19-20 Season: Perfect Start
Barcelona achieved a 4-0 victory over Real Betis at home, securing their second consecutive win in the league!
……Barcelona defeated Real Betis 4-0 at home, achieving two consecutive league wins. In today's match, Ryu Ha-neul played an active role with one goal and one assist……
Barcelona! A 5-0 thrashing away at Osasuna!
……Fueled by Ryu Ha-neul's hat-trick, Barcelona……
South Korea, Qatar World Cup 2nd qualifying round roster announcement!
………Meanwhile, this call-up included many overseas players who were not selected in the A-match held in June last month. In June, Coach Diena stated, “Players competing in Europe need rest. I have no intention of calling up European players who have run for an entire season in friendly matches rather than World Cup qualifiers.” For this reason, players such as Ryu Ha-neul, Kang Yu-ri (both at Barcelona), Kim Seul-gi (West Ham), Han Ye-jin (Crystal Palace), Jo Seo-won (Lille), Kang Yeon-ji (Manchester United), and Park Hye-ri (Mainz) were not called up, resulting in a 1 draw 1 loss in the June friendly matches against Australia and Iran.
In this call-up, a friendly match against Georgia and a World Cup 2nd qualifying match against the Turkmenistan national team are scheduled…… Also, the Georgia match will be held in Turkey, which has direct flights to Turkmenistan, considering it as a 2nd qualifier against Turkmenistan……
“Hello!”
“Ha-neul, you’re here?”
“Hello!”
“You came with Yu-ri. Right, you guys are playing together now?”
Upon arriving at the South Korean national team training ground in Turkey for the friendly match against Georgia with Yu-ri, the players already there warmly greeted us.
‘Fortunately, there’s no rejection atmosphere.’
And seeing that atmosphere, I let out a small sigh of relief.
Since we won the Asian Cup, Diena, a capable coach, had a big problem: his lack of organizational control.
Even during my time at Barcelona, he couldn't control Amira and caused problems, and in the June A-match, he created a slightly strange atmosphere by not calling up all the European players.
That A-match was held shortly after the Champions League final, so missing it was somewhat understandable, but giving rest to other European players was quite a radical move.
Honestly, from my perspective, Diena's such impulsive action was welcome. Even though it was from my past life, I had experienced getting beaten for saying not to call me for a pointless A-match.
Well, I said it in a moment of impulse, but as I got older, it wasn't good for the body to fly long distances, so I blurted that out. Diena, considering the point that players in Europe need rest, so I couldn't help but feel secretly happy.
But was the issue that he said in interviews that he was taking care of European players openly?
We recorded a not-so-good result of 1 draw 1 loss in that A-match, and in Korea, losing an A-match would naturally turn the public into enemies.
Especially since we won the Asian Cup at the beginning of this year, the direction of that criticism was obvious.
Diena, who contributed greatly to the 60-year Asian Cup win and Kang Yeon-ji's transfer to Manchester United, wouldn't receive that criticism, and it wouldn't make sense for the European players who missed the game to be criticized.
So, the criticism naturally went to the domestic players who played in the match at that time.
Therefore, I was worried that this A-match might split the European players and domestic players again, but seeing the domestic players welcoming me and Yu-ri, they didn't seem to resent us.
However, the senior Seo-hee, who held the players together with charisma, had retired from the national team, and I subtly asked if any damage had been done to the youngest Kim Chae-ri among the European players.
“Chae-ri senior, how’s the national team atmosphere? Chae-ri senior came a day earlier.”
“Atmosphere? What’s not good? It’s the same.”
Hearing Kim Chae-ri’s answer, I felt relieved. She’s observant, so if there was any uncomfortable atmosphere, she would have said something.
“But, Ha-neul. You’re still running around this season too? When we meet, be a little gentler.”
“Looking at what Chae-ri senior does.”
“Ugh… But, did you really get the Ballon d’Or this time? Our team players were talking about that.”
“Well, I guess? I have to try hard anyway.”
“Oh…, you seem to have some confidence? Ah, but Ha-neul, are you going to the Olympics next year?”
“Olympics?”
Kim Chae-ri brought up the Olympics in 2020 next year. And I realized I had forgotten one important fact. That in 2020, a global catastrophe would sweep the world.
‘I forgot it was 30 years ago. Since I remembered, I should tell my mother to be careful.’
Since this world is similar but different, I can't be sure if the plague will spread here, but being careful is best.
“Ha-neul? Your expression is not good. Why, is the Olympics blocked by the club?”
“No, it's not that. Well, if I'm called, I have to go. The sooner Yu-ri and I get it done, the better.”
“Really? Let's write history together again. But Yu-ri?”
“Yu-ri went to unpack.”
“Okay, I have to go see Yu-ri.”
After the conversation, Kim Chae-ri heads to the room. Thanks to playing together for an entire season last season, Kim Chae-ri and Yu-ri seem to have become quite close. It was really fortunate for Yu-ri, who doesn't play in Korea and has few Korean friends, to have a close senior.
Satisfied with the national team's atmosphere, I knock on the door of a hotel room.
“Mom, it's me. Ha-neul.”
“Ah, come in.”
Mom is sitting in front of the laptop doing something, and glancing at it, it seems like she's watching an analysis video of opponent players for the meeting.
“Mom, isn't the coach overworking you too much?”
“Overworking? This is my job.”
“You couldn't enjoy your vacation properly because of that.”
“…No choice.”
Now it's time to prepare for another World Cup qualifier, so the coaches seem busy, and thanks to that, this June vacation ended without going anywhere to play, just traveling to Korea or nearby Japan. Moreover, since many people recognize me anywhere, I couldn't enjoy it properly and quickly returned to Spain.
Because of that, my younger brother Bada, now in 5th grade elementary school, also got scolded by his father for throwing a tantrum.
Mom's expression worsens as if she's thinking about that incident.
Feeling like I've disturbed the mind of someone working, I greet Mom.
“Ah, Mom. And lately, the flu is bad, so wash your hands thoroughly and wear a mask whenever possible.”
“Kid, you sound just like your father.”
“Ah, if you tell Dad too, it would be appreciated.”
“That kind of thing should be told directly. Dad was worried that his calls have been infrequent lately.”
“…Sorry. I'll call more often.”
After greeting Dad, I leave the room and call the other family members to be careful.
“Oh! Ha-neul! Nice to meet you!”
‘…This person seems to be living comfortably.’
…Diena's figure greeting me in Korean with a friendly smile appeared. His Korean has improved quite a bit in a short time, I guess?
Whether he split his time to study Korean or since he doesn't have work, he has time to study Korean…
Somehow I thought he was dumping all his work on Mom, but I couldn't say that to the friendly coach, so I greeted him with a smile.
“Hello, Coach.”
“Haha, Barcelona, active. I'm watching. Ballon d’Or. Fighting. Proud of South Korea. You.”
“Speak Spanish casually, Coach.”
“No no. Korean. I'm studying.”
Diena's eyes seemed to glance towards the lobby where the reporters were. It felt like he was using Korean to seem friendly with me.
‘No, Ryu Ha-neul. Coach Diena is a famous coach who led the Asian Cup win. Moreover, he connected Kang Yeon-ji to ManU. You're being too emotional, Ryu Ha-neul.’
But I quickly erased the thought from my mind. While playing together in the Asian Cup, I had sufficiently realized that Diena was a good coach except for a bit of poor team control, so such slander was just my overreaction.
Perhaps because Mom thought he was overworking, I was a bit sensitive.
“Anyway, thank you for cheering.”
“Haha, when you receive the award, I'll talk about my story.”
…Don't slander. It's just a normal comment, right?
“Of course, Coach.”
Wiping away the slander about Diena in my mind, I finish the conversation with Diena. After talking with Mom, the coach, and the national team players I hadn't seen in a while, the meeting time came.
“After finishing the match against Georgia, the journey towards the World Cup begins. There are players who think they won't fail in the qualifiers, but you all know that if you play carelessly, you might face a shock. Don't be complacent and do your best until you qualify for the World Cup finals.”
““Understood!””
As usual, Mom speaks and the players respond. Seeing this, I thought the worry about splitting factions was unfounded.
On the surface, she seemed charismatic, but unlike the weak-hearted hikikomori senior Seo-hee who held the players together, Mom was a person with charisma that naturally gathers the players to one place.
“Then, let's first look at our first opponent, Georgia…….”
And videos that Mom was watching in the hotel room earlier appear.
Actually, Georgia wasn't such a threatening country, but as Mom said, complacency is forbidden.
So, under Mom's command, we prepared for the friendly match against Georgia,
—South Korea! Defeating Georgia!
……The South Korea that defeated Georgia 3:0 is on the flight to Turkmenistan for the World Cup group stage 2nd match……
In the 13th minute of the first half, South Korea led with Kang Yu-ri's first goal assisted by Ryu Ha-neul, and in the 44th minute of the first half, Kim Seul-gi's goal and in the 16th minute of the second half, Ryu Ha-neul's decisive goal……
By easily defeating Georgia in the match against Georgia, we headed to Turkmenistan. And the World Cup group stage 2nd match held at home in Turkmenistan also flowed similarly.
—South Korea, first win in group stage 2nd match!
……With Ryu Ha-neul's hat-trick, South Korea defeated Turkmenistan 5:0……
‘With this, has the first button towards the World Cup finals been perfectly fastened? Well, failing in Asian qualifiers is already an impossible thing.’
It was already strange for us, who won the Asian Cup, to lose to a team like Turkmenistan.
So, I and Yu-ri could return to Barcelona with the first button to the World Cup perfectly fastened.