Soccer Genius Wants to Get Noticed - Chapter 154



Only Krnovel

Episode 154 Water Paddle

Mark Ut’s sobering observation struck me deep inside, but I’m still not convinced.

Because I had no idea where to look or what to do next.

I’m like a ship that has lost its purpose, and I still don’t know exactly where to turn.

But after a while, we exit the locker room and head towards the stadium aisle.

Help came in an unexpected way from an unexpected person.

“You don’t look well.”

“… … Are you saying that to me?”

“Then who else is there besides you? You’re the only one who bumps into things on the field.”

“It’s understandable in the first season. It’s different from when you play in the league. You can see your feet sticking to the ground. It feels like the grass is holding onto your shoes. I know because I’ve been through it a lot.”

“… … .”

“There’s no need to frown. That kind of behavior only reveals your immaturity.”

Should I just swear out loud or should I wait and see in the second half and vow revenge?

It seemed like something that would be difficult for either of us to achieve easily, so I hesitated without realizing it, but fortunately, the other person crossed the line first.

“If you really feel wronged, go to Mom and Dad and complain. But you don’t want to do that, do you? You even came all the way to the stadium.”

“……no.”

“what?”

Because he mumbled his first words in a whisper, no one could hear him properly, and Jonas Hector approached him and told him to leave, but it was already too late.

No, it’s not that it’s late… …it was just right.

A good temperature for the mind to boil over.

“No. Mom and Dad didn’t come today.”

“… … Um, are you busy?”

“No, not that either. I’m not interested.”

“… … Chu, you don’t like soccer that much?”

The other person stutters with a puzzled expression on his face, wondering what kind of strange thought he had, and I quickly inform him of the facts to avoid any misunderstanding.

“It has nothing to do with soccer. I was talking about myself. Mom and Dad don’t care about me. The club gave me an invitation, but I don’t think they even looked at it. It’s on the living room table. Oh, by now it’s probably in the trash can. It’s really sad for me. I have nowhere to go to complain.”

“… … .”

“So I just have to play soccer. I have to run even if it’s hard. What can I do if I get beaten up?”

“Um, what I mean is-”

“You don’t have to apologize. In fact, I feel like I should give you a kiss.”

Yeah, it’s true.

Feelings of resentment and resentment do not help anything.

It just eats away at you, but it doesn’t serve as a springboard for your next action. However, when that feeling becomes a little more concentrated and reaches a more serious level, it becomes a definite motivation.

Anger, hatred, or aversion to a difficult reality.

“I know what you meant. It was just a crude attempt at psychological warfare. But it really helped. It made me realize what a fucking situation I was in, how much you were ignoring me, and to make matters worse, my family wasn’t going to be happy about it… that kind of stuff.”

“… … .”

“Thank you. It brought me back to my senses. I’m 100% sincere about this.”

It’s true.

Yes, I’m serious.

If it weren’t for his clumsy provocation, it was obvious that he would have been substituted in the second half. So now… … Crackle!

After hitting both balls hard, it’s time to step onto the field.

Since being noisy doesn’t suit my personality, it was time to run like crazy, whether it would lead to death or to food.

* * *

Early second half.

Seong Ha-neul shows a changed mindset from the first competition.

Near the right sideline of the field. Normally he would have participated in the defense, but when the ball went to Benjamin Henricks, he dropped deep down to the center line.

Phew!

They don’t just stop at simply blocking the space, they also bring their shoulders together and engage in unreasonable physical fights.

The result was, of course, the boy’s defeat.

Although their heights were similar, their unfinished bodies were unable to push away their opponents, so they soon lost their center of gravity and landed on the grass with their hands.

In quick succession, as soon as he regains his balance, he runs after Benjamin Henricks… … and delivers a bold sliding tackle.

Clang, crunch!

“Ahh!”

Beep!

Although the ball was touched, it was an inherently dangerous tackle, so the referee blew his whistle and stopped play without hesitation.

Ultimately, it ends with a verbal warning. Instead of showing any sign of agreement or reflection, the boy’s eyes are filled with regret.

This was also true in attacking situations, around the 6th minute of the second half. Right after central defender Chabot snatched the ball away from the Cologne camp.

The official ball goes through Skiri and towards Benno Schmitz on the right side.

A chance to counterattack.

He quickly crosses the center line and looks into the forward space, forcing Benjamin Henricks to abandon his dedicated marking of Sung Ha-neul and block his path.

“here!”

There is no need to force yourself to dribble through.

Second line, more centrally oriented space. As the angle of the pass toward Sung Ha-neul opens, Beno Schmitz connects a ground ball pass with an outside spin on the official ball.

If we only look at the first half, it would be easy to hesitate to give up possession of the ball, but after seeing the commotion in the locker room and the scene in the hallway, I ended up believing it.

and.

Bam!

The boy makes another mistake.

His first touch on the ball bounced high, and he was involved in a duel with Leipzig’s central defender who ran in from behind.

If we were to be exact, it could be said that Seong Ha-neul had a slight advantage, but since they were some distance from the danger zone, their muscular bodies were roughly pushing in.

Kwaaak!

The process of fighting for the ball can be filled with joy and sorrow in an instant.

The relatively small boy struggled to escape the force of the defender’s lapels and thrusts, while number 23 Marcel Halstenberg tried to crush him with his overwhelming physicality.

“Ugh!”

The referee instinctively puts the whistle to his lips as the physical fight unfolds without the ball being touched even once… … but not yet.

The left foot is diagonally forward to block the opponent’s path, while the right foot is planted deep into the grass to support the weight of both men.

My wisdom teeth clench against my will, but I still persevere to the end.

And as a result, bang-

A forward pass into the forward flank where Beno Schmitz digs in.

It seems like a shabby result compared to the difficult process, but a small expression of satisfaction appears on Seong Ha-neul’s face and quickly crumbles.

More, more, more, a little more.

Having given the ball to a teammate, it was now time to rush into the penalty box.

* * *

It wasn’t just the coaches and spectators who noticed the changes in the second half.

Inside the Olympiastadion, section C. A man dressed in the same attire as the neighborhood uncle who came out to drink begins to speak with a low snort.

“… … The right side is finally coming loose.”

The one receiving the speech was a middle-aged man sitting on his right.

He expresses his agreement by touching the collar of his white shirt.

“That’s the thing about soccer. If the key attack routes do their job, doesn’t it just flow like water in an instant?”

“Ha-nul’s form still doesn’t seem that great. What do you think?”

“Well, it seems like it’s less than half of what it usually is. I guess it’s because of the physical strain. But I’m actually feeling better.”

“good?”

“Scouting is like that. If you only look at how they look when they’re good and make decisions based on that, the chances of failure are higher. You also have to watch how they deal with bad times.”

The brief conversation contains information that may shed light on the identities of the two men.

The man sitting on his left was Manchester United’s chief technical scout, Mick Court, while on his right was Mark Curtis from Arsenal.

“That’s true. Personally, it’s an unexpected sight. I didn’t think work ethic (sincerity, work ethic) was a strong point. But when I saw him today… … he’s quite good. You can see him gritting his teeth and running from defense to offense.”

“There’s no need to say how important your mental attitude is. Of course-”

“Over pace?”

“surely.”

Since they are both from the UK and have the same job, the conversation flows smoothly even though they met by chance.

How far can you grow?

And how long can Cologne hold out?

“The tactical movement seems pretty good.”

“The coaches taught him well. He’s been in Cologne since his youth, so he must have seen and heard a lot. I think his fundamentals are solid.”

“One more thing. This is also the role of the coach. He reduces the burden on defense and pushes the passing lane. He’s still doing that. He doesn’t restrain himself even when the pace is over. I don’t think it’s a wise choice for the team, but for each player, it’s an opportunity to grow. I met a good coach.”

Of course, a subtle war of nerves was a bonus.

“I agree. I think you’ll fit in well with our team.”

“I think he’d fit in well with any team. If we just look at his talent, there’s no need to worry about adapting.”

“Well… … It depends on how the player feels. Even veteran players tend to waver when the league and team change. If he comes to Arsenal, he will get a lot of opportunities. The position depth is shallow, and it’s the pick the manager wants.”

“Is Nketiah the only real contender? Is Lacazette set to leave as a free agent?”

“Why are you like this? I can’t say that.”

“I guess you’ve decided to play Hanul as a striker. We’re thinking of giving him more options. He can also play on the right wing.”

“That’s because Sancho was ruined.”

“… … .”

“… … Ahem, what I mean is-”

“Is Arsenal in a position to talk? How much did they pay for Pepe? I think it was 72 million pounds (about 120.9 billion won)?”

“… … .”

At that moment, the two scouts were having a childish argument about the transfer fees of Nicolas Pepe and Anthony Martial.

As the second half approached 25 minutes and the number 70 appeared on the scoreboard clock, Cologne created a meaningful attacking opportunity.

Let’s start again from the right side.

Beno Schmitz’s toes.

[Push hard!]

It was difficult to hear the players’ voices because of the fans of both teams singing their chants, but the direction the finger was pointing and the subsequent movement explained the movement of the Leipzig attacker.

Left-wing attacker Nkunku runs towards wide defender Benno Schmitz, who has dropped deep into his own half.

Too-woong!

As soon as he receives the ball, he swings his right foot in place.

The ball, kicked with the tip of the foot to maximize its momentum, receives a strong spin and is shot towards the front line, where… …Seong Ha-neul is running in.

“The opportunity has come… … like that.”

“My confidence is dead. It’s a shame.”

Fearing a mis-touch, the boy lets the ball bounce on the grass and digs deep into the side.

If he was in top condition, he would have immediately stabilized the ball and dug inside, but he chose the best option at the moment.

While Benjamin Henricks belatedly followed the exquisite timing of the penetration and took a defensive stance, Sung Ha-neul approached the box side line and swung his foot without hesitation.

There are two layers of defenders in front of you.

Not only wingback Benjamin Henriks but also left-back Halstenberg are waiting for crosses with their backs up.

Therefore, the cross trajectory is a straight line.

Instead of aiming for the goal, twist your ankle and aim for the penalty spot.

Phew!

The ball lands exactly on the inside of the foot, touches the grass just once and reaches the center of the box. The finishing opportunity is given to Mark Utt, who started as an attacking midfielder.

and.

WHEEK!

[Ahhh-!]

There were sighs from the audience at the dizzying slap in the face.

The attacking opportunity was not completely wasted, as the ball hit Ut’s shin and bounced back. Defensive midfielder Elias Schiri, who had joined the attack, rushed forward and immediately swung his left foot.

Bam! Swoosh!

The shot, which cut through the central space crowded with defenders and curved into the left side of the goal, was so perfect that the goalkeeper could only watch.

Immediately after, behind the goal, the cheers of the Cologne fans shook the entire stadium structure.

[Wow!!]

This is around the 27th minute of the second half.

The match score is 1-1, and it reverts to the starting point.

[Whaaaaaah!]

“Look!! I finally did it!”

“Ahh! But I think this is it!!”

The cheers from the audience were so loud that the two scouts also shouted and resumed their conversation.

That’s right.

Seong Ha-neul really ran around the field diligently and contributed greatly to the scoring process, but… …he was too exhausted to participate in the goal celebration.

So, I expect everyone to use a replacement card between 70 and 80 minutes.

“… … You’re not changing it?”

“… … Should I consider this stubbornness? Baumgart is also great in some ways.”

Even with Jan Tillman replacing Florian Kainz and Ljubicic replacing Ozcan, the right-wing attacker position remains unchanged.

Are you thinking of working full-time?

The results are revealed naturally.

Beep!

The second half final whistle.

There was no change on the right side even after the final went into extra time.