The last eight minutes of the first half, including added time, passed by uneventfully. Or rather, compared to the rest of the half, both teams became noticeably more docile. Neither side wanted to accidentally overcommit or turnover the ball and concede a goal just before halftime, so they chose to prioritize their respective defenses.
So when the halftime whistle rang out, both teams let out quick sighs in relief. They all needed a break from the intense game and the never-ending rain pounding down on their heads.
Under their team's canopy, Ryo grabbed a towel, dried off his exposed skin and hair, and collapsed into one of the chairs. Ren soon followed, sitting down in the chair adjacent to him.
"Alright, while you all settle down, lend me your ear for a second," Coach Matsumoto called out. During the match, Ryo had noticed how the coach stood outside the tent the entire time, watching the game intently. He wasn't the type of coach to idle cozily on the side while his team played, even if it meant stepping into the cold rain. Even now, he had only returned under the coverage of the canopy after their last player came in.
"There are a few things I'd like to say. First is… well, usually I wouldn't say this, but… don't be afraid to dribble more. In terms of your technical abilities, most of you could probably beat Suwa Cono's players in one-on-ones. If you dribble past even one of them, you'll be surprised how many options open up for you."
Oh wow, his advice was very unlike him. For someone who is always advertising the importance of good teamwork, hearing that was a bit unusual. But he is right, though.
"Second, please be careful not to injure yourselves or anyone else. Ryo," Coach Matsumoto turned to address him. "You were lucky that neither you nor Suwa Cono's number 12 got injured. Whether you actually tackled him or he fell on his own, it doesn't matter. It's not worth stopping a goal if you end up injuring yourself in the process. We can't afford to lose anyone in this game, so try not to put yourself in a dangerous situation like that again, or else the referee won't hesitate to show you a red card. That goes for the rest of you, too."
"Last thing," the coach's gaze suddenly turned intense, passing between each of the players. "Let's win this game."
"Yeah!" The entire team shouted in unison.
I guess our coach isn't lacking in competitive spirit either… He probably wants this win just as much as we do.
As Matsumoto stepped away, the players began conversing among themselves.
"Ryo," Ren addressed him softly.
"Mmh?"
"I didn't see it clearly, but… it really didn't look like you tackled number 12."
So he was curious about my yellow card after all… But was that supposed to be a question?
"What are you trying to say, Ren-nii?" Ryo asked.
"Ah—well… Don't you think the yellow card was unfair?"
Ryo paused, thinking back on the play. "At the time, yeah, I think I found it a bit unfair. He fell entirely on his own, so I was a bit surprised when the referee gave me a yellow card. But after thinking about it for a while… I think I would've made the same call in his place."
"What?" Ren, as well as a few of their teammates, turned their heads at his comment.
"Well, it was a bit unfortunate that they scored a goal off the penalty, but after what Coach Matsumoto just said, wouldn't you agree?" Ryo's rhetorical question only confused them further. "Put yourself in the referee's position. You saw two players run after the ball, and the orange jersey fell first, but you didn't see whether there was bad contact." They all listened, though still unsure of where he was going with this.
"Now, if you don't do anything, the game goes on, and worst-case, something like that happens again, but a player actually gets hurt. As a referee, you naturally want to avoid this outcome. Especially at the U-12 level."
Some of them nodded along to his explanation.
"So the first time it happens, you need to show that you won't allow the players to get themselves into dangerous situations. The best way to do that is by issuing a yellow card. But since you didn't see exactly what happened, you have to go based on what you actually saw."
"In this case, since I was a defender who didn't want the pass to get through, the referee could only assume that I tackled number 12 when I stuck my foot out. So from his perspective, I was the one at fault, so he gave me the yellow card. Unfortunately, it led to a penalty against us, but any other call would have been either unfair, unreasonable, or unsafe."
Ryo took a sip of water when he was done explaining.
Yeah… It was unlucky, but he couldn't take chances when it came to the safety of young players.
"I think I get it…" Ren said slowly, clearly still turning it over in his mind.
"Yeah, I don't!" Ken cut in bluntly. "And are we not going to talk about that offside call?"
Yeah… I don't have an explanation for that one.
Ryo shook his head. "There's no point in talking about it now; we just need to be more careful in the second half."
Ken only sighed disappointedly at his answer, and Taiga saw this as an opportunity to change topics and talk about the next half.
"Ryo, do you think you can handle the defense of the left wing?" He inquired, "I'm thinking of tightening the defense to help guard the center, but I don't want to leave the flank open either."
"Yeah, that's fine," Ryo nodded. "Just be ready to spread back out if they get past me."
"Okay. Also…"
—————————————————————————————————
Fweeet!
Right after the whistle blew, signaling the start of the second half, just outside Ryusei's canopy, Coach Matsumoto stood in the rain. Right beside him, Assistant Coach Takigawa stood under the cover of their tent, leaving him untouched by the rain. The two of them watched from the sidelines, observing their player's white jerseys moving across the pitch.
"That kid…" Matsumoto spoke out of nowhere. "He's much more sophisticated than he lets on."
Takigawa kept silent, already knowing who he referred to.
"He's only a first-year, but so many of his teammates already rely on him and ask for his opinion," he continued. "Did you catch what he said at halftime, Takigawa?"
"Yes, I heard most of it, I think."
"And?" Matsumoto questioned, "What did you think of his explanation?"
Takigawa thought about it for a second before answering.
"I… don't think I could've explained it better than he did."
"Haha, right?" Matsumoto laughed, loud enough to garner a few glances from the other team's bench. "I completely underestimated him. I thought I would give him advice to make sure he didn't do anything reckless later, but honestly… he was probably more relaxed than I was."
Takigawa kept silent at Matsumoto's comment—he couldn't exactly agree that a first-year player was calmer than his boss.
"Say, Takigawa," Matsumoto asked again after a minute with a serious expression. "Do you think our players will win?"
The assistant coach was completely taken aback. No matter how assured a win was, Matsumoto wasn't someone who spoke carelessly about victory. So asking Takigawa directly whether they would win—especially in the currently tied game—was completely unexpected.
"Well, the game is pretty close, so it's hard to say," Takigawa said hesitantly, "But I believe in our players. I think they'll win."
"Oh? Really?" Matsumoto turned to him for the first time since their conversation began. "That was not the answer I was expecting from you, Takigawa."
Behind Matsumoto's surprising, and almost cheerful tone, Takigawa felt that there was something deeper. However, Takigawa fully believed that Ryusei could win, so he said something he would have never expected to say in his life.
"...Then how about we make a wager, Matsumoto-san?"
Matsumoto's shoulders stiffened in response, but he was too intrigued to interrupt.
"If Ryusei wins this game, I win, and if they lose, you win," Takigawa swallowed nervously at what he was about to say, clearly overstepping the line of professionalism. "If I win, I want to lead half of the first team's practices starting next year… And I also want to choose next year's captain."
Now, Matsumoto, impressed by his colleague's bold requests, could no longer remain silent, so he spoke up pre-emptively.
"Those are some pretty high demands, Assistant Coach Takigawa. What do I get if I win? There is not a lot you can give me that I can't get myself."
Takigawa, with his resolve firm, didn't hesitate. "If you win… Or rather, if I lose, then—"
He took a deep breath, studying the players that he fully believed in, then closed his eyes.
"I will resign from my position as Assistant Coach… And leave Ryusei."
For a moment, not a sound could be heard from the outside—not the sizzling of the rain, not the shouts of the spectators, and not the sounds emanating from the pitch.
Within a few moments, the countless thoughts that had surged into Matsumoto's head suddenly vanished. After weighing the possible outcomes from the wager, he simply smiled and stuck out his hand.
"Very well. I accept."
Takigawa reached out across the threshold into the cold rain and shook his hand.
"That's good to hear," he said quietly. "I'll be looking forward to the result."