Soccer Genius Wants to Get Noticed - Chapter 180



Only Krnovel

Episode 180 Puzzle (2)

Late September, Goyang Stadium. Perhaps because the World Cup finals were just around the corner, more people than expected gathered for the first of two A-match matches.

[Wow!!]

[korea!]

In a stadium with 40,000 seats, we face Costa Rica. As a match in preparation for Group H of the World Cup, Costa Rica is like a virtual Uruguay.

Since it is a home game and the opposing team is considered to have superior strength, the national team’s formation is 4132.

If it feels somehow familiar, it’s probably because you’re feeling it.

At the forefront were me and my senior Son Eung-min, and at the second line were Hwang Hee-cheol, Hwang Yun-beom, and Kwon Chang-jun. The rest of the defense line was pretty much the same, so there was no need to explain much.

The only difference is that a new face named Yoon Jeong-gyu has appeared in the right-back position?

Of course, I wasn’t the type of person who would take care of anyone (at least not on the national team), so I didn’t really care.

Anyway, my position is striker at the front line.

Not only was his role at the club different, but the opposing defense was also very strict, so he didn’t have the luxury of extending his influence to the back.

just-

“Oh, heavens!”

Boom!

He starts by benchmarking the movements of a guy like Mark Utt, dropping from the first line to the second line and scattering the ball.

Rather than simply passing the ball back, he passes it to where the second line players are trying to sneak up on.

I get two benefits from this.

One is the effect of slowly warming up the body considering the poor condition due to long-distance flight, and the second is-

puck!

This is an excessive check by the opposing defender, who intentionally bumps into the ball even though the ball has already been rolled away.

I’m a little annoyed by the pain that comes with climbing, but… … it’s okay.

The games are long, focus is short, and attackers, unlike defenders, are often praised for creating one-off chances.

Just give it back to me someday.

And just like that, 15 minutes or so pass by in a flash.

“again!”

“Over here!”

Bam!

Hwang Hee-cheol on the left side of the second line and Hwang Yun-beom in the center (the honorifics were omitted as the game was in full swing) both requested the same thing… … and switched to Son Eung-min, who was playing as a top two with me, with a one-touch.

He pushes the ball with the outside of his right foot and then runs past the defender to the right edge of the box.

It might be difficult to get a forward pass back since the central defender is right there, but it’s not a bad choice for creating space.

As expected, at the moment when Son Eung-min attempted to dribble through the center, Hwang Hee-cheol took advantage of the empty left striker spot.

However, the key to this offensive was Hwang Yun-beom, who played as an attacking midfielder.

The ball that touched Son Eung-min’s foot rolled towards the box line, and a man running up from the second line finished it with a mid-range shot.

[Ahhhhh!]

There were gasps from the stands as the shot whizzed past the right side of the goal, but that’s just the general idea.

The market share is entirely South Korea’s.

, I switch with Hwang Yun-beom and drop down to the center of the second line, and pass the ball to Hwang Hee-cheol, who is digging in from the left side.

Boohoo! Slurp-

Then, a strong ground ball pass comes in diagonally. Son Eung-min reads the path of the pass and… … drops the ball.

The final path is on the right side of the box.

The recipient is right winger Kwon Chang-jun.

[Shoot, shoot!]

[Ahhhh!]

[Oh my gosh!!]

But was he lacking confidence? Or was he trying to create a perfect scene? At the last moment, he tried to turn the ball once more and pass it to the center, but it was caught by the toe of the opposing defender, and the attacking opportunity was lost.

That’s okay though.

Because I said I was okay.

Until the mid-first half, he was making the opposing defenders lose their focus with simple plays like one-touch passes.

If you wait, your chance will come someday, and to be exact, it happened around the 24th minute.

*

The national team’s soccer is a simple, compact attacking style with one touch. When defending, they do not press as hard as Cologne, but they still try to prevent the opponent from making easy passes.

And the opportunity around the 24th minute also came from forward pressure.

“#@$!”

“Okay!! Here!”

Just as Costa Rica’s left-back was about to kick the ball away, our winger Kwon Chang-jun reached out and touched the ball, and a counterattack situation unfolded in an instant.

If possible, we’ll turn to the rear and build up, but right now we’re in the middle of enemy territory.

The ball quickly heads to the feet of Hwang Yun-beom, who is standing in the center of the second line, and suddenly the player standing opposite me suddenly drops down to the lower line.

“Yoon Beom!”

Son Eung-min, the captain of the national team and a representative player of the Republic of Korea, chose to drop down to the second line instead of breaking through the dense defense.

My intuition tells me that a great opportunity has come.

They adopted a similar tactical style to Cologne, but what sets them apart from the club is the number of aces.

“$@#, @$@@!”

This is what it feels like to have someone else’s attention focused on you instead of me.

Just by overcoming the pressure of the opposing marker and turning his body towards the goal, a roar erupts. At the same time, the defensive line unconsciously squirms.

okay.

It was pushed up slightly but definitely.

It must be because Son Eung-min’s mid-range shooting and dribbling breakthrough are so concerning.

Thump, thump, thu-ung.

The next step is to match the steps as you did in the practice match.

Basic three-way pass.

Just before the defense pressure comes in, Son Eung-min passes the ball to left winger Hwang Hee-cheol, who then delivers a strong ground pass to my feet.

You can tell the intention just by looking at the speed at which the pass rolls in.

Son Eung-min is moving forward right after passing to Hwang Hee-cheol, so he must mean to immediately pass the ball forward.

The opposing defender cannot be unaware of the intention, so rather than blocking the path the ball is rolling in, he rushes to the left to prevent it from going out.

Then I swing my left foot and kick the lower part of the ball.

I’m not trying to send a roving pass.

In reality, it’s not to send it flying, or to push it into the grass, but just… … a last resort technique for breaking through.

In fact, the official ball spins appropriately and rises in a parabolic arc to the right of the direction of travel – my shoulder height.

There is no need to check the defender’s movements.

The opponent’s body balance had already tilted to the left to block the pass route. The inertia guy was holding his ankles and waist tightly, so he could just leisurely escape.

and.

[Waaaaaaah!!]

At the moment when the stadium is filled with cheers that sound like firecrackers going off, the official ball falls five steps in front of us.

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I close in on the first bounce, taking three steps. Then I drop down again, and when I touch the grass, I’m just one step away.

Being so close to the penalty box line makes for a perfect shot.

It’s not that the Costa Rican defense is rushing to cover. They haven’t entered the box yet, so if they try to attack again, things will get complicated.

So, I’ll end it here.

The target point is to the left of the goal.

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Not when you’re falling, but when you’re just bouncing up from the grass. At the very slight moment when you’re floating into the air, take a step and swing your right foot.

pop!

Outside shooting from the diagonal line from the thumb to the ankle. As you swing smoothly and accurately, a pleasant shock quickly runs up the instep.

Swish, swoosh!!

It worked out just as intended.

If it had been kicked just a little bit higher, just a little bit higher, it would have been a home run ball. In return for catching the timing, the official ball glides across the grass without any friction.

If I had to make a comparison, it would be like a hovercraft.

It never appeared to float into the air, but lay low to the ground, never touching the grass until it crossed the goal line.

This can’t be stopped.

Clang-!!

[Wow!!]

I think Goyang Stadium had a seating capacity of 40,000?

There was a running track outside the goal line, which didn’t really impress me, but the cheers from the crowd were more than enough to appease my disappointment.

“Hey! Look at this guy, he’s using me as bait?”

“I’m sorry, that’s what happened. But you were still a great bait.”

“… … .”

“Ahaha. Bro, are you a good bait?”

There was enthusiastic cheering, praise and jokes from the national team players, and even a coach giving a thumbs up from the bench. At least on the field, there was nothing to worry about.

*

At the end of the second half.

Son Eung-min, a winger for Tottenham Hotspur and captain of the South Korean national team, is back on the bench. The score is 3-2.

Despite conceding a goal in the first half, the game was in the home team’s favor, and manager Mauri Mendes made a substitution to give them a rest and stabilize the game.

[Ohhh, ohhh! We are one!]

[Oh, oh, oh! Let’s go together!]

[Ohhh, ohhh! We are one!]

[Ohhh, ohhh. We, the Reds!!]

The coaching staff was very disappointed that the defense exposed its weakness and allowed two goals, but the fans have not stopped singing the lyrics for even a moment since the game started.

A well-organized process, clear goals, and a well-functioning team.

Despite the loss to Brazil, it is clear that the Korean national team is headed in the right direction as the World Cup approaches.

And if there’s one more reason… …it’s because of the boy on the other side of the bench, looking out at the field with his chin resting on his hand.

“Heaven, what are you doing?”

“Ah, senior.”

“What do you mean senior? I told you to call me hyung.”

“Yes. I was just… …watching the game.”

Holy Sky.

A person who is referred to by everyone as the future of the Korean national team.

Some thought he was following in Son Eung-min’s footsteps, while others boasted that he had the potential to become even more.

The boy who carries the expectations of a nation (and especially enjoys the overwhelming support of female fans) has a somewhat subdued expression on his face.

“You weren’t that great today, were you? You scored the first goal, and you even assisted on the third goal. Heechul really likes you. You know that, right?”

“Yes. But, I’m not worried about my personal performance.”

“Then? Because of the team? We conceded a lot of goals today. We didn’t concede two goals, though.”

You got it wrong.

Seong Ha-neul gives a signal by shrugging his shoulders once, then sweeps his hair up on the right side… … causing cheers.

It just so happened that that scene was caught on camera.

[Kkaaaaaaah!!]

“… … You’re popular, Sky.”

“Just now it almost sounded like an animal.”

“Hmm, let’s not say that. It’s just expressing the feelings that the fans like.”

“Yes. I didn’t mean to sound negative.”

For a moment, he let out a laugh that contained embarrassment at his effortless expression.

The two soon start talking about soccer.

The one who mostly talks is Seong Ha-neul, and the one who listens is Son Eung-min. The topic, of course, was the experience when playing against AT Madrid.

“Cologne is similar to the national team. The first defensive task is to apply strong pressure up front to prevent the ball from reaching the team’s defense. But that didn’t work.”

“Once you pass a certain level, the ability to relieve pressure becomes absurd. Atletico Madrid is a case in point.”

“Yes. That’s why my mentality was completely shattered. I was physically weaker than my teammates, so I couldn’t do anything. There are things that can’t be done on your own. If this is how it is, I won’t be able to win even if I come back to life, unless it’s a one-shot match. That’s what I thought.”

“There are games like that often. Tottenham too. Sometimes.”

“… … When I hear it, sometimes it doesn’t seem like that.”

“Just say sometimes.”

“yes.”

And that was certainly a stroke of luck for the boy.

Because Son Eung-min had something that the Cologne veterans didn’t have.

What it’s like to compete on a high stage, what kind of mindset to have when the game doesn’t go your way, when the difference in the level of the teams feels stark, etc.

He shares freely about what he has been through.

“… … Then what do you do in that case?”

“You’re not out of the tournament, are you? You have to try as hard as you can. That’s why your mindset is important.”

“If it’s about attitude… … .”

“Patience. Even if I am too good, even if I feel like my teammates are holding me back, I think about the day when I will be in the exact opposite situation. There will be days when I will not do well, right? Of course, I can’t ignore all my teammates’ mistakes. Sometimes I have to actively intervene.”

“… … I’ve never thought about it that way.”

“Yeah. And most of all… … .”

“… … ?”

“But if I feel like my role has ended here, if I feel like I can’t go any further, then I have to think about what’s next. That’s what I did before I came to Tottenham.”

“… … .”

“But actually, if you think about it, we’ve only played the second round, right? There are still four games left. Try your best. Then it won’t be too late to regret it. It’ll be better if we advance to the round of 16 together.”

Absentmindedly.

The national team captain eventually loses his composure at the look in his eyes that suggests he doesn’t understand English.

“Hey, Tottenham also went to the Champions League?”

“Really? Oh, you made it to the top 4 last year. You won the first game?”

“Of course. 2-0 to Marseille.”

“What about the second game?”

“The second game… … we lost. 0 to 2.”

“… … .”

“… … .”

In succession, the eyes that stared at him intently were filled with a sense of empathy and faint compassion.

“Let’s make sure neither of us gets eliminated.”

“… … There’s no reason to be eliminated? Who would be eliminated? My brother even went to the Champions League final?”

“You didn’t win.”

“… … .”

“It’s okay. I know because I’ve fallen from the Pokal too. It hurts a lot.”

“… … .”

It seems like we need to have a warm conversation after the game.