The Early Breach
Huff. Huff.
Harrison waited for Ha Sunmoon, his eyes gleaming with unrestrained anticipation.
“Ah… why do you keep doing this?”
Huff. Huff. Huff.
Seeing Harrison so worked up soured Ha Sunmoon’s mood.
I’m way too excited. For Liverpool’s match.
“No, I’m a Manchester City player, you know.”
But I’m a Liverpool fan. That won’t change even after I die. Ah~ I’m so excited. To watch Liverpool play in person. It’s such a shame the first one is at the City home ground.
“Seriously…”
What a waste. Such a waste. That roar at Anfield is incredible. Aigoo~ why did the home fixture against City have to come first?
Ha Sunmoon ignored Harrison’s constant muttering and made his way slowly toward the briefing room. Roughly half the squad had already taken their seats inside.
Whoa… what’s with this atmosphere?
A different kind of tension hung in the briefing room, and both Ha Sunmoon and Harrison noticed it immediately.
Liverpool. Founded in 1892, the club possessed the most glittering history in England. When naming the greatest football institution in the country, Liverpool sat firmly at the top. Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United had risen as a new powerhouse through league titles and dimmed that luster slightly, yet the fact that Liverpool remained a football aristocracy had not changed.
After a long dark age, the team had now, under the leadership of Klopp from Dortmund, reclaimed its status as a true football powerhouse. And the only side in the Premier League that refused to yield an inch against Manchester City—the team currently regarded as the strongest—was Liverpool.
The two sides had met many times. Knowing each other’s fearsome strength, they felt the tension even during the pre-match briefing. They had become true rivals.
Ha Sunmoon pushed through the awkward, heavy atmosphere and took his seat.
Wow… it really is a big-team clash. Everyone looks nervous.
Gulp.
The heavy tension made Ha Sunmoon feel slightly nauseous, but the moment Pep Guardiola walked in, the mood settled.
“Good morning, everyone. Before tomorrow’s match against Liverpool, we’ll go over how we intend to play.”
Pep Guardiola looked somewhat tired. He proceeded to explain Liverpool’s tactics and exactly how Manchester City would dismantle them.
Interesting… but this is… practically…
To Ha Sunmoon, the explanation of Liverpool’s approach did not differ greatly from City’s current tactics. The only real distinction was short-pass-oriented Manchester City versus long-ball-oriented Liverpool.
“So do not think about conserving energy. We expect heavy contesting for possession, and the game will be played with a high line. If the opponent raises the tempo higher than we anticipated, one-touch passes are allowed at any time. Normally we would avoid unstable passes… but this match is different. Some mistakes are tolerable, so I don’t want us stuck in situations where the ball cannot progress forward.”
“Yes, understood.”
And the day of the Liverpool match arrived.
“Huu…”
After warm-ups had finished, the squad waited in the locker room. Ha Sunmoon sat there first, trying to steady his nerves. He felt restless from the tension when someone suddenly called his name.
“Ha.”
“Yes, boss.”
The man calling him was Pep Guardiola.
“Today’s match is going to be an extremely high-level contest. Honestly, I’m a little worried about you.”
Gulp.
Ha Sunmoon swallowed.
“I know they’re a strong side, but the only thing I can say is that I’ll give everything I have.”
“Good. Your job is simple. On your left-back side, Mohamed Salah will be attacking. He is, without question, the world’s best right winger. Speed, technique, destructive power—he lacks nothing.”
Oh… to hear you acknowledge him like that. As expected from Salah!
Ha Sunmoon somehow felt Harrison butting in again. The constant distraction from this one die-hard Liverpool supporter grated on him, but he forced himself to focus on Pep Guardiola.
“Even if you make mistakes, I won’t criticize you harshly. From the start… I never thought this would be an easy match.”
Wow. As cold as ever. That merciless tongue.
Ugh…
Ha Sunmoon nearly glared at Harrison.
“If you can mark Salah for the entire match? Then you’re a world-class fullback. Not only me—every fan would acknowledge you. If you show that level, I will make you Manchester City’s starting left back. However… the opponent is truly difficult.”
Pep Guardiola moved to the tactics board.
“I’m not asking for too much. Still, let’s trust the experience you gained marking high-level wingers in La Liga. For now… defend as well as you can.”
“Yes.”
“But… if… if you feel that even after using every technique at your disposal you still can’t stop Salah…”
If I feel that?
Ha Sunmoon waited curiously for the solution.
“Focus only on Salah. The moment the ball goes to him, stick tight immediately.”
“Just by sticking to him?”
“No. A pure speed contest between winger and fullback puts you at a disadvantage. He runs forward while you chase with your back turned—you lose. Your speed has let you recover until now, but against elite wingers it won’t be easy.”
Pep Guardiola positioned the figure of Ha Sunmoon beside Salah and moved the ball toward him.
“When a pass like this arrives at Salah, this is what you do.”
He pressed the Sunmoon figure tight against Salah.
“Get as close as possible and try to win the ball. What will Salah do then?”
He’ll shield it with his back.
“He’ll use his back to protect the ball and prevent you from taking it.”
Pep Guardiola nodded.
“Exactly. But if you stay glued to him without falling off?”
He’ll either power through or lay it off backward.
“He’ll either burst past with strength or try a piece of skill.”
“In that case your marking has already failed. A player turning his back to advance while a defender is openly marking him? That is an absolute defensive failure that must never happen.”
“I see…”
“But what if you defend correctly?”
Hmm…
“Hmm…”
“Don’t overthink it. What would we do? What did we decide?”
“We decided on a back pass. The midfield can solve it from there.”
“Yes. Exactly. When you can’t fully contain Salah, your job is to stop him advancing. Force him into back passes only. If you can shut him down like that for the whole match, you will have done your share.”
“Yes, understood.”
As Ha Sunmoon absorbed Pep Guardiola’s instructions, the rest of the players filed in one by one, and the manager began handing out individual tactical roles to them as well.
Whoa! These are the guys!
When Ha Sunmoon entered the tunnel with the starting eleven, Harrison went into overdrive. Real Liverpool players lined up right beside him, and Harrison watched them with pure bliss written across his face.
This is insane…
Ha Sunmoon walked forward while enduring Harrison’s fanboying and prepared for kick-off.
Just before the match began, he moved into the left-back position.
Hehehehe.
“Hey… Harrison?”
What?
“This is the most important game. You’re actually going to help me properly, right?”
Huh? Should I?
Twitch.
When Harrison showed signs of refusing to help as a Liverpool fan on the biggest occasion, Ha Sunmoon’s face hardened.
“Fine! If you’re not helping, at least don’t get in the way. I’m not joking.”
Hmm~ I might help~ or maybe not~
Sigh…
I’m not gonna help you~
How can one person change this much?
At Harrison’s teasing, Ha Sunmoon glared at him with clear irritation. The moment the local-fan side of Harrison emerged, Ha Sunmoon felt dizzy.
Peeeeeeeeep!
Right as Ha Sunmoon bickered with Harrison, the referee’s whistle blew and the match began.
Bang!
Huh?
After a few passes in midfield, the ball suddenly arrived at Salah in front of Ha Sunmoon. He immediately took up his usual defensive position.
The instant Salah received it, he accelerated and charged straight at him.
Shushushuk. Shushushuk.
I can’t even see his feet!
Salah exploded forward. Ha Sunmoon, trying to read the direction, was thrown off by the sudden change of pace and the unfamiliar turning style he had never seen before.
Oh no!
Ha Sunmoon was not a slow fullback. Yet Salah was an extremely quick right winger, and because Ha Sunmoon had not set his body properly to sprint, he lost him in that instant. He chased at close range, but the gap refused to close.
Damn… even if I have to foul…
Sunmoon! You can’t foul! That’s a red card!
Shit…
Only three minutes into the match and already breached, Harrison panicked and finally began helping.
But the opponent was a world-class winger.
Bang!
And Manchester City’s goalkeeper was Ederson, who struggled with shot-stopping.
Whoosh!
Ha Sunmoon dropped to his knees, forced to stare into the goal where the ball had nestled.