The Rise of the Iron Wall!-Chapter 54: Intermission - Ritsumeikan’s Strategy for the Second Half!

"Guys, I know that you think we have a problem here, but I can assure you that it is not as big as you initially thought!" Ritsumeikan High’s coach, an old man with almost bald and already white hair, shouted excitedly. "Yes, they are disciplined, and they prove themselves to be the best defensive team in this prefecture, but that doesn’t mean everything is perfect here!"

Well, of course, it was easy to say, but doing it was a completely different matter. All the Ritsumeikan players started to feel the pressure here, and while physically, the first half wasn’t really exhausting for them, mentally, the game was way more draining than they had ever thought, and they still had the entire second half to play.

Honestly, this situation was far more difficult than when they played against Sappotani.

Well... At least Sappotani’s team last year, not the new one.

After all, no matter how strong Sappotani was, their essence was also an attacking football, so as long as they were patient, chances would appear sooner or later.

However, this time, everything was different. Hakodate Nishi really parked the entire bus for themselves, never allowing any ball to go into their goal. And the driver was none other than the goalie, the amazing beast who had saved more shots than the home team even managed to take.

This was definitely something that gave them all a massive headache right now.

Still, out of respect to the head coach who had been through thick and thin with them for such a long time, Iwai finally asked, "So, have you thought of any way to break through their defense, Sensei?"

Well... It was not just due to respect. In fact, if there was one person who could help the team, it would be the man in front of them, the man who had led them into the position they were in right now.

True enough, the man didn’t disappoint. He grinned, saying, "Well, they treat their defense as a discipline, so we will fight it with the exact opposite, with our creativity!

’Um?’ All the Ritsumeikan players were stunned.

Discipline? Creativity?

They all knew what each word meant, but why was it so hard to understand once those two were put together like this?

"Eh, don’t think too much about it." The coach just waved off nonchalantly. "Instead of talking about philosophy, let’s start thinking of a real action. First, Roshi-kun, I need you to still do the same, keep that Hakodate Nishi number 3 busy."

The boy named Roshi, the striker who had been bothering Jun since the game began, frowned. "But it hasn’t worked well since that left back inserted himself into the middle, Sensei." He said, voicing his doubt.

"Yes, and even though we try to attack that side, it doesn’t matter, because their help defense is so amazingly fast. Before we know it, a midfielder will be there to cover for us until that fullback is back at the position again, and our advantage will be gone already." Another player added.

"Don’t worry, the purpose is not to get through him, but to keep that number 3 busy." The coach repeated his words. "You have to know that their number 3 is a monster in the aerial duel. So, try to keep yourself in his mind forever, distract him every second, and don’t let him have an easy time, okay?"

"Yes, Sensei!" Even though he didn’t know what the purpose was, the boy, Roshi, still gave a nod.

"Then, for that right flank, I know that their left back, the number 22, Ishinori, if I remember it correctly, will be back soon, the moment we put our focus there. So, Iwai-kun... How confident are you in beating him?"

Iwai understood immediately what his coach wanted to do. "So, we are going to beat him individually?"

"Yup!" The coach popped the ’p’. "They are so disciplined in their positional battle, and it will be foolish if we force our way using the same method. No, I want you to take on one defender, and once that happens, a hole will open on that side. You take him twice, then he will doubt himself. You take him three times in a row? Then, he will be out for the rest of the game. We will try to combat their discipline with psychological warfare. That’s why I ask, are you confident here, Iwai-kun?"

In return, the grin on Iwai’s face was so wide that it hurt his facial muscles. "That’s the strategy made just for me, huh? Of course, I am confident!"

He didn’t believe that Hakodate Nishi’s number 22, Ishinori, that’s it, could put him on a leash like that bastard from Sappotani, Hiroyuki, did in their sparing game a month ago.

"Good!" The head coach nodded in approval. "Their zone defense is so good with each of them excelling in the help defense, so make sure we are focusing on one area first, and that is the right flank. If you have to switch, don’t do it slowly. Throw it away to the other flank as quickly as possible, and try to beat that number 2 head-on. That boy is the worst defender on their team, so if we can distract them from supporting that side, we can use it to break through their defense!"

As for the goalkeeper, the head coach didn’t really mention it. In his mind, while yes, Hakodate Nishi’s goalkeeper indeed did a good job, it didn’t really take too much strategy to beat him. After all, at the end of the day, with one good finishing, that good performance would be wiped away immediately, and the coach didn’t believe that boy would be so lucky to hold on for the rest of the game.

A naïve thought, something that would be proven wrong later by Higo.

However, for now, the man still believed that as long as they got more chances, the team would be able to score. As he watched his players preparing for the second half, the man couldn’t help but nod in satisfaction.

’Yeah, they might be able to stop us in the first half, but we will be the ones who laugh at the end of the day!’