The Unbelievable End to the Final: A Goalkeeper Who Scores
I really don't get it, you guys from this school.
I've already stopped eight shots on goal in the first half alone. If you're going to save that many, at least give me a goal as payback.
Even now it's still 0-0.
There's no way someone can have that many shots on goal and not score, right?
Piiiiiik—
"Hah, sorry. I should be the one scoring."
Lee Tae-yang sighed heavily and muttered to himself. His voice was full of regret and frustration.
I actually get it. The ball isn't being combined well because it's being smothered from the center...
No, I don't get it. If the ball doesn't come, I should come down and take it myself. That's the job of a forward, to keep pressing from the top. Ahh~
When I entered the locker room, a heavy silence hung in the air.
The coaching staff were all gathered around the tactical board, looking troubled. The players sat in their assigned seats, wiping sweat and catching their breaths.
The door opened, and the coach walked in. Every eye turned to him.
"Haa..."
"Sorry. It's all my fault."
"From now on, we switch to a 4-3-3 formation."
The coach's gaze landed on me.
"Tae-woo."
"Yes, sir."
"You played really well in the first half. Just keep doing that."
"I understand."
I had already made up my mind, but if I said it out loud here, the coach would definitely object. So I hid my thoughts and simply replied with "I understand."
Maybe he wouldn't scold me if I just did it quietly?
Ah, but if I score, he'll probably forgive me a little.
The walk back onto the field.
"Yeah! We can do this!"
The players encouraged each other, walking onto the pitch with burning resolve.
"I'm going out there this time and scoring no matter what."
Lee Tae-yang yelled loudly beside me.
Even though he's only a first-year, the target-type striker in the starting lineup has scored many goals thanks to his huge frame and exceptional physical ability.
*'Sun-ya, I'm sorry, but the first goal of the final will be mine.'*
There's no rule that goalkeepers can't score, right? I'll show you exactly what a true sweeper-keeper can do.
Clenching my goalkeeper gloves tightly, I headed to the pitch with a new determination.
Piiiiiik!
The match resumed, and the instant I started, I rushed forward to clear the goal area.
Lee Tae-yang passed the ball backward, and the moment it was headed toward senior midfielder Kim Chan-wook, I shouted loudly, "Pass!"
Senior Chan-wook received the pass, but his expression was clearly panicked.
"Hey, why are you over there?"
Senior Chan-wook's surprised voice echoed, but I was already receiving the ball and advancing.
Murmurs rose from the stands.
The sight of a goalkeeper suddenly running around like a field player was undoubtedly shocking to everyone.
I tapped the ball lightly and moved toward the center.
The opposing midfielder gave me a look that said, 'Why the hell is this guy here?' but he still came to mark me.
All kinds of sounds surrounded us: the spectators' chatter, the coach's shouts, and the teammates' calls.
But in this moment, nothing reached my ears. There was only me and the ball.
The opposing midfielder, probably thinking I was just a goalkeeper, extended his foot straight.
*'No matter how much of a goalkeeper, you can't ignore me that much.'*
I twisted my body at the last second and executed a graceful turn to slip past him.
Then, dodging the two defenders who came running behind me with incredible speed, I shifted the ball from left foot to right, then back to left. I confused them with an incredible double Phantom Dribble, as if the ball was dancing in the air.
*'Sorry, but right now, the guy you're facing isn't Jung Tae-woo the goalkeeper—it's Kim Chan-ki, the soccer god.'*
While the defenders tangled and fell, I sprinted forward like lightning and reached the penalty box in an instant.
The opposing goalkeeper rushed toward me, but his eyes were filled with confusion.
*'So, who would have imagined that a goalkeeper would be the one stopping a goalkeeper?'*
I never took the shot in the final moment.
And the moment I and the goalkeeper got close,
*'Reducing the angle was good, but I should have shot anyway.'*
I lofted the ball slightly with my right foot.
The ball flew in a beautiful arc over the goalkeeper's head.
The entire stadium seemed to hold its breath. Every eye fixed on the ball slowly rising in the air, and for that instant, time froze.
But I knew without looking.
My years of football experience were screaming it.
This is definitely a goal.
The goalkeeper tried to reach out with his hands, but it was too late.
The ball passed right through the goalkeeper's hands and rolled slowly into the net.
At that moment, time resumed flowing, and the stadium erupted in cheers.
**"GOAL!!!"**
**"Woooow!!!!"**
**"What the heck was that!"**
**"Am I seeing things?"**
**"I can't believe it. Let's just enjoy it."**
The voices of the spectators, who had witnessed the unbelievable scene, blended into one massive wave that crashed over the stadium.
"Hey, you crazy guy!"
Lee Tae-yang hugged me and shouted.
"If a goalkeeper scores too, what are we supposed to eat and live on!"
---
At some middle school...
"Everyone, focus!"
The teacher stood in front of the blackboard and said, "This problem can be solved like this."
"First, move the x here to the right..."
Suddenly, a loud voice came from the back of the classroom.
"Kyaah!"
"Who's making noise during sacred math class—"
"It's you again, Lee Seol-ah. What is it this time that you're screaming during sacred math class, our Seol-ah?"
"Sir, Mina-oppa scored the winning goal in the soccer final today!"
"Really? It's a celebration, but..."
"Huh?"
"Then you were watching soccer on the phone that you were supposed to hand in for class time, right?"
"Ahahaha, is that how it works?"
"Don't laugh, you brat."
"Yes, sir."
"Um, but Mina-oppa's the player from Poongwol High, right? Jung Tae-woo?"
"Ooooh~ You remember him, teacher!"
"Of course, he's famous, but isn't Jung Tae-woo a goalkeeper? How the hell did he score?"
"No, Mina-oppa was dribbling like this and that, and the ball went in!"
I had been watching oppa's soccer highlights when I was caught. My face burned with embarrassment as I elbowed the friend beside me.
"Hey, stop it."
"Ah, just a sec. Oppa Tae-woo scored, and you're not believing it?"
Lee Seol-ah, my best friend, stood up during class and imitated oppa's weird dribbling moves.
*'Haa... I shouldn't have brought her home that day.'*
I sighed, recalling last month.
She had been bored and begging me to play, so I took her home. By chance, I ran into oppa that day, and Seol-ah's mind went completely blank.
"Hey, Mina, is that person—"
"Uh, it's my oppa."
"Mina, I'm in love with him now."
Since then, Seol-ah has claimed to be oppa's number-one fan and has been passionately doing fan-club activities more enthusiastically than anyone else.
"Hey, sit down. Look at the teacher's face."
"Huh? The teacher's face?"
Seol-ah stopped her dribbling imitation, stared at the teacher, froze for a moment, then quickly sat back down.
The teacher's stern expression finally made Seol-ah realize the seriousness of the situation.
"Done with the personal tricks?"
"Uh... I mean... yes, I'm done."
"If you're done... then the two of us should go outside and raise our hands, right?"
"Yes, I think so too."
After finishing her sentence, Seol-ah stood up and looked at me, who was still sitting, with a 'What are you doing?' expression.
"Mina, come on, raise your hand already."
I sighed and slowly stood up.
Thinking about oppa scoring a cool goal, I didn't feel bad at all. Instead, I felt a surge of pride in my chest.
*'He was so nervous, but he still did it.'*
Without realizing it, a small smile crept onto my lips.
"Hurry up and go."
"Yes."
---
Poongwol High coach Kim Seung-hyun was currently in a state of complete cognitive dissonance.
At first, when Jung Tae-woo rushed out from the goal area, anger surged.
"Hey, kid! What the hell are you doing? Stay in your position!"
But the moment Jung Tae-woo began dismantling the opposing players one by one with unbelievable dribbling,
"Ah... uh... okay, good work. Pass it back quickly!"
And finally, the moment Jung Tae-woo scored the goal,
"This... this can't be right?"
He went through an emotional rollercoaster from anger to worry, then to joy, and felt his known soccer principles crumbling.
"You coach, am I hallucinating? My eyes are showing Tae-woo scoring and celebrating."
"My eyes are telling me the same thing. Probably true."
The assistant coach, checking his eyes, cautiously asked.
"Sir, should we still sub out Tae-woo?"
Subbing out Tae-woo here...
The goalkeeper position requires many talents.
Physical condition, animal-like reflexes, the ability to read the flow of the game. And Jung Tae-woo was the player who possessed enormous talent in all of it.
Look at this right now. In a one-on-one situation, he's saving every single shot with unbelievable reflexes.
I understood why the coach wanted to sub him out. It could look like insubordination toward the coach.
But...
"You've gone crazy? Why sub out Tae-woo?"
I still couldn't give up on that save, damn it.