Chapter 52: Debut (2)

[Manchester City versus Crystal Palace, Jeong Tae-woo makes his debut at Selhurst Park at the young age of 18.]

[He is the second-youngest starting goalkeeper in the history of the Premier League!]

[It’s truly incredible. To lead his team to an Olympic victory at 17, immediately transfer to Manchester City, and make his debut at 18. Isn’t this proof of how much Manager Peter Guardian trusts him?]

[That’s right. I believe his astonishing record of conceding only one goal in three preseason matches must have captured Manager Peter Guardian’s heart.]

[But Jeong Tae-woo isn’t the only one to watch today. Manager Peter Guardian has boldly started all four of his new signings.]

[On the other hand, Crystal Palace gives off a contrasting vibe to Manchester City, having assembled a full lineup of already famous players.]

[Just looking at the Crystal Palace starting lineup, it’s hard to tell if it’s Real Madrid or Crystal Palace. From Umtiti to Gabriel and even Giroud… Wow, it’s truly star-studded.]

[Ah, the players are now entering the pitch!]

[The broadcast is showing Jeong Tae-woo, and wow! He doesn’t look nervous at all.]

[I heard he has nerves of steel, and it certainly seems to be true. Plus, he’s handsome. I’m envious.]

[Alright, the match is about to begin. Let’s watch this historic moment together as our very own Jeong Tae-woo makes his Premier League debut at the young age of 18!]

***

There was a time when people thought that if you gathered all the best players, like in a football video game, that team would be the strongest.

And the team that actually tried to make that a reality was Real Madrid.

Real Madrid’s transfer policy, dubbed the ‘Galácticos’, was literally a policy of signing a large number of top-tier superstars from around the world to form a galaxy of talent.

In the process, Real Madrid captured the attention of football fans worldwide by signing these superstars, and their jersey sales even set a record, becoming number one among football clubs.

But if you were to ask if it was a success… well…

The public generally rated the Galácticos as a ‘half-success’.

Because the results Real Madrid produced were disappointing compared to the star power of each individual player.

It’s an obvious outcome, perhaps.

If football were a game won by individual skill alone,

then in my time as Kim Chan-ki, I would have won every single tournament.

My gaze shifted to the pitch.

Crystal Palace had signed a roster of superstars all at once, enough to bring the Galácticos to mind,

but the resulting disadvantages were showing in their play.

[Ah, Giroud. It would have been better if he had passed there. He attempts a solo run and ends up losing the ball.]

‘Players known as world-class have their own individual pride.

When there are several such players, even with tactics, some must sacrifice while others take the spotlight… Can they endure that?’

From my experience, their pride would never let them.

[“Ah, Gabriel. Umtiti was clearly running alongside him. He doesn’t pass again and loses the ball.”]

Even if an individual seems to overpower the opposition at times, teamwork is what ultimately secures victory.

“Castillo, back!”

I think it must have been frustrating for the viewers when the players sometimes only passed backward.

But that too is a calculated strategy, a build-up from the back designed to draw out the opponent’s defense and create attacking opportunities.

‘Now’s the time.’

[Castillo passes the ball back to Jeong Tae-woo… Oh! Tae-woo spots Sanchez running on his left and delivers a precise, surprise pass!]

[That’s Jeong Tae-woo for you. His passing is incredibly accurate.]

[Jeong Tae-woo was rumored to have great footwork since the Olympics. But this is truly perfect.]

[Sanchez receives the pass, passes to Matias, then immediately to Guerrero… They continuously pass, advancing their formation.]

Our team’s movements harmonized into one, starting to shake Crystal Palace’s defense.

Individual skill is important, but the true beauty of football shines when the team moves as one like this.

[Sanchez, a low-driven pass!]

[Guerrero receives it and shoots immediately! Goooal! Aaaaargh!]

[It’s a goal! In the 20th minute of the first half, the attack that started with Jeong Tae-woo’s pass continued, with Sanchez’s pass being converted by Guerrero with a perfect volley shot to score!]

[With this, Guerrero scores a debut goal in his debut match!]

“Aaargh! I told you I’m the best!!”

The match continued with Guerrero’s roar, but Crystal Palace couldn’t let go of their greed and continued to falter.

[“Ah, what is Umtiti doing? Why did he shoot that right away? Gabriel was clearly making a run ahead of him. Honestly, I have no idea what tactics Crystal Palace is using. They’re just being greedy.]

[This won’t do. Football is a team sport. You can never win by playing alone like that.]

Even when they occasionally broke through the defense and shot at the goal…

[Jeong Tae-woo easily catches Gabriel’s shot. Can this player predict the future or something? He moved almost as soon as the shot was taken.]

[City’s counter-attack! Ah, Jeong Tae-woo is dribbling the ball out himself.]

[Wow, he’s fast. So fast. Why is this player so good at both stopping the ball and dribbling?]

‘If you all push up like that without even passing, you just leave space behind.’

[No one can stop him. He’s too fast. They’re all so flustered they can’t even defend properly.]

‘Of course, I can’t just charge forward to attack recklessly like I did in the Olympics, so I have to make a pass, but…’

I saw Guerrero running into the space behind the defense.

He really is good.

It was a perfectly timed line break.

[Jeong Tae-woo passes to Matias… No, without even looking at Matias, he sends a long pass to the running Guerrero!]

That guy is crazy about winning a trophy and is the worst among us four rookies,

but having transferred here after scoring 26 goals, his goal-scoring sense is phenomenal.

‘Should I head back to my position for now? Just in case he doesn’t score.’

I quickly made my way back toward the goal.

[One-on-one situation! Guerrero scores!! Guerrero dribbles past the keeper and puts it in!]

[He’s scored a brace in his debut match. A truly fantastic debut!]

[Just like Guerrero, the other debutants, Jeong Tae-woo, Castillo, and Sanchez, are all performing exceptionally in their respective positions. City fans, this season is going to be really exciting, isn’t it? All the new prospects are playing so well!]

“Worship me! I, Guerrero, have come to save City!”

I shook my head and muttered.

“Sigh, a madman is a madman.”

***

“That was a truly fantastic debut. Guerrero, how do you feel after scoring a brace in your first match?”

Unfortunately, the Man of the Match award went to Guerrero.

Scoring two goals in a 3-0 victory made him deserving of the MOM, but…

‘To be honest, weren’t those goals anyone could have scored?’

As someone who won MOM more than anyone as a striker, I knew it was natural, but now that I was a goalkeeper, I felt needlessly resentful.

‘Hah, I wonder how much he’s going to brag when he comes back.’

“Hahaha, how do I feel? Crazy, of course. To be honest, it’s a bit of a shame. I wanted to score a hat-trick in my debut, but well, there’s always next time.”

“You’re incredibly confident. Do you have anything to say to the other players who debuted with you?”

“Hmm…”

Guerrero thought for a moment, then spoke with a mischievous grin.

“Before the match, the three of them—Tae-woo, Sanchez, and Castillo—came up to me and said, ‘Hey Guerrero, today’s the day we’re gonna beat you.’”

“Hahaha, really?”

“It sounds like a lie, but it’s the truth. They’re very competitive with me. So I told them, ‘Hey guys, I know how you feel. But before you try to overcome a great wall like me, try climbing a smaller one first, bro.’”

“Oh, and what happened after you said that?”

Seeing Guerrero get all excited and run his mouth because the reporter was playing along, I was dumbfounded.

“No, the three of them telling me they’d beat me in our debut match was so cute. I told them, ‘Okay bros, give it a shot.’ Of course, in the end, since I got the MOM, I guess I won.”

Watching Guerrero’s interview, I made eye contact with Castillo, who was next to me.

We didn’t say a word, but our minds were in sync.

‘Let’s drag that b*stard out of there right now.’

‘Agreed. Let’s drag him out and make him crawl off the field on all fours.’

We nodded to each other and approached Guerrero.

“Ah, I hope you guys aren’t too discouraged… Huh? What is it, guys? What’s wrong?”

Guerrero asked with a surprised expression,

but there was no need for words.

I grabbed Guerrero’s arms, and Castillo grabbed his legs, and we lifted him right up.

I smiled at the reporters and said.

“Haha, hello. This friend of ours has been telling lies, so we’re thinking of disciplining him a little.”

Sanchez added.

“I’m sorry, but we need to have a little talk with this guy. Please excuse us.”

Perhaps because there were many reporters friendly to City, they seemed to see it as an amusing incident.

“Oh, lying is bad. Go on, take him!”

Guerrero struggled and screamed as we carried him away,

“Aaaargh! Help me!”

“What a relief, it seems the rookies get along well.”

The reporters saw it as simple friendly banter and found it endearing.

We carried Guerrero just like that and left the interview area.

“Aargh! I was wrong! Help me!”

This is what teamwork is all about.

Sometimes, it includes correcting a teammate’s mistakes.