Chapter 19
Translator 8uhl
Chapter 19
Chapter Title The Eldest Son Craves Soccer
The U15 East Asia Youth Exchange match between Korea and Japan was airing on cable sports channels and being streamed simultaneously on the internet broadcaster Paprika.
In the 11th minute of the first half, when Yoon Taeyang pulled off an impossible bicycle kick from an absurd height to make it 20, viewer numbers shot up, and the chat scrolled by in a frenzy.
Wow, whos that kid?
Insane.
Can a kid really do that?
Saw him score earlier too? Toying with the Japanese kids.
Dribbling was next level.
La Croqueta had me shook
Didnt know we had a talent like this in Korea.
Second Son Heungmin incoming?
LOL second Son Heungmin these days? So many pretenders.
If even one blows up, itd be huge.
Japanese have 8 Europebased players, right?
Three of them called the Three Treasures or something.
Those Three Treasures getting dismantled by our midfielder right now.
Arent the Three Treasures just computers? Lol.
...Boomer.
But Japan shouldnt be this bad
No matter how good Japan is, KoreaJapan matches are different.
Theres something beyond skill that explains it.
Wow.
Woooowwww
Insane, did you see that little kid just score two goals?
Whats his name?
Lineup says Yoon Taeyang.
Damn Yoon... Taeyang?
Toing with Japan like peak Tanning thug
Japan getting NTRd? Lol.
Know what NTR means before you say it? Whatre they stealing?
Their win got Taeyangen away.
LOLOLOLOL
LOL
Japan was still out of it.
Why couldnt they muster any strength?
Truth be told, even their adult national team was the same.
Korean and Japanese soccer were polar opposites.
Japans sushitaka style could be called the most beautiful midfield play in Asia.
Korea, on the other hand, was rough and rugged.
Built on relentless stamina, they powered through with speed, gritty play, and pressure.
And that was poison to Japan.
Japan knew better than anyone that their physicality was the weakest in Asia.
So they focused on technique and passing, trying to play pretty soccer. But Korea was like, Pretty soccer? Screw that, charging in rough and disrupting their rhythm.
It wasnt just about players feeling a sense of duty in KoreaJapan matches that kept Japan down.
On top of that, our midfield right now was packed with kids who embodied the Korean style that was Japans kryptonite.
They couldnt even attempt anything in the midfield.
If Japan had unleashed those three prized players more freely, who knows what mightve happened.
Nah, two of those midfielders hated physical battles pathologically anyway.
Either way, momentum and control were ours.
Youth matches were mental wars.
You had to shatter their spirit so they lost the will to fight back.
Kuhuhuhu, so fragile, you lot!
Choi Jiwoos voice rang out.
Hed stolen the ball from Japan and was spouting nonsense while scanning aroundthen our eyes met.
Kekeke.
Grinning like a creep, Choi Jiwoo slipped the ball into the halfspace.
This guys passes were getting decent.
With a defender right on him, he burrowed into the halfspace and fed it right to my feet.
A Japanese player from the right latched onto me, shoving hard.
My slimmer build mustve made him think he could bully me physicallybut sorry, I wasnt going down that easy.
I kept the ball on my left, shoved him off with my arm, and bolted toward the penalty area. The keeper narrowed the angle and rushed out.
Id scored with both feet, so he knew I could use my left and came to cover the left post from my perspective.
I shot a halfbeat quicker.
The ball skimmed low and fast across the grass like it was sliding.
Too quick for the keepers feet to reactit tore mercilessly into the net.
Aaaah......
A wave of pained groans erupted from the crowd whod come to cheer on the young Samurai Japan.
Last time Id shown off for my familythis time, I ran to them, turned my back, and pointed to my number.
T Y YOON
7
Watch closely.
From now on, Japan would face heartbreak every time against Republic of Korea 7, Yoon Taeyang.
My own declaration of war.
Hmm.
Huh......
The European scouts watching from the stands buzzed.
Whats that players name?
Yoon... Taeyang?
Yoon Taeyang?
They all rushed to confirm the name of the kid whod just notched a hattrick against Japan.
Fast.
Great finishing.
Uses both feet freely.
The scouts were uniformly impressed by Yoon Taeyang.
Worth calling him the next Son?
Korea always drops a bombshell.
As scouts active in Asia, they knew the regional scene inside out.
They pegged Yoon Taeyang as the second Son Heungmin.
Nah, dribblings better than Sons.
Look at him beat pressure with flair.
Different type from Son Heungmin.
Doesnt even feel like an Asian player.
The murmuring scouts soon glanced at the old man sitting silently behind them, watching the match.
With classic Germanic features, he was Friedel Mayer, Bayern Munich scout.
A worldrenowned talent spotter, hed spent years at Bayern unearthing worldclass players fit for the club.
His global network extended to Asia tooin Korea, he was famous for discovering Park Mingyun, the national team ace seen as Son Heungmins successor, from some rural backwater.
Hed left Bayern now, but if anything, that drew even more eyes to him.
Why was an unaffiliated legend like him in Asia?
As the clustered scouts gazes turned his way amid their chatter, he glared and snapped.
Shows over?
They all looked away.
Most here were young, inexperienced scoutsno one dared lock eyes with the famously temperamental veteran.
With the stares gone, he bored holes into the pitch.
He didnt notice his beer growing cold in his grip his eyes stayed glued to Yoon Taeyang.
Then, a smirk.
Koreas such a mysterious country.
Among East Asias three powers, Korea had the worst soccer infrastructure.
China muddled through with money filling the gaps in their shoddy setup. Japan had long embedded recreational and academy sports, with great fan mobilization and funding producing top talents.
Korea? Smallest population, K League Junior nothing specialand academy soccer outside it was downright dismal.
Yet bizarrely, it was the only one in East Asia to topple Europes powerhouses at least once.
Hadnt his own Germany fallen to them a few times?
And from that infrastructure, worldbeaters popped out one or two every generation.
Cha Bumkun, Park Jisung, Son Heungmin, and Park Mingyun, whom hed scouted himself.
And now...
That kid.
Yoon Taeyang.
He knew some Koreanthe name meant sun.
Die Sonne.
Fittingly, the boy blazed brightly.
Brighter than any talent hed ever seen.
His fist clenched involuntarily, heart pounding.
Son Heungmin? Neymar?
No.
The kid was beyond them.
Look at him after the hattrick holding space from deep, pressing relentlessly.
The passes launching stolen balls forward? Spot on.
Then darting into space postpass, joining the attack, shredding lines with clean, efficient dribbles.
Bigger, stronger opponents crashing into him? He doesnt budge.
Core strength and balance off the charts.
Dont underestimate the slender frame.
His movement on the penalty area line? Teasing lowlevel defenders with shot feints, then a crisp finish for his fourth goal.
The keeper flailing, unsure of left or right foot.
Might be premature, but...
Isnt he the twofooted Messi?
The most complete player hed ever seen live.
No one could compare to that greatness wafting off him.
And not from South Americafrom Asia.
Indeed...
Koreas such a fun country.
He downed the cold beer in one go and stood.
Time to hustle.
Before these Japangawkers swarmed, his club needed to snag that kid.
Mom, why are those people leaving?
Gaeul, watching the match, spotted Japanese fans filing out and asked her mom.
Jimin looked around and tilted her head at her daughters question.
Dunno? Still five minutes left.
Jiseong, whod been cheering his sons name, chimed in.
Cant you tell? Our boys 4 goals and an assist demolished them.
True... No point sticking around for a loss that hurts.
Oh, got it.
Gaeul turned back to the pitch.
Korean players in red uniforms were tearing through the Japanese.
Even she, who knew little about soccer, could see Japan getting ragdolled helplessly.
The Japanese kids desperately defended their goal, refusing to concede moreand finally, the final whistle blew.
Final score 50.
Koreas crushing victory.
We won!
Mommy, we won??
Her clueless younger brothers, knowing even less about soccer, saw the final whistle and the Korean playerssame team as their big brocheering, so they smartly figured theyd won.
The Japanese players collapsed on the spot and started sobbing as the match ended.
Some Koreans comforted them, swapping jerseysbut her brother ignored them and walked toward the family.
Oppa!
Big bro!
Yeoreum and Gyeoul flung their arms wide toward their brother, looking ready to leap from the stands.
Mom and Dad panicked, grabbing the boys to hold them backmeanwhile, Oppa stripped off his jersey top, handed it to the family, and grinned.
Your sons first championship jersey.
He couldve swapped it, but he wanted to give it to the family as a memento.
Whoa... something this precious......
Dad took the jersey with trembling hands.
Yeoreum and Gyeoul grabbed it and yelled.
Dad, give it to me!
Dad, thats mine!
Uh... this... uh......
Dad stammered in confusion when Mom cut in.
Enough. This goes on display in the living room. Its not anyonesits our familys.
Mom was definitely the family judge.
Oppa, overhearing, thought for a sec, then pulled shin guards from his socks and handed them to Yeoreum and Gyeoul.
These are for Yeoreum and Gyeoul.
Yay! Mine?
Yeah, one each.
Yay!
Watching her ecstatic brothers, Gaeul felt a twinge of envy.
Then Oppa dashed off somewhere and came back, handing her a ball.
This is the one from my hattrick. Its yours, Gaeul.
Eek... DDad doesnt get one?
Seeing Dads jealous look, Gaeul flushed as she eyed the ball.
Ill do even better and give you lots more soon, Dad.
Oppa said it maturely, then headed back to the pitch.
It was the exchange tournament awardsOppa took top scorer and MVP, basking in applause.
Gaeuland the whole familywatched Taeyangi with pride.