Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 66

< 065. Hush >

Everyone except the Liverpool fans watched with bated breath.

Usually, the side that concedes the penalty is more nervous, but not this time. The side that has to score the penalty is under much more pressure.

“Please…!”

“I beg you!”

The West Ham away fans in the opposite stand clasped their hands together, looking at Johan’s back with desperate expressions.

Being so far away, all they could do was pray. Adding their voices to the cheers would only get mixed in with the home fans’ noise and be a hindrance.

Not just them, but also the West Ham fans watching the game on TV or other media.

They watched with bated breath, their hands clasped together.

That’s how much pressure there was.

In these situations, the kicker can’t let their mind get complicated.

That means they can’t overthink it.

If they just kick accurately and quickly towards the corner of the goal, theoretically, the goalkeeper can’t stop the shot.

That’s how penalty kicks are designed.

All they have to do is believe in that and kick with confidence.

However, considering that even world-class kickers sometimes miss penalties, that theory alone can’t explain everything about penalties.

It’s more of a mental battle than a technical issue like kicking power.

Who can be more daring?

Who can be less intimidated?

In that sense, Liverpool’s goalkeeper, Kelleher, was in a more advantageous position right now.

First of all, Kelleher has nothing to lose even if he concedes. Penalties themselves are designed to favor the kicker.

Also, the current score is 2-0, and there’s a two-goal difference, so there’s room to spare even if they concede a goal.

Above all, he has the Kop [Liverpool’s famous home stand] behind him.

“Homerun! Homerun! Homerun!”

“Phew-!”

“Oooooooo-!”

The spectators in the Kop stand were staring down Johan with menacing eyes.

Right now, it wasn’t a 1-on-1 battle between the kicker and the keeper. It was a 10,000-on-1 battle.

All the pressure was on Johan’s feet.

But,

“…”

Johan wasn’t afraid of the eyes of the Liverpool fans who were looking down at him as if they wanted to kill him.

Rather, he found it amusing.

Those eyes and mouths that he didn’t like from the moment he entered the stadium.

This was an opportunity to shut those noisy mouths, so what was there to be afraid of? It was just fun.

Johan smirked slightly, and

“Bweeep-!”

As soon as the referee’s whistle blew, he rushed towards the ball without hesitation.

Tatatat-

Buh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uhng-!

Johan’s right foot spat fire.

Penalty kicks were said to be designed so that the kicker could never lose in theory.

As long as they kicked it quickly towards the corner of the goal.

However, theory and practice are definitely different.

If we were to go by theory alone,

The kick that Johan took wasn’t a kick that couldn’t be blocked.

No, it would have been strange if it wasn’t blocked.

Because it wasn’t aimed at the corner.

Johan’s kick,

Shooooooong-

Went straight ahead.

Straight at the goal.

“…!”

Kelleher, who had chosen the right side and jumped, turned his head.

Kelleher had an unbelievable look in his eyes.

Kelleher had been staring at Johan’s eyes before the whistle blew.

And he was wondering whether it would be left or right.

However, Kelleher’s choice didn’t include the center.

Because there was no way he would kick it in the center.

Would there be a player here who had the guts to kick it in the center?

Would there be a player with the heart to kick it in the center in front of the Kop at Anfield [Liverpool’s home stadium]?

Therefore,

When Johan’s kick was hammered into the center.

Thwack-!

“…”

It was only natural that even the Kop stand behind the goal, which had been so noisy, became quiet for a moment.

Perhaps it was an excessive interpretation.

But, clearly, the Liverpool fans sitting in the Kop stand felt that.

That the penalty just now was telling them to shut up.

It was a penalty with a message to be quiet.

It wasn’t just one or two people who felt that way.

That’s why the entire Kop stand went silent for a moment.

And, without any particular celebration.

Johan stood in his place and looked at the entire stand, as if he liked the sight.

“…Shit!”

“What are you looking at, you bastard!”

Of course, the Kop stand was only quiet for a very short time. Soon, the Liverpool fans became noisy again, cursing at Johan.

However, even if it was just for a very, very short time.

Johan had silenced them.

And, Johan, who liked that moment, thought that before today’s game was over.

He would have to make them quiet again.

Second half, 14 minutes.

West Ham succeeded in catching up to 1-2 as Johan scored a penalty that could be the turning point of this game.

*

Liverpool became busy again.

Of course, they hadn’t lost the lead yet.

However, the moment Johan’s presence was revealed, they couldn’t help but think that they shouldn’t let their guard down.

Johan’s silence throughout the first half had been poison.

They had momentarily forgotten his existence, how dangerous he was.

The one-goal lead was definitely not enough to just rely on Anfield and play defensively for the rest of the time.

Therefore, Liverpool began to attack aggressively once again.

And,

They created several dangerous scenes.

However, decisive moments didn’t come easily.

“Oooooooo-!”

The home fans sighed as they watched the ball narrowly miss the goal or see good attempts blocked by the defense.

West Ham’s defensive concentration was better than ever.

Indeed, does getting hit first help?

Perhaps the fact that they had been tormented by the Kop behind them throughout the first half had become a vaccine, and the fact that the away fans were a little closer seemed to be a great source of strength.

In addition, Johan’s penalty, which he had hammered into the center, was bound to be very impressive not only to the Kop but also to the West Ham players.

They were almost ashamed of how nervous they had been since getting on the bus to Anfield.

It was as if he was saying, ‘How could you even think of winning and going back from here without this much guts?’

The youngest showed such a figure, so the older players couldn’t help but be mentally awakened.

West Ham’s defense endured Liverpool’s offensive with concentration.

As I said before.

If you don’t tie up the knot when the flow comes, the order of crisis comes. That’s the way of soccer.

The fact that Liverpool had taken the offensive meant that the space behind them had widened that much.

If you recall the memory of the game last season, it’s quite coincidental.

All three goals that West Ham scored at that time were Johan’s goals, one of which was a penalty.

The other two were counterattacks.

Today, Johan has already scored one goal with a penalty.

And,

Around the 28th minute of the second half.

West Ham had a chance to counterattack.

Like last game.

When Liverpool players were focused on attacking with their lines raised overall, thinking that they had to score an additional goal no matter what.

Pa-ah-ah-ahng-!

Hurichel, who had caught the opponent’s shot,

Buh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uhng-!

Kicked a low, fast kick towards the front.

And Johan started running towards that ball.

Tatatat-!

However,

Liverpool had also prepared for it.

No matter how urgent the additional goal was, they were still ahead by one point.

Therefore, they had placed one defender deep in the rear.

Steve Duncan, a center back who wasn’t very fast but was good at marking, was positioned 10 steps behind Johan.

However,

Duncan regretted it when he saw Johan running towards him with the ball, getting closer and closer.

Ah, I shouldn’t have said I would stay in the back.

These reliable Anfield fans love Liverpool so much that their attitude changes quickly.

If you show even a little bit of a stupid figure, if you show a figure that doesn’t fit the team called Liverpool, you’ll get cursed more than the opposing player.

The momentum with which Johan was running straight at him made Duncan think that.

Is it me today?

That’s what he thought.

Tatatat-!

However, Johan wasn’t looking at Duncan.

The faster Johan ran, the more he was looking at the Liverpool fans who were growing bigger and bigger every moment.

As he got closer to the goal, their expressions became clearer.

They were pleasing expressions.

Expressions of fear that they might concede a goal, unable to even think of moving their noisy mouths and holding their breath.

I really didn’t want to come to Liverpool away [an away game at Liverpool].

It was so far from London.

But, there’s some fun in this too.

Of course, not to the extent that I want to come that far again.

Pa-ah-ah-ahng-!

Steve Duncan was as good as non-existent.

Duncan couldn’t stop Johan, who was already running at full speed from afar.

Johan didn’t slow down even with Duncan in front of him, and humiliated him by passing the ball through his legs [a nutmeg].

The ball had already passed, and since it was clearly a 1-on-1 situation with the keeper, Duncan couldn’t commit a foul.

If he clung on here, he would obviously get a red card.

Thanks to that, Johan reached near the box in an instant, and

Buh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uhng-!

He took a right-footed shot as if there was no need to go further.

“Huh…?”

However, the West Ham players, who were already cheering, opened their mouths for a moment.

Because the shot that Johan took was fired at an angle that greatly deviated from the goal.

However, soon.

Shooooooong-!

The ball, which was heading outside the goal, began to curve and bend inward towards the inside of the goal.

A wonderful curler.

That was also a tremendous amount of guts.

To take such a shot in a 1-on-1 chance that you absolutely must not miss.

Usually, you would handle the shot at a level that doesn’t reach the keeper’s hand.

But,

Even in that situation, Johan aimed for the perfect course and took the shot.

A shot that you can’t even attempt unless you have tremendous confidence in your kick.

Thanks to that, all the keeper could do was kneel down and watch the ball get sucked into the goal.

Thwack-!

The moment Anfield was enveloped in silence for the second time today.

“…”

Johan slowly ran along the stand and enjoyed the sight.

*

“…”

“…”

Compared to the first half, Anfield had become much quieter.

The fans in the Kop stand, who had been so extreme, seemed to have lost their energy and were just quietly watching the ground.

Is this how it’s going to end again?

Many fans had dreamed of revenge since last season, and the moment the game schedule came out, they had been waiting only for today.

However, they couldn’t help but lose their energy in a game that was going in a different direction than expected.

90:00

LIV 2 : 2 WHU

Before they knew it, the clock on the scoreboard had stopped.

The score was 2-2.

Only 3 minutes of added time were given.

Recently, Liverpool had been on a 15-game winning streak at home.

Not 15 games undefeated, but 15 consecutive wins.

In terms of undefeated, it’s 35 games.

Liverpool was once again challenging their past record.

Liverpool’s previous record for the most consecutive home wins was 24.

With the recent momentum, they thought they could challenge this record.

Could they score a goal in 3 minutes and continue the record?

The Liverpool fans watched the game with their hands clasped together.

When people become desperate, they just clasp their hands together and hold their breath rather than cheering aggressively.

“Damn it!”

“Concentrate, you morons!”

The players seemed to know that desire, and Liverpool had been constantly attacking West Ham’s goal in the final moments.

However, they were just short of one thing.

West Ham would be quite satisfied with a draw at Anfield.

Therefore, they were desperately blocking it.

It’s annoying to see that, but what can you do?

The Liverpool fans hated their own team players more than West Ham, who were only defending, because they couldn’t break through that one thing.

Just when they were wondering if they should be satisfied with just continuing their home undefeated record, let alone the home winning streak.

There was a devil who was trying to take away even that hope.

Buh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uhng-!

West Ham cleared the ball from inside the box, as if telling them to blow the whistle quickly.

And, again.

Again, Johan runs towards that ball.

As soon as the Liverpool fans saw that, they closed their eyes. They didn’t want to see it again.

And they regretted it.

Before the game started, and throughout the game.

It was about sending jeers to the opponent.

If they hadn’t done that, that lazy guy wouldn’t have been running with such gritted teeth.

They shouldn’t have done that.

Thwack-!

Originally, the sound of the goal net shaking couldn’t be heard that loudly at Anfield.

Because the sound that the fans make is so loud.

However, at this moment, everyone could hear it clearly.

Anfield had become a library.

And,

“Bweeep, bweeep, bweeep-!”

The older players, who had scared Johan by saying that he would have an experience he had never had before,

On the contrary, thanks to Johan, they received a gift of an experience they had never had before.

It was the experience of winning against Liverpool at Anfield.