The Little Prince of the Field - Chapter 1

Fever rises from the lawn of the Pepe Goncalvez practice field on Gran Canaria Island.

The high temperatures on summer days are taking away moisture from the players’ bodies.

My mouth was dry, but it doesn’t feel bad.

A position that slightly crosses the center line…

The ball rolls into a position about two steps away from my right foot.

The midfielder’s pass was unkind.

I wondered if he was in a bad condition.

His name was… Pedro, I think ?

“Kim!”

The players go forward asking for a pass.

The gap between the opposing defender and the midfielder widened.

I turn to the centerline chipping with my right foot.

Small touches are being made smoothly.

If the coach had seen it, he would have been satisfied.

There was a little distance to the goalpost, so I have to hit the ball one more time to connect the shot.

Hit the ball long and follow it in.

Even if the other person responds immediately, the distance gives me priority.

The opposing midfielder, who was protecting the front line of the defense, checked the position of the ball, hesitated, but soon rushed in to clear the ball.

The trap worked.

Kirian Rodriguez, a midfielder with an impressive beard, has previously played for the Las Palmas B team.

I can predict to what extent he will narrow the space.

Using the inner side of the foot, I changed the ball’s direction at once.

The opponent’s tackle cuts through the air.

When I pushed my shoulder against the opponent’s left  shoulder and collided, the way opened without much resistance.

Kirian Rodriguez lost his balance in return for his hasty defense.

As the midfielder’s personal defense broke down, the final defenders who fell far away look confused.

The striker of my team is on the offside line, and the midfielder is spread to the side, so there is no point in giving the ball.

Shooting is the only option left.

Both the left and right sides of the goal post are good angles.

The space is so open that there is no need to hurry.

While maintaining composure, I complete the shooting motion.

The ball flew to the top left of the net.

Although the defenders stretched their legs near the shooting trajectory, it was a belated attempt.

They shouldn’t have allowed shooting space in the first place.

Keeper allows a goal without being able to fly.

I felt very good because the training so far seemed to have led to the goal.

Good.

“Good!”

“Kim, you’re in good shape.”

“It’s only a matter of time before you make it to the first division. Every time I see it, your skills improve.”

Players who flock around me tap my head and say something.

I didn’t answer.

I didn’t want to touch them to touch my body.

We’re not even close, but people here cross the line too easily.

In addition, the players who talked to me were first-tier players without vests.

The game ended in a 2-3 victory for the first division.

This was the best result that the second division could produce.

As I started warming up with the players after the practice game, the head coach called me.

“Kim, Pecardt will be absent from the opening game next week due to injury. You’ll be on the opening game list against Uesuka. Prepare for it.”

“…okay.”

I wasn’t excited by the news.

It’s only been a year since I came to Spain, and I’ve been in the second division.

The record on the paper was not bad, but there was constant bickering inside the stadium.

The coach shook his heads, saying, “I can’t give good reviews every time.”

In this manner, he said, “I don’t know when you’ll be in the first division,” and told me to make efforts to socialize with my colleagues.

It was an unfeasible demand.

I came to play soccer and I didn’t come to make friends.

So I did what I could, however I wanted.

Thus my reputation with the coach became stagnant.

The only reason he let me sit on the first-tier bench now was, the person in the reserve was so bad.

I took a shower and packed my bags.

Training was over at 4 p.m., and I rushed home since I need to put rice in the rice cooker before my dad returns.

Red light spreads like paint through the road back home and stone roads with light jogging.

I didn’t have any special affection for Las Palmas, but I have no choice but to admit that the sunset of the Canary Islands is the best.

The strange residence in the yellow apartment is the house where I live.

There is no elevator, so it’s good to go by stairs, since it will be like an exercise.

“Buenas tardes.”

(Good Evening)

I silently raised my hand and greeted the red-haired lady with a smile.

I want to just walk by without saying anything, but strangely I can’t do that with that lady.

Once I came home, I vacuumed the dusty veranda once, and started preparing dinner.

My grandmother’s kimchi, which barely passed the customs at the Spanish airport, is waiting for my father.

“Daddy’s home.”

Dad bought another strange fruit.

I shouldn’t have eaten it, but to my father’s eyes, it seemed like I was enjoying the fruit.

Dad was blunt and delicate.

I don’t talk much with my dad, so after finishing the fruit, I  took out a container of side dishes from the refrigerator like I usually do.

After divorcing my mother, there was an awkward atmosphere that made things difficult to express my feelings with my father.

Tiredness flows from the back of the father who was checking the electric rice cooker.

A foreign island far from Korea.

Trusting the agent’s words, my father who came all the way here often seemed solemn.

I eat the menu set by the club, and my dad eats side dishes sent by my grandmother.

Like that another day passed in the Canary Islands.

⏩⏩⏩⏩⏩⏩

When I opened my eyes, it was still dark outside the window.

I Turned off the alarm and went out to warm up my body.

Sunday, August 18, 2019.

Even if it was a bench, it was my first day as a professional player.

I jogged in briefly and returned home.

My voice trembled a little.

When I was first notified by the coach, I thought I was okay, but now I was not.

It was certainly a far-fetched move.

I saw my dad preparing something in the kitchen, went to him and spoke

“Dad, I’m going to eat separately this morning.”

“Why?”

“I have a game.”

“What game?”

“We’re playing against Uesca, and they want me to stay on the bench.”

My father, who was making porridge with a bag of scorched rice brought from Korea, acted like he had heard a shocking news.

He spoke in an excited tone, which he uses, when I scored a goal in a practice game.

“La Liga ? Are you playing in the first division?””

“Yes, but it’s just a bench…”

“If you had told earlier, I would’ve prepared to come see the match!”

“I’m just a bench member.”

“ Okay…..I’ll Come and see the match.”

“No, I don’t think I will be playing. You don’t have to do that”

“No, I’ll come and watch it.”

I think it’s been three months since I last saw Dad’s smile.

My father was delighted at the mere chance of me getting to sit on the bench in an official match.

There is a pleasant tension in my heart from my father’s subtle and excited tone.

I wanted to play in the game.

⏩⏩⏩⏩⏩⏩

Estadio Gran Canary.

As tourists occupied most of the island, the number of spectators was not enough to fill all 30,000 seats, but today, it was full spectators worthy of the name value of the La Liga League opening game.

Uesuka’s players, who flew for two and a half hours, will not be in the same condition as usual.

While helping the starting players warm up, I entered the bench as the start of the game was imminent.

Next to the four children holding the La Liga mark, the players shake hands.

Players from Las Palmas and Ueska were in a fixed position under the cheers of a packed crowd.

With the referee’s whistle, the game begins with the first cross of Las Palmas striker Castro.

When Pedro’s long pass passes past Castro in the first attack and goes outside, he shouts “Pedri” while sighing.

Yes, it wasn’t Pedro, it was Pedri.

Despite the disappointing attack failure, the crowd applauded the players generously.

It’s understandable if it’s Pedri.

The name was confusing, but everyone in Las Palmas B knows Pedri’s success story.

Pedri was chosen by Barcelona this summer.

Sixteen-year-old young talent, returning to Las Palmas after his tenure, Pedri was a promising man to create a Las Palmas genealogy with Manchester City’s David Silva.

If I had the right opportunity one day, will I be able to get to that position?

I was born in the same year, so I might be able to get there someday.

Whether it’s my excessive optimism about the future that had brought bad luck, or just our team getting pushed back, the flow of the game soon changed against us.

Pedri is a great player, but he could not reverse the entire flow of the game by himself.

Like last year, we were not a team that had the power to dominate La Liga.

The difference in performance is so remarkable that it makes me think that they are the players of AT Madrid who only changed their uniforms.

The audience’s foreheads were filled with grief, as they replaced encouragement with cheers.

Uesuka’s No. 21 player throws a diagonal through-pass into the penalty box, and the ball passes through the bridge of central defender Aitami by a hair’s breadth.

The first touch of the Ueska striker, who penetrated from behind the defender, was rough, but it was not a big mistake enough to miss the opportunity.

The ball passes through the left space of the goalkeeper who faced one-on-one.

The Las Palmas players lost a point.

It was evident.

The ease they showed me in last week’s practice game is nowhere to be found.

Even after losing a point, Uesuka’s attacks continued and became sharp every time.

Despite my lack of Spanish skills, I heard abusive language from fans.

The atmosphere on our side became dark.

As if they had cast a spell, an additional goal went in as soon as I heard swear words about the game behind the bench.

It was a header that changed the direction of the ball next to the right post following the cross.

Las Palmas’ defense fell completely down with an additional goal.

Ueska’s midfielder line constantly exchanges organic passes, messing with the space between the defender and midfielder created when the central defense falls.

It was like watching the highlights of the second division of La Liga from Spanish public broadcasting channel.

Trivia

Penalty Box/ Penalty area