Chapter 183 – There Is No Number of Cases (5)

183

The second leg of the group stage against Switzerland, held four days after the match against Argentina.
It is better than the Olympics, but the World Cup is also a short schedule, from the group stage to the final, ending in just one month, so the competition period is short.

The number of rotations is not a problem as the number of entries has increased to 26, but in fact, soccer is a problem because there are no substitutes.

Most of the problems with the schedule and physical strength in the soccer world are ‘lack of physical strength as a starting player to use full power’, not that there are no rotation members.

In other words, I want to play only with the main players in the most intact state.

Of course, it’s a problem if the starting players spread in the middle, so any competent coach will properly mix the starting and non-starting players to capture performance and physical strength at the same time.

However, if he is such a talented coach, why is he still working as the coach of the Korean national team? He must be the manager of a big, well-known club.

That’s why the director chose to catch at least one rabbit rather than chasing both rabbits.

“The lineup for this game is the same as last time. Rather than clumsily turning the rotation, definitely grab the Swiss! Let’s change all three rounds. Selection! Do you want to change your body and play the 3rd match? It’s not So be sure to catch this match. That way, the candidates can run freely, and you, the starting players, can rest well in preparation for the round of 16. Is not it?”
“Yes!!”
“You’re right!!”
“As everyone knows, the World Cup is a huge showcase stage that scouts around the world pay attention to.”

The director, who had a disapproving expression despite the roaring answer, began to speak out of the blue.

“Do you guys want to finish your career in peace like this? It’s not Be recognized for your skills on the biggest stage in the soccer world! You want to play in bigger water. Is not it?”

After looking around the nodding players, the coach slams his tactic board with the palm of his hand.

“Do you know what you miss the most? Just watching the biggest stage in front of me and not being able to show my skills. Week ago. What if you guys run out of stamina and can’t show your skills on the World Cup stage? Candidate, you guys should also play on the World Cup stage. I have to show it by playing full-time in the first and second halves, not as a substitute in the second half. Is not it?”

Well… Even if our director is honest, he is too honest.
Still, it’s better than the old mental theory.

It’s not that I’m ignoring the theory of psychology.
Soccer… No, you can’t expect good results in any sport unless you are mentally armed.

There is no such thing as a winning mentality, a hungry spirit, a fighting spirit, or a desire to win. Spiritualism is not an outdated theory, but a necessary element in the present and future.

However, the outdated mentality of the past is a problem.
Spirituality is also important, so if we only emphasize the mentality, it will work.

In that sense, I don’t think the director’s decision is bad.

“So, we have to catch this match. Guys, let’s win some games and go to the round of 16, regardless of the number of cases. Yes?”

Bad… Won’t… ?
Well, one way or another, depending on the results, the evaluation of the director will change.

Anyway, the coach is the position that produces the results, and whether or not the rotation is rotated, it is matched according to the results.

* * *

After warming up on the ground, we headed to the locker room.

“Wow, there are more fans today than in the first game.”
“It wasn’t a joke to open up.”
“An angle that becomes a floor enemy?”

It was when I was changing into uniforms while chatting in threes and threes, because I didn’t want to attract attention because of my exceptionally tall and arrogant son, so I quickly changed and suddenly looked around.

“Uh… ? What’s wrong with your senior body?”
“Oh this?”

Isn’t Yoon-hyeok sunbaenim, who uses the locker room next to me, swollen?

“In the second half of the last game, the Argentine kids got a little angry. It’s a sign of victory.”

The upper body that was covered by the uniform was bruised blue, and there were even bloody scabs sitting on the scratches here and there. Above all, the bruise on the shin is very blue and big, so it looks painful just to look at it.

“Senior, is this okay? It looks damn sick.”
“If it’s not okay, won’t you run? I just keep running.”

Uh… Well… But.
It’s not just a league match, it’s not a World Cup. I will endure being sick and run.

Even if it is an injury that will cause major problems later in their career, there are many players who play for the World Cup. For example, Fernando Torres suffered an injury while running for the World Cup, but he said in an interview later that he had no regrets.

Besides, unlike what it looks like, there are no aftereffects left even if you endure bruises and scratches, so it’s a minor injury in a way… I realize once again how difficult it is to play in the center where the competition is the fiercest.

I knew it in my head.
While playing the game, I saw how fierce it really is, so there’s no way I wouldn’t know.

However, he could clearly feel how hard it was only after playing as a central midfielder.
Hitting, pinching, scratching, and all sorts of crazy things happen without the referee knowing. Of course, there is no such thing as a side, but… The center is particularly severe.

In soccer, proper hand play is skill.
Foul? That’s the problem when you get caught. In terms of pro standards, how lowly and skillfully you play with your hands is also a skill. Even fouls and foul play are his skills.

It was all thanks to this hand play that I adapted to the competition in the center relatively quickly despite my poor physical fighting skills.
Because he did not choose cunning and mean methods to make up for his lack of competitive ability since childhood. Representatively, playing with hands secretly from the referee and Hollywood action were trademarks in the middle school league.

At the time of the position change, fans only looked at my ability and tendency to compete and cited intense competition as the factor that would have the most difficulty adapting to the central midfielder.

There is a difference between a player who plays in the center and a player who plays on the side, even if they are the same soccer player. In particular, the upper body muscles need to be developed to fight, but in proportion to them, speed and direction change, body balance, and sprint are disadvantageous.

That’s why players tend to build their bodies according to their position and play style.
It is the body of a soccer player that must consider the balance of the upper and lower body, the aggressiveness of competition, and the way of play.

In other words, it is not the correct answer to blindly increase muscles just because physical fighting is weak.
In this sense, the fans were worried that even my good play would collapse when I moved to the center, but I was surprisingly quick to adapt in this area.

It was because he was quick-witted and ate using proper hand play and fouls.
The thing I had the most trouble adapting to and found difficult was the way I played.

I’m usually a side attacker, and the opponent I face is a defender.
Defenders are basically based on spaced defense rather than rushing.

In particular, the closer you get to the final defensive line, the more you deal with the dribbler, the more natural it is to defend, but not in the center. Once he sees the ball, he clings to it like a mad dog.

But even this was fine.
Even on the side, there were many players who actively clung to me to take advantage of my weak competitive ability, and the first place I started was on the side, so I was quite used to this active defense because I played in the center in my play style.

However, it was a problem when I was defending.
As a side striker, my defense is to the extent of restricting and interfering with the opponent’s pass path.

But as a central midfielder, I had to learn how to defend aggressively.
By way of starting over from the basics. And at this time, it was senior Yoon Hyuk who helped me a lot.

Movements in central midfield, know-how, defensive methods, positioning… Of course, I learned a lot more at the club, but the club has to coach me.

Yoon Hyuk sunbaenim is purely giving me his know-how without hesitation, so in terms of gratitude, this one is overwhelming.

No Come to think of it, I changed my position at the request of the club… In the first place, the club’s coaching staff did what it was supposed to do.

“Senior. Don’t worry today. So that you don’t suffer, I’ll smash it!”
“Uh… Okay.”
“All the Swiss pups are dead. Our senior Yoon Hyuk, I will organize everything so that you can run very comfortably today!!”

Yoon Hyuk sunbaenim, who answered in an awkward manner.
But it’s still too early to be relieved. If you’re this senior, it’s obvious that you’ll play without sparing yourself.

“Take care of yourself, senior! Buzzing today. You know what?”
“Hey dude. Are you doing this to get MOM?”
“Ah, what are you talking about? I’m genuinely worried about seniors—”
“I do shit. Was I really upset that I received MOM in the last game? This is not very bad. Will you repay the favor with an enemy?”

Caught

* * *

For those who don’t normally watch soccer, soccer is nothing more than a sport in which a dragon is used to put a ball into a goal.

For FC Korea, which only watches the national team games, the defense and midfielders work hard to pass the ball around, but there is no real substance.

Then, sometimes, the ball is stolen, giving only a dangerous opportunity to an Asian team that is not noticed.

But not today.
If you are watching the World Cup, FC Korea watching Korean matches, you will surely be surprised and say, ‘Soccer is so fun!?’.

That’s also true, attacking football that our team enjoys watching, and it can’t be fun to hit the opponent one-sidedly. Besides, the opponent is the very ‘enemy of 2006, the opponent who won by mistake’ isn’t Switzerland!

If this wasn’t fun, it was clear that the person was either someone who didn’t enjoy the ball game itself, or a Swiss who loved Switzerland so much.

“Goal!! Goal!!! It’s already the third goal!!!”
“Hey~~!! A great goal by a really great player!! Hong Min-joon is running out of control today!!”
“Three minutes into the second half! Hong Min-joon, who scored the 3rd goal for Korea with 1 goal and 1 assist!!”

After the overwhelming first half, the heads of the Swiss players, who managed to recover their mentality, turned to the floor.