[Yes, the match has begun. Argentina is on the left, and our South Korean team is positioned on the right. This is truly a historic moment. The semifinals!]
[That's right. You can see both teams have thoroughly prepared for today's victory. Argentina is using a 4-2-3-1 formation focused on midfield dominance. As for Korea, they've put great effort into their tactical setup.]
South Korea's 4-3-3 formation was far from the conventional shape.
Typically, a central striker is placed up front, flanked by two wingers on either side.
However, the system Head Coach Park Sung-ho prepared had a noticeably deeper attacking line.
In other words, it was a formation designed for full defensive support followed by counterattacks.
Although Ho-young was listed as the central forward, he was actually positioned between the 1.5 and 2nd lines.
In essence, while labeled a forward, his actual role was closer to that of an attacking midfielder involved in both attack and defense.
A classic one-man team setup.
That's why Ho-young was already tirelessly moving from the start of the match.
Responsibility.
There were too many areas to cover.
Even if we give up the flanks, we can't lose the midfield battle so easily. Start with pressing from the back.
He had to make sure Argentina's double pivot couldn't distribute the ball freely up front.
But there was a clear limit.
They're too strong.
Argentina's double pivot was on a completely different level.
On the left side stood Fernando Gago.
With long hair and sharp eyes, he was a familiar face to Ho-young.
Last year, Real Madrid spent 35 billion won to sign him. While he was currently rumored to be on the transfer list due to falling down the pecking order, he was undeniably a talented player.
They had exchanged greetings a few times at the Valdebebas training ground, but this was their first time facing each other on the pitch.
His distribution is fast and accurate.
It was the kind of control you'd expect from someone who had won the South American Player of the Year twice in a row in 2005 and 2006.
He might have been a rotational player at Madrid, but in another club, he'd easily start every game.
Physically weak, so his pressing isn't great, but his ability to break free from pressure is excellent. I can't do this alone.
Alongside Ho-young, Lee Geun-oh and Lee Chung-yong were helping with the pressing, but Gago also had a partner.
On the right side of the double pivot was Javier Mascherano.
Sporting a rough beard, he was the defensive midfielder anchoring Liverpool's midfield in the EPL.
As a player who had already reached a high level of performance, his talent was immense.
[Javier Mascherano]
[Possessed Talents: Complete Mark Erasure (U), Fantastic Sliding Tackle (S+), Outstanding Defensive Positioning (S-), Razor-Sharp Decision Making (A+3), Steel-Like Physique (A+3), Sharp Anticipation (A+3), (More...)]
(You can obtain one talent by meeting the required conditions.)
(S-grade or higher requires hidden conditions to be met.)
(Condition 1: Win the match)
(Condition 2: Succeed in two dribbles)
(Hidden Condition: Unlock at least one talent)
Of course...
Mascherano.
He would later be nicknamed the "Eraser" in Korea, because once he marked a player, that player practically vanished from the match.
In today's game, he was the one tasked with marking Ho-young.
But no Title-tier talent? Guess he hasn't reached that level yet.
There was no time to ponder.
Tap.
Right now.
He's coming.
As soon as Ho-young received the pass, Mascherano was instantly on him.
And thus began the battle for the ball.
Ho-young tried to shield the ball using his dribbling and footwork, but Mascherano's marking made it incredibly difficult.
How much time passed?
Half a second?
"...!"
Though Ho-young, with his superior agility, managed to tap the ball backward, it didn't end there.
Mascherano immediately leaned in with his shoulder and stretched out his leg, cleanly intercepting the ball.
He was small, but the physical pressure he applied was fierce.
The intercepted ball was instantly recovered by Gago on the left.
Damn it.
No matter how great a player is, losing the ball is part of football.
Ho-young had lost possession countless times before and wasn't about to get worked up over it.
That's football.
But this felt different.
He's really good.
Not luck, but skill and experience.
Ho-young's ball retention couldn't hold up against Mascherano's man-marking.
Players who performed at the highest level truly were in a league of their own.
He was a step above Cameroon's Alex Song.
No, when it came to man-marking, Mascherano was two, even three levels above.
That made sense. While Alex Song was seen as Arsenal's "future," Mascherano was Liverpool's "present."
In other words, he was a core starter in one of the Premier League's top clubs.
Meaning, the man Ho-young was facing was arguably one of the top three defensive midfielders in the EPL.
It was the first time Ho-young had encountered such an elite level of tackling.
Mascherano didn't just use his feet.
He induced physical contact to disrupt the opponent's focus, and cleverly used every legal method allowed by the referee to win the ball.
That was Ho-young's impression of facing Mascherano.
Damn...
It felt hopeless.
If he couldn't get past him, he'd be a ghost on the pitch for the entire game.
As he pondered deeply for a moment, Ho-young started walking again.
He had confirmed how far he still had to go. There was no stopping now.
He had to use this setback as a stepping stone.
I'll break through.
Today's first target.
Mascherano.
He was an obstacle Ho-young would inevitably face again if he reached the top flight.
In other words, this was a test.
Ho-young stopped in place.
Mascherano also halted.
As Ho-young turned to look at him, their eyes met.
The one who would break through versus the one who would block.
The real battle was about to begin.
Their next face-off came five minutes later, in the 15th minute of the first half.
[Gago takes the ball and passes it forward to Riquelme. Riquelme is calmly rotating possession. Ki Sung-yueng needs to stay alert.]
[Argentina seems to be sticking to this pattern.]
[That's right. Fortunately, Korea's forwards are tracking back well on defense. Especially starting from Ho-young. Still, his work rate is concerning for the second half.]
[Ah, just as you said! Riquelme is looking for Messi up front.]
"Close him down! Don't let him pass!"
Ki Dong-jin yelled out, but it was in vain.
Argentina's creative attacks centered around Riquelme were dismantling Korea's defense.
Ki Sung-yueng, tasked with man-marking Riquelme, did his best, but he still allowed him to dictate the play.
Now, too.
Smack!
[Lionel Messi picks up the ball and immediately drives into the penalty box. Messi sidesteps Kwon Chang-soo. Now he gets past Kim Min-soo. How far will he go? He has to be stopped. Messi!]
Though Kwon Chang-soo and Kim Min-soo closed the gaps and tried not to give him space, it wasn't enough against Messi.
With tight dribbling in narrow spaces, Messi evaded both without using any flashy tricks.
Just simple, elegant dribbling that looked effortless as he danced past defenders.
Kim Hwan-geun, the last defender, tried a desperate block, but Messi's agile footwork took him past that as well.
He was in front of goal.
The angle was tight, but Messi kept going.
He finished with a low ground shot from the tip of his foot.
[Jung Sung-ryong! He must stop it! Jung Sung-ryong!!]
Thud!
The low-driven shot aimed at the bottom right corner was accurate, but Jung Sung-ryong's fingertips managed to redirect it just enough for the ball to hit the post.
Jung Sung-ryong's eyes went wide.
Damn...
He cursed inwardly.
That was pure luck.
[Great save! Ki Dong-jin, clear it out quickly!]
Boom!
Ki Dong-jin cleared the ball high into the air.
Its destination was near the halfway line.
Right where Ho-young and Mascherano were battling for position.
But Mascherano let Ho-young take the spot.
Being shorter, he knew he wouldn't win an aerial duel, so he didn't bother contesting it.
If he jumped and lost, it would only give Ho-young a golden opportunity.
Instead, he occupied the surrounding space and positioned himself to immediately transition into defense.
He stepped back slightly and looked for a passing lane to intercept.
He was preparing for the next play already.
A first-class mentality.
"...!!"
But.
Tap.
As if he had seen through everything, Ho-young didn't go for the header.
Instead, he leaned back and controlled the ball with his chest.
I won't fall for it twice.
Having already lost out to Mascherano earlier, Ho-young turned the tables by reading his mindset.
Using his own excellent judgment and anticipation.
Smack!
After controlling with his chest, Ho-young quickly tapped the ball forward with his knee as it dropped.
Then he burst ahead.
Chest control, knee tap, and sprint — executed with almost no delay.
His springy muscles and body coordination made it possible.
"No!"
Mascherano, who had been focused on intercepting a pass, rushed in too late.
He couldn't keep up with Ho-young's speed.
Damn it, damn it, damn it!
Caught off guard from an unexpected angle.
The football prodigy.
Mascherano had been tricked and could only watch Ho-young's back, his face stiff with shock.
Now, they had to rely on the center-backs Ezequiel Garay and Nicolas Pareja.
[Ho-young! Using the brief hesitation from Mascherano to surge forward! Excellent!]
He had broken through the midfield.
Now all that remained was to take down the Argentine defense.
But Argentina's defense was just as solid as its midfield.
The two central defenders were Garay and Pareja.
The first to block Ho-young's path was Ezequiel Garay, whose tanned skin stood out.
Ho-young's eyes locked onto him.
His thick thighs were planted firmly, blocking the route.
He looked more like he would rely on positional defense than diving in with tackles.
He's not quick.
Garay's speed-related talents were only C-grade.
That much was clear from his list of abilities.
Even without that, Garay was a well-known name in La Liga, so Ho-young had at least heard of him.
He played for Racing Santander in Spain's top flight and was attracting interest from big clubs.
If Ho-young made it to the first division this season, chances were high they'd face off again.
Tch.
Ho-young narrowed his eyes.
Garay's legs were spread wide.
It looked like the perfect tunnel for a nutmeg.
As if inviting him in.
Ho-young pretended to take the bait, shaping his body like he was about to shoot.
At that moment, Garay flinched.
As expected.
A predictable move.
Ho-young held back the fake shot and quickly glanced to his right.
Smack!
[A long dribble from Ho-young! He gets past Garay! He's almost through!]
Two seconds passed.
A lot of time had gone by.
There was no room for hesitation now.
Ho-young sprinted.
The last defender in front of him was the 24-year-old, defensively gifted Nicolas Pareja.
To the left, Park Ju-young was making a run into open space.
Garay was now marking him after getting beaten.
It was decision time.
Pass or take him on?
There was no need to hesitate.
Ho-young believed in himself more.
He was thinking only of winning.
He timed his move without hesitation.
Then.
Smack!
He pushed the ball wide to the left and took off.
That was the moment.
(To be continued.)