The New Generation Takes Over. (3)

The venue for the La Liga 23rd round between Atlético Madrid and Barcelona is the Metropolitano.

Again, two-line defense?

The opponent in the first match after returning from the Asian Cup was Atlético Madrid, which was a bit disappointing.

Why?

Because Atlético Madrid was the most solid defensive team in the league. Especially their pressing two-line defense, which filled in each other's gaps based on their high activity level, was world-class.

Unlike traditional Spanish teams, Atlético Madrid was the team that led the game with defense, and for me, who had expected a chaotic battle (mostly one-sided beating us) after returning to the league, it was a bit boring.

Moreover, since I had faced the two-line defense throughout the Asian Cup...

But the level of defense from the countries I faced in the Asian Cup and Atlético Madrid was on a different level, so I couldn't be complacent.

Whistle—kick!

Atlético Madrid started building up to attack our weak sides.

The three defenders forming our back three were Nilay, Tiana, and Narcis. None of the three were tall players, and Camila, who came on as a defensive midfielder today, was also in her early 170s, so it was a good choice to attack our sides with crosses.

And to stop that attack, all players except Arnal and I pressed the opponent and made Atlético uncomfortable, and Rosario, Atlético's left winger, lifted a cross from an uncomfortable position.

But we had Maximilena, one of the world's best goalkeepers, to stop it. She easily caught the high cross.

Good!

Honestly, we could use this arrogant attacking tactic because of Maximilena. Maximilena was the real deal in clearing crosses and through balls.

…Still, it would be better for the team if Tiana came in at Camila's position.

Camila's position was important as it was where the attack started, but since Valentina wasn't bad at her feet, I thought it would be perfect if Valentina came up to that spot and Camila connected between herself and Valentina from the middle, but when I saw Camila slowly building up and distributing the ball, Angela's thinking made some sense.

The only player in the team who could deliver the ball from that spot to break through the opponent's front press was Camila or Lucia.

...Well, Lucia couldn't break through the press yet and was sitting on the bench.

Anyway, Camila started pressing like a dog unleashed on the field and broke through the opponent's top two, pulling the line up, and eventually the ball connected to me.

I was just watching like a bystander when defending, lightly pressing the defenders, but now it was my turn to show off.

Yelena and Lauren created space by pulling the opponent's midfielders to the sides. Taking advantage of that momentary gap, Camila connected a long pass.

Thud.

Because the midfielders had vacated the center momentarily, I picked up the ball in a free state and Daphne, the star defender of Atlético Madrid, came to mark me. Daphne was one of the top 3 defenders in La Liga along with Josephin and Tiana, but there was no time to linger here.

If time was wasted here, the midfielders who had broken out would come back to press me again.

Well, passing the ball around could be a way, but today was my return match.

I wanted to let everyone know that Ryu Ha-neul had returned to La Liga, so I ran towards Daphne.

Without touching the rolling ball, I alternated stepping on the right ground with my right foot and the left with my left foot, sending a warning that I could dribble with either foot anytime. Daphne's eyes rolled around in front of me. Was she trying to figure out what I was going to do?

While stepping without touching the ball, Daphne couldn't hold back and stretched her foot, and at that moment I struck the ball with my right foot inside to my left foot. But Daphne, as the best defender, kept her center and dug her stretched foot deep to stop my breakthrough.

But at that moment, while controlling the ball inside my left foot with my sole, I pulled it back once and then slipped it into the gap between Daphne's spread legs.

“Huh!”

Startled Daphne sucked in air and grabbed the back of my jersey as I tried to escape, but it was too late. My ball was already rolling towards the goal.

“Bruna!”

Bruna, who had been digging in towards the opponent's left fullback, received the ball. To cover Bruna's empty spot, I knocked Daphne's hand away and ran towards the right winger position where Bruna was running, and in the moment two defenders overlapped and the defense became loose, Bruna's heel pass connected to me who was running.

I received that pass, accelerated, and charged in. Arnal, who was drawing the attention of another centerback from the top spot, came down, and in front of me a wide penalty box opened up. Of course, two players were closing in behind me.

Just as I thought I would be caught, I suddenly slowed down and stopped in place.

And at that perfect timing, a tackle came in to block my path. If I had continued charging forward, I would have been blocked by the tackle, but I had already stopped. No, strictly speaking, it wasn't a complete stop. At the moment I stopped, I had sent the ball to the left with my right heel.

So, while sending the defense forward, I turned my body and created a perfect shooting angle with a left-footed curve shot. After planting my plant foot, I shot towards the left post.

With a "bang!" sound, the ball left my foot and made another sound.

Thud!

The sound made by leather and metal colliding. The ball that avoided the diving goalkeeper and hit the post, curving inward, shook the net, and the chain of sounds this time produced quite a human-like sound.

“Waaaaaaa!!!!”

It was quite a bit smaller than the one I heard at home, but.

“Ha-neul!”

“Pass was good. Bruna.”

Bruna, who sent a wonderful heel pass, ran up to me, and I gave her a short hug and ruffled her hair.

“It's been five years, but you should do at least this much. By the way, next time it's 2:1, right?”

“Okay. Now that I'm free.”

“By the way, were you aiming for the goalpost?”

“A little?”

“Cr... Still, your skills haven't died.”

“If someone saw it, they'd think I was on vacation for a month.”

“Honestly, isn't the Asian Cup a playground for you?”

“...Not that much.”

While talking to Bruna, other players came over, and I high-fived the players and celebrated my first play after return that became a goal.

Well, was this enough to let them know I had returned? *