Free Web NovelChapter 369: Lineup Selection
"Come on, Makino-kun! Don’t wait passively like that! Park Han-Gyeol will eat you alive!"
"Nori-kun, your help defense is too early! Time it correctly, or you will leave the area behind you open! Don’t be too panicked with Mamoru Suzuki, or he will get you instantly!"
"Ryukkun, your instruction needs to be clearer! Denji-kun cannot hear you!"
As time passed by, Kumiko had already finalized her plan. At least, the girl had a general idea of what to do in the next game. Right now, she just wanted to make sure that the team could adapt to the opponent’s intensity as quickly as possible, even the moment the referee blew the whistle for the first time.
During the process, some media also tried to inquire about their preparation. It was understandable, since the further the tournament went, the more it would gather attention. However, Kumiko had already learned her lesson from the Daily Sports, not wanting to say anything too much during that short meeting.
Erika Sawada: Hiya, luv! Have you heard about what Shimizu Higashi’s coach said in the media?
Erika Sawada: He bragged about how he found two major weaknesses in your game!
Erika Sawada: I still think that he is bluffing, but just to make sure, be careful, okay?
Erika Sawada: Come on! Miwako and I will be rooting for you!
Kumiko frowned as she read the message from Erika once again. This had been bothering her mind for a while, wondering what kind of weakness they found in this team. After all, even bragging had to have a foundation, right?
’Well, fortunately, the boys haven’t read the news yet, or they will be too anxious and try to figure everything out.’ She muttered under her breath.
Then, the day before the game finally arrived, the girl decided to brush off all of her complicated thoughts as she had to reveal the lineup tomorrow. The moment everyone arrived at the meeting room, she could see the tension there, some mixed with a hope that they could be chosen to play in that game.
"Okay, let’s not beat around the bush here." The girl took a deep breath, scanning the whole room first before starting her announcement. "First, goalkeeper, as usual, Ryukkun, we will be relying on you." She turned to her childhood friend, who just gave a thumbs-up.
"Three center-backs, Jun-kun, Makino-kun, and Ishinori-kun." No specific change was made here, as those three were indeed the best that the team could offer. "Nori-kun, they will try to use more through balls to get through our defense, so we will need you to work harder and cover more ground tomorrow."
"I get it, Senpai." The boy nodded solemnly.
"Jun-kun, Park Han-Gyeol will definitely target you to death, so don’t let yourself get left behind."
"...Yeah." The boy spoke with an unsure tone, trying to remember his last encounter against the Korean defender.
"Then, midfield, Kazawa-kun, your role is the hardest." She turned around to her midfielder. "You have to pester Mamoru Suzuki all the time, sticking with him and trying to make him uncomfortable. Use your physicality more; don’t let him get an easy ball. I need you to do that for the whole 90 minutes. Not an easy job, but you should be in a better state than anyone else, right?" ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
Kazawa just nodded sheepishly at the last sentence. That was definitely a jab at him, who was suspended due to the red card in the last game. Meanwhile, next to him, Fujinaga clicked his tongue in annoyance. It was clear that he was unhappy with this decision, and yet, the boy couldn’t really do anything here.
"Then, Usami-kun, Takaaki-kun, you are still in your usual role." Kumiko continued. "Just keep in mind that their possession flows quite fast, so don’t chase for the ball, but always guard the area, okay?"
"Yes, Senpai." Those two nodded solemnly.
"As for the wing back..." The girl rubbed her forehead in pain. "Denji-kun is on the left, and on the right... Denki-kun, sorry, but you are off. Hori-kun, get ready to play."
This caught everyone off guard, with Denki’s face losing all of its color. Hori was also surprised, but when he was about to say something to express his excitement, he saw Denki’s expression, and the boy restrained himself quickly.
"Don’t think I am targeting you, Denki-kun, but you haven’t been in your best state in this tournament. Hori-kun has always been ready to fill the gap that you left, and he always comes to the pitch bringing his 100 percent effort. At least, just based on this, he deserves a place in the top eleven in the next game."
Honestly, this position was one that gave Kumiko the biggest headache. After all, while she might not say it out loud, the girl still recognized Denki as a better player overall. However, his performance was too volatile and couldn’t be relied upon. If he is in the right state, then good. However, in the last two games, he had been in a terrible one, and Kumiko didn’t dare to gamble with the team’s life.
In the end, Hori didn’t brag about being chosen. The boy held back the urge to brag when he saw Denki’s lifeless state, and instead, he just gave Kumiko a solemn nod. "Don’t worry, Senpai, I will guard that side with all of my life."
The girl nodded satisfactorily. "Good. Then, forward, Kenji-kun and Hiroshi-kun, get ready. We will not get a lot of chances tomorrow, so you have to make each one of them count. Don’t overcomplicate things. If you see an opening, be decisive! We will rely on you guys!"
"Yes, Ma’am!" The two boys nodded, their eyes on fire.
"Lastly, I will emphasize this." Kumiko took a deep breath, her tone heavy. "Due to that damn article, people will watch, scrutinizing us for any mistake we make. Well, not them all, but those from the Daily Sports will do. However, don’t think of it too much; just enjoy everything on the pitch and remember, you have already done better than so many teams outside. So, go out and have fun!"
"Yes, Ma’am!"
