Chapter 186 – Enemies Meet on a Log Bridge (2)

186

I’m not ashamed to say this out of my own mouth—but I’m a near-perfect player.

He’s a so-called hexagonal player with few downsides… It would be embarrassing if I was claiming this alone.
But people who call themselves experts say that, so what can I do?

It’s strange that the experts say they’re right, but I step forward and say no.
I also look up to the sky when I say that I am a complete player, and I am proud without a single point of shame. This is a fact that can be seen objectively.

What I lack is less participation in defense, passive forward pressure, lack of activity and low number of goals compared to shooting, narrow vision and weak team play, and extremely vulnerable to competition with styles that rely too much on individual tactics. As long as there is no… What?

Why so many?

… People can’t be perfect
It’s not a machine, how can a person have no flaws. No matter how good a person is, there are flaws.

In that sense, he may not be perfect, but if he has few flaws, wouldn’t that be a perfect player?
Just like me

Actually, it’s a bit embarrassing.
This is because many of the points pointed out as disadvantages have already been addressed or greatly improved.

The first impression of a person lasts a long time, and most of the points pointed out as a shortcoming are largely due to the image formed in the early days of professional career.

For example, the nickname of the king of riots is also true.
Some antis belittle the top scorer as well, saying that he was caught in a rampage… To be honest, it’s true that I had a strong propensity for promiscuity in my early days as a pro.

But wasn’t the role the team expected from me in the first place to finish the attack?
In soccer, it is important to somehow take the shot when attacking. It’s more of a problem if you lose the ball during an attack. Is the counterattack any good? That’s counterattack.

The counterattack, which is originally cut off while attacking, is the most dangerous, so it is important to finish the shooting with a clear finish when attacking.

Since this is my role in the team, the best I could do was to finish with a shot in any situation, as I lacked shooting ability at the time, and my vision was narrow and my passing ability was low.

It was only natural that there was a lot of fuss when they gave me chances.
According to common sense, when shooting, there is no way the ball will fly properly even if you slightly pull the uniform from behind or bump it slightly with your body.

However, I didn’t have the vision or passing ability to create a better opportunity, so I was amazing because I connected it to the shooting even in that difficult situation.

As a result, it was inevitable that he would become violent.
However, this also improved his shooting ability, team play, vision, and passing skills, and this tendency to shoot was greatly reduced.

Even though they have the same role in the team, their overall abilities have improved, so they have more time to create chances for other players when shooting is not easy.

The amount of activity and participation in defense are also the same.
Playing as a central midfielder, how much progress has he made in this area?

Now, although I can’t say it’s outstanding, it’s not enough to be called lacking in activity anymore.
I record around 10~11km per game, but compared to the monsters that run 13~14km, it is not enough, but given the role I play, this is good enough.

That’s right, wouldn’t it be more helpful to hang around in a moderately high position than to run a lot just because I’m defending?

In preparation for my threatening counterattack, I have to leave out a player to mark, and the defensive line is also lowered, so it is much more helpful for the defense than fussing at the bottom for useless defense.

It’s because of my role in the team, I’m a player who actively participates in defense when needed.

Many of these points out as my shortcomings have already been improved, but… There is only one thing that I admit to myself that I am still lacking.

It was his fighting ability.
Although many areas pointed out as weaknesses have been improved, it has still not overcome this area.

No, to be precise, I didn’t really feel the need for it.
I have been a player who has been fouled a lot since I was a child. If you are a player who enjoys aggressive dribble breakthrough, of course you will be fouled frequently, and in response, you have become proficient in hand techniques and Hollywood action.

Now that I got the status window, I didn’t really feel the need for a physical fight because I was equipped with agility and balance, as well as the tendency to avoid competition.

Using his overwhelming technique and agility, he doesn’t create race situations well, and even if a race situation occurs, he overcomes it with his unique balance, so he doesn’t feel the need to rub his body against the rice cakes. But if you attack with force, you can just get a foul.

Why did Messi overcome the competition because he liked the rice cake?
Isn’t it Messi’s trademark to move agilely to reduce contention situations and withstand contention situations with a unique body balance?

Soccer is not wrestling.
If all is done with strength, how would players in the 160cm range such as Messi, Maradona, Marco Verratti, and Insigne have left behind their achievements?

Besides, I didn’t feel much of a need to raise my stats on physical combat, as I tended to avoid contests and fell out of battles for air supremacy.

Even when I was playing as a central midfielder, the coach was tactically considerate and put Sergei as an escort like Gattuso next to Pirlo, so it was relatively comfortable.

Wouldn’t it be right to invest in a field where there is a greater need than a point with a lot of places to use, and a physical fight that is less necessary?

Another reason is that his body-related abilities are the most prominent overall, but his power stands out even more.

Even if you suck on steroids, you need time. How would you look if a player who was beaten in the competition yesterday bounced off his opponent today? What if the uniform that was loose on the chest yesterday was swollen today?

He is still undergoing the most doping tests among players in major European leagues, so what good would it be to attract more aggro here?

Still, I am investing little by little while working hard on weights, but it was natural that I would be pushed out of the competition against defenders with the average physical best in soccer.

As such, weakness in physical combat and air supremacy is my only weakness, but—
Even so, that’s a European standard, what if a Japanese player is your opponent?

“Minjun!”

2 minutes in the first half.
Japan’s attack, which started with the lead, ended in vain, and as soon as goalkeeper Han Seung-ho caught the ball, he kicked it long.

It was a long kick that aimed precisely at the back space of Japan, which was up for an attack, and at the same time, it was a pass that openly fought for air supremacy when it was directed at me.

In a way, it’s a pass that doesn’t matter.

In modern soccer, where the goalkeeper’s ball distribution has become commonplace, a long pass aimed at the space behind the opponent is a very natural tactic.
However, it was different that I was the player fighting for the right to supply.

So far in the World Cup matches… No, because in my professional career, I could count on one hand the number of times a goalkeeper sent a pass to my head.

“To… Nanit!?”

Even Japan was flustered by the pass to my head and rushed at it.

“Kuu, kusso… !”

I and the Japanese player, who had risen in the air almost at the same time, collided in the air, and I was the winner of the tense match that did not back down an inch.

As long as I couldn’t push myself out of a good seat in advance, the match for the right to offer would be greatly dependent on the preoccupation of the seat.

My heading pass landed exactly behind the Japanese defensive line, where the Japanese defender had left his seat to mark me, and Bae Chan-shik, who was running up, easily caught it.

“What the hell!! Hong Min-joon was a player who avoided competition to the extreme!! He was a player who almost didn’t have the right to provide air, so why!!”

The coach of the Japanese national team screams at the touchline.

Hahadid you see it, bastards!! I’m not going to be pushed back against Japan either!”

Although Japan produced a large number of Europeans and was better at coping with competition than in the past, it was still not outstanding in its ability to compete in an absolute standard.

To the extent that I, who had been pushed back against the tough defenders in Europe, could endure without being pushed back.

“Wow, is this real?”

At first, the coach asked me to actively compete with the Japanese defender, so I wondered if it would be possible even though the Japanese players are not physically good… Does this work?

Oh, I can’t stand this.

“They are all dead. Senior! Drive me a pass! These bastards are so fucked up!”

Today’s Hong Min-joon version shows a stiff back.

* * *

Han So-young’s ‘Football in Love’, which is said to be the hottest among Korean personal broadcasts, has more viewers than usual today.

That would be—

“Ah, thank you for your support Hong Sang Daiski. Yeah? Sure. After the World Cup, I’m going to get together with Minjun Hong!”

Since he shows off his friendship with Hong Min-jun, the hottest man these days, not only Korea but also Hong Min-jun’s fans flock to him.

Since Hong Min-joon is famous for not revealing his private life, fans who were annoyed by a small news or rumor would gladly watch Han So-young’s personal broadcast.

“Japan’s attack ended in vain—a long goal kick… Uh? To Hong Min-jun?”

Just in time for the World Cup special, Han So-young, who was broadcasting the match against Korea and Japan in the round of 16, raised the pitch of her voice.

“Huh? Hey, jump! Ah but— oh what what, Minjun Hong got the header! Wow, this is Bae Chan-sik!? This is a great opportunity!!”

The match started with the Japanese line-up.
Han So-young, who was browsing the chat window, expecting the beginning to be calm like Japan, who is good at passing play, continued urgently.

“Breaking Ceremony Cross! Ah! Unfortunately, it came off the goalpost. That was a good attack. It was an opportunity created by Hong Min-joon’s participation in an aerial contest.”

However, the unexpected appearance did not end there.
Hong Min-joon, who started as a striker on the left wing of the 4-5-1 formation, was actively competing today and playing the role of a starting point for linkage.

“Hong Min-joon receiving the ball with his back to Nagoya! I’m not pushed! I won’t be pushed back, Minjun Hong!! In the end, Bertie gave up the ball until his teammates penetrated!!”

Of course, a hard play with a back that was not usually seen,

“Oh clothes!? Heading pass by overcoming the right of air again! Oh, I got it a bit wrong this time. It was a good try.”

Even an active fight over the offer.

It has not been shown on the European stage before… No, the physical that did not work was doing its job well against Japan.

“Come to think of it, Hong Min-jun’s body specs aren’t bad. Wearing soccer boots 185cm tall and 74kg. If it’s 185, he’s tall enough to be competitive in terms of airplay, right? Although he weighs a little less… I heard that he is focusing on weight these days, so he must have improved his competitive ability.”

A gear coil burst at the tip of Hong Min-joon’s toe as he continued his unexpected rough play against the Japanese player.

The Japanese fullback, who had been fighting fiercely as if he couldn’t lose, was pushed back in a physical fight with Hong Min-jun and collapsed as it was, and in an instant, there was no player to mark.

The moment the Japanese players couldn’t mark because of Korean players pouring into Japan’s penalty box all at once, leaving the midfield empty, believing in Hong Min-joon’s ballkeeping.

Hong Min-joon’s mid-range shot, which took the shot without any hindrance, split Japan’s net.

“Goal!! First goal!! Also Minjun Hong! Hong Min-joon who scores a goal with one shot and one kill!! With this, he became the highest scorer in Korea with 4 points in the World Cup!!”

Even though he scored a goal in the round of 16 of the World Cup, the chat window exploded when he saw Hong Min-joon nodding in place with an apologetic expression on his face rather than being happy.