Coach Fujita watches Nishimura and Riccardo celebrate, then notices the slight drop in his team's spirits.
"It's not over! You're playing well—keep your heads up!"
His eyes drift to Andou, thoughtful.
Who would've expected their goalkeeper to be this good, not just between the posts but also with his feet… I need a solution.
He scans the field, then focuses on the winger wearing the No. 20.
"Matsuda! Over here!"
Matsuda jogs to the sideline, listens carefully, then rushes back to relay the instructions.
Coach Ishii immediately notices something.
"Their coach already figured out a countermeasure…"
Coach Suzuki leans in. "You know what he's planning?"
"Not yet. For now, we stay calm and observe."
He steps to the touchline. "Guys!"
His players look over. He gestures with both hands: calm. They nod.
Meanwhile, Andou adjusts his gloves.
"Alright… no long balls for a while. Back to classic goalkeeping."
The match restarts after Shūdan-teki's goal. The No. 9 plays it to Hikaru, who is forced to drop it back because Riccardo closes him instantly.
Nishimura studies the situation.
No changes so far…
Koganei holds possession. The ball reaches Keita, marked tightly by Nishimura. He checks for passing lanes—Tamura and Ono are glued to their men.
They're holding their positions more… they're waiting us out.
Nishimura shadows him, biding time for Riccardo to arrive.
He's trapped. No way out.
But then Keita shifts the ball with his right and suddenly fires a piercing vertical pass into the central zone for Hikaru, who's being pressed by Noguchi.
Nishimura widens his eyes.
That pass? Their No. 10 shouldn't have that freedom with Noguchi on him.
But the moment Hikaru receives it, Matsuda cuts inside, crossing in front of him to receive the layoff.
Coach Ishii reacts instantly.
"They changed formation."
Ueno pushes up from the flank to press Matsuda, leaving space behind for Yuji, who is already battling Shimizu physically.
Matsuda spots Yuji's run toward the edge of the box and feeds him. Yuji somehow manages to deliver a cross under pressure. Their No. 9 beats Aoki in the air—but heads it wide.
"Damn it!" the striker curses, then claps toward Yuji for the service.
Koganei resets, awaiting Andou's goal kick.
Coach Ishii observes them again.
"They switched from a 3-5-2 to a 3-3-1-3…"
Coach Suzuki nods.
"They're packing the midfield to stop long balls from Andou. Their wingers moved up to the attacking line—but that leaves space for our wide players."
"That's exactly what they want. They can run as much as they like, but unless they shoot from distance, their best option is crossing for Aliberti… but one striker against three defenders? I don't care how good he is—no one wins that."
"So what do we do?"
"For now, nothing. Hold the lead until halftime. I'll make a change for the second."
"Got it." Suzuki steps to the sideline.
"Hold the defensive line! Don't take risks!"
Coach Ishii glances at Coach Fujita.
The 3-3-1-3… Marcelo Bielsa's creation. Man-marking from the front, suffocating buildup. The high wingers stretch defenses, and the pure No. 10 orchestrates everything offensively and presses the opponent's regista defensively.
Nishimura gets the ball—Hikaru steals it from behind immediately.
They never shut off. Always forward.
[End of First Half]
45:00 — Koganei 0 | 1 Shūdan-teki
[Inside Koganei's Locker Room]
Coach Fujita stands tall in the center.
"You played a great first half! The formation switch is working—we just need the goal!"
"He's right!" Hikaru says, rising to his feet. "Let's turn this around ourselves!"
The team fires up and heads back out—only to notice a change on Shūdan-teki's side.
Kaneko has entered the field for Ono.
"Coach Fujita!" A girl approaches with some notes.
"Number 9—here's what I have."
"Go on, Hanasaki."
"Kaneko Raizo. Third-year student. Central striker. He's 1.87 meters tall, not very technical, but incredibly strong and ice-cold in front of goal. Last year Shūdan-teki got knocked out in the third round, but he still scored six goals—two per match."
"…They had that striker on the bench."
He watches the fourth official lift the board—No. 9 in, No. 8 out.
"They're removing a midfielder to play with two strikers? While leading? Bold… but their No. 24 won't be isolated anymore. At least this gives us space for deadly counters."
Fujita chuckles, surprising both Hanasaki and the bench.
"So that's your plan, Coach Ishii… a scoring contest? I accept!"
Kaneko lines up beside Riccardo for the kickoff. He shoots him a provocative glare.
"Don't get in my way."
"No problem, senpai. Just try to keep up."
Kaneko bristles.
"Oh, I can't wait to shove my celebration in your face!"
"Great. I'll shove two goals back—because that's how many I'll score."
"Then I'll score three! I always get one more than you!"
They stare each other down, heat sparking between them.
Tamura and Nishimura watch, baffled.
"You think putting them together is a good idea?" Tamura mutters.
"With strikers like those two? Of course it is," Nishimura replies confidently.