Shooting Trajectory is Visible - Chapter 262



Only Noblemtl

Episode 262: Reverse sensation

After the evaluation match, he returned to Manchester.

In that short period of time, many words were exchanged between Europe and Korea.

There was a lot of controversy because of the performance we showed.

After beating Poland and the Netherlands 2-0, Korea’s reputation was completely re-evaluated.

The strongest team in Asia. Furthermore, they have been evaluated as a strong team that is not at all inferior to the top tier countries in Europe.

The evaluation was the same in Korea.

After their great success in Europe, the current generation is considered to be the best team since 2002, and it has become common knowledge that they will easily make it through the group stage.

‘And then if I actually die in the World Cup…’

This is going to be a mess.

For example, a team may be eliminated in the group stage with three draws due to lack of decisiveness… .

It’s a scary scenario to even imagine, but I believe it won’t happen.

With such a strong offense, there’s no way they wouldn’t score at least one goal.

“Kim! You said you came back after destroying Poland and the Netherlands?”

As I entered the training ground, Ron Robert Ziller, who was once a wall I had to overcome and is now my sub, approached me as if he was friendly.

I nodded and answered.

“Yes. I stepped on it and came back.”

“Good job! Every newspaper these days is talking about Korea! Korea did well, but I think people are really curious about how you’ll do in the World Cup.”

“… I’m curious about that too.”

You must be curious, as you are performing unprecedentedly in Europe.

I think I would have wondered that even if I were European.

The World Cup challenge of a goalkeeper who has never conceded a goal in the Bundesliga or Premier League.

Indeed, will they advance to the finals without allowing a single goal like they have shown so far and win the championship?

Or will they be unable to overcome the pressure of the World Cup, the world’s greatest stage, and concede a goal?

… It’s definitely exciting.

‘There might be some variables.’

They might come up with some really outrageous strategies. Tottenham did that right away, and I’m honestly scared of what the teams we play against this time will do.

And looking at those teams, I wonder what kind of strategies the other teams that will be competing against us will use to harass me… .

“Let’s meet Germany as late as possible. Okay? It might sound funny to say this, but I think the team that meets Korea the latest will be the runner-up.”

“…yes?”

“I think you guys will win.”

“ah.”

I opened my mouth and then stopped.

‘But doesn’t Germany have to worry about getting through the group stage?’

Ahem.

* * *

The hamster wheel-like schedule began again.

Just a few days after returning, he was put straight into the next game against Leeds United.

A club that was once Manchester United’s rival.

Of course not now.

Literally once.

They were Man U’s rivals back in the Leeds days, but now…

[Maguire, Header―!]

[Woooooooo! Gooooooo! It’s in!]

Harry Maguire’s opening goal.

Although it was a bit late for the opening goal, we managed to score anyway.

[44 minutes into the second half, Manchester United finally scores after much difficulty!]

[Manchester United secures 3 points again! If this continues, it will be their 5th consecutive league win! If the draw is included, they are already on a 16-game unbeaten streak. Amazing!]

[Okay, so this would be the closest Manchester United have come to winning the title since Sir Alex Ferguson. How many years has it been since that happened?]

[If we win this time, we will reclaim the top spot in the league after 13 years. Of course, there are still many games left. There are 11 games left.]

We barely managed to beat Leeds 1-0 and advanced to the next match.

The next match, coincidentally, was not a league fixture. It was an international match. It was the Europa League round of 16 against Marseille.

The result of the first round is….

[Rashford’s corner kick, and―]

[Kim Jun-young shoot! Gooooooooo!]

[Ah! Did the Marseille players miss Kim Jun-young’s position? He just pushed the ball in so easily without any checks!]

[In a corner kick situation, he kicked the ball with his foot instead of heading it!]

Kim Jun-young’s first goal.

[Mainu falls. Then the referee blows his whistle and Manchester United have a free kick opportunity!]

[Ah, then… … !]

[Kim Min-woo is caught in the angle!]

The next scene was as everyone expected.

[Kim Min-woo’s free kick! It went in!]

[A picturesque free kick! The opposing goalkeeper read the direction but couldn’t stop it!]

The first leg ends with an additional goal by Manchester United.

[This can’t be stopped!]

[Hoilun, who has appeared after a long time, lightly taps and puts it in!]

They added another goal in the second leg, advancing to the quarterfinals with a combined score of 3-0.

Hannover also advanced to the quarterfinals after beating Rangers 2-1. Fortunately or unfortunately, both teams faced different teams and the reunion with their former teams did not happen.

Next opponent is Everton. League schedule.

[Golgolgolgolgo!]

[Kim Jun-young’s multi-goal!]

After a long time, the junior guy ran wild and brought victory without much trouble.

At that time, I had that thought.

‘Hmm. I thought you’d been researching a lot, but I guess you can’t come up with tactics in a short period of time?’

In fact, all the teams they faced after the evaluation match were evaluated as being lower in weight than Manchester United.

The Newcastle and West Ham games we met later were also uneventful.

However, a low-scoring Manchester United side came out on top against Newcastle, drawing 0-0 helplessly, and West Ham almost drew that game too if it hadn’t been for a decisive long-range shot from captain Bruno.

Current record: 24 wins, 5 draws, 1 loss in 30 matches. Points are 77. There is a 12 point difference with 2nd place Manchester City, and a 15 point difference with 3rd place Liverpool.

Considering there were eight games left, the championship was virtually a sure thing.

Here, Manchester United could virtually have won the title on their own with just four more wins.

Even if Manchester City wins all of their remaining games, they will have the most points at 89, but if Manchester United win four games, they will coincidentally have 89 points.

The goal difference between the two teams was so wide that it was virtually impossible to catch up… …there were only four games left.

The league is over if we win just four games.

Perhaps that is why the atmosphere within Manchester United was so exciting. How could they not be happy when they were on the verge of winning their first championship in 13 years?

And usually bad news comes before you achieve your goal.

Isn’t this how the soldiers who went to the Amnok River to get water during the Korean War felt?

“I?”

Got injured.

I was training like I normally do, but as soon as I blocked the shot, my wrist started hurting like crazy.

When I collapsed with a scream, the players and coaches were startled and ran to me. I rushed to the hospital and checked, and they said my wrist was cracked.

The doctor’s opinion is that it will take at least 6 weeks and up to 10 weeks to recover and return.

“Oh my.”

He was called here and there a lot, and once he played in a game, he was a full-time starter, so in a way, it was bound to happen.

Because I barely had time to rest and relieve my body’s fatigue.

If I get some rest, I get called up to the national team, and if I get some rest, I get called up to the FA and the Europa League…

Although goalkeepers have less of a physical burden than players in other positions, they still get hurt if they are pushed around too much… .

Naturally, Manchester United were on high alert at this news. All they had so far was a beer mug, and out of nowhere, there was a vacancy for their starting goalkeeper.

There were 8 league games left, the FA Cup semi-finals and final, and the Europa League also had quite a bit of time left.

“You should not do any training other than very light recovery training.”

I ended up leaving the show during a very busy time. What will happen next, I guess, depends on the director.

In a way, it was time for Giovanni to prove himself as a manager. If the performance deteriorated because one player was missing, then criticism would never be avoided.

[Sophie: Minwoo… Are you okay? ㅠㅠㅠ]

[Kim Min-woo: I’m fine. You don’t have to worry.]

[Sophie: Still ㅠㅠ]

Sophie, who had been sending me messages periodically, contacted me with a sad face. At first she was very worried, but later she grumbled and asked why I hadn’t told her in advance.

‘So cute… .’

To be honest, I didn’t think about it. I was so worried about what would happen to the team in the future and whether or not I would be unable to participate in the World Cup because of this that I didn’t have time to think about anything else.

Still, Sophie is cute, so I recommend her… .

[Kim Shin-ah: Hi!]

[Kim Shin-ah: My hand was broken]

[Kim Shin-ah: Haha, be careful.]

[Kim Shin-ah: But do you have to come out for the World Cup? If you make a joke about it and it doesn’t come out, you’ll be angry?]

[Kim Min-woo: This really calls for a fist…]

The little sister was busy teasing me instead of worrying. Well, since our relationship has always been like this, I don’t really feel anything, but it’s true that I’m annoyed.

[Kim Shin-ah: Haha, you can’t come even if I call you]

[Kim Shin-ah: And your hand is broken, how are you going to hit me?]

[Kim Min-woo: Kicked with his foot]

[Kim Shin-ah: No, that’s not right~ It’s on the other side of the world~]

[Kim Min-woo: Are you going to Korea in June? You’re behind.]

[Kim Shin-ah: Instead of hitting me, you should be getting treatment lol]

He’s crawling up again, saying he hasn’t seen me in a while.

When I go to Korea, I have to properly organize the rankings.

* * *

The two teams that fought fiercely in the FA Cup will meet again in the league.

This time, without Kim. Fair and square.

POSTECH was mulling over various countermeasures in preparation for meeting Manchester United again, and we can’t tell you how happy we were when we heard the news a few days before the game that Kim was injured and would not be able to play.

“I feel sorry for that player… …but this time, there’s a good chance of winning!”

And at Old Trafford, the two teams met again after the FA Cup. Today’s goalkeeper was Ron-Robert Ziller, the second-choice goalkeeper.

Tottenham took full advantage of the fact that the opposing goalkeeper was not Kim.

Instead of the strange strategy I came up with to deal with Kim, I came up with the tactics I usually use.

Manchester United were shaken from the start of the game despite only changing their goalkeeper, as if they had been trying to make a comeback.

*Seep in (Kim Min-woo + seep in)

POSTECH became more and more confident and told their players to be aggressive, and Manchester United started to make dangerous shots one after another.

And between the 33rd and 34th minutes of the first half.

In the famous Son Heung-min zone, Son Heung-min slightly turned to the right in front of Raphael Varane and attempted a curling kick.

And the shot flies to the top of the right goal post as shown in the picture.

Crash!

It was sucked in like a magnet and split the net. It was a goal. Tottenham’s first goal.

Old Trafford is suddenly plunged into silence.

Son Heung-min ran towards the camera while exclaiming, “Wow!” and immediately performed his signature ceremony, “Click!”

Minwoo, who was watching the scene from home, clicked his tongue.

“It’s not the goalkeeper’s fault. It’s the defender’s fault.”

The famous Oliver Kahn also said that conceding a goal is not the fault of the goalkeeper, but of the defender.

Minwoo saw it that way too.

Of course, if it were me, I would have stopped it without difficulty, but it wouldn’t be easy for other people.

After that, it was a series of failures.

During a defensive play, do they suddenly commit a handball foul and give away a penalty kick? Or do the defenders just sit there blankly waiting for the opposing attacker to touch the ball and then give away a shot?

It was a total mess.

Or maybe it was like that all along, but it just stands out more today.

First of all, there is no goalkeeper on the field to block those attacks.

“You really are determined to lose.”

It was quite refreshing to watch a Manchester United game from a spectator’s perspective.

It was almost my first time watching a live Manchester United game on TV, not at the stadium, so I was able to see more objectively that when Manchester United can’t do it, they really can’t do it.

[…Score 3-0! Tottenham Hotspur are getting their revenge from last time!]

[Man U is falling apart. Looking at Man U’s current form, it’s hard to understand how this team managed to go undefeated for 19 games.]

[Yes. That was because Kim Min-woo was guarding the goal.]

[Haha. I knew that, but I didn’t know Kim Min-woo’s absence would be this big.]

The offense wasn’t working, and the defense was literally a sand castle. The midfield was struggling between offense and defense, but since both were collapsing, the midfield was also losing strength.

Beep— beep— beep!

Before long, the referee blew the whistle to end the game.

[The heart of Manchester! This is how the match at Old Trafford ends!]

[Manchester United’s 19-game unbeaten streak comes to an end like this. It was a truly absurd game, as if their previous performances were an illusion.]

[Ah, looking at this match, it looks like Manchester United’s future won’t be easy. Until Kim Min-woo returns… … there are so many matches scheduled. It seems like Manchester City and Liverpool will absolutely not miss this opportunity.]

[Coach Giovanni’s face and the POSTECH coach’s face are completely different. They look completely different from the last FA Cup.]

[It was a match that brought to mind the Chinese idiom, “A blessing in disguise”]

Manchester United, who were beaten three times at home, were given a Q&A session in an atmosphere similar to a hearing, and during that time, the POSTECH coach said,

“It’s nothing without Kim!”

They say he was so happy that he couldn’t hide his feelings.

“Oh, that’s what I mean.”

Even if you try to recover from it later, you can’t take back what you’ve said.

It seems that Kim Min-woo’s words and actions since entering the Premier League have left a deep impression on many officials…