First Championship (7)
First Championship (7)
050
The Hojin University soccer stadium, where the King of Kings Tournament, the university league final, is taking place.
Gong Jeon-seong, the newly appointed head coach of the Olympic national team, appeared only after the match had already started. While the field was already noisy with the sounds of kicking balls and shouting, a thick palm landed on Gong Jeon-seong's shoulder as he was sneaking into his seat.
"Hey Coach Gong. Long time no see."
"Greetings, Sunbae-nim."
"You seem busy these days. It's hard to even see your face."
"Haha. Our Coach Gong hasn't been holding the baton for long, so of course he's busy, man. Still, Coach Gong, make time to come meet us. We are the KFA Technical Directors, after all."
Ah, fuck.
This is exactly why I came after the match started.
Unlike his inner thoughts, Gong Jeon-seong opened his mouth with a face full of smiles.
"Of course, Sunbae-nims. Since the national team roster announcement is coming up, I ask for your guidance."
"Haha. Of course, of course. Don't worry, Coach Gong. We'll make sure to put together a solid roster."
At the sight of the KFA Technical Directors and other executives bursting into laughter, Gong Jeon-seong also wore a good-natured smile and nodded repeatedly.
Although he is known externally as a stubborn tactical fanatic who doesn't look left or right, Gong Jeon-seong knows how to play the social game.
Didn't he start playing soccer in Korea, advance to Europe, and spend most of his coaching career there?
People are the same everywhere; Europe is no different.
If Korea is all about connections and factions, Europe adds racism to the mix, so if anything, it's more sorrowful, and it's certainly not clean there either.
Naturally, Gong Jeon-seong, who climbed up to this point by breaking through those hardships, is perfectly capable of playing the social game. He just doesn't want to.
"Alright, alright, let's stop talking and watch the game, everyone."
"Eh. Where did you say the opponent was? Hojin University?"
"It's Hojin University."
"Geez. Where on earth is that school? Why did a backwater school make it this far? Tsk."
Gong Jeon-seong clicked his tongue at the executives' words.
To think that these KFA executives don't even have basic information about a school that made it to the finals. They talk endlessly about Olympic rosters and whatnot, yet they can't even recognize the rising stars.
But no matter how blind they are, they won't be able to pretend they don't know after watching the game in person.
I'm actually looking forward to seeing what kind of expressions these guys will make then.
However, Gong Jeon-seong's expectations were not easily met.
Early in the game, the Hojin University players seemed stiff with tension, their movements were a beat slow, and they were self-destructing by repeating basic mistakes.
"Eh~ Tsk tsk. Look at this, look at this. This is why schools without pedigree don't work."
"Exactly. A prestigious school is prestigious for a reason. Oh my, goodness. Did you see that? Can't even do a simple pass and it goes out of the goal line."
"I don't know how they even made it to the finals."
"Tsk tsk. Myeonghak University is toying with them. Who is the opposing coach? Who? Na Geon-seong? Who's that?"
Gong Jeon-seong sighed and rubbed his eyes, wanting to leave right away.
'Still, let's watch the performance of #13 and #15. If they can't show their skills on the final stage, I can't take them to the Olympics.'
It is truly a pity to have to exclude them from the final roster after telling them to prepare for the Olympic finals. However, if those two cannot show a proper performance, there will be a lot of trouble including them in the final roster.
Gong Jeon-seong hoped that the two of them would give him confidence, and that wish was soon granted.
"Uh-oh? That kid knows how to see the passing lane?"
"Let's see, #13... Yoon-hyeok? Never heard of him."
"Oho. The movement is very precise. Few unnecessary movements, and efficient!"
"Aha! The pass is also quite excellent!"
"That #13 kid is fast on his feet too. But he shouldn't hesitate there! He should just poke it through... Uh? Br, breakthrough?"
"Whoa! The body movement is... What's that kid's name? Hong Min-jun?"
"Hong Min-jun... Hong Min-jun... Wait, if it's Hong Min-jun, isn't that the guy from before?"
I felt good until just before the match started.
It was great to reunite with a past connection I really wanted to meet, and I was so excited to show my growth in front of someone who had ignored me so much that I was anxiously waiting for the game to start.
As I was shaking my legs from anticipation, excitement, and nervousness, Yoon-hyeok Sunbae tapped my chest.
"Relax. You can win if you just show your usual skills."
"Yes? Tension?"
"Yeah. You were shaking your legs like an aspen tree."
I wasn't nervous at all.
I wondered why he misunderstood, but then I realized the other Sunbaes were in bad shape. Everyone was stiff with tension...
'Is this okay?'
At least Yoon-hyeok Sunbae looked fine, thank goodness... Eh, they'll get better once the game actually starts.
It was a mistake.
'Holy... this is fucked.'
10 minutes into the game.
Our team was stiff and didn't know what to do.
Just a moment ago, center back Oh Sang-tae Sunbae's backpass error almost caused an own goal, but Yoon-hyeok Sunbae desperately ran and cleared it, barely stopping it.
What kind of bullshit... My head was spinning from the performance, and I found myself glancing at the stands.
Among the people scattered here and there, he must be watching.
'Fuck. It's been 4 years since that day, and I'm showing this kind of performance? That can't be.'
Just imagining him sneering, thinking "I knew it," makes my chest ache.
I realize anew that the wound I thought had healed is actually still bleeding. The memory of that day that I still haven't forgotten, or rather, cannot be forgotten.
"Yoon-hyeok Sunbae!"
"Haa, haa, yeah."
"Send the ball to me somehow."
"What? What are you going to do?"
"I'll break through."
"Don't talk bullshit. They seem to have analyzed you thoroughly, so what breakthrough. Don't overdo it, just play with passes. Your movement has been good lately."
I know that Yoon-hyeok Sunbae's words are correct.
The opponent is Myeonghak University, the prestigious King of Kings regular.
As the best team in the university league where Myeonghak starters are said to be guaranteed entry into the pros, the individual skills of the players were superior to any team we had faced so far.
Moreover, they must have analyzed our team, as they were isolating me to prevent me from getting the ball, and even if I did get it, they were subtly interfering to prevent me from playing properly.
They would aim for the moment I received the ball to initiate body contact, or pull my jersey, or push me to make me lose my balance.
Even with this series of interferences, which were done out of the referee's sight to avoid fouls, I didn't lose possession thanks to my natural balance and ball control, but it was true that I couldn't make the next play smoothly.
"No. I can break through."
"Hey. This isn't something you can do with just confidence—"
"Sunbae."
Yoon-hyeok Sunbae stares at me and sighs.
"Fine. I trust you."
"Please do."
【Technique】 【Mental】 【Physical】
Individual Skill 075(▲5)｜Vision 055｜Speed 067
Dribbling 070(▲2)｜Anticipation 050｜Acceleration 068
Trapping 075(▲8)｜Judgment 065｜Balance 065
Short Pass 055 ｜Concentration 056｜Agility 065
Long Pass 050 ｜Off the Ball 060｜Reaction Speed 079
Shooting 045 ｜Marking 045｜Power 054
Free Kick 042 ｜Composure 052｜Jump 046
Header 038 ｜Leadership 040｜Stamina 051(▲3)
Tackle 032 ｜Teamwork 039｜Recovery 065
【Hidden】
Genius 048 ｜ Charm 095 ｜ Intelligence 028
【Height 175cm｜62kg】
【Owned Points】 0P
I poured all 25 points I had collected into technique.
I wanted to put off using points for the stamina I raised through training, but... I had no choice.
My passing and off-the-ball abilities, which were pointed out as weaknesses, had improved, but they are useless if the rest of the Sunbaes, except for Yoon-hyeok Sunbae, aren't in their right minds.
These abilities only exert influence in team movements, but who would have thought that all the team members except Yoon-hyeok Sunbae would become useless?
Then there is only one way.
What I am most confident in, and what I was best at.
'As expected, carrying alone is more comfortable.'
No matter how thoroughly they analyzed and prepared for me, they wouldn't have thought my skills would rise this suddenly.
The game restarts with the opponent's throw-in.
I calmly waited for the ball to come.
In a game like today where I can't expect help from the team, I have to create a goal solely with my own individual ability.
To do that, I have to exert maximum efficiency when attacking. No matter how much my abilities have risen, I won't be able to break through the opposing team alone every time.
'Defense... let's leave it to the Sunbaes.'
It's a fantasy-like nonsense to carry everything on attack and block every opponent's attack on defense. Even if my stamina were 100, that would be impossible.
Soccer is ultimately a team sport, and the ball is faster than people.
However, it is possible to explode the stamina saved from defense into the attack. So please, at least don't collapse in defense.
"Left! Leave the back to me, stick to them!!"
Fortunately, thanks to Yoon-hyeok Sunbae's performance, doing the work of two people while struggling, we intercepted the opponent's ball.
Go Ji-sik Sunbae, who had stolen the ball, habitually passed it to Yoon-hyeok Sunbae, and the moment Yoon-hyeok Sunbae trapped the ball.
'It's here!'
The moment I felt my eyes meet with Yoon-hyeok Sunbae's, my body was already running toward the empty space.