The Rise of the Iron Wall!

Chapter 135: Intermission - How to Break Through the Opponent’s Defense?

"For fuck’s sake!" Hiroshi, probably the one with the mildest temper in the team, entered the locker room with an explosive temper, catching everyone off guard. "Why is it so hard to seize a goal here?! We control the midfield, damnit! How could their defense be this tight?! Who are they trying to impress, the fucking national team?!"

If it were any other occasion, there would be laughter already, as it was quite funny to hear such an innocent boy cussing so loudly like this. However, Hiroshi always took football seriously, and this was one of the moments where he snapped and vented out on everyone.

This was the break after the first half was over, and right now, all the players were gathering around the table in the middle of the room, some of them still wiping sweat from their faces while the others were taking a quick drink due to the exhaustion today. However, the consensus here was the same; they all waited for Kumiko to make her move.

The girl in question just hummed, tapping her chin repeatedly as she was thinking of the game. In the end, she turned her head at Kenji, whose back was drenched with sweat already, and asked, "Still good enough to play?"

In return, Kenji, who was still trying to keep his breath steady, grinned widely, trying to act cool. "For you, Milady, I will be ready to sacrifice myself." He bowed slightly like a chivalrous knight from the medieval era.

Kumiko just nodded, but also knew that it was just a bravado from a desperate boy who was so close to his collapsed state. Unfortunately, the boy’s offensive talent was too good to be ignored, especially when the team needed a goal right now.

"Sorry, Kenji-kun

, but I need you to be on the pitch." Kumiko smiled apologetically.

The boy just patted his chest solemnly, saying, "It is my duty to follow your order, Senpai." Which elicited eye-rolls from the captain and the goalkeeper.

"Anyway, you will drop back to the area in front of Takaaki-kun, operating in that pocket area to drag the defender’s attention out of their zone. You don’t need to constantly battle them in a physical duel. If someone presses you, just pass back and move again. However, I need you to see any loopholes in their defense and punish them when they are slipping."

"Ha! That’s a job tailor-made for me, right?!" Kenji grinned as the two senpai, whom he knew full well, were also eyeing Kumiko, giving them the infuriating provocation gaze that could trigger a hand to be thrown here.

The girl herself moved on quickly, turning her attention to Hiroshi, who was still sulking in the corner of the room. "Hiroshi-kun, I give you freedom in the same area. Just roam freely, but try to always get closer to the ball. The opponent watches you cautiously, so try your best to shake them off."

The boy nodded, but then his eyes lit up in realization. "You mean, we are going to attack that pocket area?"

The pocket space referred to the area between the defenders and midfielders, where the attacking midfielder usually operated. From receiving the pass and threatening the opponent’s backline, this was the sweet spot for any attacker, and this was also the one that any team guarded so cautiously, even tighter than their own defensive line.

However, it seemed that Kumiko had a different idea here.

"Yes, if you notice it carefully, you will find that the opponent’s DM, the number 6, always fought alone with the other defenders just watching him from the sideline. He covered almost everything in one go, and honestly, I don’t think he had a chance to stop running and take a breath before the first half was over. You know where I am going, right?" She smiled knowingly at Hiroshi.

The boy nodded rapidly; his breath was heavy from the excitement.

Even if that DM was good, he alone wouldn’t be faster than the ball speed, so the best way to get out of the entanglement was to break it through with a combination attack. He glanced at Kenji for a moment, and while the younger boy was his rival to get the MVP award, winning the game was still the most important thing.

Moreover, Hiroshi was also eager to create a combination threat with Kenji. They were the most gifted technical players on the team, and while Kenji was already on the verge of the death door, the boy’s ability to move so efficiently and save his energy was still top-notch.

With them fighting together, there was no way the team would fail to break through Akita Chuo’s defense in the second half.

"We are not going to change the defense yet, because I am quite satisfied with what I saw earlier. Credit to Sano-kun for his calmness with his feet. Get ready, Jun-kun, you’d better improve yourself, or your position on the starting lineup will be gone later." She glanced at the tall boy with a teasing smile.

Sano just scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment, but his ears also perked up like a puppy dog. Meanwhile, Jun, who was mentioned before, also stared at the thug-like boy warily, knowing that his position was threatened right now.

It was such a bad coincidence that they both had the same role, a ball-playing defender whose task on offense was to relieve the pressure on the midfielder. However, unlike Jun, Sano didn’t have the same clumsiness, and that was definitely a plus point in Kumiko’s book.

’No, I cannot let a rookie with no experience get my spot!’ Jun clenched his fist, for the first time having a sense of crisis. ’Once I play later, I have to show him my ability!’

Kumiko smirked inwardly when she saw this reaction. She did it deliberately, wanting to ignite the competitive spirit among the team. Most of them had been regular for a long time, so the presence of newcomers finally allowed her to do that.

As she checked the watch on her wrist, the girl finally said, "Okay, five minutes before the second half begins! All the bench players, start your warmup now! Everyone will have a chance to play, so whether you can capitalize or not depends solely on you! Do you understand?!"

"Yes, Ma’am!"