Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 151

< 151. A Sluggish Genius Striker >

To Guimarães, the fact that West Ham was the top team in the Premier League, participating in the Champions League, and had advanced to the round of 16, didn’t matter much.

Not from the moment they started talking about Valencia’s level.

‘A Brazilian greeting?’

Guimarães laughed.

To a Brazilian, the sight of Englishmen pretending to know how to greet in the Brazilian style was ridiculous.

But what’s even funnier is that it’s true.

Paah-!

Paah-!

“Oh, good. Looks like you’re in the mood to greet.”

Bailey sent the ball to Guimarães, and Guimarães returned it.

Exchanging the ball like this means they are both ready.

“You can’t go outside this line. And you win by getting the ball into that mini goal somehow. Okay?”

Yes, that’s right.

In Brazil, this is how you greet.

It doesn’t matter where each other is from, what they look like, or what their names are.

All they want to know is how well this guy can kick the ball.

Tuk-

Bailey takes his first step.

Bailey was called in by Gordon because Johan wasn’t working today.

So, that means Bailey is the second-best in 1-on-1 at West Ham.

Even Bellamy doesn’t have a high win rate against Bailey in pure 1-on-1 situations.

Bailey charged in confidently.

Tatatat-!

However, Guimarães’ specialty is also 1-on-1.

He doesn’t know what kids from other countries do when they’re young, but in Brazil, they spend time in empty lots or alleys with just one ball.

He was the same.

Born in the favelas [slums] of São Paulo, Guimarães had nothing else to do but kick a ball all day.

There, playing soccer on a formal soccer field was out of the question, and all they had were narrow empty lots or alleys, so all they could do was futsal [a variant of soccer played on a smaller hard court] or 1-on-1 games.

Even now, after a long professional career in Europe, Guimarães was sure of it.

The best 1-on-1 player in the world is still somewhere in the back alleys of Brazil.

Not here in Europe.

Tatatat-

Guimarães, with his legs apart and lowered, waits for Bailey to come in.

Seeing Guimarães’ stance, Bailey, looking for an opening, showed off his fancy footwork.

Whee-ick-!

Bailey tries to break Guimarães’ balance by shaking his upper body while doing step-overs.

However, Guimarães doesn’t shake easily.

No matter what Bailey does, Guimarães stands firm like a rock, making Bailey’s attempts at feinting seem futile.

‘Just getting past him with speed is…’

Bailey clenches his teeth.

The simplest but best way in 1-on-1 is to get past the opponent with speed.

However, that only applies on a wide field.

This rectangular field drawn for mini-games is too narrow to run and dash.

You have to break down the opponent with technique alone.

“···!”

To Bailey, who was looking for a way, a gap that he couldn’t see appeared for a moment.

That gap was created thanks to the hard shaking from side to side, even though it felt futile.

It was between Guimarães’ legs, which had widened because he had completely lowered his stance.

Sreureuk-

Bailey pushed the ball with the outside of his right foot, then gently rolled the ball with the sole of his foot and put it between Guimarães’ legs.

However, that was exactly what Guimarães had been patiently waiting for.

Paah-!

At the same time as he saw the sign, Guimarães closed his legs and bounced the ball out.

The ball became a loose ball.

Bailey and Guimarães fought shoulder to shoulder for the ball, and Bailey was no match.

Paah-!

Cheolssuk-!

Guimarães, who had snatched the ball, lightly kicked the ball into the opposite goal.

“···!”

“···!”

The match ended more easily than expected.

“Then, goodbye.”

Because Bailey wasn’t impressive at all, Guimarães immediately turned around and headed to the club house.

There was no need to know the name of a guy who couldn’t kick the ball better than him.

*

West Ham’s second game in January was the FA Cup 64th round match against Hull City, and the third game was the League 23rd round match against Liverpool.

Coach Schmidt was planning to debut Guimarães immediately in the game against Hull City.

For the Liverpool game, ahead of the more important game against Liverpool, he intended to have him play in the Hull City game to get him used to the English turf.

Guimarães was a player they brought in for roughly 50 million euros.

He was a player they brought in to use right away from the next game.

The team was not in a situation where they could afford to wait for his adaptation.

“Have you gotten close?”

“No. I’m trying, but I don’t think he wants to get close. It takes two to clap, but I’m just putting on a one-man show.”

Bellamy expressed his difficulty in response to Coach Schmidt’s question.

Bellamy is the one who has to work most closely with Guimarães.

The chemistry between the center backs who form a duo is more important than anything else. They have to move as one, and they have to complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

Sometimes, a combination with explosive chemistry, even if their individual abilities are lacking, can show a stronger appearance than a center back combination with excellent individual abilities but poor chemistry.

The center backs had to know everything about each other.

So Bellamy was doing all sorts of things.

Since his hometown was Brazil, he memorized the songs that were popular in Brazil recently and hummed them,

“Am I dancing this right?”

“···.”

He even tried to dance the samba [a lively, rhythmical dance and music genre from Brazil], which he learned from YouTube.

However, Bellamy’s efforts didn’t work for Guimarães.

No matter how hard he tries, Guimarães has no intention of blending into the team.

Bellamy was just frustrated.

“Damn it. I don’t have time to be doing this.”

“Time? You haven’t been here long either.”

“Does experience matter? The world of professionals speaks with money.”

Bellamy wasn’t the only one who tried.

Bailey challenged Guimarães several times, but he couldn’t get him to tell him his name.

The other players were the same.

That’s why everyone was eagerly waiting for Johan to come.

Hoping that his desire to challenge would be awakened after he shared a Brazilian greeting with Johan.

“Hey! Come quickly! We’ve been waiting!”

“Johan! Hurry up and change and come out!”

“···?”

The day before the FA Cup game, when Johan came to work late, the players welcomed Johan more than ever.

Then, before Johan could even warm up, they handed him a ball and called Guimarães.

“Hey, greet this guy. In the Brazilian style.”

The players stood behind Johan with triumphant expressions.

Guimarães stared at Johan blankly.

‘Johan Ban.’

Guimarães, of course, knew Johan’s name.

Is there any player in this world who doesn’t know Johan?

There was no need for introductions.

But,

“Do you know me?”

“···No.”

It seemed like Johan didn’t know him.

Then, he would need to tell him his name.

“Let’s start.”

“Johan, kick his ass.”

“Turn him into mincemeat.”

Because the hyungs [a Korean term referring to older brothers or male seniors] were pushing him from behind, Johan faced Guimarães with the ball, even though he didn’t know what was going on.

*

“Stop now…”

“Heok, heok… Just one more time, can’t I?”

“It’s almost quitting time.”

“Damn it.”

Guimarães knelt down and gasped for breath, his hands on the ground.

He had been playing 1-on-1 until his breath reached his chin.

But,

He hadn’t won even once.

He expected it since he was a Ballon d’Or winner [an annual football award presented to the best male player], and the most popular striker at the moment.

But his wall was bigger than he thought.

“Hoo.”

His thoughts are changing a bit.

Guimarães thought that the best 1-on-1 player in the world was still somewhere in the back alleys of Brazil.

But, maybe not.

There’s no guy like this even in the back alleys of Brazil.

Guimarães got up and held out his hand.

“Dani Guimarães. Can you remember it?”

“···It’s a bit difficult, but I’ll try to memorize it.”

Guimarães, Guimarães.

Johan, who was repeating the name several times, suddenly burst into laughter.

“···Why are you laughing?”

“It’s just, it sounds like a girl’s name.”

“A, a girl’s name?”

“There’s a similar name among Korean girls. Kim Arang.”

“Kim Arang···?”

Guimarães, who had a thrilled expression as he watched Johan repeat his name, looked embarrassed.

His name sounds like a girl’s name, what!

“A girl’s name?”

“The nuance is good, though?”

“Then, I’ll just call you Kim Arang.”

No, who gets to decide?

Guimarães frowned.

*

“They seem to have gotten quite close?”

“That’s a relief.”

“They seem to be bickering a bit, though.”

“Boys grow up fighting.”

“There are too many bearded guys to call them kids.”

“They’re all kids to me.”

Coach Jamie and Coach Schmidt, who watched the players’ training, were relieved.

Guimarães’ mouth, who hadn’t even talked to the players, finally opened.

Well, seeing the players teasing him about his name and him getting angry and saying something.

It doesn’t seem like a very pleasant conversation from his point of view.

Isn’t bickering the fastest way to get close?

“Let’s have a little interview.”

“Yes.”

After training that day, Coach Schmidt called Guimarães to the coach’s office.

And, after telling him that he would be put into the games right away, Coach Schmidt patted Guimarães on the shoulder.

“Are you a little more used to it now? Until yesterday, you didn’t even talk to your teammates.”

“···”

“It’s a shame that you had to leave the team against your will. But putting on a great performance here will be the best thing you can do for your original team. If possible, shouldn’t we make the story that ‘Valencia products are reliable’ circulate in the Premier League?”

“···Yes.”

Guimarães nods at Coach Schmidt’s words.

That’s right.

It’s still hard to say that he will dedicate himself to the West Ham team.

But, at least he felt like he had found a goal to pursue while being on this team.

First, to enhance the honor of Valencia as the coach said.

And, there was a guy he wanted to beat in 1-on-1 with the pride of a Brazilian on the line.

“By the way, what were you talking about with Bellamy for so long earlier?”

“Bellamy? Ah, that’s.”

Guimarães replied that Bellamy taught him about the tendencies of Premier League referees and how to deceive them well.

“Hmm.”

Everyone seems to be trying their best to help Guimarães adapt in their own way.

Perhaps the reason why West Ham has been able to unite so far is because they are fortunately full of nice guys.

“Learn it well.”

“Yes.”

Coach Schmidt nodded.

ㆍㆍㆍ

West Ham won the FA Cup 64th round and advanced to the 32nd round.

Today’s game was quite fruitful.

The FA Cup was a tournament that was ranked third in importance, and most of the starting players, including Johan, took a break today.

Thanks to this, the reserve players and youth players got opportunities, and at the same time, Guimarães made his West Ham debut.

It was a game that gave the youth players good experience and confirmed Guimarães’ condition, so it was fruitful in many ways.

Guimarães’ individual ability was outstanding.

Even though Hull City is a team belonging to the Championship [the second-highest league in English football], the defense that Guimarães showed was at a level that could be called a ‘wall’.

Even Bellamy, who had to be the most sensitive to his skills, gave him a thumbs up.

Wouldn’t it be okay to see Guimarães’ recruitment as a success?

Anyway, after finishing the FA Cup schedule like that.

West Ham faced another important battle.

The League 23rd round against Liverpool, an opponent you can never let your guard down against.

West Ham revealed that they would put all their strength into this game by playing with the completed best eleven.

GK Jeff Hurrichel

DF Shay Bellamy

DF Dani Guimarães

DF Martin Petrovic

DF Michael Jenkinson

MF Tim Gordon (C)

MF Jonathan Naison

MF Jacob Buckley

MF Daniele Capello

FW Joshua Bailey

FW Johan Ban

<4-4-2>

──────────Johan─────

────Bailey──────────

Naison───────────Buckley

──────────Capello────

──────Gordon─────────

Petrovic─────────Jenkinson

────Bellamy──Guimarães───

─────────────────

───────Hurrichel───────

“Looking at the lineup, it’s getting magnificent.”

“What should I say······”

“It feels like the puzzle is complete.”

“That’s right. That’s it.”

The fans said while looking at the starting lineup.

It feels like it’s finally complete.

What should I say.

It felt like they had finally completed the full item set before the boss battle.