The Rise of the Iron Chapter 213: An Equal Game!

Chapter 213: An Equal Ga!

The ga had just entered the second minute here, and yet, they were already at the second kickoff here. This sudden goal really caught everyone off guard, as no one really expected that Hakodate Nishi could pull this up out of nothing.

They knew Hakodate Nishi had a reputation with their blitz attack. However, that was when the team had the kickoff ball. Now, this really destroyed their perspective, enough to make all the Esashi players wary about another blitz attack from coming the second ti in a row. That was why they finally made a decision here, to slow down first and let the team settle the tempo.

Well, Hakodate Nishi players didn’t have any problem with that. If anything, they were happy with the slow-paced ga, as they had already gotten one goal here. Even though the ga had just started, and it was no use to waste ti in this scenario, the pace ant they wouldn’t get that much of a threat from the opponent’s side, and that was definitely the best-case scenario.

Of course, that didn’t an Esashi players wouldn’t show any threat here. No, being down by one goal, they were far more eager to win it back as quickly as possible.

"Co on, Koga! Don’t hold the ball for too long! Give

more combinations!"

"Hata! Make a run! Make a run! Give

a feint!"

"Oh! Yes, Koga! Go further!"

Brugh!

"FOUL!"

It was another penetration attempt from Esashi High, and this ti, the opponent’s movent on the left wing was enough to attract Usami’s attention, giving room for their midfielder with the jersey number 8, Koga, to infiltrate through the center.

Fortunately, Kazawa reacted quickly, using his shoulder to shake off the boy’s balance. Even though it resulted in a foul, this was better than letting the opponent run amok in the pocket space. Also, it helped that the foul happened still quite close to the center of the pitch, which made it less threatening than the possibility of the midfielder running wildly.

"Good decision, Kazawa-kun," Usami took a deep breath as he thanked the boy. "Sorry, I got carried away on his side."

"Don’t worry about it, this is my task, anyway." Kazawa patted his shorts a little before getting up quickly from the ground. "Just leave that side to Nori and Denji. They know what they are doing."

Usami nodded silently before going back and getting ready to restart the ga.

The next twenty minutes went quite slowly, what with Hakodate Nishi playing a low-block formation. This was the most annoying approach that any team could possibly pull, and more often than not, whoever managed to bring the best out of this tactic would be a public enemy.

Well, Kumiko couldn’t care less about that. She developed this philosophy when the team was in a dilapidated state and didn’t have any good resources, and since it brought her success, why would she change it?

However, that didn’t an she couldn’t tweak it here and there. With more technical players on her side, the girl could also create so combination attacks that could threaten the opponent’s side, just like on one occasion where Takaaki managed to send a ping pass straight to Hiroshi on the wing.

"Oh, yes, Takaaki! What a ball!" Hiroshi grinned, controlling it easily with one foot.

"Don’t think you can pass through , Bastard!" The opponent’s right wing growled, lowering his stance as if he was about to pounce Hiroshi alive. Well, this was also his attempt to slow Hiroshi down, waiting for his teammates to recover the position first.

Being so close to the sideline, though, Hiroshi just let the ball sit still, dancing around on the spot with a grin on his face. Every single movent scread a feint here, and Esashi’s defender knew that once he made a move, he would be beaten to death by the boy. So, the best choice here was to wait and let Hiroshi take the initiative.

In the end, Hiroshi was indeed the first one to make a move. He saw Denki making a solo run behind him, and this was the distraction he needed to beat his opponent.

He pretended to pass the ball there, and once his opponent caught it and acted, he changed direction imdiately, cutting into the middle with a swift movent. This opened a room for him to make a move, and the boy didn’t hesitate to send a lofted cross high to the far post, where Kuroki was ready to beat his defender in the aerial duel.

Thud!

The senior striker managed to win the duel, but he failed to put it in the back of the net. If anything, the ball just hit the upper side of the goal, resulting in another goal kick for Esashi High.

"Oh, fuck!" Kuroki cursed once he saw the trajectory was off. Then, he turned around and gave Hiroshi a big thumbs-up imdiately. "Good cross, Hiroshi! Do it more again later!"

That was Hakodate Nishi’s second attack in the first twenty minutes, and while it didn’t get them a goal, at least, this was enough to scare the shit out of Esashi High, forcing them to rember that they still possessed a sharp edge on the frontline.

Other than that, the first half basically ran at a slow pace, with so many duels happening in the midfield. Still, the combination of Kazawa, Usami, and Takaaki was rock-solid, never giving any easy space to exploit. Not only that, but the twins’ mobility on both sides of the flank also helped a lot, shutting down any chance for the opponent to attack.

In the end, it was their captain, Nishimura, who made the first threatening move.

The boy with the jersey number 14 managed to beat Denki in speed, and right after that, his teammate sent a through ball piercing that right side, giving them their first chance of the ga.

"Oh, yeah! Co on, Captain!"

"Whip it to !"

With at least two players in the penalty box, Nishimura didn’t even hesitate, sending a low cross there. It was a necessary move, since Denki himself was breathing down his neck. If he forced his way, he wouldn’t be able to gain anything here.

The low cross itself was also accurate. It didn’t go to the six-yard box, but to the penalty spot where the player with the jersey number 11 was making a run. He didn’t hesitate, not even taking a control before unleashing a low shot to the near post. However, before the ball could get into the goal, a god-like hand suddenly appeared there, blocking the ball’s path to hit the net.

Thud!