Chapter 849: Morita Takes Over the Game!

Well, Werder Bremen players were in a rush after that goal happened, wanting to tie the score as quickly as possible. However, they forgot that besides assisting the ball, Morita had one more role that could turn their life into hell, and that was his ability to dictate the tempo and make the possession play become flawless for Schalke’s side.

"Come on, Cap! Move it back to me!"

"Nabil, someone behind you! Pass it back!"

"Don’t rush, Sead! Wait for a moment!"

"Up the tempo! Don’t let them touch you!"

Somehow, the command on the midfield was taken by Morita like it was the most natural thing in the world. Some players were also confused about how easily it was for them to put the burden on the boy’s shoulders, and yet, since he showed the capability to do so, they didn’t hesitate to let him do whatever he wanted.

This was enough to make Werder Bremen players start losing their emotion. The worst part, though, was that Morita himself didn’t touch the ball for too long. Whenever he received the ball, the boy would distribute it back to the others quickly before repositioning himself to get away from any pressure, not allowing himself to get touched by any Werder Bremen players.

Nabil Bentaleb also did his job as a bodyguard really well. The man would always be in Morita’s vicinity, giving the boy an easy option to pass quickly so that the Japanese midfielder could run away under the opponent’s pressure.

Overall, Morita’s addition on the pitch really killed any momentum that Werder Bremen tried to grab, and now, they all had to breathe heavily from chasing the ball without being able to snatch it.

"I know that back then, Morita-san was a really amazing commander on the pitch, but it seems that he has improved further in his time here. I mean, no one can touch him in the last what? Ten minutes, right?" Kumiko sighed in a complicated mood, looking at Morita in a different light.

Unlike Kumiko, though, who had only managed to lead Hakodate Nishi in her last year without having any experience playing against Morita, Sakura with Shohei High was a regular participant in the national tournament, and her team had faced Teikyo High so many times in the past, so the girl knew full well how capable Morita was at that time.

"His playing style has become more mature right now." The girl stated as a matter of fact.

"Before, he would always seek to rush forward, wanting to dribble the ball on his own and only making a combination play that would get rid of the opponent in front of him. Now, he is willing to play the tempo slowly, playing for a patient game. Honestly, without his injury, he would’ve been the best young player in the league last year."

The way Kumiko said it was like it was a matter of fact, and honestly, if people heard what she said, they would say that the girl was exaggerating here.

However, that would be a different matter if those people watched this game directly. They would know that the impact that Morita made on the pitch couldn’t be replicated by any other players from Schalke’s side.

The boy’s incredible debut in this season didn’t just stop in offense, though. Once the team lost the ball, he would be the first one to press the opponent’s player who carried the ball, and his positioning would always be able to cut off the opponent’s momentum directly.

He might not be the toughest ball-winning midfielder, but the boy truly made it up with his brain, always putting himself in line with any Werder Bremen players on the frontline.

This was not something that would appear in his final stats, but anyone who watched the game would be able to see how incredibly intelligent Morita played today.

Even Higo himself felt the impact of Morita’s presence, and his position was way behind. With Morita willing to become the filter to make the opponent’s attack less threatening, the worst thing he faced in the second half was just a wild cross that he picked up with ease, not even enough to make him sweat.

Higo couldn’t help but shake his head while looking at Morita in admiration, knowing full well that it was all because of his friend’s presence on the pitch.

’Yeah, as expected, he is still the best player in my generation. There is no doubt about it.’ He murmured secretly.

The game itself continued with a lower intensity, as Werder Bremen players found a difficult time to touch the home team’s players, let alone committing foul. They could, of course, do something toward those who didn’t have the ball in their possession, but that would only invite a straight red card here.

That was definitely not something they wanted to do.

Then, in the 71st minute of the game, Morita once again showed why he was the best in the pitch right now.

From a simple one-two pass on the back with Benjamin Stambouli in a position that was not threatening at all, he managed to drag one opponent player to his side, and the moment the boy saw a space behind that player, he pushed the ball far, getting past that poor guy easily.

Then, as if someone pulled a trigger, Paciencia and Benito Raman who were just strolling around earlier suddenly switched in a blink, rushing forward while pointing at the space in front of them.

"Morita, give me high!"

"Left side! Let me run!"

This alone was enough to shift the whole Werder Bremen defense back to their own territory as they all were waiting for a killer through pass from Morita. However, in that moment, they forgot that Morita wasn’t just a passer, but he was also a sniper that could kill from afar.

Looking at the space open in front of him, the boy only had one thought crossing his mind.

’I can do this!’

BAM!