Blue Dream Trail (Soccer) - Episode 21
Champions League Group Stage Matchday 2
Augsburg vs *Napoli (home)
Before the game.
There was an unusual buzz in the stadium.
“REN!”
“That’s our passer!”
Screams of Ren’s name echoed from all over the stands.
That shot against Barcelona. That memory is spreading like ripples of expectation.
But that attention also meant being a target.
“Today I can’t just get away with being the loser.”
CB Philip laughed and tapped him on the shoulder.
Ren nodded slightly.
“Yes, I know that.”
kick off.
Napoli bared their “fangs of the south” from the start.
The pressure in the midfield was unusually sharp.
When the ball reaches Ren, two or three people surround him.
No traps allowed. No time to look up.
This was said at the live event.
“What Naples is good at is not giving you time.
Even that Japanese person is struggling.”
In the first half, Ren’s number of touches decreased dramatically.
His passing success rate dipped into the 60% range for the first time in his career.
But in the second half.
Ren then “quietly stopped” in the center of the pitch.
It’s as if the music had stopped.
Not in a position to receive the ball, but in a position to provide space for a teammate.
And ten minutes later…
It moves at a completely different tempo.
Once, he stepped back to pretend to receive the ball,
On the other hand, he made a move that took the opponent by surprise.
The team’s CB immediately makes a long pass.
Ren used his height to collect the ball near the touchline, then made a long pass to the opposite side to catch the Napoli defense off guard before compressing the same side.
From then on, Napoli’s defense gradually crumbled, and they completely lost the timing to recover.
And then extra time.
The score was 1-1, and it looked like the game was heading for a draw.
But—
Ren received the ball in the middle of the enemy’s territory, between the opponents.
First touch, turn, and pass through.
The one who ran in was fellow midfielder Fudrich, a midfielder for the German U-23 national team.
One-on-one with the goalkeeper, he created a small gap and calmly smashed the ball to the right.
2-1.
The stadium exploded.
After the match, the coach spoke quietly.
“…He can see through his opponent’s ‘distance’.”
The following morning, Italy reported: Gazzetta
“The melodic control tower – REN.
His name now resonates like music throughout Europe.”
That night, Ren was quietly rewatching the footage of the match in his room.
A misalignment in your pass, your teammates’ movements, and the opponent’s footwork.
Pick up everything down to the smallest detail.
(The accuracy can still be improved.)
He looked tired, but his expression was clear.
————————————————————————
──The day after the match, Japan.
Lunch
In the sports section of a variety show, Naoe Ren’s name was again mentioned next to Onizuka.
[UEFA Champions League Group Stage Round 2]
[Augsburg 2 – 1 Napoli]
[Naoe Ren assists the winning goal! He has a strong presence against two strong opponents in two consecutive Champions League matches.
In the studio, a commentator who is a former Japan national team midfielder nodded as he spoke.
“Napoli was tough. They had a unique style of closing the gap. Even if they had been replaced in the first half, we wouldn’t have been able to complain.
However, Naoe made the necessary corrections in the second half.
There are still some rough spots, but that “sense of changing the distance” can be a weapon.
He’s a bit out of the ordinary.”
Social media was buzzing from early in the morning.
#Naoe Ren #Napoli final assist #StillHunter
“Assisting against Napoli is insane.”
“You’re too calm…I can’t believe you’re 19.”
“There have been a lot of articles about Naoe lately, and it makes sense.”
“With Onizuka and Naoe, the future of the Japanese national team is just too bright, isn’t it?”
“I’ve been called up for the second qualifying round starting next month, so I’m looking forward to watching it.”
On the other hand, there were also some calm comments like this.
“The match against Barça was a more impressive one as an opponent, but a match like today’s is more valuable.”
“It’s not just the result that’s impressive, but the fact that he continued to think and correct himself while struggling for 90 minutes at that age.”
–I saw not just momentum, but real growth.
That kind of atmosphere was certainly prevalent.
Then, a Japanese soccer magazine wrote the following on its cover the next day:
Quietly and surely. Naoe Ren increases his presence in Europe.]
His story was told before anyone made a fuss about it.
It was starting to spread around the world.
——
*Naples
Founded in 1926, it is one of the most successful clubs in Southern Italy.
He has won numerous titles in the past.
Maradona also played there.
They have some of the most passionate supporters in southern Italy and are a strong supporter of the club.
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