Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 135

< Dream Interpretation >

Following Johan’s opening goal, the atmosphere grew increasingly heated.

The Kop [Liverpool’s famous stand known for its passionate fans], already displeased since the start of the match, couldn’t tolerate conceding the first goal.

Around the 20th minute of the first half, the game was briefly stopped because a water bottle was thrown onto the field.

An enraged Liverpool fan couldn’t contain their anger and ended up making a spectacle of themselves.

I understand the desire to vent frustration that way, but as the commentator said, it wasn’t helpful at all.

Liverpool’s momentum, which had been building to equalize after conceding, was abruptly cut off.

Moreover,

“Why did it stop?”

“Looks like some tidying up is needed. The fans are too excited.”

Even Johan frowned at the game being interrupted for such a ridiculous reason.

Indeed, Anfield [Liverpool’s home stadium] was strange in many ways today.

Anfield, which should be a strong backing for the home team, Liverpool, and a hell for the away team.

Today, it was far from that.

“Stop acting up, you bastards!”

“Cowards! Don’t hide behind the police, let’s fight!”

The sparks flew towards the West Ham supporters in the away section.

The hardcore Kop fans near the away section started picking fights.

They were already annoyed that the away fans dared to make noise at Anfield before the game, and they were even more annoyed when they jumped around celebrating the opening goal.

Because of the agitated Kop fans, the police guarding between the home and away sections were having a hard time.

In fact, what they were guarding might not have been the away fans, but the home fans themselves.

“Idiots, look who’s talking. Come to the parking lot. We’ll make it your bed.”

“You guys need to taste the London Iron Fist.”

The West Ham fans didn’t back down at all despite the Kop’s pressure.

“Looking so scrawny, can you even fight!”

“I can fight a bit.”

“Can you bench 3×500 [referring to a very heavy weight, implying the person is weak]?”

“3x? Three punches might send you to the afterlife?”

The game was already secondary.

The verbal battle between the two teams’ fans continued, and the police in between could only sigh.

It seemed like they would be working overtime today.

*

Because the atmosphere in the stands didn’t calm down, the game was suspended for about 5 minutes before resuming.

Perhaps because the flow was interrupted once,

The game then went into a slight lull.

In other words, West Ham continued to play freely, with nothing to lose.

They had already scored a goal, so there was nothing wrong with finishing the first half like this.

It was Liverpool who urgently needed to equalize.

Certainly, there are variables left.

It’s stamina.

Both Liverpool and West Ham played Champions League games during the week.

However, the difference is that Liverpool also played that game at home and succeeded in conserving stamina by rotating players appropriately.

West Ham, on the other hand, consumed a lot of energy on the road, playing with their full strength.

That difference began to show clearly in the second half.

About 10 minutes into the second half, the possession rate widened to 7 to 3.

Liverpool with 7, West Ham with 3.

Meanwhile, the Liverpool left and right wingers began to be frequently caught on camera.

Lozano on the left and Carvalho on the right.

It’s very difficult to face these fast dribblers when your legs are already heavy.

Jenkins is originally a decent man-marker [a player whose primary role is to closely guard an opposing player], and Petrovic is also showing his quality today, but stamina depletion is another matter.

Eventually, the equalizing goal came in the 15th minute of the second half.

Lozano, who Liverpool brought in for a large sum this season, broke through the left flank and created a goal.

Certainly an unusual goal.

Jenkins, who doesn’t easily allow breakthroughs, couldn’t keep up with Lozano due to stamina.

Is stamina really the problem?

As the feared situation became a reality, a sense of crisis loomed.

Time is on Liverpool’s side.

To make matters worse, the atmosphere at Anfield began to come alive with the equalizing goal.

When you need cold water to extinguish this fire.

It would be nice to have a picturesque counterattack at times like this.

Even Capello, who should be the starting point of the counterattack, is unable to deliver his usual passes, perhaps because he is tired.

If Johan is West Ham’s fist, Capello is the heart.

If the heart can’t pump blood to every corner of the body, everything will be blocked.

“Huff, huff.”

A frustrating situation.

The most frustrated is Capello himself.

His breath comes in ragged gasps, and his feet feel heavy as if walking in water.

The plays he envisions in his head don’t materialize as he wants.

He has the ball again, but he’s not confident in passing it forward.

Even Capello, who has a strong pride, desperately needs someone’s help now.

“Back!”

The second heart, the calf, stepped up.

Capello turns his head at the shout from behind.

Goalkeeper Hurrichel was raising his hand.

Capello thinks back passes are shameful, but there’s nothing he can do now.

This back pass is just one step back for two steps forward.

Paah-!

Paah-!

The ball is connected to Hurrichel with a back pass.

Hurrichel was also sad to just watch his tired teammates.

Of course, others might think he was very angry with the defenders, but he was definitely showing a pitiful look.

The goalkeeper inevitably has less physical burden than the field players.

Now is the time for Hurrichel’s feet to shine.

Bbeoeoeoeoeong-!

Hurrichel’s kick stretches long towards the front.

It’s a kick that invigorates his teammates’ hearts.

Just being able to skip the complicated build-up reduces the burden.

Moreover, the kick was accurate.

Shuuuuuuuuung-

The ball falls forward.

What Hurrichel was targeting was not actually Johan’s head.

What Hurrichel saw was Steve Duncan.

Duncan, who has a warning [yellow card] today.

To prevent him from continuing to hide quietly thanks to Liverpool’s possession.

‘Damn it.’

Duncan clenches his teeth as he watches the ball flying towards him.

The ball is flying so accurately towards him that he has to handle it unconditionally.

Looking to the side, Johan is approaching for a contest.

A situation in which he cannot avoid a contest with him.

It’s close to impossible to win an aerial ball fight with Johan by running honestly.

If he gives up the contest itself, he’ll be giving the ball to him in a very dangerous place.

‘What should I do?’

Duncan’s head becomes complicated.

But even that was a mistake.

While Duncan couldn’t make a definite decision, the ball was already falling.

In soccer, when you have to make a choice, sometimes not making a choice becomes a foul.

Buuuuung-!

Johan ran towards the ball, and Duncan stood in place.

Thanks to that, Johan received the ball with his forehead, but he had no choice but to land behind Duncan’s back.

Kuuung-!

Johan falls to the ground, spinning around once.

“Bbiieeeik-!”

The referee’s whistle blew at the same time.

The referee ran to Duncan and put his hand in his chest pocket.

And takes out a yellow card.

Duncan covered his head as if he was wronged, but there was no way to avoid it.

It was the worst for Liverpool.

After the equalizing goal, they were in the middle of building momentum.

Time was on their side.

But it was a dismissal that blew it all away.

No matter how physically superior they were, it would be disadvantageous to play with 10 players for the remaining time.

Even the person who was sent off was a center back.

With tears in their eyes, Liverpool had no choice but to take out one attacker and supplement the defense.

So,

It was naturally not easy to turn the game around.

In the end, West Ham won again at Anfield with a score of 2-1.

West Ham continues their momentum with a 10-game winning streak in the league.

-West Ham’s ‘unbeaten’ season, the atmosphere is electric!

-Johan’s multi-goal performance recognized by the opposing manager… Coach Alain Nunes: “We were fortunate the game only ended 1-2.”

-Anfield stadium manager reveals the net repair work on personal SNS… “Should I charge Johan for the repair cost?”

-It finally exploded… A brawl breaks out between Hammers and Kop fans for the 2nd time!

-Kop lost even in the 2nd match? Everton fans helped the Hammers

-Hammers: “The Toffees (Everton supporters, Toffee refers to candy) are our friends.”

-Toffees: “I heard Johan’s favorite food is Nutella. So he is our friend.”