Shooting Trajectory is Visible - Chapter 78



Only Krnovel

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There was no sudden comeback or upset in the second half of the game when the team was struggling.

The U23 team under Choi Yong-seok was in tatters.

Overseas players are leaving in large numbers, and only domestic players remain. Moreover, they have not been playing with coach Choi Yong-seok for long, so they are not able to fully display the skills they showed at their original clubs.

The only one struggling here was the goalkeeper.

In fact, while other field players are greatly influenced by the manager’s tactics, goalkeepers were not particularly affected.

It is very, very rare for a goalkeeper who was playing well to suddenly become a failure just because the manager changes.

Because it is a passive position that is least affected by the manager’s tactics.

‘As a goalkeeper, all you have to do is block the ball.’

That was exactly what people thought a goalkeeper was, and I, as a goalkeeper myself, had the same thoughts.

All of the additional abilities of a goalkeeper, such as build-up, footwork, judgment, and communication, start from the foundation of ‘saving’.

I stayed true to the basics in the second half against Uzbekistan, as well as in the first half.

Boohoo-!

Block it.

Boohoo-!

Block it.

Ppeuuung-!

Block it again.

The important thing is to have an unbreakable mind and continue to break the hearts of the Uzbek players.

and······.

Beep─!

Korea’s penalty kick.

The referee blew his whistle after Jo Young-woo was hit by a Uzbek defender who lost his temper while folding and folding inside the Uzbek penalty box.

Cho Young-woo, who created the opportunity himself, stepped up as the penalty kick taker and easily kicked the ball in, thus turning the game around.

As time went on, the Uzbek players became dirtier and dirtier as they could not get through to me no matter what they did.

For example, during a corner kick, he avoids the referee’s gaze and sneakily hits me.

Or maybe you’re more concerned with getting on my nerves than scoring goals.

I didn’t respond at all to that childish and cute provocation.

If I react angrily in a world with VAR and get a card, it’s my loss.

And the Uzbek players’ provocations were just at that level. In fact, there weren’t many situations where they could provoke the goalkeeper.

The goalkeeper just stands in front of the goal, and these guys have to run around with our players all day long, so how often do they get to meet each other?

At best, we only get to meet for a few seconds during a shooting opportunity.

Time passed like that, tick tock.

The pressure of playing in his first match as a national representative had long since been washed away in the first half.

Perhaps if the opponent had been Germany, Spain, or France instead of Uzbekistan, I would have felt a lot more pressure, but since they were opponents and the level of the shots coming at them was high, there was no tension.

‘Coming here after playing in the Bundesliga feels like a vacation.’

I showed the same form to the Uzbek players as I did to the club, and in the second half, just like in the first half, there were many moments that others thought were very dangerous, but I blocked them all without difficulty.

and···.

Beep- beep- beep-!

The referee’s whistle to end the game.

That’s how the game ended.

Score 1:0. Korea wins.

It wasn’t a great performance, but they won anyway. And they did it against Uzbekistan, which is considered one of the favorites to win the championship.

‘Oh my. Even though Korea has a half-baked squad and Coach Choi Yong-seok has only been here for a short time, isn’t this a bit too much? The next competition is the Olympics, and if we advance like this, we won’t even get a medal, let alone leave after playing three group stage matches.’

I hope the national team will try a little harder.

Should everyone be exempted from military service?

“You worked hard, Minwoo.”

As soon as the game ended, Yoo Jin-ho ran onto the field and took care of me first. Even though he was a very static goalkeeper, he was dirty and sweaty after playing for 90 minutes, but Yoo Jin-ho, being a selected player, seemed oblivious to the sweat and hugged me deeply.

“Coach, if I hadn’t come, we wouldn’t have been able to go to the Olympics.”

Seriously. And you probably didn’t get any traits either.

“···I said Coach, hyung. And you’re right. If it weren’t for you, hyung would have been screwed.”

“When we’re alone, we call each other director. Then, since I saved your life, please grant me one wish next time.”

“What? A wish? What?”

“Just something like a massage?”

Eugene Ho looked at me as if I was dumbfounded and then hugged me again.

“Okay. If it’s Minwoo, he can help you out to that extent. Okay. Is there anything else you need?”

“Please buy me some banana milk and a cream bun. I want to eat some.”

“This kid… Hehe. Got it.”

I laughed out loud while burying myself in Yoo Jin-ho’s arms. If someone is good at soccer on the soccer field, they are Chung Ju-young and Lee Byung-chul.

*

After the match, POTM was mine again.

It’s really rare for a goalkeeper to win the MVP of a game, but I seem to get it a lot.

‘If only there was one decent striker, I wouldn’t be receiving this often.’

Anyway, whether in Hanover or here, I always suffer.

“Kim Min-woo. Congratulations on your successful debut with the national team. You must have had a lot of regrets about not being selected for the national team, but now you have been selected for the U23 team. How do you feel?”

I stood in front of the panel, holding the microphone, and answered the reporter’s questions.

Since we are currently in the U23 tournament, I think it would be best to refrain from talking about the national team, and just say that I am happy that we won our debut match.

“You’re playing with the U23 players at the age of 18. Do they treat you well? As the youngest, don’t you feel pressured to play with them?”

“There’s no pressure, and it’s fun and enjoyable because my older brothers do a good job.”

I finished the interview as if I was breathing. Since I had been asked a lot of bad questions in Hanover, answering questions like this from Korean reporters was a piece of cake.

However, what’s unfortunate is that, while the reporters finished their interview with me in a very friendly atmosphere, the interview with the director… was a bit harsh.

In fact, with this kind of performance, there is nothing to say even if you receive a bunch of sharp questions.

It’s not that Korea won because they did well, it’s that I won because I did well. It may sound a bit strange, but that’s the fact.

***

The day after the second match between Korea and Uzbekistan in Qatar.

Hannover host St. Pauli at home. It’s a showdown between the current leaders and the second-placed side.

The two teams each have 57 and 53 points.

This season, the Bundesliga 2nd division is in a state of limbo, with points tied closely together, and with only five games left until the end of the season, no one can guarantee the final result.

And at this crucial moment, Hannover’s starting goalkeeper was missing.

With five games left until the end of the season, the gap with second place is four points. The gap with third place is five points.

Even though it was the last of the last, the team was not in a position to be certain of promotion, so the sudden absence of the starting goalkeeper was enough to cause great anxiety and doubts about the club among the fans.

So, during this home game, banners with fans’ complaints written on them were hung up everywhere.

The home fans fiercely criticised the club leadership for sending their starting goalkeeper to Qatar at a crucial time, just before promotion.

And the original starter, Ron Robert Ziller, is playing in a game for the first time in a long time.

“Ah! What is this! Hannover is conceding a goal at home! Hannover used to be like an iron wall!”

The first goal was conceded in the 13th minute of the first half, 0:1.

“Ahhhhh! Hanover! It’s falling! It’s falling! The Kingdom of Hanover is collapsing!”

“Here it is, again, Jean Pauli scores! The Hannover crowd is in shock!”

The second goal was conceded in the 26th minute of the first half, 0:2.

“When Kim was there, Hannover’s goal was unbeatable by any club. When Ziller comes in, Hannover’s iron wall crumbles like a mirage! It’s Jean Pauli who puts the brakes on Hannover’s long undefeated streak, just like a wall collapsing!”

The third goal was conceded in the 41st minute of the first half, 0:3.

“At this point, it’s a definitive defeat for Hannover, who will decide the outcome of this match! Former hero Ron-Robert Ziller concedes another goal! The 40,000 spectators are having nightmares!”

The fourth goal was conceded in the 60th minute of the second half, 0:4.

Hannover managed to score a goal just 10 minutes before the end of the game, but it was not enough to turn the game around.

Hannover, who had been like an iron fortress, repelling challenges from other teams in the second division, suffered a crushing defeat at home as if it were a lie when one of their starting goalkeepers was missing.

1:4 defeat.

Just before the final whistle blew, Jan looked at the field with a dumbfounded expression and muttered quietly.

“This is fucked up···.”

Was it really for nothing that I sent it? Even if I had made that promise, why shouldn’t I have forced myself not to send it?

‘No. Even if I had strongly requested not to send it, the club would have sent it anyway. It’s a meaningless process.’

Hannover 96 had already secured promotion before the season was even over.

So Hanover began to worry about what would happen after moving to Division 1, and that included Kim’s future.

In the second division, Hannover is a club that can take some strength, but once they move to the first division, Hannover becomes nothing more than a small club. And small clubs are vulnerable to the poaching of players by big clubs.

Hanover also didn’t think they would be able to stay with Kim for long, so they probably figured they could at least play for the rest of the season that year when they moved up to Division 1.

And they might have even been thinking about selling Kim, who had been very active, to a big club for a very high price.

So I sent it.

Jan couldn’t object because he had a conversation with Kim, and the board sent him to Qatar for the future after promotion and to renew his contract with Kim.

Because you have to build trust with the players to move on to the next step.

And now Hanover is facing the worst.

With the game over, the gap in points with second place was narrowed to one point. And there were still four more games left.

Actually, it’s okay if you don’t win Part 2.

Hannover’s ultimate goal is not to win the second division, but to be promoted to the second division.

So, 2nd place is enough. Up to 2nd place is automatically promoted without a playoff.

The problem is number 3.

From 3rd place onwards, promotion is determined through a playoff with the 16th place team in the 1st Division.

If they lose in the playoffs, they will have to stay in the second division for another year, but if they win, they will be promoted to the first division.

Since this is a match that will determine whether the opponent will remain in the first division or be relegated to the second division, they will be risking their lives.

Therefore, Jan felt awkward about stepping onto that life-or-death bridge.

I wanted to get promoted automatically if possible, and I can’t help it given the current situation, but if I have to kill all the remaining matches until Kim returns······.

‘The worst outcome could be getting promoted to Division 1 and then getting fired.’

Or else he would fail to get promoted and everything would go down the drain and he would be fired. Either way, from Jan’s perspective, it was hell, just a different kind of hell.

Beep- beep- beep-!

And then the final whistle blew.

Yan greeted the opposing manager by shaking his hand as was his custom. The opposing manager had a bright expression on his face.

Jan can’t see his own expression so he can’t tell what it is, but it’s probably a shit-eating expression. Because that’s how he feels right now.

“Chiller, you fucking idiot!”

“Jan, get out there and die!”

“Marcus, this bald bastard, twist his pubic hair-”

The 40,000 spectators were excited and shouted curses.

Jan smirked and hurried to the locker room. They say the sports world is full of ups and downs, but this is just too much.

‘We’ve shown so much so far, but you’re saying such bad things just because we didn’t play one game? No, no. We were disappointed that we sent Kim to Qatar in the first place, and now that Kim is out, we lost at home with this kind of performance, so we’re even more resentful. It’s understandable.’

The reason spectators pay a lot of money to come to the stadium is because of their hopes for the team and expectations for the future.

I didn’t come here to see this kind of sloppy performance.

‘But that’s fortunate. It’s not as long as the U23 Asian Cup in January. Was it two and a half weeks?’

It was a blessing.

The season won’t end at that point.

The league schedule will probably last until Round 32, so there will be two matches left, and the Pokal Cup······.

‘There’s nothing we can do about the Pokal Cup. We have no choice but to give up.’

Now that we’ve made it to the quarterfinals, no matter where we look, there are only strong players.

And Hannover’s opponent was Bayern Munich, the strongest team in the first division and a mad monster who is also aiming to win the Champions League this time.

So, it would be right to give up cleanly and let the existing players conserve their stamina.

If you charge a tank with a scythe, you’ll end up dead.

‘We need to change our strategy. We need to go in the direction of not losing as much as possible until Kim comes back. Let’s not try to win. Chiller has been out of action for too long and it will take a while for him to get back to his best.’

A draw would only give you 1 point, but in a situation like now where the points are tied, even that was precious.

It would be better to go for the win and use a reckless strategy like when Kim was there, than to end up failing and getting nothing.

‘That was a really hard shot. Phew···.’

Who would have thought that one goalkeeper could make such a big difference?

The fans would be upset, but honestly, Yann was surprised too. He never thought the gap would be this big.

It was clear that there was little gap between the two when it came to competing for the starting position, and I thought it was just a difference in taste, but in that short period of time, Kim had improved tremendously and now seemed to have completely overtaken Chiller.

‘What a guy.’

Soon, the players entered the locker room one by one. They all had expressions full of despair.

Everyone looked shocked by the shocking defeat they suffered after not losing for a long time.

Jan’s appearance will be no different from theirs.

Still, as a coach, Jan encouraged the players.

Despite suffering a very painful defeat, the season was not over yet and the team was at an important crossroads.

I have to somehow hold out until Kim comes. If only to secure my own position.

End

ⓒ Doctor Am