Chapter 170 – The 4 Series of Hell (2)

170

Round 29 of the Bundesliga held in the third week of April 2034.
Among the 17 matches, the one that drew the most attention was the match between Munich and Frankfurt, where the leagues 1st and 2nd place faced each other.

The underdog’s rebellion has always been a topic that stimulates people’s interest, and that’s why the match between Frankfurt, a sensational promoted team against the giant Munich, was bound to be a topical combination.

Furthermore, didn’t Frankfurt show giant killing several times this season?
Even in the first game of the season, against Munich in the first round of the league, they broke various records and won the victory, so if you look closely, it would be correct to call it Munich’s revenge match.

Therefore, the match between the two teams received a lot of attention from the start.

“This is Hermann, the kicker. Munich is at the top of the league with overwhelming performances this season. With 6 league games left, the gap with the 2nd place is 7 points, and the prevailing evaluation is that the owner of the Meister Chalet has been decided. Director Are you planning to start an active rotation for this game for the upcoming Champions League second leg?”

Munich coach Dominic Appel, who appeared in a pre-game interview, gave a stern answer to the reporter’s question.

“Not at all. We will do everything we can to ensure a clear victory.”

Next, captain Bernd Hulzenbein,

“We’ve all been looking forward to seeing you again to avenge the loss we suffered in the last game.”

He expressed his strong will to fight in an official interview.

Well, from Munich’s point of view, it must have hurt their pride.
In the first round, I scored the first goal in 5.9 seconds, becoming the protagonist of breaking the record for the shortest goal in the top 4 European leagues, and even scoring a 35-40m long-distance goal.

How proud it must have been for a team that looked beyond Germany to be the best in Europe was tossed around by a young Asian player from a newly promoted team.

In response, the coach and captain Alexander Meyer, who were interviewed, mentioned the victory in the first round and said that they were aiming to win this match as well… This is the official position, but the reality is different.

Our team this time against Munich… Because I gave up winning.

“It’s the starting list for the next game.”

The day after the game against Sevilla.
With us at the end of recovery training, the coach revealed the starting lineup for the match against Munich. A roster with more than half changed from the last game.

There are only 5 people in the starting lineup.
Goalkeeper Geralt Noak and captain Alexander Meyer, the nucleus of the defense, and Donald Cook, who shows strength more than anyone else in set-pieces due to the difference between the core of the midfield… Up to me here

An active rotation with only 4 starting players on the field excluding the goalkeeper.

Considering the recent performance of Munich, it is not courage to win with the 1.5 group, not with power. It’s nothing but merciless.

But this was an unavoidable part.
With only 6 games left, the difference between Munich, which overwhelmingly holds first place, and our team, which is second, is 7 points.

In fact, wouldn’t it be right to focus on the Europa League, which has a higher possibility than the league in which Munich’s victory is certain?

Originally, the coach considered joining the second team, but fans’ expectations and support were so great that even if he gave up on the game internally, he couldn’t show it openly.

That’s why me, Alexander Meyer, Chicharo, the core of the midfield and the dead ball specialist, and Donald Cook, the core of the set pieces, were selected to start.

I and the captain were indispensable in such a big match because we were the team ace and the captain, and there was only one reason why Chicharo and Donald Cook started.

This is because our team’s strategy for this match was the set piece.

* * *

At the start of the game, our team openly stopped the bus in the face of Munich, which was on the offensive.

In the 25th minute of the first half, they continued their close defense against Munich, who were throwing menacing shots, showing elegant offensive work despite the strong two lines of defense that erased the space in front of the goal.

Even though it was our team’s home game, booing began to flow out one by one as the one-sided offensive was pouring out as if it were Munich’s home stadium.

“Hit it!! I didn’t wait to see a game like this!!”
“How long are you going to be beaten! Attack me!!”
“We want to see them stand up against each other!”

The booing, which gradually grew, erupted explosively after Munich striker Ruben Bock’s opening goal in the 31st minute.

The feeling of running while being booed by the fans at home… Oh yeah…

“To be booed by the home fans. That must be tough.”
“What?”
“……?”

It’s really nothing.
… Why?

“Are you serious?”
“Then I’m serious. It’d be nice if they cheered me on, but honestly, I don’t really care unless they’re chanting my name.”

While the Munich players who scored the opening goal were celebrating, Maxim Maier, who was marking me, started talking to me.

As one of the few veterans among Munich players who have been rejuvenated through rebuilding and a player who is evaluated as a world-class fullback, he is like a monster that is difficult to deal with even now, having grown tremendously compared to when he faced him at the beginning of the season.

“Hmm.”
“Why?”

He looked at me strangely and asked why

“You must have been in the same class as me.”

Aren’t you shaking your head all alone?
… What is this human He’s good, but he’s kind of weird.

Whether or not Maxim Mayer is a little tasteless, the important thing is that he possesses monstrous skills.
To the extent that it is difficult to properly perform the role entrusted to me in this game.

The concept of this game is a set piece, but it is a semi-forced rotation to focus on the Europa League, and the realistic reason that the only weak possibility to win is the set piece is the belief in my ability that I showed against Manchester United.

The manager, who believed in my ability to protect the ball as if playing among Manchester United players for two minutes, not 20 seconds, ordered me to drag the ball up to the Munich camp if I managed to catch it.

The trick is to create a free kick opportunity by creating a corner kick or inducing a foul.
Chicharo and Donald Cook both start for this purpose.

When Chicharo, a dead ball specialist, puts the ball up on behalf of me, whose dead ball ability is not very good compared to his technical ability, Donald Cook, who has a monstrous physical ability, somehow creates an opportunity to hit his head.

This was almost the only tactic our team used this match… I really couldn’t break through Maxim Mayer.

‘Oh, I’m going to die. Why is this bastard doing so well?’

I don’t know how I dealt with such a monster when I was less capable than I am now in the last game where I beat Munich.

Even at the end of the first half, Maxim Maier, who was marking me, even assisted Munich’s second goal with a cutback after overlapping.

Well… Something feels… It’s sweet and sour.

“Hong!! When Maxim Maier goes up, you have to follow him. Why are you still standing still!! Didn’t Maxim come up and run wild while all our teammates are holding the Munich players!!”

I only bowed my head at the director’s unholy order.
The usual coaches don’t ask me to join the defense.

Even the striker, Donald Cook, is forced to join the defense, but he makes me focus on the attack… In this Munich game, I was also asked to actively participate in the defense.

This is because Munich’s power has a scary point, and it has shown quite active defensive participation when playing as a central midfielder.

Of course, his defensive skills were poor, but the difference between participating in the defense and not doing it was huge.
Even a scarecrow can play the role of covering an empty space or keeping opponents in check.

That’s why in this game, while ordering an active dribble breakthrough, I was instructed to keep in check when the cycle fullback Maxim Maier overlapped.

“Sorry.”

If I have to make many excuses, it’s not because he doesn’t want to defend, it’s just that Maxim Mayer avoided my gaze and dug in too well, so I found out too late.

“Hong. Our team needs your performance. Can you create a set-piece opportunity in the second half?”
“Hmm… It’s harder to break through Maxim Mayer than I thought.”
“Then move to the right side in the second half and break through the right side. Munich’s left full-back Paul Jannes is less experienced and a much more aggressive player, so he will be easy to deal with.”

It’s switching
I thought about it for a while…

“No. I will break through Maxim Meyer. Without me, Maxim Meyer’s participation in the attack will be more active. I’ll try to penetrate him somehow, so I can control his aggression.”

Maxim Maier is a player who leads Munich’s rear attack by coming into the center like a central midfielder through overlapping and underlapping.
He’s not just a good defensive player.

In fact, his offensive influence in Munich is at a level that cannot be ignored, and there is no countermeasure if he starts actively participating in the attack until the very heart of the team, which is difficult to sustain even while his participation in the attack is restricted because of me. I don’t want to collapse.

… Rather than for practical reasons,

“And if you go right like this, you’re running away from Maxim. That can’t be the case.”

I can’t afford my pride to run away.

“Hmm? Hey, your tactical insights have increased quite a bit? The experience of playing in the center must have been a big help.”

I replied to the director’s laughter.
I’m going to raise my ability level.