Soccer Genius Wants to Get Noticed - Chapter 174



Only Krnovel

Episode 174 Weight Class Difference (1)

Wednesday, September 14, 2022.

The local media in Cologne were just showing their preview of the second Champions League group match, the home game against Atletico Madrid.

“Goats’ Challenge, Preview of the 2nd leg of the UEFA Champions League? By Jerna Yom

: In Cologne, Germany, players are training hard with great expectations in Gaisbockheim (photo attached).

Cologne has been drawing attention for its strong offense and unique teamwork and tactics, and this season, the team is showing amazing performances centered around its ace, Sung Ha-neul. After 6 rounds, Cologne is currently ranked 2nd, behind Bayern Munich.

The fans’ enthusiasm for the away game against Club Brugge in the Champions League first leg also grew even more as they achieved a comeback victory, but on the other hand, they are also anxious due to the loss in the previous league game. The squad was burdened by the tight schedule that they had never experienced before, so they did not use the team’s key players.

At the same time, these consecutive matches clearly showed the limitations of the team called Cologne.

While Sung Ha-neul, Kaintz, and Ut were excluded from the attacking line, the defense line played as semi-regulars, but lost after conceding a goal. This means that both the solution and the problem are ‘Sung Ha-neul’. Although there is a substitute resource called Ondrej Duda in the attacking midfielder position, it is impossible to create chances using his characteristic aggression and individual tactics.

Diego Simeone will surely want to play the game out through tactical pressure on Seong Ha-neul.

In addition, Atletico Madrid are in great form. They took three points from FC Porto in the first leg and won 4-1 against Celta Vigo in their last league match. They will be hoping to get their second win in the group stage. The only obstacle is the injury list, with central defender Stefan Savic and winger Sergio Reguilon out of action.

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.

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As a result, both teams are given good and bad conditions, but FC Köln is seen as capable of giving Atletico a difficult game. And with the game being played at the Rhein-Energie-Stadion, it wouldn’t be surprising if they win or draw at home.

Let’s see how far the goats can reach. ”

From street newsstands and various magazines to social media, regardless of the medium or new media, everything is about the Champions League.

In Cologne, me, Mark Uth, and Florian Kainz were mainly mentioned. On the AT Madrid side, Angel Correa, Rodrigo de Paul, Yannick Carrasco, etc. Key players from each team were mentioned, and it was said that there was a war of words following the predictions and evaluations of the match.

Who told you?

Who would listen to other people’s opinions?

Of course it’s Remperle.

“What do you think?”

“what.”

“Today’s game.”

“I don’t really have any thoughts on this. I just think I should go and break it.”

“But the opponent is Atletico Madrid. A prestigious team in Spain’s La Liga, a world-class team!”

“We are also a prestigious and strong team in the Bundesliga. Isn’t that right?”

“Huh? No, what I mean is… … .”

Inside the team bus, the players’ eyes suddenly turn red, and his flushed face turns bright red.

You shouldn’t have said things like that.

“My family and other people are really looking forward to it… … That’s why I’m saying this.”

“okay.”

“… … Aren’t you nervous? The game is coming up soon.”

“There’s a lot to think about.”

“What are you thinking?”

The second question is somewhat answerable.

“school.”

“Oh, school started again?”

“huh.”

“By the way, it’s your last year. Next June is the Abitur (German SAT), right? Is that why? Honestly, it won’t be hard to get into college. I don’t know for sure, but I heard that 4.0 is the cutoff score.”

That’s right.

The total score for college is 900. Out of that, the school grade is 600 and the Abitur is 300. Even with that, the average score is in the low 2s (the lower the score, the better), so unless you’re going to medical school, law school, or engineering school, you should be able to pass with any degree.

But of course, it wasn’t that kind of worry.

“Yeah. Even so, my grades are pretty good. Since the Abitur is a subjective test, it won’t be much different from the school exams. I think I’ll get a 3.0 or higher even if I don’t do well. But I’m not worried about not being able to go to college.”

“Considering whether to go or not?”

“Right. I don’t know what I want to study. Should I go to a sports-related department?”

“… … I don’t know what to say about that.”

Since I didn’t really expect an answer when I blurted it out, I quickly turned my head out the window and looked around at the scenery.

Around 8pm.

Lights come on all over the city, and the sunset over them creates a strange color. The park on the right and the fields on the left erase all traces of people and show off a more natural beauty.

But that was only for a moment. As the streetlights began to fade away, overshadowed by the lights outside the stadium, a group of people wearing red uniforms appeared.

One side is Cologne fans, the other side is Atletico Madrid fans. Since the color that symbolizes both teams is red, they can be distinguished by their uniform stripes.

“What about soccer?”

“There’s soccer too.”

“Oh, what is it? Tell me. I can answer that question professionally. I’m close with players my age. Isn’t that a little bit okay?”

Then suddenly, a third question came to mind.

This time, he opens his lips without even turning his head.

“The national team evaluation match is at the end of the month. For a week starting from September 20th.”

“Oh, then… … .”

“Yeah. The convocation is in a week. I think I’ll be out of shape. What should I do? I’ll expect your wise, clear, deep knowledge, and wide-ranging, professional answers.”

“… … .”

Mark Utt then started to snicker and tease Remperle, which was a great way to get me to focus.

It’s finally a bit quieter now.

* * *

Soccer is a battle of flow. This is true both within the game itself and when you expand the game a bit and look at it from the perspective of a winning streak.

Lost 0-1 to Union Berlin in round 6.

Although losing just one game wasn’t that painful, looking at the overall flow, it was necessary to end it here. Above all, the fact that it was the first home game in the Champions League made it more important.

And the fans felt this fact more than anyone else, and enjoyed it too.

[FC Cologne!]

Boom, boom, boom!

[We stand with you!]

[Even if I have to walk a burning path, I’ll be with you~]

[Always to you!]

[Even if you have to walk a burning path, come with us~]

Inside the Rhine Energy Stadium.

As the cheering song resonates, the sound of drums beating and applause pierces the eardrums, and countless hands are stretched out as the players exit the locker room and head out to the stadium entrance.

A scene filled with encouragement, cheers, excitement and passion.

During the warm-up before the match, the home team’s overwhelming support could be felt, and it was the same when the Champions League theme song was played.

As players from both teams line up around the referee, a round cloth with the club logo fluttering behind them.

Thud thud.

In addition, near the bench, next to Steffen Baumgart, a club official brought out a ‘real goat’ named Hannes 9, walking in place on a leash.

The game begins with a dark brown fur ball disappearing far off the field along with the escort kids.

Ting!

The left-hand side of the team is decided by a coin toss, and the starting line goes to Atletico Madrid. I follow Jonas’s gesture and stand on the center line.

“Don’t be nervous and just follow the instructions.”

“I know. I won’t make the same mistake again.”

“good.”

I gave a quick response to Mark Ut’s advice, but I didn’t feel good about it. If I hadn’t been nervous, I wouldn’t have given a short response.

The veteran striker is unusually quiet today.

Beep!

[Wow!!]

However, there was no time to think long. As soon as the referee blew the whistle, the opposing attacker, a small man, touched the ball.

Toong!

The first touch of the ball belonged to Joao Felix, who received it from Alvaro Morata, a member of the Spanish national team that we saw at the World Cup.

* * *

The first 10 minutes are for exploration.

Since this is their first meeting, they will attack without giving the other team a chance to counterattack by passing the ball around.

The typical Cologne is 4231.

As the opponent was an opponent, Ljubicic was moved to the center and Elies Schiri formed a two-mid formation, and the second line was a combination of Kainz, me, and Remperle. Mark Uth was placed at the top.

In response, AT Madrid came out with 352. I had heard before the game that it was expected to be 442, but this time it seems that our coaching staff was one step behind.

The goalkeeper was the renowned Jan Oblak, and the defense consisted of Hermoso, Axel Witsel, and Felipe.

The midfielders are Mandava, Saul Niguez, Koke and Llorente from the left, and lastly Molina, the right wingback. The attackers are Joao Felix and Morata, as mentioned earlier. As time goes by, it becomes clear that the opponent’s tactics cannot be simply defined as 352.

“Don’t overdo it!”

“Timmy, return!”

When defending, both wingbacks drop deep to form a five-man defensive line, and one striker also drops down to create a 5-4-1 formation… … so it is difficult for our wingers to break through.

“Ryubichi, number 17!”

“The left side is also being dug in!”

“Catch them while keeping a reasonable distance!”

On the other hand, when the ball was won, both wingbacks actively participated in the attack, and Axel Witsel, who was in the center of the three backs, also moved up to the midfield position to help.

If I had to define it… … I would say it’s something close to 2143.

When the central defender changes into a defensive midfielder and leads the attack, one of the opposing midfielders (Llorente, Koke, Saul Niguez) steps up and joins the front line. This is a way to instantly form a three-top and create a crack in the team’s defense.

After a long or short exploration… …AT Madrid took the first step towards making a very risky choice.

Boohoo!

Positioned about 5 meters from the center line, Axel Witsel picks up the ball in his own half, scans his own half, and then pokes a long pass to the right flank.

A pass that is neither too strong nor too weak. But rather, because of that, the official ball falls into the space between the right side of the second line and the center, transforming into an exquisite move.

A contest between Elies Schiri and Llorente.

Phew!

“Huh!”

This is the first time I’ve seen him get pushed out of the offering zone. No, this is the first time I’ve seen him get pushed out so perfectly.

“Side!”

“Fill the space! Don’t rush in!”

And while Skiri loses his balance and falls over, the ball literally flies everywhere.

As the opposing wingback Molina, who had joined the right wing, received the header pass that was dropped behind, Jonas tried to block the way. As if he had no intention of breaking through in the first place, he rolled a ground pass into the center.

The pass went to striker Alvaro Morata.

Friendly central defender Huibers quickly runs in, but before he can, he returns the ball with a one-touch pass. He pushes it to the feet of Marcos Llorente, who was running forward after winning the header challenge.

“… … It’s not good.”

The words I mutter to myself carry a lot of meaning.

With Eliez Skyri finally getting up and giving chase, the friendly defenders have a hard time deciding who to give up.

If Whibus pops out, Morata’s mark will be empty, and if Jonas leaves, wingback Molina will be empty.

But what’s worse than that is-

“Julian, back up!”

The act of calling in my partner defender, Julian Chabot, to take over for me.

Fuck.

What happens when the defense is slanted to one side when the opponent is a strong team among strong teams? The answer can be found in today’s game.

Fight!

Llorente waits for his team’s central defender to approach, and when he is within a few paces, he floats the ball with his right foot.

The ball spins a lot, and it curves incredibly towards the other side of the box. It catches the eye of our side defender, Benno Schmitz, but he is unable to stop it.

With Huyvers out to block Llorente, his partner in central defence, Chabot, had to cover the left central area, and he also had to fill Chabot’s spot.

The short and stocky striker, Joao Felix, was able to block the ball, but the opposing wingback, who had made his way to the edge of the box, was left free.

Knock, knock.

When the situation leads to a 2-on-1 defense, Schmitz lowers his body and takes a quick defensive stance.

But it was all for the defensive stance to be wasted, as just one touch of the ball was enough to stabilize the cross that came into his path – the ball rolled back into the other side of the box.

A ground ball pass that went diagonally.

The sender is Molina, the left wingback of Atletico Madrid, and the receiver is… …Alvaro Morata, who has already avoided the offside line and come in.

Boohoo!

Lightly bring your right foot forward and finish with a shot to the left of the goal.

and.

T-tick!

[… …Wow!!]

“This is crazy!”

Goalkeeper Marvin Schwabe, who has become a regular this season, successfully blocks the ball with his fingertips, bending his waist like a bow.

The home crowd, defenders, and Sung Ha-neul all hurled insults and exclamations at the insane defense.

I was momentarily impressed by the performance that saved the first half. As the game entered the middle, the cheers from the stands also died down.

Thud!

[… … Aaaah!]

Crisis, crisis, crisis, one counterattack and crisis again. I, the team called Cologne, face a real powerhouse and are overwhelmed.

It’s not like the market share is particularly lacking.

A solid defense, individual differences in ability, and tactics that operate like a machine with gears between players… … My mind just starts to become confused.