Chapter 119 – Opening Match, vs Bayern Munich (2)

119

Maxim Meyer doesn’t love football. He doesn’t even enjoy it.
To him, football was just ‘work’, nothing more and nothing less.

“Vein. Isn’t football fun? Isn’t it fun when you play as you think and win the game?”
“When you successfully complete a job, you feel a sense of accomplishment, but no one says that work is enjoyable. Same thing. Winning gives you pleasure from a job well done, not the job itself.”
“It’s a job. Hey buddy Football is not a job. My life, my soul itself.”
“Is that your personal opinion or does it represent Brazilians?”
“Uh? Uh, um… Is that what all Brazilians do?”
“Right. For me, football is just a job.”

Munich’s players either love football or play football.
Bayern Munich, like the players of one of the most prestigious football teams, is the owner of talent that has reached the pinnacle. Those who stood out from childhood and were expected to overwhelm their peers simply put it as ‘good at soccer’.

With his outstanding talent, he is better at soccer than his peers, so how could it not be enjoyable?
No matter what it is, if you do better than others and excel, it will be fun and exciting, but it goes without saying if it is a competition like sports.

Players who have easily overpowered their peers with their innate talents since childhood naturally feel that soccer is fun and enjoyable, and it is the same now as adults.

Because I always outsmarted my peers.
Because you always win
So it can only be fun and fun.

“Vein! Enjoy the game! Football is not just a job. It is a romantic space where players and fans come together.”
“Do lower league players suffering from hardships think that way?”
“Ugh, stupid.”

This unique theory of Maxim Meyer was famous in Germany.
Even fans in Munich often expressed negative opinions about his attitude of dismissing soccer as a simple job, saying, “There is no enthusiasm,” “A snob who sees soccer simply as money,” And “No romance.”

Despite receiving negative reactions from home fans and being treated as an outlier by his teammates, Maxim Maier was able to play 13 years as a professional, well over 10 years, and 7 years in Munich only because of his professional attitude.

‘I have to do my best when I’m working.’

He neither loves nor enjoys soccer, but he is more professional than anyone else when it comes to his attitude toward work.
That’s why he was able to play as Munich’s main defender for a long time, and this was the driving force that made even the negative fandom turn positive.

“Do I need analysis data again?”
“Of course.”
Haha. Others say you don’t love football and only look at it for money, but you are the man who is more serious about football than anyone else. More than the kids who talk about their love for football with their mouths.”

Despite the praises of the gray-haired power analyst, Maxim Mayer replied as if it were no big deal.

“I just do my job. I just do my best.”
“I hope other players will follow your example. So, today we need data on our opponent for the opening match, right?”
“Yes. We need Frankfurt video analysis data and analysis reports.”
“I knew it would happen and prepared it in advance.”

Seven years after joining Munich.
The analyst, who was familiar with Maxim Maier, who analyzes the teams and players he will face each time, prepared in advance.

“Hey Mac.”
“…… ?”
“The player you are going to face this time.”

The old analyst continued with a grin.

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out on your own, but I left a comment with an old man’s heart. I wrote the player’s weakness on the last page of the report, so compare it with your thoughts.”

It’s a weakness
Looking back at Frankfurt’s video analysis, Maxim Maier recalled the analyst’s words.

Certainly, Frankfurt’s tactics last season were not difficult to find weaknesses.

‘The attack pattern is monotonous. It lacks fine-grained tactics. It’s not that the defensive organization is bad, but the defensive tactics are also not distinctive.’

Overall flat
It’s also based on the 2nd division. If you show this in the 1st division, you will not be able to avoid relegation.

‘Tactically, there’s no need to worry. All that remains… Is this player?’

A key player in charge of Frankfurt’s attack.
In fact, the driving force that Frankfurt was able to go well despite the monotonous tactic of entrusting the team attack to the ace.

“Hong Min-joon.”

A handsome Asian player’s dazzling performance continues.
The showcase stage, as if watching Lee’s highlight edit.

Maxim Mayer’s eyes were deeply sunken as he watched the splendid dribble breakthrough and goal baptism with admiration.

‘It’s splendid. I like the technique. Compared to me?’

Maxim Mayer, who boasts excellent footwork like a full-back in Munich, is not enough compared to this Asian player.
Maxim Mayer assessed himself soberly.

‘Technically, he’s a complete player. It’s not enough to argue the best, but it’s menacing.’

He is better than himself, but not as good as the technicians in Munich. A little lacking
Even so, the threat is an undeniable fact.

‘It’s very challenging. He likes to play adventurously and is not afraid to play boldly.’

When a player at the top level of pro play is given the option to make a bold play, he is always on the lookout for mistakes.

However, he seemed to have no fear of mistakes for this player, and he used to show adventurous play with high probability whenever he was given a choice.

Surprisingly, the adventures are often successful.

‘Indeed.’

Maxim Meyer nodded his head.
The fact that I found out by playing the video of an Asian winning an overwhelming victory in a 1:1 match over and over again.

‘My reflexes are ridiculously good.’

Basically, this Asian striker’s play is based on overwhelming reflexes.
Being active in 1:1 breakthrough and success in adventurous play are all based on incredible reaction speed.

The reason why he was able to perform overwhelmingly against players who did not have a certain level of reaction speed.

‘Using technique and reaction speed, he makes plays that cannot be stopped even if he knows.’

Hong Min-joon’s play style is really weak and weak.
Hong Min-joon’s proprietary play that actively uses his innate reflexes to break through the dribble.

This is because it believes in the reaction speed faster than the opponent and responds according to the opponent’s movement, so it shows an appearance close to invincibility against players who cannot keep up with the reaction speed.

In particular, in a 1:1 situation, breaking through the opponent using unique technique and reaction speed was famous as a destructive pattern that no one could stop in the second division.

It was because of this ‘unstoppable’ reaction speed that you can’t stop it even if you know it.

But that’s it.

‘He must have been a kid.’

Maxim Mayer was cynical.
Hong Min-jun’s pattern is a one-pattern play based solely on reflexes.
If a player can keep up with that reaction speed, Hong Min-jun’s play will be neutralized.

And there are not a few people in the world who have natural quick reflexes.
In particular, in the four major European leagues where the pinnacle of soccer talent is concentrated, especially in Bayern Munich, which is one of the most prestigious leagues, finding a player with a slow reaction speed is fast.

Besides, that was not the only weakness of Hong Min-joon that Maxim Mayer saw.
Like a breakthrough one-tool, there is no play that can replace him if the breakthrough is blocked.

Whenever I receive the ball, I always trap it in an easy-to-dribble area and get into a position where I can dribble straight away.

What if the dribble is blocked?
Only then does he come up with other options, but his judgment is basically slow.

It’s not slow by absolute standards, but it’s too slow in the eyes of a first-rate player.
In addition, his passing skills and off-the-ball movement were below expectations.

It’s so disappointing compared to its amazing performance.

‘Above all, it was overshadowed by flashy play, but it was also slow.’

If you insist on it, it belongs to the standard of fast, but it is a speed that is disappointing for a side player where the fastest players gather.

‘The speed of the body and the speed of thought are all inferior to me. Even the tendency to avoid contention. This match must be easy.’

While preparing for the opening game, the only thing that Maxim Meyer was worried about was the incredible super play Hong Min-joon sometimes shows. I definitely thought the high point was this much, but the high point of the play that I show sometimes goes far beyond the limit I thought.

If you pay attention to that, you’ll be nothing but a kid.
So Maxim Mayer provoked the youngster. So that he could not play sober and calm.

Fueling anger to make better plays?
Being pissed off and awakening is a story that only comes out in comics, not reality.

Even if he didn’t know what he was saying, Maxim Mayer smiled at the Korean, which must have been an abusive language.

‘Finished.’

* * *

I’m sure it is.
It should be.

Immediately after the start of the game, less than one minute has passed since the referee’s whistle.

‘Come.’

A roving pass for Hong Min-jun, who was digging straight into the Munich camp.
At the moment when the Munich players were taken aback by the rush of Frankfurt players pouring in at the same time as if it were part of the promised play, an exquisite roving pass to Hong Min-jun.

But the seasoned Maxim Maier was not taken aback.
I just took a few steps forward.

With those few steps, Hong Min-jun could not trap the ball.
The position occupied by Maxim Meyer. Because that’s where the pass fell.

To receive a pass, you have to push Maxim away or catch it in front of him.
However, it will be a foul if Maxim, who is preoccupying the position first, will receive the ball from a high position. It also turns its back on Maksim.

‘It’s not impossible to prevent 1:1, but there’s no need to take unnecessary risks.’

Hong Min-Jun rushed like a boar towards Maxim Mayer, who made it impossible to receive the ball comfortably just by taking a few steps forward.

There is no player to connect with if he receives the ball with his back here, so he is trying to buy time with a foul in case he loses possession and gets counterattacked.

Maxim raised Hong Min-joon’s evaluation in his heart.
From quick judgment than expected to tough competition that had a strong tendency to avoid until last season. As expected of a young player, he grew up quickly.

However, the situation began to develop differently from Maxim’s expectations.
Hong Min-joon, who ran right in front of him, did not slow down.

‘Determined charging? Is he going to be warned from the start.’

Did the previous provocation work too well?
Maxim reflexively lowered his stance at the sight of his opponent charging with all his might like an American football player. Maxim, who lowered his center of gravity, planted his feet, and braced himself for the crash, was right in front of him —

‘Blood, damage?’

Hong Min-jun, who twisted his body, passed by exquisitely.

‘What about the ball!?’

Container!
And a small trapping sound in Maxim’s ears.

Maxim, who instinctively turned around at the sound of the ball bouncing, could see it.
He twisted his body and passed by Hong Min-joon, and the ball hit by the heel exquisitely passed over his head.