Just like before, the disaster started with a small thing. This time, it came from one of their defenders who managed to snatch the ball from Kawabe’s possession. Still being surrounded by a group of players in blue jerseys, he did the most logical thing in that situation.
He cleared the ball as far away as possible.
BAM!
The ball flew back to Japan’s side one more time, making everyone sigh in exhaustion. At this point, the same scene had been replayed over and over again today, and while the Ukrainian side was more than happy to kick out any ball from their territory, all the Japan supporters started to get anxious here.
"Damn! What else do we need to score?!"
"Kami-sama, please, don’t let us lose today! Please, allow us to make history!"
"Come on, Morita! Come on, Japan! You can do this!"
Even though the cheers were there, it was clear that most people had already lost their voice, getting drowned by anxiety. Before Japan could really tie the game, they wouldn’t be able to muster too many words, getting driven insane by the thought of losing the final today.
As the ball fell to Japan’s side, Makino picked it up again, intending to carry it forward. He was all alone, with only Ayumu Seko moving back to switch position with him, so it was better not to rush things up. Passing when he didn’t see anyone in an open position would only meet the same result: getting the players shut down quickly before the ball went back to their territory again.
Seeing that the middle was packed with people, this time, Makino tried to use the flank. He sent the ball to Miki Yamane, and the left flank pushed it further to Yuta Taki. The newcomer had already proven to be a troublesome fella, always managing to take one defender on his side and drag it to the byline before sending the ball back to the empty space he left.
This time, he tried to do the same, and once the winger was close enough to enter the box, he sent a cutback to Morita.
The midfielder himself was still outside of the box. He was being surrounded by two players, and his first instinct was to redirect the ball toward his other teammates.
’Saito is creating a space behind me. He can redirect it to the other side quickly, where Kawabe is running. We will have a lot of space there!’
The plan formed quickly inside his head, and the boy was ready to execute it. Unfortunately, sometimes, what happened in reality could be a slap on his face. When he tried to pass the ball back to Saito, Makino lost concentration for a split moment, and as a result, what he produced was a weak pass that got intercepted by Ukraine’s number 10 so easily.
Thud!
"Fuck!" Morita realized his mistake immediately, especially when that number 10 caught the ball and got through Mitsuki Saito in one sequence of moves. "Saito, stop him!" He shouted before running back desperately, trying to take responsibility for his mistake.
However, that number 10, Serhiy Buletsa, was quick with his feet. Moreover, he hadn’t done anything significant other than helping the team’s defense, so compared to the other Japan players around him, his stamina was still great, enough to let him waste it in this run.
Not only him, but two more Ukraine players also moved at the same time. The first was Supriaha, who had been lurking in the shadow, and the second one was the player with the jersey number 14, the one who replaced Tsitaishvili on the left side.
They didn’t communicate with each other, but a single pass to the space in front of that number 14 was enough to let Buletsa get rid of Ito’s entanglement. Then, that number 14 sent the ball to Supriaha, which the boy followed by acting like a perfect wall, redirecting the ball to Buletsa again.
This three-man give-and-go style was done so quickly that those three alone managed to cross the center line in just a few seconds, now facing Makino and Ayumu Seko alone. While the rest of Japan’s players were chasing frantically on the back, at the end of the day, they were still a few steps behind, not quick enough to get into their territory in time.
"Makino, watch carefully!" Ayumu Seko shouted while also moving back little by little, not wanting to get passed so easily. "That side has one; keep an eye on him!"
"Shjt! Just concentrate on your own!" Makino gritted his teeth, doing exactly the same as Ayumu Seko right now.
This was the standard action in case they were getting overwhelmed by the opponent in numbers, and those two had done well stalling time even for a few seconds. Unfortunately, even a perfect defense was not enough to stop this, as the opponent had an advantage in numbers.
Buletsa didn’t even need to do any complicated dribble. He just moved his shoulder a little bit to the left, making a feint as if he was about to go there. Even though Ayumu Seko knew that it was most likely a bait, he had to grit his teeth and catch that, knowing that if he didn’t do anything else, the left side would be open for that number 10 to shoot the ball directly.
Then, what Ayumu Seko feared the most happened.
Buletsa changed direction quickly, getting through Ayumu Seko’s defense. If that happened, the boy would be facing Zion directly, and the probability of a goal happening would be closer to 100 percent.
"FUCK!"
Ayumu Seko also realized the consequence of him getting passed by, but before he could do anything, someone else had already taken action. Makino didn’t even blink, grabbing Buletsa’s jersey from the back. Even though he only managed to get the tip of it, the contact was enough for him to throw the opponent’s balance off.
As a result...
BRUGH!
"ARGH!"
FWEEE!
The boy roared in pain, being followed by the sound of the whistle from the referee. The decision was a no-brainer, as the man gave Makino a straight red card, sending the boy off the pitch immediately.