Author’s note: Thanks to KosherBeef52, Masatoshi_K, and Crazyjr96 for the 40 Golden Tickets in total! I really appreciate the support!

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It was the day after the game was over, and honestly, since the team had just won and created history for the Hokkaido team, the atmosphere should be festive. While they couldn’t go too crazy with them not being in their hometown, at least some celebration should be made here and there. However, right now, they couldn’t really do that, as the air was somber among the players.

The reason was simple. Somehow, the Daily Sports, that bastard media platform, decided to strike again. This time, they really intended to drag Kumiko’s name through the mud, not only trying to dismiss her role but even criticizing her for holding back the team.

Hakodate Nishi High’s Narrow Victory Sparks Debate Over Tactics and Leadership

Hakodate Nishi High from Hokkaido secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Hannan University High from Osaka in the third round of the national tournament. The match saw Hiroshi Tsuburaya open the scoring in the 25th minute with a stunning free kick from just three meters outside the penalty area. However, the celebration was short-lived as Denki Hotaru scored an own goal, leveling the score at 1-1 in the 48th minute of the game.

The game was interrupted for 15 minutes due to heavy snow, which severely affected the gameplay. Despite the weather, Hakodate Nishi managed to push forward, and substitute Yuji Kato emerged as the hero, netting the winning goal in the 77th minute after replacing Kenji Makabe. This victory has left many questioning whether the team’s resilience and talent are truly enough to carry them forward.

In a surprising turn, Hakodate Nishi’s typically ultra-defensive style appeared to shift as they gained control of the midfield. The star of this transformation was number 8, Takaaki Morofushi, whose performance drew comparisons to Koki Morita, widely regarded as the best young player in the country. Morofushi displayed exceptional vision, game-reading ability, and the ability to dictate the tempo of the match — qualities that seemed to speak of a player ready to take the next step.

This sudden emergence raises a big question: how could such a talented player like Takaaki Morofushi only start to shine now, in the third round, instead of from the very beginning of the tournament?

Critics are quick to point the finger at the team’s head coach, blaming his inexperience for holding back the team’s full potential. The stubbornness to stick to their ultra-defensive strategy, even when it’s clearly limiting their offensive capabilities, is seen as a major flaw. The article argues that this approach is harming the development of talented players like Morofushi, who could flourish in a more balanced system. It’s also suggested that the coach’s obsession with winning at all costs is preventing Hakodate Nishi from playing beautiful, attacking football — football they proved they are capable of in this game.

Ultimately, the question remains: with such talented players at their disposal, is the coach’s presence more of a burden than an asset, potentially holding back the team’s true potential?

"Fuck! Who do they think they are?!" Higo growled, having to hold back the urge to slam his own phone to the floor out of fury. "Once or twice, they might still say they are not targeting Kumiko-chan, but this?! This fucker really picks up a fight against us, huh?!"

"Yeah, and they even dragged my name into this." Takaaki pushed his glasses upward to hide the frown on his face. "Whoever wrote this definitely wants me to have a conflict against Shishida-senpai, huh?"

The other players also nodded solemnly, still reading through the article with eyes full of hatred. Hell, Makino even had his palm so white from clutching his phone so tight, and if he exerted more strength there, the phone was sure going to be destroyed instantly.

"Where is Kumiko-chan? Has she read the article yet?" He asked.

"She is still sleeping. I think she pulls an all-nighter to review our next opponent’s game." Kuroki shook his head as an answer.

Hearing the boy’s answer, the atmosphere turned somber once again. The article might try to throw some shade at Kumiko, wanting to create a crack inside the team. However, all the players here knew that out of everyone else in the world, the girl was the only one who thought of them as a team the most. She might be the only one who was willing to stay all night without sleeping after the game was over so that they could start their preparation again the next day.

Honestly, the girl might not be perfect, but her love for the whole team couldn’t be denied.

"Fuck it, Teme! Think something! What should we do?!" Higo asked—well, demanded an answer from the captain impatiently.

"Shut up for a second, Chibi! I am also thinking right now!" Makino sighed helplessly. "We have already heard from Kumiko-chan that the headmaster and some people back home will help with the legal matter, but that will take a long time. We also cannot attack that platform. I mean, they are definitely bigger than us. So, how do you think we should fight this shit?!"

Silence followed as indeed, this was not the easiest problem to deal with. No matter how much Higo cursed even on the Internet, the Daily Sports could just block him from their platform. As for a different method... Well, nothing came to his mind, which was why the boy was so dejected right now.

"Wait a second..." Takaaki suddenly blinked as if an idea had popped into his head. "How about this?" He suddenly asked the rest of the team to get closer before starting to explain his idea.

At first, some of them just paid attention casually, with their mind wandering around. However, the more Takaaki talked, the more everyone liked his idea, finding this to be suitable to fight the Daily Sports.

"The problem, though, is that we are not big enough." Makino sighed once again after pondering the possibility of the idea. "Without more exposure, who would pay attention to that?"

All the players frowned immediately, knowing that this was the most crucial phase here. However, Higo just blinked for a moment, something suddenly coming to his mind. "Um... I think I know someone from the media circle who can help us. Let me call her first..."