Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 164

< The Prime Lazy Striker - 164 >

“His temper hasn’t changed a bit.”

In a quiet corner of Allianz Arena.

Bayern Munich’s chairman, Lichten Hanke, chuckled as he watched coach Schmidt, his face flushed and agitated, from a distance.

Hanke had known coach Schmidt for years.

They first crossed paths as coaches.

Hanke was managing Frankfurt, while Schmidt was at the helm of Munich.

Schmidt was a truly formidable coach.

Even back then, though well into his forties, he possessed more energy than any twenty-year-old.

Hanke vividly recalled Schmidt’s words after their first match against each other.

“I will win here someday.”

Honestly, it was a little intimidating.

A bear of a man, face red with intensity, grabbing your hand and declaring something like that was bound to be unsettling.

But what was even more unnerving was Hanke’s inability to grant that man’s wish.

‘We might need to reinforce the away team’s locker room a bit.’

If someone that size lost his temper, the visiting locker room wouldn’t stand a chance.

Back then, the thought of Munich losing at Allianz Arena was unthinkable.

Sorry to say, but not only Schmidt, but no coach could secure a victory here and return home with a win.

And that remains true even now.

Chairman Hanke didn’t believe Munich would lose to West Ham, even with coach Schmidt leading them.

It was simply unimaginable.

Munich losing to a team like West Ham on their home turf.

Of course, he was well aware of West Ham’s capabilities.

They had defeated Paris and Barcelona in the group stage, Juventus, the Serie A leaders, in the round of 16, and were currently leading the Premier League undefeated.

And they boasted Johan Bahn, the Ballon d’Or winner from last season and arguably the best striker in the world right now.

But this is Bayern Munich.

This is Allianz Arena.

If coach Schmidt still harbored those old ambitions, it would be a pity.

Because tomorrow, he would be reminded.

That some things never change, no matter how much time passes.

···

~Wie heißt dieser Klub, der hier zu Lande die Rekorde hält?

What is the name of the club that holds all the records in this country?

~Wer hat schon gewonnen, was es jemals zu gewinnen gab?

Who has already won everything there is to win?

~Wer bringt seit Jahrzehnten unsere Bundesliga voll auf Trap?

Who has dominated our Bundesliga for decades?

Game day.

The atmosphere at Allianz Arena was truly electrifying.

The home fans packed the stands, leaving not a single seat empty.

Those 70,000 fans were singing their support song at the top of their lungs.

~FC Bayern, Stern des Südens, du wirst niemals untergehn!

FC Bayern, Star of the South, you will never fall!

~FC Bayern, Deutscher Meister, ja, so heißt er mein Verein!

FC Bayern, German Champion, yes, that’s the name of my club!

How many teams can confidently include the word ‘champion’ in their support song?

And how many can do so without sounding arrogant?

Munich’s support song is brimming with pride.

And it’s designed to intimidate the visiting team.

“Jamie.”

“Yes.”

“Impressive, isn’t it?”

“Not really. Nothing special.”

“Really? Then why are your lips so dry?”

“The air in Germany is just a bit dry.”

As the support song echoed, the 70,000 fans participated in a coordinated card display [a visual spectacle where fans hold up colored cards to create a large image or message].

Bayern Munich is one of the few European teams that effectively utilizes large-scale card sections.

This unique cheering tradition has a significant impact during Champions League matches.

Because it’s often unfamiliar to teams from other leagues.

Whack-!

On one side of the stands, red, white, and blue cards formed Bayern Munich’s emblem.

And on the opposite side, the phrase ‘Kaiser of Cup’ [Emperor of Cup, a reference to Bayern’s dominance in cup competitions] was displayed.

It signifies their dominance in cup competitions.

It’s truly overwhelming.

It evoked a different feeling compared to Barcelona’s Camp Nou or Liverpool’s Anfield.

At Camp Nou, you could sense the sheer scale and grandeur, and at Anfield, you felt the intense, burning passion, but here…

It felt like you could even sense a certain underlying madness.

“As expected, a country with a history of totalitarianism…”

“Uh-huh. Let’s not say things that could get us into trouble.”

Coach Schmidt chuckled at Jamie’s remark.

Munich is a tough opponent in any stadium, but here, that difficulty is amplified.

During his Bundesliga days, he often struggled to perform effectively, intimidated by this atmosphere.

Not only the players, but even he, as the coach, was overwhelmed and made irrational decisions more than once.

But today, the feeling was different.

The desire to win remained as strong as ever, but he didn’t feel overwhelmed.

He didn’t feel scared, convinced of inevitable defeat, nor did he feel his body trembling with anxiety.

Rather,

He felt comfortable, expectant, and even excited.

“The best players in the Bundesliga…”

Coach Schmidt muttered as he watched the players take to the field.

The Munich players in their red uniforms were undoubtedly the best players in the Bundesliga, the German top-flight league.

It was inevitable.

Because Munich consistently cherry-picked the best talent.

Coach Schmidt had also been a victim of this.

During his time at Frankfurt, Munich poached his starting full-back, and during his tenure at Hertha Berlin, they snatched away his star striker.

But now, things were different.

They still possessed the best players in the Bundesliga, but the best player in the world was on *our* side.

“Yohaaaan-! Destroy them-!”

Coach Schmidt suddenly stood up and shouted towards the field.

At his voice, Johan glanced over and nodded slightly.

“Coach, please sit down.”

Jamie calmly handed Schmidt a blood pressure pill.

*

“Beeeep-!”

With a piercing whistle, the game commenced with Munich’s kick-off.

Munich leisurely passed the ball around in their own half to begin their warm-up.

As with most modern football teams, this passing wasn’t simply a waste of time.

It was a calculated maneuver to draw out the opposing players and create gaps, leading to a more advantageous situation when attacking the opponent’s territory.

In preparation for this game, Munich had dedicated more training time to building up from the back than usual.

Because they anticipated West Ham adopting a defensive strategy.

It was understandable, wasn’t it?

This was West Ham’s first Champions League quarter-final, and their first time playing at Allianz Arena.

In such a situation, even teams like Real Madrid would play cautiously.

If Real Madrid might, then West Ham certainly would.

It was expected that they would defend deep and play for a 0-0 draw.

Building up from the back was crucial to lure out such a defensive opponent.

Paah-!

Paah-!

However, Munich’s expectations were immediately subverted.

Tatatat-!

As Munich passed the ball around in their own half, the West Ham players began to push forward as a unit.

The left and right central midfielders, Jonathan Naison and Jacob Buckley, pressed high, and the other players followed suit, maintaining their spacing.

A hint of surprise appeared on the faces of the Munich players.

But there are different kinds of surprise.

The surprise felt by the Munich players was akin to this.

The feeling of a leopard observing a chihuahua, the size of a palm, baring its teeth as if it were about to attack.

If a tiger or lion did that, they would be terrified and humiliated, but now they were surprised because they couldn’t believe that this tiny creature was contemplating an attack.

“Hey!”

Paah-!

“Forward!”

Paah-!

Regardless, it was a welcome development.

As mentioned earlier, building up from the back is intended to draw out the opponent.

But since the opponent was advancing on their own, there was no need for prolonged groundwork.

Of course, countering the opponent’s build-up with aggressive pressing is a textbook response.

But this is Munich.

The Munich players were packed with skilled ball-players, from the forwards to the goalkeeper, and they were confident that West Ham’s pressure posed no real threat.

Paah-

Paah-!

A fluid and skillful passing sequence.

From the center back to the full back, from the full back to the goalkeeper, from the goalkeeper to the defensive midfielder.

Munich evaded West Ham’s pressure by creating a triangular passing pattern.

Finally, Munich’s defensive midfielder, Philip Passbender, turned forward and sought out a teammate.

Specifically, he was looking for Florian Stauter.

Stauter, the midfielder who was the ace even among Munich’s world-class players.

‘It’s open, friends.’

Paah-!

Chuaaaaaaa-

A pass directed towards Stauter.

Stauter is Munich’s ace, but Passbender, who provided the pass, arguably plays an even more crucial role.

Stauter is a midfielder, but he almost always operates in the half-space [the area between the center and the wing] in the opponent’s territory.

He maintains a higher position than a typical midfielder.

This is possible thanks to Passbender’s presence.

Passbender’s ball retention and his ability to thread passes through the opponent’s midfield are invaluable.

And so it was now.

Passbender’s pass bypassed West Ham’s midfield and accurately found Stauter.

Once Stauter receives the ball, he can invariably create a dangerous situation.

But, at that moment.

Tatatat-!

Stauter was standing in a relatively open position.

That’s why Passbender passed the ball to him without hesitation.

But, in an instant, West Ham’s defense swarmed Stauter.

Left-back Petrovic, center-back Bellamy, and defensive midfielder Gordon.

The three of them converged on Stauter simultaneously, as if they had been waiting.

Paah-!

Stauter tried desperately to shield the ball, but it was impossible against the three players who were closing in aggressively.

Gordon and Petrovic applied physical pressure, and Bellamy dispossessed him with a well-timed tackle.

“That’s right!”

“That’s it!”

Coach Schmidt and Jamie shouted, clenching their fists.

What is the most exhilarating experience for players and coaching staff?

It’s when the opponent plays exactly as you predicted.

And when you capitalize on it as planned.

That’s what was happening now.

An active form of defense that Rohan had emphasized during data analysis.

Passive defense involves reacting to the opponent’s attacks.

Active defense, on the other hand, involves manipulating the opponent into attacking in a specific way and then exploiting it.

West Ham deliberately applied high pressure on the flanks to force the ball into the center, and allowed Stauter space in the half-space to encourage Passbender to pass to him.

And when the pass came,

They quickly surrounded Stauter and easily won the ball.

In other words, everything was meticulously planned.

The plan that Rohan and the coaching staff had devised was unfolding perfectly just five minutes into the game.

“Confidently! Confidently! They’re predictable!”

Bellamy shouted encouragingly to his teammates.

The teammates nodded in agreement.

Nothing boosts confidence more than seeing your plans come to fruition.

The atmosphere in the West Ham camp was electric.

Paah-

Paah-!

West Ham, now in possession, began to circulate the ball and prepare their attack.

Okay. The first step has been successfully executed.

But there are still many steps to follow.

Fortunately, the second plan is much simpler and easier than the first.

That plan rests on Johan’s shoulders.

Bbeeeeeeeeong-!

After enticing the Munich players to advance by passing the ball in their own half, goalkeeper Hurichel launched a long kick forward.

Hurichel’s kicking power is comparable to Munich’s goalkeeper, Ralph Ulrich.

Shuuuuuuuuung-

Paah-!

The ball connected accurately with Johan.

Johan had drifted out to the right side.

Johan faced Munich’s left-back, Jerome Stranie.

Simultaneously, Bailey surged into the center of the box, and Capello and Buckley also began to make aggressive runs.

This was designed to create a 1v1 situation for Johan.

However, Premier League teams tend to focus on Johan, even when these supporting runs are made.

Because they have experienced the consequences of underestimating him.

But Munich hadn’t been burned yet.

Moreover, Jerome Stranie is Munich’s captain and a key player.

A full-back who is more than just a full-back, a truly versatile player.

Not to mention his defensive prowess.

Perhaps trusting in Stranie’s abilities, the Munich defense maintained their positions.

All the better for West Ham.

Because it created an opportunity for Johan to shatter Munich’s pride.

Tuk, tuk-

Johan slowly dribbled the ball towards Stranie.

Stranie lowered his stance, his hands almost touching the ground, and focused intently.

He positioned his body so that Johan could see his back number, not his face.

A posture that conveyed his determination to stay with Johan at all costs.

Observing Stranie, Johan had a sudden thought.

I think I can beat this guy.

Tatatat-!

Johan sprinted towards the center.

In the direction that Stranie’s back was facing.

Stranie turned his body to follow Johan.

“···!?”

But, Stranie’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Johan was no longer in his field of vision.

He sensed Johan’s presence behind him.

In that brief moment of turning, Johan had cut back to the opposite side.

Tatatat-!

Stranie frantically turned his body again.

But,

He wasn’t there again.

Again!?

“Keuk···!”

It was fear.

Invisible fear.

He was definitely facing him, but he couldn’t see him.

Kwadangtang-!

Stranie slipped and fell while desperately trying to turn again.

Only then could Stranie see Johan.

Of course, it was his back.

Bbeeeeeeeeong-!

Near the left corner of the box.

Johan, having left Stranie sprawling on the ground, unleashed a shot with his left foot.

A curling shot aimed at the far post.

The shot soared high, clearing the heads of all the defenders in the box,

Shuuuuuuuuung-

Cheolssuk-!

And ripped through the goal net.