Both teams return to the pitch. The fourth official raises his board showing Shūdan-teki's changes: 2 (Ueno) off → 3 (Kinoshita) on. 7 (Tanaka) off → 30 (Yasuda) on.
The Tōen players immediately notice.
"Two changes already…?" Teppei mutters, puzzled.
"Yeah, weird. Looks like they're trying to bulk up the defense… not what I expected from Shūdan-teki," Kadoshima replies.
Up in the stands, Kagayama checks the numbers. "Aliberti isn't coming in yet…" she says, disappointed.
Kirishima grins at her reaction. "Relax, he'll show up. I'm sure of it."
Shūdan-teki have the kickoff.
At the whistle, Kaneko taps the ball back to Nishimura, who's positioned much deeper than usual.
Tōen's coach narrows his eyes from the bench. "They switched to a 3-5-2… so they're going defensive."
Shūdan-teki begin circulating the ball patiently, waiting for Tōen's next move.
On the bench, Tanaka sits beside Riccardo, visibly annoyed. Riccardo notices.
"You hid it well earlier, but that sub stung, huh?"
"Yeah… a lot. I still had more to give."
Riccardo smiles sympathetically. "I get it. I wish I could be out there helping too…"
His gaze drifts back to the field.
Lately I feel completely useless… like I'm not helping anyone…
Coach Ishii's shout snaps him out of it.
"Watch the spaces! Shift!"
Taichi drives forward into Shūdan-teki's half, but Yasuda sticks to him like glue.
Great… as if the number 5 wasn't enough, now there's another workhorse on me!? Taichi fumes internally.
"Taichi, back!" Naruse calls.
He turns and lays it off. Naruse pushes up, spotting a vertical lane for Kanzaki—but Noguchi steps in from behind and wins it cleanly. The loose ball falls to Tamura.
Damn it! There are too many of them in the middle! I'm useless like this! Kanzaki thinks, frustrated.
Tamura switches the play, Ono feeds Shimizu on the right flank, and the fullback surges forward.
"Here!" Nishimura offers support, drawing a bit of attention— but Shimizu ignores it and goes for a straight pace duel instead, knocking the ball forward and burning past his man.
He reaches the byline and whips a cross in—too short. The first defender clears it.
Naruse wins the second ball and looks up. Ono lost his mark on Tōen's number 22.
He passes, but instead of controlling, the midfielder immediately returns it to Naruse, surprising both teams.
Without hesitation, Naruse launches a long diagonal toward Teppei on the left. Teppei controls smoothly, Tamura closes him down, but he pushes wider, scans the box,
Three defenders crowd the area. No cross possible.
He looks again. The 22 has arrived in support. One touch, then he swings it to Kadoshima on the opposite side.
Kadoshima cuts inside for a shot—Noguchi blocks it out for a corner.
"Nice one, captain!" Kinoshita says, slapping Noguchi's hand.
Kadoshima sets up the corner. The jumpers gather.
Teppei approaches. "Are we running the corner routine?"
Kadoshima thinks. "…Yeah. They're stacked in the box now. Time to surprise them."
He raises his arm. The signal.
The jumpers all drift away from the six-yard box.
Short corner. Teppei receives, angles toward the byline, dragging Nishimura with him.
The Tōen jumpers push forward. Teppei slips into the box and curls in a high driven ball that cuts out Andou completely.
Naruse rises and heads it home from close range.
50:03 — Shūdan-teki 1 | 1 Tōen
Tōen explode in celebration.
Taichi grabs Naruse around the neck. "Great header, rookie!"
Coach Ishii watches, unimpressed. "Didn't even get the chance to force their hands…"
He turns toward the bench, thinking intensely.
Riccardo watches him, uneasy. That look again… what is he planning now?
"Aliberti, a question."
Riccardo stiffens. "Y-yes?"
The two begin talking quietly while Coach Suzuki organizes the players on the field.
Tōen's coach notices movement. "Already planning another adjustment? Then we'll need changes of our own…"
Play resumes. Tamura receives after the kickoff, passes to Ono, who spins past his marker with a low center of gravity.
He gives it to Shimizu—but Naruse suddenly presses with fire in his eyes.
They're pumped from the goal!
Under pressure, Shimizu panics. He turns and plays a ball awkwardly between Ono and Tamura—neither reacts.
Teppei steals it.
"Shit!" Shimizu snaps.
In two touches, Teppei slips Kanzaki through the gap between Aoki and Noguchi.Kanzaki bursts into the box and cuts a low ball across—
Kadoshima times his run perfectly, beating Kinoshita and slotting it past Andou.
52:12 — Shūdan-teki 1 | 2 Tōen
Total shock spreads—from the players to the stands.
Yuzuki fumes. "How do you concede a goal like THAT?"
Sato can't even answer.
Tōen's coach steps up to the fourth official. "Two changes."
Coach Suzuki joins him. "We have changes too."
The first subs: 6 off → 14 on. 2 off → 20 on.
Coach Suzuki eyes number 20. They changed their left back, he was tired of Shimizu's forays...
"Substitutions for Shūdan-teki!" the referee announces.
8 (Ono) off → 45 (Nakamura) on.
All eyes are on... Riccardo Yui Aliberti.
Kaneko sees him on the sideline as he receives final instructions from Coach Ishii.
So it's my time after all…
In the stands, students erupt.
"He's coming in!" Kirishima shouts.
The board goes up.
Shūdan-teki players freeze.
11 (Shimizu) off → 24 (Aliberti) on.
"What the hell…?" Kaneko mutters, half-stepping forward as if he expected his own number.
Shimizu walks off, confused.
Yuzuki's jaw drops. "They're subbing out a winger to bring Riccardo in!?"
Nishimura and Kaneko rush to him.
"What's going on?" Nishimura asks.
Riccardo answers calmly, "Looks like we're going back to 4-3-3… and I'll be your right winger."
The two stare at him.
"…Eh?" they say in unison.