Chapter 77
Translator 8uhl
Chapter 77
Chapter Title The Eldest Son Craves Soccer
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Commonly known as New White Hart Lane, Tottenhams home ground was the secondlargest stadium in the Premier League by capacity, right after Old Trafford.
It was also Londons finest stadium.
Countless fans had flocked to the stands that day.
Is that the kid our MD coach was talking about?
Does he really play that well?
He can dribble a bit, sure.
Kids who ignore the coach and just show off skills are a dime a dozen.
Rookies think great dribbling means theyre great at soccer.
But isnt he actually good?
What are you talking about? Has he ever scored here?
Luck, pure luck.
Diaz says he cant, so he cant.
The fans trusted Diazfor now.
Results werent bad, but more than that, he was delivering the ideal Tottenham soccer they craved.
When he trashed Taeyang, they trashed Taeyang too.
His skill?
Who cared about some kid from another club when it was their team, their coach first?
Diaz!
Marciano!!
Tottenham Hotspur!!
Marciano Diaz gazed at the roaring fans cheering him on, inwardly pleased but keeping a stern expression as he watched the players warming up.
At first, hed wondered if these guys could pull off his vision of soccer.
Not anymore.
Tottenhams players stuck faithfully to his tactics, with team captain and star Derek White at the center.
A worldclass talent whod been a Ballon dOr nominee, the heart of Englands midfieldthat was Derek White.
Like a welldrilled soldier, he was fiercely loyal to the club and executed orders to the letter.
With the captain leading by example, the rest fell in line without question.
Newcastle?
Nothing to fear.
A team built around Yoon Taeyang, who only knew fancy tricks.
Thats what he thought.
But every time he saw Yoon Taeyang...
His teeth ground together.
Newcastle will regret it.
Hed make them cry blood for choosing Taeyang over him.
The TottenhamNewcastle clash, ignited by Diazs comments, is underway.
Todays starting lineups.
Tottenham
FW RamosMitchell
MF Moran
DerekWood
DF HutchinsonKaikiJonesOlivarezMorrison
GK Junk
Newcastle
FW ChalretYoon TaeyangIllinyu
MF SobriolaMenendezGomez
DF LindemanZenasArnoldSanchez
GK Ricella
Tottenham fields Diazs best XI, while Newcastle has a few changes.
With preparations complete, the players took their positions on the pitch, waiting for the whistle.
The match... kicks off! Newcastle with the kickoff.
Newcastle calmly circulates the ball from the back, pushing up the lines!
Who ya got?
Tottenhams been solid lately.
Tottenham wins.
LOL no way, I say Newcastle. Theyre on a roll.
Fr, Tottenham was crushing Man City early on, but last three games two draws, one loss.
LOL exactly. Points make em look good, but nah.
LOL Newcastles defense is a joke tho.
Honestly, I probably know this Tottenham side better than Diaz does.
Hes trapped in his own world, treating living players like FM pieces.
Sure, if players executed his tactics 100, theyd be invincible.
But by that logic, every team would be invincible, and every top FM gamer could coach in real life.
The issue? Other coaches get reality. Diaz doesnt.
He doesnt even consider players perspectives.
His tactics are so detached from reality, weaknesses are inevitable.
And only he doesnt see it.
We knew his weaknesses inside out.
Thats why we brought in the youth trio.
So, whats Diazs Achilles heel?
Tottenhams alpha and omega Derek White.
Hes brilliant at making Diazs tactics workbut thats exactly his flaw.
Mark him tight, and the system drops from 100 to 10.
Dereks vision and passing adjust everyone elses roles without him, no one else delivers what Diaz demands.
Sure, you could cover gaps with overlaps or switches, but Diaz doesnt tolerate that.
Even when were attacking and theyre defending, same story.
Derek drops deep to direct the backline.
A midfielder calling the shots for defenders.
They dont move as he wants, so he has to.
We blasted the ball forward fast, stationed players beside Derek to block his dropback, trapping him.
Amid that, Menendez slipped past Derek and passed to me.
With the ball, I eyed Tottenhams defensive line.
A selfish player who only knows dribbling?
What a joke.
Before Derek could recover, I surged forward and slotted the ball through.
Right into the space behind the centerback.
My favorite spot for Chalret.
No idea how long since Id fed him in a real match, but he took it like he knew it was coming, half a beat ahead on the shot.
Uuuuuh!
Waaaaaah!
Amid small cheers and massive boos, Chalret celebrated his goal, raising his index finger to the away fans.
Then he bolted over to me.
See? I scored!
Yeah, good job.
You hear that? I scored in the Premier League!
Yeah, I heard. Good job.
I scored in the Premier League! The worlds top league! Mom and Dad must be watching, right?
Jeez.
This guys ceremony is all talk.
Dodging him, I hustled to the halfway line, glancing at Tottenhams bench.
Diaz had come close to the touchline, sternfaced, barking at his players.
Mostly at Derek.
Yelling at one guy wont fix it.
Tsk tsk.
Tottenham trails 10 right out of the gate.
Newcastles attack was lightning. With four pressing, Taeyangs diagonal switch was perfect.
Per Diaz, shouldnt Yoon Taeyang be a dribbleonly guy?
Haha, well... Actually, check the stats six assists in his last five league games. League lead. Calling a playmaker like that dribbleonly is just wrong.
Maybe he underrated him back when he was Newcastles youth coach.
Or some other reason to hate him.
Newcastle led thanks to Taeyangs pinpoint assist.
Tottenham attacked, Derek White dictating passes as they pushed the line up, pressing Newcastle.
As Tottenhams backline hugged the halfway line...
Newcastle swarmed Derek for real.
Even without Derek, Tottenham was still a Champions League contender.
In the old days, maybe theyd adapt elsewhere.
But this Tottenham had only Plan A. Tie up Derek, and their attack stalled.
Newcastle choked all his lanes with suffocating pressure. Menendez stole the ball.
Derek immediately launched it long.
Yoon Taeyang, fullback Hutchinson, and centerback Kaiki raced for the dropping ball.
Aerial duel at the landing spot.
All three leaped.
Or rather, Taeyang feigned a jump, subtly tugged a jersey, got smothered, and stayed down.
Hmph, thats what you get for starting a kid.
No matter how mature he looked, still an unfinished youth.
As Diaz sneered at Newcastles choice...
Taeyang stretched his heel back toward the ball glancing off Kaikis head.
...Huh?
Taeyang heeled it, flicking it left.
Kaiki and Hutchinson landed staring as it rolled to Illinyus feet.
They scrambled after him.
Bang!
Illinyu unleashed a rocket leftfooted shot from there.
The ball rocketed like cannon fire, shoving Junks fingertips aside as he dove, smashing into the net.
Illinyuuuuu! Goal!
Mighty leftfoot strike! Junks reflexes were unreal, but he couldnt stop that power!
Newcastle up 20!
Tottenham tried attacks after, but Derek kept getting shut down, inviting counters. Even in possession, they turned defensive.
Halftime ends like this.
Newcastle dominated. Tottenham huddled like turtles at home, doing nothing. They need to change in the second half.
Diaz stormed to the locker room, ripping into his playersespecially Derek.
Derek took it all silently, then asked
I was locked down, couldnt do a thing. Any plan?
Do what you always do. No problem if you play well.
Dereks forehead vein pulsed at the nonanswer.
Understood.
He clenched his teeth and headed out.
Second half kicked off.
No solutions meant no change from the first.
Then Yoon Taeyang grabbed the ball.
In Tottenhams lockeddown half, he dodged markers, weaving slowly toward goal.
One! Two! Three! Taeyang blows past three in a flash!
They know its coming and still get suckered! Taeyangs dribbling evokes prime Messisimple body feints, turns, bursts of speed. Spectators wonder why no one stops it, but defenders have no choice!
Spot on.
Diaz fumed, screaming Stop him!! as players got shredded.
Taeyang ghosted one with La Croqueta, Marseille Turned a late chaser, narrowing the angle on the rushing keeper.
Dribbleonly?
Recalling Diazs words, Taeyang grinned mischievously at the keeper, teasing the ball.
As the keeper dove low to block, Taeyang hit him with a Rainbow Flick.
Keeper panicked skyward after the vanishing balltoo late. It was over his head.
He spun desperately, but it bounced over the line.
Goal! Yoon Taeyang scores!
Diaz called him dribbleonly? No wonderno one stops him! Taeyang beats six including the keeper! His sixth league goal!
Taeyang sprinted straight at Diazs bench, stopping to stare him down.
Their glares clashed like lightning.
Tottenham fans fell silent.
The away end erupted wildly.