Few Inches Off

"The substitute Lee Sung Min has not scored a goal in four seasons, yet the coach subbed him in, despite needing a goal with four minutes of added time left." The commentator Park Jin said. 

Then Takashi, the second commentator added, "we've also recieved word that this will be his last game of the team. Let's see if he'll leave a hero or a failure," 

"Takashi, he is leaving a failure, there's barely enough time to do anything. And even if there was, it is the worst player in the league we're talking about right now,he still won't do a thing." 

"You are right... its Lee Sung Min and not Lionel Messi." 

'What a depressing way to Welcome Mr to the game.' Sung Min walked in and the opposition players started to laugh. 

"I guess this game is over."

"The ref should just end the match." 

Even his own teamates were disappointed at seeing him. 

"What the hell is the coach thinking?"

"We need two goals and he brought him in?" 

Takashi the commentator continued, "Momyung fc still have a freekick to play at the edge of the box, who is going to take it? Seeing that their set piece taker Yuji Nakamura is no longer with the team." 

Sung Min then walked up to the team's captain, Dong Wu. "The coach said I should take the freekick." He said to Dong Su who turned to him in surprise. 

"Really?"

"He said that it was his goodbye gift to me."

"Really?!" Dong Wu asked again, still unconvinced, then he turned to the coach for some confirmation. But the coach's attention was elsewhere. 

"I need to speak to the team first." He huddled their teamates together and told them what Sung Min just told him. 

"Hell no!" Was the reaction from everyone.

"We need a goal, there is no way we are wasting this chance by letting him play it," Another person added. 

"Let's give it to him," Tae Hyun said, "It's not like anyone of us can make the free kick. It's his last game, let's leave it as a parting gift to him." 

"Tae Hyun has a point," Dong Wu picked the ball up and handed it to Sung Min, "You can take it." 

His teamates sighed in annoyance and then moved into their positions inside the penalty box to wait for the kick. 

"What the hell is he doing?!" The coach yelled in fury as he watched Sung Min take the ball.

Takashi's voice echoed through the speakers, "Momyung has finally chosen a freekick taker." 

Sung Min dropped the ball at the spot the ref marked for the set piece. 

"No way the team chose the same guy that missed the last penalty of the season to play this important freekick for them." 

Their coach, visibly furious walked back to the bench and sat. Then he picked up a bottled water and started drinking it with hope it will quench his anger." 

 The defensive wall is now in place to block the shot, while some other players are inside the box waiting for the delivery. 

The referee's whistle is sounded and heard by everyone as a signal to take the shot. 

[ Player Stat ]

☆SKILL

*Dribbling: 80/100 

*Curve: 90/100 

*Freekick Accuracy: 85/100 

*Long Pass: 60/100

*Ball Control: 80/100 

Sung Min slowly jogged to the ball and kicked it up into the with a curve. The defenders that made up the wall jumped up to block the ball, but the flew right over their heads. The ball then proceeded to float above everyone in the penalty box. The goal keeper saw that the ball might actually hit the target and he threw himself up in a dive to block the top left of the goal post. The tip of his fingers grazed the ball right before it hit the top right corner of the goal post vibrating the net of the post. 

"What a goal!!!" Takashi screamed at the top of his voice, 

"Unbelievable strike!" 

The coach leaped up to his feet, completely dazzled "When did he learn to do that?!"

Kim Na-na looked at his father and smiled, 'this is just the tip of the ice berg.'

Sung Min picked the ball up from inside the goal post and ran to the center to drop it so the match could restart Immidiately. 

"With just three minutes left to play, this game has suddenly come alive thanks to Lee Sung Min, will Momyung Fc finally get their first point of the season today?" 

The referee blew his whistle, and the passed the ball for play to restart. 

"It's been two minutes and Osaka Fc have refused to give up possession. They are happy with the score and plan to keep it that way." 

The opposing team kept passing th ball between them with no intention of moving the ball forward while waiting for the time to run out. Momyung Fc on the other hand kept applying great pressure in marking them, it reached to a point where the were marking every opposition player with or without the ball. A pass to an opposition player was misplaced and the ball fell out of bounds for a throw in.

"Momyung Fc gets a throw in, they finally get the ball. But will 25 seconds be enough for them to do anything?" 

Their right back Yung Ra picked up the ball and threw it towards Sung Min 

"Him? What is he going to do?" The player charged with marking Sung Min said as the ball flew to Sung Min. The moment the ball touched Sung Min's feet, he kicked it past the player marking him. Now, it's a race between the two for the ball. Even though the opposition was 2 meters closer to the ball than Sung Min, Sung Min still overtook him Immidiately, and then ran off with the ball. 

"He's fast" the opposition's right back said as he closed in to mark Sung Min who was just few meters away from him. 

 The defender tried to kick the ball off his le the moment he got too close but Sung Min moved the ball from his left feet to his right feet and then in-between the defender's leg. It all happened in an instant and he blew past the defender.

Just a few meters away from the goal post and one of the opposition center back moved toward him to intercept his run. 

'If I cut into the penalty box and shoot with my left foot, I will miss the target. And if I dribble past him and shoot with my right, dribble past him and shoot with my right, the goalkeeper will block the shot because I will be shooting from a very difficult angle."

Sung Min still on the run, and now face to face with the defender shifted his body weight to the right, as if he wants to cut into the penalty box and shoot, then he moved left instead. This threw the defender off Balance and he fell to the ground as Sung Min ran past him. The last center back panicked and ran towards Sung Min with the aim of blocking his shot. Sung Min then looked up and saw that their striker Horata was wide open at the center of the penalty box. With all the attention at him, Sung Min kicked the ball to Horata. 

"Thank you!" Horata said with a smile , "Let's end this." He controlled the ball with his chest and then let it roll down to his feet. The goalkeeper ran towards him in haste, spreading out his body to make himself bigger and hopefully block the shot. 

Horata placed the ball right past the goalkeeper, and everyone in the stadium held their breath while watching the ball hit the woodwork and slowly roll out of play. 

"He missed it!!!!" The commentator screamed. The Referee then blew his whistle to signal the end of the match. 

Sung Min looked up to the sky, "I should've taken that shot,' after shaking hands with some players, he had his head lowered as he walked towards the tunnel. 

"I don't think that was enough to convince the coach to keep me...." Sung Min said in disappointment. 

"Hey man," Sung Min turned around, and it was the opposition captain speaking to him.

"That was a great strike, I heard your club wants to terminate your contract. We'll love it if you joined us after that happens."