Brazil's Devil's Right Foot Strikes Back
Gabriel Mendes looked around in complete confusion at what was happening.
He had just conceded a goal to some random country called Korea? To Brazil?
“Damn it, focus!”
He was the striker who had been hammering the league at age twenty. He wasn’t some kid.
‘Yeah, whatever. A goal or two and I can make it up in a minute.’
He had heard the words in Brazilian Portuguese and was glaring at the arrogant kid who had told him to shut up.
‘Kid, this match is going to be hell for you.’
“Hey, Thalis.”
“Yeah? What is it, Mendes?”
“As soon as the whistle blows, I’m going to sprint right away. Can you just make one or two passes to me?”
“That’s easy. Let’s settle this score fast. I’m embarrassed after getting a goal in just ten minutes.”
Brazil was the team that deserved the title of the strongest in international competition. That same team had conceded a goal to the weakling Korea in the first ten minutes of the first half. They couldn’t just stand around and let it happen; they needed to hit back immediately or they wouldn’t sleep at night.
Thalis was more than capable of threading a pass to Mendes after beating the Korean defenders.
Whooosh!
The whistle blew and the ball was passed straight back to Thalis, who immediately shot forward.
There was no need to look back. Thalis had no intention of giving the ball to those Korean defenders.
“Got it!”
“Mendes is going!”
And exactly as expected, the sharp pass came flying toward Mendes the moment Thalis shouted.
Mendes accelerated and took control of the ball in an instant.
The Korean defenders tried to wrest it away by jamming their shoulders against him as hard as they could…
“Step aside.”
“Ack!”
Personal tricks? Those were something only players of a certain build could pull off. These defenders could only be beaten by a shoulder charge.
To the crowd watching, Gabriel Mendes looked like a raging bull, utterly unstoppable.
‘First goal. Take that, you little brat.’
While Gabriel Mendes charged forward in a low, relentless burst instead of making a pass, a faint smile tugged at the corner of Jung Tae-woo’s lips.
‘The height difference is really that big.’
By the time a defender had already attached himself to Gabriel Mendes, Jung Tae-woo had already begun his sprint at the exact same moment. When Gabriel Mendes looked straight ahead again, Jung Tae-woo was already standing right in front of the ball.
“When the hell did you get there?!”
Gabriel Mendes had no choice but to leap straight up, screaming.
Jung Tae-woo had already swept the ball away with a perfect timed tackle.
“When did that even happen?! And the goalkeeper came all the way out here?!”
He had charged out of the penalty area to break up the attack with a tackle. He wasn’t alone either—there had been a pass target right next to him…
‘He must have been certain I wouldn’t pass.’
“Mendes, that was a waste.”
Looking at Thalis coming toward him, Gabriel asked in a serious tone.
“Thalis, when exactly did that goalkeeper come out?”
Thalis glanced at Jung Tae-woo and answered.
“That guy started running the second the defenders rushed at you. And his speed is insane. Before I even shouted for a pass he came in for a tackle.”
Mendes shook his head in disbelief. Confusion still filled his eyes.
“How did he know I wouldn’t pass?”
No matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t understand.
“Mendes, don’t overthink it. He’s just fast.”
Yeah, that arrogant little goalkeeper had been lucky with his timing. If he had been even a second later, it would have been a guaranteed goal. Just a kid full of ego but no real talent.
After giving his shoulders two firm pats to steady himself, he stepped up for his signature move—a powerful, one-step drive into the corner.
Thwack!
The sound of a bomb exploding on impact rang out.
But the kid didn’t leap to catch it. He simply reached out and plucked the ball from the air. Only then did Jung Tae-woo feel that something was terribly wrong.
‘It wasn’t luck.’
After grabbing the ball, Jung Tae-woo gave him a smug grin. Mendes couldn’t say a word.
They had no idea at the time that a photo of the two of them—Mendes standing silently afterward and Jung Tae-woo smiling in victory—would later become incredibly famous.
* * *
[In the second half, twenty minutes mark, the goalkeeper Jung Tae-woo makes another save against Brazil’s counterattack!]
[Who could have suspected this player? At only seventeen, he has been starting for the Olympics and proven he belongs on the Olympic team!]
[Same goes for Lee Tae-yang. After showing his fiery first-half performance, he continues that unstoppable attacking spirit in the second half. He’s been threatening the Brazil defense all match.]
[Another super save from Jung Tae-woo! He dives to block Brazil’s sharp shot. This really is the work of a world-class goalkeeper, isn’t it?]
“Haa~ ha~”
He was breathing heavily. Even though he hadn’t needed to come this far forward normally, the sheer number of shots he had faced had taken a real toll on his stamina.
On top of that, Gabriel Mendes’s shots were faster and harder than anyone else’s, which only made the fatigue worse.
And Brazil wasn’t just Mendes. Even while Korea was attacking, they were still looking for any opportunity to steal the ball and counter.
[Thalis tries to dribble on the left… oh, he cuts inside and crosses… ah! But luckily Jung Tae-woo catches it easily!]
He leaped into the air and cleanly caught the cross.
Once the ball was in his hands, he scanned the forward area in an instant. The moment he spotted ‘there it is,’ he saw senior Yoon Jae-hoon standing there with no one near him and delivered a long pass.
[Oh! Jung Tae-woo’s precise long kick! Yoon Jae-hoon receives it and surges forward!]
He caught his breath for a moment and watched the team’s attack. While Yoon Jae-hoon controlled the ball, Yoo Hee-sung and Lee Tae-yang sprinted forward at speed.
[Yoon Jae-hoon passes to Park Seo-joon! Park Seo-joon uses a perfect touch to beat the defender!]
‘Good. Just like that.’
Even if he was the ultimate goalkeeper who could score and save in ways no one could imagine… he was getting a little full of himself, wasn’t he?
‘Hmph. Can’t help it if it’s true.’
Anyway, football was a team sport played eleven versus eleven. They had to trust their Korean teammates.
Even the Olympic debutants Lee Jun-ho, Jang Hyun-sung, Kim Eun-woo, and Yoo Ji-yong had followed his instructions perfectly and stopped Brazil’s counterattacks so effectively.
And Yoo Hee-sung and Lee Tae-yang were showing everything they were capable of.
But while cheering them on in his heart, Jung Tae-woo never let his guard down for a second. Even if the Korean players were playing well, Brazil’s counterattacks were always dangerous.
[Park Seo-joon enters the penalty area! Oh, he dodges two defenders and creates a shooting chance!]
He held his breath and watched. The moment the ball dropped from Park Seo-joon’s foot, the entire stadium seemed to stop breathing.
[Shot! Ah… unfortunately it hits the post!]
The disappointed sigh filled the stadium, but one player refused to give up and chased the ball where it had gone.
[Oh~ Lee Tae-yang runs all the way and gets the second ball! This is a chance for Lee Tae-yang!]
Lee Tae-yang’s movement caught his eye. His nimble body, focused gaze—this was a chance to score.
[Lee Tae-yang shoot! Shuuuush!]
But the ball sadly just grazed the Brazil goalkeeper’s fingertips and went wide. A super save from the keeper.
[Ah, that’s a shame. But it’s okay! Lee Tae-yang’s passion in chasing down a ball everyone else had given up on—truly incredible. That fighting spirit is going to light up the future of Korean football!]
With a corner kick in hand, the Korean players moved into position while Jung Tae-woo kept his tension strung tight. A counterattack was coming the second Brazil won the corner.
[Park Seo-joon takes the corner! Oh, Alisson Silva heads it clear!]
The moment the cleared ball fell in front of Gabriel Mendes.
[Gabriel Mendes has the ball! Korean players, get back quick!]
He drew in a sharp breath. Mendes’s movements were suspicious.
[Gabriel Mendes surges forward at an incredible speed! Our players can’t keep up!]
Gabriel Mendes was like a storm. Their players rushed toward him, but his pace was too fast.
Jung Tae-woo adjusted his angle to match Mendes’s movement and rushed toward the goal line. He tried to position himself perfectly by reading his speed and direction.
His heart was pounding rapidly, but every nerve was focused on the exact moment Mendes would shoot.
When Gabriel Mendes took his shooting stance inside the penalty area, Jung Tae-woo quickly analyzed the angle of his foot and the tilt of his body.
‘Right-foot inside kick, left corner of the net.’
But just as he was about to dive, a foot shot out from behind.
“Kyaaak!”
Mendes screamed, and the referee’s sharp whistle cut through the air.
[Ah, whistle blown! Kim Eun-woo tackled from behind and the shot was saved, but it results in a penalty kick!]
[You can do it, Jung Tae-woo! We’re in the eighty-eighth minute of the second half. If you save this, Korea can finish the group stage with a win!]
“Ah, I…”
In front of him, senior Kim Eun-woo covered his face with both hands, ashamed of his mistake. His shoulders were shaking.
Jung Tae-woo could already guess the thoughts behind those tears. The explosion of online hate if they lost after being so close, followed by an apology to the team.
He walked over to the ashamed senior and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Senior, I can save it.”
Park Seo-joon, who had been walking over with him, added a word.
“Eun-woo, it couldn’t be helped. Trust Tae-woo and step back.”
“Ha~ yeah… Tae-woo, I’m really sorry.”
“Haha, just leave it to me.”
Jung Tae-woo could see tears welling in Kim Eun-woo’s eyes. He kept muttering, “Why did I… what a mistake… the team… the national team…” Looking at his senior’s pained expression, Jung Tae-woo felt even stronger resolve to stop this penalty.
Gabriel Mendes took the ball and walked to the penalty spot. His eyes burned with determination. Jung Tae-woo stood directly in front of him, placing himself right in the center of the goal.
‘I can do this, Jung Tae-woo.’
Penalty kicks were hard to save even for a player with his reaction speed.
But he had to save it. His participation in the Olympics wasn’t just to avoid losing in the group stage.
Mendes took a deep breath and stepped back slowly.
‘Where are you shooting, kid?’
Jung Tae-woo glared at him, eyes wide. Every muscle in his body was taut, the blood in his veins seeming to boil. At that moment, he felt stronger and sharper than ever before.
He kept his eyes locked on every tiny movement of Mendes—his waist twist, the angle of his foot, the shift of his gaze. Everything appeared in slow motion.
‘Let me read your kick. Let me think—where would I have shot if I were you?’
His heart raced like crazy, but his mind was clearer than ever. Born for this moment, he poured every sense to its absolute maximum.
Whistle!
The referee blew the whistle and Mendes began to run. Jung Tae-woo read every single one of his movements.
‘Left? Right? Or center?’
The instant Mendes’s foot touched the ball, Jung Tae-woo reacted on instinct.
‘Right!’
But bad luck struck— the ball flew straight toward the center.
‘Damn it! I have to save it somehow—gyah!’
As he threw his body to the right, he lifted his right foot straight up to meet the incoming ball.
‘Please hit it!’