5 a.m.
Korean football fans woke up early in anticipation of the sports news.
And soon after, the articles they had been waiting for flooded the top pages of portal sites.
[Ho-young named in starting XI for Sporting Gijón match... Going for his third goal of the season...]
Ho-young has been named in the starting lineup for La Liga Round 4, held at Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, Spain.
Although he didn't feature in the away match against Racing Santander three days ago, he will start in today's game. Ho-young is set to lead the line as a lone striker, a chance to prove whether he can provide sufficient attacking power on his own.
Real Madrid will line up with Raúl, Guti, and Saviola in the attacking midfield trio, while Diarra and Gago will form a double pivot in midfield. The backline will consist of Carlos, Cannavaro, Pepe, and Ramos, with Casillas guarding the net.
└ Finally, he's starting!!!!!
└ Let's go for goal number 3!
└ I'm more worried... what if he gets injured? Sporting Gijón plays super physical.
└ They won't take him lightly. Didn't Ho-young already crush that Serbian thug in Segunda?
└ Those guys don't care about that. They'd rather score even if it means breaking something. They've scored 8 goals in 3 losses this season.
└ 3 matches, 3 losses, 8 goals, lol. True alpha mentality.
Madrid, Spain.
As the clock neared 10 p.m., the atmosphere at Santiago Bernabéu reached a boiling point.
The commentary team was equally fired up.
[Sporting Gijón has once again come out in a 4-3-3, as they have in their last three matches. Real Madrid, on the other hand, looks a bit different today.]
[Yes. They've deployed very experienced players in the back line, clearly aiming to neutralize Sporting Gijón's impressive scoring power. In midfield, they've added Fernando Gago, who's adept at linking play and covering space, alongside Diarra, to shield the back four.]
[In short, they're clearly wary of Sporting Gijón's scoring threat, right?]
[Exactly. Despite losing all three of their matches so far, Sporting Gijón is a wild team that always responds with aggressive firepower. Today should be no different. Schuster's decision to reinforce the midfield defensively is a smart move.]
[You can't help but be excited. Let's look forward to a thrilling battle tonight.]
Sporting Gijón.
Since Manuel Preciado took charge in 2006, the team had committed to all-out attacking football, which only intensified after they returned to the top flight for the first time in 10 years.
They lost 2-3 to Getafe in Round 1.
Then lost 4-5 to Sevilla in Round 2.
And suffered a 2-6 defeat to Barcelona in Round 3.
Their defense was problematic, but their attacking output was undeniably impressive.
Real Madrid's decision to adopt a defense-first approach was clearly influenced by that.
Meanwhile, in the home team's tunnel.
Real Madrid's starting players waited calmly to enter the pitch.
No matter how strong their opponent's attack might be, if the defense couldn't hold, it would all be for nothing.
With that in mind, they believed they would win easily as long as they didn't let their guard down.
But one player was noticeably tense.
'Every match feels like a nerve-racking ordeal.'
Ho-young.
This was his first time starting, and his first experience of this moment.
The atmosphere in the tunnel before kickoff was much different than he had imagined.
Unlike the buzz that precedes the second half, this moment was quiet and calm.
Since the Bernabéu tunnel separates the home and away teams, there was no room for any pre-match staring contests or mental warfare.
Most players were either collecting their thoughts or chatting with the escort kids like Guti and Carlos were.
Ho-young was among the former.
The composure he had gained from the Olympics helped greatly here.
'Just do what you always do. Nothing's different just because you're starting. Don't get intimidated.'
Ho-young clenched both fists, renewing his focus.
And right then—
"Ah!"
"Oh no, are you okay?"
He had momentarily forgotten he was holding a young girl's hand.
Sergio Ramos laughed at the scene.
"Loosen up, man."
"Haha, yes."
"Want to hear something funny? That kid next to you is only seven years younger than you."
"That just means I'm young. The kids probably like me more because of that."
"Where does that confidence even come from?"
Ramos crouched to the child's eye level and asked,
"Who's your favorite player?"
"Raúl!"
"Straight to the point, huh? What about between me and him?"
"I like Woo more."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Say that again?"
"Woo!"
She answered without the slightest hesitation.
Her eyes, completely honest and free of even a sliver of a lie, left Ramos incredulous.
"Why?"
"Because Woo is more handsome."
"Oh, come on."
Ramos had always been told he was handsome growing up, so he couldn't quite believe it.
But to the little girl, he was just a slightly good-looking "uncle," while Ho-young was more like an "older brother."
"Heh. She's got good taste and sound judgment. If she plays football, she could become the female Raúl."
Ho-young's face noticeably relaxed.
Chatting and laughing like this had slowly eased his tension.
At that moment, the stadium announcer's voice echoed grandly across the arena.
[Ladies and gentlemen, the players of Real Madrid and Sporting Gijón will now take the field!]
With that, the referees and police shield units came out to shake hands and step onto the pitch.
The players followed shortly after.
Raúl called out.
"¡Vamos!"
"¡Vamos!"
With Raúl leading the way, the players stepped out of the tunnel with determined expressions.
Thump.
His heart began to pound again.
'Let's go.'
Ho-young stepped out confidently, shoulders squared, and the Real Madrid anthem exploded in his ears.
– Madrid! Madrid! Madrid! ¡Hala Madrid –
Goosebumps ran across his skin.
But it wasn't just nerves.
It was excitement, anticipation.
Whenever he felt this way, the match always seemed to go well.
Tonight felt like one of those nights.
He wanted to sprint to the halfway line and tear across the pitch.
He turned his head to the side.
At the same time, Sporting Gijón players were entering from the right tunnel.
They burned with the same competitive fire as any top team.
You could see it in every movement.
Their traveling fans roared.
"Wooooahhh! Break them down!"
"Crush Madrid under your feet!"
The Sportinguistas.
Though far outnumbered by Madridistas, their noise didn't fall short in the slightest.
It sparked a clash of spirit between the two fan bases.
The Madridistas sang calmly, proudly.
The Sportinguistas screamed like hooligans ready to start a riot.
Amid this charged atmosphere, the match began.
Tweet!
"Woooooaaaaaah!"
"Press! Press them!"
The energy was so intense, it could be mistaken for a Champions League knockout stage.
Guti took the kickoff and pushed the ball to Ho-young.
With the ball at his feet, Ho-young felt his heart pounding like it would explode.
It had been a while since he felt this rush.
Whenever this happened, he would usually explode into action.
It was how he let out the excitement welling up inside him.
This instinct had helped him adapt to unfamiliar places — the Brazilian league, the World Cup, the Olympics, the Segunda División.
Ho-young just wanted to run.
So—
Tap.
He returned the ball to Guti and darted forward.
At the same time, his eyes scanned the pitch.
'An attack-minded 4-3-3. So many gaps right from the start.'
Just as Ho-young had expected.
Sporting Gijón had lined up with Canella, Gerard, Jorge, and Sastre in defense.
But their ultra-offensive mindset was already causing serious issues in their backline.
Whether they realized it or not, they had no intention of closing the gaps.
In fact, fullbacks Canella and Sastre were already pushing up to press.
Even centre-backs Gerard and Jorge showed signs of stepping forward to join the high press.
The midfield was wide open.
Just the kind of setup Ho-young loved.
He didn't hesitate and made a penetrating run forward.
[Ho-young! Breaking into the final third right from the start. He's constantly moving off the ball, putting pressure on the opponent.]
[And Sporting Gijón is doing the same. Though they haven't had possession yet, they're moving intensely. Rather than setting up a solid defensive block, it looks like they're eager to win the ball and launch a quick attack.]
[Meanwhile, Real Madrid is maintaining a calm tempo from the back, building up slowly. Ho-young is the only player up front.]
[Just as you say that, Guti lifts his head. He's scanning for a passing lane. Will he play it forward?]
The tempo shifted.
Guti didn't hesitate and launched the attack.
Feeling sharp today, his pass sliced through the midfield in a single motion, heading straight for the final third.
Only 42 seconds had passed since kickoff.
Thud!
[Ho-young! Holds off Gerard and receives Guti's pass!]
Veteran centre-back Gerard, 30 years old, used his size to immediately close down Ho-young.
'Not happening.'
He lunged with everything he had, determined to strip the ball away.
A full-force body check, leading with the arm.
But Ho-young wasn't about to be bullied.
[Ho-young doesn't lose the ball!]
[He's toying with the defender. His ball control is nearly artistic!]
And it didn't end there.
Tap, tap.
A few simple movements.
With his back to goal, Ho-young slid the ball through Gerard's legs.
No calculations, no mind games.
It was all instinctive.
[Ho-young! A clever bit of play!]
[He's already showing moments of genius. How far can he go here?!]
Then, Ho-young halted.
Defenders were swarming, and he had to make a quick, decisive choice.
A striker couldn't afford to hesitate.
His next move came instantly.
[Ho-young beats one defender, and goes for a mid-range shot!]
A sudden, powerful strike from outside the box.
Unfortunately, the ball rose slightly and went just over the bar.
Still, it was a positive sign.
The shot gave Ho-young confidence and lifted the entire team's momentum.
And only one minute had passed on the scoreboard.
It felt right.
Like he was going to get what he came for tonight.
Ho-young turned to look at the opposing defenders.
Their eyes burned with a challenge.
Perfect.
Everything was unfolding just as Ho-young had planned.
The bait had been set. Now, it was time to reel it in.
(To be continued.)