Shooting Trajectory is Visible - Chapter 202



Only Krnovel

Episode 202

# Resolution

After finishing the hectic schedule at the beginning of the season, I boarded a plane to Korea with Kim Jun-young.

Kim Jun-young was happy to see a Korean he hadn’t seen in a long time, and he chattered along the way.

British food doesn’t suit my taste, why are there so many gloomy days in Britain, it’s not the European life I had imagined, it’s a bit shocking, etc…

“older brother.”

“uh.”

I closed my eyes and let it flow out one ear. Kim Jun-young paused for a moment and then spoke in a lifeless voice.

“Did you also experience racism when you were in Hanover?”

“…uh?”

I slowly opened my closed eyes. What is this?

“No, I just thought racism was the default.”

*Default value (default setting)

“What are you talking about? Were you discriminated against?”

“Ah, that’s….”

And Kim Jun-young, who was complaining. Unlike before, I listened attentively this time. After listening to his story, it seemed that he was discriminated against in subtle ways during training, during games, and even while eating.

“Are these little punks just being territorial or are they really discriminating? Have you ever had a similar experience, hyung?”

Kim Jun-young stared at me with a dazed expression. My answer was actually set. I had never had such an unpleasant experience since I moved to Europe.

“doesn’t exist.”

Kim Jun-young looked a little shocked at my firm tone of voice, as if he had thought it would happen naturally.

“I guess I was lucky. Most Korean football players in Europe, especially in Germany, seem to have experienced racism, but I have never experienced anything like that.”

“I wonder if you didn’t notice it, hyung? The goalkeeper position is actually a bit of a different world.”

“Hey. Do I look like someone so dull that I can’t even detect something like that?”

“… Ah, okay. That’s not it… .”

I have only good memories of Hanover. Jan, Sophie, Chiller, who I had a friendly competition with, and my other colleagues.

When I was being rude, my colleagues rarely, if ever, rudely told me to.

“Maybe it was because my skills were so overwhelming.”

“That’s… true.”

There has to be a catch to discrimination. I have a special position, and I made a good impression as soon as I got here (I think I saved 10 consecutive penalty kicks? I can’t remember the exact number), so I probably would have been reluctant even if I had that kind of mind.

“… Well, I spoke a little gloomily! It’s okay. If they don’t give me the ball, I can steal it from them myself, and if that doesn’t work, I can just stand in a position where I can’t give it to them.”

Oh. Mind Bo? Why do I want to see such a positive mind owner get crushed? Trash?

“I will prove myself somehow and definitely get promoted to the first team! My wish is to receive a pass from my brother.”

“… I’m a goalie?”

“Hey~ I’ve watched your specials so many times. If you pass with your hand, it’s a shot put, and if you pass with your foot, it’s a Coupang play. Almost all of the passes you give to the front are rocket deliveries, aren’t they?”

We smiled happily at each other. This guy’s ability to flatter is no ordinary one.

Kim Jun-young, who had been laughing out loud, suddenly became serious and said.

“Huh? But hyung. Weren’t your feet in bad shape when you were in high school? They were almost a disaster… … How did your feet get better after you went to Hanover?”

“Tell me?”

“yes!”

“The status window automatically uploads it.”

“Huh? The status window?”

Kim Jun-young nods his head, his expression becoming quizzical. Then he nods as if he understands.

“Ah, hyung. Do you watch Level Up Alone too? Oh seriously, that webtoon was crazy―”

Did this kid talk this much?

The art of reverse transformation.

If you play soccer like this, you will soon become a regular in the Manchester United first team… .

* * *

The third and final qualifier. Originally scheduled for late August, it was pushed back a few days and rescheduled for early September.

A rematch with Japan.

In fact, the final rankings were already decided, except for Korea and Japan.

The question is who will advance in first place and who will advance in second place.

Japan defeated every country except Korea, and Korea had the same record as Japan, except for its loss to UAE.

Also, whether they pass in first or second place could have an important effect in the future World Cup.

Whoever wins will affect your FIFA points, and your ranking will determine which pot you are assigned to.

Of course, a draw wasn’t a bad thing from Korea’s perspective.

Even if they draw, they will advance to first place in the group based on goal difference, and they will have an advantageous record of 1 win and 1 draw against Japan, so there will be no more talk about Korea being pushed back by Japan.

Of course, before the final match, Korea and Japan will warm up against other countries at their respective home stadiums.

Korea is Uruguay.

Japan is Mexico.

Coincidentally, these were the countries that had played in the last evaluation match.

Japan won 3-1 against Uruguay, and Korea also crushed Mexico 3-0.

Many people are paying attention to the friendly matches right before the Korea-Japan match, saying that they are important, but well, I don’t think they will have much of an impact.

‘This is why I like goalkeepers.’

Field players’ play styles change greatly depending on the leader, and this has a significant impact on their performance.

Depending on the manager’s tendencies, Son Heung-min can play on the left wing, up top, or on the right wing.

The same goes for Lee Kang-im, Hwang Hee-cheon, Cho Kyu-seok, Kim Min-je, and other players. Their use varies slightly depending on the manager’s tendencies.

‘But not me.’

Of course, goalkeepers can also have completely different tendencies depending on the coach’s tendencies.

Either actively participating in the build-up, leaving the goal empty and acting like a defender, or just sticking to the traditional goalkeeper role.

But even with all that, goalkeepers don’t have a huge change in their playing style compared to outfield players.

At least there aren’t any crazy managers who make players change positions from goalkeeper to defender.

Field players were used to this, with center backs playing as full backs and volantes.

So I’m not really influenced by any manager’s performance.

It’s not the coach’s tendencies that affect my performance, it’s only my condition.

‘I’ve never been in bad condition before.’

Even if I were to catch something like the flu, I’d probably lose at least three points.

So I’m quite careful about taking care of my health. If I have the flu, the medical team will probably prevent me from playing, but if I have a mild cold, I might have to play again.

How frustrating it would be if a clean sheet was broken due to conditioning issues. You should take care of your health in advance.

And now.

I had to go straight to the national team without even stopping by home to take a short break. All the players did the same. This schedule was quite tight because it was the beginning of the league.

“Hey Minwoo!”

“Hello, Captain.”

Before I knew it, I had become so close with Son Heung-min that I was joking around with him. Well, from Son Heung-min’s perspective, wouldn’t I be pretty?

From a captain’s perspective, there is no player more beautiful than a goalkeeper who is good at stopping goals.

“Last time against Liverpool! Did you see my brother’s celebration?”

“Yes, bro. I shouted out. I heard it was a hot topic on the internet too.”

Kim Shin-ah said, “There are a lot of romances that involve Son Hong-min and Kim Min-woo.” She went on to say, “There are even romances where Son Hong-min and Lee Kang-im compete with Kim Min-woo in the middle.” I really didn’t want to know… .

“Hey! Junyoung! Are you here with Minwoo?”

“Yes! We talked a lot on the plane next to each other!”

“Huh? Hey, aren’t these kids gossiping about us? Hey. Who are you talking about?”

The mischievous pranks of the senior national team members. Kim Jun-young is at a loss like a bumbling private. The senior national team members laugh at his reaction as if he finds it cute.

‘If Kim Jun-young also becomes active later, it will become a three-way battle.’

He shook his head.

“Hello, my babies?”

When I turned my head, it was Yoo Jin-ho. Yoo Jin-ho looked at me and Kim Jun-young alternately, then smiled brightly as if he couldn’t be more proud.

“It’s nice to see you again, Coach.”

“so do i.”

I smiled and hugged Yoo Jin-ho. Kim Jun-young, who was next to me, looked a little nervous. What? Are we still awkward with each other?

“Our Junyoung! My proud baby! How is life in Manchester?”

“Huh? Ah… … .”

Kim Jun-young hesitated, feeling awkward that Yoo Jin-ho was treating him so well. However, he also understood Yoo Jin-ho’s position.

It is a proud achievement that his students from his days at Suyang High School have become professionals, so how proud must he be that those students have gone on to join a big club that everyone recognizes?

Even though Manchester United were mocked as a swindler and a swindler on the internet, they were still one of the best clubs in the world.

“Our Junyoung! Huh? He even scored a goal in his A-match debut? Huh? He even scored multiple goals! Do you know that’s an incredible achievement?”

“Oh, yes… .”

“He even scored consecutive goals against UAE! Wow! It seems like only yesterday that our Junyoung was struggling because he couldn’t score a goal against a regular student, but he’s already grown so much!”

And then Eugene looked at me,

“Our story could really be made into a movie. Kim Jun-young of the soccer team who couldn’t score a goal against ordinary Kim Min-woo! And now Kim Min-woo who doesn’t concede a goal against world-class players from all over the world! Wow~”

“Have you had a drink?”

At my whining, Yoo Jin-ho glared at me like he did back in Suyang High School. I was startled and looked away. It wasn’t that my personality had changed, it was that I was hiding it…!

“Hahaha! You idiot! How can you drink on the day of the national team training camp? If you were that kind of person, you wouldn’t have been able to send Minwoo and Junyoung to Manchester United, right?”

“If someone heard us, they would think we went to Manchester United because the coach put in all his effort.”

“haha.”

Eugene Ho let out an awkward laugh and returned to his Suyang High School days.

“Anyway, this shameless kid. If the director says so, then you should know that. You’re still shameless, right? You were polite in the interview in Hanover, but you decided to come back?”

“How do people change? They just hide it. Like the director.”

“Hahaha! Yeah. You’re right!”

* * *

The national team players who were called up trained hard, sweating bullets.

Coach Leon Harpers has made a final check of tactics in preparation for the match against Japan.

‘Japan will definitely play defensively.’

Coach Moriyasu said he would definitely end this expedition to Korea with a victory and hinted at an aggressive tactic, but it was likely a deception.

Rather, it was more likely that they would play defensively, conscious of Korea’s aggressiveness.

There’s something Japan is good at, right? That strategy that caught both Germany and Spain.

Even if we give up possession, we still win the game.

Possession and process, those things mean nothing in soccer. In the end, you win by scoring goals.

In that sense, it is clear that Manager Moriyasu will struggle to win somehow, as he would be in a difficult situation if he loses even in this Korea-Japan match.

Leon stared at the tactical board, then focused his gaze on one side. The place at the very bottom of the board.

‘It’s clear that they’ll come out defensively… … Even if they prepare a counterattack, will that work?’

Kim Min-woo is a goalkeeper who has not allowed a single goal since his professional debut. A mysterious, monstrous goalkeeper. In front of such a goalkeeper, aren’t tactics actually useless? No matter what you do, you can’t score.

‘Even if Kim blocks all of Japan’s moves, the director should not assume that.’

It was a kind of hope circuit.

The position of a manager is one where you always have to think of the worst possible scenario and figure out how to win.

If the attack is frustrating, find a way to break through.

If your defense keeps getting breached, find a way to make it less likely to get breached.

Leon wanted an overwhelming victory in this match against Japan, but he has no intention of showing such intentions to Moriyasu’s Japan.

‘We have to take advantage of the situation. We have to keep sending signals to Japan that we want a draw.’

It was a matchup that many people were looking forward to, but Leon was planning to actively borrow the Korean proverb that says there is nothing to eat at a famous feast.

Avoid excessive attacking throughout the game, play as if you are a weak team against a strong team, and counterattack when you see an opening.

It shows throughout the game.

If he continues to show this kind of behavior, Moriyasu, who suffered a record-breaking defeat in the last Korea-Japan match, will have no choice but to play aggressively, even if only to think about the repercussions after the match.

Even Director Moriyasu has given an interview after the Korea-Japan match saying that he is continuously looking forward to the match against Korea and that he will definitely give the Japanese people a victory, so he will definitely fall for this trick.

“If not.”

Leon drummed his fingers on the table, lost in thought.

If Moriyasu doesn’t move as he wants and plays defensively throughout the game.

“Then you have to match the rhythm.”

Maybe if that happens, people will fall asleep while watching. Well, at least it’s less risky than Director Moriyasu. It’s not that it’s less risky, it’s that it’s none.

Leon has already achieved a great victory in the away game against Japan, and even if he plays defensively in this match against Japan, soccer fans will only be slightly dissatisfied.

But Moriyasu… … .

“Rumors of his dismissal will come up right away.”

Leon Harpus chuckled.

Leon knew very well how ugly the press could be, so he thought it would be quite enjoyable to watch it.

Then, suddenly, he sighed at his own appearance.

“All the passion of the past is dead.”

When I was in Europe, I didn’t do this. I didn’t care about anything outside of the game and just focused on what kind of game I was going to play.

But now that I’ve been through all kinds of hardships, things are different.

I thought about what would happen after the game and how I could use things outside of the game to influence the game itself.

Bringing non-game issues into the game was disqualifying as a soccer coach, but… … Leon, who had experienced countless things as a coach, realized that he could no longer return to his past self.

“No matter what, in the end it’s a victory. If you win, everyone applauds, but even if the content is good, if you lose, you have to face the miserable reality.”

That miserable reality comes in many forms: being fired, being criticized for something unspeakable, or even having loved ones suffer unnecessary pain because of me.

Leon knew what kind of director he was.

A one-man show.

If Korea had not called him, he would have been forgotten as a director wandering around Southeast Asia.

But now that he had a golden opportunity to revive his career, Leon was determined to get results at all costs in this managerial job.

Someone could accuse him of being a loser, of being a novice who tries to influence the game by bringing in non-football stuff.

If I can win that way, and if I can continue my career that way… … .

“… Phew.”

Leon rested his hand on his forehead and closed his eyes.

First, let’s start with the starting lineup for the match against Uruguay.

Leon opened his eyes again and moved the tactical pieces around.

Since the match right before the Korea-Japan match will definitely be systematically analyzed by the Japanese side, the tactics are hidden as much as possible.

No, rather, he goes out aggressively and puts Moriyasu at ease.

The plan was this.

I aggressively poured in and defeated Uruguay, and in the post-match interview, I gave a subtle hint that this is the kind of football I pursue and that this is how I will defeat Japan in the future.

Moriyasu was relieved after seeing Korea’s tactics and Leon’s interview, but he was hit in the back of the head during the actual match.

If you panic at that number and it affects the game, and you end up making a risky move… … .

“Then we catch Japan.”

He also does not plan on sending out his best 11 starting lineup for the match against Uruguay.

Even if they don’t explicitly use the terms 2nd and 1.5 groups, it could still cause some confusion.

If Japan were a soccer powerhouse, this kind of deception probably wouldn’t work. If it were a team as big as Brazil, they would crush them with their weight class, no matter how deceptive they are.

But Japan… … Leon thought it was a team worth trying even without Kim Min-woo.

And in a fight of similar weight class, deception is always right.

* * *

The starting lineup for the match against Uruguay has been announced.

As I checked the starting lineup, I was struck by a strange feeling.

“Junyoung is excluded?”

Even though he was a reserve, he is still a former EPL player, and coach Leon Harpers boldly excluded Kim Jun-young from the starting lineup.

The name that came in instead was Jo Gyu-seok.

He is from Midtjylland and is a player who can be considered superior to Kim Jun-young at the moment.

Kim Jun-young was definitely a member of Manchester United, but he had been demoted to the second team, and although Midtjylland is a club located on the outskirts of Northern Europe, Jo Kyu-seok had adapted well there and was playing a decent attacking role.

However, he was a striker who was not at all appealing to soccer fans and was met with mixed reviews.

Since scoring multiple goals in the last World Cup match against Ghana, Cho Kyu-seok has not been able to show any further impact.

Even during the Asian Cup, he was heavily criticized by fans for his poor decision-making skills, and since then, whenever he has played for the national team, he has shown inconsistent performances, and has been viewed as a questionable striker overall.

“I’m okay, bro!”

Kim Jun-young, who checked the list together, tried to respond in a bright voice. But behind that bright smile, was it just my imagination that there was a hint of bitterness?

“Are you sure it’s okay? I think it’s what I expected.”

“Hey! It’s okay!”

“I have some doubts. He scored multiple goals on his debut, scored against Bento’s UAE, and advanced to the Premier League, but he’s not included in the starting lineup….”

Suddenly, an old memory comes to mind. Coach Shin Tae-young’s ‘trick’ remark during the 2018 Russia World Cup.

Maybe Leon is also planning something similar? A trick of hiding his best power in the Uruguay match and bringing everything out in the Japan match.

I wonder if Japan will tolerate something so obvious… … but you never know.

“… I’m sure the director has thought about it too. Haha.”

Kim Jun-young said gloomily. I patted Kim Jun-young on the shoulder.

“Cheer up. I’m sure the coach has thought about it a lot. After all, 30 million soccer coaches won’t stay still.”

“A soccer coach with 30 million people?”

Let’s just smile without answering. Kim Jun-young also smiles as if he understands.

The problem with Korean soccer is that most of the self-proclaimed Red Devils don’t even watch soccer.

Now that they’re going to come out and rip Leon off, Kim Jun-young won’t be too upset.

Even Lee Kang-Im, who is currently on a roll, had a time when he was not given much importance by Bento’s team…

I scolded Kim Jun-young to hurry up and get promoted to the Manchester United first team, and Kim Jun-young also washed away his depressed feelings by bickering with me.

* * *

While Korea and Japan each nominated Uruguay and Mexico as their sparring partners, Japan finished its match first.

It was a natural thing to do because of the schedule. It was a little tighter because I had to play in Japan and then come back to Korea to train.

And the result is.

[Japan vs Mexico, I’m missing this, damn it]

A scene that Doan Ritsu unfortunately misses in a crucial situation.

→If you had put it in, you would have gone to Wolverhampton lol

→Oh, brother, I don’t put anything except Germany and Spain

→You should have given it to the side, you idiot ㅋㅋㅋ

[Japan vs Mexico?? Mexico scores first lol]

It was a Mexican header. Mexico’s cross-like attack was blocked by the goalkeeper with his hand, and then the loose ball was left untouched, giving Mexico an easy lead.

→???: Japan is a candidate to win the World Cup!! (Korea lost 3-0 to Mexico and scored first…)

→The reason why Jeong Seong-ryong chewed up the J-League ㄷㄷ

→Why can’t I catch that and just kick it out? Did I become picky because of Kim Min-woo?

[Japan vs Mexico Mexico additional goalwwwwww]

Japan, having once again lost an aerial duel, helplessly conceded another goal to Mexico.

→Historically, the answer for Japan is the earthenware pot.

→Hey Japanese guys, are you out of your minds?

→Penis-like defense linewwwwwww

→???: Our goal is to win the World Cup.

Japan, with its stamina, was not defeated throughout the game, and kept on turning the score around, eventually ending with a 2:2 score.

From Japan’s perspective, it was a shaky score ahead of the showdown with Korea.

And right before the game, our captain Son gathered the players together and said a word.

“Don’t worry about the other side’s results and let’s just do our best. Let’s give the fans who came to the stadium a win. Do you all understand?”

“Let’s go!”

We left the locker room with a lot of energy. If Japan draws after a close match and we win with a decent performance, the atmosphere before the match will be very different.

Above all, this time it’s not an away game, it’s a home game.

‘I will definitely win.’

By beating Uruguay and Japan, we announce to the world that the Asian tiger is back.

That is the duty of our generation, the so-called golden generation… .