85 – Conflict
1860 Munich, which surprised everyone in the first half of the season, astonishingly grew even stronger in the second half and finally reclaimed the top spot in the league.
Now, as the end of the second half approaches with only 7 league games left, 1860 Munich, which has a 5-point lead over 2nd-placed Bayern Munich, has emerged as the protagonist of a dramatic transformation, from being predicted as the top candidate for relegation before the season started to becoming the top candidate for the championship.
It was a development of a shocking situation that no one could have expected, and the storm that even the most passionate fans of 1860 Munich, not to mention the coaching staff and players, did not anticipate, was now sweeping across not only Germany but the entire Europe.
Good gameplay, a winning streak, and the imminent championship in sight.
Despite all the positive conditions as if the entire universe was helping, the team atmosphere was not all sunshine and rainbows.
“Danny! It’s your daughter’s birthday? Let’s throw a congratulatory party. I’ve prepared plenty of gifts.”
“Hey, Rodel. Can you help with practice after team training today?”
However, even in this situation, not everyone could be joyful.
There were players who did not fit into the harmonious atmosphere of the training ground camaraderie.
“Tsk. Those guys are at it again.”
“Hey, Bao! How about participating with a bit more enthusiasm?”
“It’s all about the passion. Well, don’t worry, I won’t do it halfheartedly.”
Most of them were rotation players.
1860 Munich, which had long been eliminated from the Pokal, had nothing left in their schedule but the league. It wasn’t a surprise, given the generally relaxed schedule of the Bundesliga.
Since Munich focused only on league matches and had been eliminated from other competitions early on, rotation players had little chance to get their turn.
With a record-breaking performance already, it was challenging to change the strong starting lineup.
Of course, it’s great that the team is doing well, but it only means something if you contribute to those results. What’s the point if the team performs well while you’re benched? However, expressing dissatisfaction when the team is doing well is also challenging.
The discontent was accumulating, but expressing it was difficult.
The rotation players were in a tough spot.
However, even among the starters, there was dissatisfaction.
The protagonists were none other than 1860 Munich’s main attackers, Jan Hinkel and Stephan Buls.
Even though they had been regular starters in most of 1860 Munich’s games, their dissatisfaction was simple.
“Damn. This is ridiculous. How long do we have to accommodate the rookies?”
The dissatisfaction stemmed from their lack of contribution to the team’s performance despite being regular starters.
“The season is ending, and does this stat make any sense?”
“Hey, Jan, you’re still better than me.”
Despite almost always being in the starting lineup, the two attackers had only 16 attack points combined.
“Ha… Only 7 goals….”
“I have 3 goals.”
Considering Jan Hinkel’s 7 goals and 2 assists and Stephan Buls’ meager 3 goals and 4 assists, it might not be a bad stat for wingers in the Bundesliga. However, for main attackers of a team aiming for the championship, these stats were overly modest.
Not just because the two were underperforming, but there were other players on the team with more impressive stats.
“He has 16 goals and 4 assists… His attack points have already surpassed 20.”
Moreover, when the comparison involved an 18-year-old rookie in his debut season, it was even more damaging to their pride.
“Damn it. It’s not because we’re lacking. It’s all because of Jo, that guy!!”
If their poor stats were all due to a superior comparison, their anger was even more justified.
And, in reality, their anger was not entirely baseless.
* * *
The seamless coordination displayed by Ju Ji-tae and Cho Jae-sin in the Leipzig match received a lot of attention.
The patterns that emerge in the original attacking tactics can’t be simple. Because soccer is a real-time sport, even if you try to replicate a specific situation, the likelihood of it happening exactly the same way in an actual game is extremely low.
As a result, you have to identify and practice frequently occurring situations. With a multitude of possibilities, as tactics become more complex, the difficulty of implementing them in a real game naturally increases.
Especially in modern football, attacking involves not only the forward line but also considerations for midfielders and side defenders, adding even more factors to consider.
Naturally, pattern plays need to be as simple and efficient as possible. However, Ju Ji-tae and Cho Jae-shin’s pattern play was different.
It was a highly intricate and repetitive process.
This wasn’t something achievable through mere practice; it was the result of years of coordination.
Of course, it wasn’t without weaknesses, but Coach Wilhelm focused more on the strengths.
The synergy between Ju Ji-tae and Cho Jae-shin brought tremendous scoring power.
However, the perspectives of the coach and individual players didn’t always align.
While the coach appreciated the significant increase in team attacking strength, some players paid attention to the drawbacks.
“It was already tough to coordinate, and now it’s completely unpredictable. He moves just to score, without any intention to sync with us!”
Cho Jae-shin, who was already close to free-roaming, began to move even more freely.
Cho Jae-shin’s unrestricted movements were undeniably threatening. It was a set of movements that were difficult to predict, challenging for opponents and, at the same time, demanding for teammates.
Initially specialized in on-the-ball actions, Cho Jae-shin was vulnerable off the ball.
Yet, he managed to accumulate offensive points and showcase excellent gameplay, thanks to the unnoticed sacrifices of 1860 Munich’s dual attackers Jan Heinkele and Stephan Buls.
To support Cho Jae-shin, who possessed incredible scoring instincts, Jan Heinkele and Stephan Buls actively lured opponents, executed screen plays, focused on coordination, and even took on defensive responsibilities.
Initially, it was out of consideration for a young player making his professional debut.
There were complaints, but Jan Heinkele and Stephan Buls endured, given their debut seasons. As the season progressed, Coach Wilhelm didn’t try to assimilate Cho Jae-shin but built tactics based on the sacrifices of the two players.
Cho Jae-shin’s on-the-ball skills were phenomenal, and his scoring ability was unmatched.
It was a genius talent that Jan Heinkele and Stephan Buls, considered good attackers in the 2nd division, couldn’t emulate, or dare say, even fathom.
However… Despite that, sacrificing themselves doesn’t make the two players dolls. How could sacrificing plays be enjoyable?
“I… I scored 15 goals last year!! When Mainz approached me for a transfer, who was the one holding onto me, saying I’d be promoted!!”
Having displayed decent performances in the 2nd division and receiving transfer offers from Bundesliga teams, he chose to stay when the newly promoted team and coach persuaded him. But was this the result? Is the team doing well? Is the Meister Schale approaching?
Good.
It’s really good.
That’s why he endured until now.
However,
“Now, are you telling those young lads to just fool around…!”
With Jo Jaeshin positioned on the flank, the synergy between Joo Jitae and Jo Jaeshin intensified, and the sacrifices of the two became even greater.
Joo Jitae—Jo Jaeshin duo soared even higher.
In the recent four matches since Jo Jaeshin was deployed to the flank, the two couldn’t score any attacking points.
Even before, it was challenging to coordinate, but with Jo Jaeshin placed on the flank, he was leaping around as if he didn’t care about the coordination and movements with the two.
When they stood in the center, at least there was Yan Heinkele and Stephan Buls on both sides to coordinate, but once Jo Jaeshin was placed on the flank, starting from the movement, the paths of the two players began to tangle, whether to match the tactics or Jo Jaeshin’s movements.
Coordinating from both sides towards the center and coordinating from the center and flanks towards the opposite flank are inherently different difficulties.
Coordinating towards the center means aligning with the central movements based on both sides, but coordinating towards the flank means the central player might be clueless, while the player on the opposite flank is in a dire situation.
As the overload piled up, the paths started to tangle, even the central player started to deviate. Trying to compensate for this, they moved, causing chaos from the opposite side. It was truly a vicious cycle.
Moreover, when Jo Jaeshin, who used to pretend to synchronize with the two when he stood in the center, started to recklessly leap around on the flank, the coach, the club, and the unruly Jo Jaeshin himself demanded one-sided sacrifices, causing a great disturbance.
“This 25th round will be the same. Let’s win cleanly and maintain a 5-point difference with Munich.”
So, when Coach Villem declared the same tactics this time,
“Coach, I have something to say.”
“Hmm? What is it, Yan?”
“We can’t play like this. I don’t want to remain as a mere pawn anymore.”
“I agree. We need a tactical change.”
“Stephan, even you…!?”
The two players demanded a tactical change and stepped forward.
