Shooting Trajectory is Visible - Chapter 188



Only Krnovel

188 This time it’s different

The national team, which had been lacking in substance, became lively as soon as the second half began.

It was because of just one substituted player.

‘I thought he was doing well while watching the highlight video, but he scored a goal as soon as he came on as a substitute?’

It was a goal scored just two minutes into the second half. It was highly unusual, considering that the opponent was Jordan, a team ranked only 88th in the FIFA rankings.

This match was not just a friendly, and Yang Hyun-goo, who plays for Celtic, also had a poor performance against Jordan.

‘First of all, a pleasant start.’

As the score widened to more than two goals, Jordan’s defensive gaps began to open up noticeably.

I don’t know why. Maybe discipline has become lax as scores have increased.

As the tight defensive gap became noticeable, Korea did not miss it.

To be exact, Lee Kang-im, who had been flashing in the east and west, moved.

During a contest between players, the ball was stolen, and as soon as Lee Kang-im received it, he hit it lightly, ran and immediately hit a mid-range shot.

A mid-range shot from outside the penalty box.

It wasn’t very strong, maybe because it lacked strength.

A low shot. It looked like a girl’s shot.

The ball rolled a few times on the ground and hit the goal post, then bounced off the post and went into the goal.

‘Oh my. That goalkeeper is unlucky… .’

He reacted by jumping, but the ball hit the goal post and ended up curling inside the goal.

“Waaa …

South Korea’s third goal.

The second half was now just over four minutes old.

“Hey… .”

It looks like Kang Im-hyung was really angry in the first half.

A mid-range shot that hit the goal post and went in.

Of course, all the players rushed to Lee Kang-im to congratulate him. It was funny to see the goalkeeper running all the way there, so I just clapped my hands instead.

“Good~”

South Korea scored two goals in less than five minutes after the start of the second half.

Yeah, that’s right. The first half was a bit weird, when we struggled against Jordan.

‘By the way, how can something change so drastically just because one player changed?’

There was no change in performance after that.

South Korea has been pushing Jordan throughout.

From a corner kick. From a contested situation. From the flank. From mid-range. Anywhere.

Of course, if you focus too much on the attack, there are times when a counterattack situation arises.

‘Coming.’

I prepared myself mentally as I watched the opponent’s run. There were many defenders on both sides inside the penalty box, so I wasn’t too worried.

The opponent must have thought it would be difficult to break through this defense, so he shot from outside the box, and the shot went in a strange direction.

‘Allah, what a crazy shot…’

Are your feet triangular? You kicked the ball towards the goal, but how did the shot fly so far away?

I glanced at the scoreboard while listening to the fans’ cheers. I was so focused on the game that I didn’t even realize how much time had passed, but before I knew it, time had flown by.

‘It’s already 71 minutes into the second half?’

There are only 20 minutes left.

And then the crowd’s squealing sounds of pterosaurs can be heard. Looks like another chance to attack has come from the front.

When I turned my gaze, it was indeed so.

In an attempt to stop our team’s attack from the side, a Jordanian player made a sliding tackle towards the ball, but the ball bounced off Lee Kang-im’s foot and ended up being passed to one of our players inside the penalty box.

Hwang Yu-beom, who received the ball out of nowhere, kicked it straight into the goal, saying, “Why is this in front of my feet?”

Boohoo!

And the opposing goalkeeper Hassan Mursigi easily blocks the shot. The angle wasn’t easy to put in at first, though―

Crash!

The goal is scored.

“Whaaaa …

Even the cheers of the audience.

“ha ha ha….”

The goalkeeper blocked the shot but failed to catch the ball. Kim Jun-young caught the ball, which was no longer in anyone’s possession (rather, it fell in front of him), and swung it away.

Kim Jun-young himself must have thought, ‘Why is this in front of my feet?’, but either way, it was a goal.

It was a typical pick-up goal, but Kim Jun-young became the first player to score multiple goals in his debut. And he was 19 years old at that.

“Good job.”

He scores goals easily.

While other strikers usually have difficulty putting it in, Kim Jun-young puts it in simply and easily.

The score is 4 to 0.

Tens of thousands of spectators rejoice at the goal celebration that begins in the second half.

The Jordanian players were completely demoralized by the four-point gap, and Son Heung-min’s penalty kick goal ended the game 5-0.

The match was over. I went up to Kim Jun-young, who was being congratulated by his fellow players, and said a word.

“It was better than expected. Congratulations on the multi-goal.”

Kim Jun-young laughed at my words and answered.

“Oh, it feels like something isn’t my body. I feel much more relaxed than usual.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

That’s because of the running mate effect.

Considering that Seol Young-wook didn’t make any of the small mistakes he usually made, this is secretly effective.

Or maybe it was just a coincidence.

* * *

“The emergence of a new star player? Kim Jun-young, multi-goal in debut!”

“Lee Kang-im, Kim Min-woo, and then Kim Jun-young? The South Korean national team smiles at the flood of promising players.”

When the 19-year-old striker scored multiple goals in his debut match for the national team, the media also became excited and hopeful.

There are articles that say that the two strikers, Hwang Eul-jo and Jo Gyu-seok, who are currently unable to join the national team due to injuries, are being demoted to subs and that Kim Jun-young must be brought to the World Cup.

It was a flurry reminiscent of the old Barcelona trio.

There are articles saying that if the Barcelona trio grows up and joins the national team, they will be capable of competing in the World Cup, let alone in neighboring Japan.

Above all, interest in Kim Jun-young was explosive even in the post-match interview.

“Coach, I’m sorry to keep asking the same question, but I would like to ask a question about Kim Jun-young.”

“Of course. It’s okay.”

“You said that the selection of Kim Jun-young was entirely based on the coach’s choice and vision, but there are many other great players in the K-League besides Kim Jun-young. So why did you select Kim Jun-young?”

The questions about Kim Jun-young could have been tiresome, but Leon answered without showing any signs of it. He said that scoring goals is my style, and running around with dedication is my style.

Above all, Leon Harpus felt rather pleased.

As the question mark surrounding the selection of Kim Jun-young was completely cleared up by this match, a situation was created where Leon, who selected him, was praised… .

In addition, there was a Q&A between Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-im, and me about Kim Jun-young. I hope Son Heung-min doesn’t become complacent and continues to do well.

Lee Kang-im is a rare striker type, so I hope to see him often.

I am…….

“I think the desire to get better will help Junyoung Kim grow further.”

“So you’re saying I shouldn’t settle down here?”

“Yes, that’s it.”

I just gave a plausible answer. Some reporters fleshed out my answer. As expected, liberal arts.

Of course, they didn’t forget to manage Kim Jun-young, who had made his national team debut so successfully, in case he got excited.

“You did well, but you also have to take into account that your opponent was Jordan, right?”

“Of course, brother. I won’t be proud!”

In fact, scoring multiple goals in an A match is a great achievement in itself, regardless of whether the opponent is Jordan or not.

* * *

The following match against the United Arab Emirates and UAE was completed with an entry influenced by the match against Jordan.

Son Hong-min Kim Jun-young Hwang Hee-cheon

Hwang Yoo-beom, Hong Hyun-seong, Lee Kang-im

Kim Jin-seok, Kim Yang-kwon, Kim Min-je, Seol Yeong-uk

Kim Min-woo

4-3-3 formation.

The most attacking and possession-friendly tactic in modern football.

As it is a classic tactic, there are extreme differences depending on the manager.

Coach Leon Harpers was not forgetting the 0-1 defeat to UAE in the last trip to the Middle East and this match was a revenge match.

The coach told us to just play like we did against Jordan, and the players were in a very bright mood.

Except for one person.

‘It’s a bit salty.’

Oh Hyun-goo, who lost his spot to Kim Jun-young, looked dispirited. It was a sight you could see anywhere in the cold sports world.

Competition and competition. Winners and losers. But this structure is always changing.

Kim Jun-young only has one Jordan Zalpador, and this was his first starting match.

In comparison, Oh Hyun-goo showed a lot in the national team. Well, to put it nicely, he is definitely not a regular player, but he is at the level of a semi-regular player, but when he comes in as a substitute, he often shows a good performance.

He is definitely a more stable striker than Kim Jun-young.

‘Of course, if Junyoung does as well in this game as he did in the last game…’

The story changes a lot.

In just two games, he will be able to hear the name of Middle East killer, and even if it is not as good as the last game, if he shows a stable performance, I think he will be able to secure the sub position for the main players.

‘The stats that I check from time to time are definitely on a steep upward trend. Hmm… .’

These days, I’ve been spending more time checking Kim Jun-young and Seol Young-wook’s stats than my own.

It was more fun than I thought.

Does it feel like raising a Pokemon?

‘It would be fun to retire as a player and become a coach later.’

Would it be too shameless to receive help from a football manager even after becoming a manager?

“Hey! Do your best!”

Someone’s scream.

As I was warming up at the stadium, that loud shout rang in my ears.

I turned my head towards the sound and it was Kim Shin-ah. The girl was waving her hand and smiling brightly, seemingly oblivious to the gazes of those around her.

‘High school syndrome is really scary.’

A person who is more aware of what others think than anyone else doesn’t care about what other people think? Hmm.

Still… …I don’t feel bad.

I turned my head again and gave a thumbs up. Then the surrounding audience let out a “ooh~” sound.

After that, I started to focus on stretching again.

After about an hour, the stadium began to fill up with spectators, and after several pre-match ceremonies, the 9th round of the World Cup final qualifiers began.

* * *

Manager Hajime Moriyasu watched the game with his arms crossed.

In fact, there was nothing left to watch.

The current score is 6:0.

The opponent was Vietnam, and Vietnam, led by an interim coach, was a lighter opponent than any other team.

‘If it goes like this, it’s 8 wins and 1 loss?’

Although the games are not over yet, Japan’s record in the third round of qualifying, including this match that is virtually a victory, is 8 wins and 1 loss out of 9 matches.

Japan has conquered all countries except one.

And now all that remains is a bloody war of revenge against that country.

Beep— beep— beep!

The game ended without any surprises.

Japan had easily crushed Vietnam, and now all that remained was the final 10th game.

Coach Hajime Moriyasu then gave a typical interview. He thanked the fans who came to the stadium, said the 6-0 victory was thanks to the players’ hard work, and that regardless of the last remaining match, the team’s qualification for the World Cup has been confirmed, so they will do well in the World Cup as well…

And then it came.

Reporters asked questions about the final match of the third preliminary round.

“Now, from Japan’s perspective, the only remaining match is the rematch against Korea. Coach, Japan was completely defeated 0:3 in the last Japan-Korea match. Japan’s power is considered to be superior, so how do you plan to handle the away match against Korea?”

Ahem. Director Hajime Moriyasu cleared his throat and corrected the reporter’s words.

“… … There is an evaluation that Japan’s power is superior, but that is just a public evaluation. In a fierce rivalry like the Japan-Korea match, the power given by others is meaningless. Back to the original question, the expedition to Korea.”

You have to choose your words carefully. The position of a director is a lonely one. You have to always assume the worst case scenario and avoid using words that are too strong in case you lose.

“It will be very different from the last game.”

“How is it different, Director?”

“It’s very different.”

“… So what?”

“It’s different. A lot.”

The Japanese reporter was silent for a moment.

“Korea is currently playing against UAE. What is your outlook on the match?”

“Well, there may be some changes, but… … the Korea I know will not lose at home.”

“Does that mean that only Japan can defeat Korea?”

Director Hajime Moriyasu thought, “After all, Japanese people really like this kind of thing.”

“That’s not the case, but I think we just need to focus on the next game, no matter what the outcome is.”

“Yes… Japan has a higher FIFA ranking than Korea, has won the Asian Cup more times, and even if you look at recent records, Japan is ahead. Coach… … .”

Director Hajime Moriyasu, who skillfully avoided the trap questions set by the reporters, then ended the interview.

‘Huh. I guess it’ll work.’

I knew better than anyone else how clever the Japanese were. I had been through it many times and had done it to them many times myself.

After that, Moriyasu waited for the results of the match between Korea and UAE.

I don’t know because I didn’t watch the match, but the score was 3:0, Korea won. However, I did check who scored the goal.

‘Hwang Hee-cheon. That guy from Wolverhampton?’

Hwang Hee-cheon scores first goal.

‘Kim Jun-young. What does this guy do?’

Additional goal for the uninvited.

‘Kim Min-woo.’

The hero of the last goal.

Moriyasu’s teeth were chattering.

‘Kissama… It’s you again.’

The Hannover fairy tale of the Bundesliga was something Moriyasu was also familiar with. And even without that, Kim Min-woo was the goalkeeper who stabbed Japan in the heart in the last Japan-Korea match.

‘This time, for sure.’

I will definitely avenge the last humiliation.

Moriyasu gritted his teeth and closed his eyes.

There are still a few months left until the final match of the third qualifying round, so it is likely that European teams will somehow get through to Kim Min-woo in that time.

Japan just needs to take a cue from those games and get through Kim Min-woo.