Andou sprang up almost immediately, ball in hand, scanning the field for space to launch a counterattack.
The Maebashi Ikuei defense was already returning to position, but Andou's eyes landed on Ono near the penalty area.
"Here!" he called, throwing the ball to him with a precise right-hand pass.
Ono controlled it, noting that the opponents weren't pressing aggressively yet. He began a measured advance, checking for teammates, but none were free. Seeing no immediate options, he passed laterally to Tamura. Tamura, in turn, quickly found Nishimura moving closer.
As Nishimura received the ball, Maebashi Ikuei's pressure intensified. Ito stepped up, physically dominant, closing him down.
"Behind you!" came a shout.
Nishimura back-heeled the ball through Ito's legs. Riccardo collected it and carried it left, spotting Tanaka sprinting down the flank, putting Maebashi Ikuei's number 2 in a tight spot.
Just before number 5 could block, Riccardo launched a through ball toward Tanaka. Tanaka controlled it, pushing toward the corner flag. Seeing open space ahead, he accelerated into the penalty area. Number 2 couldn't keep up and allowed him through, wary of conceding a penalty.
"Okamoto!" Takahashi barked.
Fired up, Okamoto pressed Tanaka, who suddenly found himself double-marked. Annoying! he thought, frustrated, but a quick sidestep allowed him to push right and deliver a precise cross into the box.
Riccardo and Nishimura raced for the ball, but Takahashi blocked them with his left foot. The ball sailed into the air, contested by Maebashi Ikuei's number 5 and Tamura. Tamura gained the advantage, heading it to Ono. Number 6 and Ito closed in, but a quick one-two allowed Ono to break free. Despite number 6 tugging his shirt, Ono powered a pass to Shimizu approaching from the right.
Shimizu faced pressure from the left-back but spotted Ueno sprinting down the wing, effortlessly outpacing the opposing winger. He let the ball run, letting Ueno reach it unchallenged. Unlike Tanaka, Ueno's surprise arrival and the presence of several Shūdan-teki players in the box gave him time to look up and deliver a perfect cross into the center.
Takahashi was ahead of Nishimura and Tamura, ready to intercept—but Riccardo, slightly behind, timed his run perfectly. Jumping higher than everyone else, he met the ball with a powerful header toward goal.
Kobayashi guessed the direction but couldn't react in time. The shot was too fast, too precise, and too close.
Riccardo landed, celebrating with Ueno as the rest of the team slowly joined. Maebashi Ikuei's players looked stunned.
Takahashi's frustration boiled over, but then he noticed the observers in the stands, taking notes, clearly impressed by Shūdan-teki's display.
Ito approached him, calm but analytical.
"My bad… I knew he was good, but I underestimated that boy, number 24. He's fast, he jumps higher than most, physically he's a beast—but more than anything—"
"He's smart," Ito interrupted. "I saw him. He found the perfect timing in the box and beat you to it."
"Exactly. We need to double-mark him. Do what the coach said. Tell Watanabe."
Ito nodded and moved to number 5, while Takahashi gestured to Coach Yamamoto. Yamamoto called number 12 over.
"Kamiyama," he instructed, "their fullback and winger are faster than you. Takahashi is occupied with number 24, so your job is to stick to number 11 and pressure him whenever he gets the ball. Understood?"
"Yes, Coach."
"And when we attack, push forward too. Don't let their fullback join the counter."
Yamamoto patted Kamiyama on the shoulder, then watched as the rookie took his position. He frowned, impressed: This Shūdan-teki… a few new players and they're a completely different team.
The scoreboard showed 14 minutes played.
Maebashi Ikuei 0 | 1 Shūdan-teki