Chapter 23: Keep That Up and You’ll Crap Blood (2)

Luis de la Fuente glanced towards the Korean bench.

‘Cheon Mu-seok, what on earth are you thinking…’

A strange feeling had stirred within him ever since he heard the name Cheon Mu-seok.

The day he had personally sought out Cheon Mu-seok, known as a ‘maverick but capable coach,’ during his coaching days in Germany.

“I personally do not like your defensive tactics, Coach. They differ from my philosophy, so I don’t think there’s anything for me to learn…”

Cheon Mu-seok’s firm refusal still echoed in his ears.

De la Fuente had felt immense displeasure at the time, hearing that he didn’t like his tactics.

And now, they were facing each other as head coaches in the Olympics.

In the pre-match interview, de la Fuente had spoken about the Korean team in a stronger tone than usual.

Of course, there was an intention to provoke the young players, but behind his sharp remarks, such personal resentment was also hidden.

‘Is this the unique philosophy he confidently spoke of when he rejected me back then…’

He had roughly grasped the philosophy he spoke of through the current match.

It was an unbelievably extreme offensive tactic.

They maintained a 4-3-3 formation, but that was merely an outward appearance.

The players’ movements were like a frenzied festival.

The defenders constantly pushed forward, and the midfielders moved ceaselessly, searching for aPpen spaces in the opponent’s formation.

Even the goalkeeper was outside the penalty box.

‘It’s similar to Gegenpressing, yet different.’

De la Fuente began to analyze Cheon Mu-seok’s tactics.

Gegenpressing is usually initiated by the player who lost the ball to regain possession.

However, the tactic Cheon Mu-seok was currently employing was more than that.

While applying strong forward pressure, they were simultaneously blocking all passing lanes and potential receivers.

Furthermore, by pushing the defensive line extremely high, they were even limiting the opponent’s long pass options.

‘This is… a tactic that maximizes forward pressure and spatial pressure.’

De la Fuente had to acknowledge the danger of this tactic as well as its effectiveness.

But at the same time, he saw through its blind spot.

“Yes, a team facing this tactic for the first time will surely be under immense pressure. But the players’ stamina will be depleted just as quickly.”

“Furthermore,”

His gaze turned to Pedri, Spain’s ace, who was already putting on a tremendous performance as a starter for Real Madrid.

“If they are breached even once, a goal is inevitable. And we have an ace who can break through such pressure on his own. Experimenting with this tactic against us was an arrogant choice, Cheon Mu-seok.”

And just as de la Fuente predicted, Pedri managed to shake off Korea’s pressure and penetrate deep into the opponent’s half within the first 20 minutes.

‘It’s over.’

De la Fuente’s gaze shifted to the opposing goalkeeper.

He was a player he had also been keeping an eye on.

A player with un-goalkeeper-like ability to escape pressure, passing skills, and even saving ability.

But now, he was in a situation where he couldn’t even use that saving ability.

‘What on earth can a goalkeeper do in this situation?’

However, de la Fuente’s confident expression soon had to change to one of surprise.

The goalkeeper was stopping Pedri as if he were a seasoned defender.

‘He’s a monster.’

Watching Jeong Tae-woo’s play, he could only conclude that.

*

And Pedri, facing him directly, was also incredibly flustered.

“What in the world is this…”

The pressure from the guy he had dismissed as a mere goalkeeper was so sharp and precise, it was hard to believe he was a goalkeeper, and moreover, it was extremely tenacious.

“Damn it, I can’t get past one goalkeeper?”

But no matter how fast he ran, the goalkeeper stuck to him like a leech.

“Damn it, should I just try a mid-range shot…”

But looking ahead, two defenders had already dropped back to cover the penalty box.

He quickly scanned his surroundings, trying to find a teammate to pass to, but at that moment, something unexpected happened.

‘Damn it, just pass–’

Before this thought could even finish, the opposing goalkeeper’s sharp tackle came in, and the ball was snatched away in an instant.

‘Wha… What was that?’

Pedri could only stare blankly as the player with the number 1 on his jersey dribbled the ball forward.

‘A goalkeeper steals the ball and even charges forward like that? This isn’t the football I know.’

***

As I ran forward quickly, I couldn’t help but smile seeing Pedri staring blankly at me from behind.

‘If I hadn’t met Coach Cheon Mu-seok, I probably would have been beaten, and they would have scored.’

When Coach Cheon Mu-seok first met me, he tried to train me offensively, but he soon changed his mind.

“Your offense is perfect. There’s no reason for me to teach you anymore. You need to learn how to defend.”

Fortunately, my reaction speed was a huge help even when defending, and I grew quickly under the coach’s guidance.

“Jeong Tae-woo, that’s how you pressure. Move faster!”

Practicing defense while listening to Coach Cheon Mu-seok’s shouts, I could feel that my defensive ability had improved to a surprising extent, even from my Kim Chan-ki days’ perspective.

The current me had defensive skills comparable to a striker.

‘Even I can see it’s a cheat. If I were a game character, I’d be patched immediately for being OP.’

In Coach Cheon Mu-seok’s Wave Pressing tactic, two conditions are needed for me, the goalkeeper, to cross into the opponent’s half.

First, when it’s a counter-attack situation and the opponent’s formation is pushed up.

Second, when two of our defenders are positioned towards the penalty box.

And now, both the first and second conditions were met.

While stopping Pedri’s counter-attack, our team’s defenders ran to the penalty box, and Spain’s attackers, noticing the broken line, had infiltrated our formation.

‘And now, it’s already too late for them to catch up.’

The number of players in the opponent’s formation, including me, was 9.

Spain had 7, creating an advantageous situation for us.

“Come to think of it, it’s a tactic that can only be done with me, but it’s also an equally absurd tactic.”

This tactic of intentionally creating such situations was definitely not normal, but…

‘As long as we win, it’s fine.’

But these guys, can’t they learn even after being beaten like this?

No matter if I’m a goalkeeper, if they had researched me even a little, they wouldn’t have come to steal the ball so contemptuously.

Instantaneously, I leaned my body slightly to the right, luring the first defender.

Just as he was about to attempt a tackle, I quickly executed a Marseille turn.

Pulling the ball with my left foot, I twisted my body and completely bypassed the defender.

Simultaneously, aiming for the space between the legs of the second defender rushing from the side, I lightly passed to Seo-joon hyung.

The ball rolled precisely between the Spanish player’s legs.

“Now!!”
As soon as I passed, I ran forward.

As if by telepathy, Seo-joon hyung’s return pass landed perfectly at my feet.

The bewildered expressions of the Spanish players came into view.

They seemed to have not anticipated such movement from a goalkeeper at all.

‘Yeah, you should have researched me a bit during the time you were busy underestimating me.’

Dribbling, I looked around; our players already densely populated the area.

However, the Spanish players seemed more concerned with the ball going to other players rather than stopping me, focusing on the passing lanes.

‘Ha, they think a goalkeeper can’t shoot. I’m not the kind of goalkeeper you know.’

In that instant, the striker’s blood rushed.

Instead of a pass play, I ran straight ahead without reducing speed.

I beat one player with a burst of speed and then evaded the next defender by inducing a step-over.

After breaking through like that, the only person in front of me was the goalkeeper with the same number 1 as mine.

His face was also clearly flustered.

I watched the goalkeeper who charged out of the goal.

Predicting his movement, with a split-second decision, I lightly spun the ball and kicked it towards the right.

The ball drew an elegant curve, brushing past the goalkeeper’s fingertips.

“GOAL!!!!!!!!!!”

For a moment, the stadium was engulfed in silence, then an explosive cheer erupted.

The roars of the numerous Spanish fans vanished as if they were mice, and the cheers of our relatively fewer Korean fans filled the stadium.

I stood for a moment where I scored the goal, feeling the reality of it.

Then, I immediately started running towards the stands.

Fans standing up holding Taegeukgi (Korean national flag), those cheering with tears streaming down their faces, people hugging each other in joy – all came into view.

In their faces, I could see the passion and pride of our South Korea.

‘This is why I can’t quit football. How can I quit this kind of thrill.’

Then, a childhood memory suddenly came to mind.

What Da-min said after I joined the football club in the 1st grade of elementary school.

“Tae-woo, now that you’re a football player too, let’s make a celebration!”

“Hey, I’m a goalkeeper. I don’t need a celebration.”

“You never know. Let’s make oneeee.”

‘I don’t know if she’ll recognize this, but…’

In fact, even with the Wave Pressing tactic, a goalkeeper doesn’t get many chances to score.

No, this might be the last time in this Olympics.

So, it was now or never.

The time for my celebration.

I ran towards the South Korean fans who came to support us, stopped in front of them, caught my breath for a moment, and smiled.

Then, I slowly spread both arms and swung them in a large circle, as if embracing a giant goalpost.

Then I crouched down and jumped up with all my might.

In mid-air, I made a ‘V’ sign with my right index finger and thumb and smiled brightly.

That celebration I made with Da-min in our childhood.

That ridiculous move we named ‘Super Goalkeeper Jump’ was reenacted on the Olympic stage.

The crowd looked bewildered for a moment, but soon, as if that pure and cheerful energy was transmitted, warm laughter spread.

And then, an even louder roar filled the stadium.

“He’s handsome!”

“Oppa, marry me!”

“Kyaaaaaak!”