Soon, all the players from both teams came to the pitch, ready to start the game. Without Ito on the team, Japan was led by Morita as the captain, followed by the rest of the players behind him. They might look different than the usual Japan team, but no one could deny that the players looked so excited today.
The stadium was also filled with so many people today. This time, since the opponent was France, a multicultural country where people from all around the world gathered, the supporters in the stands were quite diverse. From Japanese, French, white, black, Algerian, Moroccan, and so many more, all gathered in this stadium to support their team.
In this stadium with a capacity of 35,000, more than half was full already, showing that around 18,000 people came to see this game.
"Damn, this is so nerve-wracking..." Makino muttered inwardly, trying to stretch his body while also hiding his nervousness. "Okay, I don’t need to think about anything else... Kumiko-chan is right, we are a strong team. Let’s just treat it as a normal game with just a slightly stronger opponent, nothing more and nothing less."
It was understandable for him to be in this state. Before joining the national team, Makino was just an ordinary center back from Hakodate whose highest achievement so far was just a top 8 of the national tournament. He expected to be a bench warmer in this team, so when the opportunity finally fell on his head, the boy was still on edge even a few minutes before the game began.
He wasn’t the only one here, as Taiga Nagai next to him looked like he was about to die. Unlike Makino, who had experience as the team’s captain and knew how to force himself to stay calm, Nagai was not a natural leader and had never been forced to stay calm like this. Poor boy, he was about to hyperventilate right now.
Unfortunately, they didn’t have any time to adapt right now.
After waiting for a few moments, the captains from both teams were finally back to their original teams, telling the others the result of the coin toss. Japan lost the luck duel here, letting France get the first chance to kick off today.
Once the referee finished checking the preparation all over the stadium, the man finally blew the whistle to start the game.
FWEEEE!
"OH! Come on! It finally starts!"
"Let’s go, Japan!"
Cheers exploded immediately the moment the ball rolled. All of the players from Japan also dropped back without hesitation. They acknowledged that today would be a difficult day and they were going to lose in the possession battle, so it was necessary to see how France would set the pace first.
The opponent themselves didn’t show any nervousness. They were the true embodiment of a strong team, pushing forward since the start of the game without even thinking twice. All of their players had the air of confidence, as if believing that they could beat Japan anytime they wanted today.
Still, they were also quite sensible, going for the usual wait-and-see approach. It was the semifinal of the tournament, so it wouldn’t be good if they hit the accelerator quickly and got tired at the end of the game later.
However, when both teams seemed to accept this unspoken agreement about starting slow, one player was quite restless on Japan’s backline.
Makino had been moving around quietly on the back, adjusting his position several times to keep himself ready for any incoming threat. However, it was also a habit for the boy to start the game with a big action to loosen the tension on his shoulder, and after waiting for a while, the boy finally found the chance he was waiting for.
’Shit! This is it!’
The pocket area on the left side was open due to Naoya’s late assistance, leaving an empty area so close in front of the penalty box. France’s winger, Moussa Diaby, sent the ball to that space where Michael Cuisance was standing. The boy with the number 8 pushed the ball slightly, adjusting his stance while also looking at Zion. It was clear that he was trying to take a long shot from his spot.
However, right before he could launch anything...
BAM!
Makino swept the ball so brutally and yet cleanly with a bold sliding tackle, and honestly, even some of Japan’s players gasped unconsciously when they saw this. The tackle was so dangerous that if the timing was wrong, Makino could suffer from a yellow or even a red card just five minutes into the game.
However, they were worried for nothing. The tackle was clean, and Makino also gained possession after that. He didn’t stick with the ball for too long, passing it to Miki Yamane. Then, the full back also understood what Makino wanted here, as the boy launched a long pass quickly to the front line.
BAM!
"OH! Nice pass, Yamane!" Tagawa grinned as he ran while tracking the ball in the air. He also glanced slightly at the boy in front of him, Dan-Axel Zagadou. ’So, he is the center back from Borussia Dortmund, huh? Let’s test his toughness!’
As the ball started falling closer to their reach, both players jumped together, trying to get it first. As a result...
BAM!
Those two heavyweight players clashed in the air before falling quite violently on the ground. It was a brutal collision between two behemoths, as both players were taller than 190 cm, and once they both fell on the ground, all the people on the stand flinched immediately.
However, the referee didn’t budge here. No, in his mind, this was just a normal collision between two strong players, and he knew that those two would be back stronger than ever soon. So, instead, he let the game go on, watching the ball bouncing wildly back to the midfield.
That was when one player suddenly snatched the rebound, and before anyone could realize what was going on, he pushed it far and started running to French’s territory.
’This is my chance!’