two started to coordinate with each other to make some off-the-ball runs that would drag the opponent’s defenders quite far. This gave Usami a chance to sneak further, and Takaaki also saw this. He sent a quick through ball, which was received so close in front of the penalty box.

"Oh, shit! He escapes!"

"Close him down! Close him down!"

Well, even though some of the Shimizu Higashi High defenders ran frantically to cover the ball, they were a bit late here, since Usami himself faced the goal directly right now. He glanced at the goalkeeper’s position for a second before firing the ball straight to the top bins, hoping that a difficult spot would be enough to open up the score.

BAM!

Unfortunately, Kang Bo-In, the Korean goalkeeper there, was also in his best state. It was as if he didn’t want to lose against Higo on the other side of the pitch, as the boy flew with one hand extending far to the left, denying Usami the goal he was waiting for.

"Ah! Almost!" Usami groaned, biting his lips in regret. "Sorry, everyone! Bad finishing!" He apologized to his teammates. However, the attention was not on him right now, but more on the goalkeeper who had just made that save.

"Fucking hell! That goalkeeper is no joke either!"

"Yeah, he can save something so far to the edge like that?! What is he, a fucking spiderman?!"

"Hey, hey! Don’t tell me that today is going to be a goalkeeper’s battle!"

Even though Kang Do-Jin had just made one save compared to Higo, who had made several saves at this point, the audience on the stand could still see the high-quality save that the Korean goalkeeper had made earlier. All of the other Shimizu Higashi players also gave their thumbs-up, knowing that the boy had just saved their asses.

"Good job, Do-Jin-a! That save is worth a million yen~!"

"Thanks for the save, man! We almost get behind!"

"Come on! Concentrate! Concentrate!"

After this, a corner kick was given to Hakodate Nishi for that incredible save. This time, Hiroshi picked it up, sending the ball quite low toward the near post. It was clear that he miskicked the ball, allowing the Shimizu Higashi players there to clear it away.

The game entered a stalemate once again, with players from both teams continuing to fight to gain better control. Takaaki, the player who wasn’t really that good at physical ability, had to be pushed and tripped so many times as the opponent was trying to put pressure on him.

It worked to some extent, as when that happened, the only thing Takaaki could do was grit his teeth and pass it back to the defenders to reset the play. Hakodate Nishi players also noticed that their commander in the midfield was in trouble, so they kept getting closer to him to alleviate some pressure.

However, once Hakodate Nishi started to get comfortable with their possession, something bad suddenly happened. Kenji, who got a ball on the front line, was pushed lightly by Yamane.

BRUGH!

"ARGH! SENSEI, FOUL!" He complained while groaning on the ground. Unfortunately, the referee just shook his head, even signalling Kenji to get up quickly.

Then, taking advantage of Kenji’s fall, Miki made a move immediately, sending the ball straight to the left flank.

BAM!