Shooting Trajectory is Visible - Chapter 61



Only Krnovel

Hannover’s locker room, which entered the first half with a clean 1:0 lead, had a warm atmosphere overall.

And, for some reason, right midfielder Henrik Fischer suddenly started acting friendly.

“Kim! Do you want some water?”

“yes.”

I suddenly got some water and drank it, but Fisher didn’t leave my side and kept talking.

“It’s nice to see you working hard. Thanks for giving me the pass. Can I look forward to it again?”

“Uh······ Of course. I’ll give you another report when I can.”

What is this?

My position is clearly a goalkeeper, so why are you talking like a midfielder?

Fisher returned to his seat, smiling happily, as if he had been waiting to hear the answer.

‘I’ll ask you Korean soon, too.’

I could guess why Fisher, who had been indifferent to me, suddenly started acting friendly. He must have been fascinated by my quick and accurate kicks. Didn’t he even get an assist thanks to that?

I didn’t really think much of it, but since I’ve been promoting it recently, I think he’s asking for my continued support, and honestly, it wasn’t bad.

If I want to survive as a regular in Hanover, I need a few more friends besides Corsic who will take my side.

Even Corsic is not a regular player and cannot provide much help.

‘Hmm. Then are Fisher and Muramoto on my side?’

Muramoto is ambiguous. He is also East Asian, but he doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would take sides just because they are of the same race…

If that were the case, then you wouldn’t have built a wall in the first place.

It’s funny how professional soccer clubs are divided into your side and my side, but I think it’s important.

If you are not close with your colleagues, communication will be cut off, and if communication is cut off, the incoming balls will stop coming.

Goalkeepers are free from such things, but······ it’s still nice to see them move around socially rather than being lonely.

The players took a short break to drink water and take off their clothes, and manager Jan Lytle focused them on explaining the tactics he would use in the second half.

I don’t know what they’re saying, but since everyone seemed focused, I also focused on checking the tactics board.

The German for tactical purposes is still difficult to understand.

“Kim, you’re doing well. You still have a weak foot, but your long kicks to the front are good, so let’s just do what we did in the first half. Okay?”

Jan Rytl spoke in English for me, who was struggling with German. I nodded and answered.

“Yes, Director.”

“Okay, guys. 45 minutes. If we can hold out for about 50 minutes, including extra time, we’ll get another three points. If we win this game, we’ll be in the promotion zone, even if it’s temporary. I’m sure you guys are too, but I want to get out of this damn second division. You all know what I mean, right?”

“yes!”

The players laughed as they answered. The second division is so damn boring. Hannover has been in the second division for a long time. It’s about time they got some fresh air.

I’ll lift Hanover up, so Hanover, take a deep breath of the upper air.

“Kim? I still remember you saying that you promoted Hannover by my side and also beat Munich.”

“Even now, my heart has not changed, Director!”

Director Jan Lytle smiles broadly, as if satisfied with my answer.

“I expect a shutout in this game.”

Uh. This is a bit scary.

But I, Kim Min-woo, was born with a reputation and I can’t say I can’t do it. I can see the path, so if I say I can’t do it, I should just die.

“If you just let me, I will continue to keep a clean sheet!”

“Wow.”

“Isn’t it a good idea?”

“If Chiller heard that, he would cry.”

“Wahahaha!”

Chiller was not in the locker room because he was injured.

Everyone laughed it off, but I was serious.

When I looked at the director with sparkling eyes without smiling, the director also felt that there was some truth to what I said and nodded.

“I’ll just watch.”

*

And I approached the latter half with the mindset of living or dying.

If Chiller had ten lifelines due to his career + captaincy + trust from the team and fans, etc., I only had one.

I couldn’t let my guard down because that lifeline would snap the moment I conceded a point.

The game was as evenly matched as the first half, but Hertha BSC’s occasional flashes of attack sent shivers down my spine.

It was a competitive process in the Central Plains.

It was a contest where Hannover had pulled up the line quite high, but Phil Neumann, who was trying to cut the ball away from an opposing player, fell on his butt and sent the ball to the side, and the opposing midfielder who was running at that moment stole the ball.

And the events followed in an instant.

Opponent’s solo dribble chance.

The opposing midfielder sprinted towards the centre circle, kicking the ball forward.

Neumann’s partner Halstenberg tried to chase after him quickly, but was outpaced.

The 40,000 spectators booed, but I ignored them and just glared.

What should I choose in this situation? The situation will be decided in a matter of seconds.

My decision could either score a goal or save a goal.

I made a quick decision. I cleared the goal and slowly moved forward. I had to reduce the angle. The opponent would have gained momentum and the distance between me and him would have been shortened in an instant, leaving me no time to chip.

And my judgment was correct.

The trajectory was created from the left, and when the opponent significantly loaded his left foot back, he placed his hand on the trajectory.

The moment was really brief. As soon as I raised my hand, the ball shot forward.

And with a thud, the ball goes flying far away. It bounces off at a completely different angle from the goal.

“Wow!”

The cheers and applause from the audience.

And the opposing midfielder, who had missed a crucial chance, lost his balance after the shot and fell down, but when he realized that I had blocked it, he fell to the ground and did not get up.

I saw the ball go out of bounds, so I stood up and punched the air with all my might.

Save Punch!

“Good job Kim!”

Center back Halstenberg, who had been chasing me, hugs me and taps me on the back of the head.

And there were a few more threatening chances after that, although not quite as clear cut as this one.

In a corner kick situation, our team’s player’s header went wrong and bounced upwards, and an unmarked opposing player headed the ball with all his might without any resistance.

Of course, I blocked that too.

The attacking chance I was most confident in was the corner kick chance.

But to others, it must have seemed like a possessed defense.

The ball I blocked was immediately kicked away by the defender.

After that, both of their attacking chances were corner kicks, but Hannover, which was weak in the air or set pieces, allowed the opponent to head the ball whenever they had the chance.

Every time, I kept blocking it.

Beep- beep- beep-!

When the game was over, the players ran to me and hugged me.

“Good job Kim! You weren’t bluffing!”

With proverbs.

The crowd also chanted my name.

Only then was I able to relax and let go of my worries.

‘Whew···.’

I really thought it would work.

The last five minutes of the second half were a barrage of attacks by Hertha, but somehow we managed to block Hertha BSC’s attacks until the end.

‘If you don’t concentrate this much, you’ll get eaten at any time.’

Perhaps, if I had been unlucky, I would have conceded a goal. Even if I block the opponent’s attack, if I can’t catch the ball, he can run and kick the ball that I missed.

Otherwise, you might catch the ball but the kick might be so strong that it slips out of your hand, or you might block it but it might bounce back instead of forward and get eaten.

There were too many variables.

I promised not to concede a goal, but I don’t know how desperately I needed the referee’s whistle.

During extra time, I cursed inwardly for giving them so much time, and when it was almost over, I cursed for not giving them enough time.

And somehow I managed to hold on like this with just one lifeline.

it’s tough···.

When all the schedules were over and I returned home, my mom hugged me and said I worked hard, and then she made me some delicious braised ribs.

It wouldn’t have been easy to make galbijjim in Germany.

I emptied my bowl of rice cleanly, if only to think of my mother’s devotion.

Thanks to my mom, I’m no longer lonely at home.

***

“······There is a Korean player who was recruited as the first goalkeeper in the German Bundesliga. Hannover’s Kim Min-woo is currently competing fiercely for the starting position and showed great performance in the recent match against Hertha.”

“The starting goalkeeper, Ron-Robert Ziller, is said to be available for the next match, so attention is focused on whether Kim Min-woo can overcome the tough competition and become a starting member.”

After the male sports news announcer finishes his explanation, the show moves to the game scene.

Kim Min-woo’s saves from this match against Hertha are shown one after another.

Kim Shin-ah was fiddling with her chopsticks when she saw it and blankly stared at it.

···It’s on the news now? And on terrestrial TV?

“Wow.”

My dad was either not interested or he couldn’t hear me, but he was busy eating the food I made.

“Oh my god. The soup is salty.”

“······.”

“Why is the soup so salty?”

“Then drink some water.”

“······.”

“It worked out just fine.”

Actually, I’ve never tried it before.

The food my mom made is now all gone.

Shin-ah tried eating the soup with a spoon.

‘Ugh! Why is it so salty!’

It was fine when I first saw it. What the heck? Did someone pour sea water in it while I was sleeping?

But since I had something to say, I controlled my expression as if nothing had happened.

“Isn’t the country salty?”

“huh.”

“But why don’t you keep eating?”

“······.”

I glared at my father for a moment and then went back to eating. Before I could say anything else, I ate twice, three times, and-

“Whew.”

“Let’s do better next time.”

“···huh.”

Because people grow by making mistakes.

***

Chiller opted for an early return.

The medical team said he needed to rest until the 15th round, but Chiller insisted on playing, so he returned quickly.

“Kim will be sad.”

In fact, Yann Lytle wasn’t too happy with Chiller’s decision either. He thought he would get the feel for it if he let him play one more game. Then he would have overturned it with 100% confidence.

‘Even now, I’m 80% determined.’

Jan will start the next game as Chiller wants.

But now the scales are even.

If Chiller fails to deliver a satisfactory performance against their 15th round opponent Paderborn, he intends to overturn the team with 80% certainty.

‘Perhaps the reason Chiller is coming back so quickly is because of Kim’s performance.’

Coach Yan also believes that the question of which of the two players to use is now a matter of preference, not a difference in skill.

‘Kim’s overwhelming saves. And the occasional long pass with great accuracy. Chiller is a classic, yet safe, hexagonal goalkeeper who has everything compared to Kim.’

Who we choose will be decided in the next match.

And five days later.

Round 15, away to Paderborn.

They tried hard to turn the result around, but the result was 2:1, Paderborn’s victory. It was a bitter defeat for Hannover.

It was like riding the tailwind and then suddenly a headwind blew.

The ranking also fell one place from 3rd place, which was in the promotion zone, to 4th place.

But Jan didn’t care.

In fact, it was a moment that was absolutely necessary.

A defeat that Hannover had to overcome in order to advance further.

If I had done well, the calculations would have been really complicated.

And the next day.

Manager Jan Rytl summoned the Hannover players to the clubhouse.

“I have something to tell you all.”

The entire team was bewildered.

It seems more accurate to say that Jan has no clue what he’s going to say.

The head coach had already been told. At first, head coach Elmaer was against it, but after realizing that the coach was stubborn, he changed his mind to agree.

A reluctant, unwilling consent.

“There will be major changes to the team.”

“What is that, Director?”

Korsic couldn’t contain his curiosity and intervened. Jan declared with a stern expression.

“We are planning to replace the main team as of now.”

End

ⓒ Doctor Am

=======================================================