Chapter 219: 18-19 Season (8)
[Match concluded! Celta Vigo drew with Barcelona at home...]
[Barcelona tried a bold move by resting almost all starting players on the bench for the second leg against Liverpool, but it backfired.]
[From Barcelona's perspective, this would be truly disappointing, wouldn't it?]
[Indeed. Barcelona needed to close the gap in points somehow, but instead the gap widened. With only two games left, it feels like Real Madrid has already clinched the La Liga title.]
[Still, giving rest to the starters is encouraging for Barcelona.]
[Yes. They drew the league match, but they need to show good form in the Champions League. Barcelona is the last La Liga team left in the Champions League.]
“……”
“Ha-neul, why such a face? Are you feeling unwell?”
I checked my expression while reading the article on my phone, and Camila asked if I was feeling unwell.
“It's nothing like that.”
I couldn't tell what emotion I was feeling right now, so I forced a smile as if nothing was wrong.
But unlike the smile on the surface, my heart was uneasy. The content of the article was giving me a strange sense of déjà vu. And it was the bad kind.
What is this? Why is it so unsettling?
The article I checked was really nothing special. It was just the usual prediction article for the starting lineup before the match. But this article was continuously giving me this unsettling feeling.
Wait, what year is this? 2019. If it's 2019...
And as soon as I realized what year it was, I immediately understood what the uneasy feeling I was feeling was. This year was the year of 'the tragedy at Anfield', the year when 'the miracle at Anfield' occurred for Liverpool.
I didn't remember all the football matches from my previous life. In terms of years, this was almost 30 years ago.
But even so, some major events were remembered. For example, I couldn't forget the event where Messi won the World Cup in the Qatar World Cup.
And this match around this time in my previous life was an unforgettable match in my memory. It was a match where I, a passionate Barcelona and Messi fan who was a Barcelona B player from La Masia, watched the match in real time and received quite a strong shock.
I don't remember the score of the first leg, but the second leg at Anfield, Liverpool's home, where I lost 4:0 and suffered a historic comeback loss in Champions League history, is an unforgettable memory.
And even then, the memory of the internet mocking Messi with "Messi rested" or something, I remembered.
As one of Messi's fanboys, I tried hard to defend Messi, so when I saw this article, I couldn't help but recall the forgotten memory.
...Shit, no way...
When such memories came to mind, my body trembled slightly. Is it just my imagination that my appearance of suffering a comeback loss and being mocked like Messi comes to mind?
No, this is a completely different world.
But that was my imagination. This world had some similarities, but it was a world where it could be considered completely different.
Hmm. There was no way. At this time, in my previous life, Tottenham probably finished second, but in this world, they couldn't even reach the quarterfinals, so no way...
At that time, there was a senior who was playing in Korea, so I remembered cheering for Tottenham in the final. But here, since they were already eliminated, my worries were just overthinking.
While denying the similarities between the two worlds with full power, I felt a warm and soft sensation on my hand.
“Ha-neul, are you trembling? Is it because winning this game alone would make it the Champions League final? I've seen all the strange scenes. I'm glad I sat next to you today.”
It was Camila covering my hand with her own hand.
“Camila...”
“Aw, what's the big deal? We won the first leg 2:0.”
Camila smiled brightly to comfort me who looked uneasy, trying to calm me down. The warm heat from Camila's hand in the palm of my hand made my uneasy heart feel relieved.
“...I'm not the one who said I'm trembling.”
“Indeed, that's how it is with Ha-neul. Let's play well in today's match too.”
Even with my rough words trying to hide my embarrassment, Camila answered with her usual bright smile.
As expected, I had one good friend.
While feeling Camila's warmth, calming my heart, before I knew it, the bus had arrived at Anfield, and by the time I got off the bus, my mind was no different from usual.
Yes, even if it's a world where the flow is similar, I am here now. Me who brought Korea to the quarterfinals.
Although I calmed my mind like that, I still had to do what I had to do.
“...Then let's play well in today's match.”
After Angela's encouragement ended, the players got up from their seats and prepared to go out to the pitch,
“Ahem.”
I cleared my throat and drew the players' attention. The players' gazes gathered on me because I, who had never done such a thing, was acting strangely.
“W-well, today's match! Don't be careless and give it your all! Let's aim for the final! Although we are leading, Liverpool is also a strong team, so we really can't be careless!”
“What? Suddenly?”
“Oh, if Sir Ryu says so, then that's it.”
“That's why you're more human-like, dude. Since winning this match means the final, our youngest is probably very nervous?”
“It's not that I'm nervous. It's just that my dreams are a bit wild.”
“Haha, football is better than girls, and this is manly. Yeah, since Ha-neul said his dreams are chaotic today, let's not be careless and give it our all.”
...I couldn't understand what men and women had to do with each other, but the happy thing was that the players weren't taking my words lightly. I couldn't answer if asked where the difference was showing, but I felt like the atmosphere coming from the players had changed.
Yes, if the youngest says such words, being careless would make one not human.
Actually, it wasn't surprising that the players' atmosphere changed.
Although it was a bit awkward for me to say such words, I was a man, and in this world, there were not many women who wouldn't listen to the request even if a man like me made the request. Especially if a quite handsome man like me makes the request, it's natural for the women's morale to rise!
...I wanted to think that.
BEEP - DING!
The whistle blew and the match started with Liverpool's kick-off.
Before the match started, thanks to my encouragement, we maintained our defensive line with maximum concentration, and Maximiliena blocked Cloe's long-range shot, ending Liverpool's first attack.
And our attack began.
We continued the build-up slowly without being too careless, and our first attack also ended with Arnal's shot going wide.
After exchanging one round of attacks, Liverpool's attack started again.
Liverpool, having lost by 2 points in the first leg, started attacking a bit prematurely, and in the second leg too, Valentina, who started as a defensive midfielder, cut off the forward pass connected to Cloe with a tackle, giving us a counter-attack opportunity.
PANG!
Valentina's long kick was connected to Albaria. I was pressing the centerback, so I was wandering around near the center line, and quickly ran towards the opponent's goal. Albaria, who had run a long distance, came in from the left side into the penalty box.
Currently, in the penalty box, there are 3:2 Liverpool players to Arnal and me. And Liverpool players chose to mark Arnal rather than me, who was presence-less in this situation.
Of course, Albaria was a player who could see me in such a situation.
Tuk.
Albaria lightly pushed the ball she quickly laid out towards the goal. Albaria believed in my ball control and sent a pass at a quite fast speed, and thanks to that speed, even just lightly pushing it made my shot quickly head towards the goal.
And with my finishing and fast shot harmony...
- Aah...
A sigh echoed from Anfield.
The score became 3:0.
But even if it was 3:0, I had no intention of being careless. The memory of losing 4:0 in the second leg was ingrained in my head.
If it's 3:0, there's no need to rush.
After scoring the first goal, Liverpool, who was already in a hurry, started pressuring us even more urgently, and this situation was like my solo stage, so I continued the build-up by outmaneuvering the incoming Liverpool players like I was playing with them.
“Slowly! Slowly!”
As slow as possible, so Liverpool could suffocate.
BEEP - DING!
By pressing Liverpool in slow tempo, the first half ended.
“Good, our possession is 7:3. We're completely leading at their home in our pace. If we do the same in the second half, the final is ours.”
Angela didn't spare praise for our game, but if we conceded 4 points like in the previous life, it would still be a losing score, so I didn't let go of the tension string.
After starting the second half.
Even after the second half started, we occupied space slowly while avoiding Liverpool's pressure, and Liverpool occasionally counter-attacked and targeted our back line.
But, up to there.
BEEP–DING! BEEP–DING! BEEP - DING!
The whistle blew three times, and the match ended without any more goals.
...Huh, it ended like this? ...I worried for nothing.
I was a bit surprised that the second leg ended so emptily unlike what I worried, but I could again confirm my conviction.
The world and my previous life were definitely different worlds.
Bringing Korea to the World Cup quarterfinals was one thing, and the miracle at Anfield didn't happen was another, and this world and my previous life were worlds where the overall flow was similar, but the results could differ depending on my efforts.
Yes, if it's such a world, winning the World Cup is not even a dream. There, South Korea was a weak team, but here it's a different place with the same name...
And that conviction was filling me with another hope.
Well, right now, the important thing was the Champions League title coming up soon rather than the World Cup in three years.