Football Match

Five minutes into the match, Frederick, like the rest of the spectators, was fully engrossed.

The players on the field had only been exposed to this sport for half a month. There was no technique to speak of; the only rule they remembered was not to touch the ball with their hands.

But precisely because of this, the players were incredibly wild on the field, fiercely contesting every inch of grass.

The intense confrontation instantly ignited the crowd's passion. Whether they were sailors, farmers, porters, clerks, accountants, or scribes, at this moment and in this place, they were indistinguishable, cheering and shouting together. Their voices could be heard a kilometer away.

During a sideline throw-in, Philip suddenly calmed down. He looked around at the fervent crowd and shivered.

If this fervor appeared elsewhere...

Philip dared not continue the thought.

The first goal came at the 15-minute mark, with the Fish Hook Team scoring first.

On the bench, Richard Nahl's face broke into a smile.

Playing such a physically confrontational game with ordinary people held no challenge for someone with his extraordinary martial prowess. His physical fitness alone was a dimension above theirs. What he enjoyed more was devising strategies and tactics to lead his team to victory.

He had listened to everything Frederick said and had even extrapolated and thought of many things himself.

The players on the Fish Hook Team were white-collar workers like merchants and clerks. Their stamina certainly couldn't compare to the blacksmiths'. However, they had an advantage: their minds were flexible. Because their work required coordination among multiple people, they all had a sense of teamwork.

The Iron Hammer Team was different. When they worked, they mostly did their own thing; one person could handle everything. When playing soccer, they rarely passed.

So, Coach Richard Nahl devised the team's tactics: reduce physical confrontation and pass the ball more, especially long passes. This would both draw out the opponent and make them run back and forth, wasting stamina.

This strategy was very effective. The Iron Hammer Team's players were quickly led all over the place by the Fish Hook Team's long passes. Some, getting anxious, would swarm forward to press, ultimately leaving a large open space and setting up a one-on-one situation.

The Fish Hook Team's supporters instantly became smug.

But the Iron Hammer Team quickly took the lead, scoring another goal. Around the 25-minute mark, during a corner kick, their forward used his physical strength advantage to push away the opposing defender and win a header, subsequently breaking through the opponent's goal.

However, the Fish Hook Team used the same trick again, pulling apart the opponent's defense with long passes and scoring two goals before the end of the first half.

Frederick just smiled slightly, then chuckled as he gestured for the players to return to the large tent outside the field to rest.

The skill level of these players was only so-so right now. If they were in Football Manager, their technical attributes probably wouldn't be higher than 3. He couldn't magically make them all maxed out at 20.

However, the blacksmiths did have their strengths. There was still a chance to turn the game around in the second half.

The second half started quickly. Maria, holding a half-empty cup of juice, asked Philip, "Father, is Frederick going to lose?"

Philip had seen a little bit of the strategy and shook his head, answering, "I don't know. I think he should have a way."

A few minutes into the game, Archbishop Viktor said, "The Iron Hammer Team is different from the first half."

Philip nodded and said, "Yes, they are a bit different."

Richard Nahl also noticed the opponent's change, but didn't pay it much mind.

Frederick's mouth curved up slightly. These blacksmiths had one advantage: they were obedient and disciplined.

A blacksmith's shop was a dangerous place. Blacksmiths who didn't follow discipline were either burned or suffered some other injury.

So during the break, he reiterated the importance of discipline, telling everyone to just be responsible for their own area. These guys had finally learned their lesson.

Now everyone was in their own area. As soon as someone with the ball entered, they would rush forward to press, while the others marked the opponent in their own zone.

This tactic was very effective when unskilled teams played each other. The opponent's passing error rate was already not low, and now with someone rushing at them, they would get nervous and their passes would become even more inaccurate.

The Iron Hammer Team used the opponent's passing errors to launch counter-attacks, and the game suddenly became much more back-and-forth.

The impact brought by the blacksmiths' physical prowess was something the merchants and clerks, whose stamina was declining, couldn't withstand. The Fish Hook Team's defense was instantly scattered.

Fans loved watching this kind of back-and-forth game. Amidst waves of cheers, the Iron Hammer Team equalized the score at the 60-minute mark.

At this point, the Fish Hook Team players' mentality changed. Those merchant players were like gamblers who had lost money; with their blood rushing, they led the entire team to play fiercely, immediately pressing the moment they lost the ball.

The blacksmiths, seeing victory within reach, were also playing with their blood boiling.

The game became even more intense, with each side scoring a goal.

Psyche occasionally blew her whistle, signaling the Church of Light priests on the sidelines to enter the field and treat injured players.

The fans' enthusiasm also rose. When their throats became hoarse from shouting, they would buy a cup of beer, gulp it down, and continue shouting.

In the final 15 minutes, the Fish Hook Team, whose stamina was starting to flag, used up all 5 substitutions. Relying on the fresh energy of the newly substituted players, they not only blocked the Iron Hammer Team's attacks but also took a two-goal lead.

Frederick had previously substituted his two most energetic midfielders, having them act as dedicated defensive midfielders in front of the penalty box to specifically disrupt the opponent's offense, thus curbing the opposing team's fresh attacks.

At this point, he immediately used his remaining 3 substitutions, bringing on two wingers and Bryant as a forward, while simultaneously signaling the activation of the pre-arranged tactic.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

The Fish Hook Team's iron goalposts endured the cruelest test since the start of the match.

Richard Nahl wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. How many years had it been since he felt so anxious?

Frederick was a little helpless. The tactic of long passes and crosses with attacks down both wings, combined with Bryant, who was the tallest on the field and whose headers no one could contest, was very effective. But the accuracy was problematic; many balls hit the goalposts, wasting scoring opportunities.

Just then, a player passed by. Frederick said to him, "Tell Bryant to aim for the goalkeeper's face with his headers."

Five minutes later, the Iron Hammer Team equalized the score.

The final five minutes were exceptionally heated. One side saw a win slipping away, while the other was on the verge of victory. Both teams were pumped up, leading to even a 0-0-10 formation appearing, along with three red cards.

In the final moments, the Iron Hammer Team seized the opportunity presented by the Fish Hook Team's gamble on the 0-0-10 formation and launched one last counterattack. The first shot was blocked by the goalkeeper, but another winger following up successfully scored on the rebound. At that moment, Psyche blew the final whistle.

The stadium instantly became a boiling sea.

"Frederick won!"

Maria jumped up happily.

On the carriage back to Weissen City, the little girl, tired from cheering, fell asleep as soon as she relaxed.

Archbishop Viktor, who was hitching a ride, asked Philip, "What do you think of today's game?"

Philip had completely calmed down.

Although he had never been on a battlefield, he had served as the Grand Duke of Mainz's diplomat during last year's war, negotiating with various parties, and had gained some intuitive understanding of warfare.

"Morale, unity," he said simply, stating something any intelligent political creature could see. "If Baron Weissen can get everyone in his territory to be like this, he won't fail."

"Indeed," Viktor agreed. "Baron Weissen's future... he can go very far."

Then he mentioned something seemingly irrelevant: "I have a bit of gossip. Someone in the City of Nuremberg's municipal council is brewing a motion of no confidence against the current mayor."

Philip's eyes narrowed slightly, and he calmly replied, "Thank you for informing me of this."