Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7: Number 91
Before coming to New York, Pirlo played in the Champions League final as a Juventus player.
The highest stage of the tournament, often called the battlefield of stars.
It is a dream stage for any football player, but there, Pirlo faced reality and realized his limits.
A defeat he couldn't prevent despite playing the full 90 minutes.
He had played in many finals, but it was the first time in his life he felt as powerless as that day.
Pirlo, forced to watch Barcelona complete their treble with their fifth historic victory, realized he was no longer the brightest star and left Europe.
Fans, teammates, and above all, Manager Allegri appealed to Pirlo's presence and tried to hold him back, but Pirlo was firm.
Like that, he put on the New York City FC kit with a fresh mindset.
The goal was clear.
A new league, a new team, a new challenge.
Ahead of retirement, he wanted to burn the last remaining embers.
But once again, he realized.
Even enduring this is burdensome for the current me.
A shaking team, crumbling standards, and a light drifting further away.
The cheers he received when he first stepped onto the pitch wearing the NYCFC kit were no longer there.
Like glory fading away, the reason to remain on the pitch was also disappearing.
Amidst that, a phone call from David Villa came out of the blue.
Honestly, a scoff came out.
At first, I thought he meant a player who was simply short like Villa himself...
Literally a kiddo called up from the U-16s today.
To tell him to look forward to a kiddo who doesn't seem that special.
"...?!"
But that kiddo showed movement that accurately recognized the intent of the passes I handed over from our very first meeting.
At the same time, it was a very brief moment, but the soft touch sense he showed when taking the ball.
As Villa said, it was certainly an interesting talent.
So he was curious.
"What's your name?"
This kid's name.
The day after joining the First Team for training for the first time.
My daily life didn't change dynamically.
Rather, as if asking if such a thing even happened, the same routine continued.
Joining the First Team at this age is a big deal, but honestly, it's not a big enough event to turn my life upside down.
It wasn't even being added to the roster, just training together, so well, it was about the level of taking an entrance test.
I accepted it as calmly as possible.
If there was any new action I added, it was requesting the training data digested in the First Team through U-16 Head Coach Tony.
I ran hard, but there were parts I was personally disappointed with. I plan to reinforce them personally until the next training session.
However, the reactions of the other players, excluding me, were completely different.
"How was it training with David Villa? Is he super cool like we see from the outside?!"
"What about Pirlo? You said you received passes from Pirlo too? What's different?"
"Ugh, I want to go too! By any chance, did they say there's something like a guest pass for the next training?"
"Would there be, Timothy, you idiot. Do you think the First Team training ground is a neighborhood gym?"
"Isn't everyone going to focus on stretching?!"
As I returned to the U-16 training ground, the kids stuck to me and threw various questions.
Whenever they had a chance, they approached me to ask for my impressions of the First Team, their eyes shining.
Actually, the reactions these kids are showing are on the more natural side.
I digested training together with idols seen only on TV. It's enough to be excited about.
Still, thanks to the coaches' appropriate restraint, I wasn't held up enough to lose training volume.
Rather, perhaps because this event became a stimulus, the overall training concentration was higher than usual.
Like that, today's schedule finished well, and I left the training ground to head to the side dish shop where Mom works, as always.
"I'm home!"
"Hoho. Welcome, son."
"Oh, Jin-tae is here! If you're here, sit down quickly and have a meal!"
Mom and the owner Grandma greeting me happily as always.
But today, another person was added here.
Grandpa Choi, the husband of Grandma Sim from the side dish shop.
Moving ingredients to be used tomorrow to the kitchen, he even stopped his steps and greeted me with a bright smile.
"Oho, the football genius son has come! Shouldn't I get a signature now for real?"
"You old man, I told you not to pressure the kid!"
"It's not pressure, they say it's the First Team! Do you know what a huge deal that is! Plus, they say amazing folks who played in Europe are gathered in New York right now!"
"I don't care about European big-noses. It's enough if our Jin-tae does well, why worry about things like that."
"That's right. I haven't done anything yet, so I'm too embarrassed to give a signature. If the day comes when I really play a First Team fixture, not just training, I'll give you one then."
"Ehei, what do you mean you haven't done anything. Isn't all of this Jin-tae's story! Anyway, that old man only knows how to discourage the kid! Go quickly and move the cabbages!"
Grandma Sim, giving Grandpa Choi an earful.
At the same time, on one wall Grandma pointed to, articles containing contents of my performance in U-16 fixtures were scrapped.
Actually, the contents were barely articles. At most, it was just a record of who scored how many goals and assists along with a tiny headline.
Even though they were articles with no photos and no content, Mom and Grandma scrapped them with care just because my name was in them.
Then, should I perform a bit more in the next fixture?
If I score about seven goals, maybe a few lines of article text might be added to the main body.
"Ah. Mom, they say the next fixture is Sunday. Since the shop is closed on Sunday, you can come comfortably, right?"
"Oh my, really? Of course I have to go!"
"Sure, sure! Is Sunday a problem? If it's a day with Jin-tae's fixture, whether it's Friday or Saturday, go comfortably anytime!"
"Then would you like to come too, Grandma? U-16 fixtures don't have separate tickets, so you can just come comfortably."
"Oh my, then can this grandpa go too?!"
"Yes, of course."
"You old man! You have to work! If you don't bring radishes that day, are you going to make radish kimchi out of stones to sell?"
"I just have to go a bit early at dawn, what's the fuss~ I'll take out the camera after a long time and capture Jin-tae running nicely!"
A comfort I hadn't felt before.
There were so many good people around, why didn't the me back then know this?
Seeing Mom's smile not stopping during the short conversation, I could also smile throughout the conversation following her.
Seeing that smile, I steeled my resolve once again and devoted myself to training diligently.
Some say a life of repeating training is boring and tedious, but for me, these days preparing for growth every day were precious and enjoyable.
The match day that arrived like that.
The routine on days with a fixture is generally similar.
Gather around 10 AM to check physical condition, eat lunch, announce the 11 starters, and check tactical details.
And start the match after checking the final condition with a field test 30 minutes before the start.
The team to face today is the Toronto FC U-16 team.
It's a team in the upper ranks of the league, and they say the U-16 team came down to New York together in time for the match against the First Team this evening.
"Today, I will specially announce the starting lineup first."
Manager Michael appeared holding a board at the morning meeting where all players gathered.
Everyone tilted their heads at the unusual order, but well, that could happen.
Like that, Manager Michael called the names of the 11 starters in order.
But,
"...?"
My name wasn't among them.
Not only the starters, but excluded from the bench too.
What is it? What does this mean? Did I perhaps cause an accident during training that warranted exclusion from the list? I have no memory of that?
But I wasn't the only one flustered.
"What? Why isn't JT playing?"
"How would I know that?"
"Did he perhaps count the numbers wrong? Manager! You left out JT!"
Teammates were equally flustered.
In this atmosphere, Manager Michael scratched his head awkwardly and smirked.
"I also want to let JT play if possible, but I can't make him play two matches on the same day, right?"
"?"
"JT has been included in the First Team roster for the match against Toronto FC this afternoon. Since the call came at dawn today, he won't be a starter. But he's sitting on the bench, so you never know, right?"
"···!"
"···Waaaaaaaaah!"
"JT, congratulations! This is crazy! You're really going up first!"
"Everyone quiet, quiet! Don't get excited for no reason and hurt your precious bodies. JT, you can pack your bags right now and take a taxi to the First Team camp. If you have any questions, ask anytime."
Not a First Team call-up for training, but a call-up to prepare for a First Team fixture.
I was dazed for a moment at the event that happened in less than a week since attending First Team training for the first time on Monday, then I asked the most important question.
"Um, I need tickets, can I possibly get some?"
"It's possible. How many?"
"I think three will be enough. And can you lend me your phone for a bit?"
Holding the three tickets Coach Tony prepared in my hand, I sent a text with the changed stadium address to Mom.
Mom, who at first thought simply the stadium location changed, was startled by the content saying it was a First Team fixture.
I can't read emotions through text, but seeing the typos were this severe, it's clear she was surprised.
As I took the taxi prepared by the team and joined the First Team camp,
"Welcome, JT. I knew you would come."
Pirlo, whom I ran into by chance in the hallway, remembered my name first and greeted me.
(End of Chapter)
—Translated by Prime Works —