Blue Dream Trail (Soccer) - Episode 19
September 2027.
Augsburg has been doing well since the opening match of the Bundesliga.
Amidst all this, the first match of the UEFA Champions League group stage arrived.
Their first opponent was Barcelona.
Camp Nou.
The stadium, packed with more than 90,000 spectators, was filled with an unusual atmosphere of excitement even before the start of the match.
The moment he stepped onto the pitch, Ren gasped slightly.
The air is heavy. The gaze is sharp. The cheers reverberate in my eardrums and hit me like an earthquake in my stomach.
“This is… the ‘center’ of the world.”
The next moment after thinking that, all the hesitation disappeared from Ren’s expression.
He doesn’t get consumed by “place.” He focuses on “the present.” That was Ren’s strength.
——————————————————————————–
Barca are fielding a serious lineup with almost all of their main players present.
As the younger players rise to prominence, the players who still shine come at Ren.
15 minutes into the first half.
They controlled most of the ball.
Ren’s passing routes were all read, and he was not even given time to hold the ball.
The other anchor seemed to move in time with his breathing.
(So this is the intensity of a “big club”…)
But Ren remained calm.
Once you have drawn the line, trust your ability to “read” the ball and begin to manipulate the “space” rather than passing.
And in the second half…
Ren received the ball in the center of his half.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he sent a pinpoint long pass to the side.
“…!”
The team’s full-back runs in and makes a direct cross.
Young ace CF Weidemann put the ball into the net, but unfortunately, it was ruled offside.
Still, the atmosphere in the venue changed completely.
“Maybe I’ll do something.”
Everyone felt that way at that moment.
——-
75 min.
Ren receives the ball again. This time, Barca’s second line closes in, but
He passes it to the space forward with one touch.
Lopez, the winger on our team, ran behind the defense and took a direct shot, scoring a goal.
It was Ren’s first assist in the Champions League.
A roar echoed through one corner of the stadium. The commentator shouted.
”Lopez and REN cut through the atmosphere at Camp Nou!”
———————————————————————————-
The game ended in a 2-2 draw.
However, for Augsburg, the result was more than a victory.
After the match, Ren said nothing.
Even though he was under the spotlight, he calmly headed back to the locker room.
Behind him, his teammates were screaming and erupting in joy.
However, Ren was thinking about one thing.
(I could do more. It’s still not enough.)
A Barca player stared intently at his silent back.
“…I feel like I’ll meet him again.”
————————————————————————————
The next day, Spain wrote:paper
“REN – a name the world will remember from now on.”
——–
──The day after the match, Japan.
In the sports section of the lunchtime variety show, Ren was shown next to footage of Onizuka.
[UEFA Champions League Group Stage Round 1]
[Barcelona 2 – 2 Augsburg]
[Japanese midfielder Naoe Ren makes a brilliant assist at Camp Nou!]
In the studio, a former Japanese national team player and commentator spoke excitedly.
“I never thought I’d get an assist at the Camp Nou…”
“Naoe, this is truly amazing for a 19-year-old.”
“The Augsburg players, including Naoe, were better than I expected. They played with great intensity.”
“That was a ‘world-class play’.
Usually, people get lost there, but Naoe-kun doesn’t get lost at all.
His vision and speed of decision-making were first-rate.”
Social media was also buzzing throughout the night.
#Naoe Ren #The Impact of Camp Nou #StillHunter
“The world is going to find this.”
“I’ve had high hopes for him since he was with the youth national team, but he’s the real deal now.”
“I’m sure he’ll be a guaranteed A representative in the second qualifying round starting in November.”
–At the same time, there were also calm voices.
“The assist was amazing, but there’s still a lot to be done.”
“If he can control the game more, he’ll be world-class.”
Hope, joy, expectation, and sober analysis.
Overnight, the whole of Japan began to fully “recognize” the existence of Naoe Ren
———–
Here’s a brief overview of the CL format.
・League phase (36 teams participate. Each team plays 4 home and 4 away games for a total of 8 games) 1st to 8th place → Advance to the final tournament. 9th to 24th place → Advance to the final tournament and playoffs. 25th to 36th place → Eliminated from the league phase
– Final tournament playoffs (16 teams ranked 9th to 24th participate. The 8 teams that win in a home and away format advance to the final tournament)
– Final tournament (16 teams will participate. From the round of 16 onwards, the semi-finals will be played in a home and away format, and the final will be played in one match)
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