Soccer Genius Wants to Get Noticed - Chapter 124



Only Krnovel

Episode 124: A Familiar Taste (1)

It’s been ten days since the national team was called up.

Personally, I feel like it’s a time that feels like a second turning point in my life. The first was when I was officially promoted to the Cologne first team, and the second is right now.

‘Are you Al Ryan?’

‘Yeah. It’s a Qatari club, and they offered me great conditions when I was playing for Gangwon. That was in 2019.’

‘Didn’t you say you’re playing domestically now?’

‘Hmm, that’s right. I lost my place in Qatar. I was a regular in the beginning, but I was completely out of the starting lineup in the second half due to a hernia. After that, I went on loan to Belgium… … and then I returned.’

‘ah.’

‘What about you? What about you?’

‘Compared to my older brother… … it’s much more exciting. Want to hear about the Bundesliga being chewed up on the street?’

‘… … How come you always say things that are so unexpected?’

The more we talked, the closer I became to Jae-young, and we talked about all sorts of things.

‘You don’t have SNS?’

‘I have an account, but I don’t use it very much. Sir… … .’

‘Mister~? Am I an uncle?’

‘sunba…….’

It stings.

‘What are you doing, hyung?’

‘I’m not good at it either. I’m really good at it. There’s no benefit to using SNS. When you’re young, you should focus on soccer.’

As Kim Min-je changed into Min-je hyung, his national teammates also gradually went through a process of becoming more comfortable.

The coaching staff is also the same.

It wasn’t easy to become close because of the language barrier, but at least we had a lot of conversations on a work-related level. Even though I wasn’t completely familiar with the detailed tactics, I was able to understand the manager’s big picture.

In particular, I’m starting to get a feel for what kind of person director Mauri Mendes is.

He was strict and reserved, which is unusual for a Portuguese, and he valued team discipline above all else.

That is, you have figured out how to act regardless of your personal likes and dislikes.

Of course, as is always the case in life, not everything went perfectly.

‘Heaven, the coach is calling.’

‘Yes, why?’

‘You seem to be very heavy. What do you think?’

‘Condition… It’s usually up and down. There’s no big problem.’

Actually, there was a problem.

Almost 14 hours flight from Germany to Korea.

Then another 10 hour flight from Korea to UAE.

It would be frustrating to just sit still, but long-distance flights were even more painful.

What should I say?

My calves, pelvis, and joints felt like they had been squeezed by a dehydrator, and my upper body felt… … like someone had grabbed my tailbone and the tip of my cervical spine and was doing a group jump rope?

So, right after the first training session on site, the coaching staff detected my physical condition like a ghost, and naturally, it became difficult for me to play in the game.

okay.

It is said that the bench was heated throughout the match between UAE and South Korea.

* * *

The day of the 10th match of the final World Cup qualifiers.

Dubai, Al Maktoum Stadium.

I take my place among the players and look around the small stadium, which seats only 15,000 people.

“Don’t be too disappointed. It hasn’t been that long since you were called up. If you’re having trouble calming down, come see me and try to appease me.”

“Your brother?”

“I’m a third-choice central defender, so it’s hard for me to play. I might be left off the roster at any moment. So you’re much better than me. Don’t you think so?”

Jae-young, sitting next to me on the bench, mutters something that is either comforting or self-mocking, and I immediately correct him for his blunder.

“Well, I know what you mean, but it’s okay. I’m not disappointed.”

“Really? Really?”

“Yes. We’re losing. 1-0. Judging by our performance, it doesn’t look like we’ll be able to score an equalizer.”

“Uh… … Huh?”

At the moment when I realized what I was saying and a strange onomatopoeia came out, the content that I had evaluated unfolded on the field.

The official ball can only move around the rear area of ​​friendly forces and cannot enter deep into enemy territory.

Ineffective attack, no.

Regardless of efficiency, the players’ activity level itself decreases.

Inevitably, they failed to take the initiative in the central region, and instead, they were reeling from the UAE’s strong pressure and counterattacks.

It seems that the fast passing tempo of the Iran match was left behind in Korea, as they continued to play loosely and just passed the ball to the flanks.

The game time is already 87 minutes.

As we neared the end, the coaches didn’t give me any instructions to warm up, and if I did-

“We should lose. It’s right to lose a game like this. Yeah, that’s right.”

“… … .”

Jae-young and Dong-seong, who once played for Hertha Berlin (German Bundesliga), stared at each other with their mouths wide open, but there was no denying the fact.

It’s already too late to turn the tide.

You should have replaced it in advance.

Aren’t you using me?

Ahem.

* * *

The next day.

The final qualifying round ends with the match against UAE, and the national team prepares to disperse at Dubai International Airport.

“I guess we’ll see each other in the June evaluation. Everyone worked hard, and I’ll see you next time.”

As the overseas and domestic players exchanged greetings after the national team captain Son Eung-min’s greetings, a familiar face approached and spoke to them.

“Haneul, you worked hard too. It’s a shame that you lost the last game, but it was still fun, right? See you next time. I hope you do well at the club too.”

“Yes, go there too, hyung, and score lots of goals.”

“Hahaha, that’s right. I’ll do well too.”

Although it was something he said after thinking it through, Son Eung-min and Min-je hyung found it so funny that they were joking around and giggling.

So I… … .

“Shall we go too?”

“yes.”

The bodyguard or the agent from the agency had to return to Korea, so instead, he was accompanying a player with the same destination.

Lee Jae-seon, who belongs to Mainz, no, Jae-seon’s older brother.

Maybe because I only saw him on TV, I automatically followed his last name, but when I actually met him and talked to him, there was no one as kind as him.

“Have you packed everything? I need to send the kimchi that grandma gave me separately.”

“Yes, I’ve already checked in your luggage. You just need to pack your own bag.”

“Yeah. But next time, please pack a little more. Your luggage is too small. If you don’t have any extra space, you’ll have a hard time.”

“I was going to do that anyway.”

Although he has a calm tone and an introverted personality, he takes the lead in making sure that nothing is missed.

This time, there were quite a few people I had met, so it would be a bit awkward to say that we were particularly close, but we were perfect for traveling together.

What’s more, it was even better because he gave me a gift. He bought me a bottle of liquor at the duty-free shop and told me to give it to my parents.

From now on, Jaeseon is definitely the older brother.

“Then shall we board now? It’s been a while since I’ve been on a plane in the UAE. It’ll take about six hours to get to Frankfurt.”

“Is Mainz close?”

“Oh, my house? It’s close to Frankfurt Airport. It’s right next to it. Can I get to Cologne by car?”

“Yes. It takes less than two hours by car.”

“Oh really? Come visit us sometime. Mainz isn’t too far away.”

“Um… … I will do that.”

Immediately after making a promise that I can’t keep, I walk towards the airplanes lined up outside the window, and soon I pass the boarding gate and go inside.

And only then did I realize that the first gathering was over.

In Korea, I received a lot of attention, but this was Dubai. There were hardly any Asians on the flight to Frankfurt, Germany, not even Korea. It seems like Jaeseon hyung’s words about Mainz being close to Frankfurt were true, as there were more requests for autographs for my companion than for me.

Knock, knock, knock.

So I immediately sit down and take out my cell phone.

There was no specific place that contacted me.

Mom’s calls (I won’t bother adding Dad’s) started pouring in right after Grandma came out to greet me, but now it’s quiet.

[Just Rempele: Congratulations on your debut goal!]

[Jan Tillman: You scored and assisted, it seems like you’re back in the swing of things. Please take care of yourself after you return to the club.]

[Crazy Meerkat: I’m bored. Come back soon.]

Still, there were a few messages from my coworkers and my new friends seemed to be having quite a lively conversation.

[Jonas Dr: Could you stop by Japan on your way back and buy me some figures? I’ll give you the money.]

[Polish Raccoon: Korea and Japan… aren’t they quite far apart?]

[Jonas Dr: It’s closer than Germany. If you look for it, there might be some imported from Korea.]

[Liberian Nutrition Gang: What is a figure?]

[Jonas Dr: It’s a product made by shrinking an anime character, but what I want is simple. Get me a figure of the main character of ‘Hoshiryokan’s Pet Girl’. If you bring it to me… … I’ll be on your side forever.]

[Sophie Hertz: Hoshiryokan’s… …what?]

… … There are some minor issues, but it’s okay.

As long as my gang doesn’t fall apart, I can ignore it even if you call me a pet guy, not a pet her.

I have that much generosity.

However, after checking the message, my attention quickly turned to the Korean website. In fact, I only looked at the evaluations after the Iran match, and did not look for articles right after the match against UAE.

Although the director’s evaluation is the most important, it is also true that the expert’s evaluation is also very concerning.

and.

“

: The World Cup final qualifying Group A matches have all ended. South Korea is in second place in the group after Iran. For soccer fans, March must have been a month of both satisfaction and regret.

In fact, if I were to summarize the results of this match in one sentence, it would be ‘a match that clearly recognized the strengths and weaknesses of the current national team.’

First, the match against Iran at the Seoul World Cup Stadium was almost perfect. It confirmed that the Plan A tactic was applied as the manager intended, and it can be said that we got everything we could get, including fast-paced passing football and a clean sheet victory.

However, the match against UAE was the complete opposite. It was as if Mendes’ shortcomings were all exposed, as if he was getting a vaccination before the main tournament.

First is the absence of set piece tactics, second is the problem with the wingers’ participation in the attack, third is the unsophisticated link-up work of the attackers, and lastly is the lack of scoring ability of the front-line attackers…

.

.

.

However, despite exposing a series of shortcomings, the achievements of manager Mauri Mendes cannot be underestimated. They have advanced to the final qualifying round with the best result since 1998, and the characteristically stable build-up and solid defensive line are worthy of praise.

In particular, it cannot be overlooked that new options have been discovered.

Tall striker Cho Kyu-min also did his part based on his excellent activity level, but Seong Ha-neul was truly an unexpected discovery.

As mentioned earlier, Cho Young-guk and Cho Kyu-min only scored one field goal throughout the final qualifying round. In a situation where the lack of scoring power from the frontline attackers was felt to be regrettable, coach Mauri Mendes tried to find an answer through position changes.

Sung Ha-neul, who has never been seen before in terms of speed, dexterity, boldness, and decisiveness, has perfectly lived up to the director’s expectations, and now all that’s left is to show consistency.

The World Cup opens around November.

He may survive to the end and become a syndrome, a phenomenon… … .

The answer is always the same.

Proving that I am the best. Whether it was in Cologne or with the national team, the absolute proposition remained the same, and now it was time to prove it again at the club.

Oh, before that.

Whee, wheeing-!

Ddddddddd.

I have to protect my tailbone from the airplane seat.