The news from Morita once again managed to fuel the team’s spirit for the next game. It was even more extreme than when they heard the news about Erling Haaland a few days ago.
At that time, they just felt like a genius falling from the sky, and while they were in awe, the boys still understood their limitations. Also, that was in the group phase, so not a lot could be done to attract scouts’ attention.
However, this time was a different matter. The one who got recruited was Koki Morita, their very best player on the team. While they knew that they were not as good as him, the boys still thought that they could at least be half as good as the midfield, giving them a chance to impress everyone in the next game.
Also, the next game was the semifinal, and their opponent was France, the team that won the World Cup last year. There were definitely a lot of scouts who took their time to watch this game, and while they were there for the French players, that didn’t mean Japan couldn’t steal the show there.
Somehow, this glimmer of hope was enough to keep them running hard in the training session even when the coach told them to hold back.
"Fuck it, Kawabe! Are you trying to kill yourself or what?! I told you to keep it steady; why would you start sprinting like a mad dog?!"
"Naoya, you too! Don’t tackle your teammates like that; they would have their legs broken soon! Do you have any grudge toward anyone else right now?!"
Kageyama-sensei even felt his voice start to get hoarse after shouting a lot today, scolding his players one by one. Honestly, this was a problem that he had never thought he would face: Him having to stop the players from trying too hard in the training session. Still, some boys didn’t seem to know the limitation, and it was his job to smack them on their heads when necessary.
Time flew by, and before anyone noticed it, game day finally arrived. The head coach had also already determined the main squad for the game, and the team really looked so different compared to the last game.
Zion was still on the backline protecting the goal. Even though he conceded three goals in the last game, not a single one of them was his mistake. With Zion’s solid performance so far, even if Higo performed better in the training session, there was no way he would be able to replace that boy.
Then, on the left side, Miki Yamane was back to that spot without any hint of fatigue anymore. It seemed the decision to replace him in the last game worked well, as he was more than ready to face anyone from the France team today.
However, next to him, all the faces changed.
There were no Ayumu Seko, Ito, Kobayashi, or Sugawara to protect the backline alongside him. In return, Makino, Nagai, and Kawabe were there, with two of them having their debut today. The two central defenders looked like a wreck, as if they were about to puke whenever someone called them.
As for Kawabe... Well, honestly, the team didn’t really have a right back besides Sugawara. The reason was that Kawabe could cover all the ground on the right side from top to bottom easily, so the coach had the luxury to put him wherever the team needed him to be. More than that, Ayumu Seko could also cover that ground, so there should be no problem with the rotation on that side.
Or... At least, that was what he originally thought. Who could predict that the team would be in a crisis for defenders that they had to drop their winger to the backline like this?
Then, in the midfield, they would use the diamond formation, with Naoya protecting the back, Morita being the one who dictated tempo, Mitsuki Saito being the bridge, and Mamoru filling the spot behind the strikers.
Yeah, they wouldn’t have any wingers today, and in return, with Mamoru and Morita in the midfield, they would try to play in a narrower space to open up France’s defense with their technical ability.
Lastly, the two strikers would be filled by Miyashiro and Tagawa. This was going to be the first time their duet played since the beginning of the game, but they often played together when the team needed a goal, so this shouldn’t be a problem.
On the bench, Ito was also ready at any time. He came with a new look, using a head protector like Petr Cech, Chelsea’s legendary goalkeeper. The medical team had already given a green light, but the coach didn’t want to take a risk right now.
Kageyama-sensei was also slightly worried about the bench’s state, because the options there were limited. Besides more strikers and central midfielders, the team didn’t have anyone else to use. If someone on the backline got injured, only Ito would be able to replace them today, and the lack of power on the wing also bothered him.
In the end, though, he could only sigh helplessly from his spot. Right now, the man could only watch the game from the stands due to the suspension from the red card in the last game. His gaze fell on Kumiko, whom he gave the burden to take over the team, and even though he trusted the girl, Kageyama-sensei still couldn’t help but feel worried right now.
’Tch! What the hell am I doing here?! If only I didn’t lose my temper in the last game, I would be on the bench accompanying my team right now!’ He clicked his tongue in regret.
Kumiko herself didn’t know that she was under the head coach’s gaze. No, she was still supervising the team’s warm-up right now, and once the France team was about to enter the pitch, the girl called all the players to gather.
"Okay, everyone, let’s have a little bit of a talk before the game starts..."