Soccer Genius Wants to Get Noticed - Chapter 136



Only Krnovel

Episode 136 Freedom and Responsibility (3)

“back!”

Swish-

First off, it starts with Mark Ut spilling the ball.

Although his finishing ability may not be that good for an attacker, his link-up sense is something that can be recognized in the Bundesliga, so he passes Jonas’ pass between his legs.

The next step is entirely mine.

As my stamina is low, I try to hold on to my concentration as it keeps slipping away, and soon move on to the essential preparatory movements.

Turn your head left and right to check your surroundings.

Swish, swish.

On the right, Freiburg’s central midfielder Maximilian Eggestein was seen, with his partner Nicolas Hoeffler approaching in the near future.

In addition, one defender was attached from behind.

Once you understand the situation, you have less to worry about.

A 3 vs 1 fight.

If he’s in good shape, it might be okay, but it seems like it would be difficult to continue dribbling, so he’s going to choose to return the ball to Mark Ut.

Before that, focus again and reverse the movement.

Move to the left and then to the right again. By drawing an S-shaped path, you disperse the timing of the defender who is right behind you to commit a foul, and by bringing the inside of your foot, you can return the pass in front of your team’s attacker.

And immediately after avoiding having your uniform grabbed by a seemingly useless pre-action, you turn your body and climb up to the enemy’s camp, but make sure your path is to the left.

This leaves space between Freiburg’s central midfielders, given where Mark Uth receives the ball.

Thud! Thud.

It’s nice to get another forward pass.

“I’ll stop it!”

“No, then the line… … .”

The moment I stepped up to the edge of the second line near the center line, I consciously raised my head and saw the opposing center defender on the right approaching.

Next it’s time to roll your head around.

Organize and infer a given situation through visual information.

The right-hand center back steps up? Why is he doing this? To block my path?

The central midfielders will be running to cover, so why risk pushing the line forward?

there is.

On the right side of the field of vision, one of the two central defenders who were supposed to guard the center of the back four had disappeared somewhere.

i get it.

The person who was behind me earlier was Freiburg’s left central defender.

Now that we have assessed the situation, it’s time to make a decision.

There are two options.

Ljubicic on the left and Rempale on the right.

Ta-da-da-dak!

Both of them were timing their penetration as soon as they saw the opposing central defender rush out, but although their goals were the same, their methods were different.

“Hanul!”

While Ljubicic demands the ball by opening wide, Rempale is busy shaking off the winger without saying a word.

It seemed like it was spreading out wide to the right, but then it suddenly changed direction and went inward. It was a movement aimed at the empty space in the center.

Which choice would have been right?

Liar!

Short questions arise only after a decision has been made.

Kick the right side of the ball with the top of your right foot, pulling your upper body closer than usual and kicking sharply at the end, taking care not to push the ball too far.

My choice was Ryubi Chi on the left.

Boom!

“Ugh!”

It may be regrettable for Remperle, but it was a decision based on thoroughly rational judgment.

‘Rather than a left-back with quick feet and good physical condition, we are looking for a veteran who is skilled and experienced but has lost stamina.’

Moreover, it seemed better to move to the left side and aim for the next one rather than going for a 1-on-1 chance at once.

“Hook, hook, slurp.”

Immediately after sending the pass, I was out of breath but still walking towards the penalty box.

In the meantime, I forcefully turn my head to look behind me and draw a picture of the finishing stage one step ahead.

The faithful meerkat was running behind me, and Elis Skiri was practically unable to move due to physical problems.

I can understand up to this point, but it was quite annoying to see our central midfielder, Matthias Olesen, who came in as a substitute in the latter half of the game, just standing there blankly.

No, no.

You have to kill your emotions and judge rationally.

What to do about my lack of experience and judgment.

So the best thing to do right now is to make the most of the opportunities we have at the end of the game so that it doesn’t go into overtime.

Just then, good news arrived from the left side.

Ryubicic uses his physical advantage to strike with his shoulder, and the opposing defender falls over, raising both hands… but the referee does not blow the whistle.

A fair fight.

Remperle was the first to raise his hand as he crossed the right side of the penalty box, and I also ran to the left side of the box a couple of beats later.

Then, all of a sudden, the breath that had been rising to the tip of my chin calmed down and a moment of comfort came over me.

As the noise from the stands that had been tickling my ears disappeared, I began to wonder when I had ever experienced any physical ups and downs.

what?

But that comfort also suppresses a series of thoughts and emotions, and soon, nothing remains in the mind that has turned completely white.

Just, one thing.

All that’s left is to keep running and score a goal.

and.

“… …Press!”

Just as Ljubicic’s mouth twitched as he came in across the goal line, the official ball that had been kicked by the inside of his left foot rolled towards me.

You have to concentrate, you have to really focus and receive it properly, the first touch of the ball is the most important.

Contrary to the worries that echoed in a corner of my mind, my legs caught the ball on their own. In the end, it was me who did it, but it felt like my body moved on its own.

The situation that followed was also similar.

Chorrrrrr!

Just as I’m about to complete a near-perfect touch, an evil noise comes into my ears. The central defender who’s been chasing me is attempting a sliding tackle.

Even though it is an action that can be known without seeing it, there is no sense of embarrassment.

Considering that I approached to the left of the penalty box, about 10 meters from the goal, it must have been an attempt to block the shooting angle.

It was a foolish attempt.

Because it wasn’t a tackle aimed at the ball, it was just an attempt to block the path to the goal.

I’ll just… …wait and see.

Do nothing, just keep the ball in a constant position while your opponent slides across the grass.

Chaaaaak, Kwaak!

“Huh!”

One thing that was really surprising was that the opposing defender almost crawled on the ground to regain his balance. As expected, he couldn’t touch the ball, but he made a desperate move to block my path.

Then, I pulled the ball that was stuck right in front of my left foot toward the center of my body and kicked it with my heel, and I couldn’t help but admire it.

Because the spirit of Akbari deserves to be respected.

Of course, that was something I thought about after sending the heel pass.

Who did you give it to?

I hate being too playful, but I gave the pass to the person who would run until the very end, even if the pass didn’t go to me.

As expected.

When I turned my head belatedly, I saw Mark Ut running towards the penalty spot (11 meters away) and swinging his right foot, and soon the whole stadium shook with a loud noise.

[Wow!]

Yeah, this is it.

Perhaps, this was the essence of team play that Hanes Dold was talking about so passionately.

Taaak!

“… … ?”

“You crazy kid! You crazy kid! You can give it to me slowly, but you don’t even look and use your heel? You crazy kid!”

“This $@”

“Oh, that’s a bad word!”

Snap, snap!

The inner satisfaction, the overwhelming emotion, the joy of tactical realization – all are instantly thrown into the trash can by the meerkat’s paw that taps my forehead.

“Who would say that! Are you really crazy… … Why are you hitting me-”

“Good job, you fucking brat! You’re the best! We’re going to the finals! Shit! Shit! Uwaaaaaaah!”

Am I crazy?

But then the ugly meerkat grabbed my face with both hands and started howling, and then his fellow meerkat rushed in and pushed me with their bodies, crushing me to the ground.

Even the audience did so.

While being trampled by beasts disguised as comrades, all sorts of objects were seen being thrown outside the ground, including mufflers, uniforms, and even everyday clothes.

At this moment, I felt like I was the only one who was normal.

* * *

“Wow! Okay, okay!”

At around 11pm on Tuesday evening, cheers erupt from all over Cologne.

There were no restaurants open late like in Korea, but there were some bars, apartments in the city center, and houses on the outskirts.

With over 100,000 officially registered fans, each expressed their joy in their own way. This was no exception at a home located in the northeastern part of Cologne.

“Wow, this… … I won this. My goodness, how long has it been since we’ve had a final?”

Inside a two-story house with a blue roof, a middle-aged man sits on the living room sofa, mumbling to himself as he tries to calm his swollen chest.

The brown-haired girl who had been quietly watching him sighed as if she couldn’t stop him.

“Are you that good?”

“That’s good. I bet Grandpa would be happy too.”

“… … Yes. At least it’s fortunate that it didn’t go into overtime. Grandpa is old, and working until dawn isn’t good for his health.”

“Sophie, it’s a great blessing to have something to do. Especially if it’s something you enjoy.”

While Sophie Hertz’s first thought was of her grandfather, who worked as a club bus driver, her father seemed simply thrilled.

It’s not that I’m not, I’m just exclaiming in admiration at every word the TV commentators say.

[… … With this, Cologne has the chance to challenge for the DFB Pokal title for the first time in 39 years since the 1982-83 season. Melanie, what did you think of today’s game?]

[Both teams showed great performances. It was a game that proved why they have been so successful this season. Especially the tactical aspect. Freiburg tried to play efficient football through tactical changes, while Cologne pushed on without really needing to.]

[That’s right. The battle of wits between directors Streich and Baumgart was also fun to watch, wasn’t it?]

[Yes. Certainly, from the first half to the second half, every moment was intense. However, I think Coach Streich must have felt regretful about his last choice. In fact, Cologne had almost no substitution cards for overtime. So Freiburg also chose to take a step back, but the opposing striker twisted that plan.]

[I see. Even if you prepare a perfect plan, isn’t it the players on the field who ultimately play the game?]

[Yes.]

[So now it’s time to meet the person who sank Freiburg.]

Wondering why her father loves soccer so much, but also finding it fascinating, Sophie Hertz put down the book she was reading and looked at the TV screen.

It was then that a boy with a familiar face appeared.

[Ha-nul, I sincerely congratulate you on your victory today.]

[……thank you.]

His hair was tangled and sweaty, but he had straight eyebrows, sharp eyes, and a high nose. He had the natural features to make up for it.

[You seem more tired than usual. Wasn’t it a tough match? The match schedule was tight, and you played full-time.]

[Yeah. It seemed okay while I was running, but I feel exhausted after it’s over.]

[But it is true that you showed great performance. 1 goal, 1 assist. You were selected as the best player of the game. How do you feel?]

However, the reason the girl did not give him a friendly look was because of her innate personality as well as her appearance.

[It was a natural result, well… … but it’s still good. After all, I did my part as a soccer player. In fact, I did a good job of fulfilling the role that Baumgart asked me to do.]

It’s still purple now.

Although it’s not to the extent of showing off, it’s obvious that he won’t give in to even a single word.

“I like Hanul because he is so confident in everything he does. That’s what a soccer player should be like.”

“… … As a classmate, it’s a bit like that.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Because I keep bumping into kids.”

“… … Are you going to start a fight first?”

“That’s not it… … .”

However, I am hesitating to finish my sentence, wondering if making a fuss about this is any different from whispering.

At that moment, the person in question reveals the reason for his or her mysterious feelings.

[I was going to ask that. You played as a striker in the second half, didn’t you? You even provided an assist that decided the game in extra time. Did you feel more comfortable playing as a striker against Freiburg?]

[Hmm… … I think it was more of a problem with the opponent’s tactics than position.]

[Was it a problem in Freiburg?]

[Yeah. The opponent actually used a formation closer to 442 towards the end of the second half. 442 when attacking, 4231 when defending with one attacker in the center. But honestly, that only sounds good, and at some point it became neither one nor the other. Maybe it was because of the lack of stamina, but the gap between the defenders and midfielders widened. That made it easier to attack.]

[I see. Did you feel that while running it yourself? Even though you’re a veteran player?]

[I didn’t feel this way because I’m a veteran, but anyone would have known that if there was that much space, it would be possible to pitch a tent and go camping.]

[Haha, camping… … . I see, umm… … .]

As the interviewer stutters, looking quite embarrassed, the girl’s father nods and laughs in vain.

“Ah, I know what that means. I know what it feels like.”

“… … .”

“You must be popular at school, right?”

“No, that’s not it?”

“No? Really? Hanul is not popular? Even though he looks so flashy?”

“… … Looks aren’t everything.”

As the gruff voice returned, he watched his daughter quietly for a moment before cracking a meaningful smile.

“Do you like him?”

“No!”

“… … .”

“No!”

“Who said anything? If it weren’t for you, then it wouldn’t be. Dad didn’t say anything.”

“… … .”

He came out to the living room to watch soccer, which was unusual, and he almost shouted a strong denial. I think I got the answer at this point.