[Ho-young calmly slots the ball into the net. In the 68th minute of the second half, Real Madrid extends their lead with another goal. It's 3-0!]
[Ho-young has done it again today. Following his record as the youngest Champions League debutant, he's now also the youngest goalscorer. At this point, it feels odd if he doesn't break a youngest-ever record.]
[Incredible. It's hard to believe this is the play of teammates who just recently started playing together. The build-up from the midfield dictated the flow, and it was finished at the front line. Though the ball passed through the feet of Carlos and Malouda, you could say it was a masterpiece created by Zidane and Ho-young.]
Real Madrid's third goal.
Ho-young clenched his right fist and sprinted toward the corner flag.
His teammates followed behind to congratulate him.
Some gave him a friendly pat on the back or ruffled his hair.
Or, in one case…
Zidane held out his back, and Ho-young climbed on.
"Woohoo!"
That's how comfortable the situation was.
To be honest, Ho-young felt BATE Borisov was around the level of a mid-table team in Spain's Segunda División.
Even without a complex game plan to disrupt the opponent, Real Madrid could easily win with individual talent alone.
Still, he didn't let his guard down.
When the ball was placed at the center circle again, he wiped the smile from his face and focused like nothing had happened.
He was still a newcomer.
A few matches were nowhere near enough to prove his worth.
He had to play more, rise higher.
Zidane held out his palm.
"Well done. Let's go again."
"Looking forward to it."
Clap!
They exchanged a high-five as the referee's whistle echoed across the pitch.
Watching their interaction, Schuster, standing on the touchline, wore a satisfied expression as he returned to the bench.
All he had to do now was watch the game in peace and analyze any remaining problems.
It felt like a masterpiece was taking shape.
On the other hand, Borisov's coach Dmitri looked utterly defeated.
This was the first time BATE Borisov had reached the group stage of the Champions League, and their very first opponent was none other than Real Madrid.
Now, they were on the brink of a crushing defeat.
The 3-0 scoreline left a bitter taste in his mouth.
But he wasn't angry.
People say the ball is round, but really, it's because the ball is round that better players can control it more effectively.
Anyone with even a little football knowledge knew Borisov was outmatched, so he hadn't truly expected to win. There wasn't much to be angry about.
Still, he had held on to the faint hope of at least securing a draw.
But conceding the third goal was a heavy blow.
It was a counterpunch.
A devastating one.
The level of football Real Madrid showed was simply on another plane.
Especially Ho-young.
Perhaps it was because he was young and stood out more, but regardless, his versatile performance was jaw-dropping.
This match was a stark reminder of just how high the wall of world-class football truly was.
At this point, there wasn't much Dmitri could do.
All he could hope for was that today's defeat wouldn't negatively affect their next match.
Like Schuster, he returned to the bench to watch the rest of the game.
In the 75th minute of the second half.
The game took on a different shape.
If the older players had dictated the tempo in the early part of the half, now it was the younger ones taking over.
Tireless young players led the attack while experienced veterans stabilized things from the back and controlled the pace.
Aside from a few tactical flaws, today's match was near perfect.
There was no more intensity.
Not a single yellow card had been shown, and Real Madrid dominated with over 80% possession.
They were like a plane on a stable course.
And with a La Liga match scheduled in just three days, Schuster made sure the team didn't push too hard, focusing instead on maintaining their energy.
The rest was left to the players' discretion.
Ho-young, in particular, continued creating chances with his tireless movement.
He didn't seem to be struggling at all.
Since the match had become so one-sided, he could conserve energy and still execute the plays he wanted without needing to exert himself fully.
Then, in the 79th minute of the second half.
A player with thick eyebrows and sharp features approached the touchline.
It was Schuster's final substitution.
[OUT: 5. Zinedine Zidane]
[IN: 20. Gonzalo Higuain]
The 20-year-old Argentine prospect.
Gonzalo Higuain made his appearance on the pitch, his long hair fluttering behind him.
Though this was already his third year as a Madridista, he had rarely gotten a chance to start due to being overshadowed by senior players.
Last season, he had even gone out on loan for six months. After showing promise during that spell, he returned to Real in the latter half of the season and made a few substitute appearances with solid performances.
He had missed out on selection for the Beijing Olympics due to competition from Aguero, but this season with Real Madrid was shaping up to be his big break.
He was still under 21 and held French citizenship, meaning he qualified for several roster exemptions and benefits.
On top of that, one of his competitors, Robinho, had left the club, making this season a golden opportunity for him.
So he thought things would finally look up this year.
But when the season started, things didn't go his way.
Out of nowhere, Ho-young from Castilla went to Beijing, pulled off the insane feat of becoming the top scorer, and quickly gained Schuster's trust.
He had already surpassed Higuain, becoming one of the manager's top three super-subs.
Still, Higuain had consoled himself.
Since Ho-young was an attacking midfielder, they wouldn't directly compete for the same spot.
But seeing him deployed as a lone striker today changed his perspective entirely.
"Damn it…"
From today on, Ho-young was a direct rival.
Higuain didn't want to get caught up in internal team politics, but fighting for a starting spot was inevitable.
That made today's match critical.
There were about 14 minutes left.
He had to prove he was worth his €13 million transfer fee in that time.
[Ah, this is unexpected. Higuain has moved up front and is now pairing with Ho-young. It's a two-striker system.]
[Haha, two young prospects are now leading Real Madrid's front line. What an interesting sight. I'm curious what kind of picture Schuster is trying to draw.]
This too was part of Schuster's experimental tactics.
Matches as relaxed as today's were rare, so he was using the opportunity to try as many different setups as possible.
Positioned on the right, Ho-young looked over at Higuain.
Their eyes met for a brief moment, but Higuain turned his head away.
Rather than syncing up with Ho-young, he was clearly focused on his own play.
'I need to score first.'
Higuain operated up top, patiently waiting for a chance to score.
Meanwhile, Ho-young widened his area of activity toward the right, searching for diverse attacking routes.
Sometimes he dropped deep to receive the ball from Van der Vaart, and at other times, he made quick bursts into the box, drawing defenders' attention.
Each time, BATE's defenders were left scrambling.
A match that had settled down was picking up speed again.
Tap, tap.
Ho-young and Van der Vaart exchanged a one-two, luring defenders away.
That was where the chaos began.
As the 90th minute approached, the pace picked up.
Higuain approached Ho-young, signaling for a pass.
But Ho-young turned away and ignored him.
Higuain threw his hands up in frustration.
'Damn it. That would've been a good situation to pass. Is he trying to make a point now?'
Higuain had no choice but to drift back into the box, looking for an opening.
Then, at that very moment.
Whoosh.
[Marseille Turn! Ho-young smoothly shakes off Vitali Kazantsev.]
[Ho-young dribbles inward from the right edge of the box... but oh, the number of defenders is high.]
[It might be better to pull back and re-enter. Trying to force his way through here might be... dangerous.]
It looked like he might lose the ball.
But then.
Tap, tap.
"…!!"
Suddenly, the ball popped up into the air, forming a perfect arc over the defender's head.
Ho-young's footwork shone once again.
It was a Rainbow Flick.
A rare skill involving flicking the ball over the defender using the heel, it wasn't something you could pull off just anytime. You needed perfect timing and the right situation.
And this was the perfect moment.
The ball sailed over the defender into the box, and Ho-young brought it down with his chest, then lifted it with his left foot, completely beating the center-back.
It was reminiscent of the goal scored by Park Ji-sung against Portugal in the 2002 World Cup.
In that instant, it was as if an earthquake hit inside the penalty box. The defensive line was in total disarray.
"Take him down!"
In front of goal.
Desperate defenders threw themselves at Ho-young.
He caught it all in his sights.
At the same time, the goalkeeper came rushing out with arms wide, cutting off the shooting angle.
But the far post was wide open.
It was a tight angle, but a perfect opportunity for an assist.
Higuain was waiting on the opposite side, completely unmarked.
Ho-young's pass went straight to him.
Thump.
Higuain, caught off guard by the unexpected key pass, momentarily froze.
How had this situation come about?
He'd just been drifting inside the box after being pushed out by Ho-young, yet somehow he'd been given a golden chance.
But there was no time to think.
If he missed this, he might as well take off the jersey and leave the club.
Higuain stretched his leg out, and the ball, brushing the tip of his boot, slid into the net.
Of course, the net rippled.
[Goallll! Higuain scores! His first Champions League goal of the season!]
[With that, Ho-young now has 1 goal and 1 assist today!]
4-0.
The stadium had turned into a festival.
But even after scoring, Higuain didn't celebrate much.
He was still dazed.
Sure, his positioning helped, but the only reason he had been able to get into that spot was thanks to Ho-young.
Ho-young's layered movement had opened everything up.
Razor-sharp anticipation, ruthless decision-making, genius football IQ, and a wide field of vision culminated in flawless playmaking.
It was like watching Zidane as a front-line striker.
Such incredible versatility.
Then, in that moment.
Ho-young's eyes flashed.
[Half-Pitch Domination Versatility (SU) ↑]
From what he had seen so far, U-grade talents didn't have plus or minus modifiers.
Ho-young had guessed it was because U-grade talents were unique to each individual.
That assumption turned out to be right.
There were no visible grade fluctuations.
Instead, beyond the "Unique," it evolved into an even higher dimension of uniqueness.
After four years of refining the talent he had taken from Ballack, he had finally succeeded.
Beyond just controlling the midfield, he was now a player who could dominate all the way up to the opposing goal.
Just as his brow tingled and his chest began to burn with excitement...
[Time required to fully obtain Thunder Thighs of Cha Boom (L): 67 days → 32 days.]
An unexpected reward.
And with that, the match ended in a clean 4-0 victory for Real Madrid.
(To be continued.)