The Rise of the Iron Wall!-Chapter 90: Decisive Substitution?!

Kazawa’s appearance was really the game-changer in the second half.

Not only was he able to stabilize the midfield with Takaaki and Usami, but his presence was also enough to free Hiroshi from the center, allowing him to roam more freely. That talented boy became more menacing, one moment running to the left, just for another moment, having him strolling around the right flank.

Not only that, but Kazawa was also a stronger defender than Hori.

When Sappotani players saw that the right back was replaced by a defensive midfielder, they tried to take advantage of that by attacking from the very same flank. In their mind, even though Hakodate Nishi would have some sort of measurement to deal with this, at least, it wouldn’t be as strong as when a main player guarded that area.

Who would’ve thought that Kazawa would turn into the team’s new guardian deity?

He wasn’t just tall and big, but also very agile. The boy could cover the right side from the center with just three steps, and before the opponent’s players realized, he would’ve already used his body to put pressure on them.

The only one who managed to beat him physically was Yuwell Carlson. That beast, even in his exhausted state after playing for 75 minutes, was still slightly better than Kazawa here, which just showed how much of a threat the Swedish striker was.

However, Kazawa was still smart enough to recognize his shortcomings, so he always held back whenever Yuwell was attacking, aiming to slow down the tempo and let reinforcement handle this matter with him.

In the end, twice the Swedish striker attempted to break through his side, but both ended up with Kazawa and Jun forcing the ball to be cleared outside of the pitch, enough to nullify any possible threat for the team.

Their attack was also getting better by leaps and bounds. With Kazawa being on the pitch, they started to take more shots from outside of the box, and while it wasn’t the best or most efficient strategy here, at least, it was still enough to draw more players outside of Sappotani’s penalty box, making the opponent wary about any surprise attack.

However, as time ticked by and the game entered the 80th minute, with no single attack was able to pierce through the home team’s defense, people started to get anxious.

"Damn! There are only ten minutes left! Can the kids do it?"

"Will they lose the game?"

"SHUT UP, will you?! The kids haven’t given up yet, why are you adults becoming the first ones to give up here?!"

"Yes! Our task is just to support them! Let’s be louder here!"

"Come on, Hakodate!"

Of course, the home team’s supporters didn’t want to lose in this battle. However, as the biggest team in the prefecture, they demanded more from their players, and seeing them stagnant like this, instead of showing support, some of them were bold enough to boo.

"Come on! This is not the Sappotani we know!"

"Just one goal lead?! The team really falls off!"

"Fuck it, get all those lazy bastards out of the pitch! They are just a bunch of waste, anyway!"

While the voice was not that loud and still got drowned by the cheers and chants from the majority of the crowd, some who were close enough could still hear it, and their faces were so dead pale at the insult that was thrown at them.

Honestly, this was the risk of being a big team. The supporters didn’t come just from the family and neighborhood, but also from some other parts that the school itself couldn’t control or even communicate with.

When the team was having a great time, they could be the ones who cheered the loudest, but once they hit a slump like this, they would definitely be the first ones to insult them with their colorful language.

They were definitely the wildest cards for the team, and right now, the double-edged sword started to hit itself.

’No, this wouldn’t do.’ Sappotani’s head coach, a middle-aged man with a buzz cut, shook his head in annoyance. ’We cannot be too timid even with just ten players. Even if we win, people will not be satisfied and will even doubt us more. I cannot let this happen.’

Just as the most famous coach in the world said, it was not enough to just win the game. As the best team, they had the responsibility to win it beautifully, and now, Hakodate Nishi failed in that regard.

As his eyes wandered to the players on the bench while thinking of a game changer, they finally landed on a scrawny player who sat silently on the edge. Based on his small posture, it was hard to believe that the boy could last in the harsh battlefield called the football pitch. However, the boy was the rough diamond he found, and the man intended to give him a chance today.

"Hiroyuki, come up!" He called the boy. "You are going to play next."

That particular boy was taken aback as if he didn’t believe he would be called in this game, even pointing at himself for a second. "Me?"

"Yes, you." The coach frowned. "What? You don’t want to play?"

"N—No, no! I am ready, Sensei!"

He took off his vest immediately, and under the other bench players’ envious gaze, the boy was ready to go within a second. While it was only the last six minutes of the game, his face was still flushed in excitement.

"Good, just like the usual, you only have one task." The coach spoke, not noticing the boy’s face dropped slightly at the instruction. "You see Hakodate’s best player? That number 10? I need you to suffocate him to death. Don’t give him any room to dance freely like that. Even if he passes through you, you have to make him remember that this is your territory! Do you understand?"

The boy’s gaze hardened immediately; no hint of disappointment could be seen anymore. "Yes, Sensei!" 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Good!" The coach patted his back in satisfaction. "Go on! Kill that country bumpkins’ dream of beating us!"

Then, with five minutes to go, Kumiko’s worst nightmare finally became reality. Sappotani subbed in Hiroyuki, trying to kill any uncertainty in this game.