Malaga Match 3: "It's Not Easy..."
There is a saying that the ball is round. As such, sports do not always unfold as expected. Although they believed their overall strength gave them the edge, Espanyol still failed to score against Malaga even as the second half wore on.
Hmm… What is the manager thinking? The current situation was not easy for David, the senior coach.
After Pep Guardiola achieved the treble with Barcelona, La Liga began paying close attention to tactics built on his 4-3-3 system. Most La Liga managers now use similar approaches. They abandoned their own tactics and embraced modern ideas so they wouldn’t fall behind the times… We benefited from that shift too. Coach Rubi was excellent with the 4-2-3-1 in the 18/19 season…
David glanced at Manager Abelardo.
The problem is that Abelardo’s tactics lack that same sharpness. He deploys both 4-2-3-1 and 4-1-2-3… Even back when I watched him in the top flight, the formations may look alike on paper, but the feel is completely different. The ball barely reaches the penalty area, and we rarely see it end in a goal.
Ha Sunmoon… He really is an incredible kid, yet he’s making our team look even more pathetic… In nearly every match we didn’t lose last season, Ha Sunmoon was the difference. To have to rely on the plays created by such a young player…
“Make them sharper! Whip them in harder!” Manager Abelardo yelled at the players.
He’s right. The crosses need more bite. That one wasn’t bad, but center-backs can read those easily. And with two men on Puado, the odds are stacked against us… To break the deadlock we need the kind of whip-like crosses Ha Sunmoon delivers from the left. Fast, with a razor-sharp trajectory, the kind world-class players produce…
Yet David knew his hope was unlikely to be realized. Ha Sunmoon was playing right-back at the moment. Despite his claims of being equally comfortable with his right foot, the crosses he produced were not much different from those supplied by Ureña, Embarba, or Gomez.
At least Malaga aren’t pushing forward aggressively. Our defense is handling their attacks well enough… But what now…
The game continued in a meaningless stalemate. Espanyol kept pumping in crosses that were either headed clear or saw de Tomas’s headers fly harmlessly wide.
This isn’t working… After long consideration, David approached Manager Abelardo.
“Manager. It’s time we prepared a substitution.”
“I suppose so… Who do you think we should bring on? Pedrosa could provide better quality crosses, no?”
No, Manager. Villa is the superior crosser. Pedrosa starts because he can shut down dangerous wingers from top-flight sides. Against a team that has sat deep and barely ventures forward like this… Villa is the better choice… He still hasn’t properly evaluated the squad yet…
David felt a flicker of frustration but kept it hidden.
“No, Manager. The player we need to introduce now is someone else.”
Since he finally had a clear answer, David calmly shared his thoughts with Abelardo.
“Then who would you suggest?”
“Villa’s crosses are decent, but even those aren’t producing goals… Ra’s crosses aren’t working either. We should put our best crosser at left-back. Take Villa off, shift Ha Sunmoon to left-back, and place Ian or Gomez at right-back.”
“Hmm. True, Ha’s crosses are excellent.”
“Besides, Puado hasn’t linked up with Sunmoon’s crosses much yet. It might have been different at the start of the match, but with only fifteen minutes left, we should bring on de Tomas, who has worked extensively with Ha Sunmoon.”
“Is there really no other option? It would be nice if we had more tactical variations… We still have a long way to go…”
Hmm… That’s a reasonable opinion. It’s not that he knows nothing… Just as he said earlier, he’s simply exploring every option to preserve squad energy. So that’s it…
“Let’s go with that. There’s no time to waste…”
“All right. Tell Gomez and de Tomas to get ready.”
“Understood.”
No! They’re taking Gomez off! It must mean I didn’t do well at right-back today…
At Harrison’s words, Ha Sunmoon nodded and refocused.
What should I do? Normal crosses aren’t working… Puado isn’t tall enough to win headers… We need something creative. A creative pass…
Suddenly the play of one particular player flashed through his mind. While studying pass maps with Harrison recently, the two who had shown the most lethal passing lanes were Kevin De Bruyne and Fernandinho. From deep, they delivered killer passes that weren’t long kicks but rather swept along the grass, threading subtly between defenders to reach their teammates.
But that requires serious ankle strength. Long-range passes like that are difficult… Instead… there is something I’m good at.
Ha Sunmoon gestured for the ball and burst forward.
Ha Sunmoon took the pass on the move, scanning the pitch. He exchanged quick one-twos with Alex, who had shifted to right midfield, then with right winger Ureña, before driving toward the half-space. Two simple give-and-go exchanges were all it took. Malaga’s defenders were forced to tighten up on Alex and Ureña, leaving a gap that Ha Sunmoon spotted instantly.
This time Ha Sunmoon did not loft a conventional cross. It was an early cross in the style of Kevin De Bruyne, delivered from the right half-space, the kind that makes life miserable for defenders.
I have to drive it low along the ground! That’s the only way!
Harrison thought the attempt would fail. Kevin De Bruyne’s early crosses were not something anyone could simply replicate. Kicking the ball along the ground at pace while imparting spin required far more ankle strength than a simple stabbed pass from behind.
I know that.
So what Ha Sunmoon could do was simpler. It wasn’t a perfectly curved, beautiful ball that defenders would struggle to intercept while attackers could easily control. But it was a pass that gave his attackers a chance to receive it.
Thump! Ha Sunmoon struck a fierce, almost shot-like pass between the goalkeeper, who had come out, and Puado.
Ha… That’s fast. Is he going for a solo run? Should I drop deeper inside to receive a cross? Complicated thoughts flooded Puado’s mind.
When Ha Sunmoon invaded the half-space, the defensive line began to retreat slowly, getting pushed back into the penalty area. At that moment Puado caught Ha Sunmoon’s eye. In a split second the look said everything; Puado instantly prepared his body to spring into action.
This is… for me! How is he going to deliver it?
Realizing the pass was intended for him rather than the goalkeeper, Puado first shifted his body toward the goalmouth.
Thump! At that instant Ha Sunmoon drove the ball along the ground. It flew forward at terrifying speed.
Aaaargh! Ha! How are you supposed to control a pass like that? It’s way too fast!
The ball screamed past everyone. Neither of the two center-backs nor the striker could touch it. In the end it didn’t produce a goal and rolled out of play.
“Ah…”
Harrison praised the remarkable play, but Ha Sunmoon, sensing an imminent substitution, lowered his head.
The referee signaled the change and the fourth official raised the board.
“Eh?”
Ha Sunmoon looked toward the bench. Gomez was coming on for Villa, and Puado was being replaced by de Tomas.
“Ha! Shift to left-back!” Manager Abelardo shouted.
Ha Sunmoon moved into the left-back position with an embarrassed expression, realizing his worry had been unnecessary.
“It’s because you made me nervous, Clive!” Ha Sunmoon grumbled at Harrison as he settled back into his defensive position.