I Told You So
Since there was only one U19 match each week, Ha Sunmoon’s schedule had some breathing room. He decided to use the spare time wisely and enrolled in several language classes. Basic conversation was already manageable, but to communicate with real precision and master football terminology, he signed up for Spanish lessons. At Harrison’s strong recommendation, he added English classes to the mix as well.
“Ah… English is no fun at all.”
The return to the classroom left Sunmoon exhausted. He had grown used to the familiar cadence of the Iberian Peninsula’s language, but English was another story entirely.
No! You have to take it! English is incredibly important! Just think how much it’ll help your future!
Harrison responded instantly to Sunmoon’s complaint. For a man with grand plans, Sunmoon mastering English was no small matter.
“That’s because you’re a ghost, Listen-hyung—you understand everything automatically. I have to learn it from scratch, so it’s exhausting. Especially English… blech.”
Why English? I always thought it was strange Korea doesn’t teach it properly! And what do you mean I understand everything? I don’t comprehend every language. I only catch what I already know!
Sunmoon tilted his head at Harrison’s reply.
“You don’t understand every single word?”
At first I thought I could hear it all, but eventually it settled into a fixed set. English, French, Spanish, and Korean—those are the ones I can follow.
Sunmoon’s face filled with envy.
“I’m jealous… You can handle so many languages!”
Then he caught the odd language tucked among them and gave Harrison a strange look.
“Wait… how exactly do you understand Korean?”
That I don’t know either. My memories aren’t complete. I do know that standard English is my mother tongue, though.
Harrison looked equally puzzled by Sunmoon’s question. He quickly shook it off and pressed the boy again.
Never mind that! Focus on preparing for today’s match! This is finally the day you get to show what you can do!
* * *
Thump-thump, ratatatat-thump! Thump! Thump-thump, ratatatat-thump!
Upbeat music blasted through the U19 locker room. The fast-tempo track lifted the players’ spirits and sharpened their focus.
“All right, here’s today’s formation and starting lineup.”
The U19 manager had posted the starting eleven, the formation, and set-piece instructions where everyone could see them. Before Sunmoon, who had just arrived and was still changing, could even look, Harrison scanned the sheet first.
This… this can’t be right.
Sunmoon’s name was nowhere on the starting lineup for the U19 team’s first match against Girona.
“What did you say?”
While Sunmoon stood there stunned by Harrison’s reaction, the U19 manager stepped forward and began explaining how they would approach the game.
“Turn the music down for a second.”
The volume dropped at the manager’s command, and the players gave him their full attention.
“You’ve all seen the lineup and formation, right? We’re sticking to what we’ve been doing. Our shape is 4-2-3-1.”
Sunmoon barely heard a word. The fact that he hadn’t even made the bench weighed far more heavily than anything Harrison had told him earlier.
“Today we’re facing a decent opponent. Girona has enough quality to shake us up, so stay sharp.”
Bullshit. I already checked their league position.
Espanyol had finished inside the top ten last season while Girona had hovered outside it, so Harrison found the manager’s caution mildly amusing.
“But if we do what we’ve trained, there shouldn’t be any big problems. Keep possession, stay patient. If you’re under pressure, recycle the ball and don’t hesitate to pass back to the goalkeeper.”
The players nodded along.
“Of course, the opponent might press suddenly. No matter what unexpected situations arise, stay cool-headed. Always stay calm—especially when we have the ball.”
The U19 manager encouraged his squad, and soon it was time to head out to the pitch together.
“Go out there and show them what you’re made of!”
With those final words the match began. The players not in the starting lineup took their seats on the bench to watch. Sunmoon, who had seen enough in just a few minutes to realize the opponent wasn’t that strong, felt irritated at having to spectate.
Damn it. Just be patient and keep watching. Everyone goes through this. This is how you grow.
To Harrison it looked like Sunmoon was barely holding himself together. Even on the bench a professional should always look ready, but Sunmoon was still too young to fully grasp that.
These guys are terrible… I could go out there right now and tear them apart…
The level was higher than the entrance test back in Korea or the matches he’d played in Brazil’s U17 league, yet Sunmoon still felt he could rip through the opponent’s right flank at will. Having started every match since elementary school and through the Brazilian league, this kind of bench time felt anything but pleasant.
Then something strange caught his eye. While studying the seemingly vulnerable right side of the opposition, he noticed how restricted Espanyol’s left-back movements were. Even when the left-back pushed forward, he never went beyond the halfway line. The player simply shuttled between the halfway line and his own defense, playing forward passes only to drop back with safe passes again and again. To Sunmoon it looked incredibly passive.
“Coach.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Is that what the fullbacks are supposed to be doing? Is that my role?”
The U19 manager nodded at Sunmoon’s question.
“That’s right. Starting to make sense now? That’s exactly what you’ll be asked to do.”
But Sunmoon shook his head vigorously.
“That’s all I’m supposed to do? It looks like they’re doing nothing at all. Sigh… If I have to play like that, everything I’ve practiced so far becomes pointless.”
What Sunmoon had drilled with Harrison was movement into pockets under extreme pressure. It was the kind of play that, even in difficult situations, used Harrison’s elevated view to deliver unexpected passes. The level of difficulty was sky-high, but Harrison’s guidance filled in the blind spots Sunmoon couldn’t see. If passive play like this was required to earn a starting spot, there was nothing left for him to offer.
“Does that look easy to you?” the manager asked.
“Yes, obviously. I feel like I could take the ball from the keeper like Messi and drive all the way to the opponent’s goal. I don’t understand why I have to play here. It’s incredibly disappointing.”
Oh no…
Sunmoon had finally exploded and spoken out of turn. The words sounded extremely arrogant in front of the manager, and Harrison winced. If word reached the senior youth coaches it could create a bad impression. Harrison’s eyes flickered with alarm, remembering how a similar incident at Liverpool had blown up in their faces.
Hmm… what now? Who was it that said Asian players are usually quiet? Is this kid just special? They did say he came from Fluminense. He really does remind me of a young South American player.
Fortunately the U19 manager, who had spent years coaching even younger boys before taking this role, handled the situation calmly.
“Sunmoon, do you know why youth teams exist?”
“No, sir.”
“Ultimately they exist to feed players into the first team. That’s why the B team and the youth teams below it usually follow the first team’s tactical philosophy. Last season Espanyol finished seventh using exactly this possession-based style. Of course the previous manager has since left and the new one might change things, but for now we continue training this way. No matter what abilities you possess, you are still only one piece of the team. You must understand that and blend into the core tactics before you can be used. Do you understand?”
Tsk… he’s right. And he explains it well.
The manager had spoken slowly and clearly. When Harrison signaled his agreement, Sunmoon finally nodded.
“But still! Watching them play so poorly is just too frustrating!”
Despite the long explanation, Sunmoon had circled right back to the same complaint. Harrison could only scratch his head helplessly.
“Is that so? Then if we don’t score in the first half, I’ll bring you on in the second half and you can do it your way.”
“Yes! Perfect!”
Sunmoon smiled brightly and agreed. He would have to wait until the second half to play, but the promise of being brought on clearly lifted his mood.
Girona are strong at zonal defending. No matter how good his footwork is, there’s a risk he’ll be shut down. If two players constantly double up on him, maybe he’ll understand the importance of the team.
Unfortunately Espanyol U19 failed to score in the first half. True to his word, the manager sent Sunmoon onto the pitch.
Good. I watched enough in the first half to know exactly what to do.
The whistle blew. Shortly after the restart Espanyol regained possession.
“Pass!”
Sunmoon called loudly. The center-back obliged and played the ball to him. Following the path he had studied in the first half, Sunmoon tore into the right side of Girona’s 4-4-2 zonal defense.
What the—?
In the blink of an eye Sunmoon beat the opposition forward and right-winger with pure skill. He faced the right-back, feinted as if to pass backward, then spun and left the defender frozen. Now one-on-one, he struck a left-footed shot toward the far post. The ball flew straight into the corner of the net.
Zonal defending at U19 level was far too loose in the face of overwhelming talent.
He’s on another level. He really doesn’t belong here.
After scoring, Sunmoon skipped any celebration and walked straight to the U19 manager.
“I told you I could do it, didn’t I?”