Shooting Trajectory is Visible - Chapter 178



Only Krnovel

One Coin Remaining Hanover

* * *

It was when I was undergoing intensive rehabilitation treatment.

Sophie came to our house after a long time.

“hello!”

“Oh my, what brings you here, Sophie?”

“Uh… … Um, some kind of sick visit? Ahaha!”

Mom had a friendly conversation with Sophie, and Sophie brought back some healthy things, saying she was visiting her in the hospital.

‘Haven’t you been watching too many Korean dramas?’

I smiled slightly as I looked at the Bacchus that Sophie had brought.

Hanover went on an expedition to Freiburg and I was resting at home instead of following them.

In the first place, I strongly advised Jan not to follow me.

“Minwoo, how are you doing these days?”

“I’m feeling a bit better now that some time has passed. I feel like I might be able to recover sooner than I thought?”

“Oh! Okay, okay!”

Sophie, whom I met after a long time, became quite active. When she was first injured, she was so angry at Dennis Undave in front of me that I thought it was Kim Shin-ah, not Sophie, in front of me.

“It’s almost time for the match against Freiburg, let’s watch it together, Sophie.”

“Okay! Yes! I will!”

We gathered together in front of the TV and watched the Hannover vs Freiburg match.

By the way, since everyone is fluent in German, it was a German commentary version of the broadcast.

[Freiburg has been pushing hard since the start of the game. Previously, because of Kim, such attempts had not worked… … !]

The crisis started early.

3 minutes into the first half. The commentators shout.

And the threatening penetration of Japanese player Ritsu Doan, who resembles Hwang Hee-cheon.

I expected it to be a tough match, but I believed Leo would show his skills.

[The drawing is handed over to Lucas. Leo rushes in, but… …!]

[Gooooooooo! Hannover concedes a goal!]

[Hannover’s goal, which was like an iron fortress, was taken down so easily!]

The three of us who were watching the game were silent. Mom covered her mouth, Sophie rolled her eyes and looked at us, and I was speechless at the loss of words.

[Hannover’s goal was this easy! Just change one player and the difficulty goes down exponentially!]

Jan licks his lips with an anxious expression, and Leo lies down with a bewildered look on his face.

“… Haha! I guess Leo, well, it’s been so long since he last played that he’s still a bit unheated! It’s okay! Hannover can easily catch up by one goal or so!”

Sophie belatedly offered words of encouragement. Her mother responded, and I nodded with a forced smile.

… but Hannover never managed to catch up. Instead, Freiburg ended up smiling.

[Corsic kicks it away, but the referee blows the whistle! It’s a penalty kick!]

[Hannover players rush in to protest, but there is no change! Corsic touched Lucas’ foot!]

As Corsic cleared the ball, he also kicked the opposing striker’s foot. The referee was right next to him, and it was a penalty kick without any VAR check.

“Ah, Corsic… .”

He’s always like that when I’m not around. Just do as you usually do, but if you rush things, you’ll end up making things worse.

[Lukas Höller, who scored the opening goal and even created a penalty kick, prepares. Sub goalkeeper Leo, who came in instead of Kim, tries a psychological warfare… …!]

Fighting!

It was a goal. It was so clean that Leo couldn’t even dive in one direction.

[No doubt! The second goal goes in!]

[Hannover, who have been a nightmare for every team in the Bundesliga this season, have already conceded their second goal!]

Even though I was just watching it on TV, I could feel that my colleagues were very embarrassed.

Having kept a clean sheet for so long, the current situation itself seems unfamiliar. It would be hard to remember when Hannover was trailing 0:2, let alone 0:1.

And Freiburg put Hannover on a leash.

The Hannover players, who had been kept without a goal for so long, literally lost their minds, and it was not long before the score swelled to 3:0 and then 4:0.

[Kim’s absence is so huge! The Hannover players are at a loss, if not completely devastated!]

When the fourth goal was scored, I couldn’t stand watching anymore and changed the channel. The silence and awkward atmosphere fell. Sophie clapped her hands and tried her best to change the atmosphere.

“… Aha, ahaha! I, I recently learned that idiom, Mom!”

“Really? What did you learn?”

“That, that, that, Sergeant Byung-ga? In a fight, there are times when you win and times when you lose, right?”

“Oh my. That’s right! That’s difficult, but you’re amazing, Sophie!”

“Oh, thank you. Hehe. Well, well, the score was a little wide, but there are times when you win and times when you lose!”

“I agree with you, Sophie. Winning or losing is a matter of personal preference.”

I agreed with Sophie, but she still watched my rotten expression as if it wasn’t softening.

I didn’t want the person who came to visit me to be aware of my feelings, so I chatted about small talk other than soccer.

About life in Germany, my sister in Korea, and how different K-dramas are from reality.

“Sophie. If you have time today, let’s go eat.”

It was Mom. Mom was already preparing dinner.

Sophie says, “Ah!” and then laughs and nods her head slightly.

“I know it’s shameless, but yes!”

“Oh, what shame? It’s nice to have a meal with Sophie after such a long time.”

It was a very friendly atmosphere.

It was heartbreaking to lose to Freiburg by 4 goals… … but I’m sure they’ll do well in the next game. Hey, no way. But the opponent is Jean Pauli.

* * *

The match between Freiburg and Hannover ended with a score of 4-0.

Although there are only a few league games left, this game has become something of a landmark game that will show the teams with remaining fixtures against Hannover how to deal with them.

And Freiburg manager Christian Streich, who faced Hannover, responded to Hannover’s performance in a press conference like this.

“Unless Kim returns early, Hanover’s fairy tale won’t be easy. Fairy tales aren’t easy to come by, are they?”

“So, do you think Munich will win the championship this season too?”

“I would rather have Leverkusen win the title than Hannover. The rankings have already changed after this round. How can Hannover compete without Kim, who has to play at least a few more games?”

It was literal.

Hannover remained on 67 points, while Munich added one win to their total of 68 points. Likewise, Leverkusen added one win to move into the same position as Hannover.

The Bundesliga was an interesting league to watch for the first time in a long while, with no clear winner until the very end.

And most experts predicted that Hannover’s title race would be virtually eliminated due to Kim’s injury.

“The next game is against Jean Pauli, I hope Hannover do well.”

Naturally, this shocking defeat also went to Hannover’s Jan.

Jan was silent for a moment during the press conference, lost in thought, before ending by saying that the league is not over yet and that they will definitely win the next game.

The interview ended too quickly, and the Hanover-area reporters, who were already angry, ground their teeth and said they would see each other at the next game.

.

.

And time passes relentlessly until 31R.

Hannover’s showdown with Jean Pauli is literally approaching in the blink of an eye.

“Is Kim recovered yet?”

Jan said this to his head coach dozens of times a day.

So, head coach Elmare’s answer was also fixed.

“Yes. Not yet.”

“You said the recovery was faster than expected?”

“yes.”

“Then next game―”

“It’s too early to give you a definite answer, coach. You should focus on the match against Jean Pauli first.”

“Yeah. That’s right… .”

The blood dries up in real time.

It had been a long time since Jan had felt this way.

In the match against Jean Pauli, only victory is required.

Defeat is absolutely unacceptable (losing means immediate elimination from the championship race), and a draw is also a non-negotiable option. Victory. Must win.

If Hannover can’t even beat Jean Pauli, they shouldn’t be winning the title.

The impatient Hannover fans were already furious at the last game and were making all sorts of strange demands, such as demanding that Jan be cut.

If it had been a home game, Jan would probably have had beer bottles thrown at him.

And this match against Jang Pauli is a home game.

If he loses or is defeated, Jan’s future also becomes uncertain.

And then time passed again, and on the day of the game, in the locker room, Jan looked at the players with a desperate look in his eyes.

The cameras used to shoot documentaries were now a thing of the past.

“Today is a day when victory is absolutely necessary.”

Jan’s voice was so cold that it surprised even him.

“We can’t lose. We can’t draw. We have no chance. We have to get three points. We have to get three points.”

Jan honestly felt wronged.

For Hannover, this season was as good as it could get. It was literally their best season.

But Munich and Leverkusen were also having unbelievably great seasons.

Originally, if the game had progressed to this point, the top spot in the Bundesliga would have been around 60 to 65 points at most.

But what about this season?

Both Munich and Leverkusen have been surprisingly successful this season.

Even after accumulating so many points, Yan still found it hard to believe that if he lost this game, rumors of his dismissal would start to surface.

But circumstances and conditions are always relative, and if the opponent is having their best season, we should do the same.

No matter how I think about it, it makes no sense for Hannover to not win.

If Hannover don’t win the title, people will think this way in the distant future.

[No, Kim didn’t win this time? Hannover? The manager at that time was Jan Rytl? Wow. Even with Kim, a third-rate team with a fourth-rate manager can’t win the championship…]

He never wanted the public to think that way, and Jan personally wanted to add a Bundesliga title to his career, so he forced a winning mentality into his players.

“Okay! Let’s go!”

Captain Henrik Fischer shouted.

Jan prayed earnestly.

Please, let me win. I have to win… .

* * *

And did Hannover’s earnestness reach the sky? Hannover took the lead.

[Coutinho!]

[A long-range shot from outside the penalty box! It hits Jean Pauli’s goal! The score is 1-0! A spectacular goal to start the game!]

“That’s it! That’s it! That’s it!”

When Yann Lytl saw Coutinho’s picturesque goal, he jumped like a frog in joy. It was such a fantastic goal that even the quiet Yann woke up.

[… … and a free kick is awarded to Jean Pauli.]

Moments later, Jean Pauli was awarded a free kick from the far area.

Of course, Jean Pauli didn’t aim for it directly, but crossed it… … .

[Albus jumps up! Header!]

[Is this going in?]

[Leo! This should have been blocked! It was an attack that could have easily been blocked!]

[If it were Kim, he would have blocked it easily.]

Jean Pauli’s equaliser. Jan is in despair, and this time, it’s manager Jean Pauli who is in a state of shock.

The fans gathered at Heiden Arena hurled all kinds of criticism and abuse at Leo for failing to prevent a goal that could have been prevented.

“Kim’s little dog can run better than you, you fucking pig!”

“Pay that damn penalty and cancel the contract immediately!”

And the home fans’ ill will melted away with Hannover’s second goal.

[Hannover’s captain sees the long pass and runs towards it.]

[A pass started from the defensive line. Captain Fisher runs down the flank and slightly peels off the opposing defense.]

[And shoot! Gooooooooooooo!]

[The defenders should have been right there! They gave him too easy a shooting angle! And the Hannover captain is not one to miss an opportunity like this!]

[Captain Fischer finishes when it counts! Hannover’s runaway goal! This is the Heiden Arena!]

The score is 2 to 1.

Jan, who had been depressed, jumped up and down again in joy.

The game was a close race until the end, with the score tied 3 to 2.

Hannover was 3 and Jean Pauli was 2.

Time presented itself for Jean Pauli’s last chance, a free kick close to the penalty area.

[If Jean Pauli scores here… … there will be no goal more dramatic than that.]

[Hannover without Kim did their best. Will Jean Pauli’s dagger strike here? Well. Let’s go!]

The referee blew his whistle and the kicker aimed for the free kick. Leo flinched as if he was flying in the sky, but… … .

[Jean Pauli scores an equalizer in extra time in the second half!]

[A shot so fast and powerful that it’s hard to react! It’s a goal!]

From Hannover’s point of view, it was a desperate attempt to score the equalizer.

When Corsic, who was on defense, saw the goal, he put both his arms around his body and fell to the ground as if he had been shocked, and Jan, who was watching from the bench, grabbed his face and threw a water bottle, and eventually even shed tears.

The score is 3 to 3.

There was not enough time to score another goal and the game ended like that.

Leo, who came in as a substitute for Kim, knelt in front of the goal, and the fans hurled curses at him as if they were going to kill him.

Security guards had to block fans trying to invade the stadium.

[So this is what happens to Hanover in the end… … .]

.

.

A few days later.

The locker room at the Hanover clubhouse.

The players have dark expressions and keep their mouths shut, and there is still no news about Kim.

Someone appeared in that situation.

“…Why is it so quiet here?”

He appeared in good health, and he was Kim Min-woo, Hannover’s one and only god, everyone’s spiritual pillar, Hannover’s all-time GOAT, and the club’s youngest goalkeeper.

“Kim! What’s wrong? Are you better? Why are you out already?”

Corsic jumped to his feet in delight.

A rather excited voice. Kim Min-woo responded lightly.

“I came back early to win the league. Everyone, relax. The season isn’t over yet, right?”

“―Wow!”

“Kim! Kim! Kim! Kim! Kim!”

Players rise up like a swarm of bees and rush towards Kim Min-woo.

Hannover drew, but they didn’t face the worst of situations, as Munich and Leverkusen also failed to secure the wins they had hoped for.

Coincidentally, all three teams competing for the title had all lost in the 31st round… .