The Rise of the Iron Wall!

Chapter 373: The Game Begins! A Tough Battle on the Pitch!

"Back down! Back down!"

"Jun, keep talking to Nori! Don’t make a gap in between!"

"Denki, don’t shrink too much; they can get a good cross there!’

It had been five minutes since the game began, and yet, Higo’s voice was already quite hoarse right now. However, it wasn’t a fruitless effort. So far, his constant instruction has managed to keep everything in order. Hell, Shimizu Higashi High was even struggling to fire a shot here, finding every route to be blocked.

Yeah, it had only been five minutes since the game began, but with Mamoru Suzuki, who had a ridiculous ability to fire something good from outside of the box, Higo would celebrate the team locking him down for five minutes as a small achievement.

Also, compared to the other games, Higo was more nervous today, kept adjusting the cap on his head every few minutes. No one noticed it yet, but it was clear that the boy was uncomfortable wearing one, getting his sight disturbed once in a while. It might not be his first time wearing a cap in a game, since the tournament in Niigata a few months ago was sunnier than this. However, somehow, the boy felt more pressure today, always getting an idea that he would mess up at any time due to his fucking cap.

"Maybe the pressure also plays a role here." He mumbled unconsciously. "One mistake in this game is enough to send us back home, so I cannot be too careless today."

After trying to preach Hakodate Nishi’s defense open for the first eight minutes, Mamoru Suzuki finally got the home team their first chance of the game. Starting with the combination with Wataru Takagi, the left winger, he managed to catch Takaaki off guard, giving a slight open space in front of the box. The angle was quite difficult since it was closer to the flank rather than the goal, but somehow, it was a perfect place for Mamoru Suzuki to bend the ball to the far post.

Thud!

Brugh!

Fortunately, Higo reacted quickly. It also helped that the speed was quite weak, so it was easier to grab. It seemed Mamoru Suzuki wanted to test the water here, compensating for the ball’s speed with its accuracy. As a result, even if it took a dive from Higo, the ball still came onto his clutch as he saved it easily.

"YES, SENPAI! NICE CATCH!"

"Come on! Here!"

Some players, mainly Kenji and Hirohi, moved immediately the moment they saw Higo’s action. However, besides the fact that Higo himself was down to the ground and it would take time for him to get up, Shimizu Higashi High also reacted properly, transitioning back to defense without letting any ruckus happen on the back side.

In the end, Higo just got up from the ground, picking up his cap as well while also gesturing to his teammates to calm down. "It is still early; let’s slow down a little!" He shouted at the captain. "Just move up! Wait on the front line!" The boy also waved away some of the boys who wanted to get a short pass.

Having no choice, all the Hakodate Nishi players started to occupy the opposition half quickly, getting ready to overwhelm the opponent’s area with their numbers. Higo also glanced around, observing which side he should send this hail merry pass into. Once the referee started to glance at his clock as a warning for wasting time, though, the goalkeeper didn’t hesitate anymore, launching a long ball high in the sky while also letting his teammates fight over there.

BAM! freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

"Shit! I get it, I get it!"

"Usami-senpai, move back! Let me handle it!"

At first, the ball went in Usami’s direction. However, Usami’s opponent was a tall boy with a height of around 184 cm, overwhelming the boy in the aerial duel. When he heard Kenji’s shout, the boy gladly switched position, moving around to get ready for a second ball while also letting his kouhai fight for it.

BAM!

A collision happened. It was quite violent, with both heads meeting each other. However, none of them backed down here, getting up immediately to search for the ball. Coincidentally enough, it didn’t go that far from their side, just bouncing toward the flank and threatening to slip out of the sideline.

There, Hori appeared, dueling against Wataru Takagi for the ball. freewёbnoνel.com

BAM!

"Bas... Tard!" Hori scowled, trying to adjust his running again after getting shaken off by his opponent. Fortunately, he still managed to touch the ball first, getting it away to the middle again.

For a moment, commotion happened in the midfield area, where everyone fought for the ball like a bunch of headless chickens. They scrapped, fought, even did some dirty tricks to gain an edge. In the end, though, somehow, it was Hiroshi who got an advantage. Somehow, the ball fell in front of him, and before Kazawa could put pressure on him, the boy poked it through his opponent’s legs, sending a scalpel-like through ball into the heart of Hakodate Nishi’s area.

There, the Korean striker with a height of 185 cm, running at top speed like a raging bull, was chasing the ball fiercely.

"FUCK! GET BACK!"

"Jun, track back! Track back!"

"I get this! I get this!"

"Jenjang, Mamoru-kun, too far! Are you trying to kill me?!" While all the Hakodate Nishi defenders moved back in order to protect their area, Park Han-Gyeol scowled in frustration, cursing in Korean while also still trying to chase the ball. It wasn’t just the power, but the direction of the pass was awful. If anything, the pass was closer to the flank rather than the center, forcing him to be an emergency winger.

Meanwhile, next to him, Ishinori also popped out of nowhere, using his body and speed to disturb the boy. Even though he was not the best against this strong-type striker, at least his defense was enough to disturb Han-Gyeol’s rhythm.

However, the animal was always at its most dangerous state when it was cornered. This time, it was also the same as Park Han-Gyeol. In desperation, he saw a very tight angle to aim straight at the goal, and, praying for his luck, the Korean striker didn’t hesitate to strike it from that spot.

BAM!