Coach Martin's confidence wasn't without reason.
Cameroon had odds of 12/1 on major betting sites and ranked 5th overall in terms of title predictions, showing how highly they were rated.
Not only did they have Samuel Eto'o, but they also boasted several foreign-based players active in top leagues across England, Germany, and Italy.
In contrast, Korea had odds of 26/1, placing them 8th out of 16 teams—an indicator of their relatively weaker power ranking.
Even that was slightly inflated due to Ho-young joining the squad at the last moment. Without him, the odds would have been even longer.
So it was only natural for Martin to feel confident.
'The key might be Ho-young… but we've got Song.'
Alex Song, considered Arsenal's future, was a highly-rated defensive midfielder. Martin believed that if they utilized his defensive ability well, the win would come easily.
Above all else.
'He's still just a kid.'
Ho-young was just 15 years old.
Meanwhile, the average age of the Cameroonian squad was 22.
That age gap was one of Cameroon's most significant advantages.
As the two teams emerged from the tunnel and stepped onto the pitch, over 2,000 Korean fans stationed on the west side of the stadium erupted in a deafening cheer.
"Daehanminguk!"
The support was so passionate that over 5,000 Chinese security forces were stationed around the venue to keep an eye on things.
The remaining 20,000 seats were mostly filled with Chinese fans supporting Cameroon.
Due to recent controversies, anti-Korean sentiment among the Chinese had reached its peak.
In that atmosphere, Korea's national anthem began to play.
Afterward, Cameroon's anthem followed, and the players shook hands as subtle psychological battles unfolded.
The highlight came when Ho-young and Samuel Eto'o shook hands.
[Samuel Eto'o]
[Possessed Talents: Black Panther (T), Elastic Muscles of the Black Panther (U), Astonishing Finishing Ability (S+3), Sharp Off-the-Ball Movement (S+3)]
(You can obtain one talent by meeting the required conditions.)
(When selecting a Title-grade (T) talent, partial sensory replication is possible. However, you must be at least 18 years old to acquire it.)
(For S-grade and above, hidden conditions must be fulfilled.)
(Condition 1: Start the match)
(Condition 2: Win the match)
(Condition 3: Register an attacking point)
(Condition 4: Play the full 90 minutes)
(Condition 5: Concede no more than 1 goal)
(Hidden condition: Unlocked after obtaining at least 1 of the talents)
Alongside Didier Drogba, Eto'o stood as one of Africa's football legends.
With explosive off-the-ball movement and awe-inspiring finishing, combined with his springy, muscular build, Eto'o had once torn up La Liga as a world-class striker.
'Elastic muscles… that's tempting.'
It was an innate talent, which made it even more desirable.
'Natural attributes like "Natural Muscles" or "Natural Language Talent" develop slowly. That's why acquiring the complete version is best.'
Especially for physical attributes.
'Black Panther…'
The world's most elite elastic muscles.
They would be a huge boost to dribbling, acceleration, and agility.
'A final boss from the start, huh?'
It was a mountain he had to climb eventually.
Though the path would be rough, the reward would be just as great if he could overcome it.
Whistle!
The match kicked off at that moment.
[The match has begun. On the left side, Korea's proud Olympic squad. On the right, Cameroon. The kickoff goes to Cameroon.]
[Yes, and as the game starts, a major record has just been broken. Ho-young has now become the youngest player ever to appear in Olympic football at 15 years and 22 days old.]
The MBS broadcast team, dispatched on-site, began discussing the two teams' lineups and strengths, starting with Ho-young's record.
But not long after, their voices suddenly shot up.
A surprise attack from Cameroon in just the second minute of the first half.
Samuel Eto'o received the ball and shattered Korea's offside trap with shocking acceleration.
Upon spotting the opening, he unleashed a thunderous long-range shot.
[Samuel Eto'o, long-range shot!]
[Jung Sung-ryong with the save! That was close! A dangerous moment there. Our players need to wake up. The threat isn't over yet!]
Eto'o's sudden long-range strike was punched away by Jung Sung-ryong.
Had he reacted a split second later, it would have ended in a goal.
But Cameroon's attack didn't end there.
The spilled ball was blasted back in by defensive midfielder Alex Song.
Thump!
Having already committed to the previous save, Jung Sung-ryong could only watch the ball fly into the net.
[Ah… Alex Song scores just 2 minutes and 37 seconds into the first half.]
[Yes… But our players! It's okay. The match has only just begun. This is when they need to stay sharp.]
Cameroon's opening goal.
Chinese supporters erupted into thunderous cheers from the stands.
Cameroon's players celebrated with backflips and danced across the pitch in wild joy.
In contrast, gloom settled over the Korean side.
"What the hell are you guys doing?!"
Captain and defensive anchor Gi Dong-jin shouted furiously.
As a wild card selection, he was a 26-year-old overseas player playing as a left back for Zenit in the Russian Premier League.
Last year, he helped his club win the league and was even named Best Left Back of the Year, proving his caliber.
"Get your heads in the game!"
He was livid, and rightly so. They had just gifted a dangerous chance to the opponent, though yelling alone wasn't going to solve the issue.
"This is driving me insane."
The mistake had stemmed from failing to track Eto'o's run into space.
It wasn't about someone's error. Eto'o's movement was just that good.
"Damn. I knew he was good but…"
He didn't expect him to be this good.
To Dong-jin, Eto'o wasn't just a great player. He was a monster.
Even if he was said to be in a slump recently, even a tired panther wouldn't fail to catch a herbivore.
He was still deadly.
Maybe his form had dipped, but to Korea, he was still a nuclear-level threat.
"What the hell just happened?"
He now understood what it meant to be caught off guard with eyes wide open.
"We still have over 90 minutes of this…"
But the real problem was that he couldn't think of a solution.
Despite all his experience, Dong-jin had never faced a situation like this.
"Stay sharp! Watch for runners in behind! Dong-jin, you need to control the last line!"
Coach Park Sung-ho shouted from the sidelines, but even that wouldn't fix the problem.
"That bastard Eto'o…"
It wasn't just skill. It was like facing an actual beast.
Literally, a black panther.
No joke, if you taught a real panther to play football, this is what you'd get.
It reminded him of what he felt when facing Thierry Henry during the 2006 World Cup.
If someone like him felt this way, how were the others supposed to cope?
Three minutes into the first half.
Korea's players already looked rattled.
Chinese fans burst into laughter and began mocking the players.
But as captain, Dong-jin couldn't show weakness. He forced himself to stay focused and shouted again.
"Anyone who gets beaten today is dead!"
His voice, carried by the heat of the moment, reached Ho-young positioned just behind the forwards.
Sizzle.
Three minutes in, Ho-young felt a shift in his body.
It was as if his heart had caught fire.
It wasn't from the heat.
The temperature outside approached 35°C, but the stadium was maintained at a comfortable 26 to 27°C thanks to cooling systems.
No, what was truly igniting him was something else entirely.
'Samuel Eto'o…'
A powerful opponent.
It was his first time facing such a formidable player in an official match.
Without exaggeration, it felt like a monster eager to devour him was standing right in front of his eyes.
That pressure.
A turbulent wave swept through his chest.
Moreover, stepping onto the Olympic stage for the first time felt completely different.
The tiger emblem emblazoned on his chest.
It came with pressure, and the jeers from thousands of spectators made his head spin.
This was nothing like the second division.
'Then the first division must be even worse than this.'
That's why he had to overcome it.
Whoosh—
Ho-young shook his head from side to side.
He armed himself with a winning mentality.
'I can do this.'
He never imagined he'd feel this way over a single match.
It was a moment where he fully agreed with Cha Bum-kun's quote: "Football is war."
And beneath that pressure, anticipation and excitement coexisted.
A burning desire to rise higher.
Eto'o's astonishing skill only strengthened his determination to aim for greater heights.
The tension that had been bubbling up overflowed, and his hands began to tremble.
Then.
Thud.
The ball was suddenly at his feet.
A pass from Ki Sung-yong had found its way to the center.
Exhaling sharply, he raised his head.
And there he saw him.
Alex Song. The future of Premier League giants Arsenal and Cameroon's defensive midfielder.
Swoosh.
Ho-young's expression hardened with seriousness.
His earlier excitement faded like a wilted leaf, and his focus became firm like a deeply rooted tree.
Pause.
Silence hung in the air.
A psychological battle began.
A war of nerves, with neither side giving an inch.
But only for a moment.
Alex Song's gaze wavered, slightly pressured by Ho-young's intensity.
Ho-young didn't miss that opening.
"…"
Like a magician casting a spell, he unleashed a series of quick, deceptive foot movements.
Once. Twice.
Nothing happened at first.
Alex Song was still one of the world's top young talents.
However.
By the third and fourth move, everything changed.
"Ah!"
As Ho-young continued to shift direction with dazzling footwork, Alex Song lost balance and fell.
That was the signature of a dribbling genius.
[Ho-young breaks through! He beats Alex Song and drives forward!!]
At that moment.
Woooooo!
Jeers from the Chinese fans erupted.
But Ho-young's ears were closed.
His eyes, on the other hand, were wide open.
He spotted center-back Andre Bikey rushing in fast.
It was a very narrow window, but not one he could afford to miss.
Anticipation. Judgment. Decision-making.
Armed with all three, Ho-young didn't hesitate to take the shot.
Returning what he had received.
A 20-meter long-range strike packed with that message rocketed out.
Boom!
It roared toward the goal.
The angle wasn't perfect, but Ho-young had long since acquired the finishing ability of the Football Emperor.
Most importantly, he had no doubt.
The ball had struck cleanly off the top of his foot.
Thump!
As expected, right on target.
The net shook violently as if it would tear.
But he hadn't expected what followed next.
[Powerful Cannonball Mid-Range Shot (A+)↑]
The Chinese fans supporting Cameroon were instantly silenced, and Ho-young dashed to the west stand and threw an uppercut.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)