Blue Dream Trail (Soccer) - Episode 18

A few months later.

Ren was no longer just a “connector” but had become the “heart” of the team.

Highest duel success rate and number of key passes on the team

Longest distance covered per 90 minutes

The team’s lack of mistakes ranks among the top five in the entire league.

His reading skills are so good that his average interceptions per 90 minutes are second in the league.

His sharp reading of the counterattack was highly praised.

The media called him the “Still Hunter.”

The team has also been strengthened with the emergence of young players from the academy,

Thanks to the efforts of loaned players, the team continued to increase its winning points.

And then in the spring, Ren scored a dramatic comeback goal for Augsburg in the final match, securing fourth place in the league.

The moment Augsburg qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history, the stadium was filled with cheers from the fans.

Ren’s name was also called.

Chants of “REN! REN!” filled the stadium many times.

Who would have thought the day would come when the name of the “quiet player” would be shouted with such passion?

However, he was not satisfied.

“He has few goals and assists, so he is not yet a ‘playmaker’.”

With that said, Ren began to focus on individual shooting training and dueling practice.

Watching videos of the world’s top players playing the same position,

Identify yourself in each of those people and find out what you are lacking.

Technique, physical ability, and playing vision.

He began to redefine everything as a “weapon to reach the top.”

–This spring, his “story” took a step forward.

The next place Ren was looking at was outside the Bundesliga – on the European stage.

Three days since the final round.

At home, Ren reaches for his smartphone as it vibrates briefly.

[Mother]

— “It was featured on the news! It was amazing!”

— “It’s become a hot topic in Japan too!”

Suddenly, his mouth relaxed.

When I opened the attached link, I found a feature article.

“Naoe Ren, a 190cm tall midfielder with a strong presence in Europe. With his world-class brain and footwork, he is eagerly awaited to make his debut for the Japanese national team.”

(…I haven’t accomplished anything yet.)

I put my smartphone down, and outside my room was the quiet German night sky.

Ren looks up at the distant sky once more and makes a silent vow in his heart.

(Become stronger. Become higher──)

—————-

First season in the Bundesliga

Bundesliga: 27 appearances (24 starts), 2 goals, 5 assists

German Cup: 2 appearances, 0 goals, 1 assist

———–

A little bit about CL.

The CL stands for Champions League, a competition to determine the strongest club in Europe, where only the top teams from each European league in the previous year come together.

The Champions League is truly a dream tournament and the most prestigious competition to determine the world’s strongest club team of the year.

To participate in the CL, in principle, each UEFA member country must have a high ranking in the domestic league in the previous season. The number of spots given to each country and the round from which they participate are determined by the UEFA ranking (country ranking).

Generally, leagues higher in the UEFA rankings (e.g., the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A, French Ligue 1) are awarded more qualifying spots. Often, the top-ranked leagues are awarded four direct league phase spots.