The Atletico Madrid Match (1)
The Atletico Madrid U-19 team shared Estadio Cerro del Espino with the club's second side, Atletico Madrid B.
But the production staff for our program decided that using a modest sub-team ground would hurt the show's ratings. In the end, they paid a little extra and booked the first team's stadium instead.
That was why the Ajax match had been held at the Johan Cruyff Arena rather than De Toekomst — and why this Atletico Madrid fixture would be played at the Civitas Metropolitano, home of the senior side.
The Civitas Metropolitano held roughly seventy thousand spectators. Atletico Madrid had once played at the vast Estadio Vicente Calderón, but after demolishing it in 2017 they built this new ground in its place. It was here that Tottenham contested their first — and last — Champions League final in the 2018–19 season, with Son Heung-min on the pitch. For Koreans, the place carried a special weight.
The away dressing room was the same at every club. While the home side's locker room was grand and impressive, the visitors' quarters were bare and cramped.
"Our formation today is 4-2-3-1."
The coach opened with the whiteboard he had brought himself.
"We're facing Atletico Madrid's under-nineteens. That doesn't mean their identity is any different from the senior first team. Diego Simeone has been in charge so long that his imprint is still all over the club. They will play 4-4-2 — no question."
He was right. Atletico Madrid U-19 had lined up in a 4-4-2 all season long. Given how often Simeone himself used that shape, it made sense that the youth side would copy his tactics as well.
"When they attack, one of the full-backs will push high. The wide midfielder on that same flank will push up with him. So in possession, they effectively become a 3-4-3."
He moved the red magnets — Atleti's colors were red and white, and he treated the red ones as their players — across the board.
"Simeone's football is simple. When they have the ball, they attack without distinguishing between the flanks and the center. When they lose it, they throw on a fierce high press to win it back."
Kim Taesik slid the red magnets toward the white ones that represented our team.
"The forwards press hard to create a numerical advantage and steal the ball. Meanwhile the midfielders and the overlapping full-back drop back and rebuild the 4-4-2."
"So we just break on the counter quickly, right?"
Baek Namgi shot his hand up with the question.
"…Yes. That's fair. But they're ready for that too. From the original 4-4-2, they drop one midfielder and shift into a 5-3-2. Whether it's a back five or a two-bank defense, it's just as hard to break down."
Simeone's football was closer to defensive football than attacking football. Defend first, counter second — that was his game.
"There's only one thing we can trust. When they push their line high to press even the central midfielders, Seungwook — our striker — has to stay parked in this space."
The coach pointed at the empty pocket inside the opposition box.
"And the players who win the ball at the back need to play it long to Seungwook as much as possible. Or give it wide to Ian or Woojun. From there you just drive diagonally into space."
With a black marker he showed me exactly how to move once I received the ball. Woojun and I were to burst diagonally toward the touchline — since I was on the left, that meant straight down the left flank.
"This opponent is at least as strong as Ajax, if not stronger. You have to empty the tank. Understood?"
"Yes!"
We pulled on our kits and filed out of the dressing room one by one.
"Ian. Can I borrow you a second?"
"…Yes."
Just before we walked out onto the pitch, a staff member stopped me in the tunnel.
"Your grandfather is in the stands right now."
"…What?"
"He said he wanted to watch his grandson play, so we invited him. The producer told us not to say anything — worried it might make you nervous — but I figured you'd tense up even more if you spotted him mid-match. So I'm telling you now."
"Ah…"
I nodded at the female staffer's words. But it didn't really matter. Whether my grandfather was here or not, I poured everything into every match.
Still… the regret on his face back at his house was still vivid in my mind. He had voiced that disappointment even while the cameras were rolling, so of course the staff had overheard. For a production team that lived and died by ratings, it was a golden opportunity. A grandfather watching his grandson play — that kind of material always sold well in Korea.
"What were you talking about?"
"Oh. Apparently my grandfather came to watch today."
"Come to think of it, you said he lives in Madrid, right? Man… I'm jealous. He can watch Real every week."
We loosened the tension with pointless chatter. When the staff told us to go, we walked slowly forward.
The stadium's red seats formed the background, and the pure white ones spelled out the letters.
ATLETICO MADRID
1903
Flanking that centerpiece were the logos of Nike, the kit manufacturer for Atletico Madrid. We took our positions. The Atletico Madrid U-19 side, in their white-and-red kits, took theirs. The match began.
"Thank you for coming, El Niño."
"Not at all. Haha."
Atletico Madrid had invited one particular guest to this match: Fernando Torres, the Spanish striker known throughout his playing days as El Niño.
Torres was a pure product of Atletico Madrid's academy who had also made his professional debut with the club. His talent may have fully blossomed at Liverpool, but he had later coached Atletico Madrid B and even managed the club's Juvenil A youth side. To Atleti, he was one of their own legends.
But the club's hierarchy had a different reason for inviting him. He currently served as assistant coach of the Spain U-19 national team. The U-20 World Cup was set for 2037, and with a squad full of Spanish players, Atleti wanted their boys selected. For years they had watched La Masia and Castilla produce the prospects who got the international call-ups. This time they meant to send their own players — collect the fees, and give the kids experience on the world stage.
Peeep—!
The referee's whistle opened the first half. Atleti took the kickoff.
At the same moment the right full-back surged forward, and the right-sided midfielder pushed up with him. The 3-4-3 took shape. All three forwards advanced, and even the central midfielders stepped up to begin the attacking build.
To survive the numerical disadvantage in midfield, the Korean side's wide midfielders tucked inside from both flanks.
"…Still hasn't changed a bit."
"Diego Simeone's footballing philosophy has become the very identity of this club."
Torres had played under Simeone himself. After leaving Chelsea for AC Milan, he had spent a year there before returning to his boyhood club. Nearly two and a half years under Simeone had left him intimately familiar with the man's philosophy.
Atleti's players recycled the ball through midfield, then suddenly switched it long to the right full-back who had overlapped into open space. He controlled it cleanly and engaged the Korean left-back one-on-one.
The Korean full-back retreated slowly, trying to contain the Atleti player who was tapping the ball forward.
Tok—.
Just before the Korean full-back planted his foot, the Atleti player drove the ball inside on a long touch.
"Close the angle!"
"Watch the cutback! Stick to your man!"
A Korean center-back stepped out to narrow the Atleti player's shooting lane. Midfielders and defenders tracked the runners, man-marking every threat. With nowhere to pass, the Atleti full-back hammered a shot toward the near post — but goalkeeper Han Seungwoo produced a miraculous save, tipping the ball out of play.
The first corner of the match belonged to Atletico Madrid.
"¡Quédate un poco más a la derecha!" — Stay a little more to the right!
The corner taker barked at his teammates crowding the box.
Tang—!
He struck the ball, and it whipped hard toward the far side. Players from both teams leapt into the air — but the ball found no one's head. It sailed clean out of play, and possession fell to the Korean side.
"Go! Now!"
The goalkeeper collected it and launched a long ball toward the striker standing in the opposition half — Kang Seungwook. Seungwook took it lightly and laid it off to a teammate.
Seong Ian received the ball and immediately launched the counter. Only three defenders remained in the opposition half.
Kang Seungwook burst into the half-space, but Ian didn't pass. He took on the defender one-on-one, spun him with a single turn, and drove a low shot toward the far post.
Tang—!
Atleti's goalkeeper flung himself across and kept it out. The ball went behind for a corner.
"Hurry up!"
Ian grabbed the ball, sprinted to the corner flag, and shouted for his teammates.