Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 84

< Episode 083 – First Overseas Expedition >

Mom: Photo

Mom: Scenery, isn’t it?

Mom: Let’s come again after the game together

Mom: You need to see this too

After checking Kim Ra-hee’s message, Johan sighed.

She sent a photo of Mom and Dad together with the ski resort in the background.

They came along because they were worried about sending him abroad alone, but they both looked too excited.

Well, seeing his parents looking so happy is a good thing as a son.

The fact that he came here to work, not to rest, only made Johan sigh.

Me: I think it’s okay to just see it in photos

Johan sent a reply and put his phone in the locker.

“Hey, kid. Why the long face? Not feeling well?”

“It’s my first overseas trip. I guess it’s a bit hard to adjust.”

“Really? Yeah. I was out of my mind when I first went to Spain to play. My mind was all over the place.”

While tying his shoelaces and preparing for the game, some players approached and spoke to him.

Johan was sighing deeply, so they seemed worried.

Since this was Johan’s first time playing abroad, they thought he was having trouble managing his condition.

Of course, that’s not the reason at all.

“Hoo. Anyway, these days, coming to the national team feels lighter.”

“You too? Me too.”

“Maybe it’s because of this guy?”

“It’s a real headache to meet him in the league, but he’s on the same team in the national team.”

“Those Italian guys are going to have a hard time today.”

“Kid. Just do what you did to us today, huh?”

The players joked around.

These national team players act friendly every time they meet.

But the funny thing is that everyone is acting friendly to Johan, who hasn’t been with the national team for long, but they seem a bit awkward with each other.

They’ve been together in the national team for quite a while, but why don’t they seem that close?

Perhaps it’s because of the rivalries from the league?

Although they are on the same team in the national team, they seem to have a greater sense of belonging to their respective clubs than to England.

Since they were like enemies in the league, they can’t suddenly wear the same uniform and be friendly as if nothing happened.

It’s like…

It’s like they gathered all the Premier League All-Stars, but it doesn’t feel like one team.

Well, that’s how national teams often are.

Isn’t the national team itself a team of All-Stars from one country?

That’s why there’s a saying that national teams can’t beat club teams in terms of organization when they play against each other.

However, the England national team dynamic felt particularly strong. Players from the same club stick together, and players from rival clubs don’t talk to each other.

However, even those players approach Johan comfortably because Johan is the youngest.

Perhaps they still think that Johan will transfer soon.

“Hey, what are you guys talking about with the kid?”

“Are you guys trying to scout him again?”

“What are you talking about? I’m giving him advice as a senior. You guys must be here to scout him.”

“Do you think he’s the kind of kid who would listen if we scouted him?”

“Oh, Liverpool vs. Man U [Manchester United]?”

“Don’t stir things up. You must be an Arsenal fan.”

“Hey, hey. Are you going to fight in front of the youngest? What will he learn?”

“Yeah. Let’s at least get along in front of the kid, huh?”

Before he knew it, the England players gathered around Johan, joking among themselves.

The England national team, where groups are divided and it feels more like a truce between enemies than a team.

But with Johan mixed in, the atmosphere feels subtly softened.

“…”

In fact, Johan wasn’t interested in those older players at all, and was just thinking about winning today’s game for sure.

“Okay, let’s get ready to go out!”

“Kid, you’re not scared and confident you’ll do well, right?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Show your skills to the fullest.”

The players who finished preparing for the game and Johan began to leave the locker room.

*

Today’s game is held at Juventus’ home stadium, Allianz Stadium.

The stadium’s stands are filled with a blue wave.

The Serie A [Italian professional league] fans were wearing Italy’s blue uniforms and filling the Allianz Stadium.

“Is that him?”

“Yeah. That’s right. He’s bigger in person than he looks on screen.”

“He looks like a kid. I heard this is his first time playing abroad?”

“First time playing abroad? You mean today is the first time he’s played a game outside of England?”

“That’s what I heard.”

“Wow, he’s really a kid among kids. What are those English guys thinking, putting such a guy as their starting striker?”

“He’s the league’s top scorer, that’s what.”

“There’s no guarantee that he’ll do well outside just because he does well inside. Especially a kid like that, can he overcome the atmosphere here?”

“Of course it’ll be difficult.”

Watching the players enter, the Italian men puffed out cigarette smoke and commented.

Certainly, the Allianz Arena felt different from the stadiums in England.

No, the air is really different.

Because of the cigarettes being smoked everywhere.

It’s not exactly illegal to smoke in the stadium here.

Anyway, most of the Italian spectators’ attention was directed towards Johan.

Of course, it’s not a friendly gaze.

Everyone was staring at Johan with fierce eyes as menacing as their visuals.

The reason why those gazes weren’t kind was obvious.

Of course, it’s also because Johan was the reason why Italy lost in the last game in London.

But more than that, there was another reason why everyone was looking at Johan with their arms crossed and serious expressions.

It was because of the England fans who were making a fuss even before the game.

Originally, fans create haters.

They should have been a little quieter.

They were saying that an all-time genius had appeared in England, a monster that would dominate the world stage.

They were making a fuss as if winning the Euros [European Championship] and the World Cup was a sure thing just because a 16-year-old player had appeared.

That’s why they have no choice but to look at Johan with narrowed eyes.

Thanks to the hype of those England fans, the expectations for Johan have increased among fans from other countries.

Let’s see how good you are, something like that.

Let’s verify if he’s as good as they’re hyping him up to be.

Of course, Johan’s performance in the Premier League was actually at a level where it was embarrassing to even bring up the word verification.

How can you say verification to a striker who is scoring over 40 goals in the Premier League, which is considered the toughest league in Europe?

He even showed a shocking performance while wearing the national team uniform.

He showed the image of destroying Italy in his debut match for the national team.

However, the only reason why such a word comes out even a little is just one.

That’s because Johan’s experience is still lacking.

A raw rookie who hasn’t even been a year since his debut.

The only competitions he’s played in so far are the Premier League and one FA Cup [Football Association Challenge Cup] game.

Since this Italian trip is even his first time playing abroad, it’s true that he has a lot to prove.

What Johan has to prove today is whether he can play his game even in a stadium in a foreign land.

In other words, whether he can be successful not only in the domestic league but also on the international stage.

This was not a part to be taken lightly.

In the end, whether or not he is successful on the international stage is a very important factor in evaluating a player’s class.

Even if he scores 40 goals in one league, if he doesn’t show a performance comparable to that in the Champions League [annual continental club football competition].

If he doesn’t show any special performance in major international competitions such as the Euros or the World Cup.

The player’s evaluation will inevitably be greatly reduced.

Rather, even his performance in the league will be downgraded.

It’s easy to understand if you think about the fact that even Messi and Ronaldo, who dominated an era and rose to the ranks of all-time greats, were once devalued because of the Copa America [South American Championship] or the World Cup.

Of course, as I said before, Johan was already a rookie in his first year as a professional.

It doesn’t make sense to ask such a player to prove his competitiveness on the international stage from the start.

He has nothing more to prove just by being selected for the national team.

Nevertheless, the fact that this kind of talk is coming out means that…

You can understand that Johan’s performance is sensational.

Anyway, in this situation, the pressure on Johan today seemed to be quite high.

Even if he makes a single mistake, their reaction will be intense.

Huge jeers and ridicule mixed with mockery will fly mercilessly.

To them, a young boy is not a consideration.

Today, Johan must show a perfect play.

And, in the midst of that.

“…”

There is another person who is staring at Johan with sharp eyes.

It was Daniele Capello wearing a blue uniform.

“You, today you are a representative of Italy. Don’t forget. Think of crushing all your teammates.”

“Don’t worry.”

Before today’s game, the Italian players were quite worried about Capello.

Of course, there was no doubt about his skills, but what worried them was that Capello had not been in the Premier League for long, and that there was a teammate on the opposing team.

In particular, that teammate was even said to have perfect chemistry with him.

Therefore, they were worried that Capello might be thinking about returning to his team after all.

However, Capello’s expression made those worries seem insignificant.

He seemed more motivated than anyone else.

Capello looked very excited.

It couldn’t be helped.

He didn’t know this opportunity would come so quickly.

What kind of opportunity is this?

The opportunity to prove it.

That he is not being carried by Johan, but that Johan is being carried by him.

That the real ace of West Ham is not him but himself.

After transferring to West Ham, people were saying that his recruitment was successful and that he was showing a satisfactory performance.

However, Capello could confidently say.

He had not yet played a single game where he had shown all of his talent to his own satisfaction.

Isn’t it obvious?

If a genius like himself had shown all of his skills, there was no way he would not have received MOM [Man of the Match award] even once.

Anyway, that’s why there seemed to be quite a misunderstanding.

The misunderstanding that West Ham’s ace is Johan.

Frankly speaking, that was the kind of thought that only people who don’t know soccer well would have.

Johan wasn’t playing soccer.

He’s just good at scoring goals.

Goals and soccer are clearly different.

To Capello, soccer was a process.

Not a simple result called a goal.

The process of 11 players moving organically, passing the ball, and digging into and neutralizing the opponent’s weaknesses.

That process itself is soccer, and a goal is just the result of that process.

So what Capello wants to say is, in a nutshell, that he is better at soccer.

Because he is the one who creates that process.

Johan is just standing still at the end of the process and taking the results.

Capello thought that if you were someone who could see soccer properly, you would pick him as the true ace of West Ham.

But no matter how much he explained it to these ignorant English hooligans, they wouldn’t understand.

In the end, the easiest thing to do is to show them.

On the opposing team, England, there is Johan, and in Italy, there is himself.

Today, it is obvious who will show more beautiful soccer.

Then, the people who watched today’s game will know.

Who was the real ace.

Also, Johan will realize it too.

He always ignores him without knowing how much help he is getting.

And he’s too scared to do a free kick match again.

He’s going to hurt that guy’s big nose.

He will make him miss the time he spent playing with him throughout the game.

He will make him beg not to give that pass to other guys, but only to himself.

‘Still, don’t resent me too much.’

Capello chuckled as he looked at Johan.

“Beeeep-!”

The game started.