Shooting Trajectory is Visible - Chapter 254



Only Krnovel

Episode 254: The Director Who Went Crazy

I thought about it this way, but in reality, this was just Yoo Jin-ho’s own happiness circuit.

The realistic Korea Football Association and the national team’s goals were as follows.

‘After passing the group stage, the quarterfinals.’

Since this World Cup is a 32-team tournament, one more match must be played to advance to the quarterfinals than in the previous round of 16.

‘In the old days, it’s no different from going to the quarterfinals.’

Now that I think about it, how on earth did we make it to the semifinals in 2002? Those guys were really amazing… .

From now on, it is Yoo Jin-ho’s personal goal.

After Leon leaves the national team (he thought he wouldn’t extend his contract because he knew Leon had his own ambitions), Eugene Ho becomes the head coach under a new manager and gradually takes care of the national team.

Well, if you’re really lucky, the manager won’t be appointed until the evaluation matches and you can act as a substitute manager, that would be great… … but that’s probably not going to happen.

That won’t work even if you turn the happiness circuit.

Well anyway.

‘If the national team wins, it will definitely be thanks to Kim Min-woo. If that happens, the myth of the 2002 semifinals will be forgotten, and new heroes will emerge, right?’

How many people were excited when we advanced to the round of 16 in the Qatar World Cup?

But winning?

Honestly, I can’t figure it out.

Even if I imagine it, I wonder if it’s a lack of imagination that would make the Republic of Korea win… … I really can’t imagine it.

‘They say the low birth rate is serious, but isn’t it possible to overcome it, even if only temporarily?’

Once Kim Min-woo runs for president, it is certain that he will become president.

And also―

“Director Yoo Jin-ho?”

“… … ?”

A strange man approached him with a smiling face and greeted him. Yoo Jin-ho, who was tilting his head, stared blankly at the man.

“who are you?”

“Don’t you remember me?”

“yes?”

Yoo Jin-ho stared at the man intently. He seemed to have seen him somewhere…?

The man laughed heartily and sat down next to Yoo Jin-ho. As expected of a second-tier league, the audience seats were spacious.

“Suwon. Suwon Seonyang. The scout who tried to recruit Kim Min-woo but got rejected.”

“ah!”

It was only then that a memory suddenly came to me.

That scout was quite pushy, but also passionate in his own way. Was his name Yoon Tae-yoon?

“Oh my… It’s been a while. How have you been?”

“Ahaha. If you were doing well, you wouldn’t be in a place like today.”

His personality doesn’t seem to have changed. Yoo Jin-ho tells stories of old acquaintances he met by chance.

Actually, because the game wasn’t very fun, I focused even more on the conversation. As you get older, talking to people is the most fun…

“I guess you came to see the players?”

“Yeah, well… … that’s the excuse. I just came out to play. If I just sit at my desk, my skin will start to itch.”

“Hey… If there’s a spot open up later, could you please put me in there too? Hahaha!”

“If only Kim Min-woo had come to Suwon, I would have not only given him a bouquet, but also given him a ride in a sedan chair. Hehe.”

Time passed quickly as the two men, both of whom were of advanced age, sat in the stands watching a boring game.

The story after losing Kim Min-woo.

Actually, I’m from a family of conglomerates, as people say, but I’ve caused a lot of accidents, so I’m doing these kinds of bad things as a punishment…

At first, he thought it was just a boast with a lot of exaggeration, but Yoo Jin-ho believed it because he thought that it was impossible for someone to lie like that with a voice, expression, and a relationship that was just passing by.

I heard that even at that time, being a scout was an unwanted job, and he confessed that he actively participated in the recruitment of Kim Min-woo because he thought his genius stood out so much.

“It’s already been three years since then, so you’re still a scout?”

“Yeah. I thought it would be a short stay of a few months, but my life is fucked.”

“Heh heh… .”

In Yoo Jin-ho’s eyes, there’s no life more enviable than that. A life where you can have fun and still have money coming in.

“That female scout is also a relative.”

“Yes. He quit his job a long time ago. When was that? A few months after Kim Min-woo went to Hanover.”

“What are you doing now?”

“He went to an entertainment agency, worked there for a while, and then left. I heard he’s now at the head office and learning about management.”

“oh…….”

Busan United had an opportunity to attack against FC Seongnam. Just when it seemed like a perfect opportunity to attack, Busan United’s striker kicked a KTX derailment shot.

Yoon Tae-yoon looked at the sight and sighed as if the ground was falling apart.

“No matter how much I think about it, it still hurts my bones that I wasn’t able to recruit Kim Min-woo.”

“I also regret that. Well, in the end, I went to Hanover and did well….”

“If we had recruited Kim Min-woo! Damn, Suwon would have gone straight from the relegation zone to the championship. Then wouldn’t they have won the championship for the first time in 15? 16 years since 2008?”

“Yes, yes. I guess so.”

Although it was a second division, Kim Min-woo showed off his peak skills in the Bundesliga. But he made his debut in the K-League? To be honest, he would have set all sorts of new records.

He must have set a record that no one can ever surpass. Well, that incredible record is still ongoing, under the name of a shutout.

“Then I would have run away from here right away. Huh? This kid has become a human! I would have sent him higher than here.”

Yoon Tae-yoon’s subsequent remarks seemed more like an outpouring of resentment than an expression of regret.

Resentment towards the Hannover scouts who came into the place he had licked his lips and stole Kim Min-woo away, and resentment towards Kim Min-woo who chose Hannover instead of Suwon…

As someone who is a teacher, it was truly difficult to hear.

“… Well, when Minwoo gets older and retires, won’t he return to Korea and spend the last days of his career? Then he might choose Suwon and Seonyang again. Just wait a little longer.”

“Kim Min-woo is now 21 years old in Korean age? He’s 19 in international age.”

“You’re a bit young. Hehe… .”

Eugene Yoo, who was subjected to a sharp gaze, quickly turned his head away and suppressed his laughter.

This is funny. I tried to imitate the way Kim Min-woo likes to speak, and now I think I understand why he does that.

This is so much fun.

* * *

Anje Postecoglou is the manager of Tottenham Hotspur and the first Australian to take charge in the Premier League.

As expected from the world’s best league, there were many shaky moments since taking office, but now he is leading the team steadily and has consistently secured a spot in the Champions League every season.

Postecoglou’s Tottenham had been on a steady rise and even won the title last year, but were ultimately unable to lift the trophy due to Manchester City’s stronghold.

However, with the continued upward trend, we entered the new season shouting, “I really don’t know this year!” but… .

“I feel like a mathematician solving the Millennium Problem.”

A problem occurred.

It was a big problem.

Even the solid Manchester City.

Liverpool, who always competed against Manchester City.

And other teams that are considered strong as well.

A homework assignment that no one could solve entered the league.

[Wilfried! Ah! This was a golden opportunity for Liz!]

[Kim blocks again! This time, he proves himself again by blocking a penalty kick!]

[Actually, if another goalkeeper had prepared for the penalty kick, I think it would have been scored 90% of the time, but if Kim were the goalkeeper, it makes you think! Will it really be scored this time? Or will Kim just block it as usual?]

[When I think about it like that, I find myself anticipating Kim’s first goal. Haha.]

The commentators were talking as if it was someone else’s story, but Postecoglou’s face was ashen as he watched the match between Manchester United and Leeds.

“What a headache. What a headache.”

There was still some time left before they met in the league, but the FA Cup was the issue.

They face Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-finals next week. Postecoglou, a manager who likes to attack, watched the last match between Manchester United and Arsenal closely.

Arsenal suffered a shocking defeat.

Even Arsenal, which had been in a warm atmosphere, was crushed 7-0, and Arteta was torn to pieces.

“How can I do this?”

Postecoglou, the coach of Postech, who was watching the game on a broadcast screen, stood up from his seat and moved the tactical pieces on the tactical board here and there with his hands that were like the lid of a pot.

“It doesn’t work like this. It doesn’t work like this….”

I ran the simulation several times, but no solution came out.

Manchester United was a strong team even without Kim Min-woo, and with such a strong team and a crazy goalkeeper who will never appear again, this is just impossible… … .

“It doesn’t make sense.”

The POSTECH coach sighed and knocked down the tactical words with his palm. Even if you devise a strategy, win the tactical battle, and dominate the game, it is meaningless if you don’t score a goal.

After all, tactics are designed to score, but no matter what the opposing goalkeeper does, you can’t allow a goal… … Oh my.

‘Just do as you always have. Do you have to do it the way you always have?’

I didn’t plan on doing that in the first place, but since it was a tournament anyway, the ‘no’ strategy was meaningless.

Even if we drag it out to a draw, the game will never end and will just go into overtime.

The game was dragged on like that, and after extra time, it was time for a penalty shootout.

Kim Min-woo’s most confident skill is penalty shootouts.

The POSTECH coach, who was loitering around the director’s office in frustration, called the Tottenham captain.

Luckily, the captain answered the phone.

-What’s going on, Director?

“Son. I have something to ask you.”

-Yes, Director. Go ahead.

A kind, gentle, affectionate and very good player.

POSTECH paused for a moment and then said:

“That… that… Kim. The goalkeeper of South Korea.”

-yes.

“I see you often on the national team, don’t I?”

-yes.

“Do you have any weaknesses?”

Son Heung-min remained silent for quite some time in response to POSTECH’s question.

And then the words came out.

―I’ve been watching him for a long time, and he’s also my roommate… … He doesn’t really have any weaknesses, Director.

“Yeah. I didn’t expect that either. I was just asking. How is your father?”

-Haha. Sure.

It wasn’t that I changed the subject because I was embarrassed.

Just as I was about to end the call and continue the conversation on another topic, Son Heung-min asked me to wait for a moment and paused.

“Huh? Why is that, Son?”

-I’ve said that myself.

“huh?”

―If there are no defenders and two attackers try to score a goal with a pass play in front of the goal, then you are bound to concede a goal.

“… … .”

I imagined it.

It’s rare for something like that to happen in a real match, unless Giovanni goes crazy and forces all his defenders to attack.

―Also… you said that you’re weak at dribbling. If you concede a goal, there’s a high chance that you’ll get through by dribbling instead of shooting.

Memories come back to me.

How Mbappe got past Kim at the Paris Olympics. He was offside, but he clearly dribbled past Kim and scored.

―Also… … he said that if the shot was so powerful that he blocked it but it hit his body and he fell backwards, he would concede a goal.

“Thank you so much, Son.”

– No. In fact, most of what I’ve told you is things that everyone already knows, right? That’s because such situations rarely come up.

After that, the POSTECH director ended the call with the captain.

POSTECH, who had sat down again, was lost in thought.

“Arsenal may have been broken, but they never gave up on attacking football.”

After that, it was terribly broken.

Since this is a tournament anyway, and if you use the same strategy or a similar tactic, you will definitely lose, why not try Son’s advice instead?

Don’t shoot at the attackers, but dribble through until the end and shoot at the last possible moment…

“I thought about it for a moment, and this doesn’t make sense either.”

You have to shoot to score a goal.

It was common sense in soccer.

But if you play by common sense against Kim, you will never score a goal.

Can you convince the players of that?

Even I can’t understand it right now.

POSTECH pounded its hands on the desk and pondered for a long time. And the conclusion was.

“Kim’s very existence makes no sense anyway. It all fell apart when we tried to force a reasonable strategy on a goalkeeper who made no sense.”

A nonsensical tactic for a nonsensical goalkeeper.

It was probably going to be a very negative outcome, but it was still a lot better than using mediocre tactics and suffering a mediocre defeat.

“I might be going crazy.”

POSTECH smiled bitterly.

The match between Manchester United and Leeds ended 2:0.

Leeds used ordinary tactics and suffered an ordinary defeat.

Tottenham won’t do that.

And above all… … it’s not even a league. It was a well-known fact that Manchester United couldn’t win in a tournament.

POSTECH rationalized itself for a while and reassured itself… .