Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 30

< 029. Variety? >

Yohan liked kick training.

Ah, of course, he liked it ‘relatively’.

Unlike other training, kick training allowed you to stay in place and do it without moving much.

It had been like that since he was young.

Before he couldn’t stand it anymore and quit soccer.

Because Yohan hated it so much, Ban Seok-ho made him choose one of two options.

‘Do you want to do physical training or kick training?’

If asked that, Yohan’s answer was naturally kick training.

Perhaps that’s why.

The high wall that Crystal Palace built was not visible to Yohan.

Beyond it, only the corner of the goal was visible.

In a situation where tens of thousands of spectators were holding their breath, holding their phones and looking at Yohan.

Yohan ran towards the ball.

Tata tat-

Baaaaang-!

A strong shot with the inside of his right foot.

The supporting left foot is deeply reclined as if it were almost bent.

At the same time, the front of the foot is raised as if to pierce the sky immediately after impact.

It was because he kicked the ball as if he were cutting it, lifting it up.

Shoooooooong-

The ball soared high enough to clear the defensive wall.

Because of this, the Crystal Palace players, who had been watching with great anticipation, sensed it.

‘It’s going out.’

‘It’s a home run.’

Even the spectators who were watching with anticipation thought so.

However, Yohan’s kick had a spin on it.

Top spin.

It is a difficult shot to hit a top spin on a ball that is on the ground, not a volley.

First of all, the ankle must be very flexible, and it is a shot that can only be attempted by players who are familiar with the feeling through a lot of training.

However,

Yohan was a child who had instinctively hit such shots since he was very young.

Shoooooooong-

Like a curveball in baseball, the ball, which had soared high, began to fall with a huge drop.

And,

Thud-!

It accurately penetrated the corner of the goal.

“······!”

A moment of silence was needed before cheers erupted as the shot, which everyone thought was going high, fell unbelievably and shook the goal net.

“Waaaaaaa-!!”

The London Stadium shook greatly.

Yohan’s beautiful free kick goal,

Became West Ham’s first goal of the 27/28 season.

“Yaaa! Kid!”

“You’re crazy, you bastard!”

“Ma, he’s alive! He’s alive!”

Teammates ran to Yohan, raising their hands in celebration.

With Yohan’s right-footed free kick opening goal in the 11th minute of the first half, West Ham began to lead 1-0.

*

“Uaaaaaaa!”

“Catch him! Catch Dad!”

“D-Drop me! Dad!”

Ban Seok-ho inevitably lost his mind and went on a rampage.

If Rohan hadn’t held him back, he would have gone down to the first floor of the stands and roared.

“Wow, that’s really awesome!”

“Did you see it drop? Goosebumps!”

“I knew you would score the first goal, Barney!”

Of course, Ban Seok-ho wasn’t the only one.

All the spectators filling the London Stadium were buzzing as if they were boiling.

Even,

“Smith! Smith! Go to the bank and withdraw cash!”

“Yes? Cash?”

“Yes! We have to give that kid some bonus money!”

Owner McManaman, who was sitting in the same VIP seat, was jumping up and down in excitement.

The free kick goal that Yohan just scored was definitely worth it.

“Wow, look at this. I took a good picture, right?”

“How can a shot drop like that?”

“What happened to his ankle? Does it have a spring?”

The spectators were amazed as they replayed Yohan’s goal scene taken with their cell phones.

When Yohan was preparing for the free kick,

Most of the spectators had a strange feeling and picked up their cell phone cameras.

What does this mean?

It was anticipation.

The spectators had anticipation just by Yohan preparing for the free kick.

The anticipation that that player might show something wonderful here.

“Yaa! Let’s score one more goal!”

“One goal? It’s the opening game, so let’s get a hat trick and go in coolly!”

“It’s time for us to have a top scorer!”

Listening to the shouts of the spectators around him,

Ban Seok-ho, Rohan, and Kim Ra-hee smile contentedly.

Before they knew it,

Yohan had become a player who received the expectations of these many spectators.

It was a truly unrealistic yet happy reality.

*

“There is no law that says there is only one destination, that you have to go on only one path. You can walk, take a car, take a train, take a plane. Approach it in various ways, in various ways!”

“Yes, sir!”

Before the game started,

Coach Jamie said that to the players.

Take it in various ways.

It meant to take the scoring route in various ways.

Anyway, it’s true that the final target is Yohan,

In various ways to get to Yohan.

It could be a pass that connects from the rear at once, or it could be a cross from the side, there are many ways.

In the end, even if there is only one player who scores a goal,

If the patterns are diverse, it will be difficult for the defending side.

“Score in various ways!”

“Yes!”

That’s what Coach Jamie ordered.

And,

In fact, goals were scored in various ways.

But,

It was in a slightly different sense than what Coach Jamie said.

It just meant that Yohan scored various goals purely with his individual ability.

“Waaaaaaat-!”

In the 27th minute of the first half,

Yohan’s second goal was scored 16 minutes after the opening goal.

This time it was with his left foot.

Yohan, who received the ball from the corner of the right side of the box, quickly turned and began to shake his upper body in front of the densely lined defenders.

A gesture as if he was going to break through.

At Yohan’s action, the Palace defenders tensed up and lowered their stance.

That’s where the Palace defenders made a mistake.

That mistake was that they were confused about Yohan’s main foot.

Yohan had handled the first free kick with his right foot.

Free kicks are naturally taken with the main foot.

Because of this, the Palace defenders thought that Yohan’s main foot was naturally his right foot.

They put more weight on the right breakthrough, that is, going deep towards the goal line, not the direction of cutting into the center.

But,

The reason Yohan handled the first free kick with his right foot was,

It was just because that position was a good position to kick with his right foot.

If that was a left-footed angle, he would have hit it with his left foot.

The Palace defenders didn’t know that at all.

Well, who would have imagined it?

That there might be a player without a main foot.

Yohan, after confirming that the opponent’s defense was focused on the right, pushed the ball to the left without hesitation.

And lightly curling it towards the far post.

The shot drew a large curve,

It was sucked straight into the corner of the goal and once again made the London Stadium shake.

Now.

Yohan, who scored one goal with his right foot and one goal with his left foot.

The third was the head.

He scored a hat trick using his left foot, right foot, and head.

In the 13th minute of the second half, it was a corner kick situation.

The corner kick from kicker Petrovic went straight to the goal,

Yohan pushed it in with a powerful header.

Set-piece training was a training that West Ham had done as much as physical training during the pre-season.

Yohan’s aerial ability was an option that could not be abandoned.

From Yohan’s point of view, set pieces weren’t too bad either.

It wasn’t difficult to receive something that was fed to him in a stationary situation.

Anyway,

But what’s interesting is that coach Schmidt instructed Petrovic, the set-piece kicker, during training to take ‘a slightly higher kick than usual’.

The best corner kick is usually to attach it quickly at a moderate height.

If it’s too high, it’s easy for the keeper to handle it because he can reach out his hand.

But coach Schmidt ordered to kick it high, high,

Petrovic tilted his head at the instruction,

As soon as he saw Yohan’s jump, he had no choice but to nod.

Because he felt like he knew why he was told to kick it high.

Of course, the Palace defenders also focused on marking Yohan.

They tried to push him with their bodies, pull his uniform, and jump to interfere with the header.

But Yohan didn’t budge, wasn’t pulled, and jumped the highest.

It felt like he was jumping a head taller than others.

In that way, Yohan completed his third goal with an aerial bombardment,

The London Stadium erupted in its third cheer, and Ban Seok-ho and owner McManaman fell into a semi-conscious state.

It was Yohan who completely turned the opening game into a festival atmosphere.

*

“Well, I dare say it was a pretty shocking defeat.”

“···It is an unexpected result.”

“What do you think is the cause of the defeat?”

“The cause of the defeat.”

After the game ended with a score of 3-1.

Interview room.

Crystal Palace manager Jeremy Haynes, who suffered a defeat in the opening game, sighs at the reporter’s question.

He looks like he’s asking because he really doesn’t know.

Even a passing dog would know the answer to why they lost to West Ham today.

He’s not asking because he doesn’t know, he’s mocking me, right?

“Hoo. I think the reason is that the opponent’s striker was in good condition.”

As manager Haynes sighed and answered,

The reporter continued the question as if he had been waiting.

“Number 9, Yohan Ban. This player is a 16-year-old promising player, but he scored a hat trick in the game against Liverpool last season. He continued his performance in the pre-season. Didn’t you prepare separately?”

At the following question, Haynes stares intently at the reporter’s face.

Is this guy from Croydon Magazine?

That local newspaper that had been calling for Haynes’ dismissal since the middle of last season.

“Haa, that’s···”

Manager Haynes scratches his forehead as if he’s in trouble.

It’s a trap-like question that can only be answered poorly no matter what you answer.

If he answers that he didn’t prepare separately, he will write an article about manager Haynes’ complacency.

If you answer that you prepared?

He will write an article saying that he is incompetent because he conceded 3 goals even though he prepared, so what kind of preparation did he make.

“I’ll be on my way.”

Manager Haynes smiled, clenching his teeth tightly, and turned around.

And,

Manager Haynes, who was leaving the interview room, brushed past a sturdy boy coming towards him,

He smiled bitterly.

‘Why wouldn’t I prepare.’

It’s not a neighborhood soccer team, is there a team that doesn’t analyze the opponent’s strength?

Especially the opening game.

It was manager Haynes who most carefully analyzed West Ham and its core, that number 9.

It wasn’t carelessness.

It wasn’t like Liverpool who didn’t know and got hit.

It’s just that,

He just couldn’t stop him even though he knew.

‘Why doesn’t a guy like that appear in our youth team.’

Manager Haynes sighed and headed to the bus.

*

Yohan appeared at the game interview today with a tired face.

How many times is this already.

On the day of the game, he was unconditionally dragged here.

Anyway, no matter what you ask, the answer is all yes or no.

I don’t know what they’re curious about and keep calling me.

“First of all, congratulations on the victory and the hat trick. It’s your 5th Premier League game today, and you’ve already recorded 2 hat tricks.”

“Ah, yes.”

“How do you feel? Do you think the play you wanted came out?”

“I’m somewhat satisfied.”

Sseup.

The reporter clicks his tongue at Yohan’s short answer.

Yohan was becoming quite famous among the reporters in charge of interviews.

As a player who is difficult to interview.

Reporters naturally want something a little more provocative,

Because Yohan always only gives short answers like now.

It would be nice if he gave a confident answer like a hot rookie.

Yohan was a player with overflowing qualities to become a franchise star.

A 16-year-old player who became the team’s starting striker just one month after joining the youth team.

Not only his talent, but also his background is like a fairy tale.

But to draw a little more attention, you need interview skills that will attract people’s attention.

Hmm.

Yohan’s style was similar in the interview room as it was on the pitch.

Because of this,

It was when the reporter licked his lips in disappointment and asked the last question.

“With the opening game victory, you had a good start to this season. Do you have any goals for this season?”

“Goals for this season?”

Goals for this season.

It is very firmly decided.

Of course, it is the team’s championship.

Because the day West Ham wins the championship,

Because that is the day when Yohan’s dream life begins.

“The goal is···”

However, Yohan, who was too lazy to explain in detail that he had such a goal because he was supposed to receive various benefits if he made West Ham win the championship,

“It’s to retire.”

He omitted too much and answered.

“······Yes?”

The reporter’s expression was dumbfounded.