Chapter 719: The End of the First Half
Meanwhile, all the Bayern players around were so stunned. This was the first time this season that someone managed to block Lewandowski’s penalty, and Higo had done that when the Polish striker himself was in his best condition. This was way more amazing than anything else they had seen from their opponents in the league so far this year.
"What’s wrong, Lewy? You wasted the chance I created just like that!" Thomas Muller couldn’t help but ask; his tone was a mixture of playfulness, annoyance, and concern for his friend.
"I... Don’t really know." Lewandowski himself was still unsure of what happened. He thought that he had it earlier, but the penalty was blocked perfectly by the goalkeeper in front of him. "Either his reaction speed is so fast that I couldn’t comprehend it, or he knows exactly where the ball would go before I could even shoot it, but that second one seems to be way too... I don’t know, fiction? Impossible? There is no way, right?"
Usually, in a penalty kick like this, the Polish striker would use the stutter run technique so that right before he got the ball, the man could see where the goalkeeper was shifting his weight to. With that, he would be able to send the ball in the opposite direction, completing a perfect penalty kick that got him onto the scoresheet.
However, it was different with Higo earlier. The boy was so patient, not getting baited by his stutter run and just waiting until the end before he moved. This wasn’t the first time Lewandowski faced this kind of goalkeeper, but normally, that meant the goalkeeper would be one step slower than the ball.
This time, though, Higo arrived even before the ball was launched. This puzzled the man further, and he couldn’t help but take a proper look at Higo this time.
’It seems that he really intends to bring hell to me, huh?’
Of course, that didn’t mean Bayern’s attack was over. No, they still had a corner kick and about a minute to get another chance to double their lead, and sometimes, that short window was what they needed to get it done.
This time, though, the rest of the Schalke players started to put more fight into their defense. They had seen how hard Higo worked just to protect their goal, and the boy’s success in blocking the penalty earlier really pumped up their spirit.
Now, they started running more like hungry beasts, ready to pounce on any Bayern players to hold the ball. Not only that, but they were also willing to do what Higo ordered, giving the goalkeeper an easier time arranging the defense.
"Come on, Hofmann! Block that path! Block that path!"
"Juan! Shrink back! Shrink back! Let him cross!"
BAM!
Another collision happened, but this time, it was between Higo and Lewandowski, as the goalkeeper was plucking the ball in the air. In this case, it was a no-brainer for the referee to pick Higo’s side, giving the goalkeeper the benefit of the doubt.
This gave the boy a chance to breathe. He had been flying left and right today, and he would never lie, and he said that it wasn’t draining his stamina. A little break like this was something that he needed the most, especially when the first half itself was about to finish.
He took his time sweetly, letting the clock burn more before launching a long pass that would take more time for Bayern players to pick it up.
This time, the home team players also followed Higo’s action. It was always exhausting to put pressure on the opponent all the time, so slowing down like this, especially when they were about to enter the break, was a necessity. It also helped that they had already gotten a lead today, so they could afford this relaxing moment even if they were in the middle of the game.
FWEEE! FWEEE! FWEEE!
Before anyone realized it, the referee had already blown the whistle three times, ending the first half with Bayern Munich leading by one goal. However, it was clear to anyone else who watched the game today that the Man of the Match award was in Higo’s hands.
Yeah, so far, the boy managed to get 8 saves in just 45 minutes, and not only that, but he also claimed 6 aerial crosses in the air to cut off the opponent’s momentum. Even though his distribution percentage was quite low since all he did was throw the ball as far away as he could, no one really cared about that now.
They recognized Higo’s effort, finding the boy’s relentless spirit in protecting his territory to be endearing.
Still, the boy couldn’t care less about it for now. No, he blitzed his way straight to the locker room, wanting nothing more than to have a relaxing 15-minute break there. The coach also didn’t stop him. Frohling knew that without Higo’s effort so far, the team would’ve been down by four or five goals already.
Hell, to make it more comfortable for Higo, the physiotherapist here even gave the boy a quick massage. When the other players were getting scolded mercilessly, the boy enjoyed this privilege thoroughly, letting himself drown in pleasure.
As for the other players? Unfortunately for them, they could only watch in silent envy, knowing that they didn’t have the right to demand anything right now. No, after how Higo saved everyone’s asses so many times so far today, they all owed the boy a big time, and the least thing they could do here was not to make a fuss of this.
It wasn’t until the end of the break that Higo finally woke up from his little trip to the pleasure land, and he could still catch the coach’s last instruction for the team.
"I don’t care what you are thinking right now, but Higo has already given everything for this team today, so if you dare to still slack off and make things difficult for him, get the fuck out of here!"