Chaos of the Iraq Match 1-1
The electronic scoreboard flashed. The Iraq players roared like they owned the world. Scarier than the weight of the goal conceded was the fact that Iraq's atmosphere was coming back to life. What we needed right now wasn't a US Tomahawk missile.
"Tsk... We need a momentum reversal."
Coldly put, we had to break the flow. Not some tactical tweak—a crack that would shatter this very air.
That's when Coach Yoon Seungwoo moved near the touchline.
OUT: Gwon Dojin. IN: Park Jeongu.
'Oh, nice timing.'
I let out a short burst of admiration in my head. Gwon Dojin had been drained from enduring Iraq's brutal physical battles all first half. What Yoon Seungwoo judged we needed now wasn't youthful fire, but a seasoned veteran who'd tasted the savagery of Middle Eastern soccer firsthand. Park Jeongu was a sly fox of a striker who knew exactly how to sniff out gaps in these sticky, grimy games.
"Ah! Coach Yoon Seungwoo throws the dice! Pulling Gwon Dojin for Park Jeongu!"
"Spot-on choice. With Iraq's momentum surging, we need a veteran to anchor things. Park Jeongu knows how to carve open paths in crises like this."
Park Jeongu entered the pitch and shot me a glance—a silent signal begging me to feed him the ball. I nodded back.
55th minute of the second half. Our counterattack kicked off.
Tak Go-gang seized the ball in midfield and lifted his head. Exploiting the gap where Iraq's defense fixated on me, he ripped a long switching pass to the opposite flank. The ball shot out like a laser.
"Tak Go-gang's switch pass! Pinpoint! The flank space is wide open!"
Lee Junyoung took it. No trapping—he charged forward with the ball, shredding Iraq's fullback. A flashy stepover flowed into an explosive sprint. The moment the defender stumbled off-balance, Lee Junyoung opted for the arc's front, not inside the box.
"Leon!"
A perfect cutback delivered right to my feet. I swung my right foot, letting the ball's spin guide it.
BAM!
A heavier thud than first half echoed across the stadium. The ball pierced between defenders, sucked into the top corner like a magnet.
The keeper's fingertips grazed it, veering just over the bar for a corner. Sighs and cheers tangled from the stands.
Corner kick. Lee Junyoung whipped in a sharp cross. Amid the defensive thicket, Park Jeongu ghosted into position and soared. The header rocketed toward goal.
"Park Jeongu's header!"
"No way, blocks it again? Rebound! Rebound!"
The Iraq keeper's animal reflexes punched it out to the box's edge. Tak Go-gang lurked there. He calmly gathered the loose ball and lofted another precise cross into the danger zone.
This time, the landing spot differed. With Iraq's defense's eyes stolen by Park Jeongu, Captain Bong Hyeoksu pounced from behind like a tiger and took flight.
"Bong Hyeoksu rises! Bong Hyeoksuuuu!"
THWACK!
The net billowed like it might rip. The ball left Bong's head on an untouchable arc the keeper couldn't touch.
2-1.
Yongin Mir Stadium shook with deafening roars. I hugged the charging Bong Hyeoksu and flashed a grin at the Iraq bench.
"Is this your fucking swamp, assholes?"
Right after grabbing the 2-1 lead, we seized the momentum again. As we managed the game our way, Iraq's Coach Kasas wore a stony face and rolled the dice, summoning three bench players at once.
"Iraq burns three subs at once! Attacking mids and striker incoming. All-out war for the remaining time!"
"No backing down for Coach Kasas. Loss means the end. Now it's a stamina and mental grind. Midfield's turning into a massive whirlpool!"
The second the game restarted, midfield pressing turned ferociously rougher than the first half. The fresh Iraq subs charged with full tanks, stealing the ball only to lose it and scrap again in the mud.
65th minute. Our pass error sparked Iraq's counter. White jerseys bolted forward like lightning.
"Block it!"
I gritted my teeth and sprinted. As the opposing midfielder drove toward the arc's mouth, I hurled my body to seal the lane. Thud! The ball smacked my foot and rolled out for a throw-in. Success in killing the tempo, but Iraq kept possession with a quick throw.
"Ryu Rion! Chases and cuts it! Killer focus. But Iraq holds the ball. Quick throw-in underway?"
Iraq gave no breather. The hurled ball linked to their winger, who blew past Lee Junyoung to the byline and slung a cross.
The ball soared high. At the drop zone: Iraq's towering striker and me, who'd rushed back to support in the box, leaped together.
I exploded off the turf with everything. Eyes locked on the ball, head thrusting forward in that split second—
CRACK!
A dull thud hammered my ears. Something solid smashed my forehead dead-on. Vision flashed white, then black. Gravity dragged me crashing down.
"......!"
No scream escaped. I hit the grass hard; beside me, the Iraq forward clutched his head and crumpled. Hot liquid trickled past my eyes, staining my sight red.
The ref halted play instantly, waving frantically at the bench. Medics charged