"Another hamstring problem, and this time, it is more serious," Ogai-sensei said solemnly. "Sugawara-kun will have to rest for at least a month before he could start training again, and it would take at least two more weeks before he could play in a game."
It was the end of the game, and everyone gathered in the locker room to hear the verdict. When the man said the final diagnosis for Sugawara, though, the atmosphere dropped instantly, and everyone had a grim expression on their face. Even the win today was not enough to help them elevate the mood right now.
This was definitely the worst-case scenario.
The team had already lost Kobayashi due to injury yesterday, and today, Nakamura also shared the same fate as Sugawara. They still didn’t know how long Ito would be out after that scary concussion earlier, and Ayumu Seko would also be out for the next game after getting a red card today.
Now, the team only had two central defenders, and those two had always been the coach’s last choices in this tournament. Now, the team would be forced to rely on the least experienced players to protect their backline in the semifinal of the World Cup, and this didn’t sit quite well in their stomachs.
Also, they felt sorry about Sugawara’s state right now. After all, at the end of the day, the boy was still their friend and reliable senpai, and this injury would make it harder for the boy to adapt for the new season.
They didn’t want to imagine it, but getting injured and having to recover for a long time like this was definitely a young player’s worst nightmare. No one knew whether they would still be able to maintain their competitiveness after their recovery or not.
"Damn it!" Kawabe couldn’t help but curse. "We won, but why is the cost so high?!"
"This cannot be helped." Morita, the team’s vice-captain, sighed helplessly as his shoulder sagged on the chair in the locker room. "It has been a tiring tournament with a tight schedule, so the further we go, the more chance we will be exposed to this kind of an injury."
Well, the explanation was plausible, just as expected from Morita. However, that didn’t make things better for the team here.
Kageyama-sensei was also present in this meeting. He was back from the stand after getting sent off earlier, and looking at the team’s dejected look even after they won the game, he was too speechless, not knowing what to say here.
"Okay, first things first!" He finally coughed, snapping everyone’s attention. Even if the situation was grim, he had to say something as the head coach. "Well, first of all, I have to say sorry, because everything that happened in the team right now, all the injuries, are my responsibility."
Everyone looked up one by one, staring at the coach straight in his eyes. The man, though, was manly enough to not avoid or shrink responsibility here.
"Kobayashi’s injury a few days ago should be a good warning for me, but I just brushed it off as nothing." He spoke. "Then, Nakamura also didn’t have to suffer; if only I could see his state clearly. Ito as well, because as a head coach, after the first incident, I should have taken him out immediately. After that, Sugawara... That shows how poor my management skills are, failing to rotate the team properly. For endangering your career like that, I apologize."
The man bowed deeply in front of the players, a rare scene to be seen in Japan where seniority still played a strong part in its society. The players looked at each other uncomfortably, and yet, they didn’t say anything here. After listening to what the man said, they couldn’t deny some truths there.
Putting aside Ito’s incident, where no one could control it, all the injuries should be avoidable if only the team implemented a better rotation in every game. The reality was opposite, as only the same players were getting rotated over and over again, while some had to grit their teeth to continue the game even if they had to play it for 120 minutes and more a few days later.
This was definitely not healthy for the players.
"I am also here bringing good news for you guys." The man suddenly let out a little smile. "After some checks in the closest hospital, we don’t find anything wrong with Ito. Other than skin injuries that caused bleeding, his brain is basically normal. He is good to play, but the doctor recommends that we don’t force him too much in the next game."
Some of the guys let out a deep, relieved sigh when they heard this. Even if it was just Ito, this was still better than nothing. Also, Ito was the team’s captain, and even though he would sit on the bench, his presence alone could bring calmness among the hot-headed boys in this team.
"I also asked people from the federation to send our complaint to FIFA about the referee today, but don’t put your hope too high about this."
The boys’ expression dimmed once again when they remembered so many injustices they faced today. However, the coach wasn’t wrong in this regard. They couldn’t really do anything when it came to the referee’s decision. Even some big countries in Europe like Germany or England still often got this kind of treatment and could only be helpless about it, let alone Japan.
So, this was just a formality, an act to show their standing about the game today.
The only saving grace here was that they won the game. Imagine they didn’t go to the semifinal after getting treated worse than dirt in the game earlier. Man, the boys would riot on the spot once everything was over.
"Lastly, our next opponent will be France, a real powerhouse in the football world." The man spoke solemnly.
Everyone also straightened their back immediately, realizing that important information was about to be dropped by their coach.
However, at the last second, the man grinned widely, an expression that was rare to be seen on his face. "Well, that will be a trouble that we, the coaching staff, have to think about later. For now, let’s celebrate the win today, guys! Come on!"