After that goal, Ukraine lowered the tempo a little bit, going back to their very first approach in this game. It seemed that they were quite satisfied with a draw before entering the break, so they didn’t intend to push too far and got bitten back by Japan’s side in the last five minutes of this first half.
Japan also didn’t go berserk after conceding that goal. No, they tried to stabilize the game first, knowing full well that with only 2 minutes before the game ended, there was not a lot of things they could do right now. No, it was better to finish this eventful first half steadily, and then ask the coach what to do in the second half.
FWEEE! FWEEE! FWEEE!
In the end, the referee finally blew the whistle three times in a row, ending the first half with a draw. The players from both teams also went into the locker room as quickly as possible, having so many things on their minds right now.
All they wanted to do was to sit down for a moment and hear the coach’s thoughts, and hopefully, the man would be able to come up with a good solution for the second half.
Of course, the first thing the coach did was not speak, but let the medical team check everyone quickly. Even though at that moment, no full scan could be done, at least a quick one was enough to give the man an idea of his boys’ current state.
Fortunately, besides the excessive frustration after conceding a goal earlier, no one really got hurt or felt any pain. Even Ito and Miki Yamane, the two players who were rumored to be absent in this game a few days ago due to injury, didn’t have any problem right now. So, the man could just go straight to the point in this chance.
"First things first, good job. For scoring the goal first. Everything goes according to plan, and I couldn’t be happier than in the first ten minutes of the game."
Some of the boys, especially those who were on the front line, had their eyes lit up for a moment before those were dulled once again by reality. In their mind, scoring an early goal didn’t matter that much if the score would be back to a draw before they entered the break.
"My only note is that you guys let Ukraine take control after scoring a goal, but I guess you couldn’t help it. The pressure from that side is too great, and Morita couldn’t move too much without getting rammed by two players, so it is hard to create something."
"Yeah, yeah. I have to get through two players first before even delivering a key pass for the first goal, and after that, they pestered me so closely, not letting me get any ball again. This is so annoying." Morita added, clicking his tongue in annoyance.
"As for our defense..."
Some of the boys, especially Miki Yamane, tensed immediately. They knew they had done terribly, and they were ready to get a good old-fashioned scolding right now.
"Oh, forget it." The coach just shook his head helplessly. "Besides one slip when we conceded a goal, honestly, you played perfectly, repelling any of the opponent’s attacks from our territory. You just didn’t connect well with the midfield, which is why our offense stuck. Still, I think that what you have done is still in an acceptable range."
Hearing the coach didn’t scold them, at least, Miki Yamane’s eyes brightened a little bit. The guilt inside also recovered slightly, realizing that the team didn’t really blame him for that goal.
"HOWEVER!" Kageyama-sensei raised his voice once again, making everyone tense like before. "If there is one person I have to point out as our biggest weakness today... Ito, you should know well enough that it is you, right?"
Gasps could be heard echoing all around the locker room, as all eyes shifted to the captain immediately. The boy himself didn’t deny it, just nodding with a solemn expression.
"Five losses in the aerial duel, including one that led to us conceding a goal... That is unacceptable. The opponent is targeting me, and they have done a good job in doing so. I am ready to accept the punishment here." He straightened his back instantly, not showing any weakness when saying something like that.
"Good. At least, you are aware of your shortcoming." Kageyama-sensei nodded. "That’s why, in the second half, we will make a slight change. You will shift to the right side, while Seko, you enter the central area once again."
"Wait, me?!" Ayumu Seko pointed at himself in surprise. He wasn’t the only one, as Ito himself had already been prepared to get replaced in the second half.
"Yes, you." Kageyama-sensei nodded solemnly. "We have been bombarded by one cross after another in the first half, and they really bullied Ito since he had just come out of his injury. Right now, we need to make sure that they know we are still formidable in the air, so try to give an impression toward that striker, okay?" He smiled knowingly.
It only took a second before everything clicked inside Ayumu Seko’s head. "Oh! Ah! So, you want me to give them an unforgivable memory? Man, you should just say so, Sensei..." His grin was so wicked that it gave everyone a shudder down their spine.
Unlike Ito, who still tried to hide his dirty tricks and inclined more toward a clean defense, Ayumu Seko was the synonym of recklessness. Sometimes, his defensive action seemed to be too big, even close to hurting his opponents when he got excited. However, the boy always knew his limitation, which was why his number of fouls wasn’t that much in the first place.
Now, Kageyama-sensei suddenly asked him to do the job he was best at, and the boy couldn’t help but feel so excited about it.
"Don’t worry, Sensei. In the second half, leave the air to me. I will do everything politely, but I will also make sure they remember me well enough for the rest of their game."