Well, it was impressive that the players were truly able to move on from this painful draw just in one day. Even though they were curious about what happened to that bastard referee, since Kageyama-sensei decided to shut his mouth, they also didn’t inquire too much about it.
No, instead, they put their focus on the next game quickly, knowing that in this tightly scheduled tournament, losing focus could cost them everything. This time, their next opponent was going to be Mexico, the North American team that somehow lost their first game against Ecuador 1-0.
Yeah, somehow, in a group with Italy and Japan there, Ecuador managed to sneak into first place after the first matchday.
Now, regarding the game against Mexico, there were two perspectives to look at this matter. First, since Mexico just lost the game, it was a great chance for Japan to take advantage of their bad momentum to strike. But it could also mean that since Mexico had just lost the game, they would be more motivated to win the second game to stay in the tournament.
Since Kageyama-sensei didn’t want the players to get cocky, he decided to use the second approach, always reminding the guys that Mexico would be hungrier to win. After all, it was better to stay cautious than get shocked in the process.
Fortunately, Mexico proved that they were not ready for this tournament. Even though on paper, they were a strong defensive team, on the pitch, everything was different. Playing four days later at Gdynia Stadium, with around 5000 people in the stands, the young El Tri failed to show their best performance.
Somehow, Japan managed to take control of the game easily, dominating possession to the point it touched 70 percent while also encircling the opponent on their own territory. Of course, everything would be meaningless if they failed to score, but fortunately, everything went quite well for the team.
The first goal was on the board in the 21st minute, when Kawabe managed to send a through pass between the opponent’s defenders to find Miyashiro. The finishing was sloppy, with him failing to use his full power here. However, the ball still moved in a parabolic course, passing the goalkeeper’s head before falling on the back of the net.
Then, the second goal came seven minutes after the second half began. This time, a ping pass from Koki Morita in the middle once again found Miyashiro. The man sure was an assassin, always being in the best spot possible. He didn’t execute with his feet this time, just heading the ball to the near post to get through the goalkeeper’s defense.
With just two goals on the bag, it was already a safe result for the team, and they didn’t really need to try more in this game. As long as they didn’t concede a goal and got the opponent closer to them, everything would be okay.
Kageyama-sensei also thought that, and he began rotating players more here. Tagawa was in once again, replacing the hero of the day Taisei Miyashiro. Then, Mamoru was in to give the boy a playing minute, before Makino finally got his debut in this tournament, replacing Yuki Kobayashi in the back.
Higo was fuming secretly, especially after receiving the smug smile from his friend.
’You can have a better career than me, but I am still the one who debuted faster in the national team. What can you do about it, Bastard?!’
At least, that was what Higo translated based on that boy’s expression.
Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about it. Unlike any other position, the goalkeeper always needed stability, so it was not good to replace it often except when the main one was injured or didn’t perform well. This time, though, Zion managed to redeem himself, playing perfectly with all of the deliveries he sent from the back.
Higo could only stare in jealousy at how easy the boy dictated the game from the back, inwardly vowing to himself, ’Once everything is over, I will have to learn to at least be able to pass that accurately to my teammates! I cannot be worse than him, fuck!’
Well, that matter had to wait, because the game was not over. Makino didn’t really play that incredibly, but everything he did was safe. For a defender, that was probably the best he could do in the game.
Then, in the 85th minute, Tagawa finally sealed the deal. Kawabe’s curved cross from close to the center line managed to find Tagawa, and the boy sent a powerful header straight to the goalkeeper’s direction. It should have been blocked, but the header itself came out of nowhere.
That poor goalkeeper tried to block it, but he reacted too late. The ball just went through his hands before it landed in the goal, giving Japan the third point of the day.
This was also Kawabe’s second assist of the day, repaying all the failures he made in the first game. It seemed that the Saitama gang was determined to show that they were still the backbone of the team, and they performed well enough to re-establish that status.
At the end, the team managed to hold the result until the game was over, giving them a convincing 3-0 win as their first victory in this tournament. Coincidentally enough, though, Italy also managed to beat Ecuador 1-0 with Andrea Pinamonti’s solo goal, shifting the whole table in Group B.
Now, Ecuador had to go down from first to third place, and Japan rose instantly to the top with a greater goal difference. Italy was still trailing behind with the same points, but with them only scoring one goal, they had to be satisfied with just the second position.
On paper, Japan should’ve already advanced to the next round. After all, even if they lost the last game, they would still be able to get through the knockout stage as one of the best third positions in the tournament. However, that was not what they wanted.
They knew one fact very well. The higher their position in the final standings was, the easier their path would be. So, with that in mind, they came to the next game against Ecuador with full strength, intending to seal the deal for their own good.