AFC U-19 Championship - 2: Iran's Desperate Collapse
After my additional goal, Iran grew frantic. Being young players still, they couldn't compose themselves properly, leading to rough fouls and yellow cards.
"You fucking bastards!"
"Smells like a loser."
As Iran's aggressive fouls heated up the Korean national team in response and the match threatened to turn chaotic,
"Calm down! Don't get pointless cards in the heat of the moment!"
I grabbed the ball, soothed the excited teammates, and calmly circulated it to slow the game's tempo.
There was no need to risk injuries when we were already winning.
Of course, it was Iran—trailing by two goals—who were desperate, so their defensive line pushed higher, opening up space behind.
Dropping back to the defensive midfielder position to receive the ball, I used a heel flick for my first touch to evade the pressing from both sides.
The ball slipped through the legs of Iran's number 10, and I slipped my body between the pressing 10 and 8.
"Son of a bitch!"
"Get out of the way!"
While Iran's 10 and 8 collided and rolled on the ground together amicably,
I lifted my head and quickly scanned ahead.
With most of Iran's players in our half, the space behind was wide open.
A long pass forward would lead straight to a goal—a golden opportunity.
Some players insist on short passes even in situations like this, but whatever. I prefer to think it's a matter of personal taste.
I didn't want to believe they couldn't hit a long ball.
Didn't Manchester United legend Scholes say it? If you can't do a 30-meter pass, don't even think about playing midfielder. What big club fields a central midfielder who can't reliably hit 30 meters?
It felt like Gyeowol's voice rang in my ear, but it must be my imagination.
Anyway, long passes are basic for a central midfielder. And as Korea's top midfielder, I was confident in threading long balls forward. Not just forward—precise passes to every corner of the pitch.
I'd played everywhere thanks to my versatile toolkit, from center-back to striker. Naturally, I'd learned a lot. Didn't Robert Lewandowski say he'd learned about playing lower as an attacking midfielder and the movements of forwards behind him?
Well, the coach tried me as a striker, shook his head after four games, and switched positions...
Anyway... I was that versatile a player. When I seemed physically drained, instead of resting next match, the coach slotted me into defense? And I played full 90s every game without injury. Thinking back, that coach was a total madman?)
Okay, half-joking, but Seoul fans didn't call me "Even if Son Jinho slacks off, it's forgiven" for nothing. I was the iron man of K-League back then, with overwork controversies daily.
As I reminisced about running like a dog in the past,
"Baby bro—!"
Dong-won Tuna pointed forward, calling me.
The moment our eyes met, I scraped the bottom of the ball hard with my instep. The ball knuckleballed forward, slowed just right in front of Dong-won Tuna for an easy reception.
The liner kick, often called the flower of midfielders. Xabi Alonso mastered it.
"Ooooh—!!"
Anyway, with one pass, Dong-won Tuna went one-on-one with the keeper. He calmly slotted it past the charging goalie.
"Waaaaah—!"
The ball rippled the net. Leaving the sprinting, cheering Dong-won Tuna behind,
"Insha'Allah... (Everything by Hoo's will)"
Even though the game wasn't over, I approached the heads-down Iranian players and offered words of comfort.
After Cha Dong-won's extra goal, Iran crumbled quickly.
Meanwhile, at that time.
"Hm hm~..."
Han Gyeowol, browsing internet articles from Germany, lay on the sofa shaking her legs and humming unconsciously.
The malicious commenters—suspected parents—who always trashed Son Jinho articles got carpet-bombed by Korean soccer fans and vanished.
Han Gyeowol felt a sense of loss, like Son Jinho had stolen her mom.
Korea's U-19 youth team started with Iran,
then beat Australia too, securing quarterfinals berth essentially.
Unlike the 32-team World Cup, AFC U-19 has 16 teams in finals, so tournament starts at quarters.
Resting starters, Han Gwang-jong's squad shockingly lost to Yemen, finishing second in group.
Thus, Korea's quarters foe was set: eternal rivals Japan.
Post-mid-2010s, anti-China surges past anti-Japan as China becomes the big bad, but in 2010 now, China was sturdy ally.
Anti-Japan burned hotter than anti-China then, drawing massive Korean attention.
"Well... China sucks at soccer anyway, no rivalry."
Son Jinho shook his head recalling China's level. His face showed no tension, just excitement for Korea-Japan.
Makes sense: U-19 led by Han Gwang-jong, undefeated vs Japan, soccer's Yi Sun-sin. And Son Jinho himself later earned Turtle Ship rep by erasing Japan's attack in friendlies.
"Yi Sun-sin and Turtle Ship? Ah. Can't lose this."