"Kira, isn't this decision a bit too sudden...?"
On the field, Hyōma walked over to Ryōsuke's side, his face still showing some concern.
"This is a good opportunity for you, isn't it?" Ryōsuke smiled and said, "The opponent's defense will definitely be very strict in the first half, so we need you to help us break through their defensive line — and the opponent will likely be tightly marking me in the first half, so your appearance will certainly catch them off guard."
"But..."
"Don't forget, you've been practicing with me every day these past few days. Only you know your physical condition best." Ryōsuke patted his shoulder.
Although Hyōma had previously mentioned that he had basically given up on soccer, he still continued to train extra with him after team practice every day.
"The first half is your chance to shine. I'll ensure the safety of our backline." Ryōsuke said, while turning his head to look at the other side of the field, "Look, those guys from Team Y are already eyeing us hungrily."
At this moment, on the other half of the field, almost everyone from Team Y was staring intently at Ryōsuke.
Having watched the footage, they all knew that he had almost completely dominated the match between Team Z and Team X.
Ikki's tactical arrangement was very straightforward — focus entirely on defense, especially targeting Ryōsuke. He believed that if they completely shut down Team Z's main attacking threat, they would have a very good chance of winning this match.
A few minutes later, all players from both teams had arrived at their respective halves, setting up their tactical formations.
Team Y's focus, however, unanimously fell on Ryōsuke.
"What's going on?"
"Ryōsuke Kira's position... is in the back, right?"
"Is he playing as a defender this match?"
Team Y players discussed among themselves, unable to imagine that he would appear as a defender.
"This guy, is he looking down on us? I'll definitely crush their defense completely!" Hibiki frowned, his eyes carrying a hint of anger. Ryōsuke appearing in the defender position clearly showed disrespect for his team.
Meanwhile, Ikki wore a serious expression, carefully analyzing the opponent's lineup.
Judging from Team Z's overall demeanor and movements, they didn't seem arrogant. What concerned him was Hyōma, who was playing as a winger in this match.
Ikki had almost no impression of this player, as he'd had no impact whatsoever in the previous match — as if he didn't exist at all.
Why would Team Z position this person as a forward?
"Although the opponent's tactics are somewhat unexpected, don't let emotions affect you, and don't mess up our strategy — everyone focus on defense, only Okawa is responsible for attacking. No matter what, we must win this match!"
"Yeah."
[The match is about to begin, please get ready, players from both teams!]
The announcement echoed throughout the closed stadium, and almost all players entered a highly focused state.
[Team Z kicks off first, the match begins!]
As the announcement was followed by a crisp bell sound, Team Z's attack began.
Meguru quickly carried the ball, advancing from the middle toward the opponent's goal. He possessed superb dribbling skills, making him ideal for breaking through.
However, Team Y had already noticed this strength. They had guessed that besides Ryōsuke, this player might possess superior ball control, so they had prepared countermeasures.
Meguru had barely taken a few steps with the ball when he was quickly double-teamed — and his peripheral vision caught another presence. Ikki Niko.
The two-man trap was just a decoy; in reality, it was Ikki's trap, designed to lure him into a defensive area for a better chance to intercept.
However, Meguru reacted quickly. Before the match, Ryōsuke had mentioned possible tactics Team Y might use.
'It's a double-team indeed! Just as Kira said!' He immediately passed the ball back to Yoichi before Ikki could defend, and Yoichi organized another attack.
After a period of passing and organizing, Team Z had several shooting opportunities, but all were defended by Team Y.
Finally, the ball came to Rensuke's feet.
"Great chance!"
He lifted his left foot and unleashed a fierce shot toward the goal!
But as soon as the ball was kicked, two defenders directly blocked its path, stopping the shot and clearing the ball.
Team Y had already scouted Team Z. In the first match, Rensuke had demonstrated powerful long-range shooting ability, which they naturally prepared defenses against.
"Attack again!" Yoichi, who had just gained possession of the ball not far away, prepared to shoot.
However, just as he got the shooting opportunity, Ikki disrupted his attempt and directly stole the ball from under his feet.
"Finally caught a weakness!" A smile appeared on Ikki's face.
This was their team's tactic: focus on defense, look for the opponent's weaknesses — then complete the counter-attack.
Because of Team Y's tight defense, Team Z had sent more players into their half — which meant Team Z's own half became weakly defended.
Now it was time for Hibiki, the team's strongest offensive firepower, to finish the job!
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"Ikki Niko, although his physical attributes are average, his keen sense of the big picture and excellent spatial judgment compensate for his weaknesses, making him the most moldable gem in Team Y."
Jinpachi muttered to himself as he sat in front of the screen.
"Team Y's defense is very solid. Team Z has no space to attack, but I'm a bit confused. Ryōsuke Kira should be Team Z's star player, right? Why is he playing as a defender?" Anri, sitting beside him, carefully watched the live broadcast with confusion.
"I'm not sure about that either." Jinpachi shrugged, involuntarily recalling what this white-haired kid had once told him — everything is for victory.
What kind of performance would he show on the defensive line?
He possessed a very high IQ. In his eyes, every player's performance was part of a script he had arranged.
And Ryōsuke was the only existence he couldn't figure out.
❖❖❖
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