Chapter 51
Translator 8uhl
Chapter 51
Chapter Title The Eldest Son Yearns for Soccer
IN 47
OUT 9
Before going in, I stamped down firmly on the grass.
As expected from the worlds best groundskeepers, the pitch at St. James Park was kept in perfect condition, properly watered and lush.
My condition?
No aches, no pulls, no heaviness in my body.
Perfect.
Running on a perfect pitch in perfect condition?
Never happened once in my previous life.
My condition was always rock bottom.
Knees, anklesthere wasnt a single painfree day.
Anyway, my first senior debut in this second chance at life.
Lets do this.
I muttered it like a personal vow and stepped out onto the field.
Omar, youre starting from the middle.
Got it.
I relayed the managers instructions to Omar and moved to my position.
There they werethe foxes in blue kits.
Leicester City.
The team that pulled off a miraculous title win under Ranieri back in the day no longer shone as brightly, but they were still one of the sides chasing a Champions League spot.
Or more accurately, they specialized in ruining the party for teams chasing those spots.
A team I personally felt sorry for.
Every striker they signed flopped, and with no promising forwards emerging from their youth setup, theyd been in a striker drought for several seasons now.
Strangely enough, even attacking players from the front line theyd brought in expecting goals lost all their offensive instincts once they joined.
A curse that wasnt a curse.
Still, they made up for it with rocksolid defending and possessionbased play.
They didnt rack up blowout wins, but they didnt roll over easily either.
For now, Id slot in as one cog in the team machine on the pitch and see how things played out.
They gave no easy openings.
Even if their shape tilted to one side, theyd switch the play to the opposite flank and shift over in a flash.
Whenever their defenders and fullbacks stretched the space, a midfielder was always there to occupy it, denying any halfspaces.
It felt like one living, breathing formation blob.
Right in the middle of it, Redley took a pass from Omar and tried cutting in from the wing, but with no space, he abandoned it and hugged the touchline instead.
Omar and I started sprinting level with him toward the penalty area, and Redley floated a cross into the box.
The slightly offtarget cross was smothered by one of Leicesters freakishly physical centerbacks.
Leicesters counter was on.
A pinpoint long ball sailed over our front two lines and dropped between their forwards and our backline.
Leicesters speedy winger latched onto it, exploiting the gaping flank since our fullback hadnt tracked back from the attack.
One of our centerbacks, Arnold, charged over to cover.
That was Arnolds issue.
Not covering his back.
With Arnold glued to the Leicester winger, a massive gap opened between our centerbacks, and Leicesters hustling striker darted into it.
Rather than passing straight to him, the winger fed the onrushing midfielder bridging the gap between them.
The midfielder took it and stabbed a through ball in front of the striker.
Dida rushed out to intercept, but the striker got there a step first.
He charged at goal and unleashed a shot.
Bang!
A shot so powerful it whistled off the ball! that didnt come close to the target, sailing up into the stands instead.
Brilliant buildup, but their chronic lack of killer instinct let them down.
Our ball now.
Ricella passed back to Dida.
Leicester shouldve been gassed, but they swarmed us with relentless pressing.
Our backline stayed cool, stepping up the line while probing gaps here and there.
Pushing the ball forward wasnt easy.
I dropped deep into space behind me to receive it, avoiding my markers eyes as much as possible.
Dida spotted me and pinged it over.
I didnt trap itinstead, I let it run and drove forward.
My marker, the fullback, was right in my path.
I scanned aroundno one open to receive.
Time to break through.
The sub for Newcastle United is their promising youth player, Taeyang Yoon. Hes just turned 16, right?
Well have to check the records, but hes set to become the youngest debutant in Premier League history. Sending out a kid like that in a match this big? Personally, I dont get it.
Right now, every eye in St. James Parkand every soccer fan watching live around the worldwas locked on Yoon Taeyang.
And as I say that, Yoon drops deep and picks up the ball.
Leicesters Vangs steps up to block. Hes charging straight at him!
The young boy barreled toward Leicester City fullback Vangs with reckless abandon.
Had nerves dulled his judgment?
Its reckless oh! He beats him!
The boy ghosted past Vangs like a phantom.
Vangs, completely undone by the stunning Phantom Dribble, whipped around in panic, but Taeyang was already streaking away.
He skins Vangs and races down the wideopen touchline!
Yoon! Hes rapid! Did Leicester switch off? Their response is sluggish!
When an unlisted player exploded forward at unexpected pace, Leicesters reaction was a beat too slow.
Midfielders scrambled to cover the lane as Taeyang cut from the flank toward central areas.
Oh, ignoring the empty wing and driving infield with the ball!
Classic young player movetrying to do it all himself! Soccers an 11man game!
As if mocking the pessimistic commentator, Taeyang shrugged off the first midfielder who confronted him, bullied his way deeper, evaded another, and powered toward goal.
In the destructive surge, two midfielders and a centerback were now swarming him.
Taeyang didnt get greedy herehe threaded a pass between the centerback and midfielder.
The ball skimmed across the turf into the pocket of space carved out by the clustered trio.
He drags the Leicester players over and slips it into the gap!
Omar takes it!
Omar, sprinting into the vacated space Taeyang had pulled defenders toward, met the perfectly weighted ball and smashed it on the volley.
Goal.
Omar sensed it and clenched his fist
What the!
but spat out a curse instead.
Keeper saves it!!
Every eye locked onto the loose ball punched clear by the goalkeeper.
Some lunged to clear it, others to keep the attack alive.
But one player had broken early, as if hed foreseen the save.
Taeyaaaang!
Taeyang.
He hammered the dropping ball.
Shoooooot GOAL! Goal! Goal goal goal! Its in!
A stunning drive shot! The kid bags a debut goal with a screamer!
70th minute! Newcastle United lead 10!
A visionary curling volley driveit bent viciously into the net, beyond the keepers reach.
Even after that wonder goal, Taeyang jogged back to the halfway line with his usual deadpan expression.
Yes!!
The bench exploded harder.
August Rommel threw an uppercut celebration like hed scored himself.
The gamble sub had hit the jackpothe couldnt not celebrate.
Newcastle players pat their young teammate on the back as they retreat.
Kickoff.
Leicester are in trouble now. Like Newcastle chasing Champions League, theyre desperate for Europa League spots tooevery point counts.
With the games flow shifting, Leicester rushed a change.
They hooked their underwhelming frontman.
Leicester bring on Aldehit Vanderley.
Desperate timestheyre throwing in Vanderley fresh off injury.
Aldehit Vanderley had suffered a major injury in round one this season, spending months in rehab before this return. He was the one reliable finisher in Leicesters goalshy attack.
Unclear how sharp hed be postlayoff, but they had no choice.
Momentum, though, belonged to Newcastlethe goal from their babyfaced debutant, maybe the Premier Leagues youngest ever.
Newcastle kept the pressure on and quickly won the ball back.
Circulating it back to Dida.
Newcastle controlling calmly from deep. Oh, Taeyang Yoon picks it up in a familiar spot!
Dropping deep again, Taeyang took the ball and exploded forward just like before.
This time, Vangs was glued to his back, hellbent on stopping him.
Taeyang held him off once, then used the fullbacks shove against him to spin free and accelerate.
Unlike last time, a Leicester midfielder cut off the route early.
Taeyang slowed with the ball, read the reaction, then burst left.
Eyewatering accelerationthe midfielder latched on desperately, yanking at his shirt.
Taeyang shrugged off the arm thrusting into his path with a powerful shoulder, carved out a sliver of space, and cranked up the speed.
The clinging midfielder started dropping behind, the gap widening to several yards.
Taeyang unleashed his fully matured top gear.
Young in age, but his feet were among the quickest in the Premier League.
The scary part? His pace barely dipped with the ball at his feet.
It was glued there.
Tackle from the left foot side? He shifted it right. Aim right? Over to the left.
He manipulated the balls position masterfully, fouling the challengers feet and blowing past without losing momentum.
That made three.
Only the backline left.
Leicesters onceseamless, organismlike shape was unraveling around Taeyang, gaps springing up everywhere.
One centerback couldnt stand it and came out to meet him.
In that instant, Taeyangs eyes flicked to Omar, lurking behind the centerbacks right shoulder.
The centerback read it.
Taeyangs foot twitched as if sending it that waybut instead dragged the ball inside, nutmegging the outstretched leg with a flawless Free Flap.
Hed completely baited and toyed with him.
Beating a fourth defender left Leicesters defense barren.
Taeyang couldve passed, but he charged the goal himself.
The keeper rushed out to narrow the angle and limit optionssmart, but Taeyang was used to this.
Hed faced it plenty against Premier League elite like Ricella.
Even in a real match, it was no big deal.
Id been through enough in my past life.
Casually, he chipped it up with his laces.
Chip shot right in front of the keeper!
The keeper braked hard midstride, arched his back, and clawed desperatelybut the ball lofted indifferently over his head and into the net.
Goal! Just two minutes after the opener, Taeyang makes it two!
That kid really 16? Unreal!
Incredible! No wonder they subbed him on! That poise in the box! Newcastles been raising a monster!
Having notched a brace, Taeyang glanced at the board.
72nd minute.
About 15 minutes left, huh?
Plenty of time for a hat trick.