Vs Wolverhampton (3)
I rose from Hearn's deep tackle, showed everyone I wasn't hurt, and then calmed the Arsenal players who were already protesting.
We can't fight.
On a pitch where everyone—from the players on the field to the spectators in the stands—ought to be enjoying themselves, fighting was something I simply would not allow.
In truth it was less a fight than a heated argument with the referee over why it hadn't been a red card.
"Padraig. That's enough."
"What?! Yujin. Aren't you even mad?!"
"It's not that. Of course I'm mad."
I was human too. My body hurt, the situation was unfair, and of course anger flared.
"But isn't there something more important than winning?"
As I spoke I glanced at Hearn, who clearly had no idea what to do with himself. He seemed to realize he had shoved me far too hard; the guilt was written all over the way he stood.
Padraig saw it too. A faint smile crossed his face and he nodded.
"…Yeah. The kid taught me something today."
"Really? Then let's get back to our positions."
Most of the players were already returning when, just before the ball boy could deliver the ball, I walked over to Hearn—whose broad shoulders suddenly looked narrow—and locked an arm around his neck.
The watching players thought a fight was starting and started to approach, but I waved them off with a bright smile.
"Hearn."
The smile that had been on my face a moment earlier vanished, replaced by something endlessly cold.
"Y-Yujin?"
"Apologize."
Whether Hearn was flustered or not, some things simply had to be done. If you did something you should be sorry for, the least you could do was apologize.
"Huh?"
I lifted one corner of my mouth just slightly and poured the charisma of years past into my eyes. Hearn's gaze dropped.
"S-Sorry."
"Good. That's enough."
The single word of apology was all it took. I released the headlock at once and gave his back a couple of light pats. He was a player whose name I had known well in my previous life; I already understood the kind of man he was, so there was nothing more that needed saying.
As I walked back to my position I glanced over my shoulder. Hearn still had his head down. The image of a junior employee being scolded by a superior after a workplace mistake floated unbidden into my mind.
Somehow I felt like the villain here.
Well… does it matter?
My mood was completely restored. And Hearn had just learned a little K-etiquette from one tackle—mutual benefit, wasn't it?
Beep—!
The referee restored order to the restless stadium and play resumed.
A free kick from roughly forty meters out. This time it was a pure free kick with no penalty intent, so the distance was considerable.
Padraig and Hong Seoin stood over the ball.
Bang—!
Just as they had arranged, Hong Seoin curled it in with power. Even from that range the cross flew with force. Simon met it cleanly, timing and contact perfect—only for the ball to slam off the crossbar and bounce away.
Loose ball.
Callias got there a step sooner and cleared it; Wright collected the clearance with calm authority.
"Slowly!"
From that moment Arsenal, under Wright's direction, killed the tempo. Center-back to full-back, back to center-back if needed, and if the press came, all the way to the goalkeeper. They kept probing, waiting for the opening.
Wolverhampton pushed their entire line higher and tried to press, but all it did was gift Arsenal more space.
"Ddolgaeng-a!"
Hong Seoin slipped an opponent's pressure with a silky turn and the pass came to me. On the long ball Hearn immediately glued himself to my back. The absolute difference in size made it almost impossible to hold him off.
Hard to sell a fake now.
They had clearly finished reading me. The Wolverhampton players kept a measured distance—far enough that no matter where or how I trapped the ball, they would not be fooled. Even if I wrong-footed Hearn with a trap, someone would step in and cut it at once.
The instant the ball touched the ground I one-touched it sideways to Davis, who had come tight beside me. The ball dropped all the way back to the defensive line. Arsenal began building from the back again.
…Annoying.
One man stuck tight, another perfectly managing the distance—there was simply no angle for me to beat them myself. Someone needed to make a run.
Then I'll have to drag the defenders out.
If we needed runners, I would force our attackers into positions where they had no choice but to run.
I dropped deeper, drifting left and right.
"Davis!!"
I shook free of my marker to receive, then kept feeding non-stop passes out to the flanks. Yet for all the touches, no clear attacking chance materialized. Now and then a defender who had read the lane cut the ball out and launched a counter. Fortunately Wright and Adrian were in monstrous form and snuffed every threat.
Rather than growing dull, the first half carried a low, humming tension into the thirty-fifth minute.
Then an Arsenal counter opened up—two attackers against three defenders. Not an easy break to finish.
This can work.
Even with a marker glued to me, a brilliant idea flashed through my mind.
"Hyung!! Pass!!"
Still facing toward our own goal, I pointed left and sprinted. Hong Seoin understood instantly and played an ambiguous long ball into the space I was running toward—the kind of pass that looked certain to be stolen the moment it was received.
Hearn tracked me. Naturally a lane opened. Simon tore down that lane with Callias chasing.
It's on.
Believing I could do it, I took one extra step past the drop point, jumped, and took the ball on the back foot in the same motion—classic Brazilian back-foot trap. Then the turn and the through-ball.
Hearn, never expecting me to play a through pass, was caught on the wrong foot; the ball brushed his toe and stuck perfectly to the foot of Simon, who was already bursting down the lane I had just created.
This has to go in.
No matter how much talk of retirement there had been, Simon—who in my previous life had been called an Arsenal legend—was never going to miss this. I followed the pass just in case, but the result was exactly what I expected.
"Waaaaaah!!!"
The sparse Arsenal contingent erupted.
"Yujin!! That was an incredible assist!!"
"You're too kind."
The joy did not last long. Wolverhampton scored right at the death of the first half.
"Korean guy!!!"
"Perfect assist!!"
"Show us more!!"
Shin Gihyun's assist finished the half.
Time in the locker room vanished in a blink, and the second half between Arsenal and Wolverhampton began.
Ah, the second half is under way. Neither side appears to have made any major tactical changes.
Both teams were playing well in the first half—after all, they traded goals.
With the match not yet overheating, the commentators slipped into the kind of light conversation Korean football fans loved.
Honestly, Baek Yujin's assist in the first half looked like peak Neymar. Pure Brazilian.
Exactly. How does anyone even pull off trapping and passing like that? No matter how much you peel back the layers on Baek Yujin, the talent just keeps coming.
Baek Yujin was brilliant, but Shin Gihyun was outstanding too. That driving run and the exquisite cross—no striker could miss that.
To think Korean players would record assists in a Korean Derby… we really are living in special times.
Something we didn't get to explain in the first half—this match is huge for Arsenal. If they want top of the league they absolutely have to win.
A draw isn't enough?
No. Without a win, first place is gone. Second and third are already locked, but Manager Alexandro clearly isn't satisfied with that.
While the commentators chatted, the attacks kept coming. There was a moment when Shin Gihyun nearly recorded another assist, and another when Hong Seoin's curling shot almost found the net.
Ahh~~ so close, Hong Seoin! That trajectory was perfect!
Wolverhampton… they are no joke today!
While the viewers bickered among themselves, the fierce exchanges continued until the second half was nearly over.
Seven minutes of added time! Because of the free kicks it's quite generous!
"Wolverhampton!!"
With little time left and the hope of victory still alive, the home fans' desperate cheers rose. Only for a moment, though—Hong Seoin of Arsenal began exchanging passes with Padraig down the flank and advancing.
Hong Seoin! Working the ball with Padraig! Their chemistry is excellent!!
Padraig timed the opponent's approach perfectly, then suddenly burst forward. Hong Seoin didn't flinch and slipped the ball ahead. The atmosphere shifted in an instant. Arsenal fans roared even louder while Padraig protected the ball with everything he had.
Because the ball was near the touchline everyone flooded that side. Reading it, Padraig laid it back to Hong Seoin, who switched play to the opposite flank. The weight of the attack naturally shifted to the left.
In front of the box Baek Yujin waited patiently for his moment. Even when a shot rebounded he refused to rush in, staying calm.
"Mark him there!! Mark him!!"
The Wolverhampton goalkeeper hurriedly scanned the area and pointed at the unmarked Baek Yujin, but everyone was too busy with their own jobs to listen.
In that same breath Hong Seoin cut into the half-space from the left. Davis's pass arrived on perfect timing.
"Shit!"
The sudden opening forced the goalkeeper to rush out and narrow the angle. No shooting lane. Hong Seoin took one short touch, then whipped a long cross with his left foot.
The ball sailed past one center-back and over Callias's head. The goalkeeper, spinning around, saw it clearly—Baek Yujin charging in completely unmarked.
"Stop him!!!"
At the keeper's frantic shout and gesture Callias whipped his head around, but it was already too late.
Thud!
Baek Yujin had already finished it with a clean header—the product of concentration right to the final second.
"Haha…"
The Wolverhampton goalkeeper let out a hollow sigh at the almost empty goal.
GOOOOOAL!!! It's a goal!! What is this!! Baek Yujin has scored!! Completely unmarked!!
Baek Yujin, who waited five full minutes in front of the box, puts it away!!! Absolutely magnificent!!
Baek Yujin sprinted to the corner flag where the Arsenal fans were clustered and celebrated—one index finger to his lips, the other hand cupped to his ear.
That familiar celebration!! Knowing Baek Yujin's story, you can feel every emotion in it!! It suits him perfectly!!
It shines even brighter on the road!!
Beeeep—!
Moments later, without further drama, the match ended.
In Matchday 31 of the league, Baek Yujin scores his tenth goal of the season against Wolverhampton and once again leads Arsenal to victory!!!