Chapter 259 – 2nd Pro Final Stage (2)
259
Hold the Escort Kids’ hand and enter the ground.
Today’s match is the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16.
As it is the Champions League final, which is the stage of dreams, it would be nice to fight with all our might, but the EFL Cup final was waiting just five days later.
Realistically, the only thing Newcastle can aim for is the EFL Cup with ‘only one game’ left, and the goal of the board is also to win the EFL Cup.
Since the importance of the next game is so great, even in the ‘Champions League’, wouldn’t it be a little slow in the first leg… However, the coach’s choice was to put in the best 11 and fight with all one’s might.
The idea was to mobilize all forces until this game and the next game, the EFL Cup final, and discard the FA Cup round of 16 three days later.
What… It’s the coach’s plan. Anyway, the starting lineup is the coach’s own authority.
As a player, I can only do my best in the game I play in.
The Champions League theme song, Ligue Des Champions, plays as the teammates, referees, referees, and Lille players take their seats.
Coming from the group stage… No, it’s a familiar song that I’ve heard since I started dreaming of becoming a soccer player in earnest, but why does it feel so different today?
The lyrics in German, English, and French don’t mean much, but there is something about ‘Ligue Des Champions’ that makes a man’s heart beat faster.
The song stops and the head referee, assistant referee, and the Lille players to face today shake hands and go to their seats.
LOSC Lille Lille Olympique Sporting Club Lille Métropole.
This historic French club, where ‘Ethan Hazard’ once belonged, succeeded in boarding the last train of the Champions League finals after a lot of hard work.
Lille, which was tied in Group E with Portugal’s strong Porto, Netherlands’ strong force Ajax, and Spain’s Real Madrid, had to struggle with three teams, Porto and Ajax, excluding Real Madrid, to finish second in the group.
It’s Real Madrid, I’m just watching the fight of the dickheads leisurely from up there.
The Lil team, who managed to advance to the finals after a fierce battle with each other casting ‘I can do it!?’, Were full of determination,
“Uh… ?”
In the 11th minute of the first half, they gave up the opening goal in vain, despite their determination.
To me.
* * *
“Newcastle and Lille exchanged intensely from the start! Baum Johan sends the ball back. The goalkeeper catches the ball and kicks it! Ball going far. Hong Min-joon follows. You think you’re leaving? With the back of the defense and blocking with the body… Uh? Did you take it out? Goal as it is!!”
A ball back-passed to the goalkeeper during a heated battle for possession in the midfield area.
A situation where Newcastle’s goalkeeper Yomund’s long kick landed at the end of the opponent’s half, and Hong Min-jun’s sprint seemed to end meaninglessly.
However, Hong Min-joon, who continued the sprint to the end, got the job done.
In order to release the ball as it is, he pulled the ball out between the legs of the opposing defender who was guarding the rolling ball with Hong Min-jun on his back.
Hong Min-jun, who hurriedly twisted his body and avoided the attempted tackle with a light touch, pushed the ball away for a long time and then shot and scored the first goal.
“Oh~ It’s a wonderful goal created by Hong Min-joon’s tenacity in chasing the goalkeeper’s long pass to the end.”
“Newcastle take the lead, scoring the first goal in the 11th minute.”
Although Lille is a prestigious player in the French league, it was the opinion of experts and fans that they were inferior to Newcastle in terms of objective power, and it was true that there was actually a gap in the quality of the squad.
It is not a huge gap, so the result can change depending on tactics or momentum, but the moment the momentum shakes by allowing the first goal in a situation where there is no tactical gap, the result is obvious.
Lille, who was in a hurry to score an equalizer, allowed Newcastle to counterattack and score an additional goal.
The goal was scored by wide striker Nicolas Hosman, who received José Gaya’s superb space pass.
In an instant, the situation became 2:0, and the reel was on the offensive at the start of the second half, but sure enough, soon after, Hong Min-joon’s solo dribble broke through two people and collapsed as it was.
“Hong Min-Jun’s second goal comes out! Hong Min-joon scoring his 10th Champions League goal this season!”
“Is this player the first player to enter the Champions League!! This is Hong Min-joon, who scored his 10th goal in his Champions League debut season!”
As soon as the score was 3:0, Newcastle coach Botman replaced the starting lineup early and prepared for the next match, the EFL Cup final.
The first leg of the round of 16 between Newcastle and Lille ended with Newcastle’s one-sided victory, enough to feel the difference in weight class.
It was a game where the winning spirit was high from the beginning, so the players were able to save their stamina and gained momentum.
The opponent in the next match, the EFL Cup final, was the traditional strongman United.
* * *
The prize money for winning the EFL Cup, commonly called the League Cup, is only £100,000.
At least, the broadcasting rights from the finals, advertisement fees, and spectator admission fees are distributed, but even that amount is a little over 1 million pounds.
In the end, the amount of money received by winning is just over 1 million pounds, which is only 1 billion units when converted into Korean currency.
It is clear that more than 1 billion is a lot of money for the general public, but in the EPL, which is famous for its money, 1 billion is equivalent to a small amount of money.
Liverpool’s veteran striker Nicolo Zaniolo and Man City’s Alfredo Fedula, who are said to be the highest paid in the EPL, are less than two weeks’ worth of wages.
At least, the championship cup of a historic competition is given and the right to advance to the club competition is given, but it is the conference league, and it is not the final round, but the final qualifying round for the playoffs.
A team in the bottom ranks may consider it an opportunity to enter the club competition even in the conference league, but from the perspective of a team aiming to advance to the Champions League, the conference league, which is not the Europa, does not stand out.
In that sense, the League Cup cannot be said to be a very meaningful competition for Newcastle and Manchester United, who are competing in the top four.
What does a conference league that is not Europa mean to Manchester United, which is desperately fighting for 4th place, let alone Newcastle, who were fighting for the league title until the first half?
From the prize money to the benefits of winning, it is a tournament that is only good if you really have it, but it is the final.
It is the only championship cup that can be ‘realistic’ for Manchester United, which is a prestigious tradition, but has long been away from winning, and Newcastle, which has only a deep history and is far from winning, so both teams predicted an all-out battle in the final stage.
And February 25, the day the League Cup final is held.
“This is Wembley, Wembley Stadium, where the EFL Cup final is held. Earlier, the Manchester United coaching staff and team interviews went out, but this time, the Newcastle interview is waiting, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. All the Manchester United players who are having a harsh season this time were very determined. The atmosphere at Manchester United isn’t that good right now, is it?”
“Isn’t the most important thing, isn’t it league performance? But Manchester United, now in 6th place in the league, 6th place. We are one or two steps behind in the top-four race.”
“At least, we are cruising in the Europa League, but the league results are disappointing. In that sense, Man Utd is aiming for a reversal of the atmosphere by winning this game without fail! And the opponent is Newcastle led by Hong Min-jun!! Shall we watch Minjun Hong’s interview for a while?”
Hong Min-joon bows to the screen that changes.
[Hello, this is Minjun Hong. It’s so nice to meet the fans who support us in Korea, even through video, and we’ll do our best to show performance that meets the expectations of the fans who support us until late.]
Even a banal interview is done with a shining face, so even that becomes an interview with sincerity.
[Oh yeah. There are a lot of Man U fans in Korea… I would appreciate it if you would support me more than Man United today. Do you know Jehan Hong?]
Finally, a pleasant comment.
“Keu~ Our player, Minjun Hong, is a really great player. Hasn’t he already crossed the 50-goal mark for the season?”
“I am scoring 53 goals for the season. He still has a long way to go in the season and already has 53 goals. There is really no doubt about Hong Min-joon’s individual skills.”
“But when I looked… Hong Min-joon, despite having such skills, this is the second final in his professional career.”
The commentator’s head nodded at Caster’s pitiful cry.
“Okay. There were college league finals and Olympic finals, but they were all pre-professional debuts. Surprisingly, the first final was last year’s Europa League, Minjun Hong.”
“Isn’t this what happened because my pro career was short? Still, Hong Min-jun, you just have to build up step by step from now on. He is a player who is capable enough to do that.”
“Ah~ the moment I said that, the referee blows his whistle. The EFL Cup Final, Hong Min-Jun’s second final in his professional career, has begun soon!”