Soccer Genius Wants to Get Noticed - Chapter 163



Only Krnovel

Episode 163 Fierce Resistance

What the home crowd wanted was clear.

What kind of performance can we show against the best team in the world, Brazil?

With the World Cup less than 6 months away, I was hoping to see a great performance, even if it wasn’t a win.

The first 30 minutes were different from what was expected.

“Hey, if you give it there, it’ll be taken away!”

“We have to stop it, we have to stop it!”

“It’s breaking through again.”

Center of the penalty box.

As Fred’s forward pass from the opposing central midfielder finds its way to Neymar’s feet, the Red Devils let out a muffled yelp.

The defense was unable to get into position due to mistakes made during the build-up process.

Knock, knock, knock!

Brazil’s iconic superstar, Neymar Jr., quickly feints a kick past a defender and cuts down the right flank.

In an instant, he reached the right side of the goal, across the goal line –

Kwak!

He kicked the bottom of the ball and floated a short cross to the center again, and the finish was by Hafinya, who started as a right winger.

Boom!

The shot following the cool movement fortunately passes over the goal.

“Oh my!”

“I almost died and came back to life.”

“No, just now was a bit too much. The goalkeeper’s pass was like that, and Jung Woo-kyung (defensive midfielder) shouldn’t be given up so easily.”

“That’s right. If you made a mistake, you should have stopped it even if it meant foul play.”

But right after the sighs and criticisms flowed out, an unexpected opportunity arose as if it had been waiting for it.

As the ball boy quickly passed the ball, goalkeeper Kim Jeong-gyu passed the ball to the right side, and when the Brazilian side was pressuring him, winger Lee Jun bent his ankle and passed the ball to the center.

Next, Hwang Hee-cheol, who came down the line, put in a clean one-touch pass.

and.

“Uh, uh!”

“It’s the Holy Sky!”

“Run away and hit me-”

container!

[… …Wowwowwow!!]

The point between the center and right side of the second line.

The Brazilian winger tried to block the ball, but just before he could, the boy slid down diagonally and knocked the ball away with a single touch.

Charruruk.

The official ball is pushed to the sideline in advance, and then immediately switched to maximum power.

widely!

He seemed to lose his balance as his toe got caught by an opposing defender along the way, but he managed to regain his balance despite his upper body wobbling.

With this, the space on the right side of the opposing camp is completely open.

Brazil’s left-back Alex Sandro is too aggressive to chase after the ball, so winger Paqueta hurriedly follows him.

Even though they were clearly running with the ball, the gap between the two players did not narrow, even though it was only about 3-4 meters.

“Crazy, dog fast!”

“I can’t catch you! Go away!”

“Go in further, go in further!!”

Of course, the Brazilian defense won’t sit idly by either.

Instead of rushing to block the ball, central defender Thiago Silva waits inside the box for Sung Ha-neul to approach.

He hid both hands as if he was carrying a backpack behind his back, leaving no room for a handball to be called, lowered his body’s center of gravity to be ready to react immediately to a dribble breakthrough attempt, and spread his legs wide to make full preparations to block the shot.

Then the boy dribbled from the right side to the center with three quick touches of the ball, thumping, and stomped across the box line.

If I had been attacking alone, it would have been a more difficult problem.

On the left side, South Korea’s ace, Son Eung-min, dug in and drew the defenders’ attention. He did not attempt any clumsy breakthroughs.

Phew.

The shooting process is naturally connected.

Exhale momentarily to control your breathing, and instead of looking directly at the goal, set your target point through the box line and the semicircle position… … but keep your upper body still. Don’t give anyone a chance to read the timing of the shot until just before you swing your foot.

Therefore, the contact is with the left foot. Focus on kicking with the power of the ankle while maintaining the running path and posture.

Phew!

The completion of the shooting meets the boy’s expectations.

Because the rotation is small, the linear force is large, and the speed is added as it slides on the grass surface.

As expected.

Clang!!

The official ball rolls along, leisurely passing the goalkeeper’s fingertips… … and neatly rolls into the lower left netting of the goal.

The equalizer came in the 30th minute of the first half.

A roar of cheers echoed from the stands as he scored what was effectively a single-player goal.

“Gyaaaahh …

“Wow, he’s a piece of shit. I’ve been watching soccer for 20 years… … It’s true.”

“Wow!!”

“That’s right! I was worried because we were dragged around the entire first half, but it seems like our offense isn’t as bad as Brazil’s! I feel so relieved!”

Meanwhile, a goal celebration unfolds near the Brazilian goal, with a large Taegeukgi flag waving under a banner with the Red Devils emblem and the words [RED DEVIL SEOUL DIVISION] written on it.

Instead of receiving congratulations from his seniors, Seong Ha-neul is being playfully scolded for speaking informally to Hwang Hee-chul.

The broadcast camera captures the boy’s awkward expression as he makes excuses.

As was the case in the final World Cup qualifiers last March, it seemed likely that he would be the star of the match.

* * *

After a while, it’s halftime.

Groan, groan.

Because the first half ended with a 1-on-1 draw, there was quite a bit of noise coming from the stands. The content was exciting, and the result was so interesting that there has never been a match this interesting.

But in reality, the situation in the South Korean locker room was different.

“… … It’s tough.”

“I knew it would be tough. You shouldn’t be discouraged. The moment you stop yourself psychologically, it’s as good as over.”

“I know that… … but it’s because it’s so precarious. Even if you apply a lot of pressure, it’s so easy to get rid of it, man. It drives me crazy every time I have to defend.”

At the remarks of veteran central defender Kim Young-geon, the other defenders and midfielders involuntarily nodded their heads.

The core of the South Korean national team, namely Mauri Mendes, was to dominate the entire game through strong pressure and a high defensive line. Even if the build-up from the back was cut off, the fact that the pressure was not working at all was eating away at the players’ mental strength.

Then, captain Son Eung-min comes out and encourages the players.

“It was a match against a top-level team. On the other hand, we each did our part and finished the first half with a 1-1 score. We weren’t losing, nor was our defeat certain.”

“Hmm.”

“Let’s brace ourselves and hold on a little longer. We’ll do our best to achieve some results on offense. This is a home game, so we have to aim to win.”

Then, Kim Min-je interjected with a sly expression and added a comment.

“That’s right, that’s right. Our attackers are reliable. Look at that. They’re attacking nonstop even at halftime.”

“… … ?”

The expression of doubt was fleeting.

The players follow his nod and cast their gaze to one side of the bench.

A handsome young man was raising his voice in front of manager Mauri Mendes, assistant coach Sergio DaCosta and an interpreter.

“No, don’t you know Munich? Bayern Munich?”

“That’s why Munich all of a sudden… … .”

“I told you I’ve dealt with them all. They’re all good at kicking the ball, too. When you first meet them, you can tell that they’re really tough, and that they’re just fart-prone. But when dealing with those guys, you have to stick your head in first, risking your life.”

“… … Are you really going to translate it like this?”

“Then you won’t do it?”

“… … .”

As they watched the players’ eyes widen in confusion at the interpreter’s question, the players couldn’t help but have doubts.

“… …Why is the youngest like that?”

“The director told me to lower the pressure. I’m arguing that that was a shitty choice.”

“Didn’t you say that it was an inevitable tactical choice because Jae-seon wasn’t in top condition? We’re going to go with a two-volante (a tactic that places two defensive midfielders) for defense.”

“Yeah. But we have to push harder. If we leave it like this, they’ll keep retreating and end up going back to the NFC in Paju.”

“You said it like that?”

“No, I made up the last one.”

“Oh my.”

Then, out of the blue, an arrow of argument flies into the middle of the locker room.

“Is it just me who thinks this way? I told you that it won’t end with just getting hit? Heechul hyung, you should quickly add a word.”

“I told you to just call me Heechul. Why are you suddenly using formal language?”

“Yes, Heechul. Hurry up.”

“… … .”

Where did this kind of nonsense come from?

Hwang Hee-cheol stares at the boy who is 8 years younger than him, then bursts into laughter and decides to console him.

Director Mauri Mendes is a gentle yet strict person.

There was nothing good about being seen as disobedient.

“… … I’ll give you a lot of advice. Let’s just run quietly for now. I see you like switching to the right side? Or move down to the center of the second line.”

“No, but still-”

“Heaven, if the director doesn’t like it, he’ll change it right away. I’ve already conveyed your opinion sufficiently. That’s enough.”

“… … .”

“You have to answer. Oh, and don’t call me Heechul anymore.”

“… … Yes, hyung.”

This is it.

He said with a satisfied smile on his face, “This is what the national team discipline is all about.”

* * *

Around 10pm.

As the match between South Korea and Brazil ended, people started leaving the Sangam World Cup Stadium in groups of three or four.

The overall review of the game was brief.

“Brazil is Brazil.”

“He did as he said. It felt like he had his feet on the ball.”

“Yeah. But it’s a shame. It wasn’t a game where we could have scored 5 goals.”

But at the same time, no one’s face shows any sign of regret or disappointment.

“They said they were a really good team.”

“That’s why it’s even more regrettable. Even though we scored three goals.”

That’s right.

The final score was 5 to 3, and South Korea suffered a disappointing defeat after a fierce battle in which both teams scored a combined 6 goals in the second half alone.

Although it was clear that there were still issues to be resolved, such as the collapse of the defense due to the loose frontal pressure and the inability to find a way to deal with the opposing team’s intense pressure, it could be said that the result was only half a success.

Above all-

“Did Seong Ha-neul really do well? He scored 2 goals and 1 assist.”

“That’s right. He was amazed even though he was watching it with his own two eyes. He must have gone to Brazil to study.”

“Isn’t it safe to say that the top spot has now been decided upon by Seonghaneul?”

“Of course. They’re in a different class. You saw the final scoring scene.”

“Hehehe. Just thinking about it makes me feel good. I’ll have to look back at it on the way.”

It’s not that those riding the subway are often watching game highlights.

Although the official highlights were not broadcast by the broadcaster, short videos had already been uploaded to online communities.

Of all the scenes, the one with the most comments was, of course, the last scoring scene.

[Seonghaneul digs in from the right side.]

[Give it to Hwang Hee-cheol who is digging into the box… … What a great heel pass! Sung Ha-neul catches it again near the line!]

The commentator’s voice rose for a moment as he watched the passing sequence that was pleasing to the eye.

The boy on the screen checks the dense defense and passes a ground ball to the South Korea captain who approaches from across the box line, beyond the semicircle.

Knock, knock!

Son Eung-min immediately returned the ball with a one-touch return pass to the ball that was sent with a right-footed kick. The goalkeeper ran out with the goal empty due to the through pass that went through the two central defenders.

All this work was done in the blink of an eye.

[Hey, hey, hey-!]

And then, after Sung Ha-neul escaped the dense defense, he ran towards the official ball. The pass felt a bit long, so it looked like a collision was unavoidable when viewed on screen.

Charruruk, bang!

Then, at the last, last moment, the boy extends his right foot to its limit and pushes the top of his foot into the underside of the ball.

As the goalkeeper slides, the ball skims past his collar and rises into the air. Likewise, when Sung Ha-neul jumps up… … it is truly a no-man’s land.

South Korea scored another equalizer in the 38th minute of the second half, kicking the ball into an empty goal.

[It’s perfect, it’s perfect!]

[Seong Ha-neul! A seventeen-year-old young player shows what the Korean national team is like against the best team in the world! It’s almost like he’s protesting! We’re not an easy team!]

Since they are still down by one point, the person who scored the goal immediately takes the ball from the goal and returns to the center line.

The audience, the commentators, and everyone else can’t contain their excitement.

It must have been because the attackers’ breathing, which flowed like water, was so rich, not just because of the primary connection.

And it wasn’t just Koreans who thought like that.