Field Commander - Chapter 54
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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 54.
Chapter 54.
Chapter 54.
Mexico showed the strength of a team that had defeated championship contenders Brazil and England, while Korea also recovered their performance befitting a final and was showing their true form.
“This is the 8th corner kick of the second half! There’s not much time left now. Korea absolutely must score in this situation.”
Korea’s tactic of passing the ball to the sideline and deliberately hitting it off an opponent’s body to earn corner kicks was quite effective.
Of course, they lost possession many times in the process.
Since their main forward Raul had dropped back almost to their own midfield line, they couldn’t mount proper counter attacks, and while circulating the ball, they were busy clearing it out to the touch line under the intense high press from the energized Korean players.
Several corner kicks were attempted, but they didn’t result in goals due to the amazing super saves from the Mexican goalkeeper, who seemed possessed by the god of goalkeeping today.
However, this process inevitably created an atmosphere where a goal seemed imminent.
“Everyone looks exhausted, but they need to find strength. Just one goal and Korea can turn this match around.”
“That’s right. The Mexican players are running on fumes right now, squeezing out every last bit of energy. They’re under tremendous physical strain. Haven’t several players already received treatment for leg cramps? Korea needs to push more aggressively.”
“Especially, they need to utilize Kim Sang-hyuk’s aerial supremacy.”
“In set piece situations, the ball reached Kim Sang-hyuk’s head about twice, but they couldn’t convert due to the goalkeeper’s super saves. However, he’s the player with the best header condition today.”
“And Raul, who’s marking Kim Sang-hyuk, not only has physical issues but seems to be having vision problems, showing confusion about where the ball is dropping.”
“That’s right. But he’s marking Kim Sang-hyuk with tremendous fighting spirit.”
“Now, Lee Bo-kyung prepares for the corner kick.”
All the broadcasters and commentators watched the corner kick situation with tension.
* * *
“Tired? How about taking a rest now? Your body’s too heavy, isn’t it? Right?”
I kept talking to Raul while engaging in a physical battle with him as he breathed heavily.
Raul, who couldn’t understand Korean, had stopped responding at some point.
It meant he was reaching his physical limit.
What’s extraordinary about this guy is that he’s been able to move until now while sticking to me like a shadow throughout the entire second half.
And being quite thick-bodied and naturally strong, he had endured my physical battles despite being extremely exhausted.
“You know what? I studied a bit, and it’s impossible to endure fatigue through mental ability alone. The body’s chemicals don’t work that way.”
He made an expression like I was annoying him to death.
But he had no idea.
He probably thought he was giving his all in the physical battle, but that was a misconception.
He was gradually being pushed back by my strength.
If I pushed him away all at once, it would be obvious, so I kept talking while gradually pushing him back.
Like a frog in slowly heating water that doesn’t notice until it dies.
“The manager stupidly used all his substitution cards, didn’t he?”
It was impossible for someone who could collapse on the ground at any moment to suddenly burst with explosive power.
“If you had been substituted about 10 minutes ago, you’d be comfortably watching the game while getting ice treatment and drinking cool sports drinks, wouldn’t you?”
He gave no response.
He seemed completely focused on the physical battle with me.
“If I were in your situation, I would have cursed at the manager. I’m a striker, I would have said. A goal scorer. Where in the world is there a manager who only makes a goal scorer defend?”
Raul gritting his teeth and enduring.
This guy will probably become quite famous in his country after this Olympic match.
He was the one who scored the equalizer and winning goal against Brazil in extra time to bring Mexico to the final, and today he’s showing his bandaged fighting spirit while completely blocking me.
Of course, only until now.
– Beep!
With the referee’s whistle, I saw Lee Bo-kyung step back and prepare to send in a cross.
‘The Mexican goalkeeper is completely insane today.’
He must be possessed by Yashin.
And Lee Bo-kyung’s free kick flew toward me as expected.
‘Good trajectory.’
Am I going to attempt a header?
I told you the Mexican goalkeeper is crazy today.
I made a motion to run into the space created by pushing Raul, and Raul seemed to finally realize he had been pushed quite far to the side.
‘Well then. People are programmed to act instinctively. Especially guys like you with strong fighting spirit and competitive desire…’
I felt rough hands strongly pulling my uniform and arm, and I didn’t resist but went along with that force.
I jumped slightly backward, and due to the pulling force, instead of a normal header, I fell backward with a thud.
Even on grass, it hurts.
– Beep!!!!!!
The ball was cleared outside the penalty area, but the referee’s whistle was blown.
Raul waved both hands with a genuinely shocked expression, but I was already watching.
The referee had his eyes on me.
The difference in field vision between someone relaxed and someone tired.
Raul approached the referee with an extremely aggrieved expression, almost tearful, but the referee silently pulled out a yellow card.
This confirmed the penalty kick.
‘Whew.’
I felt incredibly good seeing my teammates rush over asking if I was okay.
Indeed, only when playing soccer…
Do I feel alive.
* * *
“Ahhh!!!”
After Korea’s equalizer in the second half, Korea’s performance had returned to its previous form, but Mexico’s goal showed no signs of opening.
With 8 minutes left including injury time, just when it seemed they might lose so helplessly, the penalty kick was declared and Choi Do-hoon jumped up and down making beast-like sounds.
Beyond commentary, the true appearance of a soccer person who loves soccer like life itself.
“Wooo!!!!”
The amount of comments pouring from the 4,000 real-time subscribers was tremendous.
– Let’s go!
– We got it!
– Fuck! This is why I watch soccer.
– Holy shit, this is crazy.
– Insane!
– Fuck!!!!!!
– The streamer’s lost it.
– I’ve lost it too.
– Wow, a penalty kick at this moment.
– Crazy.
– Who is it?
– It’s Kim Sang-hyuk
– He went down like knocking over a standing A4 paper. Isn’t this Hollywood action?
– He clearly grabbed the arm and uniform, what Hollywood action?
– Damn… Are we really going for the gold medal?
…
Choi Do-hoon calmed his excitement, caught his breath, and sat down in his chair.
“Again… Kim Sang-hyuk delivers. The headers that kept reaching Kim Sang-hyuk’s head must have been tremendously burdensome for Mexico. If not for the goalkeeper’s super saves, about 2 goals would have gone in. Eventually, that pressure leads to a penalty kick!!!”
– Who’s the penalty kicker?
– Damn. If we can’t score here, it’s fucking ridiculous.
– Jang Jin-woo?
– I think it’s Jung Joo-young.
“Player Jung Joo-young takes the ball and heads toward the penalty area. The pressure must be enormous, but I hope he can score a goal.”
Choi Do-hoon clasped his hands together almost as if praying.
Jung Joo-young placed the ball down and took a few steps back, taking a deep breath, which was captured on the broadcast.
It would be strange not to be nervous in this situation.
At that moment, even Choi Do-hoon’s comment section seemed frozen as no one wrote any comments.
All the people watching football in the late dawn had their eyes glued to the TV.
– Da da da da…
Jung Joo-young started running, and the Mexican goalkeeper, who seemed possessed by Yashin today, concentrated and lowered his stance.
“Player Jung Joo-young kicks!!!”
* * *
‘Huh?’
Standing behind Jung Joo-young, I saw it.
A watercolor line drawn with a thin brush crossing through.
Synesthesia I hadn’t felt in a long time…
‘He won’t score?’
A chilling feeling tickled my spine.
The moment Jung Joo-young kicked the ball, when all the players rushed forward, I instinctively jumped sideways following that line.
‘Panenka kick?’
Jung Joo-young shot toward the center to throw off the goalkeeper’s timing, but the ball got caught on the leg of the goalkeeper who jumped to the right.
And the deflected ball quickly rolled toward the direction I was running, and without hesitation I hit a volley shot looking at the opposite side of the goal post.
– Bang!
The Mexican players rushing toward the goal threw their bodies in various shapes trying to block the ball.
Even the Mexican goalkeeper who had jumped to the opposite side threw his body without being able to get up.
But the ball avoided all the Mexican players’ tackles and flew quickly to the right corner, lodging in the upper right corner without getting caught by the goalkeeper’s hand swung like a fly swatter.
– Splash!!!
That sound was like thunder echoing in my ears.
“Uaaahhh!!!”
A scream burst from my mouth, and I was already running toward where the Korean cheering team was.
Like an echo…
Tremendously loud shouts erupted from all directions and entered my ears.
Who am I, where is this?
– Thud!
The momentary state of ecstasy I felt could be broken by the impact hitting me from behind.
“Woah…!”
“This is amaaaa!”
“Wa, wawawawa!!”
I don’t know if this is human speech or animal language.
Countless hands roughly tousled my hair as if they would pull out every strand from the back of my head, and though I felt tremendous pressure being crushed by my teammates, I felt no pain at all.
“Uah!! It’s a tie!!!”
Yes, that’s exactly what I wanted to say.
– Du du du dung dung!! Kim Sang-hyuk!!! Du du du dung dung!! Kim Sang-hyuk
The sound of countless people chanting in rhythm was definitely my name.
Only then did I come to my senses.
‘Ah, right. It’s still just a tie.’
Looking at the cheering section, I raised both arms high and ran toward the Mexican goal.
I snatched the ball that the goalkeeper was kicking repeatedly with an annoyed expression and ran toward the center.
The momentum had completely shifted, and we needed to cut off their breathing before the opponent could regroup.
“Sang-hyuk, thank you so much.”
Jung Joo-young said as he chased after me, and I replied.
“I’ll hear it again after we win the gold medal.”
* * *
Lee Sang-cheol, who had embraced the coaches and let out emotional shouts, watched Kim Sang-hyuk running with the ball and recalled a four-character idiom.
‘Nangjungjichu.’
An awl in a bag.
It means that a person with outstanding talent or exceptional ability will naturally be revealed and become known to people even if they try to hide.
The comeback goal, the equalizing goal.
Both came from that guy.
No one could deny that now.
If the game gets turned around from here, he could be selected as the match MVP.
He briefly thought of Hwang Ki-ho.
‘Does senior really have the guts not to select the Olympics MVP?’
He was someone who observed the surrounding situation well.
Even without exceptional administrative ability, he became someone who could control Korean football with just that one skill.
Such a person probably wouldn’t have the guts to exclude a player that everyone wants from the national team roster.
‘If he gets selected for the national team…’
That would be something Kim Sang-hyuk created with his own power.
‘Yes. Fly higher and higher. So that no one can nitpick about you.’
Lee Sang-cheol turned his head to look at the Mexican bench.
Unlike the excited Korean bench, it had cooled down coldly.
The Mexico coach didn’t call a player to give special instructions.
It seemed like they planned to play defensive soccer and drag it to a penalty shootout.
‘That’s troublesome.’
Because today’s Mexican goalkeeper is really crazy.
But Lee Sang-cheol didn’t really have any methods available either.
The substitution cards had already been used up.
Most players had also run to the point of getting cramps.
Lee Sang-cheol’s gaze soon turned to the field.
‘Now you guys have to do it.’
* * *
“You’re the worst today.”
Jang Jin-woo looked at me venomously with an extremely annoyed expression.
“Don’t act cocky just because you scored one goal.”
“If it goes to extra time, it’ll go to a penalty shootout.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I think we need to end it here.”
Jang Jin-woo had an indifferent expression, but those flapping ears were already turned toward me.
“You don’t know that the guy marking you has a bad left knee, do you?”
“…What?”
He doesn’t seem to know.
How can you play soccer without figuring out stuff like that?
“Every time his left foot becomes the supporting foot, that guy’s movement becomes one tempo slower.”
“….”
“If you’re going to break through, go to that guy’s right side.”
“Really?”
“You think I’d joke with you in this situation?”
“No, but why can you see stuff like that?”
“That’s the difference between your talent and mine.”
“Ah, this…”
His eyes looked like they wanted to curse me out, but his mouth stayed firmly shut.
‘When you have a bad reputation, this kind of thing is actually good. At least my ears don’t get polluted.’
As Jang Jin-woo was about to move with his mouth tightly closed, I added one more thing.
“Don’t be greedy, and pass to Joo-young hyung.”
“What, man?”
“You missed the penalty kick.”
“What are you saying, you bastard. I’ll handle it myself.”
Jang Jin-woo grumbled as he moved to his position, and I looked up at the sky for a moment.
They say London’s weather is shit, and sure enough, the rain was starting to come down harder.
‘Even the sky is helping.’
The ground will get even more slippery.
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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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