Shooting Trajectory is Visible - Chapter 240



Only Krnovel

Episode 240: The Goalkeeper Who Invites a Slump

The atmosphere changed completely when Manchester United scored first.

No, it definitely seemed to come over.

‘It’s not like I’m some RPG game boss…’

After conceding a goal, Manchester City changed the pattern from phase 1 to phase 2.

It has become stronger.

They pushed us harder as if they had been hit with a nerve stimulant, and Man U was pushed back helplessly.

In particular, Holland’s momentum was impressive.

‘… Did I provoke you for nothing?’

He kept repeating the action of dragging two or three of our team players around by himself and constantly creating space. Every time, I couldn’t help but feel nervous and had to mark the open space by myself.

“What are you doing! Why can’t you come to your senses? Concentrate!”

I encouraged the players by shouting like that, but Manchester City seemed to have put a debuff on our team, and they kept getting confused and unable to show their usual skills.

At that moment, I looked at Giovanni. Giovanni had clearly declared before the game that players who were not performing well would be replaced immediately.

Giovanni, standing on the bench, watched with his arms crossed.

‘Please replace it!’

I glanced at the coach with those eyes and then focused on defense again. I couldn’t let my guard down because the ball kept circulating in the Manchester United camp.

* * *

The game has truly entered a tense situation.

[Okay, Stones’ long pass. Straight to Holland!]

[Good catch, Holland. Two in front of you. And left foot―!]

[Eww!]

The situation changed in an instant.

After receiving a long pass from the centre circle with a smooth first touch, Haaland escaped neatly between two United defenders.

In the meantime, another defender was added, but he could not stop the shot, and in the end, only Kim Min-woo could stop Holland’s shot that broke through three defenders inside the penalty area.

[Kim Min-woo! Another showdown between Kim Min-woo and Erling Holland! This time, Kim Min-woo wins!]

[This was practically a goal. Kim Min-woo saves Manchester United from crisis once again!]

[At first, there were some who were suspicious that Kim Min-woo was receiving too high a salary, but now that has really disappeared. He is doing much better than what he is receiving!]

[Yes. Manchester United did a good job of recruiting him cheaply, right?]

[Haha! That’s right.]

“You were doing well recently, but you’re in a bad mood again.”

Kim Shin-ah watched the game while chewing on her snack. Fortunately, this time there was plenty to eat at the famous feast.

Manchester United’s opening goal started with Kim Min-woo’s long pass. Manchester City’s fierce attack followed.

The defense keeps breaking through. Kim Min-woo barely manages to stop it.

[Ah, moe-ee-ee-ee―! That bastard Lisandro, moe-ee-ee―!]

[Of course, Minwoo hyung is acknowledged. The light of Manchester United, the sun of Manchester United, Manchester United itself.]

I was also watching BJ Best’s broadcast on my phone, and as always, the reactions were hilarious.

“This person’s reactions to Manchester United matches are more enjoyable than those to the national team matches….”

You must be a huge fan.

And then the next wave of Manchester City attacks.

Literally, Manchester City was beating Manchester United nonstop. The score was clearly Manchester United ahead, but when you look at the performance alone, Manchester City had an overwhelming advantage.

Despite this, Kim Shin-ah had blind faith in her older brother.

“Today is a day when Kim Min-woo is very active~”

You’re going to block everything anyway~ Just watch comfortably~

Kim Shin-ah was watching the game very comfortably, leaning back on the sofa and giggling, when she encountered a moment where she doubted her eyes and her heart sank.

It was a situation just before the first half ended.

With players from both teams crowded together in the box, Rodri Hernandez floated a cross to Foden, who was in the opposite box.

Foden floated a header into the middle, where Holland found himself unmarked.

If it were normal, I would have just thought, ‘My brother will stop it anyway,’ but this time it was different.

“Huh, huh?!”

On the screen, Kim Min-woo’s body was leaning towards one goal post as if he had missed Holland.

Literally, from Erling Haaland’s perspective, the goal was ’empty’. He could have scored if he just stretched his foot.

Kim Shin-ah opened her mouth in surprise and Holland jumped up and shot into the empty goal.

And the shot flies over the goal.

[Holaaaa …

[Woo …

[Kim Min-woo almost conceded his first goal! Just now, Kim Min-woo literally missed Holland for a ‘moment’! Holland shoots high into the air, and Kim Min-woo’s first goal is lost!]

[It was literally heaven helping us!]

“Uuuuuuuuu! Oh, no! What are you doing! That person isn’t that kind of person!”

Kim Shin-ah was so surprised that she sat up and jumped up. Her heart was pounding like crazy and her hands were sweating.

Did I miss the ‘moment’ as the commentator said? No, it’s never happened before, so why today?

BJ Best was also jumping up and down, making a pterosaur sound as if he was surprised. Literally, it was a goal that Holland missed himself.

If the angle had been reduced just a little, Holland would have taken Kim Min-woo’s first goal as he had promised.

Holland, who knew it, sat down and pounded the ground with his fist, looking very sorry, and Kim Min-woo, as if he was trying to calm his surprised heart, was dumbfounded and then shouted at the players.

“If this continues, I won’t be able to watch comfortably anymore…?”

That’s how the first half ended.

From Kim Shin-ah’s perspective, who hopes that Min-woo will win the award beyond Yasin-sang, she absolutely did not want to see Min-woo Kim lose a point.

Never conceding a goal in my life until I retire!

But looking at the scene just now, it doesn’t seem that easy. It’s like this now, and if I grow old here… … .

“Swoop.”

I held my pounding heart and sent a KakaoTalk message to my brother first.

[Kim Shin-ah: Haha]

[Kim Shin-ah: I almost got eaten?]

[Kim Shin-ah: Kkabi lol]

[Kim Shin-ah: Just eat it first, I’ll tease you for the rest of your life lol]

“Hoooooo… .”

Oh, my heart is pounding. Dad said he bought some cheongsimhwan for me. Should I take some of that?

* * *

The incident at the end of the first half must have been a shock to my Manchester United teammates. As soon as they entered the locker room, the players checked on my safety first.

“Kim. Are you okay?”

“Kim.”

“Kim?”

“Brother! Are you okay!?”

“Uh. Uh. I’m fine.”

Not only the players, but also the manager and coaches were so surprised that they asked if the condition was not good. Even though it did not work and it almost did.

It must have been that shocking.

“I’m not invincible, you guys. I’m human too… .”

I said that as if I was dead tired.

…and it was a well-crafted play.

He knew in advance that the trajectory would be a huge explosion shot, so he deliberately did not block it.

I never would have predicted that Holland would make a shot like that… …but he did it on purpose.

The biggest reason was a sense of alarm.

As the days go by, it seems that the players are becoming more and more convinced that ‘if I do this, the goalkeeper will block it’, so this is a special measure taken.

Fortunately, it seems to have been well received.

“You guys are really going to play defense like this!”

Giovanni, who had been encouraging me, got angry as if he had conceded a goal, and as he had predicted, he even went as far as to replace the players.

I smiled secretly because it seemed like everything was going according to plan, and Kim Jun-young, who didn’t know anything, comforted me with a sad face next to him.

“Brother. If you’re not feeling well today, you should change… … Ah, that’s a bit much.”

“It’s okay. It’s not like I got kicked in the balls.”

“It wasn’t a hit, but it was practically the same as a hit. I don’t even want to imagine my brother losing a point….”

Junyoung, I told you that was all planned out.

If it was a trajectory that would have worked, I would have gritted my teeth and run to block it.

… Of course, it was an unspeakable feeling.

Meanwhile, in Manchester City’s locker room.

“Elling. I know you’ll be the most disappointed, so I’ll just say one thing. That last scene in the first half was a goal that should have been scored. You know that, too?”

“… … .”

Pep Guardiola sighed and changed the subject. The last chance of the first half was a scene that made everyone at Manchester City sigh in regret.

All he had to do was put his foot on the empty goal post and it would have been a goal, but he put it over the goal post.

Pep looked seriously disappointed at the scene, as if he had seriously missed out on the win.

Of course, the person involved, Erling Holland.

‘Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.’

I was blaming myself a lot inside.

‘It would have been a historic goal if I had scored. I could have taken Kim’s first goal!’

If he had placed his foot a little lower and hit, it would have gone in. Holland kept his eyes tightly shut as he continued to simulate the scene from earlier.

Pep was talking in front of me, but I couldn’t concentrate at all.

It seemed like he was mentally shocked to think that he had missed the goal right in front of him, and that it was his own mistake.

“…Erling? Elling!”

“yes.”

“Focus! What’s done is done! We still have the second half! The game isn’t over yet!”

Holland nodded, regaining his senses at Guardiola’s rebuke. It was true. Life is too short to be regretful of the past.

Holland nodded several times while listening to the manager’s second-half tactics and left the locker room.

I thought I had shaken off my regrets, but as I left the locker room, the last scene of the first half came to mind once again.

‘Fuck. I was definitely going in…’

On the way to the stadium, I met Kim.

Holland looked at Kim, biting his lip, and Kim looked at Holland with a smirk.

And then he comes closer and whispers a word.

“Thank you, Erling.”

* * *

In the second half, I sensed something strange.

In fact, Erling Haaland, who is Manchester City’s monster striker and a striker who is bombing the EPL, often showed a subtle creaking appearance, unlike in the first half.

‘…what?’

Even though Lisandro Martinez is out and Maguire is in.

That Maguire blocks Holland so easily?

But that was the reality.

Holland felt like he was ‘against the wall’ by Maguire. It was different from the first half. Maguire is a good defender, but he was not world-class enough to prevent Holland from doing anything.

In other words, we can only see this as Holland having a psychological problem.

‘Could it be that my persistent psychological warfare is working?’

That guy’s mentality is so great that it wouldn’t even show if he were to scratch normally, but he’s destroying himself over something like this?

‘Ah. Could it be because of the last scene of the first half?’

Do you think you missed the goal that could have been scored if you had just stepped well in the unmarked chance?

I looked at Holland, who was struggling in the second half, with a slightly sad heart. Even if Holland had kicked the ball inside instead of flying upwards, there would be no world line where that shot would lead to a goal.

If the trajectory had been marked inside the goal, I would have stopped it by any means necessary.

“Okay! You’re doing great! Maguire! Just do that!”

It’s been a long time (or almost the first time) since I showered Maguire with compliments and likes.

How can you erase the striker who won the Ballon d’Or this year so thoroughly?

Is this the same Maguire who was called a ‘walking disaster’ just a few seasons ago? My heart is pounding.

Manchester City pressed and pushed us hard in the second half, just like in the first half, but when their most important goal scorer, Haaland, started to falter, they kept losing momentum.

‘Pep seems to have a very painful decision to make…’

Should we leave out Holland, who has been showing his best skills last season and this year as well, or should we continue to trust him?

If I were the coach, I think I would have been unable to make a decision until the end and probably lost the game.

That was when the second half started and about 20 minutes had passed.

Pep seems to have decided to trust Holland. Despite being blocked time and time again and taking odd shots, Holland is still roaming the field.

And as time went by, we gradually emerged from the shadow of oppression and regained our freedom.

As Manchester City was putting pressure on us, we gradually took a breather, and now we had some breathing room to breathe even under Manchester City’s pressure.

‘It’s obvious that the Manchester City players are losing stamina.’

Normally, if I had done this much, I would have scored a goal… …but the goalkeeper is here. Ahem.

“Kim!”

Mainu, who was able to escape Manchester City’s pressure, passed the ball to me. Then, Holland gritted his teeth and ran towards me, so I drained Holland’s energy as much as possible and passed the ball to Maguire.

Then, Deokbae, who was nearby, clings to Maguire again.

Maguire to Luke Shaw. Luke Shaw to Mainu.

It was a repetition of this type.

Because the score was we were winning.

So Manchester City began to sink deeper and deeper into the swamp… .

The more you struggle, the deeper you sink into the swamp of despair.

‘Okay. Just do it like this. Just like this… .’

So in the 78th minute of the second half, when the game was really nearing its end.

When Man City came at us as if this was their last attack.

The situation was a counterattack by Manchester City.

As Manchester United eased under City’s pressure, they began to attack, but Manchester City stole the ball and counterattacked.

Pass-pass-pass allowed Holland to run from the halfway line, and with Kevin De Bruyne momentarily free to mark, he passed again.

Kevin, who entered the box, prepared to shoot with his signature dribble, but Mainu, who was on defense, extended his leg to block it, but ended up hitting the opponent’s foot instead of the ball.

And the referee’s decision.

Beep!

Penalty kick.

‘Oh, shit.’

Kevin was smart. He stepped out to hit the ball, then extended his foot as the opponent’s foot came in to induce a penalty kick.

I could tell exactly what Kevin was thinking because I had seen it almost from the beginning. That was intentional.

Man U players rush to wave at the referee, but EPL referees rarely overturn their own decisions.

The situation was created in an instant, and the kicker was Holland. Holland took a deep breath and prepared for the penalty kick.

“It’s jingling.”

There were no flashy moments in the first half, but Holland, who was gradually regaining his mentality and doing his part, scored a PK.

Given the time on the clock, this could have been Holland’s last chance.

‘How long has it been since I’ve had a PK?’

Since PK situations don’t come up often in real games, I was a little nervous.

However, I didn’t think I couldn’t stop it because I had practiced often in training for situations like this.

The situation is set, just before the referee blows his whistle.

Trajectories are generated one each on the left and right.

Judging by the trajectory, Holland hasn’t made up his mind yet.

I raised and lowered my arms, acting frantic and paying attention.

and…….

Beep!

The referee’s whistle.

Holland begins to move slowly.

‘!’

No. Is this real?

I was thinking about what to choose during this short time, and then a really good idea came to me and I decided to do it.

He twisted his upper body from side to side and then fell over in the middle as if he couldn’t read the direction.

And then Holland’s cannonball shot flies towards the goal.

The shot hit the top left crossbar.

Tae-aeng!

As if that wasn’t enough, it was out of the goal line.

It was a perfect miss.

Holland was so devastated that he collapsed on the spot as soon as he realized his mistake and was unable to get up for a while.

Maguire came running over, clapping his hands.

“Good job Kim! That was a good save!”

I didn’t do anything?

After receiving encouragement from other players, I stood up and received the ball from the ball boy.

Holland was still in shock and couldn’t get up.

‘Uh… That’ll last a while, won’t it?’

Missed once in the first half.

And missed it again in the second half.

In my opinion, both shots were blocked well enough, but to others, including Holland, it was a situation where the goal was definitely scored.

If Holland, who missed not once but twice, falls into a slump starting with today’s game… … .

‘So sweet.’

It’s a really nice situation for Manchester United.

I approached Holland again and whispered, this time feeling a little bitter and not teasing him.

“Elling. That could be possible. Come on.”

“This kid!”

What the heck is this kid?

Holland remains still, but a Manchester City player nearby becomes angry.

Then the surrounding players came running quickly.

I was dumbfounded, but I did it anyway. It might be misunderstood by others.