Field Commander - Chapter 49

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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 49.

Chapter 49.

Chapter 49.

– After conceding, Japan isn’t rushing. They’re still playing their own style of football…

– The Korean players seem to have figured out the referee’s tendencies. They’re being quite rough in their physical battles. He’s not calling fouls unless it’s really serious.

– That might be why Japan’s pass misses are gradually increasing.

– Yes! They keep pushing so they can’t receive the ball properly.

– But their one-touch passes are still threatening. Ah! Kim Sang-hyuk intercepts the side switch pass!!!

– That was too careless a pass. In front of Kim Sang-hyuk, that kind of pass gets blocked immediately.

– Korea transitions to offense. With not much time left in the first half, can they connect this to a goal?

– Kim Sang-hyuk is now dribbling forward with the ball.

– I’m not sure if there’s any Japanese player who can stop Kim Sang-hyuk one-on-one.

– That’s right. The Japanese players aren’t charging in, they’re backing away. Oh!!

– Instead of a breakthrough, a long pass goes up at an unexpected timing. It’s sharp! It drops into the space in front of Jung Joo-young!

– Jung Joo-young sprints while battling physically with Yoshida Maya. Ah!! Yoshida falls!! The ball… the ball waits for him!!

– That’s Kim Sang-hyuk’s signature move. That long pass with backspin is truly spectacular!

– Ah, Japan is in crisis. Jung Joo-young enters the penalty area with the ball.

– Sakai Hiroki, who was marking Jang Jin-woo, has no choice but to come out!

– Sho… no, it connects to Jang Jin-woo. Shot!!! Goal!!!

– Wow!! It’s Jang Jin-woo’s goal!!

…

‘Damn.’

Jung Joo-young could have taken the shot from there, but he connected it to Jang Jin-woo instead.

Thanks to that, a perfect goal opportunity arose, but why does my stomach hurt like this?

That big guy is running around making finger hearts, and it’s disgustingly annoying.

Contrary to my thoughts, the loudest noise that had occurred throughout the match at Wembley Stadium erupted.

– Wooooo! South Korea!!

– Jang Jin-woo!! Jang Jin-woo!!

Drum sounds, gong sounds, chants calling for Jang Jin-woo…

My eardrums are really going to fall off.

I was turning around to return to my half when the manager called me.

“Sang-hyuk!”

When I approached, Lee Sang-cheol took me to a place away from the coaches.

“Tell the players. Mexico beat Brazil and advanced to the finals.”

“What?”

Is that really true?

“If we lose here, we’ll have to play Brazil for the bronze medal.”

“Ah… yes.”

“And.”

Manager Lee Sang-cheol carefully gave me a thumbs up.

“You’re the best in today’s match. Don’t tell them this part.”

I turned around feeling bewildered.

‘I’m the best?’

I couldn’t help but laugh at his words not to tell them.

‘How cute…’

But Mexico beat Brazil?

How?

Well, how…

Football is originally that kind of sport.

Since it’s a team sport with 11 players, upsets can happen anytime.

‘Would it be the same in the World Cup?’

* * *

– Wow, this is insane!

– Ah, this is the kind of football I wanted to see! It was created perfectly.

– Kim Sang-hyuk’s pass was so good, Jung Joo-young’s breakthrough and connection were great, and Jang Jin-woo’s finish was the best. Wow, they’re playing much better than the national team.

– At this level, shouldn’t Lee Sang-cheol be the national team manager?

The comment section was in a festive mood.

“Everyone, the Brazil-Mexico match just ended. Mexico, who was trailing 0-1, scored 2 goals in injury time to reverse it 2-1. If Korea beats Japan and advances to the finals, they’ll face Mexico… no, they must face Mexico!”

– How did Brazil lose to Mexico? Brazil’s squad is the strongest in the universe.

– An unbelievable upset happened. England was one thing, but Mexico beating Brazil?

– Wow, this is more unbelievable than Korea winning the Olympic tournament.

– Mexico went crazy. Did they come to their senses after getting destroyed by Korea?

– If Korea advances, it’s Mexico? This is just guaranteed victory, right?

– Military exemption is on the line, and hearing this news, the players will give everything today.

– We must win to avoid Brazil. It’s a funny situation.

– Let’s go for Olympic victory!!!!

Choi Do-hoon brought the microphone to his mouth.

“This counter attack also started from Kim Sang-hyuk’s interception. But this didn’t just happen. The players are deliberately applying strong pressure to induce passes in that direction. They’re increasing the probability of Kim Sang-hyuk making an interception. The Japanese players keep getting caught in this, so it seems the manager needs to change tactics.”

– Wow, he’s so unnoticeable you’d think he’s not even playing, but he delivers these decisive moments.

– Being unnoticeable means there are no mistakes.

– Today Kim Sang-hyuk’s pass success rate is 92%. Excluding passes to the opponent’s half, it’s 100%. This is crazy. Against Japan…

– After the first goal, somehow I didn’t feel Korea’s defense was unstable…

– He’s holding it down really solidly in the center. Defense, passes, build-up.

– Wow, even if we win this Olympics, Korea’s biggest gain would be discovering Kim Sang-hyuk.

– Totally agree. Korea’s defense feels completely different with and without Kim Sang-hyuk.

– You all know Korea hasn’t conceded during the time Kim Sang-hyuk played, right?

– Ah, really?

– Kim Sang-hyuk is really like a monster.

– You can tell just by looking at his face.

– Hahahaha

– Hahaha

Since this was a broadcast, Kim Sang-hyuk wasn’t captured well on camera.

But if you watched directly at the stadium, you’d probably be able to see Kim Sang-hyuk’s movements better.

– Can’t we just watch Kim Sang-hyuk highlights?

– You can probably only watch Jung Joo-young or Jang Jin-woo highlights? They only show forwards, right?

– The dirty reality of South Korea that doesn’t treat defenders as players.

Choi Do-hoon began planning in his head to someday go directly to Germany with his fan subscribers to watch Jang Jin-woo or Kim Sang-hyuk’s matches together.

“Now, let’s see if there will be a turnaround for Japan, who are in crisis in the second half.”

* * *

Enemies meet on a narrow bridge…

Schmaike, the scout dispatched from Freiburg, looked at the woman sitting next to him with a bewildered expression before the second half started.

“What?”

“Hello, Schmaike. Take your complaints to the ticket seller on the first floor.”

It was none other than Michel.

“And don’t worry. There’s no player in this match that we’re looking to sign right now.”

At those words, Schmaike let out a light sigh, though it could have been a deception.

“Oh, and here’s my new business card.”

Michel held out a business card, and Schmaike couldn’t help but frown even more.

“…Dortmund?”

Schmaike’s expression, which had briefly relaxed, hardened even more.

Dortmund and Bayern Munich were the teams that Bundesliga clubs hated most.

They were the places that swept up all the promising German players.

“If there’s no player to sign, there’s no reason to come all the way here, is there?”

Schmaike finally spoke up.

“Our cute manager said there’s a player he wants to personally get a report on.”

“Cute manager?”

Schmaike briefly thought of the hairy Jürgen Klopp.

A man over 190cm tall, treated as the toughest alpha male in the Bundesliga, being called a cute manager?

‘Has she lost her mind?’

No wait…

“Are you dating?”

“Are you crazy? Don’t go around spreading that nonsense, I don’t want to get fired from work.”

“If you tell me which player you’re interested in, I won’t spread it around.”

“The best player in that stadium.”

Schmaike’s expression truly crumpled like a demon’s.

“You…”

“I told you we have no immediate signing plans, didn’t I? Sebastian Kehl’s position as our captain is solid.”

“…”

“However, we’re also in a position where we need to start looking for a successor. There won’t be any signing for at least 2 years. I guarantee it.”

“So you’ll take him after our team develops him for 2 years?”

Dortmund was also a team that was stingy with signings.

They were mainly a team that brought in young prospects, developed them, and used them, but they had no useful prospects in the defensive midfielder position.

“In about 2 years, that player’s transfer fee will be considerable. It wouldn’t be a losing deal for you guys either, would it?”

At Michel’s words, Schmaike snorted.

“Show me your ticket. This isn’t your seat, is it?”

“Are you crazy? Why would I show you?”

“Don’t tell me you’re trying to work behind the scenes with me?”

“Well, you haven’t lost your touch yet.”

“Are we crazy enough to sell to Dortmund?”

“Then are you going to sell to Bayern Munich?”

“…”

“You know that if Bayern Munich approaches, you can’t stop them at all, right?”

ReBaMu.

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich.

The places considered the best among all football clubs.

“Our relationship is pretty good too, isn’t it?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You requested to loan some young players from here, didn’t you? You need to avoid relegation this time, don’t you?”

Schmaike was momentarily at a loss for words.

“I don’t have the authority to discuss such things, so why are you doing this?”

“You don’t have authority, but you’re very close with them. Streich, Jorg, you.”

This is why they say the enemy within is the most frightening.

In fact, Michel was also a fellow scout who was very close when she was at Freiburg.

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“Do as you please. I was just babbling anyway.”

Both of their gazes soon turned to the stadium.

“Japan is coming out quite aggressively.”

“If they lose, it’s over.”

“But they can’t get the ball into the center.”

“They were intercepted by Kim 8 times in the first half trying to put it there.”

“So they’re going around the sides to target Korea’s fullbacks?”

“That’s the only method they can see for now. Kim’s defense is indescribable. It’s just… right to call him a genius monster.”

Michel roughly cursed Mainz.

“Damn! Those idiots at Mainz.”

“I agree.”

Both burst into hearty laughter and turned the topic back to the match.

“Japan’s defenders can’t move up.”

“Korea’s forwards are fast. If their finishing had been better, it would have been 4-0 instead of 2-0.”

“Thanks to that, there’s a lot of space between the second and third lines.”

“They’re caught in a contradiction where they can’t move up or down.”

“Japan is going to concede another goal.”

At Michel’s words, Schmaike also nodded.

“Probably.”

Due to the pressure to score immediately, Japan’s organization in the second half wasn’t the same as in the early first half.

The players were gradually overexerting themselves, and the Korean players were pushing so roughly that it wouldn’t be strange if they started throwing punches at any moment.

“Oh?”

Kim Sang-hyuk, who had been forming a zone and playing regional defense, suddenly burst out and intercepted Japan’s lateral pass again.

“Didn’t he move before the ball?”

“That’s why I can’t understand that guy’s football. He’s never played as a forward once in his football career. Naturally, his body should be trained to react while watching the opponent’s movements.”

“Japan’s defense is solid. They’re trying to defend the counter attack immediately. But why isn’t anyone marking Kim?”

“His pressure escape ability is considerable. They realized it’s safer to increase the number of defenders rather than rushing to steal the ball… but they still don’t understand how wide his field vision is.”

The Japanese players stuck to the forwards, but they missed one player running down the left side, and Kim Sang-hyuk sent the ball that way without any hesitation.

“Incredibly accurate. Isn’t the Japanese manager stupid for letting him kick the ball so easily?”

Michel had just started watching the second half, so she wouldn’t know.

“That’s why it’s a contradiction. There’s no Japanese forward who can have a physical battle with Kim. To prevent him from kicking the ball easily, two players need to stick to him, but then the pass goes out several beats faster to an open player like that.”

Michel looked thoughtfully at Schmaike, who had almost become Kim’s devotee.

“The Japanese manager is probably on the verge of going crazy, isn’t he?”

Lee Seok-young, who received Kim Sang-hyuk’s long ball, used the momentum to beat the defense and ran with the ball to the goal line before sending in a cross.

And Jang Jin-woo soared in front of the goal, while the player marking him lost his timing and couldn’t jump.

The ball that hit Jang Jin-woo’s head bounced quickly off the ground once and was sucked into the goal before the goalkeeper could respond.

“…”

Michel and Schmaike’s expressions crumpled simultaneously.

“That bastard is still the same.”

“His goal scoring ability is really insane. His condition wasn’t great in the first half, but his body loosened up from the second half.”

“Just when Hamburg’s Park Hong-min went to EPL and we thought we could breathe, now there’s Schalke 04’s Jang Jin-woo…”

Dortmund and Freiburg SC, who had suffered defeats to Schalke 04.

Michel’s gaze turned to Japan’s manager, who was holding his head and kneeling.

“Is he crying?”

“He would cry, right? He used to cry often.”

“Oh my…”

“Doesn’t Klopp cry often too?”

“Klopp only cries when he’s too happy. In a situation like this, he’d probably be so angry he’d go crazy like a mad dog or beat up a player and get sent off.”

“Yeah. That’s a real man.”

Every time Jang Jin-woo performed his ceremony, countless women in the stands screamed with excitement.

Michel also screamed loudly during the conversation.

“Do you like that type too?”

Michel blushed at Schmaike’s words.

“He’s one of the top ten most handsome soccer players, isn’t he? I’m going to get his autograph later.”

“…As a scout?”

“You haven’t lost your sense. He’s a player who will bring tremendous profits to whatever team he goes to.”

After Korea’s intense ceremony ended, Michel looked at the scoreboard.

Korea vs Japan

3-0

“Kim will join the first team after the Olympics end, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Freiburg SC will probably have to thank you.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re the one who discovered the savior who will rescue the team from desperate relegation.”

Michel was one of the very outstanding scouts.

She was a very ruthless person when it came to evaluating players.

Getting this kind of evaluation from her was absolutely not easy.

“It’s a shame. If I had brought him to Mainz, I would have gained a higher reputation.”

She was also one of the greedy witches.

And the match ended 3-0.

* * *

Japan, which had beaten strong championship favorite Spain and crushed Egypt, the tournament’s dark horse, was confident before the match that there was a 0% chance of losing to Korea.

One weekly sports magazine even wrote the headline ‘メダルだメダルだメダルだ!’ (Medal! Medal! Medal!) without even playing the game.

Meaning Korea was no match for them.

However, after being miserably crushed 0-3 today, all kinds of criticism poured out.

A baseball fan left a comment in the soccer gallery.

– Soccer fans came to see if we’re still alive lol How does it feel to get wrecked again by those pathetic bastards?

Since Japanese baseball also lost to Korea…

It was a provocation bordering on self-deprecation.

– Everyone should die, they’re at such a miserable level they couldn’t even whimper if beaten with eggs.

– Change it to Back Pass Japan. Lost to long ball soccer again. It would have been better to lose to Egypt!

– Japan was indeed a baseball country after all!

– Baseball lost too. Just everyone die!

– Send all those bastards to the military! They definitely lost because of the military. They lacked fighting spirit!

– Even economy class is too good for them. Everyone walk back!

– The next opponent is Brazil… Ahhh…!!!!!! Just send them to Aoji Coal Mine.

Meanwhile…

If Japan had a funeral atmosphere, Korea was a day when chicken shops, pizza places, and bars recorded their highest sales ever.

—————
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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