Chapter 447: A Horror Post-Game Meeting
"Well, this is embarrassing," Kageyama-sensei spoke, his tone defied any emotion. However, if anything, it was way more terrifying than him shouting at them one by one. "No, not embarrassing. Does anyone else have a word to describe something beyond, and I mean BEYOND embarrassing?"
Some of the boys clenched their fists secretly, while most didn’t even dare to raise their own head right now.
It was after the game was over, when they had finally arrived back at the camp. Instead of giving each player time to rest, the coach gathered all the players in the meeting room, getting ready to grill the whole team alive.
Higo himself just sat on the coaching team’s blind spot, trying his best to shrink his presence as small as possible. It would be good if he could completely disappear from the room, to be honest. While he was happy that the team didn’t do well without him, the boy also felt pity for them to face this demon on the front.
"A fucking 14th place in the second division last year, and you tell me you, the best youngsters that I pick from the whole nation, cannot even put up a fight?!" His voice finally rose, and it was enough to make some flinch.
Honestly, if any supporters who watched the game earlier they would’ve laughed their asses off. The national team lost a game decisively, and their head coach dared to look down on the team that beat them?
This was fucking ridiculous.
In the end, Kageyama-sensei took another deep breath, and the purplish face gradually turned back to normal. However, that didn’t mean he was less furious than before. "Akiba-san, take over the whole analysis part for now. If I were the one who did it, I am afraid I would say something I regret."
He stormed off without warning, leaving a whole deafening silence inside. In the end, Akiba-sensei finally cleared his throat, playing as the bad cop in this little game.
"Well, guys, I know that Kageyama-san is harsh, but he is not wrong, you know? This shouldn’t be the level you showed at all." The man spoke slowly. "I know that for most of you, this is your first time playing against adults, a real professional team. But for some... Ito-kun, Sugawara-kun, and Kawabe-kun, you three have already had caps on your record for playing in the senior team, right?"
Those three nodded quietly, not even having any defense for themselves. Unlike most of the players here who still fought in the junior competition or had to sit as a benchwarmer on their own team, those three were the players who had already broken through the senior team. They had the experience playing in a better division, so their performance today was indeed far beyond subpar.
"Also, you cannot always run away with the excuse of losing physicality. Don’t forget, your first-ever opponent in Poland three months later will be Italy, the grittiest defensive team in the world. They would be tougher than JEF, and the intensity will also be higher. If that happens, would you still run away with that sentence again?"
Another silence followed, with most still bowing their head deeply. Not that Akiba-sensei expected any answer, as this was probably the most common reaction for a locker room after facing such an embarrassing defeat.
Soon enough, Kageyama-sensei finally entered the room again, and while looking calmer, the stern expression was still on his face. His gaze swept through the whole room first before he finally made an announcement.
"Three days later, another game will be held. The opponent will be tougher, Jubilo Iwata. The fourth place in the second division last year, falling short by only a few points from promotion. So, you can expect a better opponent that day."
Heavy breaths hitched instantly as the sentence dropped. The main players today looked at each other, knowing bad news would follow soon.
"For that day... A team full rotation."
There. True enough, Kageyama-sensei would never let this bad result today go without any repercussions. Still, even though some were unwilling, this was something that they had predicted beforehand, so no one was really surprised by the decision. Now, the question was whether that was the only punishment for them or would he still make things more difficult?
"The players who still haven’t played today will be given a chance to show off something in the next game, so get ready and don’t follow this shameful route." The man’s words were so sharp that they left everyone’s ears bleeding. "Other than them, some players who did well today will also be given a chance, either from the start or just coming from the bench."
Well, no one truly felt something here, since all the boys thought that their performance was way below the standard. Still, they accepted the assignment, inwardly hoping that it was they who were considered decent today.
"Lastly, for the other players... Double the physical session for the next three days."
While no words came out of the boys, some low groans could be heard here and there. Even though the physical session in this camp was not heavy, who would want to get it doubled out of nowhere? Hell, the coach didn’t even give them any chance to take a rest after this game!
"What, want to complain?" Kageyama-sensei snorted. "Don’t think that just because your parent team protects you, you can just slack off so easily here. When I send the report of today’s game to them, don’t you think their punishment would be worse?"
This time, it was definitely a threat, and a good one, nonetheless. Unlike the national team that still had to restrain itself here, the boys’ parent teams were the ones who paid all the costs for them. They would be braver in pushing the boys to the limit, and that also meant the portion of the training would be harsher.
Just imagining that... The boys shuddered in fear, shaking their heads quickly.
"Lastly, I can still tolerate a defeat here. I am not that unreasonable, of course. However, what I see the most in the game today is your attitude, so next time, just remember that! Show your fucking attitude!"
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