The Rise of the Iron Wall!-Chapter 75: A Failed Blitzkrieg?!

"YES!"

The moment the ball arrived at Hiroshi’s feet, Kumiko rose from the bench, her fist clenched with cold sweat rolling down unconsciously. She bit her lips, trying to hide the nervousness in her heart.

’Come on, Hiroshi-kun... Please, make this work...’ She prayed silently.

Yeah, in the end, this was plan A that she set for the blitzkrieg attack. Instead of going for a normal route, which was to Kuroki, she opted to go to Hiroshi directly, making it easier for the team to initiate the blitz attack as quickly as possible.

The reason was simple, though.

Against the two defenders who were so close to reaching a professional level, there was no way Kuroki could win an aerial duel here. So, instead, the ball was sent to Hiroshi, whose escape plan was also set beforehand.

"You see this pocket area?" Kumiko asked, circling the area slightly in front of the circle but still a little bit far from the opponent’s defender. "The one who is responsible for that area, Kenji Harada, is a reckless person. He will always charge forward like a bull, leaving the spot empty. Before the defenders could rush forward to fill that blank area, I need you to sneak here, waiting for the pass coming from Takaaki."

She knew she had calculated it well. Hell, the girl had simulated this attack so many times, even in her dream, so there was no way anything could go wrong.

However, when it became a reality, she couldn’t help but feel excited.

"COME ON, HIROSHI-KUN! MOVE!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Of course, Hiroshi didn’t need to be told twice. In fact, the moment the ball landed on his feet, the boy couldn’t help but grin, feeling everything was set perfectly for the team. Without hesitation, he dashed off with the ball, trying to penetrate further into Sappotani’s defense.

"SHIT! COVER!"

"Hiroyuki, that’s yours!"

"Don’t worry, I get it, Senpai!"

’Ah, here is the first challenge...’ Hiroshi couldn’t help but smile wryly.

Before he could even hit the top speed, Hiroyuki, the top marker defender of the opponent’s side, was in front of him already, eager to stop him at all costs. Honestly, Hiroshi would love more than anything else to accept the challenge, going for a one-on-one duel to prove that he was better.

However, his teenage arrogance was one thing, but his rational mind didn’t allow him to neglect his duty, not when he knew that it would be difficult for the team to get another chance later.

So, before Sappotani’s defense took on a perfect shape, he didn’t hesitate, distributing the ball immediately.

This time, it was Kuroki, the one who stood with his back against the opponent’s goal while also trying to hold back Rin Mito, who received the ball.

"Fuck! You sure know how to make me work hard, Hiroshi!" He gritted his teeth, trying to maintain a strong foothold despite the immense pressure on his back.

Inwardly, he also thought about letting himself fall, knowing that a free kick in this position would be a sure goal for Hiroshi.

’Come on, I need to be strong here... At least, if I cannot do that, I have to learn acting again, right?’ He gritted his teeth, trying to protect the ball while also ready to fall and scream when it was necessary.

Unfortunately, Rin Mito was a strong and intelligent defender. The captain knew that his task was to hold back and not let Kuroki turn around and face the ball, and he did so perfectly up until now. There was no need to make any excessive move, so he didn’t do anything illegal here.

’Tch! As expected of the captain. Today will be a tough duel.’ He scowled in disdain. ’However, this time, my role is not to be a direct threat.’ A grin formed when he saw Usami rush through the crowded middle. ’But as a wall!’

Instead of any fancy move, he just tapped the ball back, and Usami, the silent assassin of the team, pounced so fast before launching a powerful shot from outside the penalty box.

BAM!

"OH!"

The gasps were so loud in the entire stadium, as no one expected that a country-bumpkin team like Hakodate Nishi would take the initiative in the beginning. All of the away team’s players also rose in hope, so eager to see if the shot was successful.

However, the other defender, Yuma Igari, also gave timely support here.

The boy calmly rushed from behind Rin Mito, and with his speed and precision, the boy slid through the grass first, and as if getting sucked into his foot, the ball hit straight into the tip of his shoes, enough to deflect it far outside of the pitch.

Kuroki and Usami were so dumbfounded here, clearly not expecting the opponent’s defender to react this quickly. Igari himself just got up from the ground, wiping away the dust on his shorts and smiling at them gently—albeit a little bit mockingly as well. "Nice try, Boys."

And that was when the crowd exploded with cheers. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"OH! What a good attack!"

"The combination is quite interesting! That number 10 is so good at getting into the best spot!"

"I mean, that number 17’s run is awesome, but his timing to shoot is terrible!"

"You cannot say that! Don’t you see Igari-senpai move first before the ball was shot? It is a prediction, you know?! A prediction!"

Kumiko could hear the gushing whispers from the stand on her back, and yet, she was less interested in that part right now. In her mind, that was just a mocking voice, praising her for a good attempt while also saying that it was enough.

Right now, the girl felt her shoulders slump, feeling a great wave of disappointment wash over her.

’I know that there is a huge chance this doesn’t work, but I so naively thought that I had a chance...’ She smiled bitterly.

Fortunately, her mentality was strong here. After getting her mind out of this failure, she went into her usual coaching mode, standing coldly on the sideline while also instructing her players so meticulously, letting them understand what they should do next.

’Yeah, this is just the beginning. It will be a difficult matter to handle, but we will have a chance to score another goal.’ She thought inwardly. ’I just need to be calm and composed, and everything will be alright...’