Episode 222: A Different Stride -3
Last season, I played for a year as the team's center forward.
To be exact, my role was quite different from an ordinary center forward, but anyway, the position written next to my name on the starting lineup was center forward.
Having played in that incredibly burdensome position for a year, among the various hardships I felt—
if asked what was the most difficult, it would undoubtedly be about presence.
On the field, striker is a position that must have great presence.
Perhaps the exact opposite of a goalkeeper.
Just as the less noticeable a goalkeeper is, the more it means the match is going well; conversely, striker is a position where the more noticeable you are, the more it means the match is going well.
A striker must always reveal their presence, and with that presence, make the opposing defense uncomfortable.
However, what's ironic is that sometimes, even while doing so, there are moments when that presence must be hidden.
What I mean is, while a striker must always make the defense nervous, at certain moments, a striker must also move while evading the defense's eyes.
Sometimes you must draw the defense's gaze; sometimes you must escape the defense's gaze.
A striker must judge every single moment which side will help the team more, and that is truly no easy task.
In that sense… Haaland is a player who makes you think he is truly an excellent striker.
Tap-tap-!
After successfully breaking through from the right flank.
Driving the ball toward the corner of the box and glancing inside the box, the only thing that enters my eyes is Haaland.
I truly see nothing but Haaland.
His massive physique and eye-catching blond hair.
It would be the case anywhere, but inside the box, his presence seems to multiply by three or four.
I've never seen a striker with such overwhelming presence.
And it seemed I wasn't the only one who felt that way.
The opposing defenders also appeared to be focusing solely on marking Haaland.
Haaland was moving toward the left side of the goal—that is, the opposite side from me—and accordingly, the defenders were being drawn there.
It was the opposite of the first goal situation.
Back then, Haaland had erased his presence, dug in behind the defense, broken the line, and succeeded in scoring.
But now, he was deliberately making his presence even larger.
What that meant… was that he was deliberately opening up more space for me.
Tap-tat-!
So I drove in even deeper.
Then finally, one defender rushed out, trying to block the near post.
Of course, seeing that didn't make me stop.
I continued in with the ball at my feet.
Thanks to that, soon, just past the corner of the box, I came face-to-face with the defender.
No matter how you looked at it, this was no situation to be timid.
I already had speed, and this was already inside the box.
Tap-!
Opening my body to the left, and at the same time tapping the ball slightly to the left.
Moving into the center as if to shoot from a wide angle.
Seeing this, the defender also turned his body to the left.
But the short tap to the left was merely a feint.
Tap-tat-!
With my left foot, I cut the ball back to the right, switching direction toward the goal line.
At that sudden change of direction—the defender's upper and lower body twisted around.
His upper body had reacted, but his lower body, already opened to the left, couldn't keep up.
Thud-!
Like a tree falling, the defender crashed down, passing through my peripheral vision.
But there was no time to lend him a hand.
The ball was rolling toward the goal line, and the goalkeeper was rushing out toward it.
Tat-tat-!
A situation where I had to do something, somehow.
Since I'd aimed my breakthrough toward the goal line, the angle was extremely narrow.
Just hitting it hard would send it straight at the keeper, so I needed to approach this three-dimensionally.
Fwaa-!
I stretched out my right foot and slid it under the ball.
Kicking it with the sensation of grazing the grass, I made the ball rise high.
Then the goalkeeper, who had been sliding while leaning his body, belatedly stretched out his hand.
But narrowly, the ball floated lightly above the goalkeeper's hand.
Shooooosh
-Swish-!
The ball flew as slowly as it possibly could and nestled into the net.
Waaaaaaah─!
At the same time, a roar loud enough to hurt my ears burst out, and in between that roar, I hid my small sigh.
It went in.
It was my first goal wearing the new uniform, and even I found it rather satisfying.
*Beep, beeep, beeeep-!
As the three whistles signaling the end of the match rang out,
the fans on one side of the stands shot to their feet.
And while everyone clapped above their heads, the color of the uniforms those fans wore was sky blue.
[That's full time! Manchester City defeats Arsenal 2-1 to claim the Community Shield!]
The fierce back-and-forth battle that unfolded over 90 minutes was neck-and-neck, but victory belonged to Man City.
Arsenal pulled one back in the second half after conceding two goals in succession in the first half, but that was as far as they got.
They failed to topple the reign of last season's league champions.
Half the stands were jubilant, the other half dejected.
"···"
"···"
While Man City fans celebrated their victory under the blinding sunlight, the broadcast camera showed the two managers shaking hands.
The two managers tapped each other's shoulders and exchanged brief words, but perhaps because they didn't want those words picked up by the camera.
Both covered their mouths with their hands as they spoke, so there was no way to know what they had said.
As if taking offense at this, the camera quickly turned away and moved its gaze to the Man City bench.
And as if looking for someone among the players pouring onto the field, it soon approached one player and began capturing his face in an overwhelming close-up.
The camera caught the figure of a boy walking toward the stands, clapping while wearing a light outer garment.
[A standing ovation is pouring down. And deservedly so. Lee Jian. It was an incredibly impressive debut.]
[There was a great deal of anticipation riding on today's match. Everyone was wondering what kind of performance this boy would show. Whether he could justify that enormous price tag was the biggest question of all, but at this level, I suppose we have to say he proved more than enough.]
Whether he had succeeded in proving his worth or fallen short of expectations.
That was easy to gauge by the sound of applause pouring down on the boy.
Clap clap clap clap
—The answer is not difficult.
Everyone was rising from their seats and sending applause.
The boy had shown today exactly what he had hoped and wanted to show.
Perhaps even more than that.
[He played 66 minutes, recording 1 goal and 1 assist. You could almost say the first half was a complete one-man show.]
[It felt like he alone was playing at a different tempo. And I mean that in the best way possible. He made no mistakes on any ball touch, and he stood out the most.]
[It's too early to make a hasty judgment, but after that performance, I think I understand why Man City spent that money to sign this player.]
He had been in a position where he had to be different, and he showed what being different meant.
So impressive were his exploits that many fans were left smacking their lips.
It was frustrating because they wanted to see more but couldn't.
Thanks to that, expectations for the boy had likely risen even higher.
Such applause filled with expectation continued to pour down on the boy, and the boy, finding the camera following him burdensome, showed only his back as he responded to the fans' applause with applause of his own.
The number 7 on his back, shining exceptionally bright in the golden sunlight, continued to fill the screen....
No. 7 LEE JIAN
- Minutes Played: 66
- Goals: 1
- Assists: 1
- Accurate Passes (43/49)
- Long Pass Success Rate: 100% (3/3)
- Dribble Success Rate: 75% (3/4)
- Big Chances Created: 3
- Final Third Passes: 6
- Fouls Drawn: 4
- Overall Rating: 8.8 (Player of the Match)
*“……And in today's match, I can't help but talk about the player who newly donned the Man City uniform.”
Backstage at the stadium.
Manager Guardiola stood before a reporter holding a microphone.
“He didn't play a single minute during the preseason, yet he started straight away in today's match. I'm curious about the reason for that decision, and what trust lay behind sending him out as a starter.”
In response to the reporter's question, Manager Guardiola stroked his chin and answered.
“Preseason is important. Especially for some players, it's even more important. It's important for the team too. Because it's a period to get our feet in sync for the new season.”
Having begun with somewhat conventional talk, Manager Guardiola shrugged his shoulders and continued.
“So I guaranteed more opportunities to other players. Players who wanted to stay with the first team regularly were given chances. There was no need to make Lee go through preseason matches. Because he already looked perfect in every way.”
“Are you saying he needed no adaptation period?”
“···”
Manager Guardiola looked steadily at the reporter asking the question.
Then he shrugged once more and spoke.
“As you saw today. He is a player who already understands everything.”
“I see. He certainly seemed to understand Man City football. Then—”
Thinking it a sufficient answer, the reporter tried to move to the next question.
However, Guardiola cut in.
“No. That's not what I mean.”
Shaking his head, Guardiola continued.
“We don't try to play Manchester City-esque football. We try to play football closest to the right answer every single moment. Lee understands that.”
“Then that means…”
“Lee is a player who can be the right answer in every situation.”
A smile spread across the lips of the infinitely meticulous perfectionist.
Then, perhaps because it was the first time in a while he had felt comfortable in an interview with him, the reporter threw a playful question.
“How does he compare to Messi?”
“···Compare what?”
“Uh, if you compare their abilities.”
The moment he heard the question, Guardiola furrowed his brow.
Then he let out a long
-Phew-
and answered.
“Messi is a player with both great talent and great achievements. He is undoubtedly the best. Comparing anyone to him is unreasonable.”
A hint of weariness flickered across Guardiola's expression, but soon his face turned serious again and he continued.
“But Lee is 18. No one knows what will happen in the future. I saw something special in Messi when he was 18. I felt something similar in Lee.”
Guardiola wore a mischievous smile.