Soccer System: Legendary Goalkeeper

Chapter 83 - Slovak Cup Final (1)

Giving freedom to a player is one of the things that stray in the coaching world. Players should not be so free about team matters.

The players have to remember, they will be coached by a coach and that is absolute. Without the coach, the player will be difficult to develop because the training menu is not in accordance with our abilities and talents.

We're goalkeepers, but training to dribble, it's better to keep and practice reflexes, jumping power and ball direction observation.

However, for Reza it is impossible not to learn the dribble problem. He is a goalkeeper who is capable. He can score goals, he can keep his goal and . the ability that must be in the attacker is also in him.

As time goes on, US players continue to train to face Spartak Trnava for the Slovak Cup final on Thursday, March 16, 2023. Maybe for Spartak Trnava's team, it's a league revenge.

However, for the US Trencin is a thing that they must achieve, whether they are their opponents. One sentence, fight as hard as possible until your opponents lose.

On the US training ground Trencin, they were dribbling the ball past cones and soft poles. Some of them practice passing at high speed, a kind of one-two pass.

Reza himself, he and Vozinha and Kukucka were sitting in a circle. Their discussion is a goalie problem.

“Reza and Kukucka, remember! I'm a senior goalkeeper like this, hanging gloves soon. And ... you as the successor of the goalkeeper generation must be good at climbing the career ladder so as not to be restrained like me.

“I know. You both must feel this club is only a stepping stone in a career. So ... choose destiny as well as you think.”

The same is felt by these two young goalkeepers. Especially Reza, he thinks US club Trencin is a stepping stone in choosing a higher career. However, one thing he must know, he will remember the struggle of this club in making his name shine.

“Yes,” Ogre Reza.

That day, Monday, March 13, 2023, the three goalkeepers exchanged experiences. The one in which Reza has quite a bit of experience, from a weak Junior High School goalkeeper, rose to a stunning High School goalkeeper and stunned people.

As a European club that would obviously not know as well as Reza, they are lucky that there is a Witan who makes everything clear about Reza's ability.

Towards the final battle of the Slovak Cup, the US team Trencan will fight as hard as possible. After that, the fight again occurred in the league play-off round to compete for one ticket to the UEFA Champions League Qualification round.

***

Thursday, 16 March 2023.

In a neutral stadium, or you could say there is no home-away term here. Both teams will fight in the title race which is quite prestigious in domestic, namely the Slovak Cup.

Warming up on the stadium field, the two teams often glance at each other. Especially Spartak Trnava players who continue to stare at the young US goalkeeper Trencin, Reza Kusuma.

After the warm-up, both teams will prepare everything in their respective dressing rooms.

The cheers of around five thousand spectators supported each of his favorite teams. They will clearly see the top result of a Slovak Cup final showdown.

The Spartak Trnava dressing room.

They are currently discussing tactics that should be able to make the U. S. defense Trencin messy, especially the goalkeeper who is too difficult to penetrate it. It has never even been penetrated for now for the last half of the season.

Coach Michal Gasparik, he points every point on the tactics board. Where the players must move actively there, build attacks so as to penetrate the US defense Trencin.

Meanwhile, in the US dressing room Trencin, a no less stressful situation occurred. Coach Marian Zimen explains what formation they will use, which is 4-3-3 Attacking.

Really going to do the finishing strike. However, this formation to trick Spartak Trnava, Coach Marian Zimen's plan was a penalty shootout.

For the contents of that formation, it had not changed much. The defender is still filled by Kozlovsky on the left side, in the middle there is Pires and Stojsavljevic then on the right side there is Micuda.

Maybe only their position is more advanced.

The front line, here is a pretty big change. Demitra on the left side, then the middle is Letenay and the right side is still with Witan.

“OK .. spirit!” shouted Stojsavljevic who at that time held the role of captain.

***

The ball starts at the feet of Spartak Trnava players, through the flanks, they are more aggressive. Unsuspecting, the US players of Trencin were just trying to escort as much as possible.

Until when Spartak Trnava shifted the position of the attack to a rather empty center, there a striker Spartak Trnava, Taiwo released a speculative kick pointing right at the top left side of Reza's goal.

Reza obviously had to respond to the kick, but he saw little movement of Spartak Trnava player Ivan who tried to make the ball shift the direction of the ball path.

Luckily Reza realized it and still stayed in place. After Ivan touched the ball slightly, the direction of the ball changed and made Reza immediately move back.

Reza was able to catch the ball that targeted the top right side of the goal.

“Ya, nice try!” reza said, trying to tease Spartak Trnava players.

The match continues. However, the two teams like to hold each other and not so attacking until close to the first half is over.

In the thirty-ninth minute, Spartak Trnava goalkeeper Takac made a fatal blunder.

In front of the penalty box controlling the ball, he forgot the Witan who approached him and immediately grabbed the ball. Of course Witan immediately ran towards the goal, and with enough hurry immediately kicked the ball.

One thing is very unfortunate, the ball was not in the goal, the ball was hit the post and out of the field. Even though it was very empty, but the odds were arguably 99% of the goal could not even score it.

Witan obviously felt disappointed himself with his decision and kicked very irritated the grass which made a lot of grass uprooted.

Opportunity gold, even a result so bad.

A few minutes later, the first half ended in a goalless draw.

In the US dressing room Trencin, Coach Marian Zimen lamented Witan who could not score at such times. He could only take a long breath.

Afterwards, a briefing to his players to hold Spartak Trnava scoreless until the penalty shootout.

***

The second round was restarted, this time the US Trencin more open play. However, willing to play open anyhow, they also have difficulty penetrating the strong layered defense of Spartak Trnava. It seems Spartak Trnava has been improving its defenses since the twenty-first week of the league.

The game went on, but neither team scored until the second half was over.

And ... the penalty shoot-out took place.

Gathering on the sidelines, Coach Marian Zimen chooses up to ten kickers. After discussing a few things, it was Reza's turn who was given encouragement from both the reserve goalkeeper and also Goalkeeper Coach Maros Ferenc.

Reza is required to be calm in his position. Although not told, Reza also understood.

“Wah .. coach intentionally anyway,” muttered Reza.

Eventually he would lift the heavy weight of Coach Marian Zimen's giving.