Shooting Trajectory is Visible - Chapter 292



Only Noblemtl

Episode 292 The goalkeeper becomes stronger as the wind blows

The day after arriving in Boston ahead of the round of 32 match against Senegal.

Coach Leon Harpers gave his national team freedom and rest.

The idea was that today, everyone should just do whatever they wanted without thinking about training or schedules.

Accordingly, the players gathered in small groups of three or five, with their close friends or people of similar age, and left the base camp to tour downtown Boston.

Players who did not like going out stayed in their hotel rooms and rested.

Despite the advice of many players, I decided not to hang out with the players today and instead spend time with my family who followed me here.

“Kim Min-woo! Hello!”

There were more Koreans in Boston than I thought… .

Since I couldn’t say to people who approached me with a smile, “I’m spending time with my family right now, so please don’t pretend to know me,” I took pictures with them one by one and signed autographs.

“Hey… superstar~”

My mom and dad watched me like that from behind with a happy face, and Kim Shin-ah crossed her arms and acted proud as if she was the one taking the picture.

“Your family members are all tall and handsome!”

“Would you like me to take a picture for you?”

“Uh… no?”

“ah.”

I burst out laughing when Kim Shin-ah, who had been acting cocky, immediately became discouraged by a single word from a fan.

And we wandered around here and there.

Although Kim Shin-ah’s schedule was hastily planned, it was quite fulfilling.

“Wow! Look at what a gaori looks like! It’s cute!”

“You said I can touch it with my hand?”

The first place we went was the aquarium.

There, we saw stingrays, penguins, whale bones on display, schools of fish filling the aquarium, and many other kinds of fish that we don’t see in our daily lives.

We had lunch at a place called Quincy Market, and also stopped by an art museum and Harvard University, one of the most famous universities in the world.

“Ah! If only I had studied a little harder, I would have been admitted here.”

“But you can’t speak English.”

“Kim Min-woo learned English too, so why can’t I?”

We killed time by chatting, took a walk in the park, and even went on a 2-hour sightseeing cruise, although I don’t know how we made a reservation.

“I told you a day in advance, but how did you plan this entire schedule…?”

“You have to do this much to be a cyber ghost.”

Kim Shin-ah’s hastily planned schedule the day before was not as bad as expected. Her parents also seemed satisfied and had good expressions on their faces.

However, it was a small ship, not a fancy large ship, even though it was called a cruise ship.

A small boat suitable for the enjoyment of ordinary tourists.

We had dinner here, chatted while looking at the sunset sky, and ended our schedule.

Now it was time to return to base camp.

“Good job! I’ll book a ticket to New Jersey first.”

If Korea wins, the round of 16 match will be held in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

I nodded and added a word.

“Why don’t you just reserve it all in advance until the finals?”

“Oh! Okay. I guess so.”

What is this? Take this…?

I listened to a few more words of wisdom from my parents and then returned to base camp. Training would begin again tomorrow.

* * *

We trained ahead of the match against Senegal. All national teams will have similar schedules ahead of the round of 32 matches.

As a result, a funny thing happened.

“Look at me. Minwoo. Do you see the black man over there?”

“yes?”

Eugene Ho pointed out a foreigner loitering outside the training grounds and whispered to me.

“That’s a spy sent from Senegal to spy on us.”

“oh….”

I can’t believe I’m seeing with my own eyes what I’ve only heard about.

But because I’m black, it’s really obvious.

“Did we send something like that to Senegal too?”

“I sent it under the pretext of sending it, but how effective would that be? You probably know who we sent it to.”

but.

“This is how intense the World Cup is. You probably know that because you’re on the internet. It’s like who would win if Korea and Senegal were to play.”

“What… .”

Korea is not really arranged.

Starting with this match, Hwang Hee-cheon and Kim Min-je will be back, so I can’t guarantee their performance.

In addition, foreign media reviews and bookmakers were all supporting Korea. If you bet on Korea to win, you get 1.1 times the odds, but if you bet on Senegal to win, you get 5.7 times the odds?

‘The rankings are almost the same, but the difference in dividends is huge.’

The only thing that’s even is a draw.

A draw was 1.9 times the odds.

Even if it goes into overtime, it’s considered a draw.

“Even if everyone says Senegal will lose, you still have to give it your all, that’s what this sport is all about.”

“Yes, yes… .”

There goes that damn sermon again.

In times like these, it would be best to avoid the situation, but I didn’t feel like avoiding it during my short break.

I took a few sips of water and listened to Eugene Ho’s sermon halfway through.

Come to think of it, there weren’t only national team officials at the training center, but also many outsiders.

Suddenly, I became curious and interrupted Yoo Jin-ho to ask.

“But. Don’t you usually have access control or something?”

“Oh, no.”

“But why are there so many outsiders?”

“I left it open for you to look at.”

“yes?”

Eugene Ho’s words were a kind of authorized visit.

So, the training we’re doing now is a demonstration training. We do it normally, but we never show the details.

Somehow, I felt like the training was quite relaxed.

“But you also had tactical training, right? The one we used in the first match.”

“Yes. It’s for the purpose of diversion. Senegal already knows the tactics used in the first match anyway.”

“Then we won’t be using the tactical training we did today in the round of 32?”

“You don’t know? If you think they won’t use it, then you can use it. It depends on Director Leon’s intentions.”

“… … .”

Is this some kind of psychological warfare?

But that only works if the teams are of similar weight class, ahem… … .

We went back to training.

This time, it was a private training session, so all outsiders had to go outside, and there were no large buildings around, so there was no need for the camera to zoom in 100x.

‘These days, times are good, so who knows. They might be flying something like a drone to watch.’

I still have these concerns, but I wonder if in the future, when the times get more advanced, they might actually shoot out something like a radio jamming device near the training ground.

* * *

Before the match against Senegal, Minwoo’s family received an interview request from a YouTube channel operated by a terrestrial broadcaster.

The public’s interest in Kim Min-woo is high, and there are high expectations about how far this World Cup will go, so there were even interviews about his family. Thinking that he had time to spare and that it would be a good experience, Choi Sung-hee accepted the interview request.

At the stadium. One hour before the game.

Most of the questions were simple.

“You finished all three matches of this group stage without conceding a goal. How do you feel?”

“Goalkeepers tend to get less attention than attackers or players who play directly on the field, but I’m really happy that our Minwoo is doing so well.”

The first answer was from my husband.

And a small microphone is held in Choi Sung-hee’s hand. Choi Sung-hee also shared her thoughts.

“In the third game, I cheered until I was hoarse. Except for our Minwoo, all the starting players were resting, so I wondered what was wrong with the coach… … But I was really happy because it seemed like our Minwoo went above and beyond his role.”

Seong-hee also passed the microphone to her daughter Shin-ah. Shin-ah had the Taegeuk mark drawn on her left cheek. And she was covering herself with the Taegeukgi as if it were a blanket.

“I expected them to keep a shutout, but it was really nice that they scored. I still watch the video of my brother scoring. The number of views was really high.”

“My daughter never lets her phone out of her hand. She’s an Internet expert.”

“Oh, Mom! Why are you saying something like that!”

“Isn’t that true?”

“No, but still….”

And the next question.

“Do you think Kim Min-woo will continue to keep his clean sheets? There are predictions that he could even win the World Cup. What do you think?”

The answers were mostly similar.

“We absolutely must do it. We will win.”

“My son has kept clean sheets in the Bundesliga, Premier League and Europa League, so I don’t think he can do anything in the World Cup.”

“I’ve already booked our family tickets and flights to the finals. And our accommodations. I heard they’re going to have a car parade in Korea like they did in Manchester United.”

And the next question is.

“If you could give one piece of advice to Kim Min-woo, what would it be?”

Starting again with father Kim Min-seok, just like the very beginning.

“Son! Play a game you won’t regret! Enjoy the game!”

“Minwoo. Just do what you always do. As if every game is your last. Fighting!”

“Kim Min-woo. Do well. If you don’t, I’ll tease you for the rest of your life!”

Since the interview was conducted an hour ago, the round of 32 match against Senegal started right away.

The national flag is raised, the national anthem is played, and various pre-game ceremonies are held… … .

That’s how the game begins.

Regardless of public opinion, Senegal is also a formidable country. If the match is held without Kim Min-woo, the two countries’ strengths will be even or Senegal will have a slight advantage.

However, it was obvious that Kim Min-woo would not be absent from this match, and all the starters who rested for the full time in the last match also came back.

Including Hwang Hee-cheon and Kim Min-je.

The pioneer was the Republic of Korea.

And Korea, for the first time in a World Cup, activated its best 11 and clearly showed why they are called an unknown team, a dark horse, and a championship candidate in Europe.

Early in the game, they showed no fear and took the lead against Senegal, ranked 17th in the FIFA rankings.

The build-up and passing of the ball was so threatening that Senegal had to commit fouls to break the flow, and the referee had already issued two verbal warnings in just six minutes of the game.

Here, if he committed one more foul, he would probably be dealt a card.

And 9 minutes in the first half.

Kim Min-je, who was at the very back, saw an opening in the space and sent a long pass forward, just like Kim Min-woo.

Senegal’s back space was opened up in an instant.

Kim Jun-young receives the ball and tries to penetrate into the box, but his first touch is wrong and the ball goes out of bounds.

“Ah! Kabi… .”

Shin-ah, who realized that the camera was still around her and not leaving, was about to curse but then closed her mouth.

Choi Sung-hee looked at the sight cutely.

And the game starts again.

The trend continues with Korea taking the lead and Senegal defending the lead.

He repeatedly tried to exploit his opponent’s openings and thrust forward, but each time, Senegal cleverly fought him just enough to avoid receiving a card, or the referee’s offside call prevented his shots from being sent off.

“I like the infiltration from behind. Wow. Reporter. Isn’t this the coolest game we’ve seen in a long time?”

“Oh. Yes. That’s right.”

“Actually, we did win the group stage, but it was a disappointing win. Well, winning is important!”

This time, Korea starts the attack from the left and takes a mid-range shot. It misses the target by a huge margin. However, Korea continues to keep possession of the ball and maintains the good momentum.

Kim Shin-a, who had been quietly watching the game, looked back at the reporters and cameras and spoke.

“My brother doesn’t have to shower today, right?”

“Ahaha.”

As soon as those words came out, Korea lost the ball to the opponent’s pressure during the build-up.

As Senegal, who had switched to an attack in an instant, entered the Korean box, everyone stood up from their seats as if in sync with the scream.

And it was Kim Min-je, who recovered from his injury, who solved it by repeatedly bumping into the ball and sending it out of bounds.

Clap clap clap clap!

The audience applauded and sighed in relief at the lake view.

And now it was Senegal’s turn.

If Korea dominated the game by having possession of the ball for the entire first 20 minutes, Senegal now began to stretch its legs and try to outsmart Korea.

It was at that point that Minwoo’s family, who had been at ease with the one-sided flow, became extremely nervous.

“Hey, you were doing well, so why are you suddenly like this…?”

Even if you have an undefeated goalkeeper, it’s inevitable that you’ll feel anxious when the opponent takes possession of the ball.

And although he has blocked it all the way up until now, it is not strange that he concedes goals anytime and anywhere. No matter how well Kim Min-woo blocks, he will not be able to block every goal throughout his career.

Just like the saying that you can die from a blind bullet on the battlefield, you can also lose a point to an unexpected opponent.

Fortunately, South Korea, who had come back from a game off, had a very focused defense and did not easily give up space.

And Son Heung-min’s pressure.

As Son Heung-min, the team’s captain and oldest player, took the lead and pressured the opponent to send him out of the goal line, the stands erupted in cheers and applause.

“Veteran’s fighting spirit!”

After that, a throw-in began in the opposing camp, and Son Heung-min threw the ball and Hwang Hee-cheon received it.

And as soon as Hwang Hee-Cheon receives the ball, the opposing player pushes Hwang Hee-Cheon.

It was a war of nerves. It was a very emotional play, as if he was frustrated by the pressure from earlier. The spectators watching felt it too.

“Oh. This is a free kick. Shin-ah. Is Min-woo going out again?”

When I asked Shin-ah, she sighed and shook her head as if she were a data analyst.

“It’s too much of a corner kick area, so the angle doesn’t come out. There was a similar situation last time, and if it didn’t come out then, it won’t come out this time either.”

And Shin-Ah’s prediction was accurate.

There was a free kick, but Kim Min-woo did not appear.

Son Heung-min stood alone in the free kick area and kicked it as if he was crossing the ball with a whistle.

Although he was unable to make a successful shot because there were so many players in the box, he did not lose possession of the ball, and the ball bounced around and then came back to Son Heung-min.

Son Heung-min ran to the left from where he had kicked the free kick and beat the player who had come to mark him.

And he passed the ball to Lee Ja-seong, who was watching Senegal without any warning outside the box, and Lee Ja-seong passed the ball to Lee Kang-im, who was inside the box.

Son Heung-min also entered the box as soon as the ball was passed and passed Lee Kang-im right in front of him.

Lee Kang-im seemed to know Son Heung-min’s intentions as soon as he received the ball, he immediately passed it to Son Heung-min.

When the Senegalese defenders received the ball from Lee Kang-im, they tried to close the space by turning towards him, but when Lee Kang-im did not shoot or dribble but passed the ball back to Son Heung-min, the turning defenders momentarily ‘stopped’.

If you just look at that scene, it’s like he’s moving and stopping as if he’s playing ice tag or he’s been stunned.

As a result, a gap opened up for Son Heung-min to barely fit a step in, and he took advantage of the gap and shot straight away.

In the days when Kim Jun-young was not around, Son Heung-min would always hesitate to shoot or pass the ball to others, but now it was different.

If you see the angle, just kick it.

And Son Heung-min’s slightly curved ground shot flew past the defenders and towards the left goal, and the goalkeeper reacted by stretching out and lying down… … .

“Gyaaaaaaah!”

“Waaaaaaaaaah!”

The net shook.

First half 30 minutes.

Son Heung-min took advantage of that momentary gap and scored a goal to put the team ahead 1:0.

At that moment, Minwoo’s family, who had been rooting for him without fail, the reporters who were there, and the Koreans around him were all happy as if it was their own business.

Son Heung-min’s first goal!

Kim Shin-ah was very happy and thought to herself,

‘We won because we scored a goal!’

How are you going to stop South Korea from scoring one goal?

How are you going to break through the psychologically relaxed Kim Min-woo?

As far as Kim Shin-ah knows, no player has been able to break through Kim Min-woo in this situation.

Kim Min-woo is a goalkeeper who becomes more solid the more he is favored.

Oh, of course, that doesn’t mean Kim Min-woo has ever been pierced even in unfavorable situations.

‘Oh yeah! Advance to the round of 16 confirmed~’

After the moment of joy passed, Shin-A quickly thought about who her opponent was in the round of 16…?