Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 134

< Dream Interpretation Better Than the Dream >

“Wow, this is a first.”

“What is?”

“Anfield feels small, you know?”

“Yeah, I feel that too.”

The players who arrived at Anfield looked around the stadium and laughed.

It was a strange thing.

Anfield looking small.

Well, Anfield wasn’t exactly a stadium that overwhelmed with its massive size from the start.

But it’s still amazing that I don’t feel anything even with the fans packed in like this.

“We definitely got a good vaccination.”

“It hurt a bit, but it made us stronger.”

“Now we’re immune to Anfield too.”

Camp Nou away game and Anfield away game.

Playing these two away games, which are considered the most difficult in Europe, back-to-back is definitely crazy.

However, there were also good things about doing them consecutively.

Since we got properly vaccinated at Camp Nou, I was confident that I could show my play much better in this atmosphere today.

“Petrovic, are you okay today?”

“Yeah.”

Petrovic, who had a hard time at Camp Nou, also looks fine today.

The more he suffered, the stronger his immunity became.

Now it was time to show it.

*

This is a match between the unbeaten teams of the season. West Ham is on a 9-game winning streak and is at the top of the league. Liverpool is at 7 wins and 2 draws, and is on a winning streak in the last five games.

Today, one team’s winning streak will definitely be broken. That will greatly affect the flow afterwards.

In many ways, it could be an important turning point. As expected, the atmosphere at Anfield is hot.

Still, Anfield is Anfield.

In terms of maximum capacity alone, Anfield is just over half the size of Camp Nou.

However, the reason why it was able to earn the reputation of being hell for away teams as much as Camp Nou was because each and every supporter was so enthusiastic.

Could there be more hardcore fans than the Liverpool fans called ‘the Kop’ [Liverpool’s most passionate supporters, known for their singing and unwavering support]?

Going to Anfield is hell not only for the players but also for the fans.

Entering this place wearing a uniform of a team other than Liverpool requires a lot of courage.

On days when there is a game at Anfield, it is not for nothing that police officers in fluorescent clothes are deployed not only in the stadium and its surroundings, but also throughout the city.

That’s how overflowing the Kop were with energy.

However, if there is an opponent that is a bit uncomfortable for them, it would be West Ham’s supporters, the Hammers [a nickname for West Ham United’s supporters, derived from the club’s origins in the Thames Ironworks].

The original hooligans, the Hammers.

Even today, the Hammers are in a state where their combat power has increased further through overseas field training.

The away support at Camp Nou was quite tough.

Some fans crossed the line and even had a conversation with the Barca fans using their bodies.

Thanks to that, Anfield was especially noisy today.

Oh, am I hearing things?

I think I heard it too. It was the West Ham chant, wasn’t it?

I definitely heard it faintly. Liverpool’s chant had just ended. As soon as it ended, the voices of the Hammers broke through.

The Kop must be very upset? That the voices of the away fans can be heard. At Anfield, that is.

Well, it’s probably because our commentary box is close to the away seats, but still, this is the first time. Hearing the away team’s chant at Anfield.

From the beginning of the game, the Kop’s mood became very uncomfortable.

Because the away team’s chant was heard at Anfield, which should never have happened.

Of course, it’s not like the away fans just sit quietly and watch the game.

Cheering hard is a natural thing to do.

The problem was that the cheering sound broke through the Kop’s cheering sound.

It wouldn’t matter in other stadiums, but that couldn’t happen at Anfield.

From the Kop’s point of view, this was almost like having their house taken away by thieves.

And the Liverpool players felt the same way as the Kop.

Because they clearly heard the Hammers’ cheering sound too.

Duncan with a rough foul. A warning is given. The first yellow card of the game. It came quite early.

Um, I don’t think it was a situation where he could afford to get a warning right now. It’s quite an uncomfortable situation for defender Duncan to carry a yellow card from the start.

Steve Duncan received a reckless foul and received a warning in the 8th minute of the game.

Liverpool captain Duncan is a veteran.

He’s a very smart player.

He knows when it’s okay to get a warning and when it’s not.

But now was not the time to get a warning at all.

Duncan is a center back who forms a duo with De Clain.

He has no choice but to keep clashing with Johann.

However, if he receives a warning so early, he will inevitably be very uncomfortable.

Johann is not an opponent that can be blocked with clean defense alone.

There will definitely be a situation where you have to block Johann even if you risk a warning.

But he collected a card so uselessly.

If that situation comes, Duncan has only two options.

Either risk being sent off instead of a warning and block it, or just become a scarecrow.

“Hoo.”

As I said, Duncan, who is a veteran, knows that.

However, he couldn’t control his emotions for a moment.

Duncan is Liverpool’s sacred bone and captain who has grown up in Liverpool since he was a youth [a player who has been with Liverpool since a young age, deeply connected to the club’s identity].

That’s why Duncan couldn’t stand it.

That the away team’s cheering sound is heard at Anfield.

Duncan wants to be buried in Anfield even after he dies if he could.

For Duncan, giving up Anfield is unacceptable.

His emotions had no choice but to escalate.

Of course, it was a clear mistake, and it was inevitable that it was a good thing for West Ham.

“Good, take it easy! You can do it with ease!”

“The opponent is in a hurry! Listen to the calls! You can do it while pulling them in!”

West Ham is taking the early atmosphere.

West Ham started to take possession by slowly turning the ball.

Liverpool’s unique pressure is coming in stronger than usual, but they are quite skillfully passing the ball and protecting it.

They definitely have plenty of time.

Everyone is listening to their teammates’ voices well, and they are calmly dealing with the situation, so they don’t seem to be embarrassed by the atmosphere of Anfield at all.

As expected, the experience at Camp Nou just four days ago seems to have helped.

Especially,

Petrovic, oh! Good escape from pressure!

He’s giving Carvalho a taste of his own medicine! Carvalho is upset after allowing a nutmeg [a skill move where a player passes the ball between an opponent’s legs]!

Petrovic is showing the most noticeable change.

The Petrovic who was confused in Camp Nou was nowhere to be found, and only the changed Petrovic was there.

In fact, I thought it wouldn’t be helpful at all, but it was helpful.

Johann’s advice, that is.

“What are you thinking about during the game?”

“I’m not thinking about anything.”

At first, I just thought it was like Johann, and left it at that.

But when I thought about it, Petrovic realized that that was the answer he needed most.

Petrovic, who even called himself a chicken.

Petrovic had a lot of worries ahead of this season.

It was an honor to play on the dream stage of the Champions League, but it was also a nerve-wracking experience.

That’s why Petrovic prepared harder than anyone else ahead of this season.

At least if he prepares hard, he will be able to do his part even in the midst of tension.

It was the same ahead of this Barcelona game.

Petrovic was the one who prepared the hardest.

He prepared so much that he went to bed at 3 a.m. the day before the game.

In many ways, he had too many thoughts.

However, when I actually entered the game.

With my head in a complicated state, the game started to flow a little differently from what I had prepared.

It was difficult for Petrovic to maintain his composure.

The more he did, the more complicated his head became, and the more mistakes he made.

Fortunately, his teammates helped him, but he almost became the culprit of the defeat.

In that game, Johann saved him.

Ahead of this Liverpool game, Petrovic decided to trust Johann one more time.

Empty your mind.

Just because it’s a big match and an important game doesn’t mean you should prepare differently from usual.

Just do the same as you always do.

The reason why he was particularly weak in big games was because he thought of big games as big games.

Tata tat-!

“Hey!”

“Forward!”

Paang-!

West Ham, who broke through Liverpool’s front pressure, quickly develops an attack.

Petrovic, who got past Liverpool’s ace Carvalho, passed it to Capello in the center and ran forward, and Capello gave him a return pass to match his movement.

“…”

Petrovic, who received the ball after crossing the halfway line, looks at the front.

Because he quickly broke through the front pressure, there is a little space.

There are several options.

However, Petrovic decided not to think complicatedly.

Just do what you do during training.

Instead of moving according to your thoughts, let your body move as it moves.

Today’s game is not an important game between unbeaten teams, but just one of the thirty-eight league games.

Bbeo eee eee eeeong-!

Petrovic’s early cross!

He puts it straight into the box!

Petrovic is raising an early cross.

Petrovic’s forte is still crossing.

The cross drew a large and beautiful curve and flew towards the box.

Tata tat-!

Two people jumped up at the same time towards the cross.

Johann and De Clain.

But in fact, it was a cross that three people should have jumped for.

In addition to Johann and De Clain, Steve Duncan too.

If De Clain competes alone, there is a high probability that the ball will hit Johann’s forehead unless he is very good.

So Duncan had to jump and compete 2-on-1.

However, the reason why Duncan couldn’t jump confidently was because he had a card.

Especially since it’s inside the box.

The referee has no choice but to react more sensitively here.

Especially if the opponent is Johann.

Even if it’s the same foul, the probability of receiving a card is high if the foul is committed in a situation where the probability of scoring is high.

If it’s Johann in the box, it becomes a situation where the probability of scoring is very high in any situation.

Even a small foul could result in a second card collection and a penalty kick at the same time.

So, Duncan couldn’t run to compete.

Shuuuuuuuuung-

Anyway, it wasn’t like De Clain couldn’t run either.

But Petrovic’s cross was accurate, and Johann’s jump was like Michael Jordan.

It wasn’t a combination that De Clain could do anything about.

Paaaaaang-!

At the moment of impact, Johann turns his head and turns the direction of the ball.

In fact, it is not easy to handle an early cross flying from behind with a direct header.

It is natural for the power of the ball to die a little, and if you turn the direction to the inside of the goal, that is the best header.

However, Johann put power into his header even in the meantime.

Thud-!

The goal that wraps around the net with a thud.

Liverpool goalkeeper Kelleher had no choice but to stand still and admire the goal.

Waaaaaaat-!

Hamsters erupt at the same time.

Unlike Camp Nou, Anfield did not become a quiet library even with Johann’s goal.

Instead, the cheers of the Hammers were clearly heard.

*

Hey, David Beckham!

Yeah, did you call me?

You bastard, your cross was crazy! It was a non-refundable delivery [an excellent pass that leads directly to a goal]!

This is the Petrovic we knew!

After the goal, he ran to Johann first.

The teammates also ran to Petrovic and gave him a violent celebration.

It was definitely a beautiful cross.

Even Capello admitted it.

Well, I raised it pretty well.

Thank you.

After the celebration ended like that.

Petrovic approached Johann separately and hugged him.

And expressed his gratitude.

“The words you gave me helped. I honestly misunderstood that you were just answering that way because you were too lazy to answer. But when I thought about it, it wasn’t. Not thinking about anything means not accepting it as something special just because it’s a big game. You’re more thoughtful than I thought. Haha!”

After patting Johann on the back, Petrovic returned to his seat, and Johann scratched his head as he watched Petrovic.

‘What are you talking about…’

Well, what if the dream interpretation is better than the dream?

As long as the result is good.

West Ham, who scored the first goal with the collaboration of Petrovic and Johann, were not afraid of going to Anfield at all.