Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 107

< Euro Finals - 107 >

The semi-final match between Spain and Italy was also a spectacle.

However, after the England-France game, Johan dominated the conversation among European football fans.

– [Video] A thunderous long-range shot! Johan Van capitalizes on Cayebye’s mistake!

└ Cayebye really messed up, but Johan just buries it! ㄷㄷ

└ That shooting power is insaneㅋㅋㅋ

└ Never make a mistake in front of Johan… One slip and it’s over.

└ Nailed it!

– [Video] Johan and Mbappe! A sprint reminiscent of an Olympic 100m race!

└ Is Johan crazy? He’s as fast as Mbappe with the ball?

└ Johan would be faster in a straight race without the ball.

└ It’s a shame about Mbappe’s age. He was a sensation when he debuted.

└ Mbappe hit his top speed again this year. He’s physically at his peak, so age isn’t a factor.

└ Wow, just watching makes my hands sweat ㅋㅋ Imagine being there!

└ The running is one thing, but the body check ㅋㅋㅋ It’s sad to see Mbappe go down.

└ Representing! The proud West Ham United! Go Hammers!

Johan’s performance, which effectively eliminated France and Mbappe, was broadcast throughout Europe, earning widespread admiration.

The highlight, of course, was the counterattack where he outpaced Mbappe and scored.

Johan’s dominance over Mbappe, a symbol of speed, was a truly thrilling moment.

Many hailed it as a ‘generational change’.

– Johan Van scores 2 goals, England advances to the finals… Mbappe’s France is finished.

└ The Ballon d’Or [annual football award] competition ends here too.

└ Good job, Bape [nickname for Mbappe]. The Ballon d’Or will be tough this year and in the future.

└ Mbappe only has one path to the Ballon d’Or now: hope West Ham wins.

└ Because Johan will retire if they win? ㅋㅋㅋ

└ I’m curious how West Ham will do in the Champions League next season. They’re beating the ace of the Champions League winning team.

└ They’re popular because they’re in England, but West Ham’s squad lacks Champions League pedigree.

└ Let’s wait for the final. Anyway, the real deal is Viega.

– Only one game left until the championship… The main threat in Spain’s attack is Fernando Viega.

└ Viega is Viega, but Quintes is crazy. He’s leading the tournament in successful dribbles and assists.

└ He lost the Golden Boy [award for best young player], so he’ll be playing with a vengeance… ㅇㅇ

└ Pablo Enrique is scary too. He was the top scorer in La Liga [Spanish Football League] while playing for Sevilla.

└ He focuses on linking up in the national team, which is really tricky. He’s great in that anchor role.

└ Stopping all three at once is a nightmare.

└ It won’t be easy.

– Johan Van and Fernando Viega, the Ballon d’Or race is down to two… Does the Euro winner take all?

└ If Spain wins, Viega’s year will be incredible: La Liga, Champions League double, and Euro win. He’ll probably be the tournament MVP…

└ If they lose the championship, the Ballon d’Or is gone. They have to win.

└ I’m not a West Ham fan, but I hope Johan wins it. It’s been so long since England had a Ballon d’Or winner.

└ Yeah, screw you, Spain wins ㅋㅋ Go Unstoppable Armada

└ Sigh, we were united for once, but a troll is ruining the mood ㅋㅋ

└ Is it because you lost Kane and London that you’ve gone crazy?

└ This is why you guys are unlikeable ㅋㅋ

Anyway, there’s only one game left.

The opponent is Spain.

As expected of the final, they will face the strongest opponent.

And the final will be held at Wembley.

└ Johan, please just one more game

└ Hat-trick ‘please’

└ If England wins, I’m switching to West Ham, Johan!!

└ Please!!!

└ We can do it!

Will Wembley, the sacred ground of English football, become a festival venue?

Or will they be hosting someone else’s party at home?

All England fans are united, wishing for victory.

The England and Spain teams were gathering in London.

ㆍㆍㆍ

“Stop. Here, this scene. Watch these three. See how they move.”

The England team’s media room.

Before the game, Coach Ranieri called the players together for a briefing.

The large screen showed the Spanish players’ scoring plays.

“Viega passes to the right. Quintes receives the ball and drives at the defense. He creates space and crosses easily. Enrique meets the cross, and Viega finishes it.”

A goal from the 4-0 win against Sweden.

The sequence is clean and efficient.

Coach Ranieri moved to the next video.

This time, it’s the Italy game.

“Viega to Quintes. Quintes to Enrique, who goes inside. Enrique holds the ball and passes to Viega, who finds Quintes.”

Like the previous goal, three players combined to score.

“Everyone sees their roles. Quintes penetrates and dribbles, creating openings. Enrique links up play and holds the ball. Viega uses them both with his passes.”

The subsequent videos were similar.

Group stage, Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals.

Whether Viega, Quintes, or Enrique scored, all three were involved, maximizing each other’s strengths with fluid movement.

Clearly, there’s a reason Spain scored the most goals in the tournament.

The question is, how do you stop them?

“We must block Viega. If we block Viega, Enrique and Quintes will be half as effective.”

Fernando Viega is the key.

Whether he uses Quintes or Enrique, all attacks start with Viega.

“Of course, everyone knows this. Sweden, Belgium, and Italy knew, but they still got caught out.”

Every team knew Viega was the key. Knowing wasn’t enough.

Italy, a team known for its defense, conceded 3 goals to them.

Even if you know, it’s not easy to stop them.

“Let’s look at them individually.”

Coach Ranieri put up new data and continued the analysis.

Ranieri broke down the tendencies and characteristics of each player.

The more he analyzed, the better they looked.

Each player has distinct strengths, and together they create an ideal synergy.

Knowing your enemy is important, but it seemed like he was trying to intimidate them by only showing the opponent’s strengths.

Coach Ranieri’s intention was the opposite.

“The key is confidence. We need to remember that we are the champions and that we are superior. We have all the strengths of these three, and in some ways, we have a superior version. We have a player who can do what they do, even alone.”

The players looked to one side.

They chuckled.

Johan was dozing off.

It was a familiar sight, so no one bothered to wake him.

It wasn’t the first time he’d fallen asleep during video analysis.

“Especially, Johan has good memories at Wembley, right? Sorry for some of you.”

Some Manchester City players, including Jack Price, pouted, and the rest laughed.

Even the Manchester City players nodded.

They knew Johan was strong in finals.

He gets stronger in big games.

Especially at Wembley.

“So, we don’t need to lose confidence. They should be nervous.”

The players nodded.

Then, he went into the full tactics.

“···”

“···”

The players listened to Coach Ranieri’s passionate explanation, confident that they would achieve England’s first Euro victory.

ㆍㆍㆍ

Leading up to the final, Johan’s phone was buzzing.

He received texts from family, cheering texts from England teammates, and even:

Capello: Real good luck with the draw

Capello: If I had faced France

Capello: We would have gone to the final

Capello: You would have been in the semi-finals

Capello: A guy born with heavenly luck

Capello’s jealous texts.

Coach Schu: If you beat Germany and advance, you should win the championship and come back, right?

Even Coach Schmidt, who rarely texted, sent a message.

The Euro tournament is a big deal in the football world.

The reactions of those around him and the atmosphere among his teammates proved it.

Everyone was excited, even during training and meals.

There was a constant tension.

The West Ham teammates were nervous before the FA Cup final, but this was different.

“Haaam…”

Not just the teammates, but the whole country was in an uproar.

Johan lay on the bed in the accommodation, flipping through TV channels.

It was all football.

This country is football-crazy.

Thanks to that, you can become an aristocrat by kicking a ball.

“…Huh?”

Johan stopped at the news channel.

It was still football, but it was interesting.

“…Prime Minister James Logan mentioned special honors last week and again yesterday. If the national team wins, Coach Ranieri will receive the Commander of the British Empire Medal [OBE], and team captain Shane Murray will receive the Officer Medal [MBE]. Johan Van, who has performed outstandingly, is also expected to receive a title…”

Oh ho.

Johan checked the channel and nodded.

It’s the BBC. They don’t lie.

Good.

It’s official.

“Hehe…”

Johan wanted game day to come quickly.

ㆍㆍㆍ

July 12, 2028.

Wembley Stadium.

The day of the final.

“Hoo. Did I warm up too hard? I can’t calm down.”

The players arrived at the stadium, warmed up, and returned to the locker room.

Their faces were flushed.

It’s England’s locker room, full of league winners, cup winners, and Champions League finalists.

But they were nervous. The atmosphere was different.

The heat from the stadium during warm-up.

The atmosphere from the England and Spain fans was overwhelming.

National team matches are different.

Especially the Euro final.

No one had played in the Euro final, so it was natural to be nervous.

“Kid. Chew on this.”

“Yes? Ah, yes.”

Captain Shane Murray was nervous, so he took out a piece of gum and gave one to Johan.

“Hoo, damn it. What’s there to be nervous about? Right?”

“…Yes.”

“Yeah. This isn’t trembling. It’s not fear of losing. It’s excitement to write history. Today, our names will be in the history books.”

Murray chewed gum loudly and shook his legs, saying he wasn’t nervous.

Johan shrugged.

“Okay, let’s go! The time has come!”

“Time to become champions!”

“Today, we write history!”

“Come on! Let’s go!”

The players stood up, shouting in excited voices.

They looked like warriors going to war.

Only Johan, relaxed, put gum in his mouth and headed to the stadium.

*

“I’m nervous.”

“Me too. My whole body is tense, and my neck is stiff.”

“Hoo. We’re at the scene of history.”

“As a football fan, I’m grateful to see this game.”

“Why are you so solemn? You’d think you were playing.”

“Aren’t you nervous as a mother?”

“What’s there to be nervous about? We’re going to do well. Johan probably doesn’t care.”

In a corner of the audience seats.

Ban Seok-ho, Rohan, and Kim Ra-hee waited for the game to start.

Rohan and Ban Seok-ho were nervous.

It’s nerve-wracking as a fan, but their youngest family member is playing.

They were very nervous.

Only Kim Ra-hee, who didn’t know how great the Euro was, seemed to be enjoying the atmosphere.

“Yeah. Johan isn’t trembling like us. Right?”

“We have to hope so. But, the atmosphere is overwhelming…”

“Don’t be nervous, Johan. It’s nothing. Just do as usual.”

“Stop being nervous. Stop shaking your legs. You’re scaring away the good luck.”

Ban Seok-ho and Rohan took deep breaths and waited for the players to enter.

Soon, the players appeared.

“Come on! England!”

“Boil the Iberico [referring to Spanish team]!”

“It’s the day football comes home [popular English chant]!”

Wembley Stadium erupted as the players appeared.

After the players entered, the national anthems were sung.

~And did those feet in ancient time~

During the English national anthem, the players’ faces were shown on the electronic display.

The faces of the players standing in a row were shown one by one.

“Everyone’s nervous.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Ban Seok-ho and Rohan said worriedly.

All the players had nervous faces.

Some couldn’t keep still.

However, there was one reassuring thing.

“…”

The last face shown on the electronic display.

Johan, with his hands behind his back, his chin slightly raised, and chewing gum, looked relaxed.

“We don’t need to worry.”

“We won.”

Even with just that, there was no need to worry about today’s game.