On the pitch, while everyone was getting back into position to resume play, Kaneko approached Aoki and Aoyama, visibly furious.
"How did the two of you fail to stop him?!"
Aoyama stepped in front of him without the slightest hesitation.
He was even taller than Kaneko, and stared at him with his green eyes. A few dark green strands stood out among his medium-length hair.
"We tried, but he turned in an instant and slipped right between the two of us! If you want, why don't you try stopping him yourself?!"
"Kaneko, calm down! Focus on the game!"
The boy glanced towards the bench, where Coach Suzuki was telling him to calm down.
He then turned back to Aoyama, glaring at him with an expression full of rage, seemingly on the verge of exploding. Somehow, however, he managed to hold himself back.
He then made his way towards the centre of the pitch to take the kick-off.
As he walked, his gaze fell on the scoreboard.
02:14 Team 1 0–1 Team 2
Before restarting the game, Kaneko grabbed Tanaka by the right arm.
"Try to put in more crosses like the one at the beginning of the match."
Tanaka pulled himself free.
"Obviously, I will... but try to score next time instead of shooting straight at the goalkeeper."
Kaneko looked at him confidently.
"Don't worry. I won't miss next time!"
Coach Ishii watched the players on the pitch with a satisfied expression.
I've already got some answers from that first move. Excellent. But now let's raise the level even further...
He then turned his attention to Nishimura.
"Nishimura!"
The boy turned towards his coach.
"You saw it, didn't you? So... you know what to do!"
Nishimura was left confused by those words.
What am I supposed to have understood?
Meanwhile, the referee blew his whistle to restart the match.
Kaneko passed the ball to Tamura, who noticed Tanaka asking for it on the left flank, just as he had during the first attack.
However, he decided to carry the ball forward for a few more metres, only for Nishimura to move towards him and apply pressure.
Seeing the pressure coming, Ono moved closer.
"Pass it here!"
Tamura played the ball to him and continued his run, going around Nishimura.
Ono noticed and returned the ball into his path.
Tamura advanced unchallenged until Yasuda stepped out to close him down.
At that point, Tanaka came over to support him on the left.
He received the ball with Shimizu already right on top of him.
Despite the pressure, he managed to lift the ball with his left foot, sending it high enough to clear the midfield and switch play towards the right flank, where Nakamura was waiting.
With long strides, Nakamura outpaced Hamada.
But Sugimoto stepped in brilliantly, clearing the ball with a well-timed header.
Noguchi, impressed by his teammate's intervention, shouted enthusiastically.
"Great work, Sugimoto!"
The loose ball fell to Ono, who got there ahead of both Nishimura and Yasuda.
Thanks to his speed and physical strength, he managed to keep them both at bay as he continued advancing.
Coach Suzuki watched the scene with enthusiasm.
Ono is a phenomenal midfielder. He's so talented that he could even play as an attacking midfielder!
After carrying the ball forward for a few moments, he sent it upfield towards Kaneko.
The latter used his body to shield the ball from Noguchi, who had moved up to the edge of the penalty area to challenge him.
Then he noticed Hamada approaching as well, attempting to steal the ball.
"Here!"
Hearing someone call for him, he raised his head and spotted Tamura on the left, with Nishimura following him.
Without hesitation, he played the ball to him.
Tamura immediately played a right-footed pass towards Tanaka, who was sprinting down the left flank.
Shimizu was right behind him, doing everything he could to keep up.
Tanaka didn't control the ball. Instead, he pushed it further ahead, trying to leave his marker behind for good.
But Ueno got there first.
Just before he could intervene, Tanaka played a backheel pass to Tamura, who had meanwhile made a run towards the opposition's penalty area.
Tamura received the ball, and Hamada immediately rushed towards him.
Calmly, he controlled it, shielded it using his physical strength and managed to escape the pressure.
Meanwhile, Yuzuki was watching the match with growing excitement.
"They're moving the ball around at an incredible speed!"
Sato smiled, looking slightly bewildered.
"I honestly can't understand a thing..."
Shortly afterwards, Tamura passed the ball to Ono, who was unmarked.
The latter looked up and spotted Kaneko making a run in behind, while Noguchi was struggling to contain him physically.
He controlled the ball with his right foot and prepared to play it forward.
But Riccardo came rushing towards him.
Tanaka noticed and shouted anxiously:
"Watch out, Ono!"
Ono still managed to get his shot away, but just as the ball left his foot, Riccardo intercepted it with the tip of his left boot, sending it back in the opposite direction.
Yuzuki cheered.
"He stopped it!"
The ball travelled towards Shimizu, who controlled it and surged forward.
Almost the entire opposing team was still in the attacking half.
Coaches Ishii and Suzuki noticed immediately.
"Push forward!"
"Get back!"
Riccardo, Nishimura and Tsukimura rushed forward to support the counter-attack.
Shimizu advanced with the ball at his feet.
Tanaka managed to catch up with him, but the winger lifted his head and played a precise outside-of-the-left-foot pass to Nishimura.
Immediately pressed by Koyama and Tamura, Nishimura laid the ball off first time to Riccardo, who controlled it with his back to goal near the edge of the penalty area.
He turned.
Aoki stepped towards him, and Riccardo couldn't help but smile excitedly.
What a great man-marking job! But...
Out of the corner of his eye, he also noticed Tsukimura advancing down the left flank, with Nakamura chasing him.
Riccardo shaped as if to pass towards him, but at the last moment, he feinted a right-footed pass and shifted towards the outside, getting past Aoki's pressure.
That's not enough to stop me!
As Riccardo advanced towards the area occupied by Shimizu, Nishimura recalled Coach Ishii's words.
Was this what he meant?
Nishimura sprinted forward and made a run behind Aoki, exploiting the space that had just opened up.
Kuwahara was forced to move towards the centre of the penalty area to cover his run, leaving Tanaka alone against Shimizu and Riccardo.
The latter played the ball to the winger.
Shimizu used his body to shield it, holding off Tanaka's pressure.
He looked up and spotted Riccardo attacking the penalty area, with Aoki following him.
Nishimura noticed Riccardo's movements once again, almost surprised by them.
He moves around so much...
At the same time, Nishimura moved away from the penalty area again, dragging Kuwahara along with him.
Shimizu gently rolled the ball towards him.
Nishimura turned towards Riccardo's run and, with a delicate touch underneath the ball, lifted it into the space ahead.
Riccardo arrived just a few steps from the near post, with Aoki still right behind him.
"Far post!"
Tsukimura's voice caught his attention.
Tsukimura was indeed at the far post, with Nakamura following him, while Aoyama was tracking back to reach them.
Tamura was also recovering defensively and was positioned right along the potential passing lane.
However, that shout prompted Yamauchi to shift slightly towards the far side, anticipating a possible assist.
That was all it took.
A small gap opened between the goalkeeper and the post.
As the ball came down, Riccardo kept Aoki at bay with his left arm.
Then he struck it cleanly with the instep of his right foot.
The contact was perfect.
The ball flew like a missile and slipped through that narrow gap.
Yamauchi had no time to react.
The ball hit the back of the net.
The scoreboard changed:
09:45 Team 1 0–2 Team 2
The team celebrated Riccardo's goal, which once again left everyone speechless.
Coach Ishii gave a faint smile as he watched the players.
Finally...
Riccardo high-fived Shimizu, then tried to do the same with Nishimura.
"Thanks for the assist!"
The latter hesitated, but when he saw Riccardo's genuine smile, he returned the gesture after a sigh.
"Nice goal..."
On the touchline, everyone was astonished by the two goals Riccardo had scored in just ten minutes.
Yuzuki watched him with admiration.
"Even if he was recommended... he's certainly making his mark!"
Somehow, Yuzuki's words reached Kaneko's ears, irritating him.
"Damn it!"
Tanaka approached him.
"Try to stay calm. An angry captain will only cause problems."
Kaneko walked away with an indifferent expression.
"Shut up. I know what I'm doing!"
Tanaka watched him leave with a cold stare.
The referee blew his whistle to restart the match.
Kaneko passed the ball to Tamura.
Tamura played it to Koyama before advancing towards the opposition's half.
Koyama looked up and noticed Nishimura beginning to press him.
He looked around for a teammate in space.
Tanaka was marked by Shimizu, while Ono was being covered by Riccardo.
"Long ball!"
Kaneko called for a long pass to move the team forward.
Koyama looked towards the right flank, where Nakamura had gained a clear advantage over Tsukimura thanks to his superior pace.
Nakamura prepared to control Koyama's long ball, but Yasuda intercepted it with a header.
"Damn it!"
Riccardo got to the second ball in his own half, immediately pressed from behind by Ono, who was taken by surprise.
Why is he all the way back here!?
Riccardo used his greater physical strength to turn and drive towards the opposition's half.
However, when he saw Tamura closing him down, he turned back and played a pass backwards to Noguchi.
Immediately afterwards, he raised his right hand, signalling to everyone to slow down.
"Let's keep it calm!"
Nishimura heard him, looked around and realised there weren't enough teammates forward to launch an attack.
He's not just talented... he knows how to think, too.
Nishimura received the ball from Noguchi, but Koyama and Tamura were ready to close down the space around him. So he passed it to Riccardo, who quickly shifted his position to escape Ono's pressure.
He then played the ball to Hamada in their own half.
"Man on!"
Hamada heard the warning and realised Kaneko was approaching aggressively from behind.
With great composure, he turned back, completely evading the press.
Kaneko, trying to recover, grabbed his shirt and committed a foul.
The referee immediately blew his whistle.
Yasuda high-fived Hamada for winning the foul.
Kaneko took the opportunity to approach Koyama, still angry about being ignored earlier.
"Why did you ignore me before?"
Koyama looked visibly intimidated.
"Because I thought it was the best way to attack..."
"What does that mean!? Do you think I'm not good enough!?"
"N-no! I... I didn't mean that!"
"Then pass the ball to me next time!"
Kaneko returned to his position.
Noguchi watched him from a distance.
Kaneko Raizo, seventeen years old, third-year student... At first glance, he seems like nothing more than a hothead, but after three years together, I can say otherwise. He's kind and cares about his friends. His only flaw? He probably loves football a little too much.
Nishimura took the free kick backwards to Kinoshita.
The latter played the ball to Ueno on the right flank and began advancing.
As he approached Tanaka, Ueno suddenly accelerated, catching him off guard.
He got past him and, thanks to his physical strength, managed to keep him behind.
Shimizu moved slightly infield, leaving the lane open for him.
Kuwahara stepped out to press Ueno, who immediately passed the ball to Shimizu.
Without stopping, the full-back continued his run towards the byline.
Before Ueno could be caught offside, Shimizu rewarded him with a through ball.
Once he received it, Ueno immediately attempted a cross.
But the ball was too short, and Aoki managed to clear it before it could reach Riccardo.
The ball fell to Kaneko, who had dropped back as far as the halfway line.
He controlled it and shielded it from Hamada until he spotted Tanaka making a completely unmarked run down the left flank.
Ueno and Shimizu were still late getting back into position.
Coach Ishii noticed.
"Kinoshita, cover him!"
Kaneko immediately sent the ball into Tanaka's path.
The winger avoided Kinoshita's first attempt to stop him by pushing the ball further ahead and making use of his pace.
He glanced towards the centre of the penalty area, but Kaneko hadn't arrived yet.
He spotted him near the edge of the box, running visibly out of breath.
Before Kinoshita could intervene again, Tanaka suddenly changed direction, leaving him behind.
He looked up.
Kaneko had finally reached the penalty area, caught between Hamada and Noguchi and clearly struggling.
Despite this, Tanaka crossed with his left foot, sending the ball along an inswinging trajectory.
Kaneko jumped, but the cross was too high and sailed over him.
As he landed, he turned to follow its trajectory.
Only then did he realise that the ball hadn't been intended for him.
Its real target was the other winger, Nakamura, who had cut towards the far post.
Left one-on-one with Sugimoto, he got ahead of him thanks to his speed.
Sliding in, he sent the ball into the net.
Kaneko watched the ball go in, then turned towards Tanaka with a confused expression.
He immediately approached him.
"Why didn't you pass the ball to me as well?!"
Tanaka sighed before answering.
"Senpai, you barely made it into the box after running the entire length of the pitch... you would never have scored, especially with two defenders on you."
Then he turned towards him with a serious, almost superior expression.
"I'll make this perfectly clear: after this match, you won't be this team's first-choice striker anymore."
Kaneko was hurt by those words.
"What did you say!?"
"Exactly what you heard. And I'll add one more thing: if Aliberti had been in your position... I would've definitely passed the ball to him."
Those words struck Kaneko deeply.
He stood motionless, unable to find an answer, while Noguchi watched him.
The referee checked his watch.
14:50 Team 1 1–2 Team 2
The match resumed, with Nishimura's team trying to manage their lead while Kaneko's side attacked relentlessly in an attempt to get back into the game.
The level of play increased considerably: quick passing combinations, individual skills, hard tackles and excellent saves from both goalkeepers.
The students were becoming increasingly excited by the spectacle.
Yuzuki watched the pitch attentively.
"Is this really our men's football team?"
Sato followed the incredible speed with which the ball was moving between the players.
Then, looking more closely, she noticed how they smiled whenever they gained possession.
"They look like they're having fun..."
Riccardo received the ball from Nishimura in midfield.
He looked up and saw Shimizu asking for a through ball, right on the edge of the offside line, while the opposing defence maintained an extremely high line, almost at the halfway line.
With the outside of his right foot, Riccardo played a perfect through ball.
Shimizu went around Kuwahara, and the pass, perfectly placed into his path, allowed him to control the ball without losing speed.
Nishimura's team advanced, trying to take advantage of the opposition's unbalanced defensive shape.
But Shimizu was caught up by the ever-present Tanaka.
Does this guy ever run out of energy!?
Tanaka blocked his path, allowing the rest of the defence to recover.
With a double step-over, Shimizu got past him, then shifted the ball towards the right.
He made his way towards the corner flag.
From there, he crossed towards Riccardo, who was marked by Aoki and Tamura.
Riccardo was shorter than both opponents, but still managed to jump higher than either of them and head the ball towards goal.
Goalkeeper Yamauchi, however, made a tremendous leap and managed to parry it with both hands, keeping his team in the game.
Aoki reached the rebound and cleared it away.
Kaneko seemed to have the advantage, but he appeared distracted and was beaten to the ball by Hamada.
Now looking completely resigned, he didn't even attempt to chase after him.
Hamada advanced with the ball at his feet.
"Here!"
Riccardo moved towards him, asking for the ball, with Tamura following close behind.
Hamada passed it to him.
Before even controlling it, Riccardo observed his opponent's position.
Then, with his right heel, he sent the ball through Tamura's legs.
Sato was impressed by the move.
"You know, Yuzuki..."
As the ball continued rolling after the nutmeg, Aoki moved in to intercept it.
But Riccardo got there first and beat him with a roulette.
"I never thought I'd have this much fun watching a football match!"
Yuzuki smiled at those words.
Immediately afterwards, Riccardo played a low pass into the box with the inside of his right foot, where Nishimura had managed to make an unnoticed run.
The latter found himself with the ball in front of goal, but kept his composure and beat the goalkeeper with a precise shot.
Everyone immediately looked towards the assistant referee, expecting an offside flag.
But the flag remained down.
The team erupted in celebration at Nishimura's goal.
Then the referee checked his watch.
45:05 Team 1 1–3 Team 2
He blew the whistle to end the first half.
The exhausted players made their way towards the benches.
But Coach Ishii stopped them.
"That's enough for today! I've got the answers I was looking for!"
The players looked at one another in disbelief.
The coach took out his phone, checked a notification and put it back in his pocket.
"You've all done an excellent job. See you next week!"
The players watched him walk away.
Noguchi gave a faint, mocking smile.
"So he does know how to give compliments..."
Shimizu approached him with the same expression.
"More importantly, he said there'll be one next week..."
Tamura bounced on his toes a few times.
"It's been a long time since I've played at this level!"
Yasuda nodded.
"True... I had fun today!"
Someone on the touchline began applauding.
Riccardo turned around and saw that it was Sato.
Yuzuki joined in shortly afterwards, followed by all the students present.
"That was an amazing match!"
"Well done!"
Shimizu rested his right shoulder against Nishimura's.
"See? They've all become fans in the end!"
Nishimura watched the students applauding, looking surprised.
"Yeah..."
Tanaka approached Riccardo and patted him on the back.
Riccardo turned towards him, surprised.
"I don't even need to tell you... after this match, welcome to the team!"
Almost everyone approached him to introduce themselves properly and congratulate him on his performance.
Except Kaneko.
He remained at a distance, watching the scene.
Then he headed towards the changing rooms with a dejected expression, under Noguchi's watchful gaze.