Blue Dream Trail (Soccer) - Episode 35

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──Tuesday, September 19, 2028

CL League Phase 1st Round (Home)

Augsburg vs *Sporting CP

Before the match, a stiffer silence than usual echoed through the dressing room.

The day the CL anthem plays.

For Ren, this is his second year in a row on this “dream stage.”

But this year, it felt somehow different.

Most of the main players are no longer around.

(It’s the same view as back then. But… there’s no one there to look at it with me.)

The game begins.

Augsburg started cautiously in the early stages.

Ren sets the tempo in the midfield, spreading the passes,

I was trying to push the line up somehow.

Sporting seems to have the ball,

He was sharpening the “blade to use after stealing.”

15 minutes into the first half.

Lost for a moment.

Four seconds later, the ball was cut in down the side and a cross was made.

0-1.

Ren prepares the line while giving instructions, but his instructions don’t get through.

27 minutes.

Again, the counter.

Ren returns, but the player in front of him doesn’t keep up.

They were pushed back by a strong attack,

0-2.

Immediately afterwards, Ren broke through the enemy’s midfield on his own.

He made a perfect final pass to striker Himmel, who was starting for the first time today.

The shot was straight at the keeper.

Himmel holds his head.

Ren didn’t say anything; he just nodded slightly and returned to his own camp.

Second half.

In the 58th minute, Ren used a one-two with Kemar to get past one opponent, and then he held down another opponent with his arm and forced a shot.

The ball was just wide of the left goal, but there was applause from the stands.

(But that’s not all…)

Shortly afterwards, we conceded a goal from a corner kick.

0-3.

The color had drained from Ren’s face.

The game is over.

0-3, complete defeat.

Ball possession rate, pass success rate.

The numbers are even.

Ren’s stats are among the best among all players.

But the scoreboard was brutal.

After the game, someone muttered in the locker room.

“It was a complete defeat…”

But Ren didn’t reply.

He was quietly undoing the laces of his cleats at the edge of the locker room.

My room after returning home at night.

Ren muttered to himself as he rewatched the footage.

“I never thought something that works would make me feel so empty…”

But he kept pressing play.

The next question is, “What should we change?”

It’s not anyone’s fault.

If I could change this club.

Next time → Episode 35.5 “That Gaze Across Countries”

The “evaluation” is hidden in the defeat. People were watching Ren’s play from across the ocean.

* Himmel Raone

Age: 19

Position: FW (CF/ST/WG)

Club: Augsburg (joining in summer 2028)

Height/Weight: 178cm/71kg

Dominant foot: Right

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*Sporting CP (Sporting Clube de Portugal)

✨ In one word…

“The Lions of Lisbon, raised with spirit and fighting with pride”

Among the Portuguese clubs

Sporting is the team that best embodies what a club is.

🟢⚪ Sporting CP’s culture, atmosphere, and characteristics

① One of the three major Portuguese clubs

Rivals:

　SL Benfica (“Lisbon’s other giant”)

　・FC Porto (the giant of the north)

-Sporting is a club of royal origin based in Lisbon.

-Compared to Benfica, the club culture places importance on an “elite feel,” “elegance,” and “classical spirit.”

② One of the world’s leading “development clubs”

Sporting’s academy is world-renowned.

It is best known as the club that produced Ronaldo.

Major stars from the development team:

Cristiano Ronaldo

Luis Figo

Ricardo Quaresma

Joao Moutinho

・ William Carvalho and many others

– The training facility called “Academia Sporting” is one of the best in Europe.

3) A club culture that values ​​”pride” over “victory”

・Supporters place more importance on “identity” than on winning or losing.

– A club that claps even when it loses and praises when it fights, a club that is true to its spirit.

– In the match against Benfica (Lisbon Derby), their pride in “being themselves rather than being richer than the opponent” stood out.

4. A “development club” that fights alongside young players

-Sporting is a “development and trading” club that earns income by selling stars.

・However, they have the tactical perfection and mentality to compete for the top spots every year.

– A cycle of “clubs develop players, and players leave with respect for the club” has taken root naturally.

⑤ Supporter culture: Elegance and passion coexist

Generally speaking, Benfica fans are down-to-earth, while Porto fans are enthusiastic.

　Sporting fans are the proud and intelligent “Lions of Lisbon”.

・However, the passion behind that calmness can be extremely hot when it explodes!

– Especially during the Lisbon Derby and title races, the stadium transforms into a thundering green roar.

🏟 José Alvalade Stadium

・Capacity is approximately 50,000. The bright green and yellow seats are impressive.

-A design that beautifully reflects Sporting’s iconic color, green.

– The acoustics are also good, and it is known as a difficult venue that creates an “unusual atmosphere” even during European Cups.