22 save. Promotion Playoffs
-Can this be happening!
-QPR, having even their third kicker miss!
The camera captured a despairing Charlie Austin.
Unable to raise his head, he lifted his jersey to cover his face and left the penalty area.
-This... the penalty shootout is unfolding unexpectedly.
-Yes. If Leeds' third kicker succeeds as is, the penalty shootout will end in Leeds' victory.
If it turned out that way, it would be an utterly devastating result for QPR.
Midfielder Luke Murphy came out as Leeds' third kicker.
Having started today, he was one of the players who had run tirelessly, holding his position until the latter half of extra time.
-Luke Murphy, shoots!
-He scores!
-And so it is Leeds who advance to the playoff final!
Waaaah!
The moment Luke Murphy's shot shook the back of the net, Leeds fans erupted in cheers.
How long had it been.
Since they had knocked on the door of promotion.
Reaching the playoff final.
They had grabbed the doorknob, and now only opening the door wide remained.
"You bastard! You're our lucky charm, you!"
"You said you'd save everything, and you're really saving it all!"
"No, saying I saved the last one is a bit much."
Sin Uison replied with an awkward expression as he looked at his teammates swarming around him.
Then an older player ruffled his hair and shouted.
"The way you stood there so casually, like there was no need to even save it! That was cool!"
"No, that's..."
He tried to say something, but his teammates only shouted whatever they wanted to say. It was beyond the point of conversation. Overwhelmed by the fierce celebration, Sin Uison eventually half-lost his mind.
'Come to think of it.'
Only after the match did a thought occur to him.
'What was that earlier?'
When Charlie Austin had rushed in, Sin Uison had felt a strange sensation.
A feeling as if nerve endings had enveloped the penalty area.
For a brief moment, Sin Uison had held the penalty area under his dominion.
To be honest, he had been intoxicated by that sensation at the time. If an accurate shot had come, the result might have been a little different.
[I was a bit surprised by that just now too.]
It was an unexpected remark.
The helper—she rarely expressed emotions.
Sin Uison escaped his teammates' clutches, sighed, and straightened his hair.
"So there are things that surprise you too."
[Even I don't know everything. That made it all the more unexpected.]
"Unexpected doesn't mean you don't know. So what was that, just now?"
Sin Uison asked her.
Back then.
When that strange sensation had dominated the penalty area.
He had naturally known where Charlie Austin's shot would go, and it wasn't just that one time.
'It was the same when I assisted the first goal.'
He had felt a similar sensation when sending a direct pass to McCormack. Along with a throbbing headache.
[It's because you're trying to forcibly step into a realm that has not yet been permitted.]
"What do you mean?"
[Do you remember the trial from before?]
Sin Uison nodded.
The trial.
When he hadn't been sure how to treat the training ground in his dreams, the sweet trap she had shown him.
[The situation is different from then. This time, it wasn't provided by me, but you tried to forcibly bloom an ability that hasn't opened yet.]
"...Is that possible?"
[It's impossible. To be precise, it should be impossible.]
Hah.
It had been a while since he heard her sigh.
In other words, according to her words.
Sin Uison had tried to use an ability beyond his limits, and the pain appeared to be the price for it.
"...Is it okay like this?"
[Who knows. It's impossible to give an answer since enough information hasn't accumulated yet. Do you still feel that sensation now?]
"No. Not at all."
Today's two experiences had come in situations that were, literally, unexpected.
He had no way of knowing why he had felt that sensation, nor the conditions to trigger it.
As she said, there was far too little information at present.
"Let's just wait for the next match."
Sin Uison shrugged his shoulders.
Still, it wasn't a bad feeling.
So much so that he wanted to taste that sensation again.
Sin Uison replayed that experience in his mind.
***
[Sky Sports] Leeds' goalkeeper who became a hot topic in the promotion playoff semi-final!
Meanwhile.
Sin Uison had become quite a hot topic in the penalty shootout between QPR and Leeds.
The attached video went like this.
Having recorded saves on both the first and second attempts, Sin Uison.
As the third kicker, Charlie Austin, prepared to shoot, he suddenly lowered both hands.
As if there was no need to even save it.
Thud!
Amazingly, the shot hit the goalpost, and the video ended. Since that sight was not something easily seen, and it had a strange coolness to it, the video gained a cult following.
"Do I really become a hot topic over something like this."
Sin Uison scratched his eyebrow as he looked at the article about himself posted on a major site.
He felt somewhat conflicted about whether he should be glad his fame had risen even this way.
[Official] Promotion Playoff Final fixture confirmed.
And the final schedule was set.
The final held at the end of May, unlike the semi-final, was a single-match format.
And rising to face them was Wigan.
This was also a somewhat unexpected result for Sin Uison.
'So Derby lost.'
They had ultimately failed to overturn their defeat in the first leg.
Wigan.
Its full name being Wigan Athletic FC.
A team once called the Survival King of the Premier League.
The Survival King was a nickname earned because they always lingered near the relegation zone before fiercely turning the atmosphere around at the end of the season to survive.
Well, it wasn't used anymore now that they had been relegated.
'How did they win?'
Sin Uison had watched the semi-final between Derby and Wigan.
In the first leg, Wigan scored the opening goal through a set piece, and in the second leg, they played extreme defense to prevent Derby from scoring.
'Honestly, it was boring.'
Sin Uison stretched, rubbing his sleepy eyes.
It wasn't really a match from which much tactical analysis could be drawn.
'We just need to play well.'
If Leeds were in good condition, they could win easily enough.
And so.
Time passed.
May 24th.
Wembley Stadium.
At this place called the mecca of modern football, the final to decide promotion to the Premier League was held.
-Two of the four teams that participated in the playoffs remain, and now only one team can advance to the Premier League.
-Yes. For the two teams currently on the pitch, this is a match more important than winning the Championship league.
Just by gaining promotion to the Premier League, the money you receive and the players you can recruit change.
Truly, it was a different pond they'd be swimming in.
Leeds! Leeds! Leeds!
Wigaaaan! Athletic!
Fans of both teams raised their cheering voices as if waging a war of nerves.
Such cheering affected the players as well.
"Whew."
Sin Uison whistled at that heated atmosphere. For all that it was a playoff final, it was ultimately a match between second-division teams. He hadn't expected it to be this heated.
[Are you excited?]
'A little?'
Sin Uison didn't bother denying it.
It wasn't just the fans who wanted to go to the Premier League.
That desire was strongest among none other than the players.
Would Sin Uison be any different?
Rather, he held the strongest longing compared to the other players.
"Huu."
But he couldn't be devoured by such longing.
Moreover, Sin Uison was one who valued composure during matches, so he closed his eyes to avoid being swept away by the overheated atmosphere.
Strangely.
The noisy cheering diminished.
No, it hadn't diminished—it simply could no longer shake Sin Uison.
That silence resembled the training ground in his dreams.
Sin Uison opened his eyes again.
Beep!
The whistle blew at the perfect moment to signal the start of the match.
-Both teams look to be in good condition today.
-They appear to have prepared thoroughly.
As the commentators said, both Leeds and Wigan overflowed with confidence in their own play.
Having rested sufficiently, and having prepared for the match accordingly, their organization and responses were excellent.
For Leeds in particular, McCormack's performance didn't look bad. The shots he fired off when he found decent chances all connected as threatening shots on target.
Wigan's attack was quite threatening as well.
They showed sharper link-up play than before and targeted Leeds' goal.
There was one difference, however.
-Another save recorded by Sin Uison!
-He's very stable.
It was the presence of the goalkeeper standing before the goal.
Sin Uison caught a shot fired between the center-backs without difficulty.
His condition was good as well.
Each time Sin Uison caught the ball, Wigan fell back, wary of the long pass.
After all, they had experienced that fear firsthand in the latter half of the Championship season, and knowing how QPR had conceded the equalizer, this was a natural caution.
'Kicking it long won't work.'
Clicking his tongue, Sin Uison sent a short, low pass.
He could carry the ball out of the penalty area, but Wigan was a team strong in counter-attacks.
If he wasn't careful, he could be caught by a fast counter-attack.
'Thankfully, the team's midfield is operating normally.'
It was fortunate that Sin Uison didn't need to involve himself deeply.
-Leeds feels solid overall.
A threatening attack line and a solid midfield. And an unopenable goal on top of that. They lacked any particularly outstanding individuality of their own, but it was precisely because of that that it was becoming their strength.
And had 30 minutes passed since the match began?
When Wigan's tempo gradually dropped.
Leeds seized a decisive chance.
-Leeds suddenly picks up the pace!
A through pass from the flank to the center luckily slipped between the center-backs.
McCormack chased after it.
Judging that it was too late to catch up, Wigan's center-backs boldly gave up pressing and ran toward the penalty area.
It was a decision to secure position first.
But as if mocking their expectations, McCormack took a shot.
-Ah! Shooooot!
-Unbelievable! It's a goaaal!
-Ross McCormack scores the opening goal!
The shot fired near the penalty area rose high before suddenly dropping. It was a fantastic no-spin kick, and though Wigan's goalkeeper jumped high, he ultimately couldn't reach it.
Waaaaah!
Cheers erupted.
McCormack, having scored, stood before the frenzied Leeds fans with both arms spread. As if telling them to worship him.
Of course.
There was no need to say that the cheering grew even louder.
"Great! Keep doing just that!"
Coach McDermott, sitting on the bench, sprang up and threw an uppercut into the air. He seemed quite pleased.
After scoring one goal, the match flowed smoothly.
In the second half, Wigan's play gradually lost strength.
This was greatly due to the presence of Sin Uison standing before Leeds' goal.
"Shit."
"How the hell are we supposed to get past this."
Wigan's attackers spat out curses.
They should have scored when the momentum was good.
Now that the momentum had been broken, that Asian goalkeeper felt like an impenetrable wall.
"......."
Sin Uison standing tall and aloof was like a Buddhist statue.
No, to Wigan fans, he was nothing short of a hideous gatekeeper of hell.
Facing Wigan, who had lost their momentum once like this, was not difficult for Leeds. So much so that they felt the previous opponent, QPR, had been harder and more intense.
In the end, McCormack scored one more goal, effectively putting a period on the match.
Beeeep!
And so the final whistle blew to signal the end of the match.
【Challenge Achieved!】
【Challenge: Promotion】
-> Congratulations! Now you're really a first-division league player!
-> 10 Points acquired!
Sin Uison looked at the window only visible to him, his face overcome with emotion.
Yes, he had truly become a Premier League player.
But he wasn't given much time to be immersed in those feelings.
"Waaaaaah!"
Unable to contain their joy, Leeds fans invaded the pitch.
Ultimately, that day's match ended in utter chaos.