Everything might look ordinary, just a series of coincidences combined with luck that allowed Japan to get this chance. However, all the Young Samurai players knew one glaring fact. This was a part of the plan that Kumiko and the coaching team were cooking to give them a fighting chance today.
"Listen, their two center backs, Dan-Axel Zagadou and Boubakar Kamara, are two strong players, and their presence is also a big reassurance for the Team France," Kageyama-sensei explained. "However, that is also a double-edged sword. That gives their midfielders confidence to push forward, so in a counterattack scenario, they are often late to come back to their own territory. If we can go for an aerial duel to take out one of their defenders and snatch the rebound, we will have a big space on their territory to exploit!"
