Kumiko’s speech managed to lift up the mood slightly. Next, the training session became livelier, with everyone laughing and shouting at each other, full of excitement.
"Come on, Kawabe! Start running more!"
"Shut up, you Bastard! Don’t you know I am saving my energy here?!"
"Hey, Makino! You need to shout louder! We cannot hear you!"
"Get serious, Big Zee! That is the third goal today! Your performance is pathetic!"
Right now, they were doing a small sparring with only a quarter of the pitch as their field. This was a good way to train without exhausting players’ energy for the next game, as this could help them navigate their way through the crowded space.
The training was quite light, and the atmosphere inside the team was gradually back to normal. Hell, it was more than that, since the fact that they won the game against Senegal finally sank into their head. Just based on that, it was clear that everyone was enjoying this.
However, there were still people who couldn’t help but feel uneasy right now. Those were none other than Kageyama-sensei and his staff, as right now, they were trying to figure out France’s weakness for the next game.
Just as Kumiko said at the beginning of her speech, the information she gave earlier was not truly a weakness. No, the team was still as solid as ever, and if they couldn’t shake the foundation hard enough, they wouldn’t be able to cause a ripple on the opponent’s territory.
"What about doing the same thing as we did against the Senegalese number 6 again?" Akiba-sensei asked, turning to Kumiko. His attitude toward her also changed as he noticed that she was more capable than he was. "That is a good tactic to break the opponent’s wall and easy to understand as well, suitable for a team that only has four days of rest to implement it."
"Yeah, that is a good one, but we need to think of a target to put." Kumiko nodded in acknowledgement, not denying the idea completely. "Unlike Senegal, France’s defensive line is strong, and each one of them can hold their own ground without the help of their DM. Also, the last time we did it, we asked Morita-san to do the heavy-lifting job, but this time, he has to control the midfield first. Without him there, our rhythm will be a mess."
Kageyama-sensei frowned for a moment, but after getting filled in about the tactic that Kumiko pulled in the game against Senegal, he gave her a nod of approval. "That is a good tactic, but suitable for the second half once the shape is in disarray. Now, we still need something more solid first to start the game."
The others nodded quietly, following the discussion behind.
The players didn’t really know that the staff was having a headache behind the scenes. No, they just treated the training session as a game to keep their mind at ease. After more than 20 days of a tense tournament, it was always important to find a way to unwind themselves.
Higo was also the same here. Even though he was just a bench player, the boy proved to be an absolute menace in the training session. He was always a better goalkeeper when it came to shot-stopping ability, so he accepted everyone’s challenge for a one-on-one duel whenever they were done with their regular session.
"Shit, Ryusuke! What the hell is there inside your head?! How could you read me so easily like that?!" Kawabe widened his eyes as his fake move was read so easily by the goalkeeper.
"Ha! It will take you a thousand years before you can get through me, Kawabe!" Higo snorted, throwing the ball back to the crowd. "Come on! Who else wants to challenge me here?!" He asked boisterously, enough to ignite everyone’s fighting spirit.
"Ha! You sure know how to brag, Brat!"
"Come on! It is time we deal with his arrogance!"
This was just another part of their banter, and Higo had to admit that even if he didn’t have any chance to play in the next two games, he wouldn’t regret coming here as a bench warmer. The team’s quality was the highest that Higo had ever had, and they all managed to push him to constantly evolve to become a better player.
Then, the next day, instead of going for another training session, they all went to the bus to move again. Yeah, the next game wouldn’t be in this city anymore, as they were going to be back at Bydgoszcz Stadium. That was the first stadium they played in this tournament, and coincidentally enough, France was also one of a few countries that used this arena as their home ground as well.
"Ah... Finally, back home..." Naoya let out a deep sigh like an old man once they arrived at the hotel they first came to.
Yeah, after spending about a week here, at this point, the hotel felt like home for some players.
"Don’t act like an old man, Bastard!" Kawabe slapped his back quite loudly. "We are not here for a retirement vacation! Come on, time to move!" He carried his luggage while also pushing the boy quickly.
"Oh, shut up, will you?! Can a boy have a little bit of fun here?!"
"What fun?! You want to sit on the bench next game?!"
"You are not the head coach, Bastard!"
All the players there just shook their heads once they heard the bickering again. Those two were the loudmouths of the team, so no one was surprised to find them exchanging words like this. If anything, everyone seemed to enjoy this, finding it to be a change of pace compared to the usual tension before the game began.
"Well, let’s come inside first." Morita grabbed his sports bag before getting up from his seat. "This is time for lunch, and I am quite hungry right now. I hope they have some good udon for me..."