My system allows me to copy talents

Lost in his thoughts, the opposing coach continued to scrutinize Hiro's every move. It wasn't just about his successful plays; he delved into the depths of his unsuccessful ones too. And, no matter how many times he recalled, it only reaffirmed one undeniable truth— change was needed.

With a decisive nod, he then swiveled on his heel, turning around to face his reserve players. Then, he swept his gaze across his players before barking some orders in a rather serious tone. No sooner had he finished ordering, than some players rose from their seats and started warming up.

It was quite evident that he was going to replace some of his players.

And, witnessing this scene, some of the opposing players felt their heart pounding. Just from a glance alone, they could tell who was going to get substituted. And, none of them wished to exit the game so early.

After a brief moment of celebration, everybody returned to their position to continue the game. Although the Japanese side had taken the lead, the game was still far from over. With more than 50 minutes left, victory remained elusive and the match remained an open canvas awaiting its final strokes.

And, as everybody positioned themselves, the referee's shrill whistle pierced the silence, igniting a flurry of movement from both teams.

Beep!!

With the referee's whistle, players of both teams sprung into action.

Witnessing the changes that were about to take place on the field, opposing players who felt their position threatened could no longer keep their composure as they craved an impact that would stabilize their spot in the team.

If they wanted to remain in the game then they had to deliver. Otherwise, they'd get substituted for sure.

Those threatened players scrambled to prove their worth.

And, because of such thoughts, they started becoming impatient which led to the disruption of the harmony in the team. With their playstyle differing from their teammates, their plays started becoming disoriented as they overlapped with their teammates which led to them making even more mistakes.

Their desperation only sowed discord in the team. And, due to this the once-cohesive unit now resembled scattered puzzle pieces.

It was an utter chaos on the field that even the commentator couldn't keep his mouth shut after watching them play in such a disorganized way. The way they played right now was completely different from before.

"It seems like the damage of that goal was much more severe than it appeared," the commentator mused as he linked the current performance of the opposing team with the aftermath of the goal they had conceded.

In a way, he was correct as well since their performance had started to fall off after that goal.

Yet, despite their faltering performances, the Japanese side still faltered to capitalize on the glaring vulnerabilities of the opposing side. Not that they didn't try, but their efforts were simply thwarted by those who remained steadfast, denying them from taking advantage.

The game had truly developed into a battle of resilience, where every misplaced pass and errant shot carried weight.

Then, just as the ball went out of bounds, the much- anticipated changes finally took place as the opposing team substituted two of their players even before the halftime whistle. Minutes were remaining on the clock and there was absolutely no need to make those changes right now. Yet, they still decided to go with the change.

With the addition of those new players, suddenly they started reverting to their original form. And, in no time, they even surpassed their original form. Not only did their gameplay become more stable, but they became even more dangerous afterward the addition of those two players.

Once again, the Japanese side was forced into defense.

And, as the clock ticked closer to halftime, the atmosphere grew increasingly charged. In that span of minutes left on the clock, the opposing side showered them with barrages of shots while the Japanese side prevailed, resisting the flurry of attack from the opposing players.

But with each missed opportunity, the opposing side became even more frustrated as their frustration bubbled to the surface, manifesting in heated exchanges and frantic gestures.

On the sidelines, Manager Haruki was watching the dominating performance of the opposing side with a mix of anxiety and determination. With seconds, remaining on the clock, all he could do right now was to have faith in his players.

After all, only after the halftime whistle would he be able to make some changes.

On the contrary, the opposing coach watched the match with much excitement.The decision to shake up the lineup had ignited a spark in his team and had completely transformed the team to the next level.

But still, he was a bit skeptical about the changes. He still couldn't be sure whether that spark would ignite a blaze of redemption or whither away before it could even salvage his team.

Then just as a powerful long-range shot of Diouf went awry, the referee blew his whistle announcing the end of the first half.

Beep!!

Finally, the Japanese side could take a moment to breathe. Facing the relentless attack of the opposing team had left them utterly exhausted.

And, no sooner had the shrill sound of the whistle resonated, instead of heading to the tunnel, most of them collapsed on the floor, breathing a sigh of relief.

They had persevered and they had successfully managed to defend their lead, despite the reluctance of the opposing players.

Shun's condition was the worst. Completely soaked in his sweat, he appeared out of breath. Well, why wouldn't he look bad? Considering the amount of saves he had made time after time, it was only natural for him to look so beat up.

Looking at the exhausted state of his players, Manager Haruki couldn't help but frown. Though they had managed to defend their lead, it was quite evident to him that the level of most of his players was lacking when compared to the opposing players.

Just like the opposing coach had done to his team, he too had to make some meaningful changes that would give life to this team. Then, while thinking of changes, he turned to look at Taki.