Chapter 234 – The Iron King (3)

234

The 2035/36 season UEFA Champions League group stage is a home & away league competition with a total of 32 teams participating in 8 groups of 4 teams from September 14th to December 8th.

The top two teams in each group advance to the Champions League finals, while the third-placed team in their group advances to the UEFA Europa League knockout round play-offs. 4th place in the group, well, it was just a stupid dropout.

Newcastle, along with Sevilla, Trabzonspor, and Viktoria Plzen, belong to Group C of the group stage and have been evaluated as ‘passable’, but experts analyzed that the upper and lower ranks will be relatively clear.

It was evaluated that Newcastle and Sevilla, which are ahead of each other in their weight class, would advance to the finals without difficulty, and at the same time, it was said that it would not be strange if either of them took first place.

In other words, the match between Newcastle and Sevilla, the two teams with overwhelming weight divisions in Group C, would be a watershed between group 1, so I expected the match to be that tight—

Contrary to experts’ expectations, the match was progressing with one-sided advantage.

* * *

There are many differences between soccer before the 1990s and modern soccer, but one of the biggest changes is “Systematization.”

Unlike the past, when players played relatively freely in tactics, organized movement has become much more important in modern football, where everything is subdivided.

For example, just look at the defense method.
In the past, defense largely depended on the player’s individual capabilities.

However, defense in modern football means organized pressure through team commitment.
It has become more important how to apply pressure as a team, how to move, and how to back up rather than the defensive capabilities of individual players.

In this advanced tactic, players are required to be smarter and tighter, and at the same time, more systematic pressure is required.

And these changes have made players with fewer disadvantages and more diverse tools more important than players with clear strengths.

Modern football, which is ‘systematized’, in which a lot of strikers are required to contribute defensively and defenders are also given a lot of responsibility offensively, has resulted in the disappearance of the traditional number 10 with Zidane and Riquelme.

The era of the ‘playmaker’, which was located in the center of the second line and focused on playmaking, collapsed under the pressure of a high degree of organization.

Wasn’t it already evident through Mesut Ozil that even the best players can’t withstand the systematic pressure of modern football?

However, omitting the build-up would just be a simple joke, so after many coaches’ agony, a new build-up method suitable for modern soccer emerged.

Putting the build-up starting point down.
In terms of how far it went down, it went from the center of the second line beyond the regista to the goalkeeper, giving birth to the concept of a sweeper keeper.

Now, the playmaker is located in the back where there is less pressure and is in charge of the build-up.
Now that so-called playmaking that starts from the back has become a natural trend in modern football, but people often ask questions.

“If Zidane was born late, or a genius among geniuses like Zidane, wouldn’t he be able to play the traditional number 10 role in modern football?”… Such a question.

An ‘IF’ like this always has no choice but to end without a conclusion, but today was different.

“Damn it, what the hell is that bastard… “

Starting as Sevilla’s defensive midfielder, Joao Felix wanted to erase from his memory the image of himself laughing at his opponent just before.

Based on his performance at Udinese Calcio in Serie A, Joao Felix, who succeeded in transferring to Sevilla, a Champions League qualifier this season, was evaluated as a successful signing.

This game, against Newcastle, is the last remaining gateway to his defense, which he proved on the Italian stage, a famous defensive player, and who was praised by fans for raising the team’s quality even further by supplementing the supply that Sevilla lacked last season.

An Asian who gave an unbelievable one-man show against Sevilla in the Europa League semifinals last season and gave the pain of elimination… It was a good opportunity to blow away even the doubts of some skeptical fans that they had to prove it against him.

“How the hell are you going to stop that… “

But that opportunity slipped out of his grasp like sand.
In real time.

“Joao! Stick! I can’t leave you free!”

I was very nervous at first.
That’s right, even if you’ve never faced him in person, he’s such a famous player that you can’t get to know him, and in the process of preparing for the match, everyone from the coaching staff to his teammates are wary of him, so it’s strange if you don’t pay attention.

However, once the game started, it was disappointing… No, even laughed out.
When defending, it seemed to move quite actively, but when attacking, it was so dull that I wondered if it could be so static.

‘As expected, as the coach said, he must have lacked stamina or hid his injuries.’

So, isn’t it about taking less activity like this?

Furthermore-

‘He came out with some kind of old-fashioned tactic.’

Contrary to the modern soccer trend, which tries to take as many build-up starting points as possible, the opponent was using an old-fashioned tactic of blatantly driving the ball to one player.

Entrusting the team’s build-up to an attacking midfielder in the center of the second line against Sevilla, which uses a defensive midfielder.

The fact that the ball is driven to one player means that the starting point of the build-up is concentrated on one player, so if only that player is blocked, the opposing team can be incapacitated… It also meant that if we couldn’t block that one player, the opponents who put a lot of pressure on the build-up would be able to rampage more easily.

It’s funny to see the opponent trying to build up the front, like you would see in a match video a long time ago, but what’s even funnier is the static movement of the team’s alpha and omega player.

In order to avoid the pressure of the opponent, you have to constantly move, get out of sight, preoccupy a good spot, and penetrate properly, but this guy just walks around and tries to receive the ball at the center of the pressure.

He was wary of such a player and even lost his resolve, but the moment he became pathetic,

“… Uh?”
“Poronga!! Joan, what are you doing!!”

Opponent’s strange trapping opened the pass path at once.

“Sorry. I was careless. I’ll focus.”

But next time—

“Joao!!”
“Shit. Sorry, that’s a mistake I will press harder.”

Even after that—

“Jooaaaaang!!”
“…….”

Only then did I realize
The opponent didn’t have to move much.

Because I didn’t feel the pressure as pressure in the first place.

* * *

The ball that had been in the middle of the fight rolls under your feet.
In the course of the competition, the ball was accidentally hit by someone’s foot and flowed out unintentionally, but as if he had waited, he lightly secured possession and turned his body round and round.

The most basic and equally difficult thing in offensive play is to turn toward the opponent’s camp after securing possession of the ball.

Shouldn’t you turn your body toward the opponent’s camp to play aggressively, whether you make a forward pass or break through the dribble?

However, it is very difficult to perform this simple movement in a real game.
Because unless the opponent is an idiot, there is no way I can leave it alone.

It is often said that the moment when a player is most vulnerable to pressure is when he receives the ball.
A player trying to receive a pass inevitably focuses his eyes and nerves on the ball, and his body is out of balance for trapping.

So, if you are a defender, when the opponent receives the ball, you have to stick as close as possible to the back and apply pressure, and it is not easy to turn around in this situation. If you are an average player.

But it’s so easy for me to take off the pressure of just one player, especially to trick a player of this mediocre skill.

If you’re a so-called wallcle, it’s a little difficult for me, but if you’re not yet up to the wallcle, but if you’re a good enough player, you’ll react more sensitively to my minor painting.

So, after peeling it off with this simple trapping or painting action… Various pass routes appear in front of me.
Like now.

It only takes 1 second to receive the ball and turn around.
Trapping, painting, and turning were done almost simultaneously, and the passing that followed was also instant.

A pass straight to the penalty box as soon as you turn around.
And the Sevilla defense moves urgently as Newcastle’s attackers on both sides rush out as if they were waiting.

Fortunately, it was Newcastle who secured the ball first, but the urgent shot just floated into the air and a good opportunity was destroyed.

No matter how much it is a kill pass, the striker who blew a decisive pass like my picture cannot look good. Still can’t beat it

“It’s okay. Well done. Let’s do it one more time.”

It’s embarrassing, but wasn’t I also called the king of riots at one time?

“Sorry Hong! I’ll be sure to put it in next time, so please ask again.”
“Minjoon!! Me too!! Me too!!”
“Okay, calm down.”

Besides, I blew my chance at these little kids who look up to me.
Well, they are also pros, but I can’t put it in even once. If you create 3 or 5 chances, you will eventually get it.

… If I still can’t put it in, can I get a star?
I have to put it in myself