Unfortunately, for all the warnings Kageyama-sensei threw, the game didn’t really go as smoothly as he planned. Even with all the intelligence the team gathered, everything was different the moment they stepped onto the pitch.
Ecuador proved themselves to be a tough cookie to beat. Literally. Their physical advantage was far greater here, as they were taller, stronger, and somehow also had more stamina inside them. Not only that, they didn’t rely on sophisticated tactics, just brute force to suppress any incoming threat from Japan.
Hell, even Tagawa and Kawabe, the two strongest players on the pitch, couldn’t really take any action without getting slammed by at least one player. The foul number was quite high, but Ecuador somehow managed to commit them all in the least dangerous area possible, killing any attack and momentum that Japan tried to build.
The opponent managed to render any tactical superiority useless using their physical superiority, which was enough to block all the routes for Japan players to create a chance here.
Of course, the game itself was not scoreless. Somehow, Ecuador also managed to steal the first goal. At the end of the first half, starting from the corner kick, they were able to create chaos on the opponent’s side. The situation should be controllable, but in the end, a poor clearance from Ito found Tagawa, who was dropping back to help the defense, and as a result, the ball bounced back to Zion’s goal without anyone able to stop it.
Yeah, the goal was deemed an own goal from Tagawa. A poor boy, not having any business in defense, but somehow got caught in the crossfire.
No one really blamed him, since this was just an unfortunate incident. Still, it didn’t sit well with the boy here, having his first-ever own goal in his career. Not only that, but it also happened at the end of the first half, which forced the team to carry the bad momentum to the locker room.
In the second half, Kageyama-sensei also began putting the main force here, wanting to avoid defeat. He put Miyashiro, Mamoru, and Morita at the same time. Not only that, but Kageyama-sensei still retained Tagawa on the pitch. The intention was clear: the team wanted to tie the game.
Fortunately, the effort worked well, as in the 68th minute, the corner kick from Morita managed to create chaos in Ecuador’s penalty box. The scenario was quite similar to the goal in the first half, but this time, the wild ball somehow fell on Miyashiro’s feet. The boy didn’t even realize that the ball was there, as he just swung it as hard as possible with pure instinct, placing the ball at the back of the net.
At this point, the boy had already established a reputation as a fox in the box. He might not be the fastest or the strongest, but his sense of smell for a chance was so strong that he would always be in the best position when something happened.
The draw lasted for the rest of the game, because after that, no attack from either team could reach the opponent’s side successfully. On the other hand, Italy also brought full three points from their game against Mexico, winning with the score of 3-1.
In the end, Japan had to be satisfied with falling to second place, as they only gathered 5 points from one win and two draws. Italy was up there with 7 points, having won two games and drawn against Japan. Meanwhile, Ecuador also got through with 4 points, entering the knockout stage as one of the best third-place teams in this tournament.
They would have another five days to rest before the knockout stage began. This time, though, their neighbor had already been waiting for Team Japan there. Yeah, their opponent was none other than their rival in Asia, South Korea. This was a big derby not only to get a ticket to the top 8, but also to determine who was the best national team in Asia.
Still, at this point, Higo was already apathetic toward the tournament. He just treated everything casually, not showing any ripples whenever something big happened.
Oh, don’t get him wrong, he would still train at his best in every session. After all, the boy still had a target to reach, which was to be as good as Zion in terms of being a sweeper keeper. This national team was the best resource he had right now, so there was no way he would waste it away like that.
However, the boy didn’t really care about the team’s fate. After all, he was just here as cannon fodder, someone who didn’t really have a value here. Even when the team was in a big rotation, he still didn’t get a chance to play, and no explanation was given as well. This was probably the most infuriating part here.
It wasn’t like there was a big difference between him and Zion in terms of quality. Hell, Higo still believed that he was the better goalkeeper here, and every training session showed that as well. Other than his lack of ability to become the extra outfield player to help the team’s offense, the boy still didn’t know what else he had to do to have a chance here, and well... At this point, he didn’t really care as well.
However, it seemed that the quote was right. The more you chase it, the harder it would come, but the moment you let it go, it would come to you naturally.
This was also what happened in this case, because the moment Higo felt like his spirit was at its lowest, Norio-sensei suddenly called him to the sideline.
"Sorry, can you repeat it again?" Higo blinked in confusion. Not that the man could blame him, because he really dropped the bomb out of nowhere.
"Well, I know you are not satisfied with the team’s arrangement, but once the knockout stage begins, we need you to be ready all the time." The goalkeeper coach repeated himself. "You are our best bet in a penalty shootout, and once we enter extra time, your presence will be needed the most there. So, be prepared; your chance to shine will come soon."