The match with Aomori Seiran starts in this volume. We get to see an example of players leaving Coach Narimiya in favor of youth clubs. Looking at it from his perspective you can understand why he has a chip on his shoulder. It’s good to showcase guys like Sajiema who find success with a youth club.
This is the first time we get a focus on Yutaka Yamada who is playing the fullback opposite Ashito. He is another upcoming national player that does a lot for Esperion. It’s quite amusing to see Ashito be awed by Yamada, but as Fukuda points out he is an offensive fullback. What Fukuda has always wanted from Ashito is to be a master of both offense and defense equally. Not to mention Yamada has offensive traits that Yamada lacks.
As Esperion plays their possession style we see Aomori Seiran making some outstanding adjustments. Essentially the goal is to force Esperion to move through what is considered their weakness which is their left flank. Aomori Seiran wants Ashito to be the one that beats them, but by doing so he has to beat one of their best defenders in Haneda. It seems weird to put him on Ashito, but if you want Esperion to beat you with their weakness it makes sense.
Now going back to Yamada while they are using an old-school man-to-man defense they are making sure Yamada can’t get the ball again. It’s an interesting strategy because everyone who isn’t Haneda keeps an eye on Yamada. Of course keeping their eye on the man they have marked. It definitely is not an easy strategy and it works because they don’t believe Ashito can beat them essentially.
Of course the question of how they could foresee Ashito and Yamada being a pair. Well Coach Narimya as we have seen so far is very tenacious. It fits that he would implement strategies for each combination of fullbacks. It really shows that he is aiming to win this match.
Fukuda makes the adjustments to use the Akiyama plan. Now that is one adjustment I would be surprised if Coach Narimya would prepare for this. It is a gamble because the goalkeeper taking the ball out is an insane risk. However Akiyama has good field skills and this puts the pressure on Aomori Seiran’s man-to-man defense. Goalkeepers aren’t accounted for, so naturally someone would leave their mark to go after Akiyama. Which we see gives Esperion an opportunity that doesn’t force Ashito to beat Haneda. It’s interesting to see this is the kind of pressure that Akiyama thrives on despite how anxious it makes him feel.
On the flipside through Aomori Seiran’s goalkeeper Makimura is an example of how tough Esperion is. He was also a goalkeeper for them, but rather than being behind Akiyama they let him go because of his height, which is something that he can’t control. He is the type of player that Coach Narimiya wants because he is motivated to prove Esperion wrong. Furthermore, he can make a save that Fukuda didn’t envision he could do when he was in Esperion at the end of the volume.
