"Crush them all!!" Berges head to our defence line while dribbling with a straight course.

Since from the beginning, our team cannot hold the ball much longer as the opponent much more experience than us. The only one that can put up a fight is Klar... but this is a team sport... one guy can't assure the team's victory. So I've to think something before it will get worse.

This is something that I expected for a big man like him when leading at the frontline. He simply rams the defenders with his physic... like a bowling game. The others can only brush aside when confronting him. His brute strength is the real deal!

"Berges, this is as far as you can go-- Guwahh!!" that guy just now doing some spinning while in mid-air. A moment of silence for him...

"Aiza!" I can hear Deg's shouting from afar

Berges head straight with an evil smirk. Now the only left is two of our defenders and me. What should I do... plan... plan...

I want to command the defenders to intercept him... but that would be a suicide mission for them. The others are chasing him from the back but they won't make it time.

"Aiza! I'll crush your face for good!!"

Does he want to aim my face? I see... so right now in his head is full on how to humiliate me or something without showing the real intent. In other words, he's playing with his emotions, and not his brain.

"You two, move slowly back to the penalty area. Cover my right and left that has some room. In fact, try to narrow his shoot vision!"

"Okay!"

If he tries to aim my face, then that's good. the course will be clear for me to intercept! I do not know if he does truly hates me or not... but if he seriously does... then the possibilities are...

"Come!" I put all the effort to make me smile as wicked as would be... all so that he can take the bait.

His face suddenly looks rage as he ready to swing his right leg to the ball. His distance is near outside the penalty area... so his shot might not strong as the starter...

"Eat this, Aiza!" he releases the blast by kicking with hard... without anyone interferes it. That loud sound from his blast really scares me!

But...

I can see it! it went straight to me with fast... way too fast! In addition, the ball is spinning with hard so catching it would be a foolish idea.

What's the best option... punching? parry it? damn... I don't have time for this thinking! I put my arm together act as a shield and cover my face to avoid any necessary injuries.

I can't see what's in front of me... but abruptly, the ball is finally hit my arm. Geh, what a power! my arm cannot hold this destructive blow, my body is almost lost its balance because of it.

I can't back down! I strengthen my arm to repel that ball... and I succeeds. But in return, my body fall backwards by that power. My arm feels stings and hot, but still...!

"Clear the ball!" 

They kick the ball forward without thinking much after hearing my shout. For now, we're safe... but there's no telling what kind of attacks waiting for me.

I rub my right arm gently, Its hurt a bit but it really worth it...

"Aiza, nice block!" the defender guys praising me. Those words really fired me up.

I want to say thanks by mentioning their name but I do not know their name... so all I can do is smile back at them and showing that I'm fine.

But... this is bad...

If their attacks keep continues, the chances of their scoring will rise too. So I have to keep their chances as low as possible. I've quite memories of the matches that I watched with my father, so I have quite a few ideas to make a strategy to try. Maybe it will work against our opponent, but it will depend on our defenders whether they obey it or not.

Just about time, the ball is rolling out of the line cause from the opponent make the tackles.

Let's give a shot!

"All defenders, come near me... I have an idea"

They come at me with a questioning face. It's the first time for me to give a direct order... and I quite tremble for it. But if I don't take the first step forward... I'll not improve forever. I must sound confident if I want them to believe me! 

********************************************************************

The second half is already in the midway and the game still continues with our score is both zero, plus we still not making any progress in attacking. That's how good they are to us. But they also not making any goal too since Klar was frequently gone down to help the defenders. 

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"Damn, why can we score against these amateurs?" I can hear one of their strikers... whining not far from my stand.

"Yeah, somehow our shots are always hit the post and the bar. They sure have a luck of the devil! But let's keep continue until their defenders are out of gas!" Berges said while patting his partner's back

"You're right. They are just lucky... that's all"

Luck of the devil? You're sorely mistaken, Berges. All those miss attacks by your team are not pure luck by any mean... it's because of my keen observation, a neat calculation and the right timing to execute it... that's the true story here.

I deliberate by rearranging the defenders until looks like a mess when your team are attacking. If one of your guys enters the penalty area, one of my defenders will do the pressuring and the other one will try to narrow their vision of scoring for me. If one doesn't enough, I'll put two... maybe three if the situation permits it.

If they passing to another guy... the plan is still the same but just changing to a defender that is near them. This plan only works when the opponent has entered the penalty area. So you guys must have no choice but to strike from afar or randomly shot from your place. I know this plan looks boring for the audience... but it much more effective for us to avoid any risk game

 But the price is...

"Have you no shame? all of you guys are camping at the bottom, don't you want to win or something?!" Berges shout with a rough voice

That's right... the price is... we can't make any attack while using this tactic because it requires a lot of men and stamina to do it. The less man we have, our stamina will drain faster than we anticipated.

Took a glance at my watches... I think its almost time for me to use that trap.

I raise my hand to show a sign of the next scheme to our guys... and they nodded shows understood my intention. The midfielder and defenders walk forward and widening their position until there's a big gap that visibly shown to him.

"Of course I don't. I prefer to draw rather than losing. With that, we'll be an equal" I hope he notices this.

"In your dream!"

The ball is with his midfielders so he running straight to the big space that been left by our midfielders. He caught it! Now is about time to raise that trap!

The guys in defender are always looked back waiting for my instruction. I nodded to them, sign that the three of them must walk forward with fast but make it unnoticed by the enemy and the last defender will follow from behind. Leaving a further gap between me and them.

He will take this chance after looking this much space that we created

"Hey!" Berges ask for a long pass from his teammates. 

Just his teammates about to kick, my last defender is already walking past him. I can see his eagerness to score a goal... enough to call it blind for not to see such a visible trap.

After he receives it, his face begins to smile... unexpectedly look evil to me," hehehe, you're dead!"

He rushes towards me like there's no tomorrow... but his movement is suddenly frozen by the sound of the whistle. He noticed that the assistant referee has already raised the flag... a sign of offside.

"Wha... offside!? me!?"

This tactic called high lines. It's going well to counter a team that has a high offensive but its a high risk as well since the defence line is way too high in front... leaving the goalkeeper alone here.

"Lucky~"

"Aiza...!" 

Good... we manage to hold them for this long... and it's about time to enters the final phase of my plan. I can see Mr Gil is staring at his watches.

"Three more minutes" he shouts

"Alright, back home you guys! we'll defend until the final whistle!" I ordering them to go back for defending. I intentionally shout with a clear voice, to get Berges's team attention.

"Yeah!"

In this tight situation, those who thought highly about themselves will surely rage by our action. They will go into a simple one-way of thinking... and that is... all-out attacks!

"Everyone... launch an all-out attack on them!!" Berges shouts... following with all of his teammates. Heh... right on the mark.

I can tell because... if anyone who capable of winning in something but suddenly being pressed into the corner... their mind will be thinking only one thing... win!

 They too much pride to taste the bitterness of defeat and humiliations so they will do anything to make them a winner in the end. Thus, I take that to my advantage in this game.

They keep passing around to avoid any contact by our team. Some of them try to rush in but being block by two defenders. Even Berges play with careful as to not make any silly foul... because the foul will become more sensitive in near the defensive line rather in the middle.

They also cannot go randomly shots like they pleased. If they do, they only waste the time. So judging by the time, they only got one shot. They try to search for the opening but with my arrangement for the defenders... you will find it difficult... trust me, Berges.

The time is running out. They will release a desperate shot. And my 'key' is all set to go.

"We don't have much time. Pass to me. I'll end it!" so it comes down to his shot after all

Even if it's you, I bet that you'll not make a rising shot that only has a 34% rate of success. So it will be either from the ground or around my hip for a safe bet.

Hmm... he's running to my right... maybe for a crossing," Guys, watch for the crossing inside the post-"

Wait.... something's not right. He's shooting... with his left leg? Isn't all of his shots come from his major leg, his right leg? but from his stance...this is not his earlier motion of shooting. 

A ball spinning with a swing arc toward to my top of the right post. It's a curling shot! Damn.... I thought he just a monster with only has one card to play!

But its heads close to a middle... I can catch it!

I jump to the top right and manage to catch it firmly. Luckily, unlike his earlier shot, its lack of power, speed and spin... and because of that, it went a little to the middle. Now this I called luck

To be honest, I was hoping for a shit ball that comes from the defenders blocking the shot. But this is good too... in fact, better.

Since the enemy has left only one defender in the mid, and the whistle is already at Mr Gil's lips...now's the right time to strike! It's now or never! "Go, Klar!!" I throw the ball at him with all might.

Klar intercepts it and runs while dribbling the ball. I have to admit that he's not bluffing after all. Earlier, I can't even see how skillfully he is, but after seeing he dribble with agile and past over that single defender... I kneel for defeated.

The enemy can't match up to his speed, plus for the time he get's the ball... he's already near the middle so catching up to him would definitely hopeless. Right after he enters the enemy's penalty area... he immediately swings hard of his leg and rams it at the ball. It went straight to the left and reach the inner net

The goalkeeper's reaction tells me that even I've mentally prepared for it, I can't lay that ball for as it so damn fast. But that's that... the end of the line is we score against you guys!

Heh...

Looking at how joyful my team celebrate it... I feel like all those matches that I watched with my father... is paying off