7. Team Y’s Frustrating Playstyle

Raichi scolded Naruhaya for letting Okawa run free, but Naruhaya defended himself, saying he needed help to stop Okawa and couldn’t mark him alone. Kuon tried to calm the situation, reminding everyone that they had only conceded one goal.

The game resumed. Naruhaya sent a cross toward Kuon, who was positioned in Team Y’s defensive area. Using his impressive leaping ability, Kuon headed the ball toward Kunigami. However, Kunigami was too slow in deciding his next move, allowing Niko to intercept the ball.

After that, Niko and Team Y’s players continued to pass the ball around in their defensive area to waste time during the last 10 minutes, making the most of their 1-0 lead. As a result, Team Z struggled to reclaim possession until the first half ended.

8. Team Z’s Locker Room

In the locker room, Raichi was furious that Team Z failed to regain control of the ball from Team Y, especially since it was his turn to be the striker during the last 10 minutes. Naruhaya argued that focusing on defense and not rotating strikers at the end of the first half was the right decision, as another goal from Team Y would spell disaster for Team Z. Igaguri urged Naruhaya and Raichi to stop arguing, pointing out that even professional players have difficulty breaking through “bus parking” defenses.

Chigiri added that instead of relying on ineffective weapons, it was better for Team Z to focus on players like Bachira and Kunigami, who had proven capable of putting pressure on Team Y. Raichi was irritated by Chigiri’s comment and tried to confront him, but Kuon quickly stepped in to defuse the tension.

Kuon insisted that changing their strategy mid-game was too risky and maintained his confidence in the “My Turn to Be Striker” plan. He believed that Team Y would eventually crumble if Team Z kept rotating their key players and urged his team not to fear Okawa’s counterattacks.

9. Isagi’s Genius Play and Gagamaru’s Goal

Team Y began the second half by continuously passing the ball in their defensive area to waste time, capitalizing on their 1-0 lead. As a result, Team Z struggled to regain possession. Imamura, who had his turn as the striker, grew frustrated because he couldn’t showcase his skills due to Team Z’s inability to control the ball.

Imamura compared the difficulty of stealing the ball from Team Y to winning the affection of a cold-hearted girl—hard to conquer but utterly captivating once she falls in love. Lost in his daydreams, Imamura’s pressing became ineffective, causing him to slip when facing a Team Y player. However, thanks to Imamura’s initial pressure, Gagamaru successfully intercepted the ball from Team Y.

Gagamaru then passed the ball to Isagi. Isagi quickly sent a cross into Team Y’s penalty area. Determined not to waste his chance as a striker, Gagamaru used his agility to head the ball from Isagi’s cross, but Team Y’s goalkeeper managed to deflect the ball out of bounds, resulting in a corner kick for Team Z.

Team Z was given a corner kick opportunity. All Team Z players crowded inside Team Y’s penalty box, hoping to score a goal. Fortunately, Isagi Yoichi’s instincts proved correct—he anticipated that Team Y’s goalkeeper would deflect the corner kick toward Niko, who would then pass the ball to Okawa for a counterattack.

As expected, Isagi intercepted the ball aimed at Niko and attempted a long-range shot toward Team Y’s goal. Although Niko managed to block the shot, the ball continued its trajectory toward the goal. Gagamaru seized the opportunity and successfully scored, tying the game 1-1 with Team Y.