The Olympic Coach’s Bold Vision for an Attacking Goalkeeper
Finally, I’ve found it.
Cheon Mu-seok sat with a face brimming with joy, eyes fixed on the match unfolding before him.
The last piece of the puzzle for the Wave Pressing tactic he had conceived during his coaching days in Germany had finally been discovered.
Jung Tae-woo had originally been known as a stable defensive goalkeeper. That was why Cheon Mu-seok had praised him highly while still hesitating to consider him for the national team.
Yet today’s game changed everything.
His explosive speed, individual brilliance, and the calm composure he showed when waiting until the last moment to unleash a chip shot—all of it was precisely the ideal goalkeeper I had always imagined.
In Cheon Mu-seok’s eyes, Jung Tae-woo had become the perfect goalkeeper he had dreamed of.
“Huhuhu…”
The coach’s strange chuckle made the surrounding players exchange uneasy glances.
At 190 centimeters tall with a stern face, Cheon Mu-seok naturally cast a tense atmosphere over everyone nearby. Yet he paid them no mind, lost in his own thoughts.
[Wave Pressing: An ultra-aggressive full-team pressing tactic invented by Manager Cheon Moo-seok where even the goalkeeper pushes up to participate in the attack and numerical superiority in the opponent’s half.]
—
“Nice to meet you. I’m Cheon Mu-seok, the head coach for the men’s football team at the 2036 Madrid Olympics.”
“Ah, hello. I’m Jung Tae-woo.”
I answered respectfully. The terrifying face of the coach didn’t intimidate me in the least.
I too stood at 187 centimeters—certainly not short—but the manager appeared even taller.
“Have a seat first.”
The moment I sat down, the coach’s eyes sparkled with a warmth that clashed sharply against his rugged features as he asked:
“Do you think what a strong defense really needs alongside it?”
‘In the novel, they used extreme attacking tactics…’
“Strong offense creates strong defense—!”
Thud!
“Exactly! That’s it!”
“Coach Cheon, please calm yourself.”
Kim-seon, the coach standing behind, raised his voice and stopped the coach from standing up.
“Hmph— I got a little excited.”
Cheon Mu-seok sat back down and continued:
“You’re right. Strong offense is the best defense. And the tactic we’ll use in this Olympics is also extremely aggressive.”
I nodded.
As someone who had read the novel, I already knew everything he was saying.
“Have you heard of Wave Pressing?”
Wave Pressing? In the novel the tactic name wasn’t even mentioned. Had I simply forgotten?
“No, this is my first time hearing it.”
“That makes sense. It’s a tactic I thought up in Germany.”
Was he asking about a tactic he had created himself, just for the sake of sounding impressive? The coach’s self-love seemed rather strong.
“I’ll explain. Once you hear the tactic, you’ll understand exactly why I sought you out.”
The moment the coach began to explain, I understood why he had come.
Wave Pressing was an extreme attacking tactic in which the goalkeeper himself joined the attack line.
‘Definitely a tactic I can’t pull off alone.’
Imagining a goalkeeper moving up into the attacking line went against every conventional football principle.
Yet perhaps in another world, where a goalkeeper was the natural top striker… it could be possible.
‘The novel’s tactic is similar to the one Napoli used when they won, a standard defensive approach that put huge responsibility on the defenders. But without a player like Kim Min-jae, we were punished with massive goals conceded.’
“This tactic requires quite a lot from you, doesn’t it?”
Cheon Mu-seok nodded in agreement.
“Yes. The core of this tactic is your judgment. How you move, when you move, changes the entire defensive line. You won’t just be the goalkeeper—you’ll have to act like a forward or midfielder at times.”
He took a breath and went on:
“Physically it will be very demanding. You’ll be running back and forth between the goal and the attacking area constantly. But if anyone can handle it, it’s you.”
‘Hmmm… what should I do…’
Going to the Olympics was a good opportunity. The novel had even addressed the military service issue.
Yet if I simply joined the eliminated team, would we actually win the medal?
Many thoughts raced through my mind.
“I understand. It’ll be hard to decide. People will point fingers and curse you, but…”
At that exact moment Cheon Mu-seok’s eyes sharpened and a playful smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“Doesn’t that sound fun? This tactic?”
The coach’s words made me pause.
Exactly. When had I ever divided football into “can I do it or not”?
I had trained with the belief that I could succeed, but that was never the full reason.
I genuinely loved football.
‘Yeah. When had I ever set my own limits?’
With that thought, I felt the dormant fighting spirit that had lain dormant under all the trophies suddenly awaken inside me.
“I was too timid. I’m sorry.”
I smiled and said:
“Even you, Coach, there won’t be anyone who can fully master your tactic like me.”
“Good. You’re as fiery as your face. See you in training.”
After finishing, the coach bowed to Kim-seon and left the office.
“Tae-woo, are you sure? If this tactic fails, the position that gets the most flak is—”
“Coach, you know I’m good at what I do.”
I cut him off with a cheeky grin.
“I’m not worried.”
Seeing my confident expression, Kim-seon smiled too.
“Yeah, I know who I’m worrying about.”
—
It was already past seven in the evening. In the GY Entertainment practice room, two girls danced passionately to the song blasting from the speakers.
Now it’s mine~
Matching the lyrics perfectly, their bodies moved as one until the final pose.
“Uha~ Okay, good job.”
Sweeping damp bangs off her forehead, Mina looked at her reflection in the mirror and said:
“Unnie is so tired~~~”
Mina sat down on the floor with a dramatic pout.
“Still, we have to keep going. Next week is the month-end evaluation.”
“Even people like us work this hard. But… Unnie, your dance line is really good, right? Ehehe~”
“Hey, stop clinging to me! We’re all sweaty.”
Pushing away the clingy Mina with a playful push.
“Tsk, too much.”
Just like Mina—full of charm and beautiful face. Why was I so disinterested in my own sister?
“Time’s up. Let’s shower and head home.”
After showering together with Mina, we walked home.
“But Unnie…”
“Hm?”
“Do… do you like oppa?”
The question made me stop walking and look at her. My heart suddenly began racing.
“What kind of question is that all of a sudden?”
My voice trembled slightly as I answered her.
“Well… the two of you have been close for a long time, and you seem happy when you’re together, but you don’t date… so…”
“Mina, we’re just friends. I’ve known him since we were little…”
I tried to sound calm, but the words of that school friend kept echoing in my ears.
“Hey, you two are actually dating, right?”
‘To outsiders we look like we’re dating.’
“Why is your ear suddenly red, Unnie?”
“My ear?”
Touching it with my hand, a burning sensation spread. My heart was pounding hard.
“Unnie, don’t tell me—”
Mina’s eyes widened as a meaningful smile spread across her face.
“N-no! Just… it’s cold.”
“Really? I’m freezing.”
“I-I’m a bit cold.”
“Unnie, did you catch a cold from thinking about oppa? Is this the love sickness they always talk about?”
“Hey! What are you saying!”
Mina burst into laughter and ran off, and I chased after her with a flushed face.
After chatting the whole way, I brought Mina home. As I walked the rest of the way:
“Why is my ear still red?”
Touching it again, it was still hot. My heart raced. Jung Tae-woo’s face kept flashing before my eyes.
‘No, it’s just the weather. The night air is cold.’
I tried to convince myself, but the memory of Tae-woo’s playful smile and mischievous eyes kept returning.
“Sigh, we’re just friends. I’ve known him since we were kids…”
Even as I muttered, something in my chest fluttered strangely.
‘It’s just… Mina’s weird question got to me. Why am I thinking about Tae-woo…?’
I stopped, looked up at the night sky, and tried to calm my racing thoughts.
‘I’m tired from practice. I’ll feel better after sleep.’
Satisfied with that self-soothing, I hurried home.
Beep beep beep beep—clank!
“I’m home.”
The familiar voice as soon as I opened the door made me jump.
“Whoa, Dad really has a great football sense.”
“Hahaha! Tae-woo, kid, when did you become a Man City fan? You should’ve come to me first, kiddo.”
‘Why is Tae-woo here?’
I took a deep breath and headed to the living room.
“Oh, Damin. You’re here?”
“Y-yes…”
And then our eyes met. My ears burned again.
“Hey, Jang Da-min. Why are you so late? I waited a long time.”
I answered without meaning to, my tone sharp.
“What does that have to do with you? I go whenever I want.”
“Why are you angry? I came to tell you good news.”
“Haha, our Damin’s puberty—”
I shot a sharp look at my dad, who shut up and coughed.
“Ahem.”
“Alright, go to your room.”
I urged Tae-woo to go, closed the door, and he started speaking excitedly:
“Oppa did it, Damin!”
“What do you mean ‘oppa did it’? What happened? Just something small, okay? You’ll kill me.”
Tae-woo laughed playfully.
“I’m going to the Olympics.”
“Really?”
My voice rose without me realizing.
“The coach came to me personally because he wanted me to go with oppa. How’s that? Is this enough?”
“Enough? What?”
“Does it look like a goalkeeper?”
At Tae-woo’s playful question, my face flushed.
‘He remembered.’