Dad was a Genius - Chapter 21
Only Noblemtl
My Dad Was a Genius Episode 021
[Everyone, please shout together. Gang! Dae! Ho!]
[Kang Dae-ho! Kang Dae-ho! Kang Dae-ho!]
A series of cheers erupted from the stands.
Everyone called their father’s name, and the players all ran towards him and hugged him.
“yes!!”
“I believed in you, Taeho!!”
The coaches also shouted at the top of their lungs.
And I,
“… … !”
He clenched his fists slightly.
‘Okay.’
I’ve been waiting for this.
That’s the moment when my father’s talent explodes.
The goal just now was one that clearly demonstrated my father’s talent.
‘I knew my father had talent, but I didn’t know he would display such wit.’
The ability to receive the ball alone, trap it in the air, and then finish it by beating the goalkeeper with a quick move that breaks through four defenders.
It was a talent that was extremely hard to find, at least in the domestic league.
‘Now with this-.’
It became a turning point for the Cheonan team players.
There is a saying that soccer is a game of momentum.
Our Cheonan was shaken for the first 40 minutes of the first half as we were trying to adapt to the new tactics.
But with that goal from their father, all the tension and fear that had been blocking their eyes and bodies disappeared.
“Ooooh-!!”
“It’s breaking through again!”
Look at them now.
After scoring a goal and the game restarted, he looked completely different than before.
“What? Why is everyone suddenly so nice?”
The coaches couldn’t help but be amazed by the players’ flexible and active movements.
This is because the momentum completely shifted to our side and we were attacking Seoul relentlessly to the point where it was difficult to tell who was the defending champion.
“I… … Director. I’m sorry. I dared to doubt your tactics.”
The coaches who had strongly insisted that I take out Ko Jin-cheol and return to 433 before scoring a goal politely folded their hands.
I smiled and shook my head.
“No. In fact, I already knew that this tactic was close to gambling.”
As he said, this tactic was a gamble.
Will my father’s talent explode or will it be blocked?
Because it was at that crossroads.
But as I believed, my father’s talent exploded like a flash.
“That’s the nature of a striker. The mood of the entire team changes depending on the condition of the player in that important position. Look at how Jin-cheol Ko, who has been showing a frustrating performance, has changed.”
The coaches followed my words and looked at Ko Jin-cheol, who was taking his place in the center of the field.
He started to pass the ball very aggressively, unlike before.
From that point on, the players’ attack avenues opened up.
“Other players are also moving more vigorously.”
Football is like a battlefield.
The moment the striker at the forefront demonstrates his single-handedness and acts with force, the morale of the soldiers behind him soars.
This is the Cheonan team I want to see.
Advancing like a powerful tank force centered around the Strikers.
And the father, who stands at the forefront, is active all over the field.
“This will make us a more advanced team.”
From today’s game.
* * *
“… … .”
Director Kim Seong-il glanced at the scoreboard with a serious expression.
[Second half 20 minutes]
The score is-.
Director Kim Seong-il closed his eyes tightly.
‘It’s my mistake.’
Even when that number 10 was promoted to striker, he thought it was Cha Seong-eun’s mistake, and letting his guard down was his biggest mistake.
‘If only I had driven the defender to number 10… … .’
If we had held back that crazy breakthrough, we wouldn’t have given up the first goal.
However, when several defenders were added to the number 10 position belatedly, as if he had been waiting, Cha Seong-eun released the attackers who had been tied to a designated area like shackles.
‘That ghostly guy.’
If number 10 is surrounded by defenders, he is boldly abandoned even though he is the key player in this tactic.
‘Was that striker number 10 the key player and also the biggest bait?’
With the space left by worrying about number 10, other attackers dug into it, and eventually gave up another goal, making the score 2-0.
Director Kim Seong-il ended up falling into the trap that Cha Seong-eun had set up.
‘This is the scary thing about strikers.’
As modern football continues to develop tactically, the boundaries between positions are becoming increasingly blurred.
Sometimes defenders played midfielders, sometimes midfielders played defenders, and sometimes attackers played in the midfield position.
But one position, other than goalkeeper, has not changed.
That’s a striker.
‘But it is true that it is difficult to find the right talent.’
Because the striker position is more about individual talent than tactical position, it was not easy to find someone who could fill that position.
So, rather than having a striker, it is common to have a center forward position to ease the burden.
However, Cha Seong-eun made a bold move of suddenly changing positions and leaving the striker alone up front, and it worked like a lie.
‘How on earth have they managed to hide such a monster for so long?’
There were a lot of things I couldn’t understand, but I couldn’t just let it go like this.
After watching the game all the way through the second half and finding out where the weak points were, it was time to counterattack.
Realizing that the flanks were weak, he shouted at his players and changed their tactics.
‘If we first attack the right flank and then build up pressure from the center… … .’
It will clearly show that last season’s champions are not going to fall to such a degree.
‘If you don’t catch up quickly, you’ll really lose.’
however,
Beep-!
As soon as the position was changed, Cheonan, which had been quiet, suddenly started replacing players.
“… … ?”
It felt like they had reinforced the side and there was a clear change in position.
There, director Kim Sung-il immediately noticed Cha Seong-eun’s intentions.
‘You want to solidify it here?!’
The situation is running towards the 25th minute of the second half.
Usually, when a team is leading like this, they don’t really change their tactics.
It’s about leaving the players alone so they can run more and score more goals.
However, if you leave it like that without any tactical changes, there are times when excited players make mistakes by acting out of line, and the opposing team takes advantage of that to score a goal.
‘I thought they would just leave the players alone so they could score more goals.’
Coach Kim Sung-il hoped that Cha Sung-eun would maintain this tactic.
This is because you can score a goal by taking advantage of the gap you discovered after a long time.
However, Cha Seong-eun seemed to not allow even such small variables, so he began a strategy to solidify the team by replacing a large number of players and changing positions.
‘This damn guy.’
It was a score that was enough to let one’s guard down.
It was a time when I could have been drunk and exposed my tactical weakness by claiming that I had defeated the defending champion. But Cha Sung is a terrible person who never lets his guard down.
From beginning to end, the guy ran the game exactly as he had planned, without being swayed by even a hint of emotion.
There, director Kim Seong-il had a gut feeling,
‘… … lost.’
Cha Seong-eun did not even allow a final chance for a counterattack.
‘How on earth did this result come about…?’
I couldn’t figure out how such a young manager could have this level of game sense and experience.
One thing is certain,
‘The game ends by playing on Cha Seong-eun’s palm from beginning to end.’
Until now, it was Kim Seong-il who had scolded and reprimanded the managers who had lost to Cha Seong-eun.
But today I realized how lethargic they must have felt throughout the game.
* * *
Beep! Beep-!!
“The game is over! A miraculous 7-game winning streak that no one believed in! Cheonan has taken down the champion Seoul!”
A whistle that signals the end of the game.
It meant a blue that no one expected.
Cheonan took down the giant Goliath that was Seoul, last season’s champion.
“Wow-!!”
Fans who filled Cheonan’s home stadium to share this miraculous moment shouted in joy.
The players also gathered together and headed towards the fans to enjoy this joy.
“Cheonan! Cheonan! Cheonan!!”
Cheonan’s name kept popping up, and the Seoul team players bowed their heads as they left the stadium.
“It was a good game, coach.”
Director Kim Sung-il accepted the handshake I offered with a bitter smile.
He took off his suit and his shirt was soaked with sweat.
“In the end… … I took off my clothes first and lost the game.”
But his hands were still full of strength.
“I learned a lot. But… … next time the results will be different.”
“Yes, I will look forward to it. But I will be different next time.”
“Tsk. You didn’t say a word until the very end.”
Although they lost this match, coach Kim Seong-il’s determination to win next time could not be ignored.
He is a coach who has led every team he has coached to the best results, so he will definitely sharpen his sword for the next game.
But even so, I had no intention of giving in easily.
“Director!! Director Cha Seong!!”
“Please do an interview!!”
Even though the game had just ended, reporters were already flocking in.
“Please go quickly. You are the star of today.”
“Yes. Then… … .”
As I stood before the throng of reporters, my face appeared on the large screen in the stadium, covered by cameras.
At that moment.
“Wow-!!”
The cheers were even louder than when the final whistle blew.
[Cha Seong-eun! Cha Seong-eun! Cha Seong-eun!!]
My name keeps bursting out, without stopping.
When reporters tried to ask questions, the cheering from the audience was so loud that they couldn’t conduct interviews.
I spoke quietly into the microphone to the audience.
“Thank you, everyone. It was all thanks to you that Cheonan was able to win today.”
They also answered me with a loud voice.
“Wow-!!”
“The car is for life!!”
“I’ll give it to you for life, no matter what!!”
I responded to the cheers of the audience and then ran to Go Jin-cheol, who was holding his cell phone in the distance.
“Player Ko Jin-cheol?”
He spoke in a tearful voice, as if the tension had eased.
“Director, I heard Mom’s surgery went well.”
I smiled and patted his back.
“If my mother sees Ko Jin-cheol’s game today, she will definitely be proud.”
“……yes!”
On the field, he terrifies those Seoul players, but he smiles brightly and cries.
“Let’s all go together.”
I took Ko Jin-cheol and walked with the players toward the audience.
We enjoyed this victory with the crowd cheering for us.
It seemed like tonight would be an unforgettable night for them and for us.
* * *
[I knew that Director Jeon Cha-seong would definitely do it!!]
[Ah! Isn’t Cha Seong the director’s older brother?]
[That’s right. But now, it’s not my younger brother, it’s the director! The director! From now on, our Taesan will not spare any support for Cheonan’s winning streak!]
The person appearing on TV news was the vice president of Taesan Group.
He even gave an interview while cheering on the street like an ordinary soccer fan, shedding tears of emotion.
But I wondered if it was okay for the next chairman of Taesan Group and the face representing the company to be interviewed like that… … .
“I don’t feel any resistance.”
Director Kim Sung-il smiled and raised his glass.
The alcohol tasted bitter today.
“Coach Kim. But we still need to share tactics. Did you forget the promise we made to share information among our professional teams to take down Cheonan?”
These guys were pressuring me rather than comforting me.
But I understand.
Although they are colleagues, they are bound to compete fiercely with each other as they are each managers in charge of their respective teams.
“There’s nothing to give in particular. Cheonan has become a completely new team after yesterday’s game.”
“what?”
Director Kim laughed in vain, as if the more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.
“Cha Seong, that guy used our Seoul as a stepping stone to the next level. If he was not careful, he could have completely fallen to the bottom, but he was so arrogant as to take such a gamble.”
“I guess that gamble was very successful?”
“That’s right. That’s why I’m telling you. All the tactical information we’ve shared with other teams so far is useless.”
Coach Kim Seong-il felt it clearly while reviewing the game that day.
Cheonan has risen to the next level by destroying the stronghold of Seoul.
“The next game was against Suwon, right?”
Director Kim’s gaze was directed at his junior, Choi Si-seon, who was silently grilling meat.
“Can I give you some advice?”
“Oh, yes, senior.”
“Aim for number 10.”
“… … ?”
“If you want to win the game, aim for that number 10, Kang Dae-ho.”
Director Kim emptied his glass cleanly and spoke again.
“I’m prepared to just throw it away.”