Soccer Genius Wants to Get Noticed - Chapter 193



Only Krnovel

Episode 193: The twist of the twist (1)

Soccer is not something you play alone.

I could not be an exception, and FC Köln’s tactical flow also followed this path.

In the early part of his debut season, the key tactic was to build up from the back, then pass long to the side and target Anthony Modeste’s head.

In the second half, a pattern of utilizing the right side where I am was added, and from this season on, we pursued a compact attack that focused on the feet rather than the head.

“Return!”

That’s why today’s match, in which he played as a striker, was going through a similar process.

Movement mainly targeting the second line center and both half spaces.

Hit the button!

Rather than simply staying at the front line, he moves up and down the left and right sides of the 1st and 2nd lines to try to create cracks in the opposing defense.

Bam!

He receives a pass from Ondrej Duda and touches the ball 90 degrees with his right heel. He passes the ball to Rempale, who plays as a right winger, and circles to his right.

‘An efficient attack is like an act of cutting out and distributing space.’

It’s a movement that’s true to the words of analyst Hannes Dold.

It’s not that it’s not, the right half space is occupied by Remperle, and Dudah is invading the forward space that I’m absent from.

In addition, the empty space on the right side is filled by me spinning around, and the space near the far sideline is filled by Schmitz, who joined the attack.

The outcome of the attack was not easily predictable, but the process itself was breathtaking.

“Ut! Again!”

And so it is.

With the meticulously planned tactical details shining through, Remperle dribbles a ground ball to Mark Uth, who is standing with his back to the left-back.

The movement that follows here is to turn sharply to the left and penetrate.

… … The trick is quite clever.

As the 2-on-1 pass angle became apparent, the pressure on Mark Ut increased, but this was something that anyone but an idiot could have predicted.

Instead of rolling the ball to Remperle, he scrapes the ball with the sole of his foot and bends it to the left, momentarily releasing the pressure coming from behind.

Because the uniform was tightly held, a direct breakthrough was impossible, but… … if I fill the spot left by Remperle, another possibility arises.

“… … Number 27!”

“Mateus!”

2nd line center, slightly tilted to the right.

I run to where the semicircle in front of the penalty box comes into view and receive the ball rolled by Ut.

Shooting?

The defensive wall is still solid as the opposing defenders have not left their positions yet.

No, it won’t work.

Well then the answer is simple.

To-ong!

Kick the bottom with the tip of your right foot and toss to the left.

The official ball travels in a parabolic arc through the air towards the left side of the penalty box. Its final destination is the left sideline of the box.

The recipient was Cologne’s left winger, Florian Kainz, who is known for his witty play.

Of course, Porto’s resistance is also formidable.

No matter what anyone says, this is the best team in Portugal.

Urrrrrrr.

Despite the collapse of the flank, the opposing defenders quickly followed up and filled the space without much disturbance, and soon succeeded in intercepting a low and quick ground cross towards the other side of the box – Ondrej Duda.

I wish it was a corner kick.

A goal kick is awarded when the ball, kicked by a defender, hits Duda’s shin.

“ah…….”

“Okay, good job!”

“Good pass! Sorry!”

Regret is pushed aside by a thumbs up to Florian Kainz.

He did well.

Duda’s penetration movement was also good, Mark Ut was faithful to his role, and even Remperle is showing his prowess.

This was just something the opposing team did a good job of blocking.

Not only is the gap between the 2nd and 3rd lines tightly maintained, but the defensive block is also well-organized, so it is not easy to reveal a gap. There were a few cracks in the first half, but even those were quickly corrected if decisions were not made quickly.

Certainly… … a strong team.

In particular, as the game time went on, it became clear that it was specialized in the 442 tactic.

The two wide defenders may not be fast on their feet, but they have excellent kicking and ball-holding skills, and the two central midfielders hold the team together with their incredible activity level.

In addition to that-

Boohoo!!

We can’t forget wingers who specialize in counterattacks.

Throughout the first half, Porto players were openly targeting the friendly zone and flanks. Although this could be called a bluff, it cannot be laughed at because they are a strong team that has surpassed a certain level.

It was the same even then.

Swish!

A situation where the Cologne attackers, including me, stood high to apply strong forward pressure before the goal kick was taken.

The opposing goalkeeper then kicks the ball far across the center line, and it is so crazy accurate and sharp that it makes Whibus scream.

“Long kick!”

“Number 11!”

Because the manager’s instructions were to ‘press high up the pitch’, our defenders were positioned almost at the center line.

As the official ball flew behind the defensive line and all the way to the left side of the friendly camp, the situation inevitably became a one-on-one duel between Jonas and the opposing winger.

No, that’s how it should have been.

Bam, charuk!

“… …Fuck.”

What is home advantage?

One-sided cheering, the overall atmosphere, the temperature and humidity of the stadium. There are many advantages, but the biggest advantage of all is that… …they are aware of the field environment.

It’s something unfamiliar to us, but familiar to the Porto players.

How long is the grass, how much is it watered before the game, and how slippery is it?

This time, he is at a disadvantage in the final element. Just as Jonas Hector is about to speed towards the ball, the grass gives way and he slips.

While he was losing time trying to regain his balance, the opposing winger, Pepe, charged forward and struck, leading to a critical crisis.

Boom!

Even the first touch of the ball was perfect.

His legs are so nimble that he reaches the edge of the box with just three touches of the ball, with Julian Chabot hurriedly following him and taking up a defensive position with his hands behind his back.

Since the return of Whibus and Jonas is very late, the final defense falls solely to him.

… … Can we stop it?

If I were the one attacking, I would have laughed.

You advance at a 45 degree angle toward the goal, and there is only one defender. If you turn to the left, you will have a direct shooting angle, and if you think the defender will react, you can turn to the right and hit. That’s it.

As expected, the opposing winger also showed movements just as I expected.

Knock, knock.

I kicked the ball to the right with the top of my left foot, and then instantly turned it 90 degrees to the left.

Next is, of course, shooting.

Swoosh, swoosh.

As if he didn’t think it was necessary to hit hard, the ball, which was spun around the axis of his foot, curved far to the left of the goal.

The defender’s belatedly extended foot was meaningless, so the team’s goalkeeper Schwabe flew with all his might, and the ball almost touched his fingertips… … but was soon sucked into the goal.

[Wow!!]

31 minutes in the first half.

The home team scored first.

* * *

I didn’t blame the loss itself.

The winger who slipped on the grass, the central defender who couldn’t overcome a one-on-one situation, and the goalkeeper who unfortunately failed to make the save.

What good is it to judge each individual’s right and wrong?

If you think about it, it was because the attackers failed to score in the previous situation, and it was even more so because the first mistake was Jonas Hector’s, so it was understandable that they were given too much leniency.

Since it has come to this, I might as well do well and make up for the mistakes I made a while ago (talking about the Cologne chairman and Jonas’ retirement).

“It’s okay! Just keep pushing like you’re doing now! Attacking isn’t bad!”

“… … Is this encouragement?”

“… … Don’t be discouraged! Got it? If you get scared and play poorly, you’ll die! I won’t leave you alone!”

“Is this comforting… …?”

“Be quiet!”

Mark Ut was busy snorting and snickering, but there was a need to be more proactive.

Because it’s everyone’s first time on the European stage.

If you just leave it alone and expect help from the bench, it might just come crashing down.

Coincidentally, the coaching staff also provided support through instructions in defensive situations.

[Schmidt, Hector! Focus a little more on defense! Don’t get too high up when you’re attacking!]

“Ja!”

He showed a calm expression as if everything was okay and told me to sit down more, and even gestured to indicate the exact location.

I also called Remperle and Kaintz to discuss the movement of the second line while the opposing team’s goal celebration was going on.

“The space is tight.”

“That’s right. It’s pretty tight. The gap between the defense and the middle is incredibly narrow.”

“Yes. So, we need to narrow down to the center often and also go down the line. That way, Duda and Squirri won’t be isolated. If possible, keep moving so that we can form a diamond shape. The passing lanes can’t be blocked. Since there are no tall attackers, we can’t let them play long balls.”

“Okay, I get it. But from now on, Jonas and Skyri won’t be able to go above the second line, so the flanks will be empty.”

“I’ll leave that to you and try to sidestep it. The key is to move organically and consistently. If the first half ends with you down by one point, the second half will be much harder.”

Fortunately, the results are not long in coming.

* * *

After 35 minutes in the first half, the playing styles of both teams gradually stabilized.

While we tried to utilize detailed tactics while mainly attacking the center and stabilizing the side defense, Porto stuck to a style of preemptive defense followed by counterattack based on a one-point lead.

Chorrrrrr!

[Woooooooo~]

“It’s okay! It’s not foul play! Keep going!”

Since the opposing wingers are fast, there were several threatening situations, but Shabot and Huibers held the defense together and prevented a critical crisis from occurring.

Immediately after the opponent’s breakthrough attempt was thwarted by a sliding tackle, the ball passed through Schiri to Jonas, and soon Cologne’s attack began from the left flank.

“hundred!”

As Ondrej Duda dodges the opposition central midfielder and dodges a hook-and-drop, Kainz narrows in and opens up a passing lane.

Additionally, as Remperle moves from the right to the center, I also move diagonally down to the left to keep up.

It is still difficult to send a pass in a straight line, but it is possible to momentarily adjust your position to create a passing angle in a diagonal direction.

Of course, there is no failure in the subsequent linking process.

Phew, thud!

Fearing that it might get caught by an opponent’s foot, Jonas sends a strong ground pass from the left side to the center. Kaintz senses the speed at which the ball rolls in and lets it slip between his legs.

Ondrej Duda received the ball.

No, that one too was a one-touch transition pass that was thrown straight ahead… … Now it’s my turn to kick.

A tap towards Florian Kainz, who is jumping up from behind. He rolls it delicately and gently, as if he is touching an egg, but with enough force.

And then turn your body towards the goal again.

Ta-da-dak, too-ung!

As he runs forward, the ball rolls to the feet of Mark Utt, who is standing in the center of the enemy territory, right in front of the penalty box.

But he puts the following developments out of his mind, turns his head straight ahead, and focuses on the matchup with the opposing defender.

David Carmo.

A tall central defender, a head taller than me, was reacting without taking his eyes off me.

We both know that.

I would run into the box, my teammates would poke forward passes, and if I blocked it, they would counterattack, and if I didn’t block it, they would concede a goal.

So my first choice would be a left-side spread.

The space around the edges of the box seemed wide, and they had promised to spread it out to the sides in advance.

“Stab it!!”

However, it is better not to do something obvious than to not do it at all.

Kwaaaaah, paaaaah!

Immediately after glancing behind, he steps on the penalty box line and powerfully puts his left foot into the goal.

Since I had to turn in the opposite direction, one leg was put under maximum load, but fortunately, my leg was able to handle it.

What’s even more fortunate is that the opposing defender’s change of center of gravity was very late.

What was even more fortunate was that Remperle, who received a back pass from Ut, threw the ball to the center of the box instead of the left side.

Phew, phew.

Even the world’s best central defenders can’t stop a ground pass that goes far beyond the defensive range.

As the ball rolls in to Pepe’s left, I take a deep breath and shoot straight away.

I recognized the shadows cast on the ground, the penalty box line, and even the penalty spot I had passed earlier. I didn’t need to look up to check the location of the goal.

The shooting mechanism is the right foot.

The target point is the upper right corner of the goal.

Rather than applying unequal spin, the focus was on applying power by kicking the center of the ball.

Pfft! Thud!!

[… …Wow!]

I nod my head as I pass the corner flag, while the cheers of away fans can be faintly heard from afar.

This makes it 1 on 1.

I’m satisfied with scoring, but I’m also very pleased with the fact that I’ve been making strong shots lately.

It wasn’t my intention, but… … I need to raise the shooting ability in the game a bit.

“… … Hey hey! We made this together so why are you acting like you’re better than everyone else!!”

what.

By the way, when will we get a chance for a penalty kick?

If possible, you should start by raising your penalty kick ability.

hmm.

In retrospect, I shouldn’t have had that thought.