Breath of The Interferer - Chapter 166



Only Krnovel

#166 – Breath of the Interferer_Key – 1719586

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The Charge of the Invincible Tank

“Well, everyone did well in the first half. Whether we were on the pitch, on the bench or substituted, we all worked together and performed beyond expectations.”

The achievement that Kishin is talking about is the offense. The defense was confident that they would keep a clean sheet in the first half. However, they hoped that they would score at least one goal in the offense.

If you score one goal, there is a strategy for scoring one goal, and if you score two or three goals, there is another strategy for the second half. There is also a strategy for when you don’t score, and there is also a strategy for when you concede a goal.

Before the game, Ki-shin only told the players the tactics for the first half. Now, the players have 15 minutes to familiarize themselves with the tactics for the second half. As soon as the second half starts, Hyun Ki-cheol will replace Hwang Hee. Hyun Ki-cheol, the front-line attacker, is better at defense than Hwang Hee, as expected from an Atletico player.

“The German goalkeeper will definitely be replaced in the second half. Cheol-beom and Gi-cheol, shoot as low as possible in the second half. The goalkeeper sitting on the bench is weak against low balls.”

“And the remaining two substitutions have two possibilities. It is likely that the two central midfielders will be dropped and one midfielder and one striker will be brought in. If the German coach is a bit more adventurous, he could also drop two wing-backs and bring in two wingers.”

“If you change the central midfielder, have Ki-cheol and Cheol-beom move to the wings on both sides during a counterattack. They will tire out the wingbacks more. If you lower the wingbacks and raise the wings, have them both stay in the center. It’s not that they failed to control their conditioning, but they are in poor condition due to minor injuries, so keep hitting the center.”

“Similarly, if the central midfielders are replaced, Han Yoon and Min Hoon should run back and forth a lot in the second half. They will tire out the wingbacks. If they are replaced on the wing, both of them should just play defense quietly.”

“Hwang Dong-geun, if you’re not sure when a high ball comes, just hit it. We have a firm hold on the arc zone, so hit it there. Don’t try to catch it recklessly.”

In addition, Kishin gave detailed instructions on what each player should pay attention to.

“Chae-woon reduced the number of fouls in the second half. In the first half, we were the underdog so the referee gave us some leniency. In the second half, Germany is the underdog. We won’t give them any more leniency.”

I was confident in the first half. I prepared tactics to score one goal and finish the first half without conceding a goal. It is not easy for people to do things as they please, but I did not doubt the ability to execute the tactics because Cha Beom-soo was there.

But I don’t know about the second half. The German team was broken down into pieces by Kishin in the first half and each particle was counted. The German team in the second half is unpredictable. There are differences in the abilities of each player, and there are also clear differences in the ability to understand and execute tactics.

The fact that the German players strictly enforced the coach’s tactics was rather frustrating. They were too cautious because it was the final, which gave Korea a chance. I didn’t expect the 3-goal performance in the first half. I thought it was possible to score one goal, and I hoped to score two goals. Kim Chul-beom did better than I expected.

In the second half, he replaced Hwang Hee with Hyun Ki-chul, which surprised many. It was seen as strengthening the offense rather than the defense. Ki-shin didn’t tell the players, but he had another intention.

Lower the wing and bring up the central striker. This increases the burden on the center. It forces the replacement of the central midfielder who is not in good condition. If you are adventurous and replace the wingback with a wing, there is a high possibility that the center will be penetrated.

From Korea’s perspective, it is burdensome to have a new winger come up. We prioritized strengthening the central defense. Germany’s central attack is very strong, and most players have mid-range shooting ability. Mid-range shots, even if they are not threatening, are likely to deflect off players’ bodies and become goals. We should avoid them as much as possible.

In the second half, Germany only changed the goalkeeper. Under Kishin’s command, the Korean team focused their attacks on the center in the early part of the game by pressing forward. They stably maintained possession of the ball and launched attacks with mid-range shots and penetrating passes.

In the 55th minute of the second half, the German coach made a substitution decision. He dropped the two wingbacks and raised the wing. He moved the two central midfielders, who were not in good condition, to the central defender position and moved the two central defenders up to the midfield. It was a drastic change that was not typical of the cautious Germans.

The two wings have outstanding individual skills, but they are not the starting players due to their lack of tactical understanding and digestion. They are parts that stand out more than other parts, so the tank may squeak. They are losing 0:3 in an important match, the World Cup finals. It is a time when they need to run wild rather than be stable.

Chae-woon is thirsty. Kim Si-woong is playing cooperative defense with Gong Min-hoon, and Chae-woon is playing cooperative defense with Han Yoon. Of course, if the ball goes to the center, you have to focus on central defense. It was too hard to be dragged around to both sides like a dog.

Han Yoon is a bit better at defense than Gong Min Hoon. However, in front of the winger who came in as a substitute for Germany, Gong Min Hoon and Han Yoon are the same. Chae Woon cursed inwardly while watching the black winger who was an immigrant.

‘Shouldn’t naturalized players be banned from the World Cup?’

Recently, restrictions on naturalized players have been strengthened. They must have been registered with the country’s football association for five years and naturalized for three years. They must also have played in the country’s professional league for at least one year.

This is to prevent some countries from trying to promote and develop soccer by only using naturalized players to achieve results. The commercial value of the Champions League and the World Cup is still there, but the influence of soccer as a sport itself is decreasing. It is gradually being pushed out by e-sports. Sports that require physical movement are gradually being replaced by e-sports.

So the phenomenon of naturalized players improving their skills is gradually decreasing. The trend is to naturalize players who are appropriate for the level of their country. In other words, a country with a high level like Germany has naturalized players who are appropriate for that level.

The black player who fell down after Chae-woon’s tackle rolled around with a painful expression. When Han-yoon broke through, Chae-woon tackled him. Although he touched the opponent’s leg, it was not enough to make him fall so painfully.

When the referee called Chae-woon, Cha Beom-soo quickly came running. Chae-woon did not understand all the referee’s words. He knew that he was telling him not to foul, but he could not interpret the specific meaning.

“Dude, I know it wasn’t a big foul, but next time I’m going to pull out my card.”

The referee is also under a lot of pressure because it is the World Cup final. The German player’s expression is fake, but it is true that Chae-woon committed a foul. He conveyed that he could not tolerate Chae-woon any longer because he committed many fouls in the first half.

The only way to break the current passive phase is to attack. We need to change the flow of the game even for a moment with a threatening attack. However, Kim Chul-beom lacks both tactical understanding and individual ability. Except for speed and shooting, he is at an amateur level.

Hyun Ki-chul is also not yet fully developed. If there is a striker who can do something against the German team, he has already firmly established himself as a starting player at Atletico. Ki-shin felt that the Korean team’s luck was running out. Now, they have to endure the remaining time with their skills.

Among the teams I’ve met in the World Cup, there’s no team with great team tactics, except Italy. Portugal relied a lot on the individual abilities of its players, and Canada is just at the level of China. England is also a team that relies more on the individual abilities of its players than on team tactics.

Uruguay has excellent team defense tactics, but relies on individuals for offense. Italy, whom they met again in the semifinals, had one player sent off early in the game. The Korean team, which makes up for its lack of individual ability with team tactics, has faced relatively easy opponents so far, except for Italy.

In the first half, Germany aimed for stable operation, so they delivered three unexpected blows. As the second half began, negative information about Kishin’s dominance on the field began to increase.

In an indirect free kick situation, the German team’s cross was excellent. It seemed to be heading towards the goal, but it quickly turned and became a good ball to head. Dong-Geun Hwang, who had made a wrong judgment and went out, quickly turned around, but the German’s header was faster.

In the 62nd minute of the second half, Germany scored a goal. The German players skipped the celebration and urged the game to resume. Cha Beom-soo felt lost. The players were not moving as Cha Beom-soo wanted due to Germany’s pressure. As a result, there were frequent gaps in the defense, and Cha Beom-soo and Kim Si-woong ran without resting for a moment to fill those gaps.

Korean fans and neutral fans cheered for Korea. A large number of British fans came to the final. Those who paid several times the regular price for tickets cheered for Korea. Most of them were Notts County fans. They were desperate for Korea to win and for Ki-shin to return to Notts County.

British and Korean fans repeatedly chanted ‘Fighting Korea’. Cha Bum-soo looked at the bench. Ki-shin was standing there. He was slender and about 178cm tall, but he looked smaller than Cha Bum-soo, who was 175cm tall.

Kishin spread his arms wide. His palms were facing down and he was pretending to press down. His face still had a confident smile. When his eyes met Cha Beom-soo’s, Kishin nodded. It was as if he was saying, “This is within the expected range.”

Cha Beom-soo felt something surge deep in his heart. He had not seen his father often since he was young. They lived apart for Cha Beom-soo’s education. One day, his father returned as a corpse. But Cha Beom-soo could not feel sadness. Even though he was his father, he was too much of a stranger.

Although he lived alone with his mother, Cha Beom-su grew up without any worries. Then, as he became an adult, he suddenly missed his father. His mother only warmly embraced him. There was no one like his father who silently became a lighthouse. There was no one who showed him the direction he should go.

I felt my father’s firm chest from Kishin. I felt his unwavering back. My life’s goal is still vague. However, I knew for sure what I had to do in this game. Cha Beom-soo shouted loudly.

“I’m going to increase the tempo from now on. If you can’t keep up, I’ll abandon you. Everyone, grit your teeth.”

I always tried to keep my cool. I guided the players according to their level. But that shouldn’t happen. If you do that, you will lose. You will only become a small decoration on the street of fame where the tanks run. In a few decades, people will surely say that Germany won the 2026 World Cup easily by being lucky to meet Korea.

“Siwoong, run a lot.”

The Korean team’s attack ended quickly. Germany’s concentration was no joke. Cha Beom-su blocked the rush of the heavy tank with his bare body.

“Defense center quickly to the left. Gil Seo-jun, take three steps forward, Park Dong-chun, step back a little to prepare for a breakthrough. Si-woong, raise your position a little, leave the rest to the central defender.”

“Cheolbeom just fouls. Kicheol, move a little further back. Choi Gilsu, move a little forward. If he gets through in a one-on-one, he just fouls.”

Central defenders Gil Seo-jun and Park Dong-chun also had to take care of the defense on both sides. When the attack comes to the center, Cha Beom-soo has to block it with Choi Gil-soo, Hyun Ki-chul, and Kim Cheol-beom. Meanwhile, other players return to the center. When the ball goes to the touchline again, all players have to move.

It is a tactic that Cha Beom-soo likes to use to take away the physical strength and concentration of the opposing players. At that time, the opposing defenders were in disarray. However, now it is the Korean team that is being hit. They have to somehow endure with physical strength and mental strength.

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