Shooting Trajectory is Visible - Chapter 226



Only Krnovel

Episode 226: Golden Generation?

The match ended 3:0.

A 3-0 win away to Tottenham.

Manchester United have been on an unprecedented roll this season.

Giovanni thought as he entered the press conference room.

‘Is he really a real guy?’

As with other sports, there is an element of ‘luck’ in soccer. However, it is sporadic, and it is impossible to show good performance solely by relying on luck.

And Kim scored against Tottenham too. I don’t know how many games this luck has been going on for.

It’s a move that clearly seems lacking for playing in the Premier League, but somehow it produces results.

‘Was I underestimating Kim?’

In fact, he may be a really good guy, but we may be blurring the parts he is good at and only highlighting the parts he is bad at.

And that was the question from reporters today.

“There are two Kims in the team, Coach. Kim, the striker, has scored attack points in every game he has played. How do you plan to handle Kim, Coach?”

I’m curious about that too, Mr. Reporter.

Actually, I was planning to loan him to another team during the winter transfer market and see how things would go… … but now I really don’t know.

“Kim is a player who is always satisfying, even though he is a bit of a tight fit. He doesn’t play many games, but if he continues to show the same form he has now, there will be changes in the future lineup.”

Groan, groan.

Striker Kim’s competitors are strikers worth hundreds of billions of won. In particular, Hoilun was a striker who was brought in for 120 billion won.

What about Kim? If you paid Hoilun seven times his weekly salary, that would be the player’s value. No matter how you think about it, he is a player who needs to gain more experience at a smaller club than Manchester United.

“Kim was left out of the list for the last game against West Ham, Coach. He was substituted in this match against Tottenham. It was the same in the match against Midtjylland and this match against Tottenham. Is it because the list was made with the Korean players on the opposing team in mind?”

It was a pointed question.

Since he couldn’t say that he sent Kim out because of the pressure from the team leader, Giovanni made a vague excuse. He said that he checked the physical condition of each player periodically and sent out the player in the best condition~ something like that.

After that, the press conference ended without anything special.

On the way back, Giovanni sat alone again, thinking deeply.

‘4 goals and 1 assist in 3 games. 1 goal and 1 assist against Newcastle, a 1.5 team. 2 goals against Midtjylland. And in this match against Tottenham, he even scored a goal despite being a substitute and playing defensively.’

Data doesn’t lie.

Giovanni began to seriously consider whether he should let Kim play in the next match… .

* * *

Director Giovanni’s stern expression was visible on the screen.

Manchester United’s director of football Richard Johnson looked at the starting lineup with a pleased smile.

Kim’s name was proudly listed.

Kim above. Kim below.

Although Chelsea has been in a slump recently, it was a big decision for Giovanni to put in striker Kim against a prestigious club team.

Was he just lucky to have played three games in a row, or was he put in to see if he was really good?

The captain sat down and watched the game comfortably. Anyway, as long as goalkeeper Kim is there, we won’t lose. I can watch it lying down.

And a brief commentary from the commentators.

[Kim will be playing as the forward for today’s game. He was sent down to the second team when he was recruited, but he made a merciless killing spree in the second team league and was promoted to the first team. He is a Korean who graduated from the same school as goalkeeper Kim, and he scored in every game he played.]

[Coach Giovanni must be deeply troubled. He probably didn’t have that player in his plans. He’s like Chicharito from the Ferguson era.]

[So you mean a poacher type player?]

[Because there aren’t many players like that these days.]

*Poacher (Goal Hunter)

[Anyway, whether forward Kim will become a player who follows in Chicharito’s footsteps or not will be clearly revealed in this match against Chelsea… ]

“Chicharitora… .”

He was a truly old player, buried in memories.

Even in the captain’s memory, Chicharito was clearly a striker who knew how to score goals.

He has a good sense of smell but lacks skill. He is the type of player who is not in the spotlight in this day and age when attackers are expected to have defense, passing, and various other abilities.

But if Kim could just perform as well as Chicharito did back then, it would be a huge success. First of all, he was recruited for almost free.

And the game begins.

Richard Johnson sat back in his chair and watched the game comfortably.

The game started with an overwhelming attack by Manchester United. Chelsea was powerless throughout the first half. And Kim was colorless and odorless throughout the game, making his previous record pale in comparison.

“Oh… this isn’t good.”

If you look closely at the things that were out of sync, slow, or that you felt like you needed to slow down, you’ll find that they were all related to Kim.

“When the opportunity to be selected comes, you act like Chicharito.”

Richard chuckled, sinking into his chair. And then Giovanni appeared on screen for a split second, shaking his head.

“Looking at the way he looks, he’ll be substituted as soon as the second half starts.”

A goal was expected, but the score was 0:0.

And it was almost time for extra time to run out.

During the build-up, Mainu floated the ball wide into Chelsea’s penalty box, and Kim received it and kicked it in with a sliding tackle.

It was such a sudden goal that Richard, who had been buried in his chair, suddenly sat up.

[Gooooooooooooooo! Kim! Proving it again!]

[He didn’t look good throughout the first half, but he shows his goal hunter side once again!]

“Ahaha.”

Kim runs to his fans and performs a ceremony, very excited.

And then there’s the replay scene, and the movement was definitely good.

He deliberately stepped back to avoid being caught offside, then when the ball came flying towards him, he quickly jumped out and shot with a sliding tackle.

Only the goalkeeper reacted, and the other defenders seemed completely unaware of Kim’s movements.

“They somehow managed to get it in. It’s amazing. It’s amazing… .”

What will Giovanni do with that player? I think he’d be fine as a joker. As for him as a starter… it’s still too early.

* * *

The match against Chelsea ended with a 1:0 win. Chelsea was on the losing side throughout the first half, but as time went on, they gradually showed signs of improving their performance, so it wasn’t an easy match.

Kim Jun-young was substituted in the 61st minute of the second half, but coach Giovanni’s evaluation was uncertain due to the contradictory situation of scoring a goal despite poor performance.

Maybe Giovanni will wrap his head too.

Even though I’m only halfway there, I’m just proud of how much my junior has grown.

I didn’t think he’d be able to even get 10 minutes of playing time, let alone score any points, but he’s already scoring in 4 consecutive games.

‘Plus, thanks to his running mate, Junyoung is growing incredibly fast day by day.’

It was just like seeing myself in Hanover.

At that time, I also grew rapidly on a weekly basis. When I trained, my stats went up, when I played, my stats went up, when I recovered, my stats went up…

It’s an old story that is now out of the question.

As the weight class increases, the super-fast growth of the past is out of the question, and it is fortunate that even small increases are possible.

And now.

“This is soccer….”

I watched the game from a distance.

The game was virtually taking place only in the opposing team’s territory.

Today’s match was a Europa League match against PSV. Junyoung was on the substitute list.

The current score is 2:0.

Unfortunately, PSV were no match for Manchester United.

Even if people around me make fun of me and call me a idiot, my basic weight class is in the upper ranks of the EPL… … PSV is as easy as twisting a child’s wrist.

In fact, PSV is not a weak team to deserve such treatment, but as time goes by, the competitiveness of the EPL and other European leagues continues to widen, so now it is inevitable.

In the second half, Kim Jun-young came on as a substitute and PSV also used many substitution cards, but the game was not overturned.

In the meantime, Kim Jun-young also scored in this game. It was a surprisingly impressive finish.

“This guy’s location is really good.”

I don’t think it’s at the level of Manchester United, but I’ll get it out somehow. It’s not like squeezing water out of dried squid…

Because the process produces results anyway, there weren’t that many people who criticized it even within Manchester.

As always in Korea, there was a lot of excitement about a world-class forward emerging from our country.

‘With Son Heung-min on the left wing, Kim Jun-young as the lone striker, and Hwang Hee-cheon on the right wing… … So if Jun-young blooms a little more here, they’re really an attacking force that can go all the way to the EPL, right?’

But the goalkeeper here is Kim Min-woo? The defender is Kim Min-je? The midfielders are Lee Kang-im, Hwang Yu-beom, and Kim Ja-seong?

‘If we can get the left and right fullbacks and Kim Min-je to play as partners, we will have a golden generation that will never be seen again in the national team.’

If you’re going to be there, it would be good to have a Volanchi there too.

Ahem. Am I asking for too much? Well, if all of that comes true, it wouldn’t be South Korea, it would be Brazil. In fact, if you take out Lee Kang-im from the Central Plains, the rest are… … Sigh.

You’re all Europeans. Let’s have a drink~

The match against PSV ended 3-0 and quite some time has passed since then.

The second match against PSV ended 2:0.

The rematch against Midtjylland ended 4:0.

And Kim Shin-ah took the CSAT in the meantime.

The most important exam in South Korea, where even trains and planes stop at the moment of the exam.

I never thought my younger sister would fail the test. It was a bit unsightly, but Kim Shin-ah studied better than me.

To be more precise, I got a good score. I guess there must be some kind of trick to it. I got a higher score on the IQ test that was administered at school.

“So, bro. What I did was… .”

As I was flying to Korea for the national team evaluation match, Kim Jun-young was sitting next to me and chattering away.

I nodded, listening dryly.

And I recalled the KakaoTalk conversation with Kim Shin-ah in my memory.

[Kim Shin-ah: As long as there are no unexpected situations like sudden stomachaches, I think everything will go as expected.]

[Kim Min-woo: Just do as you usually do. Don’t think about doing well. Do you remember what your mother said?]

[Kim Shin-ah: ??? You’re not my mom, you’re my brother]

[Kim Min-woo: No… That’s what my mom used to say. Just cut 30 minutes off for each test and sleep for the rest of the time.]

[Kim Shin-ah: But why are you worrying about me so much? You always tease me?]

[Kim Min-woo: Just lol]

[Kim Shin-ah: Haha, cute~]

“I hope you’re doing well… .”

“Huh? What did you say, brother?”

“It’s nothing.”

I guess he must be in the middle of his exams by now. I asked my mom, and she was cooler than I thought about the issue.

“So what? Even if Shin-ah fails her exam and can’t get into the college she was aiming for, our son has already earned more money than Shin-ah could ever earn in her entire life.”

“Uh huh… Is that okay?”

“College isn’t everything in life, son~”

Then why did you always tell me to study like I was catching mice, Mom?

I think my mother had shed her civil servant mindset, perhaps because of the influence of my enormous success.

That’s right. That’s why you applied for dismissal. If you had just held out until retirement, you would have been guaranteed a sweet pension, but Mom gave up on that.

Actually, compared to how much I earn, my pension is… … literally pocket change.

After a full 12 hours of flight, I arrived in Korea. The CSAT date was exactly one day away, and when I turned off airplane mode and checked my phone, there were no KakaoTalk messages from Kim Shin-ah.

‘what?’

The guy who became a huge chatterbox after I became a soccer player didn’t send me a KakaoTalk message even though the huge event called the CSAT was over?

I asked my mother, who returned with me, and it was the same. I tried calling her in a hurry, but she didn’t answer.

Even when my mom tried to walk, it was the same. Even my dad didn’t pick up.

Mom frowns, seeming very upset about this situation.

“Hey, these people… They came to the airport to pick me up at first, but now they’re treating me coldly?”

I saw a similar situation on the internet. When soldiers get their first vacation, their parents prepare a sumptuous meal for them, but as they go on vacation, their food gets worse and worse, and sometimes they don’t even come home.

It’s exactly like that right now.

My mom and I headed home like bulldogs.

Maybe it was because it was early, but it was quiet when I got home. When I opened the door, both Shin-ah and her father were snoring.

“Oh my… .”

It’s currently 8 AM. I understand it’s the weekend, but…

I rummaged through Kim Shin-ah’s room. I was curious about the test results. Maybe there were some graded ones?

As she continued to rummage around like that, Kim Shin-ah let out a “huh” sound and raised her upper body from the bed.

“What? You’re here already?”

Kim Shin-ah is rubbing her eyes. It’s been a while since I’ve seen her, so she feels like she wants a headlock.

“How was your test?”

“… … Ah. That?”

A slightly sullen voice. What? He didn’t see it?

Kim Shin-ah came to me, looking tired, and took out the test paper she had graded. There were countless red circles drawn on the test paper.

And then he says with a grin.

“If I just look at my grades, I think I can go to medical school?”

“……hey.”

“You did well, right? I told you that I have talent that is not inferior to Kim Min-woo’s.”

“Your breath stinks. Get out.”

No, what the hell is that stink coming from your mouth….

I just woke up, but this is a bit much.

Kim Shin-ah, who had been blinking at my words, let out a ‘haa’ sound and smelled her own breath.

“It doesn’t smell anything?”

“Of course it won’t happen when you take charge!”

“But… isn’t that a reward?”

“Ah. I guess you forgot my personality.”

“Ah. Okay. I’ll fall. But wait. Is it that bad?”

Then suddenly he starts to gasp for breath.

“Haaaaaahhhhhh!”

And isn’t that the thing that’s blowing its breath right in front of your nose?

In an instant, the stench of the sewer fills my nostrils.

“What the fuck!”

“Kyahahahahaha!”

And then Kim Shin-ah runs away in a hurry.

“You work!”

I was so angry, but I had one thought as I chased after Kim Shin-ah. She’ll still be able to protect herself.

“Hey! How old are you guys and you’re still like this!”

Mom’s scream. Shin-ah screams at her mom to save her. I immediately grabbed Kim Shin-ah by the neck and dragged her backwards.

“When will I become mature… … .”

“Oh, wait a minute. Write it!”

Kim Shin-ah gasped again. I quickly released my arm and ran away. Oh, right. You won. Let’s say you won.