Aki High School Football ground
First team vs Second team
TIme : 5:00
Score : 1-0
The second team players were all stunned by the early goal but it also flared their competetive spirit especially main players like yuzo, sugi and manaka.
Coach Kumada was impressed by press more than the goal itself but without showing it on his face, He blew the whistle to restart the game.
Game restarted but things did not change for second team.
They were pinned in their own half and started doing random things like long balls over the top and that instead created more dangerous moments for opposition to score.
Time went on like this till 15th minute.
Captain Ryota just headed the long ball and second ball was picked up by full back satou.
Satou cleverly dropped his shoulder and went passed his marker and dribbling through the middle, Inciting watanabe to discard his man in yano to pressure satou.
This turned into a fatal mistake as kojiro seeing space behind gestured to dribbling satou to pass behind as yuzo was covering for watanabe leaving kojiro lot of free space.
Satou seeing the pointing finger of kojiro passed a sharp through ball cutting through midfield, Kojiro with excellently timed run controlled the ball seeing the center back sugi closing him down.
He gently flicked the ball in between sugi's legs and went past him with ease. Sugi in panic tried to foul kojiro but kojiro evaded him and dribbled into the box.
Keeper Manaka seeing sugi getting nutmegged charged out to reduce the angle and spread himself wide.
Kojiro calmly lobbed the ball over the keeper into the net. Scoring the second goal of the game.
Kojiro in his delight went to corner flag after scoring and did a lighting symbol with his hands to celebrate as his teams jumped him and slapped his head and shoulders.
While Kojiro and other were celebrating Yuzo gathered his teamates and gave some instructions.
Coach kumada was frowing seeing few mediocre performances from his main players. He still did not sub any one yet but quickly blew the whistle to restart the game.
The game went on in similar manner with first team dictating the tempo and pinning the second team in their own half but that all changed quickly
In the 30 th minute of the game Yuzo suddenly dropped back from midfield right in between two center back prompting kojiro to hesitate to mark him all the way and leaving space in midfield.
The dropping back was the trigger as soon as Yuzo made the move three other made different runs together.
Sanada right back leaving his marker started to dash forward without looking.
Hiroto right winger as well left his postion and slotted in half space of midfield on the right dragging the full back mifune with him and daigo made an inexplicable off side run leaving ryota and other center back yamabe puzzled.
Yuzo had just dropped back and lifted his head as he was recieving the pass from sugi without hesitation he kicked a long diagonal ball towards right back sanada.
That run was perfectly timed and long ball was pin point accurate, Sanada without taking a touch directly crossed the ball across to the box, Daigo's was no longer offside and Ryota and Yamabe along with keeper were scrambling together to block the shot.
Daigo did something unexpected as all three players were converging to block his shot. He left the on coming ball as ball rolled towards far post, Hiroto had made a perfect run duping satou behind his back and calmly slotted the ball into empty net.
This happened in seconds a quick counter punch slicing through whole of first team.
Yuzo and other were the one's celebrating this time with Ryota putting his hand up in apology claming his mistake.
Kojiro meaning while was smiling because deep down he knew it was his miss as well, The hesitation to close down and series of event's they are nothing but surprise attack.
Ryoto would not let Daigo free. Ryo the winger not tracking full back sanada will not happen again but he had the chance to stop it at source and hesitation led to that result.
Kojiro lifting his hand also apologized to his team mates. They did not have to change anything as they still had the upperhand but that counter attack removed any kind of arrogance from all first team players.
Coach Kumada had a smile on his face not because of score probably because second team and first teams response but that smile was gone in an instant and before blowing the whistle to restart the game.
"Satou, Kojima, Watanabe, Takahiro, All out."
"Takahashi, Kiba in first team."
"Matsuda, Kitahara In second team."
Both teams were completely baffled at these subs, Satou and Kojima were contributers to both of first teams goals but watanabe and Takahiro were at fault for both the goals conceded.
Does that mean it's over for Watanabe and Senior Takahiro.
Everyone was puzzled but did not have time to think as coach immidiately blew the whistle to restart the game.
Game went back and forth in similar way as before with Second team pinned in their own half and creating their own problems but occasionally they would mount a sharp counter attack.
Chance for both side were blocked by either Yuzo or Captain Ryota with Kojiro and Daigo almost scoring again.
Coach Kumada blew the whistle for half time.
Score was 2-1 with first team still leading.
Both sides were drinking energy drink and water given by manager hirai and other girls.
Then proceed to discuss the plan for second half.
Coach satisfied with the game made further changes during the halftime.
"Yamabe and Yano out Kenji and Akira in first team."
"Sugi and Daigo out Souta and Ichiro in second team."
Everyone was baffled with the changes as it weakned the first team with inclusion of two first years and strengtening of second team with two experience second years.
Coach Kumada blew the whistle to begin the second half.
The second half began in completely different manner with second team pressing and pinning first team in their own half with overload in midfield with ryo and ichiro leaving their wing position and infiltrating the half spaces.
Kojiro was having his hands full with marking Yuzo and could not help his two fellow midfielders in kenji and kato. They were getting completely swamped.
Time ticked.
15 minutes into the second half pressure paid off with Akira first year defender who was subbed in made a mistake and passed the ball carelessly into kato being marked by two of ichiro and Matsuda.
Kato was tackled by Matsuda and second ball was picked up by ichiro. Akira who had made that bad pass in an attempt to make amends charge into midfield to get the ball back from ichiro leaving his line and captain Ryota alone in the back line.
Ichiro cleverly made a wall pass with Taiga and made a through pass behind Captain Ryota to Hiroto timing his run with perfection. He slotted the ball into back of the net with clean finish to the far post. Goalkeeper had no chance to even dive and save.
Score was back to even.
Yuzo and others were celebrating while kojiro and other were wiping their sweat and back to kick off line to continue the game.
The game continued and turned into a midfield meat grinder with full backs from first team inverting and joining the fray. Fouls and fifty fifty duels frequently stopping the game.
Time ticked till 70th minute.
Coach seeing that time was right made the final six sub when ball was out for a throw.
"Ryo, Mifune, Kato out, Haruto, Ren, Saiki in first team."
"Hiroto, Sanada, Hiro out, Uesugi, Hotaro, Sano in second team."
Game continued with Yuzo and Kojiro being the midfield lynchpin of their respective teams as time ticked.
Yuzo had physical advantage and Kojiro had Technical advantage both creating dangerous situations and being the flashpoint of their teams attack.
They were nullfying each other but another flashpoint had just be subbed in the game it took him ten minutes to settle in the game tempo.
85th minute of the game.
Kojiro had just got the ball in the middle from the captain ryota and Yuzo marking him tightly.
Haruto on the left wing left his position to make himself available as a passing option to kojiro but that moment turned into something special.
Kojiro seeing Haruto passed the ball and quickly rotated and sprinted beyond Yuzo. Haruto who had got the ball sent it back to Kojiro with one touch and similarly started to run towards the goal.
They both got in sync with each other and in a stunning plays of one two between them they tore through the midfield and defense of second team as haruto scored in an open net.
The score became 3-2 but everyone stopped and looked at two absolute geniuses giving each other a high five.
Moment of brillance from both of them stunned everyone and broke second teams momentum and spirit.
That one play decided the game and till the final whistle including yuzo did not know how to respond to that sort of play.