Spanish Super Cup Semi-Finals (Part 1)
In the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals, Barcelona secured a 3:1 victory!
…Leading with Eloya’s opening goal, Barcelona… Meanwhile, in the 72nd minute of the second half, Ryu Ha-neul buried the decisive goal, and Barcelona secured a 3:1 victory…
[…The venue for the semi-finals between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid is the La Rosaleda Stadium in Malaga.]
“So, who do you think will advance?”
“Real Madrid, of course.”
“Yeah, even if Atletico is strong, it doesn’t look like they’ll beat the white ones.”
After finishing the Super Cup semi-finals, the next day my friends and I sat in front of the TV in the corner of the dormitory to check the opponents for the Super Cup final.
Since we had just finished the match yesterday and returned, today we only did a simple recovery training, but time was ticking and a slight fatigue was setting in.
“By the way, why did they suddenly change the format to semi-finals?”
“Are you dumb? Just looking at it, it’s obvious they’re trying to milk some money. Not even allowing home games, doesn’t that give away the answer? This year, because of our schedule, we did it in Spain, but if the La Liga winner doesn’t come out, they’ll hold it in some Middle Eastern country again.”
“Huh? Really? Tina? Hah, I’m not particularly bothered by going to the Middle East during the season.”
Camila and Camila’s conversation continued while I gave her a piece of her mind, but Valentina, who knew quite accurately, was talking. It was clear that, unlike her physique, Valentina was subtly smart.
‘Yeah, among us, Valentina had the best record.’
Actually, until elementary school, I—who had experience from my previous life—had the best record, but after entering middle school, Valentina’s record was a bit better than mine.
To make an excuse, I could say that in my previous life I didn’t attend middle school classes much because I came to Spain during middle school, and in this life too, it was inevitable because playing football was more fun than studying.
It wasn’t that I was worse at thinking than Valentina.
…Suddenly thinking about that, I felt bad. What was needed at times like this was my vitamin—just teasing Camila. By the way, Camila was a real kid who built a wall between her and studying. To barely get my score, you had to double Camila’s score.
…Well, my score was also middle to lower rank.
“I didn’t say it was good during the Club World Cup, did I, Camila?”
“That was because there was a rest period. Think about going there and coming back to Spain to play league games again. Ugh, it’s terrifying?”
Teasing Camila subtly, she showed a rich reaction as expected.
‘As expected, teasing is fun.’
While looking at Camila’s reaction, I was momentarily happy inside.
“But why not this time? If we did it in the Middle East this season too, we would have earned more money.”
Yu-ri threw out an essential question. It was that kind of essential question: why didn’t the office that extended the Super Cup to three games this season hold the tournament in the Middle East where they could earn big money this season?
Of course, I knew the answer to some extent.
“This time, the schedule was a bit pushed back because of the Club World Cup. If it weren’t for that, it would have been held in the Middle East this season too? As Tina said.”
“Wow, then to avoid going to the Middle East, I have to keep winning the Champions League?”
“Well, if not us, there’s also the way Real Madrid wins. Or Atletico Madrid wins.”
“…That’s something I don’t want to hear.”
“Then, let’s win again next year.”
While my friends and I were chatting, Bruna clapped and drew attention.
“Hey, hey. Let’s stop talking nonsense and focus on the game. It’s starting.”
On the TV, the lineups of Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid were coming up.
‘Hmm…. Atletico is starting full strength, Real is rotating.’
Well, it was the lineup I expected. Originally, Real Madrid wasn’t a team that paid much attention to such cup matches. Moreover, Real Madrid, who had slightly fallen behind in the ranking battle after playing against us recently, clearly wouldn’t want to advance to the final either.
If they advanced to the final, they would face us, and at that time they couldn’t rotate either, so after using the starters for the final, they would rotate in the next league match, which would likely mean getting beaten badly in the league.
And if that happened, at the start of the second half they would basically be eliminated from the league title race. We would have to pray for them to slip? And such a passive way wasn’t the kind of way Real Madrid, aiming for both league and Champions League titles, wanted.
“Then Atletico will advance? Ha-neul, what do you think?”
“I think so too. Atletico is also a team with backbone.”
Moreover, Atletico Madrid is a team that can aim for the league title by beating both us and Real Madrid. No matter how much Real Madrid, the possibility of winning while rotating was almost none.
“Ah, no way. Real Madrid has to advance….”
On my firm words, Bruna bit her nails and continued.
“What? Are you cheering for Real Madrid in the holy La Masia? Bruna, are you a spy?”
“What nonsense. You guys went to the El Clasico last time, right? You only warmed the bench last time. I also want to face the Real guys….”
Yu-ri’s playful words made Bruna, who was anxious, flare up. Listening to it, it seemed that she was regretting not playing in the last El Clasico where we all played, only warming the bench.
But apart from Bruna’s feelings, I wanted Atletico Madrid to advance. It wasn’t good for mental health to face Real Madrid again in less than ten days.
Honestly, even if we had drawn last time, it was a game where it was fortunate that Angela didn’t insert Yu-ri at the right time. Moreover, if they hadn’t received a yellow card from Clemence from the first half, it would have been a game where they could have lost.
‘Clearly, the Real guys prepared well for last time’s match.’
And facing Real Madrid guys wasn’t just mental fatigue. It could be said that there was no player among the Real Madrid guys whose body was bad, and after one body clash, it would take about a week to recover.
During the game, adrenaline made that pain not felt well, but after the game, it was hard for several days. That’s why even after playing full time against Valencia in the semi-finals, I could only score one attacking point.
‘No, the women aren’t even that hard-bodied, why does it hurt?’
It’s unfair that this unreasonable world is.
Even among us, why is the strongest Valentina’s body soft but the strength is stronger for women?
“…What are you looking at?”
Feeling unjust, I hit Valentina’s thigh sitting next to me. It wasn’t wobbly, but it still felt soft.
“Ouch! What? Suddenly?!”
“…Because it’s unfair.”
“Ugh, I can’t hit this either.”
“No, that’s not it. My body is harder, but why are you guys stronger?”
“Puuup….”
Looking at me with a clenched fist, Valentina countered, and suddenly Yu-ri, who was drinking water next to me, spat it out.
…Why is she suddenly like this?
“Are you okay, Yu-ri?”
“No, uh, uh. I’m fine.”
Was it a seizure or something? Yu-ri’s face was flushed as if it would burst.
‘…What? No, was it because of the word “hard”?’
I momentarily thought that Yu-ri might have had a lewd thought because of the word “hard,” but since Yu-ri wouldn’t do that, I quickly erased the thought from my head.
‘Yu-ri wouldn’t do that.’
Yu-ri is, after all, a pure kid that is rare these days? Yu-ri’s purity is something I can vouch for since I saw it from when she was young. Thinking about how I tried skinship a lot but she subtly didn’t grope my body, there was no one like Yu-ri in this era.
If my female friend in my previous life had done the same action?
‘Then that year lost to me. …On the bed.’
Anyway, after all the commotion ended, the main Spanish Super Cup semi-final match began.
Atletico Madrid’s formation was, as always, 4-4-2. And Real Madrid came out with a 4-2-3-1 led by Lucía, and in the forwards, Vinta, an African-origin attacking player who was a candidate, was in place.
In addition, the attacking line didn’t show the starting players like Francesca and Roberta, and no matter how much Lucía, it didn’t look easy to break through Atletico Madrid’s attacking line with candidates.
The confrontation between Atletico Madrid, who played with two lines of defense, and Real Madrid, who was circulating the ball to break through those two lines of defense, continued, and the match flowed boringly. Atletico Madrid, rather than counterattacks, played in the midfield situation, so the match was twice as boring.
“Yawn….”
…Camila yawned enough to make my body react first and I covered my mouth without realizing.
‘Tsk, since we play Valencia right after Real Madrid, maybe? Anyway, my body is a bit tired.’
No matter how much today was recovery training, thanks to the training that loosened the muscles, fatigue came to me too.
“Ha-neul, are you tired? It seems like it’s not very fun.”
Yu-ri, who noticed my state, came to talk. But even though I didn’t answer, an answer came from the side.
“It seems like it’s not fun here except for Bruna.”
Valentina, whose voice was stiff from the boring match.
Looking at Bruna with Valentina’s words, Bruna was watching this boring match with interest. Really, a football maniac?
“Bruna, is it fun?”
“The defense of both teams is at a high level? Ha-neul, how do you think you’ll break through?”
Plus, academic fever.
“…Well?”
Honestly, since I was looking with almost half-closed eyes, I couldn’t give a particular answer to Bruna.
“Well, if it’s Ha-neul, I think you can break through well. Tsk. The next league match is in 10 days and the final is in 12 days, so… Well, the league is more important, so I guess I’ll come out for the final? Hmm…. I wish I could come out with Ha-neul.”
But even with that indifferent answer, Bruna muttered to herself and continued talking. It was a bit enviable that Bruna, who watched the game while talking to herself, was enjoying it. I also liked football quite a bit, but more than anything, I liked football, but not to the extent of Bruna.
‘Yeah, I can’t lose to such a kid, Ryu Ha-neul. Let’s focus.’
I followed Bruna’s football passion and opened my eyes wide to watch the match. Even in the meantime, the boring exchange continued, and finally, when the first half ended, Camila got up from her seat.
“Sorry, Ha-neul. I can’t watch anymore.”
“…I get it.”
It was almost 10 o’clock, so after Camila got up first, the boring match continued in the second half too,
“Ah, I can’t hold on anymore.”
“Tina, are you going?”
“…If you go.”
“Okay, let’s get up together.”
“Yeah, suddenly no one is coming down.”
“Okay.”
My friends went up to the room one by one.
So, when the second half ended 0:0, the only one left was Bruna.
Honestly, since someone rarely got up first while watching the match like this, it was embarrassing, but if it weren’t for Bruna, it wouldn’t be strange to turn off the TV and go to the room, so I couldn’t blame my friends.
But I thought about whether I had to watch this match until extra time.
“Bruna, are you going to watch till the end?”
While talking to Bruna, when I turned my head, the sight I saw was,
“……”
Bruna leaning her head against one side of the sofa, drooling.
“This bastard.”
Out of a long time, a swear word came out in my native language. But since I had to watch till here, I had to finish it. Since it could be the opponent for the next final, I watched the match till the end,
[Ah! Atletico Madrid advances to the final by winning 5:4 in the penalty shootout!]
The end of the match was also boring. Of course, someone might call this match without a single goal a masterpiece of defensive football, but such football was boring anyway.
‘…Well, if Atletico comes out like this in the final too, it’ll be tough.’
The only income I got from watching this match was the obvious fact that everyone knows: Atletico Madrid’s defense in the final won’t be easy.
“Bruna, Bruna? I’m waking you up.”
So, I went to the room with a timid revenge on Bruna, who was sleeping sprawled on the sofa.
…And the next day,
“Ha-neul! You should have woken me up! I got scolded by the coach.”
“So who was sleeping there?”
Bruna, who met during jogging time, complained right away, but it wasn’t a big deal.