Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 103

Germany is playing well.

England is struggling. Even after conceding a goal, they’re still having difficulty advancing the ball.

They need to connect with their forwards somehow, but the German players are effectively blocking their build-up from the back with relentless pressure.

England finds itself in a frustrating situation.

Germany’s opening goal came in the 13th minute of the first half.

Even after that, the game’s momentum didn’t easily shift.

Despite taking the lead, Germany didn’t slow down. Instead, they increased their pressure, forcing England to retreat further.

Germany’s determination to secure the victory from the start was clear; they weren’t content with just a one-goal lead.

As the game flowed in Germany’s favor early on, the German fans in the stands were ecstatic.

“They’re nothing special after all!”

“Those islanders are always like this. What’s the point of having a good squad if they always choke when it matters?”

“What? More talented than Stauter? Then why isn’t *that* guy playing?”

“Haha! Don’t get me wrong. He *is* out there, just invisible!”

“He’s probably covered less distance than the goalkeeper! Stop hiding and show us your great talent!”

“They ignored Stauter for a guy like that? A *Langliste* [a prestigious ranking] world-class player?”

“I wouldn’t trade Stauter for a truckload of him!”

The German fans were particularly vocal in their criticism of Johan.

Florian Stauter is practically untouchable in Germany; he’s a national icon.

They were naturally unhappy with Johan for daring to compare himself to Stauter, especially so casually.

Moreover, Stauter had been instrumental in the opening goal with his intelligent play, while Johan had been relatively quiet.

It was only natural that the German fans’ spirits were high.

However, in their excitement over the opening goal, they seemed to have forgotten something.

Something they had been using to mock England all along: overconfidence.

Germany is gaining momentum! They’re not content with a one-goal lead!

They’re being even more aggressive. Stauter is dribbling the ball up again!

Both the flow of the game and the atmosphere in the stadium favored Germany.

It’s only natural to capitalize on momentum when you have it.

Therefore, when Stauter had the ball, he attempted to dribble forward and attack England’s goal again, rather than patiently building possession and slowing the tempo.

‘Watch and learn well. This is a rare opportunity.’

Stauter wanted to clearly demonstrate what a true world-class player was capable of.

But was he too focused on that thought?

Stauter got a little greedy.

Good teamwork in defense! Bellamy and Harrison intercept the ball!

Stauter wanted to finish the attack himself, if possible.

But that was a mistake, born of greed.

Even if England’s defense wasn’t as solid as their reputation suggested, they weren’t going to give up the center of the field easily.

They need to counterattack! Germany is pushed up high!

Harrison to Price. Price immediately passes it through! Good pass!

Harrison passed the intercepted ball to Price, who immediately sent a lobbed through ball into the space behind the German defense.

Germany’s defensive line is high, which is natural when pressing forward.

Especially since they were in an attacking situation, it was bound to be even higher.

That meant there was a large space behind them.

And that meant Johan, of all people, had to compete in a speed race for the ball.

“Run!”

Tatatatat-!

The ball was falling towards the left side.

Johan and the German defenders started running towards the ball simultaneously.

Germany’s defenders weren’t all slow. The full-backs, especially right-back Joshua Ludwig, was very fast.

Therefore, Ludwig started running alongside Johan to get to the ball.

However,

He can’t catch him! The speed difference is too great!

They need to block the center! They can’t win by chasing the ball!

Competing in a speed race with Johan was a lost cause from the start.

Ludwig fell behind after only a few steps, and Johan began a solo run towards the ball.

“Get in there! Get in there!”

“Center it!”

Since it seemed impossible to get to the ball first, the other German defenders changed their course and ran towards the box.

Since the ball was heading towards the side, it seemed like they would have enough time to get into position before Johan got there.

That is, if Ludwig, who was trailing behind, could buy them a little time.

But,

Johan didn’t even allow that.

Tatatat-!

Johan, after glancing at Ludwig behind him, slowed down as he neared the ball.

He seemed to be intending to secure the ball first, and then engage in a one-on-one if Ludwig tried to block him.

That movement forced Ludwig, who had been running at full speed, to slow down as well.

However, when Ludwig was within striking distance…

Bang-!

Johan kicked the ball towards the center and instantly accelerated again.

Ludwig was completely fooled by the change in pace and couldn’t stop him at all.

As a result, the defenders in the box were completely exposed to Johan.

No, that’s not quite right.

It wasn’t *them* who were exposed, but the goal itself.

Because for Johan, simply getting there was enough.

Bang-!

Johan, who had cut in from the left to the center, took a shot from just outside the box.

Swoosh-

A shot that curved dramatically, aiming for the far post.

The shot drew a large arc across the box,

Thwack-!

And went straight into the corner of the goal.

A goal that no one in the box could react to.

Gooooal-! It’s in! An incredible shot! Incredible skill! Johan Van!

He scores the equalizer with a single shot! That’s what I’m talking about!

The German stands, which had been so noisy just moments ago, fell silent instantly.

The reason Germany had been pressing harder than usual from the beginning of the first half, and hadn’t slowed down even after scoring, was because of Johan.

They knew that once Johan got the ball, it would be difficult to defend against him, so they had been pressing forward to block him in advance.

And they hadn’t slowed down their attack because they knew that a one-goal lead wasn’t enough.

In short, Germany knew it too.

But even knowing it, they couldn’t stop him.

That was Johan’s class.

The game is tied! We’re starting over from the beginning!

It wasn’t the time for Germany to be overconfident just because they had a good start.

Because England had Johan, who only needed one minute to score.

It feels like England’s build-up from the back is starting to work? What could be the reason?

It’s probably because the intensity of Germany’s pressure has decreased compared to the beginning. Germany was definitely pressing harder than usual, but it’s hard to maintain that level of intensity for the entire 90 minutes.

No matter how organized and excellent Germany’s forward pressure is, England’s squad is composed of players with good footwork.

If those players weren’t even able to build up because of the pressure, it would be a little strange.

If we analyze it a little deeper, the reason becomes clear.

Germany was overdoing it in the early stages.

Starting with Johan’s equalizing goal, the flow of the game began to change little by little.

The overall tone hadn’t changed.

Germany was still pressing hard and wasn’t letting England pass the ball freely.

But what *had* changed was that England was succeeding in breaking through that pressure more frequently.

Price breaks free! Good dribbling out of pressure!

Spaces are opening up little by little! You can already see Germany’s speed slowing down!

Even though they were overdoing it, it wasn’t even halftime yet.

And it’s not like the German players have bad stamina.

But the fact that their feet already seem slower compared to the beginning probably means that there was also a psychological impact.

The equalizing goal they conceded faster than expected shook them.

The German players themselves knew that they were expending a lot of energy.

From the beginning, their intention was to take the lead and hold it.

But they conceded an equalizer before even reaching the second half.

They started to waver psychologically, and that led to unnecessary movements.

It wasn’t that their feet were actually slower, but that Germany’s organization was faltering, so it seemed that way.

Johan’s equalizing goal was shaking Germany.

They opened up the right side well! The German defense isn’t as organized as it should be!

This isn’t a common sight. The defensive line is definitely shaking!

Germany’s main weapon is their organization.

But if that organization falters, then they’re not the world’s strongest *Panzer* division [German armored division], but just another ordinary European team.

Bang-!

Murray’s good cross! Barney! Header!

Gooooal-! A comeback goal! It’s a comeback goal! Johan’s header splits the net!

Johan turns the game around in an instant!

Germany’s overconfidence was premature.

Before the end of the first half, Johan turned the game around and shut them up.

The first half ended with England leading 2-1.

At the start of the second half, Germany aimed to turn the tide with a player substitution.

A substitution that replaced two players at the same time.

It was a much faster substitution than planned.

Originally, the substitution should have been made around the 70th or 80th minute, when the players’ stamina was running out.

But because of the situation, they had no choice but to move up the timing.

However, the atmosphere didn’t easily change.

It wasn’t easy to replenish the team’s overall energy level by replacing two of the eleven players.

In the second half, England played the game much more comfortably than in the first half.

Unlike the first half, Stauter’s number of touches has decreased significantly. Stauter is the starting point of Germany’s attack.

Even though Stauter has been a *Langliste* world-class player for two consecutive years, it seems he’s not enough to reverse this flow on his own.

Come to think of it, Stauter said something like this before the game? He said that today’s game would be his master class.

A master class is a class where a master in a field teaches students.

In soccer, if a player shows a level of skill several levels above and dominates the game, that game is often referred to as that player’s master class.

Before the game, Stauter had declared that today’s game would be his master class.

He wanted to show the quality deserving of the *Langliste* world-class rating, which is famous for being very strict.

However, today’s master class instructor was not Stauter.

As England took control of the game, there wasn’t much Stauter could do, and his presence gradually faded.

Conversely,

Johan’s presence continued to send chills down Germany’s spine.

Shooot-! Ah! A great save by goalkeeper Romayer! But it was practically a moment that was no different from conceding a goal!

The German defense isn’t stopping Johan at all. That’s why they increased the intensity of their pressure so much in the first half. Once Johan gets the ball, there’s nothing they can do about it.

But the plan went wrong, and now they’re experiencing stamina depletion. It doesn’t seem like Germany has a way out.

Even if they can stop the ball from going to Johan, the moment Johan gets the ball…

There didn’t seem to be a player in Germany who could stop Johan.

“…”

The German stands, which had been excited until the beginning of the first half, were now filled with gloom.

All they could do was watch Johan, who was playing out of his mind, and meaninglessly call out for Stauter.

“Stauter… Stauter…”

“What are you doing, Stauter? If you’re an ace, do something in times like these…”

“You said you’d show the power of a *Langliste* world-class player…”

Well, from the perspective of the German fans, they can’t help but resent Stauter.

But it can’t be said that it’s entirely Stauter’s fault.

Because it’s only natural that even a world-class player is helpless in the face of a *true* master class.