Chapter 196: Half Break & A Chance from Kumiko’s Side!
It was finally break ti, and all the Hakodate Nishi players were panting heavily like a dog yearning for water in the middle of a scorching sumr. Not an apt description, since they were so close to winter right now, but the image was basically the sa.
There were four players who suffered the most, though. Fujinaga, Usami, Jun, and Makino were so battered after having to fight for their lives. Hell, with their bright jersey, anyone could see how drenched it was with their sweat, and they were playing in cold weather, for God’s sake!
Sohow, even though they were in the lead, the atmosphere was somber on the bench, as everyone was still trying to recover after a brutal first half.
"Damn... They should be a new team, right? How could they be so good imdiately like this?" Jun asked while trying to keep his breath steady.
"Money’s power, I tell you that..." Makino answered shortly, and yet it was enough to explain the whole thing here.
Kumiko also saw this, so while letting her players take a breath, she pondered how to solve the situation. After thinking for a while, the girl finally turned to the twins and said, "Sorry, Denji-kun, Denki-kun, but you are back on the wing-back job again. Is that okay?"
Everyone was taken aback by the sudden announcent, and the two full-backs had a bad feeling about this.
"You an..."
"Yes, I am so sorry, Hori-kun, you will be out in the second half." She smiled apologetically. "While you didn’t play badly, you didn’t also do well in defense, and when we are on offense, your position clashes with Denki-kun. It will be more productive to replace you with Kazawa-kun, adding one more layer to our midfield."
The bench went into a dead quiet atmosphere, as everyone looked at Hori worriedly. The assessnt was cold and harsh, and yet, they couldn’t bla Kumiko for making this decision. This was the hardest part of being a coach, having to choose sothing that could offend her player just for the sake of the team.
Hori himself was so quiet for a mont, and everyone couldn’t help but hold their breath unconsciously. In the end, though, the boy just laughed it off like crazy before turning around at Denki with a solemn gaze.
"Oi, Brat! You better protect our territory when I am not there anymore, okay?!"
"Y—Yes, Senpai!" Denki shouted loudly, expressing his agreent here.
The others also let out a relieved sigh, glad that no conflict broke out inside the club anymore. That was when Ishinori suddenly realized that this change only implied Hori, not him.
"What about , Senpai?" He suddenly raised his hand, asking a question. "If the twins are on the flank again, what would I do? Am I getting replaced as well?" Sano perked up when he heard that, as the tough boy was the only defender available on the bench right now.
Unfortunately, Kumiko had a different idea here.
"No, Nori-kun, your presence is too valuable to be taken out in the first half." She shook her head firmly. "Instead, you will shrink into the center back territory, becoming the third center back and also the one who guards Abraham Nori later. Keep your eyes on him and cut off all the supplies going to his feet. Can you do that?"
Well, this part was a little bit trickier. Abraham Nori was a player who even Jun and Makino found hard to defend together, and now, Kumiko was asking Ishinori to do it alone? If they didn’t know anything about the team’s dynamic, everyone would think that the girl was targeting Ishinori right now.
However, this was Ishinori’s specialty. He was always the best man-to-man defender on the team, and when things went south like this, he was also the first option that Kumiko considered to fix all the leaks on the back.
The boy himself also realized his talent. So, he didn’t even bat his eyes, just giving a thumbs-up while saying, "Consider this done, Senpai."
Hearing that, the four people who were so knackered earlier let out a relieved sigh simultaneously. This change might not be a lot, but this reinforced their area more, giving an additional player to combat the opponent’s ruthlessness in the most crowded area on the pitch.
"Still, the only one who is coming in is going to be Kazawa-senpai, huh? I am so envious." Kenji glanced at his senpai, who had already started warming up with a stinging glare.
"Well, that’s your fault for being a deadweight in defense, Brat!" Hori called him out rcilessly.
Kenji didn’t want to lose, shouting back from his spot, "I don’t want to hear that from soone who is getting replaced because of his terrible defense, okay?"
"Say, what?!"
Sohow, even though the atmosphere was tense, their bickering was enough to lt sothing in the air, triggering so smiles here and there. Kumiko also giggled a little before her eyes fell on her best friend, who had been quiet since they were in the half break.
"Everything okay?" She asked in a whisper.
"No, nothing. Don’t worry about it." Higo shook his head quickly. "Just... Trying to figure out what they would do next." He added, and yet, his tone sounded like he was unsure about what he said.
Kumiko humd, deciding not to pry further about it. Instead, she answered the question truthfully. "If I were them, I would add more players to the midfield, probably starting to push the center back a little bit forward. Their number will be increased in your penalty box, and things will be more complicated later. Can you handle this?"
It was just a rhetorical question. Kumiko still believed 100 percent that nothing could stump her best friend today, not even ten of the opponent’s players swarming on his box. This was the confidence Higo brought to the team.
True enough, the goalkeeper didn’t say anything outrageous here. He just nodded solemnly, gulping another big sip of water before saying, "Leave everything to ," And get ready for the second half.
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