Alright, so the game still isn’t over yet.  ETU didn’t keep a tight ship for the first half, but neither did they suffer a tremendous shutout as happened to Osaka’s previous opponent.  Now they have a little time to get in each other’s faces and mentally work out their problems before advancing to the second half.  They can definitely play the game with the setup they have now, they just need to fix the mistakes in their playing styles.  Some players manage to make good progress in this episode, but one still sticks out like a sore thumb.

Yes, Natsuki, we're all looking at you.

The team retreats to the locker room understandably frustrated.  They have to go into the second half with the pressure on to score three goals, when they could barely start an assault in the first half.  Since Kuro’s job is to fill the hot blood quotient for the rest of the team, he gets up in Sugie’s face and starts yelling.  Fortunately, Dori steps in and reminds them of something.  One single mistake does not make a scored goal.  It’s a combination of failures across the board, with the final mistake resting on Dori for not stopping the ball.  It manages to calm the team down, but in this situation, they still have a rattled mindset.

On the other side of the equation, we have Osaka’s locker room.  They’re screwing around during halftime just as much as they did before the game.  All signs point to victory for them, and Dulfer is pleased.  Tatsumi wants to turn it around though.  There’s a lot of people in the stadium cheering for one team or the other.  Ignore those people, they’re what you’d call constants in the football equation.  Think about all the others watching the game, not just at the stadium, but at home too.  They may not cheer for one team or the other.  Instead, they want an entertaining game.  One team crushing the other might be impressive, but it’s also terribly boring.  ETU needs to put on a show.  As they turn the game around, not only will they have more fun, but the rest of the people watching the match can share in the fun with them.

Don't forget anyone in the audience, no matter how small.

Tatsumi leaves the team with autonomous orders to continue the plan, but with more fun.  I think he made the right move, because he can’t make one overarching order to the team.  Each member has his own problem to work through.  The hands off approach actually works too.  Kuro usually has his head pretty deeply into the game, but the dynamics of his matchup start to change.  He doesn’t just think he can beat Hauer, now he knows he can come out on top.  The goal he sacrificed won’t happen again.  Sugie as well manages to get his grip on the wonder boy.  He knows what the kid can do, and now Kubota has to suffer his undivided attention.  As the defense’s confidence increases, Gino’s passing skills come back to life, allowing the offense to finally take possession of the ball.

Osaka’s current place in the game has actually aided the change in ETU’s mindset.  Let’s take Kuro’s analogy comparing football to a fight.  If you come at someone with a lot of momentum and connect, you may very well land a one-hit knock out.  What happens if you miss?  All the momentum you put into the blow suddenly works against you.  Not only does it take time to slow yourself, but your opponent can also convert your excess force into a counter throw. Going into the second half, Osaka had extreme confidence in victory.  Now Kuro and Sugie are getting up into their heads.  Hauer gets increasingly frustrated with his defender, even fouling him to try to get back in control.  Not only can he not make a move, he might not even get another chance as long as Kuro sticks to him like glue.  Similarly, Sugie’s rough tactics against Kubota are going to rattle him as well.  It’s pretty tough to keep focused on the attack when you’re getting shoved on every possession.

These two are going to be best friends from now on.

At this point, I think I have a pretty clear picture of what the rest of the series has in store.  In the next episode, 23, Natsuki will work through his issue as a forward.  He’ll finally take a shot on the goal, scoring and boosting his confidence.  The game will be played to about the 30 minute mark.  Episode 24 will have ETU scoring a second goal quickly, and struggling to make a third.  They will ultimately fail, sending the game into overtime.  Both teams will reflect on what this means for the rest of the match.

Episode 25 will be a struggle for dominance in the first half of overtime.  By this point, the player’s tanks will be running on empty.  I’d expect Tatsumi to switch Natsuki for Sakai.  Finally, in episode 26, ETU will nail the winning shot at the last possible moment.  The match point will go to Sera with an assist from Sakai.  Those are my predictions, so let’s see how the game actually plays.

With plays like this, it will definitely be a fun game!