Weird Defender Joo Ji-Tae

chapter 162



162 – Intuition

162

Just because a goal is born doesn’t mean the current play will change immediately.

Changing the play style isn’t something that can be done easily. If you’re going to change something you’ve been doing well so far, you need to be confident that you’ll do better.

If you change it and it ends up being worse, then it’s just a waste of time.

Above all, a player’s play style is a collection of habits that have been solidified over a long time. As everyone knows, habits are hard to change.

Players are humans, and when they play, they have their own habits. Changing those habits means changing their subconscious.

In an era where even non-experts can analyze every small mistake, why do players’ levels differ?

In this era, even non-experts can analyze mistakes, and theoretically, everyone knows what play is better and what’s a better method. The problem is putting it into practice.

In other words, it’s a habit problem.

When you have the luxury of time, you can make calculations and play consciously, but a player’s true value is shown in urgent situations, not when they have the luxury of time. In modern football, where pressure is high, how often do you get a good opportunity in a relaxed situation?

Therefore, in urgent situations, the play that relies on the “body” rather than the “head” is the culmination of a player’s accumulated play. It’s a habit.

Changing this is almost impossible.

So Joo Ji-tae didn’t think about completely overhauling his play style. It might not even be possible. He’s lived a 40-year football life, and how can he change the habits he’s accumulated so far?

However, he could make small changes.

For example, instead of creating a perfect opportunity by deliberately drawing attention and then passing to a forward, he could try shooting more aggressively.

Like now.

[GoooAL—!! Joo Ji-tae scores again against Manchester City!!]

[The first goal in the second leg at Barcelona’s Camp Nou is scored by Joo Ji-tae!]

Manchester City deployed their strongest members to overturn the 3-point deficit, but what they got was Joo Ji-tae’s opening goal in the 29th minute of the first half.

Once again, the crowd went wild, chanting Joo Ji-tae’s name, thanks to the incredible teamwork between Joo Ji-tae and Miguel Gomez.

Miguel Gomez, who had somehow gotten his name on the Joo Ji-tae cheering squad, rushed to Joo Ji-tae with a thrilled expression.

“Do you hear that? They’re calling my name! The fans are chanting my name!”

“Ah… yeah, congratulations. But this is my chant.”

“What in the world! My name is echoing throughout Camp Nou… This is like a dream come true. I’ve always wanted this!”

When he gets excited, he can’t hear anything.

Joo Jitae avoided the penalty kick ceremony and quickly left the stadium, escaping Miguel Gomez’s gaze.

[Ha ha. Joo Jitae, you’re so concise in your goal celebration too. You scored against Manchester City in the Champions League and still look so calm.]

[This player is really fearless. One of his impressive records is that Joo Jitae has a 100% success rate in penalty kicks. However, if you look at his records, he tends to kick the ball straight down the middle. He even has a Panenka record.]

[Although he’s still early in his professional career and hasn’t had many penalty kicks, his record is still impressive. It shows how brave and fearless Joo Jitae is as a player.]

The game was practically over with a 4-goal lead.

Even the most passionate players would lose their motivation with such a huge gap. Manchester City players tried to rally, scoring a goal just before halftime, but that was it.

In the 15th minute of the second half, Coach Jose, confident of their victory, called Joo Jitae off the field and began substituting other players to manage their stamina.

Manchester City continued to score, and the game ended 1:3 in their favor. However, Barcelona won 2:0 at home, securing their minimum pride, and ultimately, Barcelona was the one smiling.

With a total score of 5:4, Barcelona advanced to the Champions League semifinals.

After securing their spot in the semifinals, Barcelona continued to win easily in the league and the Copa del Rey.

[The game has ended. Barcelona wins again! They’re on an incredible roll.]

[Barcelona hasn’t lost recently! They keep winning, and it’s not a dream! If they keep this up, early championship isn’t impossible.]

Barcelona, on a winning streak, was back in the spotlight when the 31st round of the league ended.

[Barcelona wins the 31st round against Athletic Club, reaching 80 points!]

[Last year’s champion, Real Madrid, had 93 points. With 7 games left, Barcelona has already reached 80 points!]

[If they win just 3 out of the remaining 7 games, they can secure the championship with 80 points. That means they only need a 50% win rate to win.]

From 2000 to 2008, the average points of La Liga champions were only 79.6. If this were the early 2000s, they would have secured an early championship with 7 games left.

However, La Liga from 2008 to 2015 was different.

With Pep Guardiola and Messi leading ‘peak’ Barcelona and ‘Second Galactico’ Real Madrid, the average points of champions skyrocketed to 95.1. In just 7 years, the average points increased by 15 points.

They need to win 6 more games to reach 100 points, which is the highest record in La Liga history.

It’s an unbelievable, ridiculous record. La Liga’s highest record is 100 points, and the average points of champions from 2008 to 2015 were 95.1.

It’s an absurd, unbelievable championship competition.

By the way, only two teams have reached 100 points: Barcelona and Real Madrid. In the 11/12 season, Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid achieved 100 points and won the championship, followed by Tito Vilanova’s Barcelona in the 12/13 season.

These two teams dominated the league, and it shows in their goal difference as well.

From 2000 to 2008, the average goal difference of champions was 39.5, but from 2008 to 2015, it increased to 74.6.

It was a period dominated by Barcelona and Real Madrid, and other teams in La Liga must have felt like they were in a nightmare.

However, after that, the two teams’ peak period ended, and the inflation also subsided. Last year, Real Madrid’s final points were 93 under Fernando Alvarez’s leadership.

[With 7 games left and 80 points, Barcelona is theoretically on pace to break La Liga’s highest record. If they win all 7 games, they can reach 101 points.]

[But theory and reality are different. Real Madrid is closely following with 75 points.]

[That’s right. Real Madrid is also on a roll, having won 40 games in a row and having already secured the top scorer title with Fernando Alvarez leading the charge.]

[It’s giving me a strange feeling… It’s a cautious, personal thought.]

[Yes, please go on.]

[Anyone who experienced that era would feel the same way. It’s like the atmosphere of the peak period when the two teams competed for the championship.]

These two teams have been traditional rivals in La Liga from the start.

However, despite their intense rivalry, there is a clear difference between them.

In the sense that the rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid was at its most intense, we can point to the era represented by Messi and Ronaldo, the two greatest rivals of the century.

It was a time when the champion team’s average points were inflated.

And now, the commentators who have been broadcasting football for many years are feeling a familiar sensation.

Just like the most intense rivalry shown by Messi and Ronaldo, leading to a heavenly victory where the champion team is determined.

[This is talking about the era when Barcelona and Real Madrid dominated La Liga.]


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