Soccer Genius Wants to Get Noticed - Chapter 192
Only Krnovel
Episode 192 FC Porto
I can tell you so many stories.
How he begged Steffen Baumgart, how he was teased by his teammates after he finally joined the team, etc.
I heard that Uncle Kemal was one of the main culprits who set off a fireworks display at the training camp’s main gate, and that there were strange rumors going around (that I instigated the demonstration)… … I couldn’t believe it because he seemed like such a nice guy that night.
In particular, Mark Utt turned his outfit upside down by saying, “Since it’s come to this, why don’t you try becoming the chairman?”
However, even in the midst of all this, the plane left Frankfurt International Airport and headed to the capital of Portugal, and after that it was time for self-reflection.
Naturally, the pre-interview was cancelled, so I was able to watch Captain Bear and Jonas being asked all sorts of questions on the hotel TV.
[According to sources, the player’s parents are very favorable towards Bayern. What do you think about the possibility of Hanul going to Munich?]
[… … I only want to ask game-related questions.]
[Cologne fans are destroying the training ground and stadium facilities, and the minor players are also suffering from measles. The police actually came to the scene. And that was only yesterday. Did they really have to bring them on the away trip to Porto? Shouldn’t they have made a decision to protect the players?]
[The decision is entirely up to the director. I have no answer to that question. Who has the next question?]
[As you said, the decision is entirely up to the manager. But with authority comes responsibility. Will Hanul face any self-imposed disciplinary action or disadvantage because of this? Oh, and while I’m at it, I’ll add one more thing. Will he start on the bench in this game?]
[… … I will not comment.]
Steffen Baumgart was in deep trouble.
Not because of my own fault, but because of my actions.
That fact alone was enough to make my heart ache, but seeing Cologne’s captain, Jonas Hector, suffer made me feel guilty.
The thing that’s good for biting is the spicy one.
[Cologne fans are demanding the dismissal of chairman Werner Wolf. There are three main reasons why they are demanding his dismissal. One is his reckless financial management, the other is his selling out the team’s future, and the last is the violation of players’ rights. If we look into the last of these, it has to do with you, Jonas Hector. Werner Wolf called Hanul, Özkan, and Modeste to the same restaurant to talk. In other words, it wasn’t a ‘discussion’ of a transfer, but a ‘notification’ or ‘force’. Jonas, the reason you decided to retire at the end of this season… was it because of pressure from the board?]
[Absolutely not. Retirement is my decision, not the club’s, and it’s to spend more time with my family. There was no pressure from the board.]
[Is that so? By the way, Anthony Modeste also gave an interview that seemed to agree with this. Have you heard it?]
[… … No. I haven’t heard of it.]
[The decision-making process in Cologne is vertical, and any action that goes against the will of the board is not tolerated. Dortmund’s offer would not have even been at the negotiating table if it had not been for the board’s decision. He said, “I sat at the same table with Werner Wolf and had a meal, but I did not exchange a single word.”
[… … I don’t think I have anything to say about it.]
The more I listened to the questions, the more upset I felt because each question seemed to be an extension of something I had done.
I wish you had spoken more moderately.
That guy’s temper is just so bad.
Rustle rustle.
But there’s no turning back, so I forced myself to ignore it, laid back down on the bed, and looked at the analysis data that Hannes Dold had prepared.
The match day is Tuesday, October 4th.
The opponent is FC Porto, a prestigious Portuguese team.
As the club is famous for discovering promising players to big clubs or selling them at high prices after giving them a chance to make a comeback, the tactical analysis magazines were full of players who were highly rated.
“As expected, it’s 442.”
The tactics are set.
The top two are Mehdi Taremi and Evani Ouson, both of whom are said to be strong at breaking lines.
The right winger is Bruno Costa. Despite his small stature, he has excellent dribbling skills and is good at making penetrating passes.
On the left is Pepe. A renowned central defender and his namesake on the same team – he has the same name as Pepe, but his concise yet aggressive breakthrough style is very threatening.
But it’s none of my business.
The key is the defenders I have to deal with.
“Left fullback Wendew is slow on his feet but is good at dealing with pressure, and central defender David Carmo is… … 196cm tall? He’s freaking tall.”
Rather, it is good.
Hannes Dold’s assessment is that he is a ‘fighter-type center back with faster feet than expected’, which means he has a wide defensive range and will attempt challenging plays.
If I had to attack one side, the right side looked better.
It’s not that there weren’t any, but there were real veterans on the left.
“Pepe and Joao Mario.”
Joao Mario is a player who specializes in attacking and distributing the ball, so he might be able to dig in, but in the former’s case, it didn’t seem necessary to dig in that direction.
A legendary central defender from Real Madrid who won the European Champions League three times.
Who would be intimidated by awards and such… … but his rough defensive style created an instinctive sense of uneasiness.
No, if your nickname is Gangpepe, doesn’t that say it all?
In addition, central midfielders Uribe and Eustaquio are said to be very active and put a lot of weight on defense.
Clank, clank clank.
“… … .”
So I pull the blanket up to my face, vowing to repay my mistake with victory.
CLACK CLACK CLACK!
[Hey! Open the door!]
“… … .”
I could just ignore the ugly voice that was bothering me by the hotel room doorknob.
* * *
9 p.m., Estádio do Dragão.
The large stadium with a capacity of 50,033 boasts a sold-out crowd ahead of kickoff, and the TV broadcasting crew also watches the players line up and gets in sync.
[A sweet breeze blows across the vibrant Portuguese lands this evening. The pastoral landscape of the Iberian Peninsula is the perfect stage for showing off the aesthetics of football. As the blue sky darkens, the Stadium of the Dragons (the nickname of the home stadium) unfolds in a fantastic view.]
[How can I express this elegance? The pure color of the grass catches the eye, and the stands surrounding the stadium are filled with waves of passion. Today’s game will mark the halfway point of the dream stage, and the expectations and hopes of the spectators add to its splendor.]
[And finally, the dragon and the goat. Eleven players enter the field, each following the symbolic flags that are divided into two. Since there can only be one winner, it is inevitable that there will be a cruel result. But at the same time, such cruelty soon becomes the aesthetic of sports. With the moonlight hanging on the stadium spire illuminating this moment, I hope that today’s match will be rough and beautiful, like sweet wine and the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. I will bring you the third match of the Group B league – Porto and Cologne.]
As the theme song symbolizing the European Champions League begins to play, photos of players by position are sequentially displayed on the screen.
First, we take a look at the home team players and then head to FC Köln.
Marvin Schwabe, Jonas Hector, Julian Chabot… … and the introduction continues without any interruption, with Eliez Schiri, Ondrej Duda and Florian Kainz.
[… … On the right is Team Remperle. They’ve been doing well this season. Up front, they have two strikers. Marc Ut and Song Hanul. They were in the news a while ago, but they’re starting.]
[Coach Baumgart probably had no choice. Isn’t he a key member of the current Cologne team? He’s a young player, so I’m worried about his mentality, but it’ll be fun to watch. I hope he shows great performance.]
Beep!
[The game begins!]
And as the commentator expected, both teams gained momentum from the first half.
Early in the game.
While the home team showed solid operation focusing on controlling the gap of the 123 line, the away team chose to move forward boldly.
[Wendeu… …Is there a place to pass the ball? Rempale and Hanul are quickly approaching. If you hesitate, you’ll lose possession of the ball!]
[The pass gets deflected… … Ah, the goalkeeper kicks it away first.]
[Cologne’s strong forward pressure! This… … is not normal from the beginning?]
[Yes, the Porto defense is pushed all the way back. They are even instructing the goalkeeper to use the bench to pass the ball, but Cologne is doing the opposite and has raised their final defense line all the way to the center line. First of all, the tactics of both teams are completely different.]
[Should we go through the center then?]
[That would be a method too. However, considering the characteristics of 442, through a side attack… … Hanul catches the ball.]
Immediately after a throw-in from the right sideline.
Schmitz comes up the center line and connects the ball line to the second line, and Ondrej Duda rolls a ground ball pass to Sung Ha-neul.
Phew!
[Pepe presses hard. It feels like a battle of experience and freshness.]
[… …Ha-nul received the ball with his back to the goal, so I guess he meant not to even think about turning around?]
[I see. Back pass to Duda again. Hanul gives up the forward penetration and escapes to the second line due to Pepe’s marking… … Ondrej Duda! I saw Remperle penetrating into the empty space!]
I hesitated for a moment at the blatant behavior.
The Cologne attackers executed the tactic of using the boy as bait to perfection.
While the front-line Seonghaneul was taking steps as if he was going to break through to the second line, Team Rempala on the right flank infiltrated the empty space diagonally.
Ondrej Duda receives a back pass and times it well, slotting a forward pass into the box.
and-
[Shooting chance! Should we finish it like this? Ah… … It’s too late, too late. Pepe has taken up a defensive position, and Wendeu has come in to cover. But it’s not over yet! On the second line, Hanul!]
Although he didn’t connect with the shot in time, near the box line, a short ground ball pass rolled into the path of Ace, and at the moment when the defenders near the goal tried to block the angle a little bit in the subsequent shooting stance, they slid their bodies.
Toong!
Contrary to everyone’s expectations, the boy’s foot only slightly pushes up the right side of the ball.
Whirlilyrick.
Pass, not shoot.
Since it is quite close to the goal, the pass height is only around waist level. However, it has a strong spin and bends exquisitely in the left diagonal direction.
At this moment, Mark Ut was penetrating into the center of the penalty box, slightly tilted to the left.
[Ut, roving pass to Ut! Can he be the hero of the early opening goal!]
Boom!
[No!! No!! The shot from in front of the goal goes wide over the goal!! The away fans are all holding their heads!]
[It was good that he stretched his leg and connected with a shot, but his posture collapsed. He lost his body balance and the ball went up into the air. It was a golden opportunity for Cologne to lead the first half of the game… … It’s really unfortunate.]
As expected, Mark Ut is sprawled out on the grass and has difficulty getting up.
It looks like he is really regretting wiping his face with both hands.
But what was unfortunate was that the person who created the crucial opportunity was also the same, and soon a handsome face filled the broadcast screen.
[Hahahaha, ah, Hanul. He really is a player with star quality. He spreads his arms and scolds his teammate with just his facial expression.]
[Hahaha, how did I miss that chance? It’s funny.]
There is substance to what commentators and casters say.
fun.
Because that was the word that symbolized the first half of the match between Porto and Cologne.
There is no such thing as a weak team in the European Champions League, and the same applies to FC Porto.
It was the beginning of a fierce argument.