<016. If You’re Korean (2)>

It was better to change positions to take on Kazawa, who was an attacking midfielder.

But they couldn’t suddenly change tactics before an important game. Anyway, there would never be a coach who would allow that logically.

Therefore, he chose the free role. In other words, he wasn’t confined by a position.

He could be a midfielder or defender depending on the situation – it needed genius and judgement.

‘Let’s do it.’

Do your best, Kazawa!

Ho Yung showed that mentality with his expression and prowled the field like a hyena looking for prey.

‘Just wait until you get caught.’

It was 7 minutes in that the prey came into his radar.

The game that was flowing steadily lost pace and suddenly started to move faster.

Japan had finally unleashed its weapon.

“Kazawa!”

Thomp.

The defender, Nagamoto, did a low pass to Kazawa. It was a sharp pass, cleverly avoiding any paths where someone could intercept the ball.

In that moment.

“Kazawa! Behind you!”

Ho Yung ran crazily toward him like he had been waiting.

Kazawa noticed –

‘He’s fast.’

But he trusted that he wouldn’t lose the ball to a tiny kid and ran full speed down the middle of the field.

‘A striker pressuring me here as well? I know he’s fast and good at shooting but surely he’s not the best at defending. Now, let’s see…’

It was confidence stemming from excellent control of the ball. Regardless, Ho Yung chased Kazawa down at a fast pace.

Sang Un, who was watching from the bench, shouted.

“Hey! Why are YOU going down there!”

Thomp.

“Huh?”

Contrary to Sang Un’s worries, Ho Yung stole the ball from Kazawa.

Almost too easily and simply.

‘How did he do that so cleanly?’

Sang Un closed his mouth as Ho Yung revived the game and showed a change in the tide of the game.

‘Hm. Didn’t know he was so good at defending.’

Almost instant ball cutting (B)

The skill that he had taken from Casemiro of San Paolo FC was giving him a great advantage.

‘This was truly the dark horse.’

Like an eagle snatching its prey, he could feel the timing to cut in instinctively. The 14-year-old Kazawa only had ‘a delicate sense of ball touch (C+)’, and his ball keeping skills were lesser than expected.

He could never defeat Ho Yung in a close battle.

Kazawa blushed.

He couldn’t believe his ball was stolen by a striker – not even a defender. It was humiliation.

He had carried all the expectations of his teammates so the embarrassment was double. Out of spite, he tried to charge at the ball for all of the first half but was blocked by Ho Yung each time.

‘Why! Why can’t I do this!’

It was like running into a wall that he couldn’t see or explain.

3 minutes into the last half.

Unlike Kazawa Shinji who was exploding with anger, Ho Yung was smiling.

‘Nice.’

‘Criteria 2: tackle the ball from the opposition 5 times’, was complete. There was only one thing left.

‘Just win the match.’

Ho Yung, who ignored his position and was down at the 3rd line, took hold of the ball.

“I thought I’d go crazy with frustration.”

He had saved his strength by playing defence. For this moment – to run.

Ho Yung raced across the grass like a bulldozer ready to demolish anything in his way. The Japanese team was ready – they tightened their defence.

In addition, they made sure to block the angles that would make a mid-range shoot possible. This was what the Japanese coach had directed. It looked almost perfect.

However, Ho Yung didn’t shoot. He passed backwards.

“Return!”

“Run!”

Wan Gyu Park kicked the return pass deep into the opposition’s side. Ho Yung started hounding down the opposition’s centre back, chasing the ball.

[Oh! A one-two pass for an unmarked place! Shoot! Shooooot!]

Thump!

But it did not go into the goal. The much anticipated mid-range shoot was blocked by the goalkeeper’s punch and slipped away. It seemed like their attack might have to stop there.

But now –

“Hah!”

Hyung Jun Suk, who had been waiting at the opposite post, lept up. The ball met his forehead and bounced straight into the goal.

“Nice!”

Ho Yung flashed a thumbs-up.

[Ah! It’s a goal! With Hyung Jun’s heading goal, Korea takes the lead!]

[Yes. This gets rid of all of the frustration that has been building up – a refreshing turn of events! Ho Yung had played the lone wolf ’til now but he’s truly done it this time!]

The commentators couldn’t contain their excitement. In comparison, the Japanese team became sombre.

It was crushing to see the carefully crafted defence crumble so easily in one moment. In more nightmarish news – it was only 4 minutes into the second half. There were 21 minutes left.

Beep!

[The game is over! It was precarious in the first half but I worried for no reason! Player Ho Yung scored one assist and one goal in the second half alone! I can’t say it enough but he is amazing.]

[Yes. This game is going to mean a lot for him too. He showed that he’s an excellent defender as well as a striker. It’s still the beginning of his career, but I can’t help but see that he could grow into a world-class player like Maradona.]

The results? 3:0. FC Chabum’s victory.

It was clear by the fact that FC Chabum recorded 14 attempts at a goal that it was a one-sided game in the second half. Japan had basically done nothing but defend until the game ended.

Maybe that was why, but Ho Yung was excited and satisfied by this game. He shared this with his teammates.

“Let’s go to finals!”

“Yes! Ahaaaaaaaa!”

[Select the skill you desire.]

A delicate sense of ball touch (C+)

Off the ball movement that utilises space (C)

‘Of course, it’s the C+ one. Does this make 8?’

Having chosen the ‘delicate sense of ball touch’, he reexamined his skills.

[Ho Yung Wu]

Skills Possessed

Soccer Prodigy (B+)

Heavy Mid Shoot (C+)

Strong muscles of a healthy man (C)

Impressive curving free kick (C-)

Chaminator’s kick and run (U)

Legs faster than a Lamborghini (A)

Lightning fast ball cutting (B)

A delicate sense of ball touch (C+)

It wasn’t over.

If he ran 20 minutes more with Hyung Jun at the finals, he could acquire ‘Basically unlimited height growth (B+)’

“Phew~ I can finally breathe.”

After basking in the glory, Ho Yung walked to the half line. Kazawa was sitting, exasperated, with his head bowed. Ho Yung held out a hand.

“Get up, man.”

“Hmph.”

Kazawa took Ho Yung’s hand and spoke through his tears.

“I’ll win next time.”

He didn’t understand as Kazawa spoke Japanese. Ho Yung felt that he knew roughly what he said.

“Man, you were touched by my playing? You did well too.”

As they said, it’s all in the interpretation. Anyway, they would both grow thanks to this experience.

Having finished the MOM Interview, Ho Yung found his coach in the locker room.

“Coach, who are we playing in the finals?”

“It’s either Germany or Brazil. I hope it’s Brazil. When it’s finalised, I’ll go have a look.”

So FC Chabum observed the next game from the audience.

“So, the team that wins here will be in the finals.”

Brazil’s San Paolo FC and Germany’s VFB Stuttgart were up against each other. The match was one-sided.

Germany’s VFB Stuttgart was absolutely destroying Brazil with too much ease.

It wasn’t for no reason that they were picked as a top candidate for the win.

The reason was clear.

‘That’s not a boy. That’s a senior high schooler.’

Ho Yung was born in ’93. On Germany’s team, there were 6 boys – men – born in ’88. 15 years old by Korean age.

The German kids, who were all over 170 cm tall, dominated the field and there was not much that San Paolo could do.

Judging by Germany’s squad, they came to win.

‘They’re opting for the physical.’

Ho Yung, who only measured around 130cm, could not take them on by himself. Soccer may be a sport played with feet, but how could they win against giants that are 5 years older than them?

‘Look. They keep sending the ball into the air.’

San Paolo never had a chance to retaliate and suffered a loss of 4:0.

‘Hm. If that’s what we’re facing, even my speed won’t be enough to follow them.’

He was incredibly fast compared to his age but it was a fact that he would be slower than the German players utilising their long legs. Additionally, they had beaten San Paolo with such ease – FC Chabum was less skilled so there was almost no chance they would lose to a lesser team.

It was amazing to be in the finals, but it was a day requiring lots of thoughts.

The next day.

The end of the competition, the finals, was right in front of them. As deserving of the finals, more people than ever crammed into the Seoul Sang Am World Cup stadium – there were even some members of Ho Yung’s fan club.

“You can do it, Ho Yung!”

“Let’s go, Ho Yung!”

On the field.

Each team’s members entered the playing field.

Ho Yung turned away from the incredible cheering and observed the German players.

Most players possessed a higher level skill than soccer prodigy, but there was one that stood out.

It wasn’t that he had a particular skill. He was just over 170 cm tall.

‘You should be playing basketball, not soccer…’

Ho Yung and his team members were low on morale even before the game started. In a youth game, the physical size difference renders skills almost irrelevant.

So there was only one thought in everyone’s minds.

‘Ho Yung, we trust you!’

That’s right.

Ho Yung was the one to trust.