Chapter 338 – Goalkeeper Minjun Hong (1)
338
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the overtime was generally ‘snowy’.
In Korea and Spain, the tempo was violently raised from the start, so even though they consumed more stamina than usual, they didn’t even know it was hard because they were drunk on the World Cup stage and the taste of advancing to the finals.
But no matter how much adrenaline rushes, there is a limit.
Mental strength is an important factor that cannot be ignored, but it alone does not solve everything in the world. When the doping state ended, a strong rebound came.
In Spain, that was just my ‘scorpion kick’.
Korea? What is Korea… It reached its limits earlier than Spain.
If you can run properly even in this state, that’s a human or a zombie.
Both teams were running exhausted, so they couldn’t produce a proper performance, and the overtime went into garbage time.
Watching a blinding game from the goal post—
‘Write… I thought the goalkeeper was fun too, but it’s not like that either. It’s a very passive position.’
I was bored and wanted to die.
Now, I wonder why goalkeepers want to play as field players in practice games, and why Lee Gi-ta or Kim Byeong-ji always dribbles and runs out.
But the boring time is now over.
Because the overtime ended without an income.
From June 1, 2016, a rule was introduced to add one replacement card in overtime.
This rule is still in force even now in 2038, and our team, which did not use a replacement card in overtime, still has one card left.
“Whoa… Keeper is—”
Even though they didn’t play the game, the coach’s sharp gaze, drenched in sweat, scans the faces of the two goalkeepers.
As the goalkeeper is a special position, it is essential to have reserve personnel in case of emergency.
In the World Cup, a total of three players are called from the first goalkeeper, the main player, to the third goalkeeper, the spare’s spare. Of these, the first goalkeeper was lost due to injury, and even the spare, the second goalkeeper, suffered a toe injury while dribbling as a field player during a practice game. Wearing condition.
He is not the first goalkeeper, he is the second goalkeeper, and the degree of injury is not so great that it did not become an issue, but an injury is an injury. I can go to the game, but it can’t be without an impact.
That’s why the coach pondered over and over until the moment of the penalty shootout and the end of the game.
My whole body was drenched in a cold sweat.
“As for the goalkeeper— Minjun goes as it is.”
Joy and sorrow are mixed at the director’s declaration.
Woo-tae, the second goalkeeper, let out a sigh of regret mixed with relief, and Chang-hyung, the third goalkeeper, dropped his head in regret, but most of the players nodded as if it were natural.
But.
The impact of the great save show I showed as a goalkeeper in the practice game was great.
In particular, in a 1:1 match, that is, in a penalty kick situation, my save rate was good, but it was too good.
Because he was a master of original psychology, and his reflexes were more than that of a wild animal.
But even so, it is true that my 1:1 save rate is really good enough to make me wonder.
Nevertheless, taking the goalkeeper position half-jokingly in a practice game is different from the actual game, and considering that it is not an ordinary regular match, but a stage to decide whether to advance to the World Cup finals, it must not have been easy to choose me despite the unbelievable performance shown in the practice game. … Unlike the goalkeepers, who are nervous and shake their hands, I think my calm appearance led the coach to make a decision.
In such an important position, it is not common sense to entrust the goalkeeper to a player who is not even a goalkeeper, even though he has shown great performances in practice games.
That’s why the director’s decision is great.
* * *
“What is this! Is this correct! Republic of Korea, Hong Min-joon will be the goalkeeper!”
“Ah… Director Park Ki-young made a great decision. I turned down the professional goalkeeper and left the goal to Hong Min-jun!”
After the names of Korea and Spain were released, the commentators shouted in unison.
– ㅋㅋ ㅋㅋㅋ ㅋㅋㅋ ㅋㅋㅋ ㅅㅂ really is this?
—Goalkeeper Hong haha
—Distant variety show lol
—No, I really don’t understand. Why is Hong Min-joon the goalkeeper? You have to score goals. Why use it as a goalkeeper?
—If that’s the case, Hong Min-joon won’t shoot? (I really don’t know)
—Why are there so many ignorant bastards;;
—Ah, everyone, shut up and see Hong Min-jun, don’t you believe it?
— I thought it was a thrilling variety show, but it was a documentary. I don’t know?
No matter how explosive people’s reactions are, it doesn’t get passed on to the players in the arena.
Not to mention, the players ahead of the 12-yard (11m) penalty shootout called Russian Roulette had no mind to pay attention to the reaction outside the stadium.
* * *
The goalposts and order for the shootout were decided.
I tried to move my thick goalkeeper gloves while inhaling the tense air that seemed to explode at any moment.
“Isn’t it inconvenient?”
My height of over 180 is not short, but compared to goalkeepers who are said to be the tallest average height in soccer, I definitely belong to a small axis.
The bigger the body, the bigger the hands.
As a striker, I couldn’t have prepared custom goalkeeper gloves, so I had no choice but to borrow some goalkeeper gloves and wear them. Of course, the gloves of fellow goalkeepers who were longer than me, whether in height, hands, or fingers, could not fit my hands.
“It’s a bit big, but I can’t help it. Are you okay.”
He clenched his fists and slowly headed towards the goal.
Standing tall in the center of the goal and turning around, you can see the ground at a glance.
Good.
Who is the first
Usually, in a penalty shoot-out, the first and last place is the trust man.
Why? Of course, the beginning and the end are the most burdensome and pressured.
In fact, penalty kicks are theoretically an unfair game that the goalkeeper cannot stop.
The distance between the ball and the goal post at the time of penalty kick is 11m.
It may look short on the screen, but it is by no means short.
If you stand in a real stadium where you take a penalty kick, you will feel that 11m is farther than you think.
But for the average person as well as for the pros, 11m is literally a blink of an eye.
If you have pro-level shooting power, it takes just 0.4 seconds for the ball to reach the goal line. A time that can be reached in the blink of an eye.
No matter how good the goalkeeper’s reflexes are, it is impossible to see the direction of the ball and launch the body in 0.4 seconds with a ‘human body’.
In other words, as long as the kicker kicks well into the corner, the theoretical penalty kick success rate is almost 100%.
But will the penalty kick success rate reach 100% in real life? Of course not. If so, would the penalty kick be so chewy?
Theoretically, the success rate is 100%, but that is just a theory, the reality is different.
In reality, irrational things have a huge impact.
Therefore…
‘I can stop it!’
Even if Spain’s first kicker is Lola Rueda, captain of the Invincible Armada and dead ball specialist!
Lola Rueda, who stepped on the area around the penalty spot, carefully raises the ball.
Watching it leisurely, turning his ankle in the center of the goal, slowly started his lips.
“Yumma. Do you think you can do better with that? No way Ah— no way! I, Hong Min-joon, are guarding the goal, but I’m going to score a goal? No way!! Cancer! Ah!! Aaaaa!!!”
“Hey! Referee!”
“Hong! Be quiet!!”
Such a cowardly bastard. You’re messing with the referee.
Because of the referee, my trump card was sealed.
‘But Pundun is only 1% of my strength!’
Even after the referee’s whistle blew, he stood still with his hands on his hips and took a deep breath. He started off late, but reached it in an instant.
‘Left? Right? Where are you? Where are you, where are you, where are you… !!’
The moment when the guy who ran from the start to the moment of shooting did not even look at me, the goalkeeper, only staring at the ball, and got into the shooting stance.
Is it his instinct as a striker? I realized intuitively.
‘It’s on the left!!’
Even if the direction is correct, the height remains.
If you run toward a high corner and it lands low, or if you run low and fly high, it’s useless.
My pick was the high left corner.
* * *
“Spain’s first kicker is captain Lola Rueda. He is a dead-ball specialist with 9 goals from free kicks this season as well. The penalty kick success rate is also very high.”
“Now, put the ball down… Hong Min-joon, you have to stop it. I have to block it. Lola Rueda Schout!! Hong Min-jun, this is Hong Min-jun!!”
“I stopped!! Magasoo yo oh oh clothes!!! Hong Min-joo Woo-woon!!!”
The commentators, who had been shouting at the sight of Hong Min-jun, who had fallen down after punching the ball, got up and roared, stiffened.
“Uh… What, what? The Spanish coach protests… What is the situation?”
“The referee declares VAR! How is this— uh, uh huh? Foul, Foul Declaration! Target… This is Minjun Hong!!”
* * *
Accurately predict the location and shoot as soon as you fly.
He rolled across the ground feeling the sharp impact of his clenched fist.
“Aaaaah—! Did you see the fuck!! This is me!! This is Hong Min-joon, fuck you~!!”
Jumping high and not knowing the shock of the fall, he jumped up and roared, and his colleagues came running at once.
“Sir baaal! Hong Min-joon you crazy bastard! You really do it!!”
“You madman! Fucking bastard! You bastard!!”
“Turn it off—!! It came!!”
The moment he stood tall and opened his arms wide to greet his comrades,
“Referee!! Hey, Referee!!”
The Spanish coach jumped out and foamed at the mouth, then the referee declared VAR.
… What?
Wait impatiently for a while.
The referee, who had just arrived, declared a foul. To me.