Kaneko steps onto the field, heading towards Nishimura.
"Come here!" Kaneko calls, gesturing to Riccardo and Shimizu.
The two approach.
"Let's switch to 4-2-2-2. Nishimura and Shimizu will play as attacking midfielders behind the two of us..." Kaneko looks at Riccardo, who nods.
"But isn't that too unbalanced?" Nishimura asks, surprised by the tactical decision.
Kaneko heads towards his position.
"Maybe... but Coach Ishii said we could do whatever we wanted..."
Riccardo, Nishimura, and Shimizu watch Kaneko walk away.
"You heard him!" Shimizu claps his hands, taking a stance "Let's do whatever we want!"
Riccardo gives a weak smile, then punches Nishimura.
"This second half is going to be fun!" Riccardo exclaims enthusiastically.
Nishimura slams his fist.
"Yes..."
Ito is ready to take the free kick, but he observes the new arrangement adopted by the Shūdan-teki.
They have changed formation... but they are clearly predisposed to attack...
The referee blows his whistle and Ito passes the ball to Watanabe, nearby. Watanabe controls and launches a long ball directly towards Aogaki.
Nishimura watches, worried.
They are trying the same action again!
Aogaki is about to receive the ball, but Sugimoto quickly anticipates him, jumping and heading the ball away, surprising his opponent.
Now they are marking me man-to-man! I will not be able to control the ball freely!
The ball bounces in the area of the number 6, who seems ready to receive it, until Tamura dives forward and clearly wins it, sending his opponent to the ground.
"It's a foul!" the number 6 shouts to the referee, certain of his action, but the referee signals him to stand up.
Tamura continues to advance, with Ito pressing him. Seeing this, the number 5 of the Shūdan-teki raises his head and sees Riccardo who drops to the center of the field to lend a hand.
Tamura passes him the ball. Riccardo controls the ball and turns instantly, with Watanabe pressing him. He passes to his right, to Ono, who sprints towards the opponent's area.
Kamiyama approaches, but leaves his marking on Shimizu, who has lined up on the right wing. Ono passes him the ball.
Kamiyama had anticipated the pass and goes back to marking Shimizu, who controls the ball and heads towards the corner flag.
Shimizu looks into the area and sees Kaneko and Riccardo, the latter arriving at full speed. Then he swerves back, deceiving Kamiyama, and crosses with his left foot.
The ball flies over Riccardo and Okamoto, positioned at the near post, but arrives where Kaneko and Takahashi are waiting.
The two collide physically, both struggling to get off the ground.
He's strong too! Takahashi thinks as he wrestles with Kaneko.
They jump, but neither can reach the ball, which goes out of bounds.
Takahashi looks at Kaneko, visibly frustrated at the missed opportunity.
With number 9, their aerial threat has increased... Not good at all!
Kobayashi picks up the ball and places it for the goal kick, then passes it short to Takahashi.
Riccardo watches, surprised.
They're building from the bottom...
Kaneko presses Takahashi, who quickly passes it to Watanabe, free in his half.
Maebashi Ikuei's number 5 carries the ball forward until Ono steps forward and stops his advance.
That change has made them more dangerous in attack, but now in defense... Watanabe, lost in thought, glances to the left and sees Ito advancing completely unmarked in the Shūdan-teki half of the pitch.
Watanabe launches a deep through ball, but Ueno sneaks in from his right flank and charges at full speed, sliding towards the ball.
Ito notices just in time and, with a delicate touch, lifts the ball above Ueno's slide.
Ito chuckles, pleased to have managed to escape Ueno's pressure, but before he can even think of his next move, Aoki unexpectedly arrives from his penalty area and tackles the ball, with the Maebashi Ikuei number 10 falling to the ground.
They've become so aggressive! Ito thinks as he falls to the ground after the hit.
—
As Kaneko enters the field, Ueno glances at him.
"Ueno! Here!" Coach Ishii calls from the bench.
Ueno approaches.
"Yes, Coach...?"
"From now on, we will change the formation and be much more offensive. This means that you will no longer have the coverage of the outside players or Nishimura."
Ueno is shocked by the tactical choice.
"But why?! There is still time to win, at least 30 minutes left! Why do all this now?!"
"Because I am your coach and you do as I say!" Ishii replies with a stern, almost angry expression. Ueno freezes. "Am I clear or should I send someone else onto the field?"
"No, Coach..."
"Now listen: whenever a Maebashi player receives the ball in our half, you or Sugimoto, depending on the situation, move in and try to intercept it before he can even control it. If the first tackle fails, it's Aoki who has to step up and attack the ball again. Got it?"
"Yes, Coach!"
"Good. Now go tell the rest of the defense! And remember: if they both get past you, you mustn't be afraid to commit a foul!"
Ueno runs to relay the orders to Aoki and Sugimoto, who seems stunned by the coach's words.
"Look at what I'm being asked to do... I've never had to play like this before," says Aoki, shocked.
Noguchi, having heard, intervenes.
"I understand his philosophy... he just wants to play good football, even if it means losing badly."
"Yeah, but it still doesn't make much sense..."
"Well, right now we have an offense that can score every time we block them." Noguchi glances at the four attacking players "Coach is aiming for that! So let's give it everything we've got!"
—
Aoki wastes no time and quickly brings the ball forward to restart his team's attack.
Coach Yamamoto notices that his team's defense is uncoordinated.
"Back! Regroup!" shouts Coach Yamamoto in concern.
Aoki pushes to Maebashi Ikuei's half of the field.
The number 6 approaches Aoki, who looks up and sees Nishimura running into the space left by the defender. He passes the ball to him.
Nishimura controls the ball freely, then looks up and moves towards Shimizu's box, putting Kamiyama in a difficult 2-on-1 situation.
Nishimura passes to Shimizu and then overlaps, receiving the ball back for an easy crossing opportunity.
Ito and Watanabe also arrive in the penalty area for Maebashi Ikuei, which means that Riccardo and Kaneko are facing a large part of the opposition defense.
Nishimura sees this and, with a touch of the outside of his left foot, passes back to Shimizu, who has just entered the area.
Kamiyama tries to close down Shimizu, but fails to reach him in time, so Ito steps in to block him.
Shimizu sees him coming and, with a roll of the sole and a slight push forward, passes Ito, leaving him behind.
Ito, realizing that he has been beaten, desperately tries to foul Shimizu, but fails to reach him.
"Fuck!" shouts Ito, visibly frustrated.
Shimizu looks up and sees Watanabe approaching, but out of the corner of his eye he sees Nishimura arriving in the area.
Perfect...
Nishimura receives the ball from Shimizu and, with a clean and powerful pass, directs it into the penalty area, right where Kaneko, Riccardo, Takahashi and Okamoto are concentrating.
Okamoto and Riccardo are the first to try to hit the near post, but both just miss the ball.
Just before the ball reaches Takahashi and Kaneko, Kobayashi punches it away, putting it out of the area.
Ito watches the save, full of enthusiasm.
Great prodigy! Ito thinks as he dives towards the ball, confident that he can control it calmly.
"Watch out, Ito!" Kamiyama shouts.
Ito hears the warning and, suddenly, Ono appears out of nowhere and steals the ball before he can reach it.
Where did he come from?! Ito thinks, frustrated, as he chases Ono.
Right on the edge of the area, Ono shoots towards the far post. Kobayashi, still slightly out of position from the previous shot, reacts: his legs bend and he jumps off the ground towards the ball.
I can reach it! Kobayashi thinks.
But a moment before he can intervene, Kaneko puts out the tip of his right foot and deflects the shot, even beating Takahashi and sending the ball into the net, completely surprising the goalkeeper.
Kaneko gets up after the goal and lets out a liberating roar, rallying his entire team towards him, to celebrate.
The scoreboard reads: 75 minutes played.
Maebashi Ikuei 2|3 Shūdan-teki