Chapter 18
Translator 8uhl
Chapter 18
Chapter Title Versus Japans Three Treasures
Game day.
Before heading into the locker room after warmups, Coach Lee Junghoo called us over and pointed to the stands.
Most of the crowd was decked out in Japans blue uniforms, but a few foreigners stood out among them.
See those white guys or black guys? Scouts sent from Europe.
European clubs scouting networks are incredibly extensive.
Even in soccer backwater Asia, they dispatch scouts to every international tournament like this.
But there were more scouts than Id expected?
Isnt it obvious? Theyre all here for the Japanese kids.
Ah, right.
With eight players already playing in Europe, it made sense.
Three of them were especially hot properties, even by European standards.
Midfielder Ichigo Takefusa from Real Madrid, Daizen Ryotaro from Barcelona, and defender Shiroda Nobosuke from Manchester City.
Their spotlight matched their teams prestige.
Daizen Ryotaro, in particular, had been handpicked by Iniestahimself a former Vissel Kobe star and coachand recommended to Barcelona, making him one of the most hyped prospects.
With talents like that, itd actually be weirder if the scouts stayed away.
Crush them and shove goals down their throats to win. Then who do you think the scouts will be watching?
.
Cant figure it out? Their eyesll be on you kids. Do well, and this could be your ticket to Europe!
Coach Lee Junghoos words were like the devils whisper.
They were so sweet, the kids eyes sparkled as their fighting spirits ignited.
Hey, sure, theyre all Europe pros, but lookwe havent lost a game yet. And weve scored more goals than them, right?
Not wrong, technically.
The problem? Japans goals came almost entirely from nonstrikers.
Their forwards were pathetically badon par with the kids from my Seoul United, if not worse.
Wingers, midfielders, even defenders racking up multigoal wins didnt mean our scoring was superior.
It just meant they dominated and toyed with opponents using nonforwards.
But the kids fell for the coachs sly, simplistic spin on the goal tally.
The ones whod been intimidated by Japan before the match suddenly thought, We can take them headon.
Coach Lee Junghoo.
Hate to say it, but if soccer hadnt worked out, youd have crushed it in insurance sales or doortodoor peddling.
Or become a legendary con artist.
Alright, thats all from me. Tactical briefing inside the locker room. Lets go.
Having whipped the players into a frenzy just as he wanted, the coach herded them in.
I hurried to follow and get ready.
As I sauntered toward the door, the coach called me back.
Taeyang.
Yeah?
I know you didnt buy it.
Oh. Yeah.
Coach Lee Junghoo placed a hand on my shoulder.
Youre the first 14yearold Ive met who feels like hes devoured a hundred sly foxes. Impossible to read, I tell ya.
Haha.
No plans for Europe?
Of course Im going to Europe.
Right?
I mean, isnt Europe the ultimate goal for any pro footballer?
Why ask something so obvious?
The stage is set. Youll give it your all this time, right?
Huh? I always give it my all.
Dont lie. I know youve been holding back to like 30playing the hidden master bullshit.
How did he?
Not that I was really hiding anything.
The conditions just werent right for full effort.
The gap between Europe and KoreaJapan was narrowing a bit, but between KoreaJapan and the rest of Asia? Unbridgeable now.
Hell, I was scoring even on cruise control.
Run wild like always. But go all out this time. Make my heart race.
Got it.
Who knows? If you excite me, maybe the scouts too.
I glanced at the stands.
Westerners clutching cameras everywhere.
Coach.
Yeah?
Any Premier League scouts here?
Who knows? Probably?
No specific club in mind, but its the worlds top league.
Plus, Dads best foreign language is English.
Better for the siblings to learn English anyway.
Youth pros get the fattest contracts in England too.
All points lead to one answer.
Guess I gotta go all out.
Going all out.
The Yoon Taeyang family entered Dos Stadium.
Paternal Grandfather Yoon Changsu scanned the surroundings, his face sour.
Damn so many Japs.
Youre a grandpa with grandkids yourselfJaps what?
Ahem, er, lots of Japanese. Way too many.
In a sea of blue uniforms, Taeyangs family took seats right up front.
Wheres Oppa?
Little brother Gyeoul craned his neck, searching.
There! Oppa!
Big bro sticker Yeoreum spotted him instantly amid the red jerseys entering the pitch.
Man, what a fine, poised eldest grandson. Eh?
Our boys handsome!
Oppa!
Oppa!
Taeyangs family went wild.
Taeyang spotted them and gave a quick wave.
Oppa looks so cool, right Mom?
Gaeul asked, cheeks flushing as she gazed at her brother. Mom smiled.
Of coursewho do you think gave birth to him? Hes gotta be cool.
But man, whats with all the nosepickers? They that into KoreaJapan matches too?
Yoon Jiseong glanced around at that.
Scouts, probably.
Scouts? You mean the ones who snatch up players?
Yeah, Dad.
Why? They here for our Taeyang?
Jiseong chuckled.
Nah, not yet. Japans got a ton of Europe guys. Theyre here for them.
Pfft, what do they got worth seeing? Watch our Taeyang.
I told you, Dadnot yet. Wait till they see him play. Theyll flip.
Right? Yeah, they will.
As the two chatted, the Korean and Japanese national youth teams took the field, and the refs whistle blew.
Oh? Kickoff.
Taeyang! Maternal Grandpas here! Fighting!
Hey! Paternal Grandpa too! No injuriesfighting!
Japan kicked off.
Their players passed back to the defensive line, slowly building with patient passes, inching the line forward.
Defender Shirodaone of Japans Three Treasurespassed to another Treasure, Ichigo.
As pressure closed in, Ichigo smartly fed Daizen without hesitation.
Thats when someone sliced between them, intercepted, and bolted.
Kyaa! Son!!
Mom Kim Jimin screamed her sons name.
Answering her call, Taeyangwhod snatched the ballblew past Shiroda a defender pushing up to defensive midfield with pure speed and charged the goal.
The two last defenders rushed to block his path.
Taeyang slammed the brakes, dragbackd sideways, and shook one off in a flash.
Then the final defender, glued tight in the narrow gap.
Taeyang unleashed the Phantom Dribbleghostly, vanishing past him toward goal.
Just the keeper left.
In the oneonone, the keeper advanced wisely, narrowing the angle.
Taeyang chipped it lightly under the ball.
The keeper watched it sail overhead, backpedaled frantically, leaped, stretchedbut missed. It bounced over the line.
3rd minute of the first half.
The stadium fell silent in shock at the stunning opener.
Amid it, Taeyang sprinted to his familys stands, spun, and pointed to his back.
T Y YOON
7
Whoa!
Our boys so cool!
Oppa cool!
Oppa!
Taeyang grinned at his siblings cheers, then jogged back.
Play resumed.
Shaken by the bombshell goal, Japan calmly reset to their style.
Youths polished in Europes academies, blending Japanese flair with tidy pass soccer.
Their synchronized, machinelike play looked straight out of Europe.
It seemed perfectbut thats when the Korean team, or rather Yoon Taeyang, realized.
Their soccer.
Was just pretty.
From afar, it mimicked cuttingedge perfection.
Up close? Cheap imitation of Europe.
Forcing beauty over substance.
They dragged the tempo slow not by choice, but because pretty play couldnt be fast.
Taeyang dropped back and yelled to the midfield line.
Theyre slow! Press hard!
Post2002, pressing is Koreas baseline.
Parquet Naiel, Choi Jiwoo, Gong Sehwan pounced the instant Taeyang spoke.
As they pressed relentlessly, ignoring stamina, the fullbacks smartly joined midfield for support. Bae Sanghyun pushed up too, leaving two centerbacks.
Six Koreans swarming midfield.
Japan specialized in midfielddefense, so they could holdbut Koreas power pressing was their kryptonite.
Suffocating, reckless lunges drained them Japan started crumbling.
And in the chaos, one guy ghosted intercepts like a demon.
Gong Sehwan.
Raised cushy in a gold spoon family, but tough as nails with endless stamina.
Born with a sixth sense for cutting passes.
This time too.
Like Taeyangs earlier steal, Gong Sehwan snuffed a Japanese pass.
Spotting the incoming Japanese player blocking the pass lane, Parquet Naiel stuck to Gong Sehwan.
Gongweak passerfed it to Parquet.
Parquet, with black athleticism and physicality, shielded and escaped pressure masterfully.
He rampaged into Japans half, carrying to Choi Jiwoo.
Choi, an attacking mid on his team, was a pass wizard.
Taeyang teased his shit passes, but he was Koreas only guy threading killer balls to the front.
Heh, respond, Taeyang.
Choi scanned for Yoon Taeyang.
Nothing.
Damn, settle for Lee Sungho?
Abandoning Taeyang, Choi fed the dropping Lee Sungho.
Lee took it backtogoal, turned away from his marker, and lofted behind the defense.
The ball arced high into the boxs edge.
Taeyang, lurking by the line, cut out to draw eyes, then cut in for the ball.
Despite the evasive move, he beat the Japanese player by two steps.
Ah, balls a bit slow.
Dad sighed.
He was rightthe floater dropped lazily.
No matter how fast Taeyang ran, defenders would catch him by drop time.
Taeyang arrived first, ball plummeting right above his head. He turned his back to goal.
Two defenders watched keeper pondered advance or hold.
Taeyang leaped, arched back.
Like swimming midair, his legs scissored.
Left foot hooked it.
The shot whistled past the keepers ear, ripping the net.
Whoa.
Yeoreums jaw dropped.
Dad, what was that?
Stunned by bros epic shot, he looked to Dadwho stood frozen, mouth agape.
Dad? Mom?
Mom was frozen too.
Not just them.
Family, stadiumall silent, transfixed.
Then Taeyang rose, brushed grass from his jersey regally.
Cheers, gasps, boos erupted.
Whoa.
To Yeoreum, it was pure magic.
Daedane! Oppa daedane!!
Yeoreums eyes sparkled.