At the end, the first half was finally over, and the young Gli Azzurri had to leave the pitch in frustration as they were unable to breach the Young Samurai’s disciplined defense even once.
Their best chance was early in the game, when Davide Fratessi managed to sneak into the penalty box and launched a good shot that was blocked by Zion. Other than that, their attempt to put the ball in the box always failed, either because of Japan’s good defensive positioning or their poor execution in the final pass that made it easier for Zion to pick up the ball.
Nevertheless, the Japanese team was so excited as they ended the first half with a lead over a strong Italy team. This was definitely a good start for their tournament, and if they could maintain this score for the next 45 minutes, they would snatch a full 3-point lead from the strongest team in the group.
Just thinking about that was enough to make the boys go into a frenzy.
The head coach was also ecstatic with the result. Even though he put a calm face as the commander of the team, the man’s smile was still beaming, enough to show how high his spirits were right now.
"Okay, good first half, everyone!" He applauded, followed by his staff immediately. "I wouldn’t speak about the offense first, because your defensive performance is superb! Everyone stays disciplined, covering their area and communicating with the others flawlessly. In total, 8 interceptions are made, 4 duels are won, and Italy could only shoot 3 times, with one being on target! A round of applause for you guys!"
The defenders didn’t show it, but they looked satisfied with the reaction they got. Miki Yamane and Hiroki Ito even fist-bumped each other, knowing that they had done a good job in the first half.
"As for our offense... Well, we are unlucky with that yellow card decision, but other than that, everything also works well for us! The front line maintains good discipline in putting pressure on their defensive side, and when the ball is in our possession, our spear is sharp and dangerous as ever! Also, where is Morita?!"
The midfielder who was shirtless on the back just raised his hand, being pushed playfully by his teammates around. "Here, Sensei!"
Kageyama-sensei didn’t speak immediately, just observing the boy from head to toe carefully. In the end, he just gave a nod of approval before saying, "That ability to escape from a tight situation... That vision to find your teammates... That decisive and flawless execution... That is why I choose you as our leader in midfield. Keep it up; we will need you to work harder in the second half!"
Koki Morita couldn’t help but laugh at the praise, nodding with his eyes shining brightly. "Don’t worry, Sensei! Leave everything to me!"
The others just looked at him in envy. While they were not strange with praises, since they themselves were talented players chosen as the best of the best here, it was different coming from Kageyama-sensei.
After all, while the man was calm and never showed any excessive rage toward the team, the opposite also worked. He was so stingy with praise, only saying something simple like ’Good job’ or ’You’ve done well’ for anyone who did something beyond expectation.
Getting a praise from him was like winning a lottery. While they didn’t get any reward from it, the satisfaction level rose to its peak, enough for them to brag to their teammates until the end of the tournament.
"Still, our job is far from over, and you guys know that well." Kageyama-sensei suddenly turned solemn, enough to make the boys straighten their backs in alert. "In the second half, they will be more aggressive, putting more threat on the box. New players with different styles will come to catch you off guard, so I still demand the same level of concentration and discipline for you guys later! Can you do that?!"
"Yes, Sir!"
"Good." The man nodded, satisfied with their attitude. "Based on our research, in the second half, two players will come in. First, Sebastiano Esposito, a striker from Inter Milan who likes to drop back and pick up the ball. You will find yourself operating in front of the defensive line, helping the midfielders overwhelm the opponent’s defensive midfielder. Naoya, you need to get ready for everything."
As the defensive midfielder who was going to be targeted, instead of gulping in nervousness, a grin formed on the boy’s face. "Finally, a challenge for me! Come on, who is afraid of whom?!"
Kageyama-sensei just rolled his eyes secretly at his antics. Still, he didn’t say anything, knowing that this was the boy’s way to hype himself up for the challenge in front of him.
"He is a dangerous player, scoring 15 goals in 14 appearances to win the U-17 Italian Championship with Inter. The only reason he sat on the bench is like our Suzuki. He is still too young, and the team only dares to use him conservatively to protect him as well. However, whenever he is on the pitch, their attack will be sharper and more dangerous, so get ready."
Right a second later, all eyes fell on one boy, enough to make him feel uncomfortable. "What?" He asked, a little bit defensive.
"No, nothing!" Everyone shook their head immediately, turning around as quickly as possible.
Still, every single one of them realized one serious thing here. They knew how good Mamoru was. At the age of 16, he had been considered one of the best youngsters in Japan, and only because of his age that he didn’t have that much of a minute play in the game. However, no one could deny his talent here.
If Sebastiano Esposito were the same, things would be troublesome in the second half.
"Then, we also have Luca Pellegrini, a progressive left wing. He is good with both feet, and it will be hard for you to guess whether he would go down the flank or cut inside. Sugawara-kun, I need you to get ready for him."
"Yes, Sir!" Yukinari Sugawara nodded seriously.
"Lastly..." The man coughed, silencing everyone else here. "The second half will be difficult, but don’t forget what Suzuki-kun and Higo-kun said before the game. They don’t look anything special, so a win is definitely not impossible for us! Let’s grab the three points from their hand!"
With a simultaneous nod, everyone shouted together, "Yes, Sir!"