Part 9: The Ridge (2)

““...Do you honestly think this outcome makes any sense at all? To be pushed around and dominated by those guys like this on our own home court! Every single one of you should feel utterly ashamed and embarrassed in front of the home fans who came out to watch today’s game.””

After the first half ended 1:0, during halftime. The atmosphere in Real Madrid's locker room sank under Aléxia's chilling words.

It was inevitable, after all, because the players knew their own game wasn't going well.

Although they were losing by 1:0, it wasn't a huge score difference considering Real Madrid's attacking power. But the possession difference at the end of the first half was 78:22, more than three times, so the shock the players felt was even greater.

Moreover, it was the first time in their lives to have such low possession at their home stadium, the Bernabéu.

The players who had been pulled along by Barcelona throughout the first half were all dazed, of course.

Especially among the players who had played for Real Madrid for a considerable time, the humiliation from the time when Lucia was in her prime in the late 2000s to early 2010s, showing overwhelming performance with tiki-taka, couldn't help but come to mind.

Particularly, Lucia Francesca, who had played in Real Madrid or the European leagues at that time and had Barcelona's terror carved into her bones, and players like Roberta and Iris, felt as if they had developed PTSD.

And more than that, the bigger issue was that it felt even harder to win than back then.

With Lucia, who had commanded Europe, plus Ryu Ha-neul added.

Physically depleted, but with passing still excellent, Lucia, and Ryu Ha-neul, who showed even greater performance than Lucia, had a killer instinct that could always aim for goals with Lucia's passing ability, and the two didn't allow even a single turnover throughout the first half.

Not only that, but whenever teammates were in dangerous situations, they appeared like ghosts to continue the attack flow, so Real Madrid could only touch the ball when Barcelona's shots were caught by the goalkeeper or went out on the line.

But after the attack was finished, since Barcelona had already set up the defense, and due to the pressure that they had to score a goal, Real Madrid's attacks always ended in vain.

Then it was the vicious cycle of Barcelona's long attack starting again.

Real Madrid had prepared for this El Clasico with the resolve to avenge Paulina, but they couldn't help but have their momentum crushed by Lucia and Ryu Ha-neul's overwhelming performance.

Tch. Is it over today? Those Barcelona guys.... When did they prepare such tactics?

Aléxia also felt the atmosphere, so she bit her lip hard. In fact, their tactics were basically something she had never seen before, and since they weren't prepared, it was natural for the players to be bewildered.

This was clearly her own fault for not training special counter-tactics.

Aléxia, the coach ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠who had led the Champions League double championship, had no choice but to accept the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠unbelievable reality that she had been beaten by the rookie coach Angela. Feeling that sense of defeat, she briefly looked back at the players.

...Huh?

Aléxia discovered a player burning with determination among the players who seemed to sense defeat.

Marisol...

Marisol, who hadn't been in Europe long and didn't know Barcelona's power at the time, and who believed she was the world's best, wasn't bowing her head in defeat.

“Listen carefully.”

Aléxia, having found a glimmer of hope, spoke with difficulty. And the players' gazes turned to Aléxia. In those eyes, there was a faint belief that the coach could tell them how to solve this situation.

“Marisol. Pass the ball to Marisol. Long ball or whatever, just pass the ball to Marisol when you get it. And Marisol.”

“Yes, Coach.”

“You handle it. You are our ace.”

The words that might burden an 18-year-old player came from Aléxia's mouth.

But Aléxia didn't think it was a burden. She believed Marisol could become the world's best player.

Even if Paulina, the team's mental pillar, recommended Marisol as the starter, if the coach didn't recognize Marisol's ability, it was impossible for 18-year-old Marisol to take the starting striker position at Real Madrid.

And Marisol playing as the starter meant that Aléxia recognized Marisol.

In the early days when Aléxia played as a player, she had met many legendary players like Argentina's Diara, who was always ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in the top two when picking the best, or France's Veronique, who played mid to late career with her, or Brazil's Lima, who ranked among all-time greats.

But to Aléxia, Marisol was a player one step above those players.

Right now, she was just focusing on scoring goals due to her youth, but when her vision expanded, it would be a matter of time to rank among all-time greats.

But for now, it was enough. Since Real Madrid was the world's best team, there were many players who could playmaking in Marisol's place.

“Understood, Coach. ...Well, did you all hear? Pass the ball to me. Honestly, you guys are treating me like trash, so that's why those guys are acting up. Just let me handle everything, just give me the ball.”

And Marisol's shocking words spread in the locker room. Knowing she was arrogant, but a green kid saying such cheeky words. At least, Marisol's personality, which was somewhat controlled with Paulina there, was revealing its true color after Paulina's retirement.

“Cheeky kid...”

But Marisol's cheeky words lit a fire in the eyes of the Real Madrid players who were dyed with defeat.

“What's arrogant about football. If you play football well, that's it.”

“Then why did that guy miss three times after three shots?”

“...That was just adjusting the aim. Anyway, it will be different in the second half? Now the body is warmed up.”

The players of Real Madrid sneered at Marisol's excuses. But the meaning of the sneer wasn't that they didn't believe in Marisol's ability.

Just as the Barcelona players believed that if they gave the ball to Ryu Ha-neul, they would connect it somehow, the Real Madrid players also believed that if they gave the ball to Marisol, they would score a goal somehow.

And that belief was the driving force behind Marisol recording 40 goals throughout the season. No matter how much a starting striker, without the teammates' belief, they couldn't shoot wildly in a team like Real Madrid where superstars gathered.

“Good. It seems the other guys understood my words too. Then this is the second half tactical instruction. Somehow get the ball, pass it to Marisol.”

Looking at the players loosening up, Aléxia gave the last tactical instruction before the second half started.

Yes, I lost in tactics. But football is a sport that ultimately scores goals, Angela.

Aléxia wanted to clap for Angela's ability to prepare such quality tactics in such a short time after taking office, as a football person. But in the end, tactics are one of the ways to ultimately score goals.

In the face of overwhelming talent, such tactics were meaningless.

And Aléxia didn't doubt that Marisol had such overwhelming talent.

The second half of the El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona starting 1:0 began. Barcelona kicked off.

With Alvaro's shot hitting the post and going out, Real Madrid got the ball for the first time since the second half started. The Real Madrid players who received the ball first thought of only one thing.

How to get it to Marisol somehow...

Like it had been all season.

Real Madrid connected the ball to Marisol, skipping the midfield battle, and protected the ball using their physical superiority ahead of Barcelona. And Marisol got the ball in the middle of the penalty box and central line.

And that position was one that none of the players standing on the ground thought they would shoot from.

Except for one person.

Since no one expected a shot from that position, Marisol's shot, which burst out in a slightly loose pressure, shook around and headed toward the goal, and even Maximiliana, who was evaluated as the world's best goalkeeper, reacted a little late in the unexpected situation.

If driving the ball to the penalty box was the realm of tactics, long-range shots were the realm of individual skill. And stopping that shot was also the goalkeeper's realm.

But for the fans of Barcelona, unfortunately, Marisol's ability was a little higher than the capacity of Maximiliana, who was evaluated as the world's best goalkeeper.

And the reaction:

And Marisol, as a South American player from Uruguay, was a player who lit up the atmosphere quite a bit.

The Bernabéu shook with Marisol's one-man show bursting out again.

“Good tactics. Angela. But it seems Marisol forgot that she is a strategic weapon.”

And seeing that, Aléxia smiled.

...Kid, you really know how to kick the ball.

...Without realizing that one player, who was comparable to or surpassed Marisol's talent on the ground, was quietly burning with fighting spirit.