Chapter 16: Step Up, Brazil (4)

“Damn it!!”

Gabriel Mendes couldn’t understand this situation.

Korea, a country he didn’t even know where it was, just scored against them?

Against Brazil?

“Damn it, focus.”

Who was he?

Wasn’t he the striker who was bombing Ligue 1 at the age of 20?

‘Yeah, one goal is nothing. I can make it back quickly.’

He thought, looking at the brat who had strangely understood his Brazilian and told him to shut up.

‘Brat, this game will be hell for you.’

“Hey, Talis.”

“Yeah, what’s up, Mendes?”

“When the game starts, I’ll run straight away. Can you get past one or two of them and pass to me?”

“That much is nothing. Let’s get our revenge quickly. It’s embarrassing to concede a goal in 10 minutes.”

Brazil is a team that well deserves the title of the strongest in international competitions.

Such a team conceded a goal to the underdog, South Korea, in just 10 minutes of the first half.

If they didn’t retaliate immediately, they wouldn’t be able to sleep from embarrassment.

Besides, Talis was a player capable enough to break through those Korean players and pass to him.

Wheeeet-

As the game started, he immediately passed the ball he received from Talis back to him and ran.

There was no need to look back. There was no way Talis would lose the ball to some Korean players.

“Damn it, get him!”

“Mendes is going!”

And as expected, with Talis’s shout, a sharp pass flew towards Mendes’s feet.

Mendes instantaneously increased his speed and caught the ball.

The Korean defenders tried their best to shoulder him and steal the ball, but…

“Get out of the way.”

“Ugh!”

Individual skill?

That’s something you use when the physical levels are somewhat matched.

Players of this caliber could break through defenders just by bumping shoulders.

Gabriel Mendes, as the spectators currently saw him, was incredibly aggressive, like a raging bull.

‘First goal for me, brat.’

As Gabriel Mendes charged aggressively without passing, a smile flickered on Jeong Tae-woo’s lips.

However, by the time the defenders had closed in on Gabriel Mendes, Jeong Tae-woo had already started simultaneously, and when Gabriel Mendes looked forward again, he was already in front of the ball.

“Since when!!”

Gabriel Mendes had no choice but to jump upwards with a loud scream.

Jeong Tae-woo had already cleared the ball with a perfectly timed tackle.

“Since when did he come out? Besides, a goalkeeper coming this far out?”

He ran out beyond the penalty area and stopped his attack with a tackle.

He wasn’t even alone; there were teammates to pass to beside him…

‘Was he sure I wouldn’t pass?’

“Mendes, that was close.”

Looking at Talis approaching me, I asked with a serious expression.

“Talis, since when was that goalkeeper out?”

Talis looked towards Jeong Tae-woo and said.

“That guy, he started running as soon as our defenders rushed you. Besides, he was incredibly fast. He tackled before I could even ask for a pass from the side.”

Mendes shook his head as if he couldn’t believe it.

His eyes were still full of confusion.

“How was he so sure I wouldn’t pass?”

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t understand.

“Mendes, don’t overthink it. He’s just a bit fast.”

Right, that brat of a goalkeeper just got incredibly lucky with the timing.

If he had been a little late, it would have definitely been a goal.

He’s just a reckless kid with no real skill.

He patted his shoulder a couple of times, trying to refocus.

And in the subsequent one-on-one chance, he struck the ball hard and fast towards the corner, his trademark shot.

Thwack!

He kicked it so hard that it sounded like a bomb exploding from the ball.

But the brat, as if he knew it was coming this way, flew up and didn’t just deflect the ball but caught it.

Only then could I feel that something was going terribly wrong.

‘That wasn’t a coincidence.’

Mendes was speechless, watching the goalkeeper who had caught his ball and was now grinning at him.

At that time, neither of them knew that a photo taken of Mendes, speechless, and Jeong Tae-woo, with a victorious smile, side-by-side, would become incredibly famous later on.

***

[“20 minutes into the second half, goalkeeper Jeong Tae-woo once again blocks Brazil’s counterattack!”]

[“Who doubted these players? At the young age of 17, they are starting in the Olympics and clearly showing that they belong as Olympic athletes!”]

[“Player Yoo Hee-sung is the same. Following his performance in the first half, he’s showing unstoppable attacking power in the second half as well. He continues to pose a threat to the Brazilian defense.”]

[“Player Jeong Tae-woo, another super save! He dives to block Brazil’s sharp shot. Isn’t this truly the display of a world-class goalkeeper?”]

“Ha~ Ha~”

I gasped for breath.

Even though I mostly stayed in front of the penalty box, blocking so many shots took a greater toll on my stamina than I expected.

Moreover, the shots from that annoying Gabriel Mendes were significantly faster and more powerful than other players’, making the fatigue even worse.

Besides, Gabriel Mendes isn’t the only one in Brazil, is he?

Look even now.

Even though we’re attacking, Brazil is somehow trying to steal the ball and aim for a counterattack, aren’t they?

[Player Talis attempts a dribble breakthrough on the left… Ah, he cuts in and crosses… Ah! But thankfully, player Jeong Tae-woo catches it with ease!]

I jumped into the air and cleanly caught Talis’s cross.

After catching the ball, I momentarily scanned the field as if taking it all in, and in the instant I thought, ‘There it is,’ I spotted Yoon Jae-hoon sunbae standing without any opposition and made a long pass.

[Oh! An accurate long kick from player Jeong Tae-woo! Player Yoon Jae-hoon receives it directly and advances!]

I paused for a moment to catch my breath and watched our team’s attack.

While Yoon Jae-hoon sunbae dribbled the ball, Yoo Hee-sung and Lee Tae-yang quickly ran forward.

[Player Yoon Jae-hoon passes to player Park Seo-joon! Player Park Seo-joon, with an exquisite touch, beats the defender!]

‘Good, just keep going like this.’

No matter how much I’m a special-grade goalkeeper who can score goals and block goals, something no one can imagine… Am I being too conceited?

‘Ahem, what can I do if it’s true.’

Anyway, soccer is a team sport played 11 against 11. I need to trust our Korean players.

Lee Joon-ho, Jang Hyun-sung, Kim Eun-woo, and Yoo Ji-yong, despite it being their Olympic debut, followed my orders well and did a great job blocking Brazil’s counterattacks.

Moreover, Yoo Hee-sung and Lee Tae-yang were also currently showing everything they needed to do.

However, while cheering inwardly, I never let my guard down.

No matter how well the Korean players were doing, Brazil’s counterattacks were always dangerous.

[Player Park Seo-joon enters the penalty box! Oh, he beats two defenders and creates a shooting opportunity!]

I held my breath and watched.

The moment the ball left Park Seo-joon sunbae’s foot, it felt as if the entire stadium had stopped breathing.

[Shot! Ah… Unfortunately, it hits the post!]

The moment a sigh of disappointment filled the stadium, one player didn’t give up and ran towards where the ball was going.

[Oh~ Player Lee Tae-yang doesn’t give up until the end and gets the second ball! Player Lee Tae-yang, this is a chance!]

Lee Tae-yang’s movement caught my eye.

His agile movements, his focused gaze.

This was definitely a chance that could become a goal.

[Player Lee Tae-yang has to shoot! Shoooooot!]

But unfortunately, the ball grazed the Brazilian goalkeeper’s fingertips and missed the goal.

It was a super save by the goalkeeper.

[Ah, that’s unfortunate. But it’s okay! Player Lee Tae-yang, your passion in chasing down a ball everyone thought was lost until the very end is truly remarkable. This kind of fighting spirit will brighten the future of South Korean football!]

South Korea earned a corner kick.

While the players positioned themselves and waited for the ball, I didn’t let go of my tension, preparing for any possible situation.

Because if the corner kick failed and the opponent got the ball, a counterattack would surely come.

[Player Park Seo-joon takes the corner kick! Oh, Alisson Ricardo da Silva heads it clear!]

At that moment, the cleared ball fell at Gabriel Mendes’s feet.

[Player Gabriel Mendes has the ball! The Korean players need to get back quickly!]

I sucked in a breath.

Mendes’s movement was ominous.

[Player Gabriel Mendes advances with incredible speed! Our players can’t keep up!]

Gabriel Mendes was like a storm.

Our players rushed him, but they couldn’t match his quick footwork.

I moved quickly towards the goal line, adjusting my angle according to Gabriel Mendes’s movements.

I tried to predict his speed and dribbling direction to find the optimal position.

With my heart pounding rapidly, I focused all my senses and waited for Mendes’s shooting moment.

And so, as Gabriel Mendes took a shooting stance inside the penalty area, I quickly assessed the angle of his foot and the tilt of his body.

‘Right-footed inside kick, aiming for the bottom left corner of the goal.’

But just as I was about to dive, a foot shot out from behind him.

“Keuk!”

Along with Gabriel Mendes’s scream, the referee’s sharp whistle pierced the air.

[Ah, the whistle has blown! Player Kim Eun-woo tackled from behind and blocked the shot, but he’s given away a penalty kick!]

[You can do it, player Jeong Tae-woo! We are past the 88th minute of the second half. If you just block this, our Korean team can finish the first preliminary match with a win!]

“Ah, I…”

In front of me, Kim Eun-woo sunbae was covering his face with his hands, blaming himself for his mistake. I could see his shoulders trembling.

I could guess how he felt.

If the game they had all but won ended in a draw because of him, the backlash from netizens, the insults, would be terrifying.

And he would feel sorry towards us.

I approached the self-reproaching sunbae, placed a hand on his shoulder, and said.

“Sunbae-nim, I can block it.”

At my words, Park Seo-joon, who was approaching us, also added a word.

“Yeah, Eun-woo, it was an unavoidable situation. Let’s trust Tae-woo and step back.”

“Ha~ Yes… Tae-woo, I’m really sorry.”

“Haha, just trust me.”

I could see tears welling up in Kim Eun-woo sunbae’s eyes.

He kept muttering,

“Why did I do that… Such a mistake… Our team… The national team…”

Watching him blame himself, I became even more determined to block this penalty kick.

Gabriel Mendes picked up the ball and walked to the penalty spot.

A resolute will could be felt in his eyes.

I faced him directly and stood in the centre of the goal.

‘I can do this, Jeong Tae-woo.’

A penalty kick.

No matter how fraudulent my reaction speed was, blocking a penalty kick is a difficult task.

But I have to do it. I didn’t participate in the Olympics to start the preliminaries with a draw.

Gabriel Mendes took a breath and then slowly backed away.

‘Where are you going to kick it, you bastard.’

I glared at Mendes, my eyes wide.

All the muscles in my body tensed, and the blood flowing through my veins felt like it was boiling.

In this moment, I felt stronger and sharper than ever before.

I stared intently, trying not to miss a single one of Mendes’s minute movements.

The bend of his waist, the angle of his foot, even the movement of his pupils.

Everything seemed to be in slow motion.

‘I will read your kick. Think, if it were me, where would I have kicked it.’

My heart was pounding like crazy, but my mind was clearer than ever.

As if I were born for this moment, I pushed all my senses to their maximum.

Wheeeet!!

As the referee’s whistle blew, Gabriel Mendes started running, and I tried to read his every movement.

‘Left? Right? Or center?’

The moment Mendes’s foot made contact with the ball, I moved instinctively.

‘It’s to the right!’

But, whether it was bad luck for me, the ball flew rapidly towards the center.

‘Damn it! I have to block it somehow, ugh!’

While diving to the right, I raised my right foot upwards in the direction the ball was coming.

‘Please reach it!’