Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 94

14 minutes, 36 minutes, 55 minutes.

Rishard, Rishard, Rishard.

Rishard displayed incredible prowess, scoring a hat-trick against Leicester’s stubborn defense, single-handedly winning the game.

Manchester City is undoubtedly a team brimming with talent.

Their squad’s combined value places them at the very top.

However, even among such stars, Rishard’s talent shone brightly.

Of course, Rishard wasn’t a flawless player.

Rishard was injury-prone.

Not just prone, but so frequently injured that it seemed he was actively seeking them out.

The most bizarre injury occurred last season when he hurt his instep at home, not on the field or training ground, while showering.

A glass lotion bottle fell on his foot, or something along those lines.

Rishard also missed a significant portion of the first half of this season due to plantar fasciitis [inflammation of the tissue on the bottom of the foot].

But when healthy and on the pitch, he carried the team.

Though not particularly tall, he possessed a well-proportioned physique, explosive speed, and, most importantly, dribbling skills that blended flair and effectiveness.

He was the epitome of what people call a ‘crack’ player.

Rishard was showcasing peak form after his return, giving Manchester City fans confidence that they wouldn’t relinquish the championship.

In fact, Manchester City hadn’t dropped any points in matches where Rishard played.

Therefore, the primary concern for both West Ham and Manchester City fans revolved around one thing.

Rishard’s physical condition.

Manchester City fans grew anxious even if he merely stumbled during a game, while West Ham fans secretly hoped he would suffer an injury, even a minor one.

But for the moment, Rishard was in excellent condition.

This was undoubtedly unwelcome news for West Ham.

However, Coach Schmidt actually hoped Rishard would maintain his peak performance.

That way, when they faced Manchester City in the FA Cup final, they could exact proper revenge.

Rishard was absent when West Ham triumphed over Manchester City in the 8th round.

Conversely, Rishard played when they suffered a defeat in the 21st round.

Hence, the rumors circulated.

That West Ham had avoided a ‘double’ loss to Manchester City was simply down to luck.

As some claimed, West Ham could never defeat Manchester City at full strength.

Therefore, they wanted to face Manchester City at their strongest.

A victory against a Manchester City without Rishard would feel hollow.

Coach Schmidt hoped Rishard would be fit and ready at Wembley Stadium.

“Hey, he’s not injured?”

“Doesn’t look like it. What’s going on?”

“Damn it, he needs to get injured soon.”

“You guys, stop talking nonsense and get back to training!”

Well, West Ham’s defenders seemed to hold a slightly different view from Coach Schmidt.

In any case, they first needed to win their semi-final to reach the final.

West Ham’s FA Cup semi-final opponent was Crystal Palace.

Naturally, they felt confident.

They had already defeated Palace 3-1 in both league encounters.

In many respects, the draw had been favorable.

Frankly, they couldn’t deny that people were calling it an ‘easy draw.’

Round of 16 against Middlesbrough, quarter-finals against Newcastle, semi-finals against Crystal Palace.

The draw had indeed been remarkably smooth.

That’s why they also wanted Manchester City to reach the final at full strength.

Regardless of how easy the draw had been thus far, if they crushed a full-strength Manchester City in the final…

No one could dispute West Ham lifting the trophy.

ㆍㆍㆍ

Perhaps Crystal Palace found themselves in the most advantageous position among the four teams that reached the FA Cup semi-finals.

That’s because the other three teams – West Ham, Manchester City, and Arsenal – were all still battling to finalize their league positions until the very end.

Palace, having already secured their league ranking some time ago, were using league games to give young prospects playing time.

They were fully committed to this FA Cup run, which they had reached for the first time in a long time.

Who knew?

They might even win the championship against these strong clubs.

If that happened, they would also secure a spot in the Europa League, making it worth their all-out effort.

In particular, the draw hadn’t been unkind.

West Ham was undoubtedly a strong team, and they hadn’t managed to beat them in the league.

They were aware that not only them but also the ‘Big Six’ [top six teams in the Premier League] clubs hadn’t defeated West Ham.

But that was only when Johan was playing.

The FA Cup was a different story.

Today, West Ham’s starting striker was Kane.

Johan was named on the bench.

Crystal Palace believed this was a chance worth seizing.

But when you considered it, wasn’t it somewhat amusing?

Even though facing Kane was preferable to Johan, it was still Kane.

Of course, Kane was past his prime, but he remained a formidable player.

Kane had demonstrated his strength in the round of 16 and quarter-finals.

Having been carefully managed in the league due to Johan’s presence, Kane delivered performances that seemed almost indistinguishable from his peak years.

Kane was only a backup striker because Johan was the first-choice.

If he were at Palace, he would undoubtedly be a starter.

Palace slightly underestimated this fact.

Kane knew perfectly well that today represented his last significant role.

From now on, it would be Johan’s time to shine.

His role was to set the stage for Johan to thrive.

Kane poured everything into the game against Crystal Palace, as if releasing all his pent-up frustration from his long quest for trophies.

Kane scored twice in the 12th and 27th minutes of the first half, putting West Ham in a commanding position.

West Ham, having established an early lead, comfortably controlled the game under Capello’s guidance.

They maintained a two-goal advantage until the 70th minute, effectively securing their victory and demoralizing Palace.

At first glance, this might seem odd.

In the 70th minute, a two-goal deficit is certainly surmountable, and given that it was a knockout tournament, how could they lose their fighting spirit so easily?

That’s right.

To be precise, the substitution that occurred around the 70th minute played a more decisive role than the scoreline.

Kane, having expended his energy for 70 minutes, was replaced by Johan.

Substitutions are common, but the exchange between the two felt like a symbolic passing of the torch.

It was as if Kane had brought them this far, and now it was Johan’s responsibility to finish the job.

It was like a warm-up exercise.

While not significantly different from a league game, Johan was brought on to experience the atmosphere of a high-stakes tournament match.

An introduction to acclimatize him ahead of the final.

As expected, Johan moved with a casual air, as if conserving his energy.

However, those seemingly relaxed movements proved fatal for Palace.

Just five minutes after entering the game, Johan scored a decisive goal, exploiting the space behind Palace’s defense, who were desperately throwing everything forward.

That sealed the victory.

West Ham defeated Crystal Palace and became the first team to secure their place in the FA Cup final.

ㆍㆍㆍ

In the end, Coach Schmidt’s wish came true.

Manchester City defeated Arsenal and advanced to the FA Cup final.

-‘Extreme’ Manchester City advances to the FA Cup final… Aiming for a long-awaited treble [winning three major trophies in a single season].

-A showdown between the top two teams in the league in the FA Cup!

-Samir Rishard vs. Johan Van. The battle of the best attackers in the Premier League this season will be decided in the final!

With their final opponent confirmed as Manchester City, the players’ motivation reached new heights.

West Ham had been in contention with Manchester City for the league championship, but they no longer had any direct encounters remaining.

The only way West Ham could win the league was if other teams managed to defeat Manchester City.

However, the FA Cup presented a different scenario.

If they faced Manchester City and emerged victorious, they could lift the trophy themselves.

They were elated by this prospect.

That they could secure the victory with their own efforts.

Of course, Manchester City was a formidable opponent.

They had suffered a defeat in their recent encounter.

Simply facing them for 90 minutes was an exhausting experience.

However, they were confident in their ability to win if they met again.

Therefore, the fact that Manchester City was their toughest opponent was a welcome challenge for West Ham.

-[PL 36R] West Ham 2:1 Everton

-[PL 36R] Manchester City 3:0 Bournemouth

In any case, they couldn’t afford to squander any energy in the remaining league games as long as a chance remained.

In the 36th round, West Ham defeated Everton, keeping the pressure on Manchester City until the very end.

However, Manchester City also displayed unwavering dominance, as if determined to prevent any comeback.

Ultimately, the 37th round represented West Ham’s last opportunity.

If Manchester City secured 3 points in the 37th round, they would clinch the championship, regardless of the outcome of the 38th round.

And,

As expected, Manchester City lived up to their reputation.

-[PL 37R] Manchester City 4:1 Aston Villa

-Manchester City wins the 2027/28 season Premier League!

-The most intense title race ever, Manchester City emerges victorious in the end!

Manchester City triumphed in the 37th round.

With that, Manchester City was crowned the Premier League champion for this season, irrespective of the final game.

It was a disappointment.

It would be dishonest to claim otherwise.

Despite having such a historic season, they narrowly missed out on the championship.

Looking back in the future, it might be a moment they regret.

However, aside from the disappointment, it had also been a satisfying season.

Where else could they have competed with Manchester City for the championship until the very end?

This was a team whose initial objective at the start of the season was simply to qualify for the Europa League.

The team had grown stronger, the players were young, and they were united as one.

They were confident that they would return even stronger next season.

However, that sentiment applied to all the players except Johan.

“You can’t?”

“Yeah. We can’t turn it around now.”

“There’s one game left.”

“Even if we win that game and they lose, it won’t work.”

“Then the points will be the same.”

“The points are the same, but we’re behind on goal difference.”

“Goal difference?”

Johan couldn’t derive any satisfaction from the fact that they had done enough.

For Johan, who equated not winning the championship with finishing last.

He had endured hardship for the past year, and now he had to endure it for another.

An indescribable frustration welled up within him.

“Haa…”

In the end, it was Manchester City again, those guys.

It was bad enough that they had missed out on the championship, but it was even worse that Manchester City had won it.

Ah, this was truly infuriating.

It was a relief that their last opponent in the FA Cup was Manchester City, providing them with an opportunity to vent their anger.

Indeed, this wouldn’t do.

In that game, they had to dismantle those guys to alleviate this frustration, even if only slightly.