Chapter 14: Step Up, Brazil (2)

The coach pointed at the tactics board and passionately instructed us.

“The Wave Pressing that I conceived and you perfected, we won’t be bringing it out in the preliminaries if we can help it.”

‘Hmm, not bringing out what we practiced so much for…’

“Why, you ask? Isn’t it obvious?”

“This tactic is very demanding physically.”

“You all, who have run and trained with it, would know better than anyone.”

He was right.

If we insisted solely on Wave Pressing in a tournament like the Olympics, where there’s little rest and matches proceed quickly, the players would tire out fast.

“But then again, if we built our tactics relying solely on Wave Pressing and then didn’t use it, you’d feel it’s unfair.”

‘Uh… Coach, no matter how I look around, I don’t see anyone who looks like they feel it’s unfair.’

The coach rearranged the markers on the board and continued his explanation firmly.

“Alright, while Wave Pressing is based on a 4-3-3 formation, we’ll employ an aggressive tactic centered around the midfielders.”

The coach pointed to the midfield line and said.

“Kang Dong-hyun, as CDM, you need to act as the link between defense and attack.”

“Participate in the build-up but don’t lose defensive stability.”

Then, pointing to the two midfielders, he continued.

“Park Seo-joon and Choi Woo-jin, you must act as box-to-box midfielders.”

“When attacking, quickly move forward to create a numerical advantage, and when defending, swiftly return to control the midfield.”

“You two are the core of this tactic.”

“Are you confident?”

“Haha, Coach, if I don’t win a medal this time, I have to go to the military.”

“I’ll run with all my might.”

“Good attitude.”

“There are no easy games for us.”

“If you don’t give it your all… I’ll leave it to your imagination what the public will say to us.”

‘Just imagining it is scary.’

‘If we get eliminated in the preliminaries and go back, we’ll probably get eggs thrown at us at the airport, right?’

Seeing how people who have no common sense and throw eggs at national teams returning with poor results often appear on the news, if we bring back a result like a preliminary elimination, I’m 99.9999999% sure we’ll get egged.

The coach continued, explaining to the attackers.

“Yoo Hee-sung and Yoon Jae-hoon, as wingers, utilize the flanks and attempt many crosses and cutbacks.”

“Sometimes, cut inside to create space for Lee Tae-yang and the second-line attackers.”

“I believe you two are more than capable.”

“Lee Tae-yang, as the foremost attacker, you need to shake up the opponent’s defense and sometimes drop back to create space for the midfielders to come up.”

“I, Lee Tae-yang, will present hell to Brazil.”

Laughter spread through the strategy analysis room at Lee Tae-yang’s bold reply.

“Hahahaha.”

Coach Cheon Mu-seok then turned to the defensive line.

“The defensive line must maintain a high line but be prepared for quick transitions.”

“Full-backs Lee Joon-ho and Yoo Ji-yong, actively participate in attacks but be mindful of your defensive positioning.”

“Jang Hyun-sung, Kim Eun-woo, you two hold the back line with stability.”

“Lastly, Jeong Tae-woo.”

The coach finally looked straight at me.

“Yes, Coach.”

“This time, you will play stably, staying as close to the goal as possible.”

“Show the public your defensive coordination and saving ability in this match.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll do well.”

‘You trust me too much, Coach…’

Of course, it wasn’t that I lacked confidence.

It might not be as good as my attacking, but my saving ability, evolved with the skills given by the God of Football, was, no matter how I looked at it, at an insane level.

“I will do well.”

“Good.”

“Next, Coach Joo will tell you about Brazil instead of me.”

As soon as the coach finished speaking, a man who had been standing behind him walked over.

Coach Joo Eun-gyeom, whom Coach Cheon Mu-seok had mentioned.

He was known among the players as the ‘Crazy Coach’.

“Alright, everyone.”

“You all know the player to watch out for in Brazil.”

“Seo-joon, you’ve even faced him directly.”

Don’t be fooled. He speaks so calmly, making him seem incredibly nice, and he’s deceiving with that harmless-looking face, but…

When I think about training…

Shiver… My body is still trembling.

Who would have imagined that his kind tone during training would transform into:

“Hey! Think before you move! What are you going to do if you make the same mistake I just told you about again? Are you messing with me right now?!”

What’s even scarier is that after training ends, he returns.

To that calm tone.

“Everyone, you worked really hard.”

“Let’s work hard again tomorrow.”

He was genuinely the most peculiar and frightening coach I had ever met, in my past life or this one.

Look, the players are listening more intently than anyone.

“It’s Brazil’s Gabriel Mendes.”

“Last year, at the tender age of 19, he debuted for Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1, scored 12 goals, and made a sensational entrance.”

“This season, he’s at the top of the scoring charts with 20 goals.”

He’s good.

No matter how much Ligue 1 lags behind the top four leagues—Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A—it’s a record that absolutely cannot be ignored. 12 goals at 19, and 20 goals this season…

Well, still, it’s not that surprising. There’s a player with even more talent than that kid sitting right in front of me.

Didn’t he transfer to Man Utd at the age of 17 after the Olympics and score 18 goals the very next season?

‘If Gabriel Mendes is a genius, is Yoo Hee-sung a monster?’

“So, you understand, Tae-woo?”

Did he say something important while I was lost in thought…

“Hmm, looking at that expression, our Tae-woo wasn’t listening to me at all and was lost in thought.”

Coach Joo Eun-gyeom’s face, hardening as he spoke, was truly terrifying.

‘I’m f*cked.’

“I’ll say it just one more time specially for you, Tae-woo, so listen carefully.”

“Got it?”

“Yes, sir!”

The coach sighed and began his explanation again.

“Gabriel Mendes’s biggest strengths are his monster-like physique and his half-beat-faster shots with either foot.”

“This makes it difficult for defenders to read his movements.”

The coach paused for a breath and continued.

“So, Tae-woo, what you need to do is this.”

“While it’s important to stop Mendes in a one-on-one pressure situation, what’s more important is to read the offside line well and coordinate the defenders.”

“You need to maintain the overall defensive line well so that the defense doesn’t get disorganized by Mendes’s movements.”

“Especially, properly utilizing the offside trap will be crucial.”

“Understand?”

“Yes, Coach. I understand.”

“Good. I hope you listened properly this time.”

I am curious, though. Just how monster-like is his physique that he’s the top scorer in Ligue 1?

***

“Our first opponent is South Korea.”

At that moment, in Brazil’s strategy analysis room, they were also analyzing tactics and the South Korean players.

“South Korea? Never heard of them.”

“Hey, you idiot. It’s Park’s country.”

“Quiet.”

At the words of Brazil’s Olympic coach, Marcos Vítor, the noisy players all fell silent.

Marcos Vítor was not a coach who would foolishly let his guard down just because his team was superior in terms of strength.

There was no sport where underdog upsets happened more often than in football.

“Absolutely do not let your guard down.”

“South Korea has Park, currently a starting midfielder for Chelsea.”

“Park is a world-class player who can change a game by himself.”

“That’s true. Park is a starter for Chelsea, a big club even in the Premier League.”

The squad, composed of young players, could be intimidated by the name value of Park, as even though he had personally selected players he deemed skilled, there were still few who were at the level of starters for big clubs.

“However, while you shouldn’t be complacent, don’t be afraid of the opponent.”

“We are not a team that should be afraid.”

“Rather, it is Brazil that the opponent should fear.”

“That’s right, Park won’t be able to stop me anyway.”

“Don’t worry.”

“Exactly. Who’s going to stop Gabriel Mendes? He’s the top scorer in Ligue 1.”

“From now on, I will show you footage of South Korea’s key players.”

“Stop chatting and focus.”

As the video played, the players stopped their chatter and began to watch the footage intently.

“If you watch Park’s play, he surveys his surroundings to an almost excessive degree before receiving the ball and often connects passes with one touch.”

“His passing is that good.”

“At this point, it’s important to apply pressure as quickly as possible.”

Just then, a defender, Rafael Silva Santos, known as Rafa within the team, who was listening to the explanation, raised his hand and asked a question.

“Coach, if Park’s passing ability is so outstanding, couldn’t he still make a pass into open space despite quick pressure? I’m curious if you have a countermeasure for this.”

Coach Marcos Vítor’s eyes twinkled.

“Good question, Rafa.”

“That’s exactly the point I wanted you to make.”

“Our pressure isn’t simply about stopping an individual; it’s about the entire team moving.”

“We predict Park’s passes and block that space beforehand.”

“This isn’t created by individual ability but by the organization of the entire team.”

‘The atmosphere is changing to what I want.’

Marcos Vítor was inwardly pleased.

When he first took over, there were no players who would ask questions first or refute his words during tactical analysis training.

It was natural, of course. In football, a coach’s words carry immense power.

However, he absolutely did not think that way.

‘Football isn’t just about listening to the coach’s words and following them.’

‘Only by questioning, doubting, and finding better ways does it become true football.’

“Now, let’s watch videos of other players together while I explain the tactics.”

Following that, footage of the South Korean national team players passed by, and finally, the goalkeeper, Jeong Tae-woo, appeared on the screen.

“What, is he a model, not a football player?”

“Coach, if I kick the ball and it hits that guy’s face, I won’t get terrorized on Instagram or anything, right?”

“Ha~ He’s so handsome. Should I ask for his number?”

“Focus on his play, not his good looks.”

“This player, like the attackers Yoo and Lee we saw earlier, is 17 years old.”

“However, even if it’s a South Korean U-17 tournament, conceding only 1 goal in 11 games is an insane record.”

Footage of Jeong Tae-woo’s plays in past high school tournaments flashed by.

“Oh, he saved that!”

“Wow~”

“He’s good, isn’t he?”

“But I’m not worried.”

“He won’t be able to save Gabriel Mendes’s shots.”

“Right, Gabriel?”

“Ha, that’s just the level of a South Korean U-17 tournament anyway.”

“He probably won’t even be able to react to my shots.”

“I think so too.”

Marcos Vítor turned off the TV and smiled broadly, showing his teeth.

“Let’s go give South Korea the nightmare called Brazil.”

At his words, the players’ eyes sharpened.

They were already confident of victory on the field.