Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: The Starting Lineup -4-
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“···”
“···”
Toni and Luca exchanged a glance.
Both were clutching their heads in their hands.
Their expressions were even more of a spectacle.
Their eyes were wide as if they might pop out, and their mouths were agape, looking as if their jaws might drop.
A moment of silence.
It was Coach Luca who recovered from the shock first.
“Pwoooo—”
Coach Luca frowned and shook his hands around noisily. It was a gesture typical of Italians. In Korean, it would mean, “I wet myself.”
It was my favorite pair of underwear, too...
“Ahem.”
Toni also came to his senses late and pretended to manage his expression. As if, *I expected this much.*
As if he had sent him out as a starter *because* he knew this would happen.
However, honestly, he couldn't hide his surprise.
“How many meters... did he break through by himself?”
“About forty, fifty meters?”
It was a crazy goal.
He caught the ball in midfield, exchanged a neat one-two pass while turning, used his speed while taking down an opponent with precise dribbling, and then boldly broke into the box to shake the net with a precise and powerful shot.
It was a story of him sprinting half the court by himself to score a goal.
If you look at the Napoli kids' expressions now, you'd know. Probably no one thought he would even attempt such a thing. That's why their reactions were late.
Sonestly, it was something we on this side hadn't expected either, so it wasn't their fault.
“Even if it wasn't a goal, I could have given him an 8. What are you trying to do by scoring a goal like this? Huh?”
“What am I trying to do? It means you have to hand-wash your underwear today.”
“Ha, seriously. He must have felt it during the game. *Huh? At this level, it's doable? I should just do it myself!* And then, boom. The end.”
At Luca's dramatic display, his face flushed, Toni chuckled and nodded.
Before the game, and even at the start.
Lee Ji-an looked quite tense.
He had no choice but to be.
His first start since transferring teams.
And the opponent was Napoli.
Even kids who play every week would be nervous in this situation, so for Ji-an, it must have been even worse.
But as he played the game, he must have felt it.
He knew the opponent was Napoli, and he knew Napoli was a good team...
But it still seemed doable.
Why?
He was doing on the field exactly what he did in practice, and Napoli couldn't interfere with it.
Oh? It's going my way?
The moment he realized that, he must have felt it instinctively.
That he could afford to be bold.
The result was that crazy, godly, fantastic goal from just now.
“That's just... something else.”
Toni shuddered. As a director, as a leader, what is the greatest thrill he can feel? It's definitely watching his player grow right before his eyes.
That's how it was right now.
Lee Ji-an is a genius. But he doesn't know it. No, maybe he didn't *want* to know. That was the kind of personality he had. His environment made him that way.
Yet, that kid showed a play that seemed to trust himself.
“This is the thrill of youth sports.”
This is why youth coaching is so attractive. It's the only place where you can watch your disciples grow day by day.
Is that all? Being able to witness the birth of a star before anyone else is also a privilege unique to youth coaches. It's quite fun to boast later, when everyone else is excitedly wondering where such a genius came from, that you knew from the start.
“Didn't you say that last time? That you were looking forward to a year from now.”
“Huh? Ah, I did.”
“There's no need to wait a year.”
“Yes. Let me correct that. I'm looking forward to next week. Next week.”
Luca and Toni looked at Ji-an and shook their heads.
The crazy talent that had been hiding within him was stretching its limbs. The desire to show that talent to the world as soon as possible welled up inside him.
*
The first half ended, and they returned to the locker room.
“Back there, you should have passed it sooner.”
“Guys! Drop back on defense faster! It was dangerous for us!”
“Are you going to keep losing people in the box? Why do you keep looking only at the ball?”
The locker room was noisy.
They had finished the first half leading 1-0, but perhaps the performance wasn't to their liking. They kept giving each other feedback and holding endless discussions.
It might sound like they're fighting when you listen, but they call it feedback and discussion.
In Italy, this level is considered a very polite discussion.
People here have a fiery side to them.
I was mistaken for it at first, but now I just take it as it is.
“Sht! Get your act together!”
...They're not fighting. Really.
They're just a bit intense in their expressions.
“Hoo—”
Anyway.
In the middle of it all, I sat quietly and let out a long breath.
My body is hot. My neck is a bit stiff too.
For some reason, my arms and legs are trembling visibly.
‘I was crazy.’
The tension and excitement are crashing over me like waves, late. It was just a moment ago, but I can't even remember what I was thinking while playing.
I must have been so tense I couldn't even feel it. That's why the backlash is crashing in now.
It felt like I played the game in a state almost like unconsciousness.
That's why I could make that choice back then.
My god.
To think of dribbling the ball all the way up by myself and taking a shot.
If I had been in my right mind, I wouldn't have done it.
Absolutely not.
I was crazy for a moment, so I did that nonsensical thing.
The funny thing is, it actually went in.
Maybe it was because the opponent didn't expect it either. They probably never thought a black-haired kid they'd never heard of would dare do that there.
They're probably dumbfounded right now too.
Well... whatever.
I was lucky, but strangely, I don't feel any anxiety.
I usually felt anxious whenever I displayed abilities beyond what I had. It was the pressure of *Can I do this next time too? I have to.*
But now... I don't feel that.
Why?
Is it because it felt like I could do it again like I did this time... that this wasn't just a fluke, but something I did with my own ability?
You're really crazy, Ji-an.
Pretending to be a genius has made you think you really are one. A fool who wants to look like a genius no matter what.
“Hoo—”
Anyway.
It's still not enough.
Playing 45 minutes and scoring one goal? Ji-woo might interrogate me. Even if I say I'm a genius, I can't score in every game, and since the opponent is a strong team, this is already amazing, but that excuse won't work on the unreasonable Ji-woo.
And I don't want to make such excuses anyway.
After acting so high and mighty. It would be embarrassing.
More than anything... I was so out of it earlier that I couldn't do a celebration. If it ends like this, Ji-woo might nag my ears off.
I promised him before the game I'd do a celebration if I scored.
I learned that promises must be kept.
It's not that I want to do a celebration for Ji-woo.
It's solely to keep my promise.
“Alright! Gather around, gather around!”
As the second half approached, Coach Luca called us together. We received the instructions we needed to know, and we all shouted a word of encouragement together.
“Forza—!”
“Viola—!!”
We left the locker room for the second half.
*
It seemed I didn't have much time left. When we were leaving the locker room earlier, Coach Toni called me over and checked on my condition.
He said I looked exhausted. He told me to raise my hand without hesitation if I felt I couldn't run anymore, and I said I understood.
My body definitely felt heavy, and my breathing was rough. It had been a long time since I'd played this long, and I had used up a lot of concentration throughout the first half. I was definitely in an exhausted state, even if I didn't feel it at the time.
In that case, I have to concentrate more.
Short and strong.
I'll think of it as just 10 minutes. In those 10 minutes, I'll try to make just one more.
“Hold the line, the line!”
“Don't get pushed back!”
Is it because they're down by a point? Or is it because they're frustrated that they conceded a goal to a kid like me?
The opponent started the second half with even more momentum than at the beginning of the first.
The defensive line, which was already high, became even higher. Their center backs were crossing the half-line, positioning themselves in line with me.
Their will to score an equalizer is coming through...
It's scary, but on the other hand, I think it's an opportunity. If I look back, the space is wide open. There's no better environment for a counterattack.
I tried to cover as much space as I could while cheering for our defense to cut off the ball.
At the same time, if the ball is cut off, I prepare by simulating in my head how to continue the counterattack.
During the first half, the opponent mainly attacked from the left... and it's the same now. They seem to be trying to find a way through on the left... so the opposite side is wide open. So if I were to go on a counter, I would use the left side space...
Paang-!
Ah, it's happened.
The opponent's pass was intercepted.
I was watching the opponent's attack with my mind working, and I moved the moment their pass was cut off.
“Hey-!”
I ran to the position I had thought of and shouted for the ball.
Paang-!
As the ball came to me, I hit a through pass toward the left side as I had calculated.
Poooooong-!
And then I run.
I sprint at full speed along the left half-space.
I intentionally put a bit of force on the pass.
Speed is life in a counterattack. It's to utilize Bruno's maximum speed.
I run with all my strength so I can keep up with that Bruno.
“Turn back!”
“Delay them!”
While running, I hear the urgent shouts of the opposing players, and hearing their voices gave me a bit of certainty. That I had switched to a counterattack well and quickly.
And that became confidence, and I moved with certainty about the next play in my calculation.
Paang-!
Bruno, who was ahead, caught the ball.
In front of him was the opposing fullback chasing him, and in the center, Enzo and the opposing defenders were running toward the box.
In the meantime, the opponent's response was decent.
The fullback's backcheck was fast, successfully blocking Bruno from getting in while using his speed.
There was nothing he could do, so like in the beginning of the first half, Bruno tried to take him on one-on-one after tapping the ball in from the left corner of the box.
I ran to Bruno's left.
To cut inside to the left side.
Tatatat-!
The moment I passed by behind Bruno,
Tatat-!
Bruno cuts inside toward the center.
Today, in this situation, Bruno's choice was always a shot. The opposing defense knows this too, so they close in front of the goal to block it.
However, Bruno's choice was not a shot.
Paaaaang-!
A through pass.
Bruno stabbed a through pass in the direction I was running, that is, to the left side of the box.
It was a play we had already practiced in training. A route that utilizes Bruno's simple attack pattern, which is called 'macro', against them.
Chwaaaaa-
The ball sucks in under my feet.
I relax my ankle as much as possible and gently receive the ball. The ball, having lost speed, makes a *foos* sound and stops about two steps ahead.
Up to here, everything was as I had calculated.
But from here on, even I don't know.
Pooooooong-!
I hit it with the feeling of *let whatever happens, happen.*
It wasn't a situation where I could aim for a specific spot.
I was dying of exhaustion.
Luckily, the impact seemed to be just right...
Shwooooooong-
...Is it too straight?
No.
It's actually good.
Smack-!!
The shot that went over the goalkeeper's head pierced the inside of the goal.
“···”
The moment I confirmed it, I looked for Ji-woo with my eyes first. The promise... I have to keep it. Ah, he's there. He's jumping up and down again. It looks like he's shouting something, but my ears aren't working well.
My heart feels like it's going to burst from the strain...
I ran toward him. Suddenly... the words Ji-woo said in the past came to mind. That the stomach for rice and the stomach for dessert are separate. That no matter how full you are from rice, you can still eat dessert.
Why is that coming to mind now? Well, I don't know.
It's strange that my body is moving even though I feel like I can't run anymore.
Stamina for soccer and stamina for celebrations are separate.
I might not have the strength to run anymore, but it seems I have the strength left for a celebration.
I sent a two-fingered salute toward Ji-woo.
After being teased so much, why am I doing this again?
I don't know.
I don't know, but strangely, the thought of going home with Ji-woo after the game started to excite me.