The 4 O'Clock Escape
They were coming at him from three directions. The only way out was at his four o'clock.
Ha Sunmoon instantly twisted his body and dribbled hard at a right angle.
“Ha Sunmoon! Surrounded by three players, yet he refuses to give up the ball!”
“His individual technique is outstanding. The Brazilian players pressed him the moment he took possession, but he glides away smoothly.”
Ha Sunmoon slipped the ball to midfielder Kang Hyun-jun, received it back, and surged into the open space.
“Ha Sunmoon’s movement right now is excellent. How can a player so young read space and exploit it like that? That’s not standard full-back movement at all.”
Today, alongside Yang Ji-sung, defensive midfielder Kang Hyun-jun had fed the ball to Um Hyun-mook, but the Brazilian midfielders swallowed him up before he could advance.
Yet the manager’s orders had been to hold position whenever possible, so Ha Sunmoon hesitated. Clive was right, but carrying it out was another matter. Unlike previous games, the moment Sunmoon vacated his spot even slightly, gaps yawned open and the defense was torn apart.
After failing to penetrate from the center, the midfielders finally played the ball backward. Center-back Byun Ji-su collected it and this time they tried building from the right. The move flowed through right-sided defensive midfielder Yang Ji-sung, right-back Seo Tae-seok, and right winger Bae Sung-jin.
“Nice. Bae Sung-jin’s cross! Ah—it’s blocked by the opposing center-back in the middle. They finally created a promising attack, but the cross lacked bite and was easily dealt with.”
“Ah… Ha Sunmoon isn’t pushing forward today.”
“Ha Sunmoon possesses excellent attacking qualities, but he’s also an outstanding defender. It seems he’s been told to focus on defense for this match.”
“That’s probably because Brazil’s players are so strong.”
“Exactly. They appear to be paying special attention to Angelo. He’s scored in every match he’s appeared in, so he’s a player they must mark carefully.”
Clive spotted the opposing midfielder about to feed Angelo. Although players blocked Ha Sunmoon’s line of sight, he burst into the space exactly as Clive instructed and intercepted the pass.
“Ha Sunmoon! He cuts it out in midfield and immediately surges forward with the ball!”
Ha Sunmoon played the ball to left winger Kang Min-woo and raced up the touchline. Kang Min-woo, anticipating the run, threaded a precise pass, and the opportunity arrived.
Ha Sunmoon knew it too. A cross at that moment would have been excellent. But his crossing issue remained unsolved, so he had to find another solution.
“Ha Sunmoon! He’s driving even deeper!”
Ha Sunmoon raced along the touchline all the way to the opponents’ byline. The opposing right-back chased desperately. Now both the right-back and a center-back stood in front of him.
Ha Sunmoon reached the same conclusion. Deciding a breakthrough was unlikely, he dropped his shoulder left as if cutting inside, then slipped the ball to left winger Kang Min-woo, who had advanced into the penalty area. After that he sprinted back to regain his defensive position.
“Ha Sunmoon draws two defenders before linking with Kang Min-woo.”
“Kang Min-woo finds Kim Jun-ho making a run inside! Kim Jun-ho back to Bae Sung-jin!”
“Ah—! So close! Brazil throw their bodies on the line! The inverted left-back who had pushed forward threaded a pass to the center-forward, who then played it to the right winger, but the Korean center-back dove bravely to block it. The ball ricocheted off a defender and flew high, giving Korea a corner kick.”
“Huuuk… huuuk…”
“Huu… haa…”
The locker-room atmosphere was completely different from the previous match and from the first-half break. The Netherlands had been strong, but the players still had some gas left in the tank. This time the opponent was ferocious and every ounce of energy had been drained. The squad looked exhausted, and Ha Sunmoon was no exception.
“Everyone, breathe slowly. Drink some water and rest while you listen. You’re all doing incredibly well right now.”
Coach Kang Jeong-ho tried to lift their spirits. They had managed to push forward several times, but Brazil’s relentless waves of attack had left them struggling to cope. In particular, right-sided center-back Byun Ji-su and right-back Seo Tae-seok had been beaten on multiple occasions and had nearly conceded. Center-back Kim Jun-su had rushed over to help block, but the pair had been utterly humiliated by the Brazilian left winger’s feints and tricks. The near-miss had left everyone’s hearts in their throats.
“It’s so hard for us to get forward,” said Um Hyun-mook, who was playing in midfield.
“Even if it’s difficult, we have no choice but to keep trying. In the end, the ball must circulate in their half for us to stay safe, and only when the ball circulates in their half can we score.”
Coach Kang Jeong-ho’s mind was a whirlwind. To win they needed to launch counterattacks, yet instead of counters they had spent most of the match absorbing blow after blow. The only truly meaningful attack had come the single time Ha Sunmoon had pushed forward. For the ball to reach the attackers cleanly, Sunmoon clearly needed to bomb on. But the risk was obvious. The man he was facing—Angelo—was a dangerous winger. It was impossible to know whether anyone else could have contained him so effectively.
Hmm… Maybe I have to ask Sunmoon to shoulder even more responsibility.
After long deliberation, Coach Kang Jeong-ho reached a decision.
“We’re making a slight tactical change. Sunmoon.”
“Yes, Coach.”
“I’m giving you permission to push forward like before. Increase the frequency of your forward runs. That doesn’t mean neglect defense. I want you paying equal attention to both sides now. Create chances the way you did earlier. A cross wouldn’t be a bad option either. I’m sorry for piling so much work on you, but we don’t have any other choice.”
“Understood.”
“Next, forwards. The way you linked up earlier was excellent. When Sunmoon pushes up, the defensive midfielders should advance a little higher as well. Um Hyun-mook, when everyone is pushed forward like that, I want you to act like a second striker and stay high up the pitch. Clear?”
“Yes, Coach.”
Second half, kick-off. Both teams walked back onto the pitch.
The order had come through: he was allowed to play with freedom. Clive’s voice urged him on.
“Huu…”
Ha Sunmoon gave a small nod of understanding. His legs still felt heavy, but he could keep running.
“Huh?”
Clive had noticed something odd. The player standing on the right wing was not Angelo. Brazil had made their own tactical adjustment. Frustrated by the stalled attack, they had shifted Angelo—who kept being shut down by Ha Sunmoon—over to the left wing.
Ha Sunmoon scratched his head.
“What do we do?”
Ha Sunmoon nodded. Clive was right. If the opponent tried to rattle Korea’s right flank, Ha Sunmoon could rattle Brazil’s right flank in return.
The referee’s whistle pierced the air. The second half began. Ha Sunmoon nodded once more and gradually narrowed his focus until the entire stadium faded away.
“Ah—they’ve shifted Angelo over to the left flank.”
“Moving Angelo appears to be an admission that Ha Sunmoon’s defensive job has been highly effective so far. The question now is whether Seo Tae-seok can contain him. That concern, unfortunately, materialized almost instantly.”
“The ball reaches Angelo. Angelo! Angelo! He’s inside the penalty area!”
Angelo received the ball, performed a quick step-over, and burst forward. Seo Tae-seok, deceived by the feint, twisted his body to the right. In that split second Angelo darted the other way.
“Seo Tae-seok has been completely fooled! He spins desperately to chase, and center-back Byun Ji-su throws himself across, but Angelo nutmegs him!”
“Byun Ji-su is beaten too. Angelo shoots with his right foot—shooooot!”
The ball rippled the net.
“Aaaah… It’s in. The goal.”
Angelo, clearly relieved, jogged toward the section packed with Brazilian fans and launched into a choreographed celebration dance. The rest of the Brazilian squad joined in seamlessly, as though they had rehearsed it for days. Only after the routine finished did they jog back to their half.
“Huu…”
Ha Sunmoon pressed his lips together and silently retied his bootlaces.
“We just have to do it again.”
Once he was ready, Ha Sunmoon returned to his position.
“Now it’s whoever scores more wins, right?”
“I really don’t like playing this kind of game.”
The whistle blew again. Ha Sunmoon exploded forward the instant the ball moved.