Super Copa de Espana Final

“Ha-neul, how's your body condition?”

Just before announcing the lineup for the final against Atletico Madrid, Angela approached me, her voice filled with concern. Given Angela's player rotation style, if I even hinted at any discomfort, it would be clear I'd be excluded from the lineup.

“Um... I'm fine?”

I answered with a smile.

In fact, I had only played about 20 minutes in the game two days ago, so my condition wasn't at 100%, but I couldn't afford to miss the final against Atletico Madrid.

But saying my condition wasn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠100% didn't mean my answer was a lie. It's never easy for athletes to play at 100% condition. Moreover, looking at my current state, I could definitely handle 70 minutes, and I was confident I could deliver results within that time.

“Hmm. Sorry. I shouldn't have used you in the last match.”

“It's okay. I was happy to get some attacking points too.”

Angela seemed still apologetic for using me in the last match. The rotation match against Deportivo was still 1-1 until I was subbed in, and after I came on, the atmosphere changed, but Angela looked worried if I had overdone it.

Each time like this, it was clear how much Angela worried about me and how much she cherished me, which made me feel a bit emotional.

“Whenever it looks like we'll lose, please sub me in anytime. The team's victory is more important.”

But that was one thing, and I was worried that Angela might make a misguided judgment because of me.

“No, Ha-neul is more important than the team's victory. The more you play, the more wins we get for us.”

...It was a team judgment, but had I gone too far? After all, Barcelona wasn't some bottom-tier team that would roll out young players all season and eat them up.

Feeling a bit embarrassed for a moment, Angela stroked my hair and said.

“And I'm worried about you too.”

“Anyway, I can play tomorrow.”

“Yeah, please do well tomorrow too. Let's aim for the treble.”

“Yeah!”

Treble... After talking with Angela, I mulled over the word treble. Since no one in this world had achieved it yet, I was also tempted by the treble.

Even if we win the Super Cup, there are still the most important league, Champions League, and cup competitions after that, but if we lose the Super Cup, the path to the treble would be cut off, so I had to win when I could.

'The problem is that Atletico is fresh...'

Compared to our congested schedule due to the Club World Cup, Atletico Madrid's last match was the semi-final against Real Madrid five days ago, so Atletico Madrid had the advantage.

Of course, since we rotated players in the last match, the players coming out today probably wouldn't have a huge difference in stamina.

'The problem is the top striker position and the two defenders...'

There were four starting players in the last match. The goalkeeper, well, thinking that they play one game a day, it's practically three.

The starting striker Arnal, the left-back Narcis, and Camila who replaced my position. Considering Camila couldn't play in this match, my role in this game was heavy. It was a pity Camila couldn't play against Atletico Madrid's defense, but since we were aiming for the league title, it was unavoidable.

'What, somehow it will work out.'

Since worrying wouldn't yield any sharp ideas, I decided to focus on what I could do.

So, while waiting for time before the match, I reviewed Atletico Madrid's game videos to find weaknesses, and before I knew it, the morning of the final arrived.

'Then, shall we go ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for our third win of the season?'

Of course, it was the final, but I wasn't that nervous.

Atletico Madrid came out with a two-line defense, or actually a three-line defense including the forwards, as expected.

From the whistle, there was a tense moment as Atletico's forwards pressed hard, but luckily Tiana, who had good build-up, helped Valentina, and the early part of the game flowed smoothly.

But it wasn't threatening to the opponent. As we passed the ball while Atletico's defense dropped and narrowed the gap, time passed without us doing anything.

“Hmm... Not like a turtle. They don't come out from their positions.”

10 players thoroughly defending their positions. I tried to break through with dribbling, but if I got past one, the one next to him would stick to me. If I tried to pass to an open space, the striker would come down one step, freeing a player who would then cover elsewhere.

It felt like 10 players had become one body.

We had faced them many times, but they were still a tough opponent.

Looking at their defense, were they better than Real Madrid?

In fact, when facing Real Madrid, if we failed even once in attack, a sharp counter would come in, so ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠we played carefully, but against Atletico Madrid, the defense was so solid that gaps were hard to find.

But the good thing was that the more this happened, the more the opponent's stamina would deplete?

But it was still the first attack. Full condition Atletico Madrid showed no gaps in defense, and Yelena's frustrated long-range shot ended our first attack.

“Nice try.”

Well, in this situation, long-range was the answer, so I gave Yelena a thumbs up.

“Tsk. As expected, annoying.”

Of course, Yelena who shot the ball into the stands looked embarrassed and scratched her head.

Anyway, after our attack, Atletico Madrid's attack was nothing special. They started slow build-up, perhaps to prepare for our counter.

In fact, Atletico Madrid's main scoring route was pulling the opponent and then stabbing with a counter, so the defensive situation wasn't that scary.

And after taking Hiquarda's ball, our attack started again with Valentina. Since the opponent was slow to come up, we couldn't counter. After passing the ball for a few minutes, Albaria's long-range shot went into the goalkeeper's hands, ending our attack.

Well, Atletico Madrid's next attack ended similarly.

So, for the entire first half, we received meaningless passes and meaningless shots, and 45 minutes passed. If Camila had been watching this match on TV, she would have immediately dozed off and fallen asleep.

But one harvest was that we had hidden the dribbling throughout the first half, making the opponent a bit complacent.

No matter how well they knew me, as humans, they would inevitably loosen up with repeated actions, and if a chance came once, it wouldn't be hard to take it.

“Today's Atletico guys are coming out too turtle-like. But if you keep hitting them, they'll open up eventually. Let's start by pulling them out with long-range shots like in the first half.”

Since Atletico Madrid was a team of that caliber playing such solid defense, Angela didn't have much to do, so she didn't give any new instructions as the second half started.

And like the first half, the game flowed for about 10 minutes.

Gaps started to show.

“Eh? You want to body check me?”

Lila, who was a starting midfielder for the French national team, pressed me down. All day today, since we passed back passes in such situations, Lila's pressure felt a bit rougher.

Here, if I could just take the ball, it could immediately become a counter, so I seemed a bit greedy.

But that was what I intended. As the guy pressed, I lowered my body and kicked the ball with my heel through the guy's legs. And at the same time, I released his strength.

“Ugh...!”

With his weight fully on me, and my body suddenly slipping away, the guy's body collapsed. So, it was insufficient to block me who was going behind him on his body. Now left in front of me was Daphne, Atletico Madrid's starting defender and one of the three best defenders in La Liga.

And since there was already quite a bit of force taken from me, Daphne was blocking the narrow passage as carefully as possible, waiting for her teammates to come help.

But I was running with sufficient acceleration. In front of the guy who was standing still blocking the passage, I placed the ball between his legs.

...A bit slower than usual.

Then, Daphne, who thought she was eating a rainbow flick (sapo), hurriedly put her foot and body out. A will to cut me even with a foul was felt, but since I had no intention of doing a rainbow flick, it was quite easy to avoid the guy's movements.

When the ball was slightly lifted, I immediately poked the top of the ball with the top of my foot to flick it, and the flicked ball passed Daphne's foot at high speed. And my body maintaining acceleration passed the guy together. Daphne reached out her hand, but I swung my arm and knocked it away.

'Indeed, Daphne is easier than Josephin.'

Excluding our team's Tiana, Josephin, one of the top two in La Liga, is physically good but a head-style player, while Daphne is physically good so her reaction speed is too fast, making it a good style to personally deceive?

For other attackers, that would be enough, but for me, who was trying to use personal skills to the end against defenders, the guy was rather quite easy.

In other words, the guy's ability and my ability are in a superior-inferior relationship.

...While thinking such useless thoughts, the startled Atletico Madrid goalkeeper ran out to stop. It was a position to block a lob shot, but it was a bit ambiguous for just blocking a shot?

Perhaps he knew my shot was weak and planned to block it reflexively.

But unfortunately for the guy, I was steadily developing, so at this distance, it was enough to shake the goal net.

Paang!

I whipped it inside, a light sound came from under my foot, and the shot went towards the corner of the goalpost. The goalkeeper jumped, but without touching it, the goal net shook.

-Waaaaaaaah!!!!!

Finally, the cheering crowd for the first goal of the match.

And that was the last goal of this match.

So, we were able to lift the third trophy of the season and take one step closer to the treble.