Shooting Trajectory is Visible - Chapter 268



Only Noblemtl

Episode 268: A Record That Will Go Down in History

I took a breath. As always, I assume the worst before taking a free kick. The worst here was a missed free kick.

So, I always imagined situations where I might fail and prepared in advance, but today, just now, I didn’t do that.

‘It can happen any other day, but not now. It has to happen no matter what.’

I need to give Corsic a proper big shit for teabagging me.

I had never missed a free kick before, and it would be heartbreaking if that first miss came now.

‘Let’s be calm. As usual. As we always have.’

I quietly aimed at the goal. The Hannover players were busy setting up a free kick wall, and the goal felt a bit far away, but this was enough for me.

And, although it probably wouldn’t have been easy, the captain stood opposite me and confused the opposing goalkeeper.

I glanced at Corsic before I was ready. He was standing near the free kick wall with a nervous expression on his face.

Beep!

The referee’s whistle turns on the quick and accurate goal kick.

Top right of the goal. To the Yashin zone, which you can’t stop even if you know it.

To prevent this, the goalkeeper must run ahead. In other words, he must anticipate. Is that really as easy as it sounds, especially for someone like me who doesn’t have Yashin’s eyes?

There is nothing more humiliating for a goalkeeper than running early and getting eaten.

Because the basic rule is to just watch and run.

‘Well, it’s none of my business.’

Just because you predict and jump doesn’t mean you can always block it. Rather, if your timing isn’t right, the shot may come flying at the moment when you finish diving and land on the ground.

I deliberately paused for about 3 seconds.

Like Ronaldo taking a breather before a free kick.

and…….

Boohoo!

The ball hit my instep and flew away like a rocket with a booster.

It was a speed that I couldn’t believe even after I put it down.

What happened next happened in the blink of an eye.

The net rustled.

The wall of players jumped high, but it wasn’t enough to block the view. The goalkeeper had no time to react and had to concede a goal.

All I can do is twist my upper body.

It was a perfect goal.

I ran to the ceremony right away. I deliberately brushed past Corsic. I didn’t even tease him, so I won’t get a card for this.

Then he ran to the corner kick flag and did a boxing celebration with his goalkeeper gloves.

“Shh, shh. Shh. That’s not a sound made with the mouth. Shh, shh.”

As I moved my upper body rhythmically and hit the flag with my fist, my colleagues quickly gathered around to congratulate me.

I also liked to stop doing boxing ceremonies and just hug the players.

“This is it~”

“Brother! I believed in you!”

Kim Jun-young was the only one who liked it.

Was it because he was blocked by Corsic at every important moment? His face was very pale.

“Oh. It’s my brother. I was frustrated with the way the game was going, so I took care of it.”

“Nice!”

You seem very excited. I understand.

Afterwards, I went back and hugged my teammates and checked the expressions on the faces of the Hannover players. They all looked defeated.

Their expressions were even darker because the goal was conceded just before the end of the first half.

In the meantime, I made eye contact with Corsic.

Shhhhhhhhhh

I walked with my colleagues and laughed.

Then, even Corsic, who had been dead, raised one corner of his mouth.

‘Anyway, I’m telling you, he’s a guy you can’t hate.’

Because the goal came just before the end of the first half, the referee ended the first half as soon as the kickoff took place.

After that, we left the ground with a refreshing gait.

The second half that followed was actually predictable.

As always, they will either win by holding on to a goal or take advantage of their opponents’ impatience to score a few more goals.

A team as big as Manchester United would have that level of capability.

It’s definitely not a team that just hits like it did when I was in Hannover.

* * *

Corsic entered the locker room and frowned. He almost had a successful first half, but it was ruined at the end.

Damn it. I ended up stepping too deep in that moment. I should have allowed a shot, but I absolutely should not have given a free kick.

‘I’m a little sorry. Did I provoke you for nothing?’

I also felt guilty. I felt that I had grown to a surprising degree while working with Kim, but no matter how important the game results were, I did something like that to a guy who was once my spiritual pillar.

‘But I couldn’t help it.’

In his own opinion, that was Hannover’s only winning plan.

To provoke Kim into violent behavior and get him kicked out.

In Corsic’s opinion, Kim was clearly weak mentally compared to his skills.

No one can compare to his skills, but mental maturity is ultimately built on numerous experiences, and this is what happened to Kim because he achieved great success before he even had any such experiences.

‘Even in Hanover, he had a temper that would flare up if you provoked him even slightly. It felt like he was holding back somehow.’

I was holding back and holding back to that extent, but when Yonsuk went to Manchester United, he suddenly started going wild.

In Germany, he was a top player so he was not bombarded by the media, and when he did get media attention, there were no negative articles because he had already proven himself in the league.

But in England it’s different.

As a thorough outsider, he was watched closely by the association.

‘Yeah. But it was a bit much to treat me like I had already been on steroids.’

As if that was the trigger, Kim took off the mask he had in Hanover and did whatever he wanted.

Corsic was also very surprised to hear the news in Germany. He couldn’t believe he would do something like that at his induction ceremony.

In Hanover, he must have really held back.

Fortunately, things have quieted down since then, but Kim still can’t stand the occasional author who provokes him.

So that’s what Corsic was after.

I thought if I messed with the guy’s temper on the pitch he’d have a fit, but once I tried it it really worked.

Actually, I suggested to Jan before the game that we try to test Kim’s mentality. And Jan refused. I think he said that it wasn’t professional sports.

Now, one goal down, Corsic wondered whether Jan would still keep his word.

So Corsic immediately raised his hand and said to Jan.

“Coach, you see? Kim’s mentality is weak compared to his skills. I think he’s weaker than the kids. Maybe it’s because he hasn’t been playing soccer for long. We have to target Kim’s weaknesses. If you don’t know, you don’t know, but if you know and don’t target his weaknesses, that’s arrogant.”

Director Yann Lytle remained silent for a long time after hearing those words. Judging from his expression, he seemed to be internally conflicted.

You’re probably having a conflicting feeling in your head: Should I win by doing this? Or, isn’t winning the most important thing in the end?

Korsic moved his vocal cords again to support one of those emotions. It was when he tried to do so.

“…Okay. If that’s the only way.”

Sorry to say this to Kim, but the world of competition is a cold one. Some players don’t hesitate to talk about their families to provoke other players’ cards.

And that was football.

Anyway, I guess I got the director’s approval, Corsic said excitedly.

“You all heard? Most of us played with Kim, right? There were some guys who came in later. In fact, there are no players in the world who can shake Kim’s mentality as effectively as we do.”

“But Corey, how are you going to mess with Kim’s mentality?”

“Why are you like this? Like an amateur. Think of all the insults you’ve heard from opposing players while playing soccer. Then say them to Kim.”

Then the players’ expressions turn sour. They don’t seem to want to stab the backs of their teammates, with whom they had been talking so closely before the game.

“Did you come all the way here just to get second place? Get your mind together! Is there anything you can’t do to win? Or at least make small talk to distract me!”

It seemed like some players had different thoughts, but they all just nodded without saying anything.

That actually was true.

Football is all about trying everything you can to win without getting sent off. Especially Kim’s former teammates at Hannover knew how dominant a goalkeeper Kim was.

Since it was impossible to score against Kim, the only solution was to simply get him off the pitch.

No matter what, since he was my colleague, I felt it was a bit odd to forcefully bump into him and injure him, with my tongue.

In the second half, Corsic began to ponder how he could shake Kim’s mentality throughout halftime… .

* * *

Giovanni didn’t criticize the players too much in the first half, perhaps because he judged that there were no major problems with their movements.

He calmly explained how to play the second half and what the tactical changes would be.

So we entered the second half.

The players stepped onto the ground calmly, without any emotional disturbance, and so did I.

As always, I was at the back and observed the game.

‘What is this intention?’

It was still early days, so I didn’t get to meet the Hannover players often, but when I did run into them, they would glare at me fiercely and speak to me in a prickly tone.

Not only that.

“Ahh!”

He would scream and fall over at the slightest contact. It wasn’t like he was a suicide bomber or anything…

Suddenly, I started to wonder why my old colleagues had changed so much from before.

Only one thing came to mind.

‘Are you trying to provoke me into getting a card?’

Since I’ve already collected one yellow card, if I get another one here, I’m out. I knew that too, so I was being careful.

I burst out laughing in disbelief.

“But why do you show it so blatantly like this?”

In addition, my former colleagues felt awkward provoking me, perhaps because of old feelings. It seemed as if they had no choice but to do something they didn’t want to do, as if they were being ordered to do it.

And the corner kick situation for Hannover.

Even though he’s a defender, Corsic stays close to me and whispers to me.

“Kim. Your younger sister is really pretty. Can you introduce her to me?”

“Are you looking at his face?”

I glanced at Corsic and replied.

Then, Corsic’s expression turned angry. I ignored him and blocked the corner kick attack. It wasn’t even that threatening.

After that, the Hannover players continued to trash talk persistently. However, since I had already figured out their intentions and since I was a goalkeeper and had only a short time facing the opposing players, I wasn’t really irritated by it.

‘Unless you’re holding me down like Corsic did earlier…’

I think I’d be really angry if that happened to me again. It’s not a situation that happens often in a game.

‘It’s a strategy to provoke me and trigger a card. I have to be careful about this.’

There could be a team that uses this type of strategy not only in this match but also in future matches.

Even the famous Zidane couldn’t help but hit his head in the World Cup final.

‘And I remember experiencing something similar before.’

I remember getting through that game without much trouble back then.

First of all, in order to shake the mentality and trigger a card, there has to be frequent physical contact between players, but goalkeepers are usually like isolated islands and only collide with opposing attackers for a split second.

Or else it would have to be done in a corner kick situation, but corner kick situations don’t come up at any time.

However, there was a time in the first half when Corsic provoked me and I collected a card, and the Hannover players kept trying whenever they had even a little contact with me.

“Keep your eyes open and walk around. Is it so small that you can’t see?”

“Your mom.”

Still, it’s bitter. It’s sad that the guys who were once my teammates are doing such ugly things just to win.

I understand.

I guess they figured they couldn’t win without kicking me out. Still, it’s disappointing since we played together for two whole seasons.

Time passed like that.

The game was evenly matched, but Manchester United had the advantage even if it dragged on like this, since they had already scored a goal.

After that, the Hannover players continued to provoke me, but when I didn’t respond much, most of them gave up.

Even in such a situation, Corsic was truly persistent.

I think it’s because I got a taste of the card.

‘I will never give you a single piece of cake.’

If Hannover continues to not respond, it will be Hannover who will be the one to get really angry. Even when the Hannover players tried to talk to me, I responded like a stone.

Also, he never got more angry than necessary even when someone deliberately bumped into him or provoked him.

So, finally even Corsic stopped shaking me mentally.

* * *

The strategy completely failed.

Kim, who received a card, changed to be overly passive compared to the first half, but thinking back now, I think he was lucky in the first half.

To begin with, there wasn’t much opportunity to come face to face with the goalkeeper.

“Fuck… .”

There is no time now. Time.

And then Kim rushes in.

Not goalkeeper Kim, but striker Kim.

‘Where!’

They have faced each other several times already in this match, but Corsic has beaten the rookie almost every time.

Unlike goalkeeper Kim, this guy is not finished yet.

So this time too, Corsic gave Kim a beating.

Kim, who was rushing after receiving the ball, was pushed by Corsic and fell down, and Corsic took the ball and―

Beep!

“…what?”

As Corsic turned his head, the referee gave a stern warning and declared a foul. It was absurd.

“What the heck is this foul! I won the fight!”

Striker Kim was pushed back several metres in the melee, which must have looked like a foul to the referee.

Corsic was furious and protested to the referee.

Are your eyes on your belly button? How did you get assigned to the Europa League final with that kind of skill…?

Unsurprisingly, Corsic was immediately shown a yellow card.

“Open your mouth one more time and I’ll kick you out of the stadium.”

And the referee is also human, so he glared at Corsic with angry eyes and gave him a warning.

I was so angry, but there was nothing I could do. Before I knew it, Kim was running over and hugging Kim, who had fallen down.

‘Fuck.’

And then goalkeeper Kim makes eye contact with him and smirks.

Corsic also laughed in disbelief.

‘A goalkeeper scores multiple goals in the final and wins the championship. That must be a record that will never be broken.’

Although he was already a player who would have made history on his own, scoring multiple goals in the finals as a goalkeeper was a record that will be talked about for a long time.

Hannover set up a free kick wall like in the first half, but Kim’s shot flew wide and shook the goal net like in the first half.

When we were on the same side, I couldn’t be more secure… .

Corsic sighed as he saw the 2-0 score on the scoreboard. The game was effectively over.