"I don’t know what you guys are thinking right now, but if I can guess, there should be two general directions here." The girl smiled as her gaze swept over the players in front of her. "The first one should be, ’Damn, this is the semifinal! Morita-san has already gotten one, I have to show off more to get an offer as well!’ or something like that, right?"
A hint of laughter could be heard here and there, with some guys looking so sheepish as they got read perfectly like an open book. It also helped that Kumiko said that part with a high pitch as if she was teasing them, enough to melt the tension in the team.
"While the second one..." Her voice turned solemn immediately, not leaving any hint of playfulness for the boys. "Some might still think that it is impossible for us to win this game, and since we have already reached the semifinal, fighting for the third place is not a bad idea, right?"
This time, the timid ones on the team clenched their fists secretly while bowing their heads in shame, knowing that they couldn’t hide this anymore.
Even though they had never spoken it out loud, Kumiko had never underestimated this group. After all, the guys like Naoya, Kawabe, or Ito were quite rare, and most of the boys, especially those who often filled the bench, were the type who would waver under the slight pressure from the outside.
They were the hidden danger in the team that should’ve been addressed a long time ago, and taking advantage of her opportunity to take charge of the team today, Kumiko decided to speak her mind right now.
"Yeah, I know some of you guys are not optimistic about our chance today, thinking that, well, they are France, they are at the golden age of their generation after the last World Cup, so their junior team should be the same, right? No matter what Kageyama-sensei and Isaid, you guys will still think that this should be a walk in the park for them, right?"
This time, even the loudmouth brats of the team scowled angrily. They knew the discordant voice inside the team, but when Kumiko pointed it out like this, saying directly that there were players inside the team who thought of losing before the game even started, they couldn’t help but feel so furious right now.
However, before they could say anything else, Kumiko just nodded in understanding. "I cannot blame you for thinking about that, because France is indeed a scary team. However, here, I will tell you a secret truth that no one has ever said before." She smiled secretly.
Hearing this, even the staff around also leaned forward curiously, wondering what kind of magic the girl was trying to cook here.
"Here is one truth that you don’t know. You guys are stronger than you think, even in the top ten best countries in the world." Kumiko said casually. At the players’ disbelief, the girl giggled. "What, don’t believe me? Here, I will tell you some facts. ESPN has made a ranking before the semifinal today that our country has one of the best young cores in the world right now just based on this tournament. They even compare us to Belgium’s golden generation, and while they haven’t achieved anything yet, you guys should know what kind of world-class players they have, right?"
Everyone was so stunned when they heard this. They didn’t need to check the truth, because Kumiko stated herself that it came from ESPN. There was no way she would lie about this, as that was one of the biggest sports platforms in the world right now.
Still...
"Damn, are we really that strong?" Zion couldn’t help but mutter. "Why don’t I know about that?"
"That is because you are inside the team. Sometimes, people outside of the team see things better than us." Kumiko smiled. "They stated something like this. The performance that Japan displayed in this World Cup tournament shows that they are ready to step up to another level. They are strong, resilient, and most importantly, have the heart of champions."
Then, she started to praise the boys one by one as if those all came from ESPN itself, and even though the boys still didn’t know whether this was true or not, they couldn’t help but feel good about it.
"Fuck! This is awesome!"
"Hey, Naoya! Don’t you hear what they said about me?! They are comparing me to THE Ashley Cole!"
"Bah! Bragging! They said that your style is similar to, not that you are as good as him!"
"Don’t forget about me! They said that I have the potential to be a good striker in the top 5 league, you know?!"
At this point, everyone was chatting and laughing with each other, still in awe over the current situation right now. Kumiko herself couldn’t help but smile when she saw this, relieved that her little trick worked.
"Hey, Kumiko-chan, is what you are saying true?" Akiba-sensei asked secretly.
The girl didn’t even turn here, just replying casually, "The first part truly comes from ESPN; I read it before coming here. But the second part, when I start talking about the players, it all comes from me. Well, they don’t really need to know about that until later, right? Let’s just let them play this game with peace of mind."
The assistant coach had the corner of his lips twitching madly when he heard this. He was so speechless, inwardly glancing at the girl who used to be his student. "Damn, she looks so innocent, but her mind is so cunning! Just with one speech, this girl manages to dispel all the doubt inside the team. I need to learn something from her!’
Kumiko just ignored his complicated stare, clapping quite loudly to get the players’ attention back again. "Okay, since ESPN has already said that we are one of the best young cores in the world, let’s prove it in this game! Let’s bring down the best young cores in the world, France, and go to the final!"
"YES, MA’AM!"