Simeone Spreads the Poison
December 28, 2021. Winter break. While the players were granted time to rest, the club staff found themselves busier than ever. Espanyol’s board was no exception.
“Phew… At least we can breathe a little easier.” Vice Chairman Carlos wore a faintly relieved expression. Espanyol had hit a sudden slump just before the winter break. Currently sitting atop La Liga 2 with a record of 15 wins, 4 draws, and 2 losses in 21 matches—49 points—they were on pace for automatic promotion. Everything had looked promising, except for the sudden string of draws and defeats right before the break.
“Is there a problem, David?”
“Ah… well…”
With half the staff off for Christmas, Carlos seized the opportunity to speak privately with David while Manager Abelardo was away.
“Right now, Espanyol is a team that relies far too heavily on a single player.”
“You mean Ha Sunmoon?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Everyone knew Ha Sunmoon was still performing at an elite level. Even the vice chairman had no trouble answering David’s question. In the second division, Sunmoon’s ability was simply overwhelming. His dribbling and crossing—skills that would work even in the first division—were tearing apart La Liga 2 sides.
“So the recent dip… it’s because of him?”
“Yes… He mentioned his knee and ankle were bothering him, so we reduced his match minutes. And… every game he hasn’t played, we’ve either drawn or lost.”
“Hmm…”
“He’s a special talent, but he’s still young. His body simply can’t handle the number of matches we’ve been asking of him.”
“One player… and his influence is that great. Betting on him was the right call, but for the result of matches to hinge entirely on whether he plays or not… Is it really that extreme?”
“The current situation is a bit unique. Allow me to explain.”
David began laying out why Espanyol had suddenly lost their edge.
“Many teams in La Liga 2 have started deploying a compact 4-4-2 against sides they consider stronger—especially those recently relegated from the first division. They’re deliberately sitting deep.”
“They’re playing purely defensively on purpose?”
“Exactly. A draw is good enough for them. If they manage a counterattack goal and steal a win, that’s even better. So they’re openly parking the bus. It looks like they’ve been influenced by Atlético Madrid, who are currently leading La Liga. At first it wasn’t so obvious, but lately most opponents are blatantly copying Atlético’s low block and counterattacking style.”
“Then how do we break them down?”
“When the opponent sits deep, you need either dribbling to carve through them or quality crossing to crack the wall. The players capable of doing that are Vargas, the left winger we brought in from Argentina, and Ha Sunmoon, who possesses Brazilian-level technique.”
“I see… And crossing?”
“To deliver the ball to our strikers through a double line of defense, you need a very high level of crossing accuracy. Unfortunately, the only player in the squad who can consistently produce that kind of delivery is…”
“Ha. He’s the only one.”
“Correct. So if he keeps missing matches, our position in the table will start to slip.”
“Then give him all the medical support he needs. Has Manager Abelardo come up with a way to break down these defensive setups?”
David shook his head. Even top managers in the first division were struggling to find answers against the compact 4-4-2.
“Playing our way through them offensively isn’t realistic. That’s why Manager Abelardo is considering switching to a 4-4-2 ourselves.”
“What?”
“Since even the best teams in the first division can’t easily solve this tactical problem, our only option is to copy the side that created the solution. And Abelardo’s approach actually makes sense.”
“It does?” Carlos raised an eyebrow.
“Yes. We’re the strong side now, but once we’re promoted we’ll be the underdogs. So he wants us to master the low-block 4-4-2 before next season and prepare for a future without Ha Sunmoon. Even if we can’t win, we can at least secure draws. Of course, I’m talking about when we reach the first division.”
“But wasn’t the original goal to win every match and go up?”
“This season, relying on Ha to get promoted is probably the smarter move. In the meantime, we’ll bed in the 4-4-2 so we’re ready for the possibility of playing without him. Even without him, we’ll still aim for draws. At the very least, that’s the plan once we’re in the first division.”
“Is this really the best we can do?”
“It’s the way the league is trending. Adapting to what’s working is a skill in itself. Besides, Abelardo already used a 4-4-2 in the past, so once the details are sorted he can implement it quickly. Honestly, I’ve never thought he was particularly suited to a 4-3-3 base anyway, so this feels like the right call.”
“Hmm… If someone who’s been with the club as long as you thinks so, then there’s nothing more to say. You’re the one who always puts the club first.”
David looked at Vice Chairman Carlos with a hint of hope.
“So about reinforcements in the winter transfer window…”
“Reinforcements?”
Carlos immediately looked away.
“That… that’s impossible. We’ll have to manage with the current squad. With Ha here, we should still be able to get promoted anyway! Ahem…”
“But the owner said if we don’t use Wu Lei—”
“Don’t even bring that up. Those bastards. They throw a fit and refuse to give us money unless we play Wu Lei…”
“Ah… Wu Lei’s been carrying a minor injury lately and Embarba has completely taken his spot…”
“Exactly. They want to see him play no matter what. If he doesn’t, there won’t be any support. Damn Mingxing Group…”
“Phew… Damn it… So when we get to the first division…”
Once again, Carlos turned his face away.
“They’ll probably raise his wages to match Wu Lei’s.”
“Haha…”
Winter break. A short rest period for the players. Ha Sunmoon spent it relaxing as much as possible. Whenever he got hungry, he headed to Raul’s restaurant, and sometimes Vegas would hang out with Annie.
“Hmm… Something feels different.”
“Huh? What does?”
“I’m not sure… but little by little, something’s changing.”
Vegas, busy playing, didn’t pay it much mind, but Annie—who was always interested in Sunmoon—kept glancing at him, sensing the subtle shift.
What exactly has changed?
The question lingered until Felipe finally returned, and only then did Sunmoon understand what was happening to him.
“Ha! Long time no see!”
“Felipe! You’ve been gone way too long, haven’t you?”
Felipe, who had been swamped with work, had been away for a full two months. The winter transfer window had kept him busy with numerous player moves.
“Haha… Sorry about that. There were just too many players I had to see this time. But… you’ve grown so much!”
“Huh? Grown?”
People who hadn’t seen him in a while were always more sensitive to these changes. Felipe immediately noticed the difference in Sunmoon over the past two months.
“Yeah. No matter how I look at it, you’ve grown at least ten centimeters. Have you measured your height and weight recently?”
“I only checked my weight. I just thought I’d put on a bit of muscle…”
“Have your knees or feet been hurting?”
“They have! That’s been bothering me lately.”
What? That was it? I was so worried thinking it was inflammation or something. This… I can’t believe I missed something so obvious!
Harrison had known Sunmoon was in pain, but he’d assumed it was inflammation from playing too many matches and had worried excessively, missing the simple truth.
This… this…
While Harrison berated himself, Felipe measured Sunmoon’s height and weight.
“Hmm~ 169 cm and 61 kg. That’s excellent.”
Felipe smiled brightly after confirming Sunmoon’s height.
“Really?”
“Of course. Football may not be a sport where height matters as much as in others, but having a bit more height definitely makes things easier on the pitch.”
“If you keep growing like this and end up around 175–178 cm, that’d be pretty good, right? You know you need to eat more from now on, don’t you?”
“I do?”
“Yes. You’re in a growth spurt. You need to eat well and rest well. Otherwise your body might not develop properly. I know you’ve been watching your diet to become a better player, but for now, forget all that and just eat. You can eat as much good food as you want. Your body will digest it all and use it to help you grow.”
“Really?”
“Of course! It has to be that way. No question about it. If you’re eating too much, just tell the coach it’s because you’re growing so fast. They’ll understand. Hahaha.”
“Then let’s go right now! I’m hungry.”
“Right this second?”
“Yes, and you must be hungry too, Uncle.”
“Alright, let’s go.”
With a happy face, Ha Sunmoon headed toward Raul’s restaurant alongside Felipe.