2018 Russia World Cup vs Sweden (3)

The atmosphere on the ground shifts.

The Swedish players, unlike the cautious probing they did moments ago, keep launching reckless attempts and keep pumping the ball forward.

In the twelfth World Cup, and trailing 1:0 in the opening match, even if Barcelona players had been there they would have been frantic.

And I, even amid the rising tempo of the pitch, never lose my composure.

“Take it easy! Take it easy! Don’t rush now!”

After blocking the Swedish player’s reckless lunge, I shout loudly at Seo-won, who was about to sprint forward.

Seo-won glances ahead at my voice and slips the ball back to me.

‘No need to rush when I’m already ahead.’

The most dangerous situation in football is when attackers overcommit forward to support a counter ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and then lose the ball and get punished. In a 1:0 lead there was no reason to take that kind of risk.

Well, if it had been me from the previous life I would have demanded the ball and driven it myself, but no one here—not even me—could match the performance I showed back then.

Actually I can confidently say my technique now is better than it was then, but physical factors like running can’t be ignored in football.

Thud.

The pass to Seo-won feels perfect on my foot.

‘Good, let’s go slowly again. Just ten minutes more and—’

For neutral fans watching from the stands it might feel frustrating, but for victory you always have to find the best method.

‘Instead, I’ll show off my personal skill to my heart’s content today…!’

At the instant I receive the ball, Margarita immediately presses me again, as if she’s not tired. But the momentum I felt before the goal never appears because I was already booked.

They gave me a penalty and then sent me off? No one could endure that nonsense in the World Cup.

So, inside Margarita’s loose pressure, I lightly bypass her with a Marseille turn the crowd would love and attempt a change of direction.

-OOOOOO!!!

The crowd murmurs again at my personal skill. This reaction really makes me feel alive here. Usually I enjoyed scoring goals, but paying attention to the crowd’s reaction even while playing means I have that much freedom!

Thud.

I pass the ball to Seo-hee senior and drop the tempo. Seo-hee senior instantly reads my intention and switches to a defender, restarting the slow build-up.

Through me who has come down a lot, we slowly advance toward Sweden. Because I’m receiving the ball in dangerous moments and building up, the Swedish players have been pushed back into their own half.

“Ha-neul!”

“Okay!”

Passing with nearby teammates, I shake the Swedish defense on both flanks.

Feeling like a puppeteer controlling twenty players by pulling strings attached to my fingers, I look for gaps.

‘Gap…!’

And the moment I receive Park Hye-ri’s pass from the right, I lock eyes with Kim Seul-gi on the line.

To attach the ball to the penalty box from the right flank it is normal to launch with the right foot. But my choice here is the left. Margarita cannot react to the unexpected left-foot outside-front cross, and the ball leaving my foot curves inside the penalty area, exactly toward Kim Seul-gi’s head.

Although the Swedish center-backs are tall, Kim Seul-gi also possesses similar physicality as a starting striker in the EPL.

Thud!

Unfortunately, Kim Seul-gi’s header after bumping into the center-backs and defenders is deflected by inaccurate timing and a goal kick is awarded.

“Sorry! Sorry! Good pass, Ha-neul!”

“It’s okay! Let’s go again! We can keep doing this!”

Since Sweden is already in a hurry and there is no reason to get angry over one failed attack, I send a clear signal that it is fine to the other players including Kim Seul-gi with a loud voice.

From then on the first half proceeds in the same pattern.

With little time left, Sweden keeps attacking straight in search of at least a draw goal, and we block them with a defense line that refuses to yield the box.

After each block we develop slow build-up and look for one opportunity.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

After both teams exchange about five shots, the first half finally ends. Possession is roughly 7:3 by feel?

‘…One goal would be a bit disappointing.’

If Arnal, Albari, or Eloya—who I play with at the club—had been there they might have created one more, but since I am already doing my part simply by blocking Sweden’s attack, I am satisfied and enter the locker room with a satisfied expression, sending the regret away.

No, I entered the special shower room prepared for me.

‘I thought Russia wouldn’t do this, but they prepared anyway.’

Russia is like the previous life—never particularly pampering men—but it is fortunate they created a simple shower space, since this is the first World Cup where a male football player is active.

After finishing the shower and entering the locker room, the players are already dressed in uniforms. Actually, in Spain’s open-sex culture, even with me present, many players walk around shirtless or in just panties, but in the national team it has always been this atmosphere, which is fortunate.

…Truly fortunate.

Originally the hardest thing is seeing delicious tteokbokki in front and not being able to eat it, so in Barcelona I could not openly see it and only focused on the coach’s lips; rather, having everyone neatly dressed makes concentration easier.

“Eun-hye! Good! Let’s do this in the second half too!”

When I enter, the coach first praises the goalkeeper Kim Eun-hye who saved three shots today.

Three is ‘barely?’ but one of them was a header ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I found quite surprising, so I applaud the coach’s passionate words in response.

“And the attack is also good right now, keep it up! You can see the Swedish players are in a hurry? Aim for goals slowly according to the current tempo. Ha-neul!”

“Yes, Coach.”

“You have to keep the reins like in the first half.”

“Understood.”

“And everyone, develop according to Ha-neul’s tempo. In dangerous situations, somehow pass to Ha-neul. You see Margarita struggling? Because of the yellow card she must be distracted.”

The coach mentions the youngest of the national team, me, and instructs to adjust to me, but no one shows an unhappy expression on the instruction.

With the Barcelona-starter banner and having played and trained together, knowing my ability well, it is natural no one shows discomfort here.

And today’s match is even more so since I was the one driving.

‘Yeah, listen to my words only.’

Honestly, when I was called up to the national team the team was divided into two factions, so I worried a lot.

If it had not been for the previous Spain where foreign players flooded the EPL and rivalries were fierce, and Catalonia-Castile fights prevented unity, normally in urgent situations passes would have gone to familiar players, but since the problem was somewhat resolved before the World Cup started, it is fortunate.

‘Again, thanks to Seo-hee senior.’

For this reason the match is flowing well today because of Seo-hee senior’s ball.

Actually most of the attacking line being overseas players is also a reason for good flow, but looking at the team’s atmosphere it seems there will be no big problem even in the Mexico match where many domestic players participate.

“Then, let’s press the guys slowly like this.”

Since the first half was so good, the coach ends the tactical briefing without big changes. Now the only thing left is to press the opponent slowly like in the first half.

‘…No Margarita.’

Before the second half starts, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠when I glance at the opponent’s field, Margarita who received the yellow card has disappeared from the pitch. The player who came in her place is Ulla. A type similar to Margarita but smaller in build and faster in speed.

A style that steadily troubles the opponent with speed and stamina?

‘Since she has some pass ability, if she gets it it would be dangerous. I have to be careful.’

After understanding the opponent’s change, I catch my breath and wait,

Beep – Beep!

…The whistle blows and our kick-off starts the second half.

We slowly tighten the opponent like in the first half, and Sweden, despite having two games left, seems to have come out with a mindset to die on the field today, so from the start of the second half they begin running around the pitch like dogs.

Especially Ulla who came in place of Margarita keeps circling around me and trying not to connect the ball to me.

Well, if she could block me I would not have been able to become the world’s best football player.

No matter how much she blocks, when approaching the ball there is no special way for the guy.

And the moment Han Ye-jin catches the ball, I maintain a straight line with Kim Seul-gi, create space between my legs, and shout to Han Ye-jin.

“Ki!”

Sending the signal we set for each other in case the Swedish players understand.

‘With this voice level it should reach Kim Seul-gi too?’

And Han Ye-jin’s pass passes between my legs. Ulla was focusing only on me assuming I would receive the ball, so she could not react to Han Ye-jin’s pass, and as soon as the ball passes us I sprint toward the penalty box.

Thud.

And since it is the pattern we practiced, Kim Seul-gi who reacted first and received the ball passes it to me.

The goalkeeper’s view is currently blocked by the center-backs and Kim Seul-gi!

If the goalkeeper’s view is blocked in this state, even with my shooting speed…!

Bang!

The ball pushed with appropriate force by Kim Seul-gi feels like it catches on the inside of my left foot. The same sensation that always brings joy to me!

The ball that seemed to leave the goalpost for a moment suddenly curves sharply in the air and the trajectory changes. And the target is the upper left corner of the goal.

The goalkeeper who reacted late dives toward the upper left, but because the view was blocked the reaction is slow, and since the shot is accurate, unfortunately for Sweden it grazes the goalkeeper’s hand and shakes the net.

Even though the shooting speed was insufficient in this situation and it was a pity that the goalkeeper touched it with his hand, the cheering sound that soon comes washes away that irritation.

-Waaaaaaaah!!!!!

-Ryu Ha-neul! Ryu Ha-neul! Ryu Ha-neul!

It sounds like Korean fans calling my name exactly.

‘Heh…. This is why I played football.’

And that voice makes me feel like I am alive in this strange world.

‘Good, then I scored a goal too. I have to do what I have to do.’

If I just send this historic moment of scoring my first World Cup goal in this life, that would be a crime!

“Riiiiiiiiiiii!!!!”

I enjoy this historic moment with the signature ceremony I pushed since I was young.

It was a bit of a wound that the nearby teammates were reluctant to come close.

‘I want to do a double high-five or something too…. I have to ask other friends later. Tina and Bruna probably won’t do it. I have to ask Kamina and Yuri.’

“Ha-neul. The ceremony is cool?”

“I’ll give special permission to use it to Seo-hee senior.”

“……I’ll accept it with my heart.”

“Chet.”

“…Huh?”

“No. Well, if Pyongyang doesn’t like it, there’s nothing to do.”

“…You studied hard. Is it because you’re a student?”

The sight of Seo-hee senior with a somewhat satisfied expression is oddly irritating to me.

‘Sigh, since I’m grateful, I endure it.’

Anyway, now the score is 2:0.

And in such a favorable situation I have never experienced a comeback.