Shooting Trajectory is Visible - Chapter 117



Only Krnovel

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Hanover set out for the expedition to Bremen as scheduled.

And when I arrived at the away game and saw the opposing team’s home stadium packed with fans, I always had this thought.

‘The Bundesliga 1 is so full of clubs like Hannover.’

For Europeans, football was life and religion. What other sport attracts tens of thousands of spectators just by playing a game? And in every European country.

‘Is this why politicians came out to block the creation of the Super League?’

In a league like this, in a country like Germany, full of people like this, what would it feel like to win the coveted Meisterschale trophy after overcoming unimaginable competition?

Regardless of the mood, Hanover will probably be abuzz. There will be endless fireworks going off in the city, parades, and we will be heroes of Hanover.

Even though I was treated like a hero when I was promoted to the second division last time, winning the first division and the second division are literally as different as heaven and earth.

“Let’s all do our best in this game!”

Captain Fisher shouted. We all nodded. Head Coach Fisher said this game would be a tough away game, but when you open the lid, you never know.

*

And the game was complicated from the start. Werder Bremen, backed by the one-sided support of their home fans, were very aggressive.

The team logo is particularly striking because it looks like teeth, and in a stadium filled with this wave of teeth, the Bremen players started to push us to the edge from the first half.

“Oh, oh···.”

I briefly admired it.

Finally, the enhanced Prophet’s Eye was activated.

It was during a fierce competition in the Central Plains.

As Angelo Stiller received the ball and was about to convert, an opposing defender rushed in and chipped him.

Stiller fell to the ground in the reflex and no whistle was blown.

The referee deemed it a legitimate fight.

The ball bounced forward and was caught by opposing striker Marvin Duksh, who was between Phil Neumann and Korsic, and in an instant, it led to a solo chance.

Marvin appeared before my eyes in the blink of an eye, his figure growing larger and larger.

And the shooting trajectory that appears.

The trajectories appeared much faster and more numerous than usual.

There were exactly three trajectories before my eyes: one to the left, one to the right, and one above my head.

‘Wait a minute. My brain is going to stop. Where should I stop it…’

And then I was slowly moving forward. And then the right side and the front above disappeared, and only the left side remained.

‘It’s here!’

And then I reached out and blocked the trajectory.

The ball hit my hand and bounced off the goal post.

‘It appeared earlier than the last game. So, if more trajectories appear, it appears faster?’

In the last game, there were only attacks with one visible trajectory.

Even then, the trajectory certainly seemed faster than usual, but not like now.

Now, it felt like the player was being shown the best trajectories he could possibly take in this situation.

And as time goes by and the time of choice approaches, it feels like the remaining trajectories are erased and only one remains.

‘It’s definitely gotten a lot better.’

It seems like it would take some getting used to having multiple paths appear, but at the same time, it was good to be able to mentally prepare myself in advance because the trajectories appeared much faster than usual.

Also, when the remaining trajectories disappeared and only one remained, it was time to respond earlier than I usually did.

‘A solo chance is a solo chance, but it’s also very helpful in chaotic situations or melee situations.’

Long live the gold medal.

It was like putting wings on a tiger’s back.

And then the corner kick.

Fortunately, the corner kick was kicked away well by the Hannover defense, so there was no cause for concern.

However, the situation continued to turn against Hanover, and crises began to erupt one after another.

A mid-range trajectory from outside the penalty box. This time there were two.

I prepared early, the trajectory was reduced from two to one, and I caught the shot.

The opposing attacker ran towards me in case I missed the ball, but I was already lying face down with the ball in my hands.

And he looked ahead like a sniper looking through a scope.

‘This definitely reminds me of the first half against Frankfurt…’

It wasn’t as intense as it is now, but the pattern was similar.

Then he got up from his seat and threw the ball towards Mark’s empty side.

‘It’s more comfortable than before, but we can’t be complacent. Just because we can see the trajectory faster doesn’t mean the game tempo is slowing down.’

The ball still flies in and is terrifyingly fast.

The opponent’s gallop is still terrifying.

I’m still terribly afraid of emergencies.

However, it was clear that the burden that had been previously being carried had been somewhat alleviated. The shooting trajectory was more visible than usual, and the shooting trajectory appeared to be a little faster.

The more time you have to deal with anything, the more likely you are to respond wisely.

Whether it’s a flying shot trajectory or a life choice you have to make.

Anyway, I···.

“Oh my god. Here you go again?”

It looks like the ball has just been passed, but Bremen steal the ball back and try to attack again.

I shook it off with a sigh and prepared to defend myself.

***

Eugene Ho returned to Korea.

Our national team, which won an unexpected gold medal at the Paris Olympics, returned to Korea in triumph, and now, quite some time has passed since then, the situation is much more relaxed.

“Hanover kids, you’re lucky. If Kim Min-woo had gone to Suwon, you’d still be stuck in the second division.”

Yoo Jin-ho crossed his arms while watching the match video. As if winning the gold medal without conceding a goal at the Paris Olympics wasn’t luck, Werder Bremen’s attacks were all blocked by the goalkeeper.

Kim Min-woo.

His own disciple.

It was definitely me who led him into the world of soccer, but there were many times when I felt amazed when I watched his current performance through the monitor screen.

“If I hadn’t recommended you to join the soccer club back then···.”

Eugene Ho imagined something like that.

A worldview that does not actively encourage Kim Min-woo to join the soccer club.

If that were the case, what would have happened to me now?

I pout and think about it for a moment. The conclusion came surprisingly quickly.

“First of all, winning the Geumgang Banseok Competition would have been out of the question.”

The Geumgang Banseok competition that announced the beginning of Kim Min-woo.

If we had kept the existing goalkeepers, we would have barely made it to the group stage and probably the quarterfinals.

If we had done a little better, we would have made it to the semifinals.

No matter how much I think about it, I absolutely would not have made it to the finals.

“If I couldn’t win the Geumgang Banseok Competition, I would have naturally gone to the President’s Cup Competition.”

Even the President’s Cup, which is considered a higher level competition, cannot be expected to produce significant results.

Han Seung-woo? Kim Jun-young?

Even if they have solid goal scorers, they can’t win the game if they have problems in defense. They would probably be eliminated in the quarterfinals or group stage.

“Then the King of Kings Tournament… would have been out of the question.”

It is a King of Kings tournament where you can only advance if you are ranked high in the high school league, but if it weren’t for Kim Min-woo, even that would be uncertain.

They probably participated, but like other competitions, they probably didn’t leave a big mark and just finished the year with no-name results, like any other nameless high school.

“You are a noble person. You are a noble person.”

Eugene Ho smiled and searched through the drawer. There were cigarettes there.

I am a noble person to Kim Min-woo, but Kim Min-woo was a noble person to me too.

If the nameless and unknown Suyang High School had not created such a legend, he would not have come to the Olympic national team as a coach, and then he would probably still be working with coaches Park Hyeon-woo and Kim Tae-ho at Suyang High School.

“Just imagining it gives me goosebumps···.”

Eugene Ho, who put a cigarette in his mouth and started smoking it deliciously, trembled with a creepy feeling.

Looking back now, it was a miraculous move.

In Korean soccer, discovering a diamond in the rough called Kim Min-woo (he’s only 18 years old. It’s crazy), polishing him to perfection, getting his parents’ permission, and raising him to this point… isn’t this just a lifetime right as a soccer player?

“I have proven the value of my life just by discovering Kim Min-woo.”

Eugene Ho looked back on his life.

It was definitely not an easy life.

Childhood. As a player. As a coach.

I’ve seen a lot of dirty things and been beaten up a lot.

I was slapped in the face for kicking a ball without permission, and I was beaten with a club for not passing the ball. I was also hung on an oak tree for being so shameless that I was made to imitate a cicada for hours.

Every moment of his life was a challenge and a crossroads of choice.

Are you going to quit this fucking football and go back to your normal life?

Are you going to break that fucking senior’s face and quit soccer?

After debuting as a pro… It’s a world where if you don’t do even a little bit you won’t survive, so it’s a world where you can’t say anything.

“But no matter how much I think about it, I can’t keep up with what Kim Min-woo discovered.”

A life that has been devoted solely to soccer for decades.

And a life that ran fiercely to survive.

All of that added up seems like nothing compared to the fact that he recognized Kim Min-woo and guided him on the path of soccer.

.

I asked myself if this fierce life was overshadowed by the discovery of just one player, but it was. There was more than enough left over.

Eugene Yoo thought that Minwoo Kim’s potential had not yet been fully realized.

Kim Min-woo was confident that he would achieve even greater and more overwhelming results than he did now.

and

Wheeee …

Eugene Ho was impressed.

“Hey, tsk. Who is it?”

I looked at the cell phone on the table.

Eugene Ho, who had been relaxed for a moment, quickly straightened his posture. Then he cleared his throat with a “craw-craw!”

And whoa, take a deep breath.

“Yes, sir! It’s Yoo Jin-ho!”

He was the executive director of the Korea Football Association who appointed Yoo Jin-ho as the coach of the Olympic team.

A word of congratulations when it was confirmed that we had advanced to the quarterfinals.

A word of congratulations on advancing to the semifinals.

Just a word of congratulations on making it to the finals.

A word of congratulations when you win and secure the gold medal.

When I returned home, I received another congratulatory message at a drinking party.

The executive director of the Football Association, who had received congratulations five times in total, contacted Yoo Jin-ho again. And at this dark hour.

Looking back, it wasn’t unusual for the managing director to contact me at this time.

-I’m afraid I’m calling you too late. Is it okay if I call you?

“Oh, of course! Why wouldn’t it be okay? I’m fine! Feel free to contact me whenever it’s convenient for you, and I’ll pick up even in my sleep!”

-Haha. You don’t have to go that far. Our Coach Yu, you’ve really accomplished something great, right?

“I’m embarrassed, Director. I just did as you told me to do and assisted Director Choi well.”

Here, speaking humbly and saying, “No, sir. I just did what Director Choi told me to do,” was a handshake.

Even if you have to be humble, you still have to make an appeal.

And at the same time, it is essential to elevate the executive director.

Because right now, I don’t have to look good to Director Choi, I have to look good to the managing director.

-You listened to me too well. I never thought I would win the gold medal… I’ve said this too many times, so I’m afraid Coach Yu will get tired of it, so I’ll just skip it.

“Not at all, sir. Haha…”

A little cold sweat.

Honestly, I didn’t know how to respond to that comment just now.

Still, I guess this level of response isn’t so bad.

– Good news for Coach Yoo. Well, the choice is up to Coach Yoo. Actually, isn’t your work at U23 over now? You won the Asian Cup. You even won the gold medal at the Olympics, which is a great achievement for our Korean soccer.

“I was so lucky that it happened like that. Haha···.”

Yoo Jin-ho continued to pace around the room. It seemed like he would hear something that he couldn’t hear while standing still.

-Director Choi also did a great job as a firefighter, so he will go to a better place. Coach Yoo also did a great job of going beyond his share, so he should go to a higher place, right?

“···What do you mean by ‘higher, higher place’?”

My heart is pounding.

no way.

no way.

-Coach Yoo. There is a role for Coach Yoo in the senior national team. How about trying it out?

“······!”

Poisoned chalice!

But Coach Yu knows for sure.

As long as Kim Min-woo is there, nothing like ‘poison’ can ever enter the Holy Grail.

As long as Kim Min-woo is around, the Holy Grail will literally mean the Holy Grail!

Yoo Jin-ho tried hard not to sound too excited, but it wasn’t as easy as he thought.

“Ma, if you just leave it to me, I will do it until my body breaks.”

-That’s great. I’m sure Coach Yoo will be happy to see you again.

End

ⓒ Doctor Am