Chapter 244 – Boxing Day (4)
244
8 minutes in the second half.
By the time even the enthusiastic Newcastle home fans, who expected to show a different performance from the poor first half, lost hope.
The reverse happened then.
“Yo~ Yo~ Bro~ Did you give up already? Huh? Are you suddenly speechlesshaha, yes, I should give up at this point— Huh!”
Perhaps the fluttering snout is also a kind of psychological warfare, but Mbaba, who has been constantly talking, twists his body in amazement.
“Hey, hey! I was surprised. Are there any sudden movements? But what if I get a pass? Isn’t it time to give up?”
As usual, as before, when I went down to receive the ball, the pass came straight away.
When the situation is difficult and the game is not going well, it is natural to rely on a reliable player.
In this match against Chelsea, I was blocked by Mbaba and couldn’t show a good performance, but his teammates still seem to trust me.
Then, now I have to repay the trust of my teammates.
Because… Because that’s Ace’s destiny.
The offense’s first priority is to turn toward the opponent’s goal when receiving the ball.
You have to keep your eyes on the opponent’s goal to be able to spot gaps in the defense or movements of your teammates, and you have to face the goal in order to shoot, pass, or dribble.
In that sense, as soon as I received the ball, I couldn’t turn my body to the pressure that came in and couldn’t see the current status as a successful trapping.
Trapping is not just holding the ball safely, but putting it in the best condition for the next play.
Usually, I used to show off plays that thrilled the crowd with just the first touch.
I used to catch the ball so that I could get out of the pressure in one trap or play the next aggressive play.
It is rare to see him enter the competition with Mbaba as he is now, but it is a familiar sight that has come up so often in this Chelsea game.
So the home fans sighed.
“It’s blocked again.”
“It’s the same as the first half again.”
“Is Hong Min-joon not able to do much?”
“If you try to break through here, you will be blocked.”
To the spectators, it would look like he was leaning back against Mbaba and moving the ball around to pass the time.
But now Mbaba and I were in the middle of a fierce confrontation.
‘Also-‘
If you put strength on the left side, the guy will also shift the weight to the left side. If you move the center to the right, the guy will lean to the right as well.
Even with very fine and delicate balance shifts, I can feel that he follows me like a ghost through my back to back.
‘I’m confident.’
Unlike me, he showed no signs of hiding, a gesture full of confidence that he could stop you from popping out anywhere.
“Bro, are you going to keep moving around like crazy? Will you stop now?”
A heavy pressure feeling different from a light spout.
There’s a reason he’s definitely considered one of the best centre-backs in the world.
It is only hidden by monstrous athletic ability, but Mbaba also has a world-class defensive sense.
That’s why it was so hard to break through the first half.
But not now.
It’s not easy… It’s not that I wasn’t sure if I could do it like the first half,
【Technology】
[Skill 80 ▶ 90] [Dribble 80 ▶ 90] [Trapping 79 ▶ 80] [Short Pass 65] [Long Pass 65] [Shot 85] [Free Kick 42] [Header 41] [Tackle 40]
【Mental】
[Vision 65] [Anticipation 60] [Judgment 70] [Concentration 65] [Off the Ball 65] [Space Mark 50] [Peace 65] [Leadership 43] [Teamwork 60]
【Body】
[Agility 90] [Acceleration 90] [Balance 80] [Agility 80 ▶ 83] [Reaction 80 ▶ 85] [Power 70] [Jump 51] [Endurance 70] [Recovery 70]
【Hidden】
[Genius 80] [Charisma 95] [Intelligence 70]
【Height 182.7cm｜75kg】
【Possess Points 68 ▶ 1P】
Because I’m pretty sure I can break through.
* * *
The moment Hong Min-jun entered the competition with Mbaba on his back, Lorenzo Federico grinned.
“Although hidden behind his outstanding individual abilities, Hong Min-jun is a player with many weaknesses.”
“A weakness? Hongi?”
“Okay. Look at it now Hong is a typical physical player. He doesn’t look like that because he’s slim and avoids competition, but he always plays with superior physical abilities.”
“The director just saw and knew the weakness, so why did no one know about it until now?”
“I don’t know. I know everything. The manager and coaches are not blind and can’t know.”
I know, but I just couldn’t stop it.
It is a physical ability that even a few players cannot follow.
Speed? Agility? Reaction rate? Body balance?
In the EPL, where the best of the best gather, there are quite a few better players than him.
However, a player who has all those physical abilities to a high level evenly is rare in the EPL, and considering the excellent technique, it becomes difficult to prevent even knowing.
“And that style is bound to be eaten when you meet a player with superior physical ability or not inferior to defensive skills who are not dazzled by technique. Like now.”
“Is that a weakness? After all, he doesn’t have the same defensive and physical abilities as Mbaba, and he can’t be stopped.”
“… Is not it.”
If he hadn’t had Mbaba, how would he have reacted?
‘It’s hard to respond unless you have the athletic ability of Mbaba. If I had to block it, I’d have to close the space so it wouldn’t gain speed. Surprisingly, his technique is overrated, so if you calculate the distance and block it so that it doesn’t break through at once—’
Lorenzo Federico, who entered into a tactical consideration even during the game, woke up immediately at the urgent voice of the coach.
“Uh, uh uh!! Uh uh!!!”
“What. Why is that— what… ?”
Where I looked reflectively.
There was an unbelievable result that he had not calculated.
“De, did you pierce it with a dribble?”
The first time Hong Min-joon forced himself to turn around, a small amount of profanity flowed from the crowd.
Same pattern as the first half. When the game was not resolved, it was thought that Hong Min-joon was trying to play too much again.
Hong Min-joon was like that.
He always showed reckless challenging and aggressive play.
If it works well, it becomes a play that is more splendid than anyone else and makes the viewer go wild, but if it fails, it becomes a play that is worse than not playing.
Until now, I didn’t know because it worked well, but Hong Min-joon’s appearance in the Chelsea game gave Toonami a disappointment.
“No matter how much you feel the weight of an ace, aren’t you overdoing it? Turn back now.”
“It’s ball hogging again. He can’t. He’s a guy who plays succinctly when things go well for him. Look at it even now, because the game is not going well, he is overdoing his own play again.”
Complaints popping up here and there.
That is why the cheers broke out belatedly.
When Mbaba pushed his shoulder towards Hong Min-joon, who turned his body with a jerk.
When Hong Min-joon, pushed by the competition, loses his balance and stumbles.
As Mbaba’s studs try to reach the ball.
Hong Min-jun’s magic was from that moment on.
[Papa, I got out!! Hong Min-joon’s magical ballkeeping!! Alas, run, run! Hong Min-joon is running!!]
At the cry of his excited wife, Unseo, Toonami stood up all at once.
Tremendous cheers echoing the home stadium pouring over the ground.
A series of magic began to unfold at the feet of Hong Min-jun, who ran away leaving behind Mbaba, who had lost his balance and hit his butt.
[Ah! Dodge the tackle with a simple drag-back, turn! Marseille— No, McGeady, McGeady turn!!]
The timely tackle of defensive midfielder João Donbas, who was in charge of the cover, who had not lost his concentration, was able to get the ball back and run away with a simple action, but the body of Juan Donbas, who collapsed after the tackle, took the path to the goal with his body. Since it was blocking it, the direction of progress had no choice but to be on the side.
However, what was waiting for him on the side was Chelsea’s midfielder, who was able to join quickly because of his full-back and lowered defensive line.
Even in the midst of urgency, a graceful turn action breaks through between the two players who are trying to push them to the line by dividing the roles of chaser and cover instead of rushing at the same time like excellent players.
It is very similar to the Marseille Turn, but if the Marseille Turn is a technique of breaking through in a straight line while turning the body once (360 degrees), the McGeady Spin is a technique of turning the body in the same way, but turning only three quarters of a turn (270 degrees) and breaking through at a right angle.
The only thing left in front of Hong Min-joon, who quickly turned at a right angle between the two side players and headed towards the goal, was only one centre-back.
And-
[Wow! Wow!! Even the last defender is peeled off with colorful flip flaps!! What the heck!!! What is this player!!!]
Then, as if celebrating a goalkeeper who jumps out, he shows the Marseille turn and turns around, kicking the ball with his heel over the goal line.
[Finally!! The goal is finally scored!! The main character is our ace!! Our lord, Castellan!! The Lord of Newcastle Hong Min-jun!!]
As if the first half, which was tied up tightly, was a lie, Hong Min-jun, who started to play a big role in the second half, scored two goals in a row, making Toonami go wild.
The momentum flared up and created a come-from-behind atmosphere, but the match ended in a 2:3 Chelsea win.