Dad was a Genius - Chapter 37
Only Noblemtl
My Dad Was a Genius Episode 037
“Pohang has only one tactic: block and counter. They maintain a full defensive formation and bet everything on the one chance that may come.”
Pohang is all about seizing an opportunity that may never come.
“Haha. The more I look at it, the more amazing it is. How can they use such tactics?”
“It wouldn’t be easy unless it was normal madness.”
Isn’t this a truly amazing team?
Some people criticized director Kim Woo-seok, saying that the team was obsessed with the concept.
But I think Pohang is a truly romantic team.
The team eventually became a strong team by continuing a concept that would be difficult for most teams to maintain.
And they endure the agonizing times to the end for just one chance.
“Set-piece situations like corner kicks or free kicks. That’s where Pohang scores.”
Looking at Pohang’s scoring record so far, all of them came from set pieces.
Pohang focuses on defense, waiting for just that opportunity.
Build a castle, wage a siege from its walls, and then open the gate and go out onto the only open road.
“Pohang is scary when they seize the opportunity. At that moment, they turn to attack instead of defense. Also, their aerial battles using their height are top-notch in the K-League.”
“Why would a team like that use such an extreme tactic of full defense… … .”
“If we focus on aerial combat with enough wing play, we might be able to produce better results.”
Looking at Pohang now, it is quite surprising.
The manager’s obsession with defense?
no.
Looking at Pohang’s tactics and players, you can see why the manager made that decision.
Pohang’s current players are almost the same as last year, but coach Kim Woo-suk is clearly aware of their limitations.
Tall but slow running speed.
If you make a mistake while attempting an attack, the opponent will launch a quick counterattack.
To make up for that, he tried to actively recruit players, but Pohang did not provide as much support as Coach Kim wanted.
Perhaps that is what darkened him and led to his current bizarre tactics.
Ironically, it was the decision of the Pohang club owner that made them a strong team.
If they use their wing play to cross the ball all over the pitch as the coaches say, they will be able to score plenty of goals.
But they can never be the number one team.
Director Kim Woo-seok knew that.
Moreover, he realized early on that perfect defense would lead to victory.
“hmm…….”
“It’s really flawless.”
The coaches who were watching the video shook their heads.
It was a truly terrible defense that lived up to its nickname of “Iron Wall.”
I just can’t seem to figure out where to drill.
Because they aren’t coming out in the first place.
“But they also have weaknesses.”
It is also their chance to score.
“It’s a set piece situation. It’s the moment when we’re most at risk of conceding a goal, and it’s also the moment when Pohang’s defense collapses.”
“But wouldn’t it be advantageous for us to avoid giving set-piece situations as much as possible?”
“No, it’s the opposite.”
“yes?”
“They say that our Cheonan tactics are centered on pressure defense, but that’s not true.”
The coaches blinked and looked only at my lips.
“We play a thorough bait game. In other words, you could call it fishing game. We gently shake the bait to attract the opponent, and then aim for the empty space. That’s our Cheonan tactic. So what should we throw to make Pohang bite the bait?”
“Now, wait a minute. You’re not… Director… are you?”
“Huh? Are you sure what I think is right?”
I smiled faintly at the coaches’ trembling eyes.
If your opponent refuses to fight in the ring, there’s nothing you can do.
I too had no choice but to jump into the mud and forcibly drag the opponent out by grabbing his neck.
* * *
[Iron Wall Pohang! Iron Wall Pohang!]
A cheering song that resonates loudly at Pohang’s home stadium.
Pohang supporters wearing black uniforms cheered for Pohang by singing at the top of their lungs.
Isn’t their opponent Cheonan, which is continuing its unprecedented storm?
Pohang fans knew how important today’s game was.
If even they were to be defeated, every team in the K-League would have lost to Cheonan.
“A match that I have never experienced before. A match that I may never experience again. That is today’s match against Pohang.”
As always, the Cheonan locker room was calm and quiet as the players listened to Cha Seong-eun’s words.
“A defense as high as an iron wall. A game management that sinks like a swamp. It will be more difficult than any game we have ever played.”
Pohang, which has maintained its clean sheet record to this day, is the team with the best defense in the K-League.
A very unusual team that values keeping clean sheets more than winning.
A team that was literally consumed by the concept.
That’s why it’s a very tricky and difficult team.
“But there is one thing I have felt while being with you all.”
“… … ?”
“That is to say, there is no wall in this world that you cannot break through.”
The players’ expressions changed at Cha Seong-eun’s words.
“Pohang players will drag us into the swamp terribly. And the more we try to break through, the higher the wall will be built to block us. You can’t even imagine the immense pressure until you experience it firsthand. But even so-.”
Cha Seong-eun reached out to the center of the players.
“We, Cheonan, can definitely break through. We have trained over and over again to break down that wall with our own two hands. Come and show us that our Cheonan tactics and the soccer we pursue are never wrong.”
The players all put their hands together and shouted loudly.
“Yes, Director!!”
The players who left the locker room with such determination,
“… … .”
Suddenly, the tail ended.
‘What the heck is that height… … .’
‘Isn’t this really intimidating?’
First, let’s look at the Pohang players who are out there.
I couldn’t help but drool at the sight of Pohang players who seemed to have one more head than them.
[Okay! Then, please give Pohang a warm cheer and applause for its victory today!]
“Wow!!”
“Iron Wall Pohang! Iron Wall Pohang!!”
Besides, this is Pohang’s home stadium.
Pohang citizens and supporters are fully prepared to eat Cheonan to the bone.
They know this too.
If even they are penetrated, the last pride of the K-League will fall.
“Oh… … .”
“That’s… … .”
Before the whistle blows.
The audience, who were singing along with the supporters, stirred when they saw Cheonan’s position.
All the players stood at the halfway line, ready to run, just like runners.
It was the very same unique tactic that was shown in Ulsan.
Beep-!!
[The game begins! Ironclad Pohang and undefeated Cheonan! Two teams that cannot yield to each other clash here at Pohang’s home!]
[Yes. Just like the last Ulsan game, Cheonan’s players run forward from the start!]
The whistle blew to signal the start of the game, and the Cheonan players ran forward.
Ulsan was taken aback by this unheard of tactic, momentarily giving up space and eventually allowing a goal.
But Pohang was different.
As if they knew Cheonan would come out like this, they maintained their line and quickly built a defensive net by sticking to the opposing players one by one.
“… … !”
Defenders who are as tall as 190cm.
And the defensive net created in their own half by five defenders, a midfielder, and an attacker.
It was a defensive wall like the Great Wall of China, with no gaps or holes to penetrate.
‘Where to give a pass… … .’
Go Jin-cheol, who caught the ball, quickly looked around.
But there was nowhere to give a pass.
This is because opposing players were already lined up at every intersection.
The key to this early forward tactic is speed.
So the longer you hold on to the ball, the more you lose.
At that moment, Go Jin-cheol saw Kang Dae-ho breaking through the line and rushing forward.
‘If it’s Taeho hyung… …!’
Ko Jin-cheol threw a lob pass toward the team’s ace without hesitation.
Rather than passing the ball right after receiving it, Kang Dae-ho chose to collide with the thick wall of defense.
[Ah! Kang Dae-ho’s dribbling! He beats one, two, three players!!]
Kang Dae-ho’s dribble, which had gained speed, quickly shook off three defenders.
And the moment he approaches the penalty box and shoots!
[Shooooooot!! Ah! I’m blocked by the defensive wall!]
He clearly got past three defenders and entered the penalty box to take a shot, but defenders came out of nowhere and blocked Kang Dae-ho’s shot with their bodies.
‘What was that just now?’
Kang Dae-ho thought he could score a goal when he dribbled explosively past three defenders.
But the moment he took the shot, three other defenders appeared and blocked all of his shooting angles.
I wondered how it was possible to cover it so quickly.
“It’s here!”
The ball bounced and Pohang took over the attack.
[Ah! It’s Pohang’s chance!!]
Anyone can see that this is a very good counterattack opportunity.
The Cheonan players, who were quickly retreating to defend, discovered something strange there.
‘Why isn’t anyone coming up from over there?’
When a counterattack is launched, it is common sense for the attackers, midfielders, and right and left defenders who were watching the defense to move forward.
But Pohang only has two players going up for a counterattack.
It’s not a lie, but is it really true that only two people come up and the rest are just watching?
What on earth do those two want me to do?
The moment when such a question arises.
‘no way?’
Pohang’s attacker, Lee Dae-cheon, suddenly took a wide stance with his feet back as he charged forward.
And as he stretched his foot, the ball shot like a bullet towards the goal with a loud noise.
Thump-!!
“omg.”
The ball hit the goal post and went out.
As if to show how powerful it was, the goalpost shook for a while.
“This is crazy… … !”
The goalkeeper was frozen in place, unable to even react to the unexpected long-range shot.
“No. You’re saying he’s hitting mid-range shots from that distance?”
“I thought you were going in.”
Cheonan players breathed a sigh of relief.
That was why there were only two players involved in the counterattack.
As Cha Seong-eun said, they really aimed for a set piece situation and took mid-range shots without hesitation.
“It looked like the distance was about 30 meters.”
But even so, do you really not intend to attack seriously?
‘The attackers all went down there?’
In addition, as soon as the ball went out, Pohang’s attackers ran to the defensive line and took up positions.
They seemed to be saying this:
We never go out unless there is a clear opportunity.
At this moment, both the attackers and the midfielders are defenders!
“… … Are they really crazy?”