Football Really Is About Using Your Head (2)
The stadium was a cauldron of pure delirium.
"With the defenders closing in, that header could easily have been blocked, but he still steered it right into the corner of the net."
"How on earth is he more clinical with his head than he was shooting with his boots in the first half of the last match?"
"Well, I do know how to use my head," I quipped.
I basked in the roaring cheers of the crowd as my teammates crowded around to congratulate me. There was still plenty of time left on the clock. The burning resolve flaring in the Japanese defenders' eyes made them look like ripe prey. Cooking players like that happened to be my specialty.
It was time to show them why I had survived in England with nothing more than raw physicality and a lethal head.
Soon, the match restarted with Japan's kickoff. Japan tried to shake off our suffocating press and mount a comeback of their own, but Park Soo-an, making his international debut today, won the ball cleanly with an immaculate sliding tackle.
And just like that, Korea's orchestrated patterns roared back to life. The recovered ball was shuttled directly into the half-space to Taeha hyung.
Kwah-aang!
Taeha hyung suddenly whipped in an early cross, catching the Japanese squad completely off-guard as they tried to nudge their backline forward. With most of the Korean players positioned to draw short passes into Taeha hyung, Japan clearly hadn't anticipated an instant delivery into the box.
Well, except for me. Because Taeha hyung and I had locked eyes the moment he stepped onto the ball.
[Lee Taeha whips in an early cross!]
[Was that delivered too quickly? Nobody can react in time—wait, Lee Han! Lee Han! Dropping right between the center-backs and the keeper, he cushions the ball forward off his forehead! He's onside! Lee Han! Lee Han!]
Because I had taken it on the bounce with my head, the ball skipped off the turf and popped up high right in front of me. The Japanese goalkeeper was already charging off his line, leaving me barely any time to bring it under control.
Wait. How am I supposed to finish this?
It was a one-on-one with the keeper, but there was zero guarantee I'd bury it with my feet. If I blew an open one-on-one, the fans would roast me alive. In the end, there was only one choice.
Since when had I ever relied on my feet anyway?
I'd just use my head.
The hesitation was fleeting; the reaction, instantaneous. Tracking the descending arc of the ball, I sprinted forward and threw my forehead right into it.
BANG!
Even accounting for the momentum of hurling my entire body forward, the fact that I had set it up myself and finished it with my own head produced an astonishingly thunderous crack. I flew through the air and hit the grass in an utterly graceless belly flop, but I couldn't care less.
The next sounds that reached my ears were the violent rustle of the netting, the stadium erupting into a deafening roar, and the Japanese goalkeeper spinning around in dumbfounded shock.
It was an absolute masterpiece of a goal.
[Lee Han!! It’s a brace! He buries another one! An unbelievable mid-range diving header! Truly sensational!]
[A wonder goal! Seoul World Cup Stadium is completely overwhelmed by the roar of the fans! It’s 2–0, and we’re only eight minutes into the first half!]
This time, instead of sliding on my knees, I flashed a finger-heart at the fans in the stands. I had originally contemplated pulling off the iconic Stroll Celebration, but glancing at the Japanese defenders, I got the feeling that one more step of taunting would get my shins snapped in two. No matter how sturdy my frame was, nobody walked away clean from an intentional butcher job, so exercising a little restraint was necessary.
Of course, I had zero intention of holding back on goals. My condition felt fantastic today, and my legs had miles of running left in them.
Regardless, just eight minutes into the first half, Japan stood at the center circle for their second kickoff.
[We are nearing the end of the first half. Color commentator, how do you assess the current dynamic?]
[Although they conceded two early goals, Japan seems to have regained their shape and is holding out against Korea’s relentless onslaught.]
[Korea has once again deployed the 4-2-4 formation with advanced wingers that they utilized against Turkmenistan, continually pounding on the opponent's door.]
[South Korea continues to maintain a philosophy of fierce pressing and rapid transitions! Despite already being two goals up, what stands out is that none of the Korean players look remotely satisfied.]
[And right at the heart of that tactical engine is Lee Han, moving incessantly across the front line!]
[Even on a brace, his high work rate is constantly disrupting Japan's buildup play. Seeing how cleverly he cuts off passing lanes proves he isn't just an elite aerial threat—his football IQ is exceptionally high.]
[And as we speak, Park Soo-an latches onto the loose clearance—Park Soo-an shoots!]
[Ah, just wide! Deflected out off a Japanese defender. Corner kick to Korea!]
Conceding two quick goals so early on had clearly shocked Japan. Convinced that conceding another would be fatal, they abandoned any thought of pushing up and instead parked the bus in front of their penalty area despite being behind. Naturally, I still drifted and battled between the two Japanese center-backs, hunting for another goal.
However, their packed defense ensured that service rarely reached me. No matter how talented a striker was, there was only so much one player could do without the ball. Regrettably, grabbing a hat-trick before halftime seemed out of reach. Still, we had created several dangerous chances, so our first-half showing had been far from disappointing. If anything, it was the start of the first half—where every single rehearsed sequence clicked into perfection—that was the anomaly.
In any case, on what looked to be the final corner kick of the half, three Japanese players swarmed around me.
"Hey, back off a bit, will you?"
I pleaded, but they had no intention of giving me an inch of breathing room. Given my gestures, they undoubtedly understood what I was telling them, but seeing how they clung to me like glue, it was obvious they'd rather die than let me secure a hat-trick.
Well, they should have marked me better earlier.
The situation reminded me of my early days in EFL League One. Heading into the second half of that season, defenders across the division had thoroughly figured out that I was a heading one-trick pony, subjecting me to smothering, suffocating marks. Dominating aerial duels over an entire ninety minutes against towering, grizzled veteran center-backs had been no easy feat.
Of course, I had still won my fair share of headers and generated key chances, but compared to regular matches, our team's odds of retaining the ball naturally dropped. And so, I had learned a surefire technique to ensure the ball went to our side 100% of the time.
[A corner kick opportunity. Given how meticulously Coach Reno's side drills set pieces, expectations are high.]
[Lee Taeha swings in the left-footed corner! The ball curves dangerously into the heart of the penalty box!]
Center-backs always rely on their arms. Especially when grappling with physical target men like me. So all I had to do was lightly brush my face against one of those flailing arms the moment I leaped.
Keep the neck loose so my head snapped back at the slightest graze, and the instant contact registered, crash directly to the turf. To make it absolute perfection, I just had to ensure the referee had an unobstructed, direct line of sight to the defender's hand or elbow connecting with my face.
Just like right now.
"Aaaargh!"
Having paid zero attention to the ball in the first place, I crumpled to the grass regardless of where the corner delivery went. Immediately following my tumble, a whistle pierced the air.
TWEEEEEEET!
That shrill blast sounded utterly divine.
[The referee points to the spot! Penalty kick!]
[In the dying seconds of the first half, Lee Han went down inside the box under pressure from three defenders! It looked like a clenched fist caught him right in the face—is he alright?]
[He should be fine. If anything, this highlights Lee Han's sheer tactical savvy. Rather than trying to get on the end of the ball himself, he baited the swarming defenders into committing a foul right in plain sight of the referee.]
[Yes, and thankfully, Lee Han is back on his feet without any issue.]
The Japanese players vehemently protested, but the decision stood firm. The referee deemed it an undeniable foul without even needing a VAR review. And even if he had gone to the monitor, the defender's arm had undeniably brushed against my head, so the outcome wouldn't have changed anyway. Besides, after watching me relentlessly hold up play, shrug off bruising challenges, and lay off passes with my back to goal all game, the official had every reason to believe a tank like me wouldn't just collapse without a genuine strike.
Naturally, the penalty was taken by our captain, Taeha hyung. He offered it to me since it was a hat-trick opportunity, but I knew my limitations all too well. If I stepped up to take a penalty, I'd undoubtedly blast a home run into the upper deck, so I adamantly declined. Above all, I had a strange premonition that I'd find more goals before this match was over.
While my thoughts wandered, Taeha hyung sent the keeper the wrong way, coolly slotting the ball into the opposite corner, sealing our third goal of an explosive first half.
The moment the match concluded, football community boards were flooded with posts about me.
Honestly, it was only natural. A 4–1 victory over Japan, capped with three goals and an assist. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say I had completely run the show. Thanks to the penalty conceded in the first half, Japan's marking had loosened considerably, making aerial duels a breeze.
If there was any lingering regret, it was getting subbed off around the seventieth minute. Still, the boss explained he was resting me ahead of the Iran clash, which meant I had made a firm, lasting impression.
Seriously though, when the hell did they even edit that video?
Whoever made that compilation of my ball control... I will find you.