The referee’s decision was enough to let all the supporters on the stand breathe in relief. Even though most of them couldn’t see everything clearly, having a situation where they were so close to suffering a penalty kick was never good for their heart, so it was good that the referee was on their side right now.
However, that didn’t mean that they would let this incident go, especially when the perpetrator himself had already been making so many mistakes since the game began.
"What the hell is that idiot doing?!"
"Yeah, this should be his third time, right?! And you tell me we brought him for a fucking 15 million Euros?!"
"What a fucking waste of money!"
The curses around the stand were so harsh that Minami couldn’t help but cover Chiaki’s ears unconsciously. She also turned to Kumiko, who knew about football the best, and couldn’t help but ask, "Is the situation really that bad? They are cursing that number 4, right? I swear, Ryukkun told me that he is a good player."
"Yeah, he is indeed a good player and a warm person outside of the pitch. At least, that is what Ryukkun told us." Kumiko nodded. "However, it is clear that he is not in his best state today. He has been the team’s weakest link since the goal earlier, and if he couldn’t recover as quickly as possible, the curses around him would only be worse."
Her eyes were still on the binoculars that she carried since the beginning of the game, watching Higo’s interaction with the players around him. The girl was so worried right now, knowing that with her boyfriend’s temper, there was no way he would be quiet when his teammates were underperforming like this.
’Just... Please, don’t say anything that could backfire on you, Ryukkun...’
Fortunately, Higo might have a fiery temper, but he also knew how to talk to people. While the boy scolded Ozan Kabak with some harsh words, everything he said was still within a professional scope, so if the Turkish man had a problem, that just showed that he couldn’t handle criticism.
The other players also approved this message, especially Oczipka, who had to fight alongside Ozan. The man had to be the one who cleaned up everything whenever his partner made a big mess, so having someone to point out this problem was enough to bring relief on his side.
Still, the team couldn’t really get into an internal conflict right now, not in the middle of the game. Whatever dissatisfaction they had would have to wait at least until the break later. Right now, they still had to think of a way to survive Hoffenheim’s wave of attack, as they seemed to be way more furious than ever.
"Bastian-san, they will be faster and more aggressive, so don’t tease them too much. I will clear it away without hesitation when I see one that I cannot handle, so I suggest you do the same as well." Higo whispered to Oczipka secretly.
The center back nodded solemnly, not wanting to take too much risk as well. He was not the one who was comfortable handling the ball with his foot for so long in the first place, so this approach really suited him.
Unfortunately, the rest of the team didn’t think so.
The next couple of minutes seemed to be a test for Higo’s heart, as everyone seemed to like to control the ball in the most dangerous area when the threat looming around was still at its peak.
It would be okay for some players who were good at facing the pressure like Morita, as the boy would always be able to defend himself or even force a foul when things went worse. However, when it was a clumsy and slow-witted player like Ozan Kabak or Jonjoe Kenny who did that, Higo could feel sweat cold on his back, having to get ready for any mistake that could happen in his area.
Of course, he would also receive some dangerous passes here. It was normal for a goalkeeper to be the last resort when the defensive line got pressured heavily by the opponent, and Higo thought that he was doing a great job by always clearing it away from his territory. However, it seemed that the coach wasn’t satisfied with his performance.
"Be calmer, Higo! Don’t throw it away so easily! Keep it playing low!"
At least, that was what Frohling shouted from the bench. It seemed that he, just like anyone in this team, had an obsession with how a goalkeeper should play on the pitch. Of course, Higo just nodded quietly while also cursing secretly in his heart.
’Fuck keeping it low! When someone messes up, it would be me who has to clean their ass later!’
In his mind, he still remembered the first time Kumiko invited him to the Hakodate Nishi football club, when the girl explained his job in the team.
’Your task is simple. Just try to stop anyone from scoring into your goal. Other than that, it shouldn’t be your concern.’
This was at least what Higo always thought even after getting used to a sweeper-keeper role here. He would never trade away the safety of his goal just so that the team could have more possession in the most dangerous area possible.
Then, the scenario that Higo was afraid of the most finally happened.
In the 23rd minute of the game, Hofmann couldn’t hold on against the pressure of two players. He tried to pass the ball back to Oczipka, but the midfielder couldn’t muster his strength when he was being pulled by the opponent. As a result, the pass he sent was too short, and the one who harassed him managed to shorten the distance immediately, snatching the ball away from those two.
"FUCK!" Both Hofmann and Oczika cursed simultaneously, wanting to rush back to recover the ball they had just lost.
However, Hoffenheim had already moved fast, as the player there delivered a decisive through ball to the other side of the flank, where one particular player had already been waiting for that.
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