True enough, after this goal, Japan didn’t lower its intensity at all. If anything, both Mamoru and Kawabe got bolder, beating the flank side left and right until they were so desperate for those two’s skills.
However, Senegal also came out of their shell. Now that the score was a draw again, they were so ambitious to score the third goal. Hell, they even replaced one of their strikers with a more aggressive type, wanting to suppress both Ito and Ayumu Seko on the back.
Both teams exchanged attacks one after another, and yet, neither of them failed to reach the end of the goal. The defensive line for both teams became more wary, not wanting to open a space, and got punished with a goal again.
For a moment, the game was quite stagnant, and the pace also slowed down unconsciously. With only three or four days of rest from the time they played the last round, there was no way they could maintain the high intensity all the time. No, they needed to conserve their energy wisely, not wasting it for any empty run that wouldn’t give any benefit toward the team.
Kageyama-sensei also made his final change later. In the 73rd minute, the man saw that Mitsuki Saito’s state had already declined a lot, so he decided to put a new defensive midfielder, Yuta Goke, on the pitch.
"Goke, listen carefully." Kageyama-sensei dragged the boy to the sideline first before he could get onto the pitch. "Our defense has been rock-solid in the second half, but Saito and Morita have been dragged to the flank way too often. They are starting to overload our pocket area again, so I need you to be a solid presence there, kicking them out to the flank. Only if their wingers are cutting to the box would you support the wing, but before that, you have to hold the position first."
Yuta Goke nodded solemnly, understanding his role on the pitch. This was going to be his debut as well, so the boy was determined to do a good job there.
However, even after the boy was in, Kageyama-sensei couldn’t hide the worry on his face. He just walked around the sideline aimlessly, trying to cope with the uneasy feeling creeping from the bottom of his stomach.
After all, this was not a substitution he wanted to go for. No, with him putting Yuta Goke on the pitch, that meant he had already used all of his substitution rights, and if anything happened in the last fifteen minutes of the game, he would be screwed.
’Come on... Don’t do anything reckless, and don’t concede any goal until the end of the game...’ He inwardly prayed while also biting the bottom of his lips.
Well, his fear didn’t really happen on the pitch, so at least the man could let out a sigh of relief. Still, Senegal hadn’t truly dropped their intensity on the front line, so the man couldn’t help but have a sweat on his back right now. The situation was still dangerous, and the players had to navigate their way to escape from this pit hole perfectly.
"Come on, Niane! Don’t get stuck there for too long! Move! Move!"
"Sagna, pass it quicker! You cannot deal with them alone! Pass it quicker!"
BAM!
It was the 82nd minute, and another shot was taken from outside of the box. It was another desperate attempt from the Senegalese team, but somehow, the ground ball that didn’t look threatening managed to get so close to the far post. Fortunately, Zion reacted in time, using his right hand to block the shot right in front of the goal line.
"YES, Big Zee! What a good save!" Ayumu Seko roared, high-fiving the goalkeeper immediately.
"No, the attack is not over yet! Come on! Keep your eyes on the corner kick!" Ito roared, still keeping his eyes on the opponent’s players, especially those who were coming to the box.
Yes, the threat was far from over. This time, with the corner kick for Senegal, Japan had to be wary of the height difference here. Tagawa even had to drop back to the penalty box to support the defensive line, making sure that they had enough height to combat this situation.
Thud!
Once the referee blew the whistle, the corner was finally being taken. It was a cross that was far from being perfect, quite low and close to the near post for Yuta Goke to clear the ball away. Still, it fell on another Senegal player, and within a second, the ball was in front of the penalty box again. This time, their striker number 14, Dia Ndiaye, who had just come from the bench, took a long shot from his spot.
BAM!
Honestly, this shouldn’t be a problem for Japan. After all, even if the power was great, the route was quite easy for Zion to anticipate. However, the crowd inside the box sure became another obstacle for Zion to deal with. True enough, once he moved to get the ball, it bounced by some players there, and as a result, the ball flew so high in the other direction.
"FUCK!" Zion widened his eyes in shock. "SOMEONE, STOP IT!" He shouted in desperation, especially after seeing the ball moving in a parabolic route where its end was the back of his net.
"DAMN! SUGAWARA, CLEAR IT AWAY!"
"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK I AM DOING NOW?!" Sugawara gritted his teeth, sweating so much while also tracking the ball in the air. His brain worked so much to predict where it would fall, not even realizing that he was already inside the goal itself.
Thud!
"YES! Nice clearance, Sugawara!"
FWEEEE!
The ball was headed perfectly by Sugawara, away from the goal. However, before the celebration could continue, the referee suddenly raised his hand while also blowing the whistle, stunning everyone else there.
Then, as if he were a god descending on earth to give judgment to the human being, the man spoke in a slow but clear tone. "The ball has already crossed the goal line. On-pitch decision, a goal for Team Senegal!"