Field Commander - Chapter 12

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 12.

Chapter 12.

Chapter 12.

There were two types of uniforms

Red Team. Blue Team.

With the FC Cheongju logo embroidered on them.

I played on the Red Team.

‘If I were a manager, I’d want to see the most efficient attacking routes.’

What I learned while studying for the UEFA coaching license after quitting soccer was actually helping me in real soccer.

If before it was just mind games with other players, now I could think about situations outside the ground too, I suppose?

My first position was center-back.

My main position from high school.

The role of crushing the opponent’s attacks and protecting the goalkeeper.

But everyone seemed to have lost their stamina, so there weren’t any explosive movements.

There weren’t many threatening situations either, and although crosses occasionally came toward the goal post, I was handling most of them using my height.

‘There’s no tall striker, but they keep sending up crosses.’

Of course, we did receive such instructions in the basic tactics earlier, but it’s also necessary to make good choices depending on the situation.

“Hey hey! Don’t send crosses, connect with short passes!”

The coaches who couldn’t stand watching anymore started yelling.

But our team was the same way.

“Red Team! Keep changing the strikers’ positions! You don’t think you can join the team with just that level of skill, do you?”

The coaches started gently scratching at the players’ pride.

But with stamina completely drained from the basic training earlier, bodies were heavy, and there was pressure to show something in the match, and the coaches started yelling…

There were no coordinated movements with our team players either…

Eventually, one or two players who couldn’t stand the frustration started attacking with their speed and individual skills.

Since the players on this side had also lost stamina, they couldn’t concentrate and couldn’t catch up if they missed.

Due to that momentum, they ran all the way to me, but when it came to defense, I wasn’t such an easy opponent.

Maybe it was because of my tall height?

I don’t know if they thought my reaction speed was slow, but I could see right through the striker’s plan to get past me with a change of direction dribble.

My reaction speed is actually slow, but if I can predict how the opponent will come at me, that’s not a big problem.

I deliberately pretended to be fooled and moved my body away, then quickly turned and stretched out my leg.

I cleanly took just the ball and got back up.

At that moment, I saw the left wing-back turn his body instantly, and I immediately sent up a long cross on the next touch.

A cross flying toward the deep space.

The goalkeeper didn’t sense the danger and stayed close to the goal post.

He probably thought it would go out beyond the goal line.

The opposing defender naturally couldn’t chase since the wing-back had moved with speed attached.

The ball dropped and its speed died completely, bouncing up slightly into the air.

“Whoa!”

The opposing goalkeeper belatedly left the goal empty and rushed out.

‘Wrong judgment. He didn’t consider the striker’s speed at all.’

I slowed down my running pace and watched the situation.

But the wing-back quickly hit the ball toward the goal post and jumped to avoid the goalkeeper’s tackle.

Before getting caught up with the center-backs who had run like crazy while gasping for breath, he shot before they could close in and opened up the goal.

* * *

“Wow…”

The coaches burst into exclamations and clapped.

“That would have scored against our players too, wouldn’t it?”

The moment they saw Kim Sang-hyuk’s cross, even the coaches thought it had gone out beyond the goal line.

They never expected the speed to die like that.

“Our goalkeeper would have protected the goal. Then the probability of a goal would have been even lower.”

A battle of opportunities and probabilities.

Park Chang-yeol’s gaze turned toward Kim Sang-hyuk.

“But number 201 is still stable. The opponent can’t find any attacking routes at all. He doesn’t seem to be running that much, but he finds exactly the positions he needs.”

“Looking at him jump, he doesn’t seem like an injured player either…”

“That guy’s pass quality and kicking power are too lacking to use as a center-back though?”

“Should we try changing his position?”

“Move him up to defensive midfielder. Let’s see what he can do.”

Cheongju FC needed personnel reinforcement in that position right away.

* * *

“Number 201, number 88, position change.”

When we were leading 1-0 and about 15 minutes into the match, an order came to change positions.

I had only moved a few steps forward, but the situation I could see was completely different.

It wasn’t simply a position for defense only, but a position that served as a link in the build-up.

But it didn’t feel particularly awkward.

I think it was because of my experience at Geumwang High School.

The tempo seemed similar to back then, or maybe even slightly slower.

Still, perhaps because of what I showed in the previous 10 minutes, my teammates easily passed the ball to me.

Maybe because of the decisive cross that led to the goal, the final defenders came down to avoid giving space behind them, and the midfield line and attacking line were coming out aggressively to show something.

Thanks to that, the space between them was gradually widening.

Two players rushed at me.

The midfielder’s role is to break free from pressure coming from all directions and connect the ball to teammates.

– Tap.

Just by lightly giving the ball to a teammate in empty space, I could instantly neutralize the opponent’s pressure.

Compared to matches where we had coordinated for a long time like at Geumwang High School, developing the game was too easy.

After passing the ball, I also moved to find space.

Then came a return pass back to me.

At that moment, the front striker made a clever turn and run.

That caught my field vision, and I immediately sent up a direct cross without delay.

– Boom.

The ball dropped between the striker and goalkeeper.

The goalkeeper who should have rushed out immediately backed away instead, and the striker shot after a one touch.

– Thud!

Applause from the coaches flowed from far away.

The striker didn’t shout, but he was so excited he jumped up and down several times.

‘But this position is really fun, isn’t it?’

Unlike center-back where you defend to death, I could rack up attacking points like this.

And the match just exchanged meaningless back-and-forth plays before ending 2-0.

* * *

“Good work.”

“Good work.”

“By the way, that’s Kim Sang-hyuk from Maedong High School, right?”

“Ah… yes.”

“I knew it… Thanks to you, I was able to score that goal. I’m Lee Chang-su, graduated from Shinhung High School. I… watched you from afar when you were active at Maedong High School. I was just a substitute player back then.”

Lee Chang-su, who had scored the goal from my assist earlier, expressed his gratitude.

“During tactical training, your crosses were incredibly accurate and fast, so I ran with hope.”

“That was a very smart movement.”

After that, whenever I got the ball, he kept making those runs, but the opposing defense cleverly stuck to me and didn’t give me any space to kick the ball, so I couldn’t deliver any crosses.

“Please take care of me in the next match too.”

That meant he would continue making those movements whenever I got the ball.

“Yes. You worked hard.”

While I was exchanging light greetings with the other players, the judges approached us.

“Good work today.”

“Based on today’s evaluated performance, the starting lineup and substitutions for Saturday’s match will be decided. But not all evaluations are finished, so rest well, get in good condition, and show us a good performance in the final match.”

Though brief, it was an enjoyable match.

A match with tempo as fast as Geumwang High School, where everyone ran hard with something desperate as their goal.

When the players left one by one with their families who had come to pick them up, I loosened my muscles a bit more on the playground.

Just as I was about to get up, Park Chang-yeol approached me.

“Was it fun?”

“Yes.”

“Do you only smile when you’re playing?”

“Ah, is that so?”

“Someone might think you’re sneering when they see your expression.”

If a striker thinks that when looking at my expression?

“Then that’s good. If they think they’re being provoked, they’ll get excited.”

Park Chang-yeol laughed.

“Is that your football philosophy? You did the same thing when facing Seo Dong-myung last time.”

If I had heard this in high school, I would have asked what kind of nonsense that was.

Playing football was one thing, but what philosophy?

But while resting due to injury, I was able to understand what kind of football I had been playing.

“Well, I guess so.”

“Why didn’t you show that side today?”

“I guess my skills were better than the strikers I faced.”

“When you feel your skills are lacking, you’ll do anything to win without regard for means and methods?”

“Of course. Football is the most fun thing, but it’s also war. To win a war, you shouldn’t be picky about means and methods.”

Park Chang-yeol nodded.

“Having a defender like you in the back would definitely make any coach feel secure.”

“Does that mean you’ll pick me?”

“I don’t know yet. I need to see first how well your football works with our team.”

“Is there anything you want to tell me?”

“A player who got beaten by you in high school is our team’s key striker. So it doesn’t seem like he’s planning to take the match lightly.”

“Ah, really? Who is it?”

“Figure it out yourself. But what’s your reason for wanting to go to Germany? You could build up your performance here and go to the K League.”

I thought of one person in my head.

“There’s someone I need to take care of.”

Of course, I need to show good performance overseas to easily get on the National Team, and only then can I participate in the World Cup or not.

“Jang Jin-woo?”

At Park Chang-yeol’s words, I showed my teeth and smiled grimly.

“Somehow I get the feeling you two will go through life as rivals.”

Maybe that’s how it will be.

Judging by that guy’s current performance.

“Rivals… One is a successful Bundesliga player, the other is an amateur player without even a team. You really think highly of me.”

Park Chang-yeol burst into laughter at my words.

“Oh my… did I get read?”

* * *

“Wow, Jang Jin-woo scores! Goal! Three consecutive matches with goals! Can Schalke 04, who was struggling in last season’s slump, finally aim for 5th place? At this pace, Jang Jin-woo might even be able to aim for the top scorer title!”

Choi Do-hoon was doing live commentary on overseas football on NewTube.

He was excited day after day.

Starting with Park Jae-sung, the father of overseas advancement, numerous players had advanced to European leagues.

It was because they were showing good performances.

Not only was Park Hong-min, who joined the National Team at the youngest age, performing well at Hamburg, but Jang Jin-woo, who had dominated the K League and advanced to Germany, was also showing excellent performance.

“This goal shows just how excellent a player Jang Jin-woo is…”

He was enthusiastically explaining Jang Jin-woo’s movements.

Though it was a channel with about 10,000 subscribers and around 30 viewers during live broadcasts.

– Watching Jang Jin-woo always reminds me of that player.

– Me too.

– Kim Sang-hyuk from Maedong High School.

– Back then, Jang Jin-woo was complete trash.

– Right. One goal in seven finals matches. Just one goal.

– If Kim Sang-hyuk had gone to the K League, Jang Jin-woo’s team probably wouldn’t have won.

– No objection.

– But what’s Kim Sang-hyuk doing these days? Is he eating well? He didn’t starve to death, did he?

– Doesn’t anyone know?

– That guy… he’s from an orphanage, so there’s probably no one to take care of him.

– Ah, poor guy.

The comment section was slowly scrolling.

Choi Do-hoon was also reading those comments while explaining about Jang Jin-woo, then paused for a moment.

– Kim Sang-hyuk is taking entrance tests for a K3 League team.

– His leg was completely destroyed, what football?

– Stop lying.

– His leg seems perfectly fine… and his class is completely different.

– Are you some attention-seeking novelist? Why are you writing such an entertaining novel?

Then the viewer who posted the comment uploaded a photo.

When a photo of someone playing in a Cheongju FC uniform was uploaded, the comment section went crazy.

– That’s Kim Sang-hyuk. That face!

– Really? That guy is playing football again?

– Wow, crazy! Did he recover?

– Oh… Korean football, rise again!

“Wait a moment.”

Choi Do-hoon sent a private message to the viewer who uploaded the photo.

– Is this real?

– Yes. He’s taking entrance tests for Cheongju FC. It’s true. I played with him. I got rejected though.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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