"Ryo, come over here for a second, please."
Head Coach Matsumoto's voice cut through the murmur of the resting players. The drills had ended a few minutes ago, giving everyone time to breathe before the scrimmage.
Ryo got up from where he was sitting on the grass and jogged over to the sidelines, where Matsumoto was looking down at his clipboard.
"Yes, Coach, you called for me?"
"Ryo, you're the only new player I have this year. Honestly, I haven't seen enough of you yet to know which position you'd fit best." He paused, finally lifting his eyes from his clipboard.
Right… He only saw me play for about an hour in total, while he's watched all the other players for years. I just hope he doesn't stick me on defense again. Ryo thought, surrendering himself to the thought of playing defense again.
"So I'll ask you this—what position do you want to play the most?"
Huh? Does this mean I get to choose what position I play in?
Ryo thought for a moment and, without hesitation, he bowed his head and said, "Coach, I'd like to play in the midfield."
"Oh?" Matsumoto's tone was flat, but his eyes sharpened slightly. "And why midfield?" He asked, seemingly uninterested in Ryo's request, but in reality, he was just testing Ryo's resolve.
"I like being able to move freely, Coach. I can drop back to defend, or push forward on the attack, without being restricted to any part of the field." Ryo paused, then, slightly embarrassed, he added. "Also, if I play as a striker, then I won't get to play with Ren-nii that much."
His words lingered in the air until Matsumoto broke the silence and chuckled. "Very well, Ryo. I like where your head is at. Today we will be playing in a 4–4–2 formation, so I'll put you in as a left midfielder."
Ryo widened his eyes. Yes! I get to play on the attack now!
"Thank you, coach!" Ryo said, almost shouting from excitement.
"You're welcome." Matsumoto moved to the sideline, then raised his voice. "First team, gather around!"
The players assembled quickly. Matsumoto jotted a few last notes before addressing them.
"Today's formation is a 4–4–2 layout. I want you all to focus on the drill we went through in this game. I am looking for good passes, solid teamwork, and good strategy between you all. The game will be 90 minutes, but since it is a scrimmage, we will have many breaks and substitutions, so everyone will have a chance to play. The starting players are on this sheet," he said, handing over the clipboard to the players, "so look over it and prepare yourselves; we will be starting very soon."
As Matsumoto walked off toward the second team, the first team crowded around the clipboard, looking at the formation.
Ken's at left striker, Ren at right striker. Sadly, I'm not on Ren's flank… but Taiga's starting as left fullback. With Ken, that puts the three of us together on the left.
At that moment, a realization struck Ryo. Wait. Did Coach plan this all out since the drill? Did he purposefully let us three practice the most on our formation since we would be on the same side? Had Coach already decided to put me in left midfield before I even asked?
A lot of things made sense all of a sudden. When playing in a 4–4–2 formation, the fullbacks often move up to support the offense, shifting into a pseudo 3–5–2 or 3–4–3 formation. This makes it ideal for them to form triangles with the players along their flank. He purposefully had the three of them practice together in the drills, even though Taiga was a defender, so that they could refine their strategy.
Wow, Coach Matsumoto is a lot more calculating than I thought.
Without any more delay, Ryo headed to his position on the field and looked around. This is my first full game, even if it is just a scrimmage. I need to keep in mind my exhaustion level.
[Exhaustion: 22]
The short period of rest brought his exhaustion back down—an optimal condition for growth. I am wondering how much my stats will have increased by the end of the day.
As Ryo was absorbed in thought, a player came up to him and introduced himself. "Hello, Aoyama-kun. We'll probably be working together a lot, so I wanted to introduce myself. I'm Inoue Tomoya. Nice to meet you."
"Likewise," Ryo replied with a smile. "Let's have fun together."
Tomoya nodded and returned to his position. Ryo turned his head toward Ken and Taiga. They both look fired up.Good. Let's score plenty of goals.
{New Quest!}
(Situational Quest – Wait Your Turn!)
[It Is Not Your Time To Shine Yet, So Make Sure You Let Other Players Have Their Turn.]
[Give 2 Assists: 0/2]
[Penalty: Shooting -3]
[Reward: Acceleration +5]
The translucent screen shimmered before Ryo's eyes. He smiled. The System finally decided to show up. Thanks for the free stat points.
Just then, the whistle blew, and the game was set into motion.
For the first twenty minutes, both teams were feeling each other out, seeing what they were both capable of. There were a few attempts to break through, but the first team easily stopped these advances.
Ren was unusually quiet, almost holding himself back. Normally, he'd fight for every touch, but now he was roaming the field as if he were lost.
Maybe the coach told him to take it easy at first.
Either way, Ryo now had a good grasp on how the second team operated. They seemed to be missing some of the fluid teamwork and technical skills of those on the first team. Though they were not bad, they just weren't on the same level as the first team.
Still, the slow pace bored him. And his quest wasn't going to complete itself.
Right now, the second team has the ball, but they are setting up a strong attack. I need to find a good time to take control of the ball. Ryo fell back slightly, letting the central midfielders put pressure on the attack. Sure enough, Tomoya did a good job applying pressure, and the opponent panicked, carelessly sending a pass forward to his striker.
Ryo, sensing the opportunity to recover the ball before the striker gained complete control, locked eyes with Taiga behind him. It's the same setup as earlier.
So Ryo sprinted forward, and Taiga, knowing what Ryo wanted, started running upfield. Ken, who was further ahead, saw what was brewing, so he also prepared, distancing himself from the opponents.
Before the opposing striker could take control of the ball, Ryo slid into it, hitting it forward, and seamlessly got back to his feet and passed it to Taiga, who was running up the side of the pitch.
In an instant, their triangle took shape. What had been a calm midfield shifted into a sharp blade, cutting through the defense. Their movements were fluid: two of them drawing defenders, while one shifted into the open spaces. Every adjustment pulled the defense apart; no matter where the opponents tried to go, one of the three was always behind them, leading the attack.
Panic set in for the opponents, and they unconsciously gravitated towards the trio, hoping to stop their momentum. However, this left the other side almost completely void of opponents. When the ball came back to Ryo, instead of forcing it through the defenders, he hit a long pass with his left foot that cut across the field and landed in front of the penalty box, where Ren was already waiting without a mark.
Ren is alone against the goalie. There is no way he misses this.
Ren, being as skilled as he was, in one fluid motion, lightly tapped the ball, setting it up right in front of him, then planted his left foot, and his right foot swung through the ball, cleanly entering the goal.
The second team watched with disbelief as the ball settled into the back of the net.
"What happened?"
"Where was our defense?"
"I didn't even see it coming…"
The triangle is so effective. It is the football equivalent of a blitzkrieg. It hits fast and hard, and the opponents barely have time to react.
Before Ryo could savor his first assist before Ren came running over and picked him up.
"Wow, Ryo, that was so nice! The three of you did such a good job bringing the ball forward. I am so proud of my little brother," Ren said, almost moved to tears.
"Ren-nii, control yourself and put me down. We are still in a game," Ryo said, pushing Ren's face away from him, his cheeks heating up.
"No," Ren replied in a pouty voice, "This is punishment for what you did earlier; you need to be just as embarrassed as I was."
"Ugh, enough already, Ren-nii, put me down," Ryo groaned, turning even redder from his brother's act, wriggling in his strong grip. Some of the players around them burst into laughter at Ren's flamboyant celebration.
Finally, Ren set him down, grinning. "Fine, but we're not even yet."
As the celebration died down, Coach Matsumoto called out substitutions for the first team, and luckily, Ryo was not substituted out of the game.
For the rest of the scrimmage, the first team controlled the pace, barely allowing the second team to cross the midfield. Ren scored another goal from a quick break in the middle of the pitch. In the second half, Taiga, Ken, and Ryo struck again with their triangle formation, and Ryo was able to assist Ken in scoring his goal.
Not long after, the game ended and Ryo got the all-too-familiar notification.
{Quest Complete!}
(Situational Quest – Wait Your Turn!)
[Rewards: Acceleration +5]