Copa del Rey Final (4)
“Coach.”
Angela opened her eyes at the voice calling her.
She had kept her eyes closed not because fatigue had suddenly crashed over her after the first half ended, of course.
She simply needed to close her eyes and think calmly.
Before the first half ended, after seeing Yelena’s red card, Angela’s thoughts had grown complicated. It was fortunate they had not conceded in the chaotic situation, but given that this was the final stage where anything could happen, simply thinking it was fortunate was not enough.
Currently, the players remaining on the field were a three-back with Camila, Lorenza, Ryu Ha-neul’s midfielder line, and three strikers.
With one missing, it was even more so, but Barcelona’s defense had become far too loose.
The midfielder line—Camila, Lorenza, and Ryu Ha-neul—were all players who excelled in attack and passing. If the midfield defense became loose, even a modified three-back using fullbacks could not hold for forty-five minutes.
In other words, it was essential to bring in a player with strong defensive capabilities.
Fortunately, Barcelona had such a player.
Valentina, who could handle both center-back and midfielder.
The problem was deciding whether to use three-back or four-back, and who to replace with Valentina.
Creak—the shower room door opened—and players who had splashed cold water to prevent muscle damage and recovered some stamina sat down.
Soon it would be time for Ha-neul to return.
Once Ryu Ha-neul came back to the locker room, they had to start the meeting, so they needed to decide quickly.
As expected, the most straightforward choice here is Arnal?
When one player is sent off, the best method is to remove the starting striker and switch to a defensive tactic. Moreover, since they were leading, it was even more so.
Replace Arnal with Valentina as center-back. The defensive power would definitely increase.
But that method was sacrificing too much attack. Not ten or twenty minutes, but almost fifty minutes to endure while sacrificing attack—if they kept getting hit, no matter how strong the team, it would eventually be breached.
Even attacking with ten players, was there no way to not fall behind?
First, the wing forwards could not be removed. Wing forwards did not only attack but also defend.
If Lorenza were removed, the midfield would become too empty, and removing Camila was like removing the lower stone to chisel the upper one. Removing Ha-neul was not even worth considering.
While Angela’s worries deepened,
“I’m here.”
The locker room door opened and Ryu Ha-neul’s voice was heard.
“Ha-neul.”
“Yes?”
And seeing Ryu Ha-neul, Angela realized she had worried for nothing. With Ha-neul, it seemed possible to lead the team’s attack even without one player.
Of course, if the opponent were a strong Champions League team or Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid level, it would be impossible. But the opponent was Real Sociedad, a team considered one or two steps below.
Thinking that with the Ha-neul she had seen so far, it would be possible.
Of course, to do that, using fullback had to be set aside. But if Valentina were put in Yelena’s place, it seemed they could balance attack and defense appropriately. Although it would increase Ryu Ha-neul’s burden of defending against three defenders, Angela believed Ha-neul was a player who could overcome such a burden.
“Sit down.”
“...Yes.”
Unlike usual, when Angela called her, Ha-neul looked curious why she had called him and sat down.
After all players gathered, Angela opened her mouth.
“You all know the current situation, right? It’s not easy. But we are Barcelona. There won’t be anyone thinking they can’t endure with just one missing, will there?”
“No.”
“Then, knowing that, from now on I’ll explain the second half tactics. First, instead of Arnal, Valentina comes in. The position is the spot where Yelena was running in the first half.”
There was a slight stir in the locker room at Angela’s words. But since they were all players who had reached the world’s highest level, no one questioned what Angela was thinking.
Angela began explaining her tactics while looking at those players, and before long it was time for the second half to start.
“Yeah, endure well and bring the championship cup back in our hands one more time.”
So when Angela threw her last words, Ryu Ha-neul, who had been quietly listening to the explanation, raised his hand.
Ryu Ha-neul had always known his intention before explaining, but here he raised his hand to ask a question. Was he giving too much burden to this young player?
Unlike usual, Angela looked at Ryu Ha-neul with a slightly worried expression. And Ryu Ha-neul’s mouth opened.
“Coach.”
“...Huh?”
“I don’t need to endure... I can just break it.”
A confident remark. This kind of talk was also different from usual. Ryu Ha-neul was the type who showed with actions rather than words. But it seemed she knew why he was saying such confident words unlike usual. Probably to instill confidence in the other players as well.
So Angela smiled at Ryu Ha-neul’s words and replied.
“Of course.”
*
“Hoo... It’s been a while since three of us are running.”
“Yeah, since El Clasico, right? One of them took a break.”
Although one was sent off, seeing Camila and Valentina standing next to me, I didn’t feel like we were going to lose.
Well, it was also because we were leading by one point, but it also meant that I trusted my friends.
“Tina, just in case, you know I don’t want you to come out aggressively if I fall, right?”
The only thing worrying me was that Valentina might not be able to hold back her anger, so I approached Valentina and spoke in a small voice.
“Of course. What do you think I am?”
“You last time also...”
“No, that was a few years ago.”
“No, not that, when I was with you last time also...”
With my subtle joke, Valentina blushed and got angry. Since the incident between us at that time wasn’t entirely ordinary, Valentina seemed to be subtly bothered by it.
“Ah, why are you talking about that now!”
“Because I’m worried. You know? We are ten.”
“Ha... Really, I won’t.”
“No, even though I kept saying from when I was little to stop using violence, you still do...”
“Sorry, I won’t do it again.”
“Well, I wasn’t bad. But others might think a bit like that? So, violence is not allowed on the ground. Got it?”
“Ha... I got it.”
Valentina with her face red nodded her head. After I said all that, there’s no way she would do a rough tackle even if the opponent comes out aggressively.
“What did you say that made Tina’s face so red?”
“Secret.”
“What? Tell me too!”
“Later.”
Valentina who was talking only with me was gently pushed away by Camila who approached, and I took my seat, and the Real Sociedad players also started taking their seats.
Whistle—ding!
And the match started with the whistle. Since Arnal was out, I rolled the ball, and Lorenza who received my ball passed it deeply to Camila, restarting the match.
Then, shall I slowly break through?
Although one was missing, honestly, nothing changed. There was no need to rush since we were leading by one point, and it was just to slowly advance while connecting the ball to Arnal.
So after starting to circulate the ball for about five minutes. During those five minutes, the Real Sociedad players who didn’t touch the ball even once started to become rougher.
But I ran around here and there even in that situation and circulated the passes, and the people watching this match thought our tempo was slow like a turtle crawling.
But the viewpoint of the observer and the one being opposed are different.
The Real Sociedad players who thought they were being slowly suffocated received the ball and swung their elbow at Albaria,
Whistle—ding!
Finally, a yellow card came from the Real Sociedad side.
Good, if I can stack a few more card troubles like this.
Even if the free kick started near the touchline hit Valentina’s head and deflected off the goalpost, there was no need to rush. Although Arnal was gone, our defensive line was still the same.
No, it was even more solid than the first half. Because Valentina came in for Yelena’s spot.
Indeed, the defense seems to have easily surpassed even first-team starters?
And Valentina’s defensive skills, who had received intensive defensive training switching between center-back, were fantastic.
The ball stolen by Valentina came under my feet.
“Run! Run!”
I shouted loudly as if urging her to listen, pretending to make a long pass. Then, Savina, who had been blocking space without extending her leg until now, blocked the pass path to Albaria.
As I aimed.
At the moment the foot touched the ball, I reduced the speed of the foot and sent the ball to the opposite side of Savina’s extended leg, lightly bypassing Savina and running forward.
Of course, even after bypassing one, it wasn’t over. In front, there were center-backs focusing only on me without anyone to draw aggro, and behind, Savina was chasing me like she wanted to kill me.
Almost surrounded in a triangle shape.
But the space was narrowing.
But the unfortunate point for them was that they hadn’t pressured me with two center-backs between them.
The space between them was visible. It looked perfectly blocked, but the overlapping space within the two defenders’ defensive range was the kind of space where someone else could cover it.
Of course, it was a very small gap, but...!
Tap, tap.
Shaking the upper body and showing two-footed dribbling. The center-backs whose posture collapsed due to my feint tried to extend their legs to block me, but they hesitated as if their bodies would collide with each other. And for me, that short time was enough.
“I broke through!”
“Here!”
The shouts of Albaria and Eloya charging in from both sides were heard.
Since the distance to the goal was a bit far, the best method here was a pass. But what I was aiming for was to correct this imbalance. And I felt the center-backs chasing from behind following my slow speed.
At the moment when the presence was felt, I immediately took the shooting stance. Although it was inside the penalty box, the distance was far, so it was a position I would never shoot from normally, but what was important now was to show the referee that I had completely possessed this ball and continued to shoot.
I felt someone touching my body from behind.
At that moment, I rolled forward three times and fell.
Whistle—ding!
Yeah, it’s a bit annoying not to foul even this.
With the referee’s whistle, the finger pointing inside the penalty box was seen. After that, unfortunately, a yellow card came from the referee’s hand.
Tsk... Giving a yellow card and a red at the same time is a bit annoying.
But it was a big effect just by planting a card trouble on the opposing defender. And the penalty kick was a bonus.
“Good! Ha-neul!”
“I said I would break it, didn’t I?”
After giving a thumbs up to Albaria who called my name with a good mood and patted my head, I stood up. Now, the only thing left was to succeed in the penalty kick.
—Waaaaaaaah!!!!
And Albaria successfully shot by fooling the goalkeeper cleanly, and the score difference widened by two points.
The remaining time was about thirty-five minutes.
And for us to maintain a two-point lead in thirty-five minutes was an extremely easy task.
Instead, the Real Sociedad side, who had become hasty, opened up space and cards were stacking up.
So while cooking the hasty Real Sociedad and spending time, at the point with about twenty minutes left, Angela threw a countermeasure.
The referee raised the substitution board.
[Albaria <> Kang Yu-ri]
It was replacing Albaria who was losing stamina with Yu-ri, who boasted to be in the top five in the league as a substitute.
“Yu-ri, you know?”
“Of course. I’ll keep running.”
“Run at full power.”
“Of course.”
With a two-point lead, the situation where space opened up, tired opposing players, and accumulating card troubles.
In such a situation, passing to Yu-ri who was running for a counterattack was an extremely easy task, and Yu-ri didn’t miss the opportunity.
—Waaaaaaaah!!!!
Again, the fans’ cheers burst out.
And with that goal, Angela called me to the bench as my stamina was running out, and Yu-ri’s goal could be recorded as the last goal of the final.