Weird Defender Joo Ji-Tae

Chapter 76

76 – Replacement

076

Bundesliga, the last game of the first half of the season, the 17th round.

Some teams played the 18th round according to their schedules, but for 1860 Munich, which only had the league left on its plate, it was a matter of another country.

Nobody told them to perform well. If they didn’t want to be stuck in tight schedules, they could get eliminated from other competitions. Of course, 1860 Munich would gladly accept a busy schedule if they were given a chance.

Nonetheless, with only the league remaining unintentionally, 1860 Munich had relatively more flexibility.

The temporal margin to prepare for the next opponent, tactical flexibility, and physical readiness.

However, having that margin doesn’t necessarily translate into success or improved performance, be it in terms of grades or athletic prowess.

If we were to consider it that way, other teams with remaining league schedules should also be achieving good results, but that’s far from the reality.

To translate the relatively extended preparation time into success, one must fully invest that margin into game preparation and the field. Yet, teams and players who pour their enthusiasm into such efforts are rare.

Think about how many working professionals, given extra time, actually channel it into self-improvement. Most often, free time is spent on leisure rather than training or game preparation.

It’s a challenge unless one has exceptional dedication.

Moreover, in European football where the distinction between work and personal time is strict, and where clubs find it difficult to force players into mandatory gatherings, players mostly indulge in leisure once team training is over.

Of course, there are those who dedicate their personal time to training.

Take Cho Jae-shin, for example.

“I heard that Cho Jae-shin is the player who arrives earliest and leaves latest at 1860 Munich. The next one would be Joo Ji-tae, as far as I know. They approach training with such sincerity and passion.”

“Haha. The exemplary professional attitude of Korean players is well-known. Starting from Cha Bum to Sonny, they were all very exemplary players.”

The excellent mentality of Korean players, starting from Cha Bum and continuing to this day, is already famous in Germany. The praise from commentators before the start of the game is nothing new.

“Of course, other players at Munich are also showing tremendous passion in training this season.”

“They’ve extended the team training time on their own. There must be reasons why the promoted team is racing to the top.”

“Exactly. Cho Jae-shin’s already recording double-digit goals; this passion must be the foundation.”

For a player in the second division, promotion to the first division is a long-awaited dream. However, they must also accept the harsh reality of falling from a strong attacking team to the weakest defensive team.

Therefore, promotion is not only the achievement of a cherished wish but also the coexistence of the harsh reality of being the top candidate for relegation. This season, 1860 Munich was experiencing an unbelievable rise, leading the league.

Similar to the fairy tale of Leicester City, as it is called.

Why is it called a fairy tale? Because it’s difficult to happen in reality, it’s a highly exceptional event, that’s why it’s called a fairy tale.

And the players of 1860 Munich were thoroughly immersed in this fairy tale.

To the extent that players voluntarily requested an extension of team training hours.

With passionate players, talented coaching staff, and an unseen but skillful player guiding them, 1860 Munich, even as the first half of the season was ending, continued to hold onto the top spot in the league.

At the center of it all, regardless of what anyone says, are the youngest players in the team, the two Asian rookies who debuted this year.

No one can deny now that Joo Ji-tae’s performance, orchestrating everything from defense to buildup, is exceptional. Even Cho Jae-shin, who momentarily hesitated, was already leading the team to victory with double-digit goals.

League goal number 10.

The team’s highest goal and the fifth-ranking goal scorer in the league.

Therefore, the media had this to say about the young Korean duo.

“Cho Jae-shin leads to victory, while Joo Ji-tae dominates.”

…This was, of course, the headline of the boiling nationalistic fervor that the Korean media couldn’t resist, but even in Germany, articles circulated with titles like ‘Ju Ji-tae prevents the team from losing, Jo Jae-shin leads to victory.’

So, regardless of the team’s standing, many also bet on 1860 Munich’s victory in this match—

“Oh, Leipzig prepared very well and came out strong. The counterattack from Ju Ji-tae to Alan Walker, Matthias, and then Jo Jae-shin is being blocked.”

“Jo Jae-shin doesn’t seem to find his footing in today’s game. Come to think of it, it’s the first time in his career that he has encountered a nil-nil situation.”

“Haha. In fact, Jo Jae-shin’s player career has barely crossed three months, hasn’t it?”

As the first half ended, the score remained 0:0, progressing within Leipzig’s dominant control.

* * *

Not a bad game.

Most of the players returning to the locker room thought so.

Even if 1860 Munich is sprinting for the top of the league, their objective strength is not outstanding. On the other hand, their opponent is none other than Leipzig, a rising powerhouse considered one of the few giants challenging Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

Despite being pushed back by Leipzig throughout the first half, it’s not like they are completely helpless, and the score is still 0:0.

Therefore, even though their bodies were tired, players with bright smiles chatted and laughed in the locker room.

Ju Ji-tae didn’t like that sight.

‘When is the time to make tactical changes in the second half?… What’s the use of just laughing and chatting away?’

They’re not winning, and they can’t just continue with the same strategy in the second half.

Whether it’s a tactical change or a change in mentality, something needs to change, and this is the time, not just to chat and laugh.

Annoyed, Ju Ji-tae looked around the locker room and soon let out a bitter smile.

‘Since when did I become the elder here? I should just ignore it and focus on playing well.’

It’s good that the team is doing well, but that’s about it.

The team and the players are separate entities.

Even though he is an ace and partially in charge, Ju Ji-tae is, after all, the youngest and an Asian. There are limits to how much he can treat the young ones positively, and positive emotions can turn negative in an instant.

Knowing this fact well through past experiences, Ju Ji-tae just glanced around to find Jo Jae-shin.

‘…Not here?’

Therefore, he quickly noticed the absence of the boy.

Thinking he might have gone to the restroom, Ju Ji-tae, at that moment of suspicion, left the locker room.

As expected. He found him outside the locker room, making a secret call in the same place he had called before the game, giggling.

Silently watching that scene, Ju Ji-tae let out a sigh.

There’s no point in talking now. For emotionally turbulent boys, especially teenagers, it’s better to make them feel with actions rather than words.

And it wasn’t that difficult, nor would it take long.

“After the game, it should be interesting to watch.”

Feeling like he had become a babysitter, Ju Ji-tae clicked his tongue.

“I never realized I had become so broad-minded.”

From Noble mtl dot com

* * *

In the second half, Jo Jae-shin was biting his lips.

“Ha… Ha…”

Was it because of the unusually challenging game today? Realizing that his breath was already reaching the tip of his chin, he wondered if he had run more than usual.

“Jo! What are you doing?”

Taking a brief moment to catch his breath, a long pass came from behind.

Jo Jae-shin ran reflexively, but the Lifechee defense, slow to react, was not up to par.

The ball hit the head of Lifechee’s three-back Amar Tetichi and was cleared lightly.

Amar Tetichi’s white teeth, smiling with a black face typical of Nigerian players, stood out. Jo Jae-shin stomped on the ground nervously.

“He’s different from a full-back. And that guy is too agile.”

Although Amar Tetichi, with a height of 183cm as a center-back, was fast and agile, with an incredible elasticity that included monster-like jumping ability, and his mark was quite burdensome, the biggest problem was the unfamiliar three-back formation.

It wasn’t Jo Jae-shin’s first encounter with a three-back.

It was rare, but he had experienced it a few times in his school days.

However, the three-back displayed by a team of the caliber of Lifechee on the professional stage was on a different level.

One might argue that adding just one more player from two center-backs to three doesn’t make a big difference, but for Jo Jae-shin, it was a significant problem.

Even if he had started to get used to it until the first half, in the second half, for some reason, whether it was the coach’s decision or the players’ individual judgments, there were gradual changes in the defensive strategy, and it worked disturbingly well.

This time, the pass that came in from under his feet was intercepted again.

Jo Jae-shin suddenly became alert. If this continued, it might truly become the worst game of the season.

A goalless match?

Certainly not preferred. But can’t the striker score in every game?

Jo Jae-shin had his fair share of goalless matches.

Of course, he scored more goals in matches than those without. Nevertheless, in any case, even in goalless matches, he showed performance befitting his role. He was satisfied with his performance, even if he simply couldn’t score. But this game was the worst.

No goals, no teamwork, no chances created… He did nothing as a striker.

It was as if he had been erased from the game.

Suddenly feeling anxious, Jo Jae-shin, without realizing it, turned his gaze far away.

To the back of the field.

Still, to my friend who is showing overwhelming performance in this match.

Whether he intended to or not, our gazes met for a moment.

Though he hadn’t done anything wrong, somehow embarrassed by that gaze, Jo Jaesin unconsciously turned his head away.

And—

“Hey. Asia friend.”

“…?”

“Why are you calling me? Is that not your number over there?”

As Jo Jaesin awkwardly interpreted Amar Tetich’s German, a scoreboard with high anticipation appeared in Jo Jaesin’s eyes.