Soccer Genius Wants to Get Noticed - Chapter 201



Only Krnovel

Episode 201: A Night for Revenge (2)

For FC Köln fans, recent events have been nothing short of disastrous.

This summer, not only did the team lose key players such as Anthony Modeste and Sali Ozcan, but even Sung Ha-neul left the team.

They continued to protest and demonstrate violently at the main gate of the training center, and even held up placards and chanted slogans inside the stadium.

However, the frustration is compounded by the fact that the Cologne board did not provide a proper answer. Despite this, around 600 people followed AT Madrid on their away game.

During this time, the team’s performance was very excellent.

“If we advance to the Champions League round of 16… … we might not send them. The amount of revenue distributed will be different, right?”

“That must be true. What kind of son of a bitch is Werner Wolf that he still believes in them?”

“… … .”

“Even if that’s true, that doesn’t mean the problem will go away. Did you see Hanul’s interview? He said he threatened Jonas by linking him to it. #@$.”

Champions League match 5.

Those entering Atletico Madrid’s home stadium are crowded together and express their wishes or negative remarks.

Anxiety is a feeling that is pushed aside as you enter the stadium.

[Oh, oh, oh. Atleti, Atletico Madrid!!]

600 out of 70,000.

No matter how loud they shout, it is difficult to compare it to the home stadium in Cologne, so away fans look around with bewildered expressions.

“We have to cheer too! Are you going to just sit still?”

A young man steps forward, but before he can do so, fingers are pointed at him from the next block. Atletico Madrid fans are hurling taunts and insults.

[You dare raise your voice? What are you talking about, you non-Munich people!]

[Haha, that’s right. You should know the topic! Just play in Germany!]

[You little Fritz kids!!]

“These #$@s!!”

As an argument inevitably breaks out between the two parties, the security guards and police who had been on standby soon intervene.

A situation in which anyone would feel intimidated.

However, after the first half began with the referee’s whistle, the surrounding environment changed rapidly.

“yes!”

“The side switch is crazy!”

Just after the transition pass from Sciri exploded, the ball moved through the space on the right side and headed towards Sung Ha-neul’s feet, and suddenly the Atletico Madrid fans became quiet.

A fleeting moment.

The boy, without even attempting any tricks, increased his speed to the limit and ran straight at his opponent.

As central midfielder Axel Witsel reflexively extends his leg, he quickly shifts the ball from his left foot to his right and sprints to the right.

It was such a simple action when seen from afar, but in reality, he was engaging in a psychological battle by looking at his left-hand colleague in advance. In a way, it was a thoroughly planned result.

“It’s here! The space has opened up!”

“Just shoot it!”

The away fans, without exception, stamp their feet and let out shouts of anticipation, and the boy responds by taking four or five steps forward.

As Mark Utt moved to the right striker position, he had to move to the left, so the dribble direction was adjusted diagonally to the left.

But he doesn’t rush too much, he just calmly and slowly shifts down, allowing Axel Witsel to catch up behind him.

It’s a cool-headed choice.

Instead of a perfect breakthrough, they opted to give Florian Kainz and Ondrej Duda time to break into the left flank.

WHACK!

As the opposing midfielder reached out, the uniform at his side stretched out and he let out a scream. But his muscular body, which had gained muscle mass appropriate for his size, held on without losing its balance.

And one, two, two and a half.

Thump, thump, peek.

After about 2.5 touches of the ball, the sole of his foot was about to step on the penalty box line. At that point, the defenders of Atletico Madrid also had to make a decision.

Offside trap.

The central defenders should have been pressuring, but with Mark Uth and Remperle straddling the final defensive line, they wanted to push up the defensive line all at once.

The intention was good, but before that… … Axel Witsel’s slide comes before the counter.

Clang, crunch!

‘Aaah!’

21 meters from the goal.

Beep!!

As soon as the incident occurs, the room turns into a crucible of chaos.

During the dribble, Axel Witsel followed up with a sliding tackle and caught Sung Ha-neul’s ankle with the top of his right foot. Following a short scream from the person involved, the referee blew his whistle without hesitation.

[Woooooooo~!!]

“Get out! Get out!!”

“Referee! You walked from behind!”

“These guys have no morals!!”

While Atletico Madrid fans booed for provoking a foul, Cologne fans were outraged by the back tackle.

“Is this a verbal warning?”

“Refer to this!! You stupid little shit!”

“Stop making biased judgments!!”

Soon, all sorts of curses are hurled from the away fans’ seats, as if they had ever worried about the team’s collapse and the transfer of its ace.

The referee’s decision is a verbal warning.

Although it was a tackle from behind, it was not dangerous, and it seemed to have been done with consideration given to the central defenders blocking in front.

So all that was given to Cologne was a direct free kick from 21 metres out.

“Is the Ute ready?”

“Skirina and Schmitz aren’t bad either. Kainz is pretty good too.”

Although Mark Utt’s free kick went over the top of the goal, contrary to fans’ expectations, the away team’s attack was just beginning.

* * *

Cologne’s winning formula was set in stone.

With Sung Ha-neul at the center, is the team supporting or not? This is something that experts have repeatedly pointed out since the beginning of the season.

At least in today’s match, it is difficult to find a listless appearance like in the last match.

If the attacking line can exert strong forward pressure and effectively carry out tactical movements in the midfield.

If the defense doesn’t waver, as in the 5-2 defeat at Mönchengladbach or the 4-2 defeat at Mainz.

The sky will dance, and FC Köln will become stronger.

The proposition was true.

“It’s opening again!”

“The flow is unusual today!”

“Look how quiet they are! Ha!”

No, it’s not, 14 minutes in the first half.

AT Madrid finished one attack with a cross into the box following a breakthrough by right winger Carrasco, and Morata’s header flew over the goal.

Cologne is then given the turn to attack.

Whisper, roll.

Knock, knock, knock.

With central defenders Huibers and Shabot at the center, the left and right wing defenders continue the basic rear build-up.

Not only does it pass the ball, it also pushes up the defensive line, narrowing the gap between the 1-2-3 lines.

So that even if there was no order to apply forward pressure, there was no choice but to do so.

WHACK-!

Boom, boom!

Despite continuous, organized pressure, passes continue to flow from the right flank near the center line.

In case he was pushed physically, Remperle, who had come down to the lower line, passed the ball with a one-touch pass without catching it, and Sciuri, who had received the ball, passed it to Schmitz, who was stuck on the sideline again.

If Schmitz again passes the ball to the last-place Whibus –

Liar!!

A long pass extending to the left flank.

“Let’s go-!!”

“This is it! This is our soccer!”

Near the second line, right on the left sideline.

As Jonas Hector, who had advanced to the opposing camp, took a steady touch to the ball with the top of his left foot, applause erupted from the stands.

It wasn’t a great opportunity to attack, but it was a repetition of the previous situation.

Florian Kainz hovers around the edge of the box, looking for an opportunity to break through, while Mark Ut drops down to the second line to create a passing lane. Sung Ha-neul occupies the space set aside for him by closing in on the center of the second line.

Of course, this development process is different.

Boohoo!

Jonas rolls a hard ground pass to Mark Utt’s feet, who tests the speed of the ball and lets it slip between his legs.

widely.

The official ball stopped at the exact center of the field.

Atletico Madrid’s two central midfielders made quick runs before the ball even arrived.

Bam! Bam!

The first clash is with Axel Witsel, who applies strong pressure from behind to prevent him from turning towards the goal, then puts his foot between his legs to buy time until his partner Kongogbia runs in.

The boy is pushed back a step and a half without thinking about anything, and focuses only on protecting the ball.

Ta-da-da-dak!

Then, at one moment, Kongdogbia rushes in with a terrifying momentum. He scrapes the surface of the ball with the sole of his right foot and pushes it outward from his body.

Because individual skills are also a battle of balance and timing.

It was like watching a ballet dancer on stage, as he smoothly turned his body and escaped when the opponent rushed at him while maintaining his center of gravity.

The narrow space between Axel Witsel and Kongdogbia.

He slipped through that narrow gap gracefully.

“Wow!!”

“Fuck! This is crazy!”

“Why are you in such bad shape these days!! Why are you so good at it!”

The screams of admiration from the away fans did not reach the field, but the players were able to feel the atmosphere inside the stadium through the cold silence of the home fans.

That was exactly the problem.

Chorus!

“Hey, you… … .”

“Boggiyaa!”

“… … Ah, those damn guys.”

With the second line space in danger, Axel Witsel gets his second foul. The referee also firmly calls a foul for his unintentional foot-tapping.

Only then is a yellow card given.

As for the home fans, they only boo with a sense of relief but also an inexplicable sense of anxiety.

A feeling of something being slightly out of sync.

Situations and outcomes you never thought of.

Although AT Madrid’s team colours were originally far from meek, it was definitely a new feeling to see them collapse early in the first half.

Beep!

And after a while, the fans’ anxiety becomes reality.

* * *

At 19 minutes into the first half, a contest once again took place in the space slightly shifted to the right of the second line center.

The one who caught the ball was Seong Ha-neul, and the opposing players were the same two as before.

Knock, knock, knock!

Since the people on the field knew better who the key players were, they ran wild from both sides as soon as they received the ball.

He looks like he’s going to slip through the middle with his left foot, but the moment Axel Witsel runs in, he twists his ankle and puts it between his opponent’s legs.

Soon after, he moved his legs and escaped to his right.

WHEEK, WHAAAAH!

As I lean my upper body forward and paint as if I were going to strike, Kongdogbia, who came to cover, hastily slides his body.

A sliding tackle that anticipates the path ahead and is placed in advance.

However, in reality, he didn’t touch the ball even once, so the opponent quickly split the grass, and Seong Ha-neul checked his opponent’s choice and only then accelerated.

Lift the lower surface of the ball and exit through the front.

If, at the last moment.

It would have been a clean breakthrough if Kongdogbia hadn’t lifted his leg and walked away.

Percussion!

Beep, beep!

“Oh, really! This is really dirty!!”

“Why are you doing that?”

“Still, this is the second warning!”

“That’s right! Next time you get kicked out!”

The price is a yellow card.

[Jose! Tell the front line that we need to be careful now!]

[Raise the defensive line a bit more!]

[Trap them in the space between and apply pressure at the same time!]

With both central midfielders collecting cards in a row, not only the home team fans but also the Atletico Madrid bench are busy.

Because the problems are starting to become apparent.

There was something different about the ending that made it difficult to simply dismiss it as a foul.

It feels like some part of the team’s organization is falling apart.

Number 28, Seong Ha-neul, was the key to the problem.

An entity that gradually, unobtrusively, gnaws away at and digs away at parts of the team’s tactics… …and ultimately creates a gigantic collapse.

Football insiders call these players “cracks,” and the boy is showing off his abilities that live up to the name.

Will it endure or will it collapse?

Unfortunately, this was not an option for Atletico Madrid.