114

114. 2nd team finish (1)

Javier Angel Balboa.

Hailing from Equatorial Guinea in Africa, he was a top prospect who joined Real Madrid nine years ago at the age of just 14.

He was recognized early on as having great potential and grew up with great expectations and attention from Real Madrid fans.

He moved up to Real C at the age of 19, went to Castile at the age of 20, and the year before last he was promoted to the first division and went on loan.

So, about 100 games were played over the past three years.

It was as if Real Madrid had given us full support.

But the results were disastrous.

He only scored three goals in over 100 games, causing great disappointment to the fans who had been waiting for him.

It would be understandable if his position was a defender or central midfielder, but he was a penetration winger and attacking midfielder whose main weapon was penetration.

But only 3 goals in 100 games.

With such ridiculous stats, people even questioned whether he lied about his age.

That's because the talent he showed when he was young wasn't much different from what it is now.

The genius of Balboa, who was praised as Pele's second coming to Africa, had disappeared everywhere.

From what I've seen up to this point, it was definitely a release.

but.

This season, he appeared in 6 games for Real Madrid and scored 1 goal, showing quite decent form.

There were signs that the possibility of remaining was slim.

Therefore, Balboa had until the end of the season to prove his worth.

And today I finally got that opportunity.

Boxes training.

Assigned to Team 1, he had to cooperate with Woo Ho-young to steal the ball from the other team, but in reality, the two were almost competitors.

It's literally a judgment seat.

For Balboa, he had to stand out from Woo Ho-young, who participated in training for the first time today, to survive.

That's why I rushed to my death.

'I do it.'

No matter how much Balboa was a promising prospect, he was a 'first division leaguer' who played over 40 games in the first division alone.

Even though he had never actually been with Hoyoung, Balboa still thought that he was better than Hoyoung.

I was confident.

That was why Balboa took his first step.

Confidence and proactiveness are very important factors in evaluation.

"Balboa came out first."

"A senior is a senior, is this it?"

The seven players forming a circle exchanged accurate and quick passes in a friendly atmosphere.

Balboa didn't think he could steal the ball from them, but he had to pretend, so he chased the ball busily, sweating profusely.

On the contrary.

'That guy…'

I glance.

Balboa's eyes turned to the right.

The sight of Hoyoung wandering around in the middle of the circle, staring aimlessly at the ball, caught my eye.

Balboa's expression brightened.

'good. 'I can't do anything.'

With this, he was the winner in the sincerity and proactiveness category.

If things continued like this, they would be able to monopolize the praise of the coaches.

Nevertheless, Balboa did not let down his guard.

'Let's focus.'

At times like this, I focused my mind even more and followed the ball's traces.

But that was then.

Percussion!

"Oh fuck!"

One of the players forming the circle started swearing without realizing it.

It was Pepe, a central defender from Portugal.

That wasn't all.

"This guy is doing something, isn't he?"

Sergio Ramos, who is in charge of the team's right back, said in a frenzy.

In addition, everyone, including Sneijder, Saviola, Baptista, Guti, and Raul, who were assigned to Team 1, looked surprised.

In the blink of an eye, Woo Ho-young cut the ball.

And there was something else that was most surprising.

The fact was that he cut off the pass of Guti, the pass master, and no one else.

"Guti, isn't today the day? "Your condition doesn't look very good."

"Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk."

While the close players were joking around without hesitation, there was a man who spoke to Hoyoung.

It was Captain Raoul.

"Hey Woo. "What do you want me to call you?"

"Woo Ho Young. Please call me whatever you like. You can combine them depending on your mood. "That's what my colleagues in Castile call me."

"It would be perfect to use when exchanging signals in real life."

"ha ha ha."

A friendly atmosphere.

Everyone except Balboa was smiling happily.

However, Raoul's subsequent words brought out the serious atmosphere.

"Then let's try again."

Was that really a skill?

Or whether it was just luck will be determined through this second game.

Percussion.

When the ball returned, the faces of the seven players, including Guti, became as serious as possible.

There was no longer a bright atmosphere.

The same was true for Woo Ho-young.

'after.'

I didn't show it on the outside, but in reality, it felt like death.

The inside of the circle was literally a living hell.

Since it was more of an evaluation than a training, it was natural to feel burdened.

Nevertheless, I struggled to keep my spirits up.

'Read from the flow.'

In times like these, Ballack's advice is of great help.

Rather than just chasing after the ball, read the flow ahead of it.

Hoyoung followed the ball's path with his eyes and used his brain quickly.

Concentrate – Think – Observe – Understand – Act.

The series of processes must be accomplished instantaneously in order to naturally join the flow.

And Hoyoung's numerous talents made it possible.

'now!'

It was that moment.

Tuk.

Saviola's lobbed pass floated over Hoyoung's head.

As if he had predicted this, Hoyoung changed direction in an instant and caught the ball with his excellent jumping ability.

There may have been some luck, but it was difficult to succeed unless you had basic skills as a foundation.

But Hoyoung succeeded.

Then the atmosphere suddenly became cold, and a second later, the players' voices came out one by one.

"Oh…."

"It's pretty good."

"Hahaha. Your senses are no joke. He reads the flow like a ghost. "When have you ever kicked a ball with us?"

"Hey landowner! "What on earth did you grow?"

Various reactions.

Not everyone was smiling.

It occurred to Saviola and Baptista that their positions could be in danger if they were not careful.

Even as sub members, they couldn't just smile anymore.

He may already be released in this year's transfer market, but if such a monster appears, it was only a matter of time before his position would be shaken.

In other words, it meant that Hoyoung's initiation ceremony was going smoothly.

Hoyoung gained a lot from training that day.

Because the training time was short and there was little interaction between players, it was not possible to achieve much from the first day, but it was about 50% successful in bringing in the U-level talents of Carlos and Robinho.

It was a stepping stone for them to covet their S-class talent in the future.

And that in just one day.

'Good.'

Everything was happening sequentially.

Also, today's training was a great help in making future plans.

'First, let's start by coveting the player we can't afford to miss.'

The ball-trapping talent of Zidane, who is scheduled to retire at the end of this season, was most urgent.

The hidden condition was simple yet difficult: 'promote to the first division.'

The next important thing was the talent of Robinho, the next Pele.

Carlos and Van Nistelrooy's contracts expired next year, so there was still one year left.

However, Robinho might soon leave Real Madrid.

If Hoyoung knows the future, that is.

but.

'I don't know this time.'

The current president of Real Madrid is Perez, not Calderon.

If nothing goes wrong in the presidential election held at the end of July 2008, it seemed likely that Perez would win a third term.

So I couldn't be sure of anything.

All Hoyoung had to do was to steadily accomplish what was in front of him.

'I just have to do what I have to do.'

The first goal to be achieved is promotion to the first team.

That was it.

May 25th.

Castile's squad headed to Barcelona, located in Catalonia.

The 41st round with only one game left until the league closes.

A match was scheduled to take place between Castilla, 5th in the league, and Barcelona B, 7th in the league.

If Castile wins here, it will secure 5th place in the league.

On the other hand, for Barcelona B, it was a golden opportunity to jump to 6th place in the league if they won.

And the same goes for Woo Ho-young.

There was a lot at stake in today's game.

Regardless of the talent of Barcelona's prospects, the most important thing was at stake: Ronaldo's talent.

'We must win.'

Because the most important talent for a striker was 'the soccer emperor's goal-making power (SU),' it was a win that Hoyoung could never compromise on.

I was confident because I had prepared so thoroughly.

However, one problem is that it is an away game.

"You smelly wet guy!"

"Go back to your country!"

Hoyoung, who stood on the field amidst all these boos, closed his ears.

I just stared at the soccer ball.

I thought about nothing but winning.

can do.

In that way, I strengthened my winning mentality and took control of my mentality.

The game started when one or two drops of rain fell.

Beep –

kickoff.

Barcelona, who took the lead, came out with a 4-3-3 formation like last time.

From the start, Bojan was used as a central striker and placed in the 1.5 line.

The tactic itself was the same as last time, but various detailed tactics were added to make it sharper and more solid.

Soccer like you've never experienced before.

That was shaking Castile's players.

Although possession was evenly matched, it was Barcelona who made the most threatening moves.

That is, until the 10th minute of the first half, when the home crowd cheered like crazy.

But it wasn't long before.

The cheers suddenly died down, as if cold water had been poured on the audience.

The only thing that echoed in the stadium was the sound of rain and the voices of the commentators.

[Castilla's counterattack is slowly beginning!]

[Castilla is regaining momentum as the midfield comes back to life. Moreover, as the rain gets heavier, the tempo of the game is gradually getting faster, right? Barcelona must watch out for moments like this. It's a dangerous situation that even the audience can feel.]

[That's right. As Barcelona tries to fill the hole in the center, many gaps are opening up on the sides. Now is the time to be most careful…]

[Ah, the moment you mentioned! Marcos, who started as left fullback, attempts a bold overlapping!]

Marcos' pass tore the earth apart.

Percussion!

The one who received the ball was Hoyoung, who was busy going back and forth between the 1st and 2nd lines.

"Go up!"

As Castilla slowly built up possession in midfield, his genius began to shine.

A genius talent that Barcelona has never experienced before.

Last December, Hoyoung had already surpassed the level of a second-division leaguer.

It was not long after that.

Hoyoung's dribble took away all the opposing defenders in an instant.

Next, the goal post was shaken.

It was Hoyoung's mid-range shot that cut through the falling rainwater and hit the top right corner of the goal.

That caused the audience's reactions to be polarized.

The home fans in the stands were filled with astonishment.

They were unable to continue speaking due to a reality they did not want to believe.

However, on the contrary, the expeditionary seat in the east was a crucible of enthusiasm.

In the middle of it all, there was a rather excited old man sitting.

"Heulheul."

It was President Perez who took the time to participate in the expedition.

He was talking to general manager Jorge Valdano, who was sitting next to him.

"Balboa should be released."

Perez and Balboa.

The two once had a special relationship.

I have known Perez for 9 years since he first took office as chairman.

In particular, there was a glimpse of the possibility of a revival when Balboa scored a goal this season.

But now.

There was no reason to have Balboa with me at all.

That's why they keep Balboa, even paying him 20,000 euros every week.

It was natural.

In the professional world, affection exists and then does not exist.

Because professional sports are about ruthlessly sending out those who are not needed and filling their positions with those who are needed.

"Then who will take the empty seat?"

"There is no one other than Woo Ho-young in first place. That is the opinion of sociologists."

It was an order.

In other words, this is something that will definitely happen unless Perez fails to win a second term.

It was the moment when Woo Ho-young's promotion was 99% confirmed.

"Next year is going to be fun."

Messi of Barcelona.

Real Madrid's Woo Ho-young.

A huge wind was blowing across Spain's La Liga.

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

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