Romantic on the Field

60.

if u see this you eather reading in epub or from somewhere other than noble so just bear with it it may break the flow but nothing can be done sigh

Many football teams based in or near Birmingham are proud of their history and tradition.

Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion, which go back and forth between the Championship and Premier League, and Wolverhampton, which showed a match with Stoke City at the beginning of the season with ‘SOS’, are representative examples.

But if you were to pick one of the strongest teams out of them, nine times out of ten it would be Aston Villa.

“Why?”

After hearing Harry’s explanation, Brian tilted his head.

“Why why? Because it is the strongest.”

Harry replied as if it were absurd, and Robin, who was next to him, let out a big laugh.

“Never been relegated in over 10 years, Aston Villa.”

“···uh? really?”

“yes. ”

When Robin explained Boo, Brian nodded.

“As expected, Robin is good at explaining.”

“…”

Harry tossed the soccer ball he was holding, which Brian dodged quickly.

“Wasn’t he at Aston Villa?”

Jamie, behind Brian, caught the ball and threw it back to Harry.

“He? who?”

“Looks like you had a really scary goalkeeper.”

Since the words were retrieval from memories of a previous life, I ended up saying it in the past tense.

“Oh, Sammy Carter?”

Yeah, Carter. That monstrous keeper.

When I heard the name, I definitely remembered it.

“He did well. But was it terrifying? The face looks a bit scary, but…”

Robin added with a slightly puzzled expression. It was because I felt a strange feeling that was difficult to explain in Jamie’s tone.

“Yes, I meant the face was terrifying.”

“You talk too much.”

Brian, who was listening to the conversation from the side, wrinkled his face.

“Mutombo hears something similar. deep sea.”

if u see this you eather reading in epub or from somewhere other than noble so just bear with it it may break the flow but nothing can be done sigh

Mutombo, who had been sitting silently, also helped.

“···Well. Is everyone done training? Goes.”

Jamie, who had nothing to say, evaded it and began to pack his things.

“Sammy Carter?”

After returning home, I told Hannah that she put Kai down.

“Well, it must be in last year’s scouting report? I put a dot on it as a replacement for Oliver, but Oliver’s foam was less likely to fall off than I thought, so it must have been buried.”

“Last year…. How was the evaluation then?”

Hannah frowned.

“Well. Wait, I’ll check it now.”

“No, there’s no need to do that…”

Then, she ignored Jamie’s words and brought the tablet PC from the bedroom.

“Ah, here it is. Excellent reflexes, agility, and one-on-one defense, but poor footwork. No build-up ability.”

“that’s interesting.”

“yes? what?”

Jamie put his face on Hannah’s cheek.

“In a way, he’s a completely different player from Oliver.”

“is it?”

“What are Oliver’s characteristics?”

“…no, passable?”

“right. The save isn’t bad, the build-up isn’t bad, and I don’t do weird things. But according to scouting reports, Semi Carter is the opposite. Bad feet, no build-up. Instead, a player who shows amazing saves.”

In fact, the ‘amazing save’ he said was an expression that was not in the report. I just saw it with my own eyes in my past life.

“It’s not like that. But why is Carter all of a sudden? There are many other good players at Aston Villa.”

“A lot, a lot, but…”

Among them, only Sammy Carter was memorable.

Although the timing is different, Sammy Carter showed a monstrous performance that blocked not only himself, but also the decisive opportunities of Damian and Ben, who were teammates at the time.

‘Isn’t that enough now?’

Goalkeepers are often at their peak after their 30s.

“Oh? why don’t you talk yes?”

Hanna stabbed Jamie in the side.

“hahahahaha, don’t do it.”

“Why don’t you talk?”

Jamie, who was vague about answering, grabbed both of Hannah’s hands and kissed her.

“Oh?”

“What shall we do for Christmas?”

And hastily changed the subject.

“Whatever, you have to play.”

“There are no games on the day. Let’s go on a date after a while then.”

“Ugh. Well. It’s the game the next day, so I’m sure it’ll be okay.”

Fortunately, it seemed to have succeeded in changing the topic.

“Look at the game schedule. Absolutely murderous.”

Hanna manipulated the tablet PC to show the game schedule.

Before and after Boxing Day, there were matches against Burnley and Sunderland, and against Aston Villa in the FA Cup.

“…surely, it’s tough.”

“So, what about a date next?”

wickedness.

The married man’s intuition has sent a signal that it is dangerous.

Obviously, contrary to words, it was a sign that he wanted a date.

“No, absolutely.”

“really?”

The murderous game schedule was agonizing, but Jamie shook it out of consciousness with a fierce nod.

“yes. It doesn’t mean you can’t date just because you play a lot. You have to distinguish between public and life.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

It was better to put up with a murderous game schedule than to be murdered.

**

Boxing Day is December 26th, the day after Christmas.

In the UK, not only Christmas is a holiday, but the next day, Boxing Day, is a holiday, and if a weekend is included, Monday is designated as a substitute holiday. In this case, Boxing Day is recognized as the last honey-like holiday before the end of the year for British people because they rest for 3 to 4 days in a row.

However, on the other hand, it is also a time when soccer players have to literally digest a ‘murderous schedule’. This is because matches are held on Boxing Day. Since the game on the day of Boxing Day is added to the original league schedule, the fatigue is inevitably severe for players who play consecutive games.

In addition, this time, we had to play games in a row almost without a break until mid-January because we had to go through the games that were delayed due to the World Cup during November and December.

“Jamie, how are you feeling?”

Coach Charlie asked before the FA Cup 3rd round-round of 64 matches.

“it’s okay.”

Over the past few days, Charlie has been using Jamie for the first time in a long time ‘like eating caviar’. It’s about digesting only one of the first half or the second half or injecting it briefly for 10 to 20 minutes when there is a draw.

That’s why Jamie’s condition wasn’t too bad.

“If there is a tie, I will put in right after the first half. I know in advance.”

“Yes.”

There was a league game right after three days, so it was Jamie starting from the bench today.

“Reduce the distance! Raise the defensive line more!”

Soon the game started.

Stoke City had a back-and-forth against a Premier League team.

Even Jamie is still on the bench.

‘I wonder if it’s okay.’

Jamie looked uneasy on the field.

Today’s Stoke City midfield was a form of Jack, Ralph, and Harry forming a triangular formation, with Mario protecting the defenders.

‘The opponent’s 2-3 lines have good organization. Even his individual abilities are much better compared to championship players.’

Charlie had said that before the game, so I couldn’t help but feel more anxious.

whoa-oh

For the first 20 minutes, my anxious premonition seemed to hit. This is because Aston Villa fired several threatening shots based on organized pass play.

“Harry, nice cover!”

“great job! Keep it like this!”

Fortunately, as time passed, Stoke players who had adapted to the flow of the game to some extent found a way to cope with it, and then Harry and Ralph took a wide range of activities and cut off the opponent’s attack right before the moment of crisis.

“jack! go up!”

And in the 35th minute of the first half, Jack intercepted the opponent’s ball near the half line and dragged the ball up himself.

Reaching the front of the penalty box, he faked it as if he were going to shoot himself, then passed it to Brian, who was out to the side.

Brian got into a stance and fired a mid-range shot.

puck-

The shot hit the defender and bounced off. However, that rather resulted in the momentary scattering of the opponent’s defensive camp.

“Robin!”

Jack picked up the loose ball and passed it directly to Robin, who caught the ball on the same line as the defender and immediately shot.

‘It went in!’

There is a moment when you feel the goal the moment your foot hits the ball. Robin’s shooting this time was like that.

“aaa!”

However, Aston Villa goalkeeper Sammy Carter blocked the shot with animalistic instincts.

“Still there!”

“Concentrate!”

Fortunately or unfortunate, the shot was so strong that the ball that Carter bounced went all the way to Brian’s side.

“Hit it!”

Brian was a player who could shoot from any position and from any angle.

In a situation where he could aim for a goal even if the position was a little far from the diagonal, Brian fired an accurate shot with his right foot inside.

“…!”

But Carter blocked even that.

Even by catching, not punching.

‘Is that possible?’

Jamie watched the scene with an absurd feeling.

“Watch out for the counterattack!”

“come back quickly!”

Immediately, the Stoke City coaching staff shouted. Not only Jack, who cut the ball, but also Harry and Ralph, who were behind, went over to the Aston Villa camp.

If a long kick was delivered beyond the half line, it could reach right up to the final defense line.

goof-

Carter, who was holding the ball, hurriedly attempted a long kick.

“···what.”

“Where are you kicking?”

The eyes of the players, coaches, and spectators shifted from Carter to the ball and then to the touchline.

Beep.

Carter’s long kick went out of the touchline as it was.

‘The feet are real development.’

Jamie let out a sigh of relief.

“Our play was fine. It’s just that the opposing goalkeeper did well. If you keep knocking on it, it will open.”

The first half ended with neither team having a clear chance.

“Robin, good job.”

Charlie decided to drop Robin and put Mikel in.

The opponent is a team with excellent goalkeepers. That’s why Mikel, who has a good supply, decided to try a strategy in which the other players make decisions while keeping the goalkeeper in check.

In the current situation, it could be said that it was a very reasonable decision.

“···Yes.”

Robin knew that, so he accepted it without hesitation.

“Jack, you showed more than expected. Let’s show the same image as today in the next game.”

The next replacement was Jack.

“Jamie, are you ready?”

The player who was put in was, of course, Jamie.

“Yes.”

**

The game changed dramatically in the second half.

The reason was simple.

“Jamie!”

“Hit it!”

Because Jamie was put in.

“Ah-oh!”

“Wow, stop that?”

However, even though the aspect has changed, the score has not changed.

20 minutes in the second half.

‘Are you a person?’

Jamie, who had already hit his fourth shot, looked at the opposing goalkeeper with a tired expression.

However, I couldn’t just admire it forever.

Jamie thought back to his past life, how he defeated the opposing goalkeeper when he put on a crazy save show.

Against Atletico Madrid, against Stade Renze, against Juventus, and against Aston Villa,

‘Either caught off guard or laid eggs.’

Two of the most probable methods came to mind.

Shuk. Jamie’s gaze moved between the opposing goalkeeper’s crotch.

“Jay, what are you doing!”

“ah.”

Of course, at that timing, Harry passed, and Jamie almost missed the ball.

Whiyu. He caught his breath and quickly looked around.

Brian, Mikel.

‘What about Keating?’

overlapping.

done. After entering the information on the field, Jamie accelerated.

ter- ong. In the middle, the opposing midfielder bumped his shoulder roughly, but as expected, he did not fall and endured well. He then passed to Brian moving from the left to the center.

Soon after, Keating went behind Brian, and Mikel, a human telegraph pole, took his place between the opposing central defender and the goalkeeper.

‘great.’

Jamie lowered his arms down and showed them out.

Signal to pass.

Brian gave the ball right away, and Jamie stepped back with his left foot as if he was about to shoot a direct shot.

“…!”

A nearby defensive midfielder flinched. If you shoot as it is, there is a high possibility of getting hit by the opponent’s body.

Jamie couldn’t have been unaware of this. Instead of shooting, he took a different route.

Oh oh-.

Jamie’s through pass was delivered accurately towards the penetrating Keating. The supporters who were sitting in the seats across from them exclaimed.

‘cross? shooting?’

The situation where Mikel, who has a good height, is in the middle.

However, as Keating often scored goals from bad angles, the opposing defense seemed to be momentarily confused.

At that moment, Jamie cut into the Near Post.

swish The defense’s gaze shifted to Jamie.

Took. Keating waited and passed him, and immediately two defenders stood in front of Jamie to prevent him from turning.

The two main defenders of the Premier League team are blocking it, and even the angle is limited.

However, Jamie passed between the two in an instant with upper body painting and a sudden change of direction.

Oh oh-! The Stoke City supporters rose from their seats again with exclamations.

‘Now it’s shooting.’

Everyone present could have predicted Jamie’s next move.

The same goes for the opposing goalkeeper, Sammy Carter.

He jutted forward to make the already narrow angle even tighter.

‘sorry.’

Inevitably, Jamie, who had to humiliate her opponent, apologized briefly inwardly.

Tok.

Then he lightly pushed the ball between his crotch.

[eee-YeeeA! ]

The audience who were standing up and those who were still seated all cheered in unison.