[A Friendly Match: Just Two Days Away – Belarus, Spain Coming Next!]
[Is Japan Still Obsessed with Beating Korea Three Months After the East Asian Championship?]
[Final Battleground: The Sacred Ground of Japanese Football – Saitama Stadium!]
Saitama Stadium, located in Saitama Prefecture.
The A-match friendly between Korea and Japan drew massive attention.
In fact, the tension boiled over before the match even began.
Japanese home fans hurled water bottles and curses at the Korean supporters.
And that wasn't the end of it.
Some far-right Japanese fans had smuggled in banned items, including dangerous footwear. Most were caught by security, but a few managed to stay hidden until the players entered the field.
Tensions were already high in the days leading up to the game, and it was no surprise that it nearly turned violent.
To make matters worse, jealousy toward Korean football had been growing among the Japanese lately.
The reason? Woo Ho-young.
"Woowoowoowoowoowoowoowoowoo!"
"Go away!"
"Saitama does not welcome Woo-young!"
"F*** you, Shin Woo Ho-young! Get out and die!"
These were the chants of the Urawa Reds supporters.
Ironically, they had once cheered the loudest for Woo Ho-young's naturalization to Spain.
But after Woo-young chose to represent Korea, they turned from fans to fierce haters.
With Woo-young in the picture, Japan's chances of beating Korea had plummeted—for the next decade, even.
If they had a chance, it had to be today.
This was the match at Saitama Stadium.
For Japan, it wasn't just about winning—it was a game they had to win.
Their formation was a 3-4-3.
It was the same setup Hiddink favored during the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup—a large formation offering numerical advantages across the field.
But it was still experimental and rarely used.
Just before kickoff, Japanese head coach Takashi Takeshi stood in a training suit, eyes fixed on the pitch.
'If we can dominate the space and create various attack routes, we'll get our chance.'
A football fanatic at heart.
He originally aimed for baseball in his youth but switched to football due to the strict, hierarchical culture embedded in Japanese baseball.
Thanks to his natural tactical intelligence, he carved out a career in football.
During the 1998 World Cup in France, he was hailed as the man who led Japan to its first World Cup finals appearance in history.
Confident as ever, he even declared the goal for this World Cup was the semifinals.
Netizens across the globe, and even Japanese citizens, called it reckless nonsense.
Still, some suggested his bold aim mirrored Korea's legendary 2002 semifinal run.
This led to comparisons like, "If Korea did it, why can't we?"
And now, it all came to a head—today, at Saitama Stadium.
More than 60,000 roaring fans filled the arena.
Korea was positioned on the right side.
[A lot of Korean fans have come here today. Let's hope the players meet their expectations.]
[Yes, and who could forget the "Great Tokyo Battle" in 1998? That was when commentator Song Jae-woo famously said, 'Mount Fuji is falling!' I hope we witness something just as glorious today.]
[Indeed. But why did Japan choose Saitama over Tokyo for this match?]
[If you look at recent A-matches, Japan has a record of 10 wins, 7 draws, and just 1 loss at Saitama Stadium. That's why they call it the sacred site of Japanese football. It's clear they brought us here to increase their chances.]
There was another reason behind Saitama's high win rate.
The home stadium of the Urawa Reds supporters was notoriously intense and hostile.
So hostile, in fact, that verbal abuse was the minimum expected.
Today's match was no exception.
Most of the stadium was packed with Urawa Reds fans, who tried to crush Korea's spirit with noise, flags, and relentless chants.
Due to organizer restrictions, the number of outside spectators was limited.
Swearing and provocations were rampant. Their signature red flares—"Kouen" (紅焰)—lit up the stands, painting the stadium in blazing crimson.
Simultaneously, they waved tens of thousands of flags, unveiling a massive card stunt that read: "Asia's Strongest – Japan."
But the Korean fans didn't back down.
Though fewer in number, they shouted and waved their own cheering gear with full force.
"Guwaguagua!"
"Dae~han Min-guk!"
The escalating rivalry delayed the game slightly.
[The match is delayed due to smoke from the fireworks. The safety of players is our priority.]
[There's Woo Ho-young, standing in the center circle, bouncing on his feet. You can see he's itching to get started.]
[This should've been handled better by stadium staff. I can't believe something like this happened at Saitama, not some rural venue.]
[Ah, referee Stuart Attwell is back on the pitch. Looks like the game will start soon.]
Referee Stuart Attwell, after receiving clearance from the officials, made his way to the center circle.
For the English referee, this wasn't anything unusual.
"Phew…"
Sweating even before kickoff, Attwell approached Lee Geun-oh and Woo Ho-young.
"I appreciate your patience."
"It's fine."
"Alright then, let's get ready."
"Yes."
Only then did Attwell allow himself a small sigh.
The crowd remained wild, the noise thunderous enough to drown out everything—but the game was ready to begin.
He blew his whistle.
BEEEEEEP!
As the whistle echoed, the roar from the crowd shook the sky.
But then…
"Uh… uh…?"
As if ice water had been poured over them, the crowd suddenly fell silent.
Woo Ho-young had received the ball.
Tap.
"···!"
'What was that?'
Attwell barely had time to gather his thoughts.
The Korean offensive had begun right from kickoff.
Woo Ho-young sprinted forward after receiving Lee Geun-oh's pass.
Tap. Tak!
Woo darted into open space.
Attwell couldn't keep up.
'Is this guy insane?!'
He chased with everything he had, but the distance only grew.
[Woo Ho-young breaks through! He's past 30 meters already—second defensive line, gone!]
[Woo Ho-young! This is unbelievable!]
It wasn't his first time pulling a stunt like this.
As a child, he'd done this during youth games. Clips titled "Woo-young: Runaway Locomotive Mode" still floated online, narrated in awe.
Fans had long waited to see it again. No one expected today to be the day.
The ones most shocked? The Japanese players.
Their 3-4-3 formation had already collapsed.
Despite keeping their lines wide, Woo tore through like a wild beast.
In a flash, he broke through the first line of Okubo–Okazaki–Nakamura and surged past the second line between Abe and Hasebe.
"Stop him!"
"Forget the ball—just stop Woo-young!"
Endo and Honda, the midfield duo, rushed forward to intercept.
Interfering with a dribble path is considered a foul. They needed to shut him down before that.
But—
TAP!
Woo stretched his leg like an octopus, nudging the ball left with surgical precision.
It looked less like a foot move and more like he used his hands.
Endo was helpless.
"Ugh."
Still, Honda was nearby.
Honda Keisuke, who had transferred to CSKA Moscow after a stellar season, now faced his idol on the field.
Woo Ho-young.
Already a living Asian legend.
This match was his chance to prove himself.
'I'll block him!'
Honda's eyes blazed.
Though naturally an attacking midfielder, Honda had adapted well as a defensive midfielder for today's match.
But...
"Ugh!"
No amount of defensive skills could save him.
Ho-young, after feinting left, flipped the ball to the right using the outside of his foot.
It was a reverse flip-flap, a signature Ronaldinho move—performed in reverse.
And then—
'Dammit.'
It was already too late.
TAP!
[Woo Ho-young sidesteps Honda! He's still going! How far can he go?!]
A miracle.
No one imagined seeing this while wearing the Korean red jersey.
And he wasn't done yet.
Center-back Yasuyuki Konno moved in to cover, but Woo faked him with a subtle upper-body shift.
"···!!"
'Don't fall for it…'
But Konno did fall for it.
BAM!
"Agh!"
It wasn't a fake this time—it was a real breakthrough.
[Woo Ho-young breezes past Konno! He's inside the box! Nakazawa is closing in!]
[OHHH! He's open! He's open!]
Last defender Yuji Nakazawa charged in, but Woo timed a slick one-two pass with Lee Geun-oh, who'd advanced ahead.
Lee's return pass was long—long enough for goalkeeper Seigo Narazaki to try a block.
But Woo beat him to it.
A lightning-quick toe kick with his left foot.
Narazaki could only twist his neck in vain.
The ball had already slammed into the net.
BOOM!