If there was one thing any team feared the most, it was a situation like this.
The first half was about to end, and the players’ concentration was already at its lowest. However, instead of slowing down and running time till the referee blew the whistle, the opponent suddenly hit the accelerator, wanting to push forward to get something here.
Conceding a goal in this moment would hurt the team the most. Hell, they wouldn’t be able to push back, not with the time remaining. All the players there also knew that well, and that was why they were running frantically to cover all the ground and prevent a goal from happening again right now.
"Shit! Jun, don’t get dragged there! Leave Yuwell to Sano!"
"Keep an eye on the other flank! Don’t open up the space so easily!"
All the Hakodate Nishi players moved accordingly, trying to keep everything tight. However, the panic was still there, clouding everyone’s judgment. That was when Kenji Harada found a loophole, and the connection built between him and Yuwell for two years of playing together flared up at the most important moment.
’If it was you... You will be able to see that hole, right, Yuwell-san?’
Thud!
With that thought in mind, he sent a slow through pass between Jun and Ishinori. Then, Yuwell, who was trying to drag Sano to the flank, suddenly cut back to the middle, using an abnormal agility for a big boy like him to get rid of Sano’s defensive entanglement.
"FUCK! HE GETS AWAY! SOMEONE, COVER!" Sano cursed, trying to turn back as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, the other two defenders also had to turn back first, which slowed down their speed. The goalkeeper also rushed forward, but it was clear that the ball was closer to Yuwell than him.
Then, with the composure of a top striker in the world, Yuwell didn’t hit the ball as hard as possible. No, with his toe, he poked the ball straight at the bottom of it, chipping it high and slow to create a parabolic movement.
Thud!
Poor Sasuke Saito. He waved his hand in the air frantically, trying to get in touch with the ball. However, the effort was far from enough, as it slipped through his hand. In the end, he could only watch helplessly as the ball bounced gently inside his goal, giving the opponent the second goal of the day.
"OH FUCK! What a cold execution!"
"YUWELL! YUWELL! YUWELL!"
The moment the ball went in, cheers exploded from all around the stadium. Yuwell himself didn’t move from his spot, just spreading his arms apart while standing calmly as if as king for more cheers.
It seemed the boy really got inspired a lot by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the legendary striker from his own country. Even his celebration was a little bit pretentious here.
Of course, the same buzzing atmosphere didn’t spread across the northern part of the stand. No, the goal really hit them hard, and right now, the away team’s supporters fell into deep frustration.
"What the hell is going on here?!"
"How could we lose a point so easily?! Defense, wake up! You are not yourself!"
"Show us a little bit of pride when wearing that Hakodate jersey!"
Well, it seemed that it wasn’t just the four teenagers among them who were getting spoiled by Higo’s performance. Even the supporters here also felt like Higo would be able to save that weak-ass chip, and that was why they were so dissatisfied with Sasuke Saito’s save attempt earlier.
Well, it wasn’t like they felt. They had seen Higo save a more difficult chance, and seeing the replacement was not even half as good as the boy himself, the supporters couldn’t help but feel regret right now.
Unfortunately, nothing could be done about it. Sasuke Saito just covered his face in regret, knowing that half of the blame lay on him. He was being surrounded by the others who tried to reassure the boy that everything was okay.
Meanwhile, on the bench, Higo just shook his head in pity. "His reaction is correct, but his timing fails him. If only he could be one second faster, the room he covered would be bigger, and it would be harder for Yuwell to chip that ball. He overthought too much, resulting in him missing the golden time to make a move."
"Yeah, you cannot deny his lack of experience at this moment." Kumiko also let out a sigh. "This will be a big lesson for him in the future, but before that, he has to survive this game first. There is no way Yuwell will not notice his hesitation, and the man would try to punish him at every single chance in the future. This will be a difficult game for our defense."
Makino’s expression was so somber when he saw the players’ state on the pitch. He recalled everything in the last goal, and even though the boy didn’t like doing this, he could at least name three mistakes that the team made during the process.
’Kazawa’s recovery was too slow after getting beaten by Kenji Harada, and not only that, no one covered Sano when he was guarding Yuwell. Are they treating him seriously or what?’ He clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. ’Still, the worst mistake is their communication line. No one talked to each other, as if they were expecting their teammates to solve the problem on their own. What the hell is going on here?!’
After this, the game continued again. Hakodate Nishi tried to attack, but the referee had already looked at his watch. True enough, the first half was already over, and the moment Hiroshi kicked the ball back for the kick-off...
FWEEE! FWEEE! FWEEE!
The referee blew the whistle three times in a row, ending the eventful first half in Sapporo Otani’s lead. Not only that, but the home team also managed to hurt Hakodate Nishi where it hurt the most, straight before the first half was over.
Looking at the dejected look on the players, Higo could only sigh and say, "The second half will be more difficult for them to survive..."