The Wave Pressing Begins – First Clash with Brazil in Madrid
Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and before I knew it, I was preparing to leave the country with the national football team for the Madrid Olympics.
Ha... so much has happened in the meantime.
Manager Cheon Mu-seok had gone straight into action the very day after his roster announcement. He gathered every single player in one place—all except Park Seo-joon, who was still playing for Chelsea. His plan was crystal clear: drill the Wave Pressing he intended to unleash at this Olympics into the players until it became second nature.
Even for me, with all my experience, the training Cheon Mu-seok put us through was an unrelenting grind.
"No slacking off back there—keep running! The most important thing in Wave Pressing, no matter what anyone says, is stamina! STAMINA!"
The manager's razor-sharp voice filled the entire pitch.
"Now we move on to pressing drills! The moment your opponent receives the ball, you charge in! No—wait, if he's already charging in, then you cover his position! That's how it works!"
Thinking back on it, every single moment had been pure torture.
If anyone dared to say, "Come on, it's just training—how hard can it be? Everyone has to do it anyway," all I could offer in return would be a bitter smile.
Jeon Hyeong-min was the kind of player who always made the World Cup squad, even if he wasn't a guaranteed starter. And I—a mere first-year high schooler—had snatched the starting spot right out from under him. How furious would that make anyone? And yet, instead of seething, that very player was looking at me, the starter, with pity in his eyes... There was absolutely nothing normal about this training.
Still, perhaps thanks to all that suffering, we won every one of our closed-door friendly matches.
"Hey, Tae-yang, what are you doing over there by yourself?"
Just then, Jeon Hyeong-min's voice drifted over from behind me.
"Oh, sunbae-nim. I was just thinking back on our training sessions."
"Heh heh... Kid, don't even mention it. I'd rather not think about it at all."
Jeon Hyeong-min shuddered and crossed his arms over his chest, as if the mere memory made his skin crawl.
"Tae-woo, by the way—why is your friend Tae-yang acting like that over there?"
I followed Jeon Hyeong-min's pointing finger and saw Lee Tae-yang playing it up for a crowd of reporters.
"Hahaha, you're too kind. I may not be well known just yet, but I, Lee Tae-yang, promise to repay you with goals at the Olympics!"
"Hmm, he's always like that..."
"Yeah, that's true."
For anyone seeing Lee Tae-yang for the first time this Olympics, it wouldn't take long to conclude that the kid was a complete goofball.
He'd get caught sneaking midnight snacks, or practicing headers with a football in the dorm and shattering the ceiling light...
Come to think of it, the guy really is something else. How does he still have energy for this kind of nonsense after surviving that training?
As departure time crept closer, I headed toward the reporters to collect Lee Tae-yang.
"Lee Tae-yang, we have to go now."
At that moment, gasps of admiration rose from the cluster of reporters who had caught sight of my face.
"Wow, he really is handsome."
"How do those eyes, nose, and lips all fit on such a tiny face?"
Lee Tae-yang shot back playfully.
"Excuse me, ma'am? You certainly didn't say anything like that when you were talking to me."
"HAHAHAHA!"
Laughter rippled through the reporters.
I'd heard "you're so handsome" so many times by now that it barely registered—but if I just walked away without responding at all...
At this afternoon's Olympic football team departure ceremony held at Incheon International Airport, player Jung Tae-woo drew attention for remaining stone-faced when reporters complimented his looks.
When a reporter called him handsome, Jung Tae-woo walked past without a word of reply. By contrast, his teammate Lee Tae-yang exuded confidence, declaring, "I will overcome this controversy with my skill," creating a striking juxtaposition between the two.
Meanwhile, netizens have reacted to Jung Tae-woo's attitude with comments like "personality controversy," and public attention is now fixed on his future conduct.
Something like that—wouldn't that be exactly the kind of article they'd write?
The squad selection controversy was already loud enough as it was. If a personality scandal blew up on top of it... ugh, I'd be eating hate comments for the rest of my life.
"Haha, thank you. Our flight time is up now—may we get going?"
"Of course. Good luck out there!"
"Yes, thank you."
As we walked back toward the rest of the national team, Lee Tae-yang grinned slyly at me.
"Hey, Tae-woo. The internet's about to be flooded with articles singing my praises."
And what brilliant nonsense is this supposed to be?
"Why would they praise you?"
"While everyone else gave a quick hello and hurried inside, this magnificent body—Lee Tae-yang—was the only one who stuck around for a full interview. I bet every single one of those reporters was deeply moved."
Having experienced reporters' two-faced nature more than once, I knew full well that the same people smiling to your face could just as easily write you a scathing article.
Well... still, if there are any decent ones out there, then a rookie first-year getting torn apart online while one of them gives him a proper interview... I suppose they might write something kind.
"You still won't have a fan club, though."
"What? This much should earn me some love!"
"Your face is ugly."
"You little sh—"
And so the football national team departed for Spain.
With our Olympic journey underway, the first group stage match had arrived.
An international tournament is a festival fought for the honor of one's nation—and among them, football's World Cup and Olympics are celebrated as the hottest festivals of all.
But unlike the World Cup, the Olympics—an under-23 tournament with only three wildcard slots allowed—carries a special, deeply personal weight for Korean footballers, more than for players of any other country.
The reason is simple: the military.
Everyone has heard the half-joking line at least once: "Public service? An exemption? If you haven't served in the army, you're not really a man." On the flip side, serving in a hardcore unit like the Marines or the Special Forces can fill a man with genuine pride in his military service.
And yet, strangely enough, the military is the one place nobody wants to go if they can possibly avoid it.
Win a medal at the Olympics, and eighteen months of mandatory military service vanish. What athlete in South Korea could possibly not be desperate for that?
If there's anyone out there insisting, "No, a man should serve his country," I'd like to ask them one question.
"Then why didn't you volunteer for active duty?"
They would never be able to answer. Why? Because the reality is that everyone, without exception, wants to dodge the army if given the chance.
Which is why we absolutely could not lose this match—no matter that our opponents were mighty Brazil.
July 23, 2036. The Estadio Metropolitano, nestled in the heart of Madrid, Spain.
Famed as the home ground of Atletico Madrid, the stadium had proudly displayed its grandeur since opening its gates in 2017—a colossal arena capable of seating a staggering 68,456 spectators. Today, that majestic silhouette gleamed even brighter, lit from within by the fever of the Olympic Games.
Despite being merely a group stage fixture, the stands were already packed to capacity well before kickoff.
Flags and cheering paraphernalia from every nation draped the stadium in color, while the low murmur of the crowd thickened the air with anticipation.
The heat of the Olympics was already blazing. Waiting for the match about to begin, the roar and expectations of the spectators filled every corner of the Estadio Metropolitano.
["Good evening, and welcome to the Estadio Metropolitano, host of today's clash between South Korea and Brazil. I'm your caster, Lee Seong-jun."]
["And I'm commentator Yoo Jung-hwan."]
["This Madrid Olympics was mired in controversy before it even began, wasn't it?"]
["That's right. Cheon Mu-seok, a coach with a German football background, selected players with no senior international experience—including first-year high schoolers Jung Tae-woo, Yoo Hee-sung, and Lee Tae-yang—and it caused quite an uproar."]
["So, Commentator Yoo, what's your take? You broadcast the high school tournament with me not long ago, and you rated Jung Tae-woo and Yoo Hee-sung quite highly, didn't you?"]
["I did, and I believe all three—Jung Tae-woo, Yoo Hee-sung, and Lee Tae-yang—will more than hold their own at these Olympics. For their age, they're remarkably seasoned, and their raw ability is exceptional."]
["Indeed. Even the group stage won't be easy this time. In Group B, South Korea faces not just Brazil but two formidable sides in Nigeria and Denmark. Nigeria is a recognized powerhouse of African football, and Denmark has consistently posted strong results in Europe."]
["Exactly. The battle in Group B looks set to be brutally competitive. Brazil goes without saying, and neither Nigeria nor Denmark can be taken lightly. But our national team is no pushover either."]
["That's right. Jung Tae-woo, Yoo Hee-sung, and Lee Tae-yang all lack international experience, but what they showed in domestic competition was genuinely extraordinary. Yoo Hee-sung in particular—despite being only a first-year in high school—displayed breathtaking scoring power."]
["And beyond them, the squad is filled with players talented enough to have earned Olympic selection on merit alone. Above all, we have the pride of Korean football, the world-class Park Seo-joon, anchoring the side. I believe our boys can absolutely pull this off."]
["Agreed. Park Seo-joon's mere presence should give this team enormous strength. His experience and ability will serve as a model for the younger players, and I expect him to exert a major influence on the pitch as well."]
["What's more, word is they won all three of their closed-door friendlies. Cheon Mu-seok's tactics are truly something to look forward to."]
["Ah—speaking of which, the starting lineup has just been announced. Let me take a look..."]
["WOW. Cheon Mu-seok really doesn't hesitate, does he! Jung Tae-woo, Lee Tae-yang, AND Yoo Hee-sung are all starting! He's unveiling a bold, radical strategy by fielding the young players en masse!"]
["And now the players are taking their positions. The opening whistle should sound any moment..."]
FWEEEEET!
["And the match is underway! The 2036 Madrid Olympics—South Korea versus Brazil has finally kicked off! Just what kind of results will Cheon Mu-seok's strategy produce? This promises to be a thrilling match indeed!"]