Chapter 102
Translator 8uhl
Chapter 102
Chapter Title The Eldest Son Craves Soccer
This is the second ChelseaNewcastle match at Stamford Bridge this season.
These two clubs had no real connection before, but theyve somehow become the hottest rivalry of the season.
The Premier League had long been dominated by Manchester City, with the other two big teams challenging them.
But now that structure had finally cracked, making the title race unpredictable for once. That was why this season was drawing more buzz than any before.
No one could call the winner.
And that meant todays FA Cup clash was drawing massive attention too.
It was a blockbuster that could offer hints at the champions.
Here are todays starting lineups.
Chelsea
FW SerettiSibiBauftini
MF KozakDeloaOrelena
DF JuninewDe NuchoKaiqueCruz
GK Destanoglu
Newcastle
FW RedleyIlinyuYoon Taeyang
MF AlbrechtMenendezGomez
DF LindemanMurisiArnoldSanchez
GK Ricella
Chelseas Wanderley is out injured, and Newcastle are missing Boxol and Bandia to injury as well.
Given Chelseas midfield, Newcastle must be regretting Boxols absence.
Yeah, with young Lindeman paired with Albrecht, that left side looks a bit shaky.
Albrecht was a mezzalastyle midfielder, often drifting wide.
Lindeman had to cover for him a lot, but being so young, people were voicing concerns.
Newcastle themselves werent too worried, though.
What Lindeman lacked was experience, not skill.
And while he didnt have much experience, he wasnt the type to get nervous in a match.
If he just played his natural game, hed be fine.
That was Artellis read.
Newcastles left flankthats our target.
Artelli trusted Albrecht and Lindeman, but Heath Jonathan saw them as Newcastles weak spot.
Their aggressive tendencies made it ripe for exploitation.
If Chelsea attacked their movements right, theyd gain the edge.
The issue is our defense.
Heath Jonathan eyed Taeyang, standing at his position ready for kickoff.
The one guy no data could predict.
Unquantifiable, through and through.
To Heath Jonathan, Taeyangwho defied statsbased soccerwas like a virus.
No telling what hed pull.
But they had to stop him somehow.
Shut down Taeyang, attack Newcastles lefttheyd win.
He was confident on the second count. The first? No clue.
So the conclusion was simple.
Score more goals than them.
Right then, the whistle blew.
His players rolled the ball forward aggressively.
Meanwhile, Artelli nodded from the Newcastle bench.
Countering in kind, huh.
Most top teams facing Newcastle did the same.
Intentionally or not, it often came down to who scored more.
But it wouldnt be easy this time.
As Chelsea attacked, Albrecht and Lindeman dropped into midfield together.
Menendez fell back deep.
Newcastle were so attackmindedwith Menendez always starting their movesthat people overlooked something he was the same type as those Real Madrid retirees like Tchouameni, Camavinga, or Valverde.
Today, Artelli had handed the backline to these three.
They could handle Chelseas flimsy attack.
But Artelli had overlooked one thing.
Basomo Sibi.
The kid whod notched five goals in his first three Premier League games after debuting couldnt be dismissed as some Club Brugge youth product.
Of course, Artelli thought the same and believed hed prepared accordingly.
He didnt know the player hadnt shown his full arsenal yet.
That this skinny 175cm guy was a beast in duels with insane sergeant jump height.
Theyd had little time to scout him properly.
Bauftini! Balls up!
Arnold and Sibi go up! Sibi heads it!
Sibi leaped a head higher than Arnold, nodding it goalward.
Goal!!
Chelsea strike first! Just 18 minutes in!
Sibis sergeant jumpwhats the measurement on that? Insane elevation. He dominated Arnold!
After scoring, Basomo Sibi clenched his fist and roared, then sprinted to the stands for an uppercut celebration.
Basomo Sibi soaking up the fans cheers! Given his impact since joining, he deserves every bit of their love!
What a player. Chelseas scouts must be in line for bonuseswho dug this gem up?
Basomo Sibis show wasnt over.
At the 35minute mark, Chelsea stole the ball from Albrecht and countered.
Just as Heath Jonathan planned, Cruz surged up Newcastles left and fed Bauftini, who dragged Murisi out of position and slipped it to Sibi in the gap.
Sibi let the ball run, slipped behind Arnold to shake him off, then shot and scored.
Basomo Sibi! The striker from Belgium does it again! Incredible!
Basomo Sibi!
This time, Basomo Sibi struck the Hulk pose for his celebration.
As he roared, he glanced at Yoon Taeyang.
He had to acknowledge him.
The Chelsea players wouldnt shut up about the name.
And wasnt he this seasons top scorer in the Premier League?
Yet he hadnt done a thing so far.
Or was it their defense doing its job?
Not all that after all?
But that thought would change from the second half onward.
Achoo.
I sneezed the moment we entered the locker room.
Honestly, I wasnt feeling great today.
Id caught a cold.
I rarely get them, but with Yeoreum having one, it was bound to spread.
Ugh, rough.
With my condition off, Chelseas defense felt brutal.
Even without defensive anchor Wanderley.
Guess Heath Jonathan drilled them hard.
Our coach was thorough on defense too, but Heath Jonathan seemed a level above there.
And in the midst of it, Chelsea put two past us.
Murisi and Arnolds chemistry wasnt synced yet, plus Bauftini and Basomo Sibi clicked well.
Basomo Sibi.
Who knew Newcastle snagging Ilinyu would butterflyeffect this guy here.
Hed been at Club Brugge until this season, then exploded at Atletico Madrid, fetched their record transfer fee, and moved to Liverpool.
The guys a stud.
One of humanitys top dogs in Dioss era.
Though, guys like that werent oneoffs.
Hey, that Sibi or whatever guys got two, and whatre you doing? Cold that bad?
Silva jabbed me as he asked.
I sneezed again and replied.
Sniff, body feels heavy, yeah.
Shouldve popped a cold pill.
Couldnt find one without banned stuffbarely worked.
Ah.
Silva shook his head and offered me a banana. The guy whod been hiding his stash mustve pitied me.
Super sweet, this.
Todays bananas were extra sweet.
Was I just craving sugar?
Come to think of it, no appetite from the coldId barely eaten.
One banana woke my taste buds, so I grabbed another. Then one more.
Downed three in a rowfeeling alive now.
Meds finally kicking in.
My foggy head cleared up.
Taeyang, you good?
Artelli came over to check.
Down a couple, he was sweating it.
Yeah, meds are hitting now. Should be sharper in the second half.
Good. Count on you.
He nodded, and I stood up in front of Ilinyu.
Youwhen Im off, you gotta step up, right?
Ilinyu heard me and said,
Ilinyu, still, here, tough. Adjusting.
No, learn English, not Korean, you idiot.
The guys mixing Portuguese and Korean.
No idea why hes so into Korean over English.
Korea, go later.
No, focus on where you live now. On the game.
Trying hard.
Fair enoughadapting in one seasons tough.
But hed done well at Chelsea before.
Did their style suit him more? Or in his past life, Heath Jonathan micromanaged everything to ease him in?
Our coach gives attack free rein, so maybe thats it.
Alright, lets go! My lads! Make the fans happy in the second half!
Leaving Artellis words behind, we headed out to the pitch.
Lined up with the Chelsea players, Deloa spoke to me.
That all you got? Youre better than that.
Worrying about me too? How nice.
Hmph.
What, sudden tsundere?
Guys not right in the head either.
Second half, watch. No need to fret.
Nno need to show off or anything.
Yeah, hate that.
Gonna show em.
Second half underway, and Newcastle are looking livelier.
Yoon Taeyang seemed heavy in the first half, but hes moving lighter now.
Late starter?
In the second half, Yoon Taeyang gradually revved up.
He started by breezing past Juninew on the wing and whipping in a cross.
Ilinyus header just missed, no assist, but it chilled Chelsea to the bone.
They didnt shrink back, though.
Up by two, Taeyang impotent all first half, while their strikers looked hattrick ready.
Destanoglus goal kick restarted play.
He went long to De Nucho, who passed to Deloa.
Deloa linked with Kozak and Orelena, advancing slowly, then traded passes up top to probe for space.
Right chance, Bauftini took itdropped deep and floated an early cross goalward.
Into the boxthe first to react was Murisi.
Murisi hustled back, saw the ball behind him and Basomo Sibis position. No time to turn and clear, so he smashed an overhead kick to hoof it away.
Menendez, dropping down, claimed the cleared ball.
Like hed waited for it, Menendez pinged a long ball up top.
It found Ilinyu on the sprint. Ilinyu shook De Nucho and poked it forward.
The pass landed perfectly at Yoon Taeyangs feet.
Taeyang shielded Kaique behind him, flicked the ball overhead with his instep, then spun around Kaique as pivot.
He timed the irregular bounce and volleyed it.
Smack!
The ball bananacurved into the net.
Nice bend. The bananas, huh.
After his stunning goal, Taeyangtrue to formwalked off nonchalantly, grabbed the ball, and trudged to halfway.
Deloa shook his head at the sight.
Crazy bastard...
Who knew hed actually deliver after saying he would.
What the hell happened in the first half?
Unfathomable guy.