As the Copa del Rey schedule began, Bernd Schuster sent out the reserve squad for the first leg, only to suffer a shocking defeat against Real Unión, a side considered weak even among weaker teams.
It was an absurd result.
The two-man strike partnership of Callejón and Saviola failed to convert even a single clear chance and finished the match scoreless.
There was still a second leg to play, but the bigger problem was the six yellow cards picked up, which would affect upcoming matches.
From that point on, public opinion began to question Schuster's squad management.
In the professional world, no matter how well you do ten times, one failure is enough to draw criticism.
Just two days later, Real Madrid drew 3-3 away against Almería, disappointing the fans once again.
The team's problems were slowly surfacing.
Their start had been better than most teams, but as the relentless schedule continued, the lack of stamina among the veterans became an issue.
Young defenders were given opportunities, but the inexperienced Marcelo and Miguel Torres committed mistakes almost every match.
Marcelo, in particular, was criticized as a "fullback who never comes back."
Schuster also brought up De la Red, Tébar, and Javi García from Castilla, but it was not easy to fill the void left by the veterans.
Their humiliation did not end there.
A few days later, they tasted defeat at home against Juventus in the Champions League.
With qualification for the Round of 16 virtually secured, Schuster fielded the reserves, but Juventus arrived with their strongest lineup.
The spiritual twin strike force of Del Piero and Trezeguet, rulers of Europe at the time, was far beyond what Madrid's second string could handle.
Regarding this, Don Balón columnist La Saeta Oscuro wrote the following article.
[Real Madrid slump with two draws and two losses in their last four matches. Already exhausted?
Real Madrid's downturn was inevitable. They surged early in the season as if heading toward an unbeaten title, but it was little more than an illusion. They burned through the energy meant to last the entire season, and now they are paying the price.
This can be seen as a failure by head coach Bernd Schuster and the medical staff to properly manage the squad's physical condition. Some have even raised suspicions of internal discord between Spanish and Dutch players.
Now look at Barcelona.
Not long ago, rumors of Guardiola's dismissal were widely accepted as fact. When he promoted Busquets and Pedro to the first team, fans criticized him harshly, and even the media and club officials joined in.
But the current Barcelona is a completely different team, one unlike anything previously seen in football history.
This will be fully revealed in the upcoming El Clásico. Is it not exciting just to think about?
If Real Madrid want to stop Messi's rampage, they must regain momentum before the decisive day arrives.
Otherwise, only defeat awaits them.]
A scathing critique.
And it was not wrong.
Real Madrid needed to turn the mood around before El Clásico.
That opportunity came on November 11 at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Before the match, in the Bernabéu press room.
A reporter asked Schuster.
"On the 30th of last month, you suffered a humiliating 3-1 defeat in the first leg against Real Unión. Facing the risk of elimination in the fourth round, do you plan to field Castilla players again today?"
"No comment on that for now. What I can say for certain is that we will win. We are down 3-1, but we are a team capable of overturning that at any time."
With another important league match scheduled four days later, he would normally rest the first-team players, but today that was not possible.
They needed at least a three-goal win to advance.
"The team has gone two draws and two losses recently. Some say this is due to internal discord. Are there any issues among the players?"
"Our players are doing very well. The Castilla players did struggle to fully integrate on the pitch, but that is a natural step in becoming one unit. We will silence all controversy with our performance."
After the press conference, Schuster returned to his office.
He had sounded confident, but his shoulders felt heavy.
'They will definitely come out with an ultra-defensive setup.'
Schuster fell into thought.
Real Unión were weak but extremely dangerous on the counter.
Madrid needed to stay solid at the back while playing overwhelming attacking football.
'It's better to start with the strongest lineup in the first half.'
He filled the starting eleven with Diarra, Sneijder, Zidane, Guti, Raúl, and Van Nistelrooy.
It was Spain's best squad over the past year.
A lineup that almost guaranteed victory.
But when it came time to finalize the decision, he hesitated.
'Ho-young's condition is excellent.'
After resting for a full week, Ho-young had looked outstanding in training the day before.
It might be better to replace Sneijder with Ho-young.
As he deliberated, time kept slipping away.
Schuster placed Ho-young on the bench for now and stood up to consult with the coaching staff.
At that moment.
Knock, knock.
A young man entered carefully.
"May I come in?"
"Woo?"
Ho-young looked like he had a lot to say.
He had a clear reason why he needed to start this match, and he spoke calmly.
[The match has begun. On the left, Real Madrid line up in an attacking 4-2-3-1 formation. On the right, Real Unión adopt a defensive 4-5-1.]
[They plan to defend deep and counter whenever possible, similar to the first leg. The difference is that Real Madrid are fielding an almost full-strength lineup. What stands out is Ho-young starting at attacking midfielder, taking Zidane's position.]
[Ho-young, who led the team in Castilla, now occupies the same role in the first team. Can he prove the title of Zidane's successor? It's already intriguing.]
Real Madrid's objective was a three-goal victory.
For that goal, Schuster chose Ho-young over Zidane.
It was a bold move.
[Ho-young is controlling the balance between attack and defense from the second line. His early movement looks very good, and after a week of rest, his condition seems excellent.]
[That's true, but the key is Real Unión's defense. Even for a weaker team, such a compact and organized defensive block is not easy to break down.]
As expected, Real Unión fielded their strongest lineup.
Still, they were third-division players.
Ho-young faced them head-on.
'This is a match where I can gain something important. Focus.'
There was one condition he had to fulfill in this Copa del Rey fourth-round match.
If not today, the chance would be gone forever.
He set aside thoughts of the next match and poured everything into this one.
His effort soon paid off.
[Sneijder finds Ho-young with a pass. He looks up.]
Ho-young scanned the field.
'Their defensive line is extremely stable.'
The back line of Larrainzar, Gurrutxaga, Iglesias, and Gabarain was unbelievably solid for a third-division team.
'They're all veteran defenders with plenty of experience.'
Ho-young took a calm touch.
He recycled the ball to the left, probing for an opening.
Madrid's build-up was now his responsibility.
The defense stabilized at the back, and Ho-young orchestrated the build-up at the front.
Using everything he had learned and his own know-how, he dictated the game.
His samba rhythm injected energy into the match.
Every pass and movement carried intent.
It was creative and forceful.
The star-studded teammates understood his intentions and moved accordingly.
Zidane's imprint was still there, so there was no sense of awkwardness.
The ball moved quickly.
[Ho-young brings the ball under control with a clean touch.]
Unnoticed by many, the field had changed.
The defenders' spacing and lines were starting to break.
Only those who could see it noticed.
Ho-young saw it.
He recognized the cracks forming in the defensive structure.
And he knew this was the moment to create.
[Ho-young continues to advance with the ball.]
[Manu García steps up to challenge him. A suffocating standoff.]
[The space is extremely tight. It might be better to play a one-two with Raúl on the right.]
Ho-young chose differently.
He drove straight through.
"Here he comes. García."
Manu García and the defensive midfielders had trained specifically to deal with Ho-young's dribbling and playmaking.
Especially his sudden changes of direction followed by shots.
But then.
Manu García flinched at Ho-young's sharp movement.
Centre-back Gurrutxaga rushed in to cover, but Ho-young had already escaped the narrow channel with a Marseille turn.
Left-back Larrainzar desperately stuck out a leg, but it changed nothing.
"Damn it."
As if he had expected it, Ho-young dragged the ball back with one foot and burst forward with the other.
"Stop him."
Last defender Iglesias slid in half a beat early.
Ho-young cut the ball left a split second faster.
It was a moment where his knee could have shattered.
Muscles pushed to the human limit held firm.
After slipping past four players in a tight space, Ho-young stood face-to-face with the goalkeeper.
[Unbelievable. That movement reminds you of Lionel Messi. But Javier Blanco rushes out to close him down.]
If this was all, he would not have started.
Ho-young took two quick, concise touches and slipped to the right.
The box descended into chaos.
Then he stopped.
A gap invisible to the commentators.
From that forced opening, another gap emerged.
Everything was created by Ho-young's calm judgment and sharp anticipation.
He did not miss the chance.
Calm and ruthless.
With his back to the goalkeeper, he flicked the ball backward with his heel.
Raúl was standing right there.
A chance so perfect that missing it would have been unforgivable.
Raúl simply finished it.
[My goodness.]
[An unbelievable, truly unbelievable piece of play. Ho-young delivers a sensational assist.]
It was a wonder play worthy of comparison with Messi's legendary dribble goal.
As the commentators were left speechless, good news appeared before Ho-young's eyes.
[Penetrating Anticipation (S-) increased.]
[You can transfer Penetrating Anticipation (S-) to another talent. Proceed?]
He chose not to transfer it and promoted it directly to S-grade.
He calmly picked up the ball and returned to the halfway line.
Raúl, who felt a sudden chill, rubbed his arms and approached Ho-young.
Ignoring Raúl's look as if he were staring at a monster, Ho-young said,
"Captain. We still need two more goals."
With that, he refocused on the match.
One assist was not enough.
There was still a long way to go.
He believed without doubt that he could do it.
He felt the responsibility of inheriting Maestro Zidane's role.
Ho-young stared into the air.
[Ho-young]
[Possessed Talents: Football Prodigy Without Precedent (W), Thunder Thighs of Cha Boom (L), Immaculate Playmaking (W), Finishing of the Football Emperor (SU), Maestro's Build-Up (SU), Half-Pitch Domination Versatility (SU), Storm Dribbling (SU), Fantastical Foot Skills (SU), Unshakable Solidity of a Rock (U), Elastic Muscles of the Black Panther (U), Artistic Ball Control (SS+), Perfect Composure (SS+), Unrivaled Ball Trapping (SS-), Extraordinary Ball Keeping (S+), Terrifying Top Speed (S), Genius Individual Skills (S-), Perfect Space Penetration (S-), Outstanding Positioning (S-), Penetrating Anticipation (S), Solid Fundamentals (S-), Quick Two-Beat Kicks (S-), (More...)]
His talents had grown explosively since debuting in the first division.
The vast gap in level between him and the opposition made such shocking play possible.
Ho-young was formidable even against strong teams, but against weaker ones, he became even more terrifying.
And today, his condition was perfect.
Two goals?
That was nothing.
He still had much more to show.
(To be continued.)
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