Unfortunately, for all the warnings Kageyama-sensei threw, the game didn't really go as smoothly as he planned. Even with all the intelligence the team gathered, everything was different the moment they stepped onto the pitch.
Ecuador proved themselves to be a tough cookie to beat. Literally. Their physical advantage was far greater here, as they were taller, stronger, and somehow also had more stamina inside them. Not only that, they didn't rely on sophisticated tactics, just brute force to suppress any incoming threat from Japan.
Hell, even Tagawa and Kawabe, the two strongest players on the pitch, couldn't really take any action without getting slammed by at least one player. The foul number was quite high, but Ecuador somehow managed to commit them all in the least dangerous area possible, killing any attack and momentum that Japan tried to build.
