Chapter 443: A Difficult Game for the Young Samurai!
Even though this was just a friendly game, surprisingly enough, a lot of people came. Some just here to join the fun, while a few came to watch the Young Samurai today. However, most of the people here were the local supporters, coming to see their club’s preparation for the next season.
Seeing that they managed to snatch the first goal against the talented Young Samurai team, they couldn’t help but get excited.
"Yes, Kleber-san is still as sharp as ever! Hopefully, he will not get injured again this season!"
"The pass from Hebert-san, though... That is a perfect textbook attack from the flank! I think we can see something good next season!"
"Come on! Add more goals!"
At this point, no one showed any mercy toward the young national team. In their mind, the guys there were the best in the country, so they should be putting up a fight here. If not, that would only make them look unprepared for their next tournament, and what awaited such a team would be an embarrassment.
As the players from JEF United Chiba were still celebrating with each other, the Young Samurai team also started to get restless. On the backline, Higo could see that Zion said something to the captain, even making an exaggerated gesture there.
’Yeah, the boy is not satisfied with Ito-senpai’s lack of effort. Couldn’t blame him, though, but if it were me, I would still be able to save it.’ Higo felt the corner of his lips twitching smugly.
Meanwhile, on the sideline, Kageyama-sensei could also be seen talking deeply with Akiba-sensei. Behind, Kumiko followed, not speaking anything but was also ready to give a piece of her mind when necessary.
In the end, a decision was made. Only 30 minutes since the game started, and the first change was already on the board. Mitsuki Saito, the midfielder with the jersey number 10, was replaced by Yuta Goke, a defensive midfielder from Vissel Kobe with jersey number 6.
The purpose was simple. Even Higo, who was green at the tactical aspect, could see it clearly. Kageyama-sensei wanted to stabilize the midfield first, as they had been dominated so badly in that aspect since the beginning of the game, and Mitsuki Saito, the one who should be the bridge, was pushed to the edge by two of the opponent’s gritty midfielders.
Yuta Goke might not be as technically gifted as Mitsuki Saito, but at least he would win the team the ball and be solid enough to face the physical pressure from the opponent.
Mitsuki Saito also understood this. However, that didn’t mean he had to like the decision. The boy walked away from the pitch dejectedly, high-fiving Yuta Goke first before throwing his body to the bench quite loudly. It was clear that he was beyond frustrated right now.
Still, this quick change made by Kageyama-sensei worked quite well. With Yuta Goke’s protection in the midfield line, at least Koki Morita could dictate the game a little bit better. The team also started gaining more possession, and while they still failed to break through the opponent’s defensive line, things started to look better right now.
However, the best chance didn’t come from any combination play or tactical setup that the team planned beforehand. Embarrassingly enough, it was from a silly mistake that JEF’s defender made, passing the ball too short to the goalkeeper.
As a result, Taisei Miyashiro, who could smell any free ball close to him, pounced like a starving beast. He rushed immediately, beating anyone else to get the ball. The opponent’s goalkeeper gritted his teeth, sliding on the ground to get the ball as well. Still, Miyashiro was one step faster, touching it first with his left foot to get away from the goalkeeper.
CLANK!
With his body getting off-balance, Miyashiro tried to execute the ball from that difficult angle. He had already gotten through the goalkeeper’s defense, so as long as the angle was correct, a goal was sure to happen for the Young Samurai team.
Unfortunately, his shot just hit the goal post, only giving a goal kick for the home team.
"ARGH!" Miyashiro punched the ground in frustration. He glanced sideways at Kawabe, who came to support him to the box and raised one of his hands slightly. "Sorry, that’s my fault!"
On the bench, all the players also groaned in pity. However, applause followed after that, as this was the team’s first big chance of the game.
"Come on, Miyashiro-senpai! Do it again later!"
"Keep up your good work! You can do this!"
Higo himself just shook his head in awe as he watched everything from his spot. Based on a week working with the team, he knew that Miyashiro was not the most technically gifted player on the team, but his sense of smell toward the goal was so sharp that he could always get a ball in the most dangerous position possible.
This was the first time Higo saw this type of striker, and he had to admit that it was a mind-opener.
’That move earlier... If it were me, I could maybe see him from my clairvoyant vision, but if it were any other goalkeeper, the result would be different. As expected of the best player in high school last year, he sure is a special talent...’
The rest of the first half ran at that same slow pace, as JEF United Chiba managed to turn the whole game into a physical battle. It was clear that they had the advantage in this regard, and they didn’t even allow the boys to create something. In total, Koki Morita has only made two progressive passes so far, and those all went to the flank.
The wingers were even more pitiful. While both Keito Nakamura and Kawabe were decent in their help defense, the coach played them to provide supply to the box. So far, they have failed to do that, completely isolating Taisei Miyashiro.
It was a difficult game to watch, and honestly, those who were on the bench also started to get anxious. Fortunately, the waiting time was finally over, as soon enough...
FWEEE! FWEEE! FWEEE!
The referee finally blew the whistle three times, ending the first half with JEF United Chiba.
Comments