Chapter 126 – Europa (4)

126

Alex Richards was spun in the locker room ahead of the second half.
He didn’t show it, but at 36, his body isn’t what it used to be.

I suddenly remembered the date.
It’s now September 33rd. The end of his contract was not far off.

Alex Richards is out of contract with Monaco at the end of the season.

‘Let’s hold on until this year.’

To do our best for the remaining contract period?
Of course.

Alex Richards intends to do his best the rest of his days, grit his teeth and play.
It’s not because he has a special affection for the club Monaco, or because he has a strong sense of professionalism.

‘Shit. Even if the club hadn’t interfered with the transfer, I’d be lying comfortably instead of going through hardships like this.’

Three years ago, the 33-year-old was in the middle of the last heyday.
It was Alex Richards who is shown in the starting lineup as a central midfielder, but in reality plays a defensive role in front of the defensive line and behind the midfield line.

Even so, from the rear build-up to the goal through the mid-range shot.
With his all-around performance, he played a revolutionary role in helping Monaco advance from league runner-up to the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

Alex Richards requested a transfer to the club as soon as the season was over, but the club firmly rejected his request.

It was natural for Monaco.
Isn’t it a key player who paid a huge transfer fee from Chelsea and signed a long-term contract of 5 years with an enormous salary?

He’s only two years into his five-year contract, and he’s displeased with the way he’s pushing for a transfer, but he can’t afford to sell the core of the team so easily.

From then on, the conflict between Alex Richards and the club began.
Since then, it was Alex Richards who made the club embarrassing by causing a transfer wave every year, but the transfer is impossible if the club declares that the sale is not possible as long as the contract period remains.

That’s how we’ve come so far before the contract expires.

‘This is my last professional contract. I should aim for a big signing.’

It is not for the sake of the club or for the sake of the game with a strong professional mindset.
Right before the expiration of the contract, for a shot at the last contract.

His body, which had been overtaxed by his long professional career, had already been screaming for several years.
Still, it would have been a little better if he had adjusted his diet, exercised conditioning, and had adequate rest, but Alex Richards is far from sincere.

He was only holding on so far with his innate talent, but his body had already passed its prime and was on the way to a complete downhill.

He can no longer display the quick feet and reaction speed he used to be proud of.
Even if I drank and had sex the night before, my body, which used to be in good shape as soon as I entered the stadium, now I can’t even remember when it was in the best condition.

But I had to hold on until this year.
In December, individual negotiations with other clubs are possible through the Boseman rule, and in June of next year, it is possible to transfer as a free agent or free agent when the contract expires.

Once the contract is signed… Even if you lie down, you have to sign the contract before lying down.

‘That’s why I have to break this kid.’

A good opportunity came along.
These days, hot prospects. If he shows a good performance against a player who is famous for his breakthrough ability, he will be able to convince the clubs who are showing doubts about his recent physical condition.

If you were a seasoned player, it would have been difficult with your current physical condition…

‘Even the referee is smiling at me.’

It is possible if it is the condition of the referee’s propensity to be tolerant of competition and the young player with a simple pattern.
In fact, not long after the game started, the opportunity to determine today’s game came.

Alex Richards laughed heartily at the referee’s refusal to give a verbal warning, let alone a card, despite the rough competition, and the reaction of the young guy, who seemed to be immune to provocations.

‘The play pattern is simple, so there is nothing difficult. You’re lucky.’

Even in the second half, if you scratch it gently a few times, it will be possible to induce an exit.
Alex Richards shrugged as he watched the guy grab the ball and get into a dribbling stance again.

“… Yes?”

I was dumbfounded by the back of my opponent who sent a pass, not a dribble, and ran away avoiding a competition with himself like a mudfish.

‘Is it an illusion? How to play… You changed.’

* * *

After the first half, I thought about it.
Why do you keep getting blocked by him?

At first, the excitement narrowed the field of view.
Even though soccer is a team sport in which 11 teammates play together, he was so pissed off that he forgot about off-the-ball moves and tactical moves, and insisted on useless head-to-head confrontation, obsessed with the idea of ​​only destroying him.

Well, my original play style and team tactics are like that.
It is correct to create a 1:1 situation as much as possible on the side and create an attacking opportunity through my breakthrough… It should also be based on tactical movements, didn’t I run amok by myself until now?

It’s cheap even if you curse at this.
Even if I hear something from the coach or my team members criticize me, I have nothing to say.

I was struck by the skill of the guy.
Whether it’s racism or whatever, it’s all too common to wear clothes to scratch an opponent’s nerves on the pitch. Provoking the opponent to avoid being caught by the referee and camera is also somewhat acceptable.

The play that skillfully provokes the opponent is taught by a veteran player of the Awareness Team.
Besides, he wasn’t just good at provoking, he was also good at defending. No matter how excited he may be, his defensive ability to block as if he had read all my play is indeed seasoned like a veteran.

“Red. Have you calmed down?”
“Ah. Sorry, Chicharo. I was so excited about the first half.”
“It’s okay. It can be because Hong is not used to it.”
“Yes? Familiar?”

As I was organizing my thoughts, Chicharo said something out of the blue.

“Yeah, like that guy earlier, he decided to come out wildly.”
“Nope. I am quite used to it.”
“Isn’t it?”

What are you talking about
As much as the most effective way to stop a fast and technical player like me is a rough plane, I’ve been through quite a bit.

“Nope. Hong looks young and pretty. Besides, when you look at it, does it feel like something isn’t going to happen? Should I say that opponents are less rough against Hong because of that? There is such a thing.”

I wonder what nonsense I was talking about, but Donald Cook, who was listening next to me, nodded.

“Well. It has that side.”
“No… What is it?”
“Anyway, if the opponent is a promising player, he will be hesitant to play rough… Honestly, when I look at you, you look like a pretty boy in your mid-teens. Originally, if a man had a pretty face, I would have been annoyed and treated him harshly, but strangely, you can’t. That’s why you have to be careful even during training.”

My head pounded at the additional explanation of Donald Cook, a tall black man with a height of over 190.
What bullshit is that

“Five! I thought it was just me, but is everyone the same? Actually, when I see Hong’s face, I feel a little sorry for tackling him. Oh, I’m not gay, so don’t look at me like that!”

The words of my colleagues were absurd, but they weren’t lying as a group, so they said it was true…

‘It’s because of the charm.’

At first, I thought it was just a change in appearance.
However, as time went on, I gradually realized that it was more effective than that.

Like… Although it is different for each person, it is a feeling that amplifies the basic liking.

‘So you’re saying that because of the 95 appearance, I’ve had relatively less rough play?’

If so, you’ve been lucky so far.
Rough play is one of the most effective defenses against technically fast players.

It’s not that Messi or Neymar suffer from fouls for nothing.
In particular, Neymar has been plagued by huge blood fouls and injuries since entering Ligue 1. In order to overcome this, he actively induces fouls and evolves to Hollywood action.

By comparison, I’m sure I’ve rarely played rough enough to worry about injuries.
There may be differences in leagues, but proof that the influence of charm cannot be ignored.

Also, I’m only in my 2nd year as a pro.
That’s also only 3 games in Barcelona in the first half of the year, and that looked incredibly sluggish, so it’s actually only the second half and this year after renting Frankfurt.

Looking at this year, it’s only been about a month since the start of the season, so if you look at it full-time, it’s still the same as your first year as a pro, so you might be underrated and lacking in analysis.

It’s rare that even a player likes rough play.
It’s a way to survive on the professional stage, how many players do it because they like to compete really rough. Rough play hurts not only the opponent, but also the person himself. We are human beings made of the same cloth, so how can only the other person get hurt, and I don’t get hurt?

So there were very few players who played rough against me, and even if they played rough, it wouldn’t work if there was a big difference in skill.
Skills are the basis for being able to play rough games properly. Soccer is not a martial art, and if you attack it recklessly, you will only become a card captor.

There has never been a player who has real exhausting skills and comes out rough.
In the 2nd division, players who occasionally came out rough were able to break through by feeding cards by inducing fouls or using them in reverse.

Maybe… Would it have felt like this if the opposing defenders came out rough when facing Munich or Dortmund?
They are gentlemanly players, so although they were active in competition, they weren’t rough.

“Now, the second half begins! Only 1 goal difference! Let’s go out and turn around!”

I was lost in my thoughts throughout halftime, but it was already just before the start of the second half.
How is it? Right now, the cause is not the problem, but the solution is important.

‘Investing stats in a physical fight… ‘

Let’s leave that as a last resort.
Anyone would think it strange if he suddenly changed after halftime during a game.

‘Technique? … Nope. I don’t have enough points to make a meaningful difference against him.’

If you want to increase your skill, trapping, or reaction speed, it says that you lack ‘genius’.

That means you have to raise ‘genius’ first to raise the rest of the stats… It is questionable how much to raise, and how many points will be left after investing in hidden stats like that.

“Red. Don’t worry too much We are there.”
“Okay. I will stop that bearded man.”

Chicharo and Donald Cook comforted me as I headed for the ground, lost in thought.
I nodded and smiled, but a thought suddenly came to my mind.

‘Right. Why did you try to solve it alone?’

Soccer is a team game.
It is not a team game in which 11 team members cooperate organically, not necessarily to score by breaking through the opponent alone.

【Technology】
[Skill 75] [Dribble 70] [Trapping 75] [Short Pass 55 ▶ 60] [Long Pass 50 ▶ 60] [Shooting 55] [Free Kick 42] [Header 38] [Tackle 32]

【Mental】
[Vision 55 ▶ 60] [Anticipation 50] [Judgment 65] [Concentration 56 ▶ 60] [Off the Ball 60] [Space Mark 45] [Peace 52 ▶ 60] [Leadership 40] [Teamwork 44 ▶ 55]

【Body】
[Agility 72 ▶ 73] [Acceleration 72 ▶ 73] [Balance 72 ▶ 73] [Agility 72 ▶ 73] [Reaction 79] [Power 61] [Jump 49] [Endurance 59] [Recovery 68]

【Hidden】
[Genius 65] [CHARM 95] [INT 60]

【Height 182.7cm｜72kg】

【Possessed Points 43 ▶ 0P】

Moderately adjusting and improving his physical ability, he invested the 43 points he had saved up for the World Cup in his passing and mental abilities.

“By chicha. Donald. Alberto.”

He went to the ground and quietly called three people together.

“This time, I will take on the role of a helper, so the three of you should actively aim for the goal.”