The Trial by the Han River
The area around the Han River felt refreshingly cool under a clear blue sky dotted with a few small, fluffy clouds. The gentle scene blended perfectly with the flowing water below.
“Hmm… more people showed up than I expected.”
“We gathered around forty fairly promising players. Still, I wonder how many of them will actually be worth taking.”
“Well, if we’re lucky, we might snag at least one decent one. Shall we get started soon?”
Two scouts from Spanish clubs were chatting casually. Because this was a trial for opportunities in Spain, a large number of young players had applied. But it was impossible to evaluate everyone properly, so the clubs had agreed to only invite players with solid track records. Spanish teams had limited non-EU quotas, and they rarely signed Asian players. As a result, the scouts responsible for Asia hadn’t received much expectation or investment from their clubs. That was why several teams had joined forces to run this joint trial.
They could only bring a small number of coaches each, so they had arranged in advance to assign the available coaches to different testing stations. The plan was to run the evaluations through an agreed-upon process.
[But kid, is your main position really fullback?]
“Yes. Left-back.”
[So that’s why you were dribbling with your left foot?]
“I can use my right foot too. I’m just practicing my left more, so I used it on purpose.”
[You’re a funny one. But why left-back? No, why fullback at all? You look like you’d do well in other positions.]
When Ha Sunmoon had told him he played left-back, Clive Harrison had looked genuinely surprised. To him, the boy’s talent seemed far too rich to be wasted at fullback.
“I just like playing fullback. I played as a left-back the whole time in Brazil too.”
Sunmoon answered that he played the position because he enjoyed it, but that only made Harrison’s head hurt even more.
‘It’s rare for a youth player’s position to be locked in so early. He’s already decided? His potential hasn’t even fully bloomed yet. We don’t know which role would suit him best.’
This kind of situation was common in youth systems. Tall players were often tried as centre-forwards or centre-backs, but if they showed real quality, coaches usually gave the centre-forward spot to the most talented one. If a player lacked the finishing touch and dropped to centre-back, a good youth coach might still move him back up front once his potential exploded. In that sense, Harrison believed that if Sunmoon truly had talent, he should be playing as a winger or midfielder rather than a fullback.
[Have you really never considered any other position?]
“No. Not really?”
Sunmoon answered so firmly that Harrison, after a moment of hesitation, decided not to push the issue any further.
‘It’s better to leave that conversation to the actual coaches. They’ll see his talent and figure it out themselves.’
Harrison trusted the eye of Spanish professional coaches and managers. For now, he would let Sunmoon do what he wanted.
‘He’s become so much brighter after playing football again these past three months. It’s better than seeing him depressed again…’
Harrison didn’t want to see the still-young Sunmoon fall back into that dark place. Even if the boy made a somewhat frustrating choice, as long as he grew up happy, that was enough.
[Ah! There they are.]
“Them?”
Sunmoon turned his head in the direction Harrison indicated. About six foreigners stood out clearly among the crowd.
[Look at them. Anyone can tell they’re scouts from a mile away.]
“Oh… So if I impress them, I get to go to Spain?”
[That’s right. But this situation isn’t ideal.]
“What do you mean, not ideal?”
[Having this many scouts here is actually bad for the kids who are here.]
Sunmoon frowned at Harrison’s words.
“Why? Isn’t it better if more teams are watching?”
[The fact that so many came is precisely why it’s bad. I don’t know how carelessly they’ll be watching.]
“Carelessly? They came all the way here. Why would they watch carelessly?”
[Of course they will. This isn’t a trial run by a single club. It’s a joint test held by multiple clubs together.]
“Hmm… But don’t European scouts often attend tournaments to watch players?”
“In Brazil, quite a few scouts from European clubs came too.”
[That’s different. They send scouts to tournaments to find players who stand out in actual matches. They evaluate real match performance. But club trials are usually run by one team. This setup is unusual.]
Sunmoon started to feel a little anxious.
“Then… what happens? You said if I join the trial, I’d have a chance.”
When Sunmoon grew visibly nervous, Harrison spoke to him again in a reassuring tone.
[Of course you’re an exception. Kid, you really don’t know your own value. You’re special. If those boys sitting over there are ducks, you’re a swan.]
“Duck? Swan?”
[You’ll stand out no matter what you do. Your track record alone is overwhelming. And it’s not just your history — your actual skill is outstanding too.]
“I’m not sure I’m that overwhelming in either category…”
When Sunmoon started showing that familiar lack of confidence again, Harrison let out an exasperated sigh.
[That’s exactly what I mean. You just don’t realize how far ahead of those kids you already are. Where do you think all the players at your level are? If you went to Brazil, wouldn’t the best ones be in Europe?]
“Ah…”
[Even the Korean kids who went abroad to study football have mostly joined the youth teams of clubs in those countries, right?]
“Yes, that makes sense.”
[Exactly. Those kids are already overseas. They’re not here. Most of the players at this trial have spent their entire lives in Korea. Do you really think they can compete with you after everything you learned in Brazil?]
“Come on… There must be some talented kids here. All my friends in the Brazilian youth team felt better than me.”
[Kid, South America is a football powerhouse. Countries with World Cup titles. Their youth players are all exceptional. The fact that you held your own there is what makes you special. And because you trained in Brazil, these kids are now even further behind you.]
“What other difference is there?”
[You’ll find out soon enough. Looks like it’s time to move.]
Just as Harrison gave Sunmoon a meaningful smile, the staff members managing the trial stepped forward again.
“Everyone, the grouping is complete. The trial will begin shortly, so please gather here.”
At the staff member’s announcement, Sunmoon stood up. Looking around, he saw roughly forty players his own age.
‘There really are a lot… Can I really do well here?’
Following the staff’s guidance, Sunmoon moved toward the area where the scouts were waiting. All the scouts and trial participants gathered in one place to begin the evaluation.
First, the scout from Espanyol, who seemed to be the representative, stepped forward.
“Hello, everyone. Today’s trial is a joint event hosted by six Spanish clubs: Espanyol, Real Betis, Villarreal, Celta Vigo, Levante, and Alaves.”
Sunmoon slowly scanned the faces of the scouts.
“To evaluate your abilities, we will conduct four different skill tests and one match. During each test and the match, coaches from the various clubs will assess and record your performances. Final selections will be made based on the combined scores. The tests will begin shortly. We will divide you into groups of ten for the four skill stations.”
Sunmoon was placed in Group D. The first station they visited was the shooting area. A coach from Real Betis and an interpreter were already waiting.
“Alright, everyone. The first course is shooting. You will take six shots in total — three with your right foot and three with your left.”
‘Oh… This looks fun.’
“First, you’ll strike a stationary ball. Next, you’ll pass to the coach on the side and then shoot a low driven cross. Finally, you’ll shoot from a crossed ball. That’s it.”
The coach explained the drill clearly. The players lined up, waiting their turn to shoot. The first player from Group D stepped up.
“Begin!”
Thump!
“Low cross!”
The coach on the right delivered a low, driven cross. The first player from Group D seemed nervous. He completely mishit the ball, scooping it high and sending it crashing into the net above the crossbar.
“Now a regular cross.”
The coach on the right sent in a floating cross. The ball traced a smooth arc through the air. The player swung at it but once again failed to make clean contact, sending the ball wide to the right.
“Alright, now your left foot!”
“Yes, sir.”
The right-footed shots had been mediocre. But the left foot was a disaster. The first player from Group D could barely make proper contact, sending weak, wayward shots in every direction. The next two players who went before Sunmoon didn’t fare much better. The third player in line was the only one who managed to put three clean shots away, making him the best of the bunch so far.
[Tsk tsk… Did you see that?]
“See what?” Sunmoon whispered.
[The coaches. Every time one of these kids hits the ball badly, they wince. Show them what you can really do.]
Finally, it was Sunmoon’s turn. He took a deep breath and stepped forward.
“Ready? Kick!”
Sunmoon struck the stationary ball hard with his right foot.
Thump!
The powerful shot flew straight toward the goal. The goalkeeper dove and managed to parry it.
“Good. Now the low cross!”
Immediately, the coach on the right delivered a low, driven cross. Sunmoon met it cleanly and smashed the ball toward the top-left corner. This time the net bulged beautifully from the inside.
“Excellent! Now the cross.”
The coach on the right sent in another floating ball. Sunmoon raced to the landing spot and struck a perfect volley.
Whack!
The ball flew straight into the top-right corner, nestling cleanly into the net once again. After three successful strikes in a row with his right foot, the coach’s face lit up with genuine pleasure.
“Very good. You’re the best so far. What position do you play, young man?”
The coach turned to the interpreter.
“Um…”
“I’m a left-back.”
“Sorry?”
“I said I play left-back.”
The interpreter had been about to ask, but Sunmoon answered directly. The coach stared at him with a blank expression for a moment.
“Left-back?”