Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 188

< 187 - The Most Spectacular >

The score is 1-1.

45 minutes of regular time remain.

During halftime, Johann had a lot on his mind.

In truth, the Champions League trophy wasn’t that important to Johann.

He wasn’t particularly interested in the Ballon d’Or [an annual football award] either; what’s so great about the Big Ear [nickname for the Champions League trophy] anyway?

What was more important was that the remaining 45 minutes would be the last football game of his life, the last 45 minutes where his family could watch him play and be happy.

Johann wanted to retire with dignity.

Of course, even if he had some regrets, he had no intention of reversing his retirement.

For Johann, a retirement with lingering regrets was better than adding another year.

But wouldn’t it be better to retire with dignity if possible?

For his teammates, for his family.

The last 45 minutes.

Johann was ready.

Because it was the last time, he was ready to pour out all his remaining strength.

Now, nothing else mattered.

There was no need to conserve energy, no need for training exemptions, nothing.

Only one thing was needed.

To leave this stadium with a smile.

No, to leave this football world with a bang.

The second half began with Real Madrid kicking off.

Real’s cautious approach, slowly passing the ball around and looking for opportunities, remained unchanged.

Real was even considering extra time.

The league has draws.

But there are no draws in tournaments.

If the score is tied after 90 minutes, they go into extra time, and if there’s still no winner, they go to a penalty shootout.

Who would benefit from a longer game?

Real, with its deep roster, or West Ham, with a significant gap between starters and non-starters?

Of course, the best-case scenario would be to end the game with a win within 90 minutes, but

Dragging the game into extra time was clearly a viable option for Real as well.

Real isn’t a team that avoids a slugfest.

Normally, that is.

Even though his scoring ability is a bit lacking, Real has center forward Alvaro Llorente, who is good at linking up and holding the ball, as well as world-class wingers Fabricio and Mbappe.

Real was confident that they wouldn’t be outgunned by any team.

But there was one exception: if that opponent was West Ham, the story was different.

They couldn’t be sure.

They couldn’t be sure they could win no matter what.

There was no need to take the risk.

It was the final, after all.

Therefore, Real cautiously continued their possession-based passing game, and the match continued with a calm feel.

“Boo-!”

“What’s wrong, cowards!”

“You got hit once and turned into gentle lambs! Get rid of your balls!”

Of course, that’s a calm feeling in a nice way; to put it bluntly, it’s a boring feeling.

Boos poured out from the West Ham stands.

Real fans weren’t too happy either.

Playing passively itself means admitting that they’re not confident in a shootout.

But they can understand.

If they have eyes, they won’t forget that shocking scene they witnessed in the first half.

However, there was one thing Real needed to keep in mind.

That was that this game was Johann’s retirement match.

“…”

Johann felt a slight sense of impatience as he watched the meaningless time pass.

Johann usually likes the game time to pass, but that’s the usual story.

Not today.

It was the last chance to make his family happy, but that precious time was flowing by meaninglessly.

‘This is annoying.’

It sucked.

He was in a hurry, but seeing his opponent being so relaxed made him angry.

Therefore, the moment Johann’s patience ran out.

Everyone got to see a sight that would be the first and last.

That sight was ‘Johann pressing from the front’ [aggressively challenging opponents high up the pitch].

Originally, it’s not that difficult to pass the ball around in their own half against West Ham.

Because one of West Ham’s forwards doesn’t always participate in pressing.

That one person was naturally Johann.

But,

Tatatat-!

Johann started running.

Towards Real’s defenders who were passing the ball around.

“…?”

The eyes of Juan Gonzalez, who had the ball, widened in embarrassment.

No matter how veteran Gonzalez was, he was bound to be embarrassed when something completely unexpected happened.

Johann’s front pressing was that unexpected, and Gonzalez was embarrassed.

When you’re embarrassed, mistakes are bound to happen.

Paang-!

Gonzalez’s pass bounced in the wrong direction.

It was Barkley who picked up the pass, and Barkley immediately passed it to Johann.

In fact, even Barkley was just as embarrassed by Johann’s pressure, so the pass was a bit inaccurate, but.

It was okay.

Because the receiver was Johann.

Isn’t Johann the one who can make a perfect play even with a terrible pass?

Paang-!

With the pass going slightly backwards, Johann turned his body and stretched out his long legs to receive the ball.

Just receiving it was a good play.

But,

Even in the midst of that, Johann used that touch to bring the ball in the direction he wanted.

Based on Johann, who turned his body to receive the ball going backwards, Johann held the pass that came from the left back to the left again.

A normal striker would have turned to the right, following the direction of the pass.

But Johann’s choice was the opposite, and the defense was completely fooled, opening up space.

Opening up a shooting angle with just the first touch.

The ultimate skill of a striker that all strikers around the world want the most, the most basic but the most effective.

Bbeoeoeoeoeoeong-!

Almost simultaneously with the turning motion, Johann’s right foot rested on the ball.

There are almost no separate movements, so it can be seen as a turning shot.

From the first touch to the shot.

There are no unnecessary movements in that series of processes.

If everything is neat and clean without any unnecessary movements, the goalkeeper can’t help but feel it one or two beats faster.

Shuuuuuuuuung-

The shot fired into the upper right corner of the goal,

Clang-!

Shook the net as it was.

*

“Wowwwww!”

“I, insane!”

“What did I just see?”

“N, no way…!”

All the West Ham fans who saw Johann’s second goal were shocked.

In fact, if you look at the goal scene purely, the second goal was extremely ordinary compared to the first goal.

The first goal, which single-handedly tore through Real’s central line, was arguably the best goal in Champions League final history, along with Zinedine Zidane’s volley.

The second goal was just a goal scored by catching the opponent’s mistake.

However,

For West Ham fans, the second goal was even more surprising.

It’s something they see every week that Johann scores a crazy wonder goal, but now he was doing ‘front pressing’, wasn’t he?

Front pressing, front pressing.

Johann, that is.

It felt like seeing a fantastic animal.

A winged horse, Pegasus.

A horse with a horn, Unicorn.

Johann Van pressing from the front.

“Is it because it’s the final? I’m seeing all sorts of things.”

“It’s not the final, it’s the retirement match.”

“Come to think of it, that’s right.”

“That’s right. It’s not important that it’s the final. What’s important is that it’s Johann’s retirement match.”

I felt like I was seeing all sorts of things as I lived.

Johann doing front pressing.

Only then were West Ham fans able to realize an important fact that they had briefly forgotten.

Today’s game is the Champions League final.

But before that, it is also Johann’s retirement match.

No matter how important the Champions League final is, and no matter how big of a meaning it has for the team called West Ham.

It couldn’t have a greater meaning than Johann’s retirement match.

At least for West Ham fans.

“It’s Johann’s last game, so we can’t let it be boring.”

“Then?”

“First, I’ll take it off.”

“Take it off? Then me too.”

When one fan took off his shirt, the fans around him began to take off their shirts one by one.

Since it’s the last time, they’re going to enjoy it in a cool way.

“Shake it off!”

“Woahhhhh!”

The flesh-colored wave began to spread like a card section.

The West Ham side of the stands, which had been overflowing with maroon and sky blue, was now dyed flesh-colored.

The fans who took off their shirts started spinning their uniforms over their heads and jumping up and down.

The atmosphere of the Olympiastadion is getting hotter with the enthusiastic atmosphere of the fans.

<2-1! West Ham turns the game around! The atmosphere of the stadium is completely shifting to West Ham!>

The game restarts.

Real, whose plan was completely twisted by Johann’s sudden actions, began to move urgently.

There are about 30 minutes left.

It’s a long time if it’s long, but it’s a short time considering Johann, who suddenly started raising the pitch [increasing the intensity of the game].

There is no room to be leisurely now.

Real started raising the line and attacking aggressively again, just like in the beginning of the first half.

Real attacked like in the beginning of the first half, but West Ham didn’t defend like in the beginning of the first half.

A much more focused look.

It was as if everyone had awakened.

During halftime, coach Schmidt’s words touched his heart.

Just now, he felt a boiling emotion while watching Johann’s front pressing.

It’s not just Johann who wants to say goodbye with dignity.

The same goes for his colleagues.

It was the last time for the youngest, who was like a lucky charm to them, and they didn’t want to make the last time for such a youngest feel uncomfortable.

The older brothers also wanted to be confident in front of the youngest.

I hope the youngest’s last memory will remain a good memory, and I hope that will be the last gift the older brothers can give.

With that in mind, the West Ham players gritted their teeth and ran.

Of course, it wasn’t that the Real players weren’t doing their best.

It’s the Champions League final, so how can there be no motivation?

However, West Ham’s unity was on a different level.

They were bound by an idea greater than the Big Ear [Champions League trophy].

Real, who needed an equalizer, poured out a wave of attacks, but West Ham blocked it tightly.

In the meantime, time continued to flow, and as the remaining time decreased, Real became more and more impatient.

As they became impatient, the attack became simpler, more unreasonable, and closer to coercion.

If 10 minutes pass like this, Real will have to hand over the champion’s crown to the challenger, and West Ham will be able to win the first championship.

Both sides can’t help but be desperate.

That was something Johann didn’t want.

Johann wanted his family and fans to enjoy it comfortably, so he wanted to make it so they didn’t have to watch it desperately.

In the 38th minute of the second half, another precious scene came out.

Johann ran like lightning and intercepted Viega’s careless back pass.

Johann, who intercepted the ball, started running at full speed, and Real’s defense was in chaos.

It’s difficult to stop Johann even if you prepare all the formations and prepare for it.

But what about in a situation like now?

It was only natural that Real’s defense looked like amateurs.

Johann, who bypassed all of Real’s defenses in an instant, bypassed even the Caceres goalkeeper at the last moment and faced the empty goal.

And tap.

He lightly pushed the ball into the empty goal and decorated his third goal.

*

Nerve-wracking 1 minute, 1 minute passed.

Ah, of course, only for Real fans.

For West Ham fans, that 1 minute, 1 minute that passed was just sweet.

Real failed to score a consolation goal by the time the regular time ended, and West Ham’s concentration was alive.

And finally, when all 3 minutes of extra time had passed.

“Beep, beep, beep-!”

The whistle sounded, signaling the end of the season,

The joy and sorrow of half of the stadium were clearly divided.

“…”

“…”

Real fans were silent or shed tears as if they couldn’t believe it, and Real players collapsed and despaired.

On the other hand,

“Ughhhhh!”

“W, w, waaaaaah-!”

West Ham fans screamed as if the stadium was about to collapse, and West Ham players looked at the sky instead of the ground and spread their arms.

Geeeeeeing-!

The name of West Ham United began to be engraved on the Champions League trophy, the Big Ear.