Champions League Quarterfinals. (2)
When our eyes met with Lorenza, she signaled for me to turn back. Glancing sideways, I saw that Carlra from Munich's center back hadn't noticed our signal yet. I ran alongside him, turning behind Carlra.
And the moment Carlra and I aligned with the line, Lorenza sent a perfect-timed pass.
“Huh...!”
No matter how slow I was, since Lorenza had started first and Carlra was looking back towards our side before turning, the pass reached me first.
And the moment I touched the ball to match my speed, a strong force pulling my jersey from the back was felt. At that instant, I stopped walking perfectly along with the ball, and Carlra, who had been sprinting forward and trying to slow down, fell over.
'For now, one!'
Of course, I had also made a sudden stop, feeling a slight pain in my knee, but I ignored it and turned towards the goalpost. Then, the figure of the opposite center back, Sophie, appeared in my sight.
Unlike Carlra, who had below-average speed and agility despite being a tall center back, Sophie was an absurdly fast player despite her 190cm height. Thinking about Sophie's speed, if I shot like this, she would surely close the distance and tackle me soon.
But fortunately, like most physical defenders, Sophie wasn't that smart.
Pretending to shoot with my left foot, I lifted it high. And...
“Uwaaaaa!!”
At the moment my foot was about to touch the ball, Sophie's massive body came running with a scream, blocking right in front of me. At that moment, I rolled the ball lightly with my sole, creating space to shoot by avoiding her body.
The goalpost Lea was blocking looked like there was no gap at all, but that space was something I could create. Lifting my left foot again, like all day today, I shot towards the near post.
Thud!
But, as expected, Lea easily caught my ball, wrapped it around her, and lay down in front of the goalpost.
'As expected, this isn't enough. It would be better if it was easier...'
It was a bit disappointed that the hard-made opportunity flew away, but I didn't get frustrated. Because all day today, from any angle, I had been aiming with my left foot at the near post. And conversely, with my right foot aiming at the far post.
All this was preparation for the second half.
Shooting knowing it would be blocked was quite irritating, but Lea is one of the world's best goalkeepers. When I shot the first time, Lea did a punch, and this time catching, so Lea must have already figured out that habit of mine.
Of course, that habit was a trap to break the guy.
The guy was blocking my ball with prediction rather than reflexes.
And the difference was quite significant.
Blocking with prediction is basically the goalkeepers' basic. Taking one step ahead increases the probability of blocking. But this is for when the shooting power is at pro level.
My shooting power is high school level, and for a ball of that level, even with Lea's reflexes, unless too close, could block in the center.
If I had to score against the guy, I'd have to take the gap when he leaves the goal for a lob shot or pick it up right in front.
But once the guy enters the prediction area, if I do a play to get out of that prediction, the probability of scoring increases. Of course, I have to perfectly aim for the chance when it comes.
Probably, the moment I miss that chance, I'll realize something went wrong.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
When Lea throws the ball, the whistle for ending the first half is heard. The way back to the locker room.
“Ryu, today your condition is not good?”
Albaria approached with a displeased expression and asked. Actually, Albaria had no choice but to be displeased. Normally, I would force the ball and shoot even when timing to pass.
As a result, in the first half alone, I had 7 shots, of which 5 were on target, but from teammates who know my shooting ability, this was just random shooting.
Tena's performance was good, score 0:0, fortunately, if it was losing, teammates would have cursed, no wonder.
“Ryu. I know you got excited about the quarterfinals, but let's stay calm. Calmly. Just like usual. Pass well too. I hope you don't forget that this was one of the parts I liked about you.”
Albaria's tone was kind, but if we do this in the second half, Albaria's evaluation inside me would definitely go down. And the people watching the match would be the same.
But this is not for my personal record but for the team's play. If I didn't shoot and passed to Albaria or Eloya, a goal would have come according to their individual skills, but with this method, 100%... no, about 70-80% I could guarantee a goal.
'Ha.... If it was just normal level, I wouldn't have to do this...'
Every time I did this, there was a reality check, but I had no choice. I knew this was the best.
“Ryu, in the second half, let's try to make it a bit more.”
“...Yes.”
Of course, the coach didn't seem to understand my play. But since there was something shown so far, he wouldn't just let me play the first half and replace me.
Actually, if I keep shooting like this, using Arnal would be better than using me, so replacing without hesitation wouldn't be strange.
“Anyway, there are days when the shots don't go in. I believe in you, Ryu.”
“Thank you. Coach.”
Seeing the coach who put me in Athletic after only one game saying he believes, I thought I had done quite well so far, but pride is forbidden.
Listening to the coach's instructions, preparing for the second half.
“First, you know Munich is coming out aggressively in the first half? If you saw them playing only sideways, you all felt it, but the center is completely eaten by us. And the more so, they bury in crosses. That part is fine as long as Tena does it like now. Can you, Tena?”
“Yes, I can.”
“Yeah, we just play as usual, as slow as possible, but fast. That's how we play. Do you understand? And completely drive the opponent out of the center. Like now, we have no choice but to play monotonously. Then, let's go to the second half as usual. After all, if we hit, it opens.”
After the coach's ordinary tactical instruction, the second half started.
After one attack from Munich, the turn came to us. And as the coach said, we advanced slowly but quickly passed the ball, messing up Munich's players, and shaking to both sides, the Munich defenders became loose again, and we successfully carried the ball right in front of the opponent's penalty box.
And Albaria coming in from the left, eyes met. At the same time, Albaria passed to me through the gaps in the defenders,
'Pass!'
Running, sending a look requesting 2:1 pass. Obviously perfect 2:1 pass timing. Sophie behind me also thought it was the timing and stretched her leg to block the pass, at that moment, I controlled the ball with my heel, pulled it out between her legs, and after dodging her dynamic move, charged into the goalpost.
Current position is about 15m from the goalpost.
“Ryu!”
When I took the motion to shoot, Albaria's panicked voice was heard. And at the same time, Lea narrowed the angle perfectly to a position where a lob shot wouldn't score.
The only way to score here is to wrap with right foot aiming at the far post.
... I guess the guy is thinking that.
And I extended my foot as if wrapping as per the guy's intention. But at the moment the foot went near the ball, I stepped on the ground with right foot, twisted my body with feet crossed, and shot with left foot.
The recoil rose through the body as much as I twisted it, but the result was clear. Lea who was about to throw the body towards the far post, caught in dynamic move, and Lea had no choice but to watch the ball passing by her side.
Unfortunately, I couldn't see the scene of the ball entering the goalpost until the end because balance broke, but I could clearly know the result.
-OOOOO! Waaaaaaa!!!!
-Ryu! Ryu! Ryu! Ryu!
The crowd's cheers were telling. An enormous cheer like the ground was shaking. The grandeur of 100,000 spectators was properly felt.
'Kk.... Look at the sound. Really, this is the taste of playing soccer.'
And Albaria who came approaching with a laugh while I was lying on the ground looking at the sky handed me her hand.
“......It was a wonderful goal, Ryu.”
“Thank you.”
“Of course, if it was 2:1, I would have scored.”
“Haha, of course.”
“Since I helped one, next time, please pass.”
“Yes.”
Well, even if Albaria didn't ask, from now on it would be so. Already having shot 8 times, the defenders' gaze would definitely go to the shot not the pass, and so the pass angle would open wider.
Moreover, since I scored the first goal, the balance of defense would definitely become stronger.
As I expected, Munich's players came out more aggressively to make a draw somehow, and the dense Munich defense line began to open.
And a team not using defensive midfielder against me opening the line between defense and midfielder means creating a stage for me.
I moved around in the 1.5 line shaking Munich's defenders, and Sophie who could no longer hold back broke the line and started marking me closely.
But, not just tackling after overtaking, but just tackling, I had confidence that I wouldn't lose to any defender in this world.
Receiving the ball with my back to Sophie. Sophie pushed her body and pressured me, but after lightly lifting the ball with the top of my foot, tilting my body forward, the center of Sophie who was applying force ran forward. And using the gap between them, I overtook Sophie, caught the ball that went over her head.
Of course, Sophie being a physical good defender soon recovered balance, but the ball was already away from my foot.
The ball leaving my foot passed through Munich's defense line where the line broke and reached Eloya. And Eloya without greed immediately passed the ball to Albaria, and no matter how much one of the world's best goalkeepers Lea was, from the state narrowing the angle to block Eloya's shot, she couldn't block Albaria's shot.
-Waaaaaaa!!!!!!
'With this, 2:0.... Unsettled because of Munich, but well, this is enough to say we advanced to semifinals?'