The Rise of the Iron Wall!

The penalty from Ibrahima Niane was the last action of the first half, as the moment the kick-off was given to Japan once again, the referee finally blew the whistle, ending the eventful first half with the home team being in the lead.

This was definitely a surprising result, since most of the media predicted Japan to advance further. Not that they looked down on Senegal, but the home country wasn’t a powerhouse team in the first place. Compared to Japan, which had a strong foundation from a young age, on paper, this game shouldn’t be equal, let alone going Senegal’s way.

However, that was the charm of football. Anything could happen on the pitch, and just like the German legend, Franz Beckenbauer said, it wasn’t the strong team who won, but whoever won was definitely the stronger team.

As soon as the whistle was blown, all the Japanese players also walked back to the locker room immediately. However, anyone could see their dejected state here, showing how bad their mood was currently. Not that people could blame them, as after getting their lead overtaken like this, no team would be in a good enough mood to enter the break.

Once they were back, though, the rest of the bench players and team staff had been waiting for them inside. Kumiko and Sakura Aizawa moved quickly, distributing the electrolyte drink to everyone else to keep their body hydrated. The medical team was also the same, checking some players who had been under so much pressure in the first half to make sure that they were okay.

Two players were under observation here. The first was Koki Morita, since he got bullied so much in the midfield to prevent the team from developing a rhythm. As for the second one, it was Miki Yamane, as the poor boy got battered left and right by Ousseynou Niang.

Fortunately, the medical team gave a nod here, showing that they were still good to go.

"Okay, before I go to the main topic, evaluation first. What do you think went wrong earlier?" Kageyama-sensei opened the meeting with a question. "Seko, you have just played today, but you have been observing the team from the bench since day one, so you should be able to look from a different perspective. So, give us your opinion."

Ayumu Seko was taken aback for a moment. However, he was not someone who minced his words, so the boy just said it bluntly. "Well, the biggest difference is that I cannot see Naoya’s presence on the back. He doesn’t help the midfielders relieve the pressure there, and he is always late in his support to defend a transitional attack. He definitely plays below his standard today."

This was like a slap on the face for Naoya. However, the boy could only smile bitterly, knowing that indeed, his performance was subpar in the first half.

"Yes, Naoya’s lack of presence indeed makes it seem like we are playing with ten players, which doesn’t help our case today." Kageyama-sensei nodded in acknowledgement. "Yamane, what about you? You are getting destroyed on the left side; do you think there is something that doesn’t work in the team?" He shifted his attention to the left back.

Miki Yamane didn’t even flinch when the coach mentioned his horrible performance in the first half. Just like Ayumu Seko, he said it bluntly, "Everything seems to be disconnected from each other. It is like Keito and I are fighting alone on the flank, and the support always comes too late."

Once again, Kageyama-sensei acknowledged the problem. After asking a few more people about why they seemed to be underperforming in the first half, he finally spoke here. "First, regarding Naoya’s bad performance, there is not a lot I can do about it. He has been playing for every minute of our game, including 120 minutes against South Korea. It is clear that his movement is sluggish, and it is my fault for not noticing this. So, Naoya, you will be replaced by Tagawa in the second half."

"Eh?! Me?!" The striker was taken aback. Not just him, but everyone was also the same here. After all, replacing a midfielder with a striker didn’t seem to be a wise decision right now.

"Yes, you, Tagawa." The head coach nodded in confirmation. "Right now, we need more physicality on the front, but you cannot fight alone there. Miyashiro’s presence is still needed to give us a variety for our offense. Of course, that means our midfield will be thinner, but Morita, Saito, I don’t need you to carry the ball forward again. Drop back a little, and stay in front of the defender there. We will replace Naoya’s presence with two supports from you guys, and in offense, you will be our deep-lying playmaker. It is not you who rush forward, but the others who pick up the ball."

The explanation was so long that it left some players hanging their mouths in confusion. However, Morita and Saito nodded quietly, understanding their new job. Of course, Naoya was so bitter, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"Also, Yamane, you will be replaced by Mamoru in the second half, and Nakamura, you will drop as our left back later." The coach announced his second change. "You are stronger and in better shape than Yamane, so you will guard that area. Don’t be afraid of a physical clash, and don’t lose in any short race! Kill anyone who dares to try there!"

"Yes, Sensei!" Keito Nakamura nodded solemnly.

Kageyama-sensei nodded once again, feeling satisfied with the boy’s reaction. This was the advantage of having an all-around player like Nakamura. The boy might not be the best in one position, but he could cover so many other positions that the team could utilize his role more in a crucial situation like this.

"Now with only two players in the midfield, we will abandon the short pass combination in a contained space that will only invite more physical challenge. As a result, with more creative players on the pitch, we will try to use a bigger space. Morita, Saito, your task is to find your teammates from afar. Can you do that?"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Good! Even with only you two, we will try to maintain our possession, but be sharper in our offense! Our goal is only one after this: tie the score as quickly as possible and regain our lead! Come on! We can do this!"