Field Commander - Chapter 14

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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 14.

Chapter 14.

Chapter 14.

“The physical battle is really intense.”

Every time a long pass came up from Cheongju FC’s side, a physical battle broke out between two giants over 190cm tall.

“Sang-il is really showing his fighting spirit today too.”

“If he keeps showing that tenacious side during the regular season, that would be great.”

“But he really seems to be a player of a different class. He probably hasn’t played properly for 3 years, yet he’s gradually overwhelming Sang-il.”

The war of pulling each other’s uniforms and trying to secure position somehow began to flow in Kim Sang-hyuk’s favor.

“It’s not fighting spirit. He’s excited.”

Park Chang-yeol finished his comment.

That was because while fighting for position, he was getting farther and farther from where the ball would drop.

Kim Sang-hyuk, who created this situation, released from the physical battle and squeezed forward to jump.

Park Sang-il, who followed belatedly, also jumped, but it was Kim Sang-hyuk’s victory with his far superior jumping power.

‘Did he utilize the advantage of having higher jumping power than Sang-il?’

The ball Kim Sang-hyuk handled was immediately connected to his team, and it was time to launch a counter attack.

But the other players were marking one-on-one, pressuring so the ball couldn’t be received easily.

‘The defense is definitely good.’

It was natural since they had built defensive organization for 3 years.

In the end, the ball couldn’t get out.

The ball circulated in the back and came back to Kim Sang-hyuk again.

“Don’t pressure! Just block the passing lanes!”

These days, players’ individual skills had improved so much that rushing in to steal could result in being broken through, so the tactic of pressuring to prevent proper passes was popular.

“Keep moving! So you can receive passes in good positions!”

While the coaches of both teams were shouting consecutively, the excited Park Sang-il charged aggressively at Kim Sang-hyuk.

‘He doesn’t know me? He doesn’t know me? We’ve played over 10 games in 3 years?’

All 10 were defeats.

Park Sang-il, whose self-esteem had been damaged before the game started, couldn’t hear the coach’s shouts at all.

‘If our school had just made it to the national tournament once or twice… my life would have been different.’

Unlike Park Sang-il, who was only focused on the ball at Kim Sang-hyuk’s feet, Kim Sang-hyuk was surveying the entire stadium with cold eyes.

‘Because of you! I’ll prove that I’m much better than you.’

Park Sang-il was filled with inexplicable confidence and ended up predicting that Kim Sang-hyuk would pass to the right wingback.

Defenders who could concede a goal with even one mistake don’t do anticipatory defense.

However, attackers are always in a position where they need to predict where the ball will come, so they do anticipatory defense during games.

Even if they defend wrongly and lose a player, it won’t lead to conceding a goal.

Park Sang-il stretched his leg deep, but Kim Sang-hyuk, as if he had been reading it, faked a pass then completely beat him with a change of direction dribble.

It was a common occurrence in K3 League matches, but Park Sang-il’s bad luck was that Kim Sang-hyuk became completely free without any pressure.

Lee Chang-su, who was watching this, pretended to come down to receive a pass from Kim Sang-hyuk, then turned his body and ran forward.

The feeling that his through pass would drop in that wide space ahead?

* * *

YouTuber Choi Do-hoon, though not from an elite player background, was someone who had watched and analyzed countless football matches from childhood until now.

He, who mainly watched European games, became interested in high school football because of a short video someone uploaded.

In the video, there was one defender and three attackers.

The regional final match between Kim Sang-hyuk’s Maedong High School and Gangwon’s prestigious football school Jeil High School.

In the second half of the game, perhaps because everyone’s stamina had dropped, there were no supporting defenders coming to Maedong High School.

The game score was 1:1

If they conceded a goal here, Maedong High School couldn’t go to the national tournament.

Everyone thought Maedong High School would definitely concede a goal, but Kim Sang-hyuk predicted and intercepted a sharp pass coming into the penalty area.

Maedong High School’s counter attack that followed.

And a goal.

Later he found out that Maedong High School was a newly formed football club that won the championship in their first regional tournament, beating all the prestigious schools.

“Such situations continued afterwards too. It felt like he could see the opponent’s passing lanes.”

Even cutting shots that seemed like they would become goals…

When Kim Sang-hyuk became a third-year at Maedong High School, rumors reached his ears that scouts from famous overseas clubs were coming to the stadium.

A defender who seemed like he could work even if placed in Europe.

Naturally, he somehow obtained and watched all of his game videos.

“But… what’s with that passing ability? Right foot? Wasn’t his main foot originally the left?”

There might be people who had never seen Kim Sang-hyuk’s games, but there wouldn’t be anyone who had only seen them once.

Since both his left and right feet were good, it would be troublesome from a defending perspective.

“…”

Choi Do-hoon scratched his head briefly at the sight of Park Sang-il suddenly losing his balance and stretching out his foot.

‘Well, K3 level…’

That was the moment.

Kim Sang-hyuk, who became completely free, immediately sent a through pass with his right foot, dropping it precisely between the opponent’s last defender and goalkeeper.

“Huh? When did he install that kind of pass?”

He had watched all of Kim Sang-hyuk’s game videos, but he had definitely never attempted such a pass before.

‘So that’s why they put him in the defensive midfielder position?’

The attacker who started first, the defenders chasing desperately though a beat late.

The goalkeeper coming out.

A situation where the attacker could score unless he was an idiot, if he got to the ball first.

And it looked like the attacker would touch the ball first.

At that moment, the defender strongly grabbed the uniform of the attacker running ahead, and Lee Chang-su, who lost his balance, fell down.

– Tweet!!!

Whistle sound.

“That’s a red card. It’s a foul in a decisive situation.”

But a yellow card came out.

“Huh?”

Choi Do-hoon sighed.

“Don’t they know the latest FIFA rules?”

If a red card came out here…

Looking at the situation, not only would it be difficult for Cheongju FC players to score easily, but they might even concede a goal to Kim Sang-hyuk, who showed tremendous strength in aerial duels, in a set piece situation.

In the eyes of Choi Do-hoon, who was watching the game with a camera in front of the stadium, he could see the very tense Cheongju FC players.

Eyes like players during league games.

It was completely different from the confidence they had initially shown, as if they would devour the test players.

“Now I can really see a Cheongju FC game.”

* * *

“…Isn’t this a red card?”

The latest FIFA rules definitely stipulated such situations as red card offenses.

The coach looked perplexed at my question, but answered very firmly.

“It’s yellow. Do you have a problem with my decision?”

“No, sir.”

If one person got sent off here, it seemed like we could win this game.

It would be fine for the striker to score, but my intention to reduce the opponent’s numbers by creating this situation ultimately failed.

“But why do you look so dissatisfied?”

“Ah, my face is naturally like this.”

The coach acting as referee chuckled.

“That was a nice pass.”

“Thank you.”

The atmosphere of the opposing team players had completely changed after this one play.

‘Did I unnecessarily poke a hornet’s nest?’

Ah, this won’t be easy.

But it seems I’m the only one complaining about the calls.

Everyone seems to be holding back their words, probably afraid of getting on the coach’s bad side since they’re all test players.

“Want to take the free kick?”

Our team players asked me.

“I think I’d be better positioned near the goal post. Someone confident should take it.”

“Should I aim for your head?”

When you target a moving person, free kick accuracy tends to drop.

So you aim for space instead, but it seems they don’t have that concept yet.

“I think it would be better to just shoot from this position.”

I entered the penalty area and stood in a suitable position.

I had to endure the laser-like gazes of the Cheongju FC players, their eyes full of intensity and tension.

I even felt like if we didn’t score here, we’d lose today’s match.

Because these people really seem serious about playing properly.

And I noticed Park Sang-il being called over by the manager and getting severely scolded.

Watching him come back with his shoulders drooped, completely deflated, I took a deep breath.

I don’t know how many good opportunities the test team will get going forward.

‘Just don’t hit a home run.’

A chaotic situation would be advantageous for me.

“Hey.”

Two players were pressing me from both sides as if they were going to crush me in a compactor.

They looked like some of the older players from the Cheongju FC squad.

– So you think you’re that good? Let’s see just how good you are.

Come to think of it, these two had been jabbing me with their elbows whenever the referee wasn’t looking, or making unnecessary tackles even when there was no ball.

And I’m not the type of fool to just let such situations slide.

“Your thinning hair is showing.”

Actually, none of the players were bald, but there were inevitably some with relatively thin hair. Since this could be a complex for them, dropping comments like this during a match always gets a reaction from someone.

And one of them reacted.

“What?”

“Hey, don’t react. You’ll end up like Sang-il if you do.”

Seo Dong-myung’s voice rang in my ears.

But the player who reacted started raising his hand and touching his head repeatedly.

The free kick wall was set up and one of our players prepared for the free kick.

The physical battle continued, almost like wrestling, making it difficult to jump easily.

– Thud.

It sounded like the ball was kicked, but the sound lacked power.

‘Did it miss?’

I thought, but the ball hit the head of a player in the free kick wall and went up into the air.

It was an ambiguous position for the goalkeeper to come out.

“Hair loss.”

At that moment, one direction of the pressure I felt from all sides loosened.

I put all my strength into pushing the player away and rushed forward.

But the ball was falling weakly, so even if I hit it with my head, it didn’t seem like it would become a goal.

“This bastard. Can’t jump.”

Park Sang-il suddenly clung to me and pushed forcefully, and in this state, I couldn’t jump properly.

The players who had been in the free kick wall were running this way, and our team players were being pushed to the outside, unable to win the physical battles with the defenders.

Even if I overcame the pressure and trapped it with my chest, the defense could clear it, and there was no player who could receive it if I dropped it inside.

If I sent it outside the penalty area, we could lose the ball and face an immediate counter attack.

What remained was shooting.

That decision was made in an instant, and I had to make a choice I’d never made in my life.

Using Park Sang-il’s chest, who was pushing me forcefully, as support, I launched my body forward and lowered my head.

At that sight, the players who had been running toward me flinched and stopped, which caught my eye…

In my mind, the ball’s trajectory was clearly drawn.

The opposing players’ lower bodies and the ground came into my field of vision.

I moved my left leg, and felt the ball touch my foot.

And after swinging it forcefully, I soon fell to the ground.

* * *

It was graceful.

Just like when the 195cm tall Zlatan Ibrahimović scored a wonderful goal against England in the European Championship.

How many players could choose that kind of shot in that situation?

The moment the ball hit his outstretched leg, Choi Do-hoon instinctively stood up.

The ball was hit so hard that it went toward the upper front of the goalkeeper, but the goalkeeper couldn’t even react.

– Clang!

“Wow! Crazy! An overhead kick?”

Choi Do-hoon shouted.

The spectators who came to watch all cried out in unison at the sudden wonder goal.

But Kim Sang-hyuk walked calmly back to his half, surrounded by players, as if nothing had happened.

People from here and there began cheering Kim Sang-hyuk’s name.

‘Showing such crazy scenes multiple times during a match… he can’t help but captivate people. An overhead kick… that can’t possibly be the form of an injured player. Kim Sang-hyuk has completely returned!’

And today’s video seemed like it would be a complete hit.

Meanwhile, Park Chang-yeol, who had been observing the players from the sideline, crossed his arms.

‘He has surprising strengths in set piece situations. He’s not just good at defending and passing. He can also contribute attack points… and above all…’

The stadium with only 200-300 people had become too noisy.

‘He’s definitely someone who can make people go wild. He’s certainly someone who will one day find this country too small.’

Park Chang-yeol uncrossed his arms.

Then he frowned and said to the coaches.

“After today’s match ends, those guys will need special mental training. How could they give him a shooting opportunity in that situation?”

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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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