chapter 154
154 – Happening
154
Most European leagues, which start in August and end in May, are in the midst of their second half.
Of course, there are differences between teams. For example, teams that reach the Champions League final in June have a shorter season.
However, this is a rare exception, and most teams finish their schedules in May.
This means that around March or April, the overall shape of the season’s results becomes clear.
The outline that appears around this time is not always certain, but it’s roughly accurate.
In other words, it’s quite precise.
As the season passes the halfway mark, teams can estimate their performance and points, thinking, “Ah, our team is in the upper ranks,” or “Ah, our team is in the lower ranks.”
The important thing is that it’s not the same for everyone.
Being in the upper ranks doesn’t mean the same thing for every team. Some teams aim for Champions League qualification, while others aim for the championship. Can you say that teams with different goals are in the same group?
For example, Manchester City and Tottenham.
They’re classified as top teams in the league, but it’s not the same level.
On the other hand, being in the lower ranks is also not the same.
There’s a difference between teams that are simply fighting to stay in the lower ranks and teams that are struggling to survive and avoid relegation.
As a result, teams in the relegation zone often show a more desperate and sticky performance towards the end of the season.
The difference is between teams that are fighting for survival and teams that don’t have a goal.
This is often overlooked by people who pursue scientific methods and objective quantification, but the winning mentality and desire to win are terrifying.
The struggle to survive can make teams in the relegation zone grab onto the ankles of teams in the championship zone.
That’s why it’s like this now.
“Ah… what is this? What is this, Barcelona!”
The first match of April, the 27th round of the league, was an away game against Osasuna.
Athletic Club, Real Sociedad, and Deportivo Alavés, along with Osasuna, represent the Basque region in northern Spain, but they are not a strong team, struggling to avoid relegation every season.
Just like Wigan Athletic, who managed to stay in the EPL despite struggling to avoid relegation, Osasuna was the La Liga version of Wigan Athletic.
Since the start of the 21st century, Osasuna had been relegated and promoted repeatedly, showing the true spirit of a “survival king” by managing to stay in the league for 14 years despite struggling to avoid relegation every season.
This season, they were still fighting to avoid relegation, ranking 18th in the league, but they managed to take the lead against Barcelona, the top team in the league, in the 27th round.
“Coach, please encourage Miguel. This is his second start this season… Ah, this is a tough moment, Miguel.”
“Looking at the replay, you can’t say Miguel made a big mistake. He’s been working hard since his first start, showing his passion… It wasn’t a bad foul, but it led to a free kick goal and we conceded.”
The 27th round was held at Osasuna’s home stadium, Estadio El Sadar.
Barcelona was about to face Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals and decided to rotate their lineup against Osasuna, considering their schedule.
It was a reasonable decision, as they had to prepare for the Champions League quarterfinals after the Copa del Rey match.
As the top team in the league, with a 5-point lead over Real Madrid, Barcelona was expected to win against Osasuna, who were struggling to avoid relegation. It was natural for Barcelona to focus more on the Copa del Rey match against Real Sociedad, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
However, they couldn’t rotate their lineup too much in the Champions League, as it was crucial to win every match.
Players are not machines, and they need rest when they can. If they exhaust themselves in every match, they might get injured in important games. Reality is not a cartoon.
It’s great to give your best in every match, but it’s not a suitable mindset for professionals. You need to distinguish between important matches and less important ones and distribute your energy accordingly.
From that perspective, Coach Jose was conservative.
He started Juzaitai, the team’s core player, against Osasuna, but even Juzaitai couldn’t win the game alone.
That’s because no player can win a game alone. Football is a team sport, and the referee’s judgment is also an important factor.
In this match, the referee’s decisions were relatively in favor of Osasuna.
“Ah, Miguel! You need to calm down. You’re too excited right now? You can’t feel relaxed in the game. You’re too anxious.”
Especially dangerous was Miguel, who had started for the first time in a while.
As a defensive midfielder, Miguel was supposed to protect the defense, help with build-up from the back, and provide support. However, after his mistake led to a goal, he lost his composure completely.
Juzaitai’s encouragement and guidance had some effect, but only temporarily.
Miguel, who was evaluated as having better skills than Osasuna’s players, even though he was a backup member, failed to show his abilities against a relegation-battling team.
“You need to hold the ball and look around, but Miguel is handling the ball too quickly. Osasuna’s pressure isn’t that strong, is it? You need to play more slowly and calmly… Ah? Joel Cabrera’s pass is cut off! Osasuna’s counterattack!”
“Miguel is rushing! Quick pressure… Tackle!! Sancho falls down!!”
42 minutes into the first half.
It seemed like Miguel’s tackle, which was expected to be substituted in the second half, would lead to another yellow card.
“The foot came in first! You touched the ball first!!”
Despite strong protests, the referee showed Miguel a yellow card.
The second yellow card, and Miguel was sent off.
“This is not going well.”
Juzaitai let out a deep sigh.
Sometimes, there are games like this, where you get unlucky.
The subsequent free kick from Osasuna shook the net again, and the score became 0:2.
Barcelona was trailing by two goals in the first half for the first time this season.
And it was against a relegation-battling team.
* * *
With the start of the second half, Barcelona substituted three players and launched a fierce attack.
Although they were one player short due to an injury, the team’s build-up from the back, led by Joo Ji-tae, worked seamlessly, and they maintained an overwhelming possession rate, leading to a one-sided attack. However, Osasuna’s goal, which was struggling to avoid relegation, did not open up easily.
“Joo Ji-tae is shooting from a distance, but it’s not going in. No matter how accurate Joo Ji-tae’s mid-range shot is, it’s not going to work this time? The distance is too great, and there are too many players blocking the way.”
“Yal-to La-ra shot!! Ah, the goalkeeper is right in front of him. What a missed opportunity for Barcelona. Yal-to La-ra, who started for the first time in a while, is not performing well.”
The team’s advance to the final third was smooth, but they repeatedly missed opportunities due to Osasuna’s desperate defense and the attackers’ inaccurate finishing.
However, as Barcelona continued to push forward, their relentless attack eventually paid off, and they managed to score despite Osasuna’s tearful defense.
“Pablo Lopez!! Ah, it’s going in at the last moment, deflecting off the goalkeeper’s foot—Leo Martinez!! Leo Martinez scores!!”
“Joo Ji-tae is preparing for a free kick. It’s too far for him to shoot directly, isn’t it?”
“Joo Ji-tae can do it. He’s succeeded in scoring free kicks from a distance before. In Spain, he’s already famous as the ‘Cannon Shooter.’ But this time, the angle is not good, and it’s going to be high… It’s in! The ball is curling in… Joel Cabrera!! Joel Cabrera scores his first goal in the top league!!”
“What a valuable equalizing goal!!”
25 minutes into the second half.
Barcelona, who had been pushing forward relentlessly, finally scored the equalizing goal, making it 2-2 and restoring balance to the score.
However, at 34 minutes into the second half…
Due to the exhaustion of playing with 10 men, captain Pablo Lopez made a basic mistake, allowing Osasuna to counterattack and score easily, tilting the score again.
Coach Jose, who was considering substituting Joo Ji-tae, eventually did so at 36 minutes into the second half, and the game ended in Osasuna’s miraculous victory.
Although the miraculous victory became a hot topic, Barcelona recovered by winning 4-1 against Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals, washing away their worries and preparing for the next game.
Despite losing to Osasuna, Barcelona remained at the top of the league, advanced to the Copa del Rey semifinals, and qualified for the Champions League quarterfinals. Their next game was—
“What a matchup! The Champions League! Barcelona will face Manchester City in the quarterfinals!!”