Well, as everyone predicted, the game turned out to be quite difficult for the Japan boys.
"Kawabe, move the ball faster! Don’t hold it for too long!"
"Morita, behind you! Behind you!"
BRUGH!
"ARGH! FOUL!"
"WAIT, Play on?! Sensei, are you kidding me?! He tries to kill Morita!"
It has been ten minutes since the game started, and the game didn’t go well for Japan. The big difference between the two teams in physicality made it difficult for the head coach, a man from Uruguay, to judge everything. In the end, the man leaned toward Senegal more, thinking that the physical contact was still normal and that it was Team Japan that couldn’t handle this intensity.
This really frustrated Kageyama-sensei, as the strategy he set couldn’t be played in this situation. "Oi, Ref! This is going a little bit overboard! Physical contact is one thing, but can you see my boy getting thrown with that shoulder check?!"
Well, at least the referee had the decency to look sheepish here. After all, the last contact between Morita and the Senegalese player was indeed too much, and now, Morita had to be checked by the medical team.
Still, that left a concern in the team. They couldn’t develop a rhythm under the opponent’s heavy pressure, and now, they were stuck in the middle, unable to start any attack.
"Miki, tell everyone to move the ball faster. They cannot get away with that charge if the ball is not on your feet. Also, ask Morita and Saito to get a little closer, and whoever is on the opposite side to get ready to attack the flank. We need to create momentum here." The coach told Miki Yamane during that medical check for Morita.
"Yes, Sensei."
Still, unlike the last game against South Korea, this time, even though the number of physical contacts was higher, the intensity was quite mid. Senegal was not a team that was famous for their ability to hold the ball and dictate the tempo, so they decided to play a little bit passively, waiting on the back for a chance to counterattack.
This gave Japan all the space in front of the center half to dictate the pace, and with Koki Morita in the midfield, everything went quite smoothly in that area. Even though the boy was always under constant pressure from Senegalese number 4, he still moved the ball quite fast, and his combination with Mitsuki Saito often gave him a better space to create a threat from his spot.
Then, the first big chance was finally on the board.
It was at the 17th minute, where the one-two pass combination between Koki Morita and Mitsuki Saito managed to get the latter to get rid of Senegalese number 4’s entanglement. Saito himself, while not as good as Morita, was also a creative player in the midfield, so with his vision and passing ability, the boy sent a through pass to the left side, giving Keito Nakamura a chance to run there.
Thud!
"Oh, yes! Take it easy, Keito!"
"Nakamura, middle!"
Of course, it wasn’t easy for Nakamura to shake off his defender. However, he didn’t really need to do that. His main strength was his crossing accuracy, and as long as he managed to get a little bit of space, everything would be perfect for him.
That was when Miyashiro suddenly ran to his side, as if trying to ask for the ball on the flank.
This little move didn’t look significant, just giving another variable on the flank. However, the defender there unconsciously leaned toward Miyashiro, giving Nakamura a chance to deliver a perfect cross from his spot.
’There!’
BAM!
The cross curled so sharply, crossing through the goalkeeper’s face. It also passed the two Senegalese central defenders before arriving at the opposite flank. There, Kawabe had already been waiting, and even though the opponent’s defender was also there to clear the ball, the boy was confident in his position.
’Yeah, jump as high as you want, you will never touch that ball.’ He murmured secretly.
True enough, even though the defender jumped, he couldn’t reach the ball at all. However, it fell straight to Kawabe’s chest. With one control, he glanced over the opponent’s goal, and the boy sniped it from that tight angle, volleying the ball with his right foot.
BAM!
"FUCK!"
Unfortunately, the Senegalese goalkeeper reacted quickly. Even though he was surprised by the attack, his instinct took over at the last second, letting him raise both fists in the air. As a result, he managed to punch the ball back until it crossed the sideline.
"ARGH! ALMOST!" Kawabe roared in frustration. Then, he turned at Nakamura and gave the boy a big thumbs-up. "Good pass! That is my fault!"
Nakamura just nodded secretly, not feeling anything over this chance. Honestly, at this point, all the Japanese players knew that Kawabe was a volume shooter. He wasn’t the best in converting his chances, often wasting even the easiest possible. However, he would always take the chance relentlessly, and he was always good at getting one until he bagged a goal by himself.
For the boy, this chance was probably his little warm-up, so the team wasn’t really that worried about it.
However, things were different for Senegal’s side. This attack was a shock for their defense, enough to wake them up from their daydreaming. After facing the threat from both sides of the flank, they also decided to spread their defense a little bit, wanting to anticipate any incoming attack next.
However, this was proven to be a mistake soon.
With the defense getting thinner, Miyashiro also found it easier to sneak, and as long as he had a space around him, Morita would always be able to find him. This was the best combination attack from Japan’s side, one with the highest chance to end up as a goal.
This time, after Koki Morita dropped back a little bit to give himself a little bit of room from that number 4, his eyes found Miyashiro having a good space in front of him, so the boy didn’t hesitate to ping the ball there.
BAM!
Once all the Senegalese players figured out where the ball would land and who was there to receive it, some had their eyes widen in shock.
"FUCK! STOP HIM!"