The Rise of the Iron Wall!

Chapter 338: A Malicious Article from Daily Sports!

The morning training itself was always similar every day since they were in Yokohama. They would go to the nearest pitch where the organizer had assigned them as their home base, starting everything with morning jogging for about thirty minutes before they played with the ball. It was also not a high-intensity one, just a little one-two touches pass, a game of rondo, and something similar.

Everything was to be done cautiously in an attempt to keep themselves sharp while also avoiding straining their body in a tight schedule in this tournament.

Once everything was over, at least two hours had passed, and they would be back for breakfast before starting their routine meeting to talk about their next opponent. Then, before the weather got too cold, the team would have one more training session at noon, this time focusing more on their opponent for the next round.

However, their morning routine was somehow disturbed after the breakfast session, where Hori coughed violently out of nowhere while reading an article on his phone.

"What the hell..." He murmured, anger and disbelief built up inside him. "Hey, everyone! That fucker, Daily Sports, uploads an article about us! Quick, read it!" He shouted at the others.

Higo also frowned when he heard that. The boy remembered quite well that the Daily Sports was the platform that Kumiko always ranted on about in the past for looking down on her. Before, he would still think that the girl was exaggerating and that the platform wasn’t targeting her maliciously. However, after reading the article there...

Hakodate Nishi High’s Miracle Win Sparks Debate Over Their Style of Play.

Hakodate Nishi High from Hokkaido pulled off a shocking victory in the second round of the National Winter Tournament, defeating Shohei High from Saitama in a tense penalty shootout. The match ended in a 1-1 draw after regular time, with Hiroshi Tsuburaya scoring for Hakodate Nishi in the 52nd minute. Shohei High equalized in stoppage time through Hiroki Kawabe’s penalty, but Hakodate Nishi held their nerve and triumphed 3-1 in penalties, leaving many fans surprised and questioning whether this team truly represents the future of Japanese football.

However, as the excitement settled, questions began to arise about the way Hakodate Nishi plays football. Critics argue that their ultra-defensive strategy is not a good example for the sport in Japan. The team’s tactics saw all 11 players packed into their own half for most of the game.

Data showed that Hakodate Nishi only enjoyed 11 percent possession during the 90 minutes, a stark contrast to Shohei High’s 89 percent. Moreover, their players rarely crossed the halfway line, with only a handful of long passes and crosses, which critics say shows a lack of desire to attack and develop the game. Many believe this style of play is harmful to the growth of Japanese football, branding it as disruptive and counterproductive for the sport’s future in the country.

Adding to the controversy, Hakodate Nishi’s team also displayed immature behavior on the field. At the end of the second half, midfielder Fujinaga Sakuya lost his temper and violently challenged the referee’s decision, earning a red card and leaving his team with ten players.

It was widely blamed on the team’s leadership, or rather the lack of it, as the team is led by a rookie head coach — a young girl with little experience managing a team at this level. Many are now questioning whether Hakodate Nishi’s surprising victory truly reflects their strength or if they are simply a product of unorthodox tactics and reckless behavior, raising doubts about whether they deserve to be in this position at all.

"Fucking hell... They didn’t even write her name at all..." Higo hissed venomously, a thick vein popped on his forehead. "Fuck! This is blatant targeting of Kumiko-chan and the team! Who the fuck do they think they are?!"

The words echoed throughout the room instantly, as everyone cursed together at almost the same time.

"FUCK DAILY SPORTS! HOW DARE THEY?!"

"They are not even playing, and they dare to mock us for winning?! And what do they mean by whether we deserve to be here or not?!"

"Shit! Let’s go to their social media and give our piece of mind!"

Well, Higo didn’t need anyone to command him. Right after he finished reading the article, the boy went to his social media immediately, posting one short message there.

R_Higo14: Fuck Daily Sports!

That simple post, like an ember, was enough to ignite the spirit of rebellion from the rest of the team.

"Yeah, fuck Daily Sports!"

"Fuck Daily Sports!"

While everyone was busy cursing that platform, Kumiko also read everything silently. Her face darkened, but the girl was calm enough to handle this situation. Well, to be more exact, she didn’t really handle this situation alone, as a message popped up on her screen.

Erika Sawada: Don’t worry, Love! Your boys have already shared their lovely thoughts on social media, and our interview video is almost done! Miwako-chan will also send her support on social media, so you are not fighting alone! Come on, fuck Daily Sports! XD

The girl couldn’t help but snort at the last emoticon there. ’Erika Sawada sure is an interesting woman, huh?’ She couldn’t help but mutter.

While she was busy scrolling through her phone, so many messages popped up on her screen that the girl was quite overwhelmed. It seemed people were concerned about her state, wanting to know what was going on with her and the Daily Sports. Before Kumiko could answer, though, a call suddenly popped up there, and she couldn’t help but blink at the name written there.

"Good morning, Headmaster..." She greeted the man on the other end of the phone politely.

"Hahaha! Good morning as well, Shishida-san! I haven’t given you my congratulations, right?! Third round of the tournament! Hahaha! You have done a great job to make our school proud!"

Kumiko’s lips twitched a little here. The one who called her right now was the school’s headmaster, and after having her mood dragged down to rock bottom by that damn article, it was nice to hear that boisterous laughter from the man back in Hakodate.

"Anyway, I have read the article from that Daily Sports..." The headmaster’s tone suddenly turned somber, showing that he wasn’t playing around here. "They dare to paint us as the villain here... Should we take legal action for defamation?"