Became The Premier League’S Youngest Manager [EN]: Chapter 233

233: The Final Attack

With just six minutes left in the game,

plus the potential for three or four minutes of added time, this is practically the final stretch of the match.

In a single-elimination tournament final, there are no draws.

If the score remains tied after the regular 90 minutes and added time, the game proceeds to extra time, consisting of two 15-minute halves, totaling 30 minutes.

If the score is still tied after extra time, it goes to a penalty shootout.

In a must-win game like this, with only about six minutes remaining until the critical moment, a manager typically faces two strategic options.

One option is to adopt a completely defensive stance, aiming to hold on for extra time and, ultimately, a penalty shootout.

The other is to launch an all-out attack, attempting to decide the game within the remaining time, regardless of the risks.

Real Madrid’s veteran manager, Carlo Ancelotti, coincidentally chose the former.

And Hyungmin chose the latter.

“Attack!!”

From the technical area, Hyungmin waved his arms emphatically towards Real Madrid’s goal, shouting instructions to his players.

His cry echoed through the stadium, reaching the players on the field. The Burnley fans, understanding his intention, joined in the chant.

“Attack!!!”

The claret wave, filling half of Wembley Stadium, waved flags and beat drums, chanting in unison.

“Attack!!!”

It was unclear how they managed to smuggle such a large drum into Wembley Stadium, but Henry Tyler, the Burnley official supporters’ vice-chairman and drumming master, famous for his imposing frame, was sweating profusely as he swung huge drumsticks with both hands, drumming and encouraging the players.

“Attack!!!”

In a game, there are two crucial elements: momentum and flow.

Momentum represents the unwavering will to win and the players’ fighting spirit, while flow refers to the technical movements executed on the field to achieve the desired outcome at the opportune moment.

In the first half, Burnley had plenty of momentum, but Real Madrid skillfully controlled the flow at key moments, taking the lead with two goals.

In the second half, Burnley gained both momentum and flow.

Hyungmin had no intention of relinquishing the control he had fought so hard to seize, finally getting a perfect grip on the reins after a full 84 minutes since the start of the match.

***

“Damn it!”

Real Madrid’s left-back, David Alaba, muttered under his breath.

Burnley’s relentless offensive had continued non-stop for the past seven or eight minutes since their equalizing goal.

Normally, in order to attempt a counterattack, one or two of the central striker, Karim Adeyemi, or the wingers, Vinicius Junior or Rodrygo, would stay up front to pressure the opposing team’s defense.

But now, even they had dropped back near Real Madrid’s penalty box to desperately join the defense.

With no time to even glance at the clock on the scoreboard, they were packed inside the penalty box, weathering Burnley’s relentless attack. Then, Burnley’s attack started once again from the left side of Real Madrid’s penalty box.

Burnley’s right-winger, Adam Hložek, a second-half substitute, managed to receive a pass from Burnley’s Sebestyén Szymanski in the midfield, despite desperate obstruction from Real Madrid’s midfielders.

Just as he seemed to control the ball, the young player, hailed as the next-generation ace of the Czech national team, attempted to break directly into Real Madrid’s penalty box.

Adam Hložek.

He was signed as the replacement for Karim Adeyemi, who had shone brilliantly in the Premier League and Europa League the previous season, and was met with high expectations from the fans.

However, he suffered an unfortunate season, missing half of it due to injuries before it even began.

But on the other hand, it could also be considered a fortunate season, as he lifted the Premier League trophy in his first season after being signed by Burnley, and was now tied against Real Madrid in the Champions League final.

Of course, veteran defender David Alaba, responsible for Real Madrid’s left flank, had absolutely no interest in how much weight the young attacker in front of him gave to happiness and misfortune this season.

“Adam!”

As the attacker and defender sized each other up, Burnley’s right-back, Amar Dedić, sprinted along the sideline, as if to change the situation, passing behind Adam Hložek and heading straight towards Real Madrid’s corner flag.

If Adam Hložek passed the ball to the side, it would connect with Amar Dedić.

In that case, a sharp cross would come into the penalty box from the corner flag, or Amar Dedić could even break through directly along the goal line and send a cutback cross [a pass played back across the face of the goal from near the end line].

That would essentially be a crisis situation where the penalty box is penetrated.

However, after hesitating for a moment, David Alaba stuck to Adam Hložek instead of chasing Amar Dedić.

A slightly annoyed expression flashed across Adam Hložek’s face, but the young attacker, lifting his head, ignored David Alaba blocking his path and swung his left foot to poke the ball into the center of the penalty box.

“Oh no!”

As David Alaba turned his head, Burnley’s central striker, Benjamin Šeško, who had infiltrated into Real Madrid’s penalty box at some point, received the ball sent by his teammate near the penalty mark [the spot 12 yards from the center of the goal where penalty kicks are taken].

Right behind him was Real Madrid’s veteran defender, Antonio Rüdiger.

With his back to the goal, Benjamin Šeško tried to push away or get past the experienced defender from the German national team.

“Not. Gonna. Happen!”

The veteran defender, who had conceded two goals in the second half, spat out the words as if chewing them, perfectly blocking the tall striker from turning left or right.

“Benjamin!”

Benjamin Šeško, who was gritting his teeth and pushing Antonio Rüdiger with his shoulder, turned, delighted at the shout coming from in front of him again, and pushed the ball he was controlling under his feet back out.

“David!!”

“Oh no!”

Real Madrid’s goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, shouted in horror from the goal, and David Alaba realized his mistake, but it was already too late.

Burnley’s right-winger, Adam Hložek, who had passed the ball to Benjamin Šeško, had already turned past him and was re-entering the penalty box.

“Block him quickly!!”

Instead of Antonio Rüdiger, who was tied up with Benjamin Šeško, another Real Madrid center-back, Éder Militão, sprinted out to block the young attacker.

Adam Hložek had already crossed more than half of the penalty box.

There wasn’t enough space to turn left or right, and rushing head-on into a defender in the penalty box would only result in bruises and the loss of possession.

As the options rapidly dwindled, the young attacker, who had been unable to hide his annoyance at being blocked by David Alaba just moments before, smiled instead.

Thump!

The ball caught on Adam Hložek’s left foot floated up to knee height, passing through the space between Éder Militão, who was reaching out with his right foot in a flustered expression, and Antonio Rüdiger, who was holding Benjamin Šeško with both arms, wearing a similar expression.

“Dwight!!”

As Burnley fans sitting behind Real Madrid’s goal shouted his name in unison, Burnley’s young ace, who had infiltrated into Real Madrid’s penalty box from the left without a sound, had a one-on-one opportunity against the goalkeeper.

“Hmph!”

There was no time to ask for support or utter curses.

Hoping that Éder Militão or Antonio Rüdiger would somehow block Adam Hložek and Benjamin Šeško, respectively, if the pass was made again in the penalty box, Real Madrid’s goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, abandoned the goal and rushed forward.

He had to narrow the shooting angle somehow.

Which way will he go?!

He had watched countless video analysis materials of Burnley’s attackers.

Dwight McNeil, an ace from Burnley’s youth academy, is a technician representing Burnley.

A master of both feet, capable of using all sorts of techniques without getting nervous even under pressure, and possessing a strong mentality.

In the moment of continuing the mental battle for less than 0.1 seconds while looking into each other’s eyes, Dwight McNeil simply flicked the bottom of the ball.

“Ooooooh!!!”

As the audience simultaneously let out shouts mixed with cheers and admiration, the ball leaving Dwight McNeil’s left foot drew an elegant arc, passing right over the fingertips of Thibaut Courtois, who was desperately reaching upwards.

The moment Burnley’s players and fans were all preparing to shout in victory.

“Hap!!”

With a shout, Real Madrid’s youth academy graduate right-back, Dani Carvajal, appeared, clearing the ball that was about to enter the goal with a flying kick that seemed more suited to a taekwondo demonstration than a soccer game, right on the goal line.

“Uwaaaa!!!”

As Real Madrid fans, who had been watching the scoring scene with bated breath, cheered in unison, the players gathered in the penalty box all threw their bodies towards the ball bouncing out in front of the goal.

Thwack!

Benjamin Šeško and Antonio Rüdiger, who had been checking each other, roughly jostled shoulders, obstructing each other’s path.

“Damn it!”

Dwight McNeil, whose path was blocked by Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois goalkeeper, who was desperately throwing his body towards the ball bouncing off in front of the goal while crawling on all fours on the field without regard for his appearance, uttered a rare curse.

“Uwaaa!!”

The last two remaining were Adam Hložek and David Alaba.

Adam Hložek screamed and threw his body, desperately reaching out his right foot towards the ball.

Just a little bit, if he could just reach one centimeter more, he could send the ball towards the goal!

He desperately prayed for his already fully grown leg to stretch out even a little bit more at this moment, but.

Unfortunately, the opponent’s foot was just a little bit faster.

Wham!

With David Alaba’s bright expression as he ruthlessly kicked the ball away with his left foot with all his might, the ball, which had been aimlessly wandering in front of Real Madrid’s goal, soared high out of the penalty box.

“Ooooooh!!!”

Half of the audience sighed, while the other half shouted in cheers.

Against the backdrop of the noise filling the stadium, the ball that had soared high into the sky began to fall just beyond Real Madrid’s penalty box line, onto the penalty arc [the semi-circular area just outside the penalty box].

“Get out of the way!”

And with a rough shout, a player began to sprint at full speed towards the ball’s landing point.

“Block that guy!!”

Thibaut Courtois, the goalkeeper who was still kneeling in front of the goal without properly positioning himself, shouted desperately.

The whistle was already between the referee’s lips, and the owner of the ball falling from the sky would be given only one chance to do something.

Whether it was Real Madrid clearing it out of bounds, or Burnley attempting a desperate shot like a last gamble.

Real Madrid’s midfielders, sensing the crisis, stuck to the sprinting Burnley player, but he was already at full speed.

Real Madrid’s Aurélien Tchouaméni was bounced off his solid shoulder as he ran at full speed, and Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga were desperately chasing behind him with desperate expressions, but the distance was only widening.

The player, while sprinting, did not take his eyes off the ball falling from the sky.

On his back, the number 4, symbolizing a defensive midfielder, was clearly written in white letters on the claret uniform.

On his right arm was a yellow armband symbolizing the captain.

It was Burnley’s captain, Nicolas Seiwald.