[The match has kicked off. On the left, we have Poland's U13 national team, and on the right, FC Cha Bum-kun. Seo Young-wook, how do you see this match playing out?]
[Well, first off, European players tend to have superior physicality, so I think they'll have the upper hand in aerial duels. Also, this Polish U13 team actually won last year's European Youth Championship. That was largely thanks to a player named Lewandowski, but he's not participating this time, so I believe this is a very winnable match.]
[Got it. Then what's your opinion on player number 7 from FC Cha Bum-kun, Ho-young? As many of our viewers know, he's been showing exceptional performance on Shoot Dori.]
[Yes. Ho-young will definitely be a key variable in this match. We'll have to watch closely.]
Each half was set at 25 minutes.
Since the match was being aired not on main MBS but on cable MBS-Espn, high ratings weren't expected. Still, as this was the first international youth tournament held in Korea, interest was considerable.
However, in the earlier Group B match between Germany and Korea U13, Korea suffered a crushing 1-7 defeat, causing an uproar among viewers.
In other words, FC Cha Bum-kun's victory was the only remaining hope for the day.
To that end, FC Cha Bum-kun came out with a 4-4-2 formation, employing a traditional British-style "Big and Small" striker duo and high pressing across the pitch.
Poland responded with a 4-2-3-1 formation.
"Kamil! Midfield! Lock them down in midfield!"
The Polish players shouted intensely.
They deployed a double pivot (two defensive midfielders) to gain numerical superiority in the midfield.
With five midfielders constantly circulating the ball, they gradually pushed the line higher, exploiting width to target the flanks.
Their strategy was to use their physical dominance to maintain possession and deliver quality passes down the wings.
Then in the 6th minute of the first half.
"Jarosz! Now!"
Tap.
The ball, circulating in a reverse triangle pattern, was suddenly played forward.
FC Cha Bum-kun's defensive line wobbled as if hit by an earthquake, momentarily losing structure.
It was utter chaos.
One Polish player burst through the broken line.
Jarosław Kaczyński.
True to his reputation as a quick striker, he dashed into the space behind the defense.
'Got past them!'
If he could just control the first touch, he would be clean through on goal.
Kaczyński stretched his foot out.
Tap.
'Got it... huh?'
He was dead wrong.
A player from FC Cha Bum-kun had already sprinted ahead and stolen the ball.
Number 7, the small kid — Ho-young.
'What the... why is he here...? Isn't he a striker?'
But Ho-young didn't care.
Catching his breath, he sent a short pass to the left.
Then—
"Run!"
A counterattack scenario they had practiced countless times.
After feeding the ball wide, Ho-young sprinted forward without hesitation.
Poland's defensive midfielder stationed up front tried to intervene but it was useless.
Whoosh!
Ho-young effortlessly slipped past him like shedding a jacket and accelerated forward.
It was like the tortoise and the hare, the Polish midfielders chasing him lost the will to continue.
'He doesn't even have the ball yet!'
His top speed was rated A-class, but how do you stop a U-class dribbler?
Right at that moment.
Tap.
"Nice pass!"
Ho-young received a through ball from the flank, bolting ahead and cushioning it with a perfect first touch.
Then—
"Let's gooo!"
The beast was unleashed.
Using Chaminator's Run and Drive, he tore through the Polish backline.
Before they could react, Ho-young had already broken into the penalty area.
But he didn't stop there.
I run!
Fueled by that single determination, he broke past every defender and charged at the goalkeeper.
Just as he was about to shoot.
Whoosh.
"Ugh!"
With an explosive dribble to the right, he even left the keeper behind and walked the ball into the net.
Tweet!
7th minute of the first half.
A stunning opening goal from Ho-young.
Rather than a shot, it was more like he had rammed the ball into the net with pure physicality.
A truly overwhelming wonder goal that left Poland stunned.
"Nice one, Ho-young!"
"Look at them, totally flustered!"
His teammates celebrated the goal by playfully smacking the back of his head.
But truthfully, this wasn't what Ho-young had intended.
'Damn... I was aiming for a cool finish but my legs are too fast to control.'
Ridiculous.
He couldn't stop his own legs because they were too fast.
It was an ironic situation where his immature hardware couldn't keep up with his high-performance software.
You know that joke about Cha Du-ri? That his legs are faster than the ball?
'This is overpowered. No wonder they called him the Korean Maicon...'
Regardless, it was now 1-0.
FC Cha Bum-kun took the lead with Ho-young's opener.
[A wonder goal after a solo run of nearly 60 meters! Absolutely brilliant!]
[Yes, very impressive from Ho-young. With that kind of potential, he could be doing track and field instead. Honestly, I didn't expect much from this full-pitch match. But that... wow... what a promising player.]
If the commentators were amazed, the Polish coaching staff were dumbfounded.
"What was that? Is he really 9 years old?"
"...Confirmed."
The Polish coaches were left speechless by Ho-young's performance.
Of course, it wasn't like there had never been players like him before.
Argentina once had Maradona. Brazil had Ronaldo a few years back.
But this felt different.
'This isn't just football skill...'
It was more like...
Bringing a bazooka into the UFC ring and blasting away.
As such absurd thoughts crossed their minds, Ho-young was already creating his second chance.
"Here!"
Tap.
Central midfielder Park Wan-gyu, under heavy pressure from the double pivot, forced a pass toward Ho-young.
Because the ball lost momentum, Ho-young had to drop back slightly to receive it. Soon, a Polish defensive midfielder pressed tightly from behind.
With his back to the DM, Ho-young quickly surveyed his surroundings.
The Polish attacking midfielder was dropping deep to double up defensively.
'No space here.'
And no time for a breakthrough either.
He had to decide fast.
Without hesitation, Ho-young shouted.
"Run!"
Striker Suk Hyun-jun, positioned up front, started jostling for space.
Based on their previous chemistry, he was confident in winning the aerial duel.
Besides, Suk Hyun-jun was over 170 cm. He had the advantage.
If Ho-young flicked the ball to the side or lofted it into the penalty area, it would be a golden opportunity.
"Over here!"
Suk Hyun-jun raised his hand inside the box.
Ho-young turned his gaze toward him.
[Great awareness from Ho-young. He's spotted Suk Hyun-jun in the box. He needs to calmly play it through and link up.]
[Ah, right then! He's turned sideways!]
As Ho-young shifted his body to the left, Suk Hyun-jun made a run into open space, calling for a lobbed pass.
Just like they had practiced.
But Ho-young chose differently.
Boom!
He opened up a shooting angle with a quick dribble and unleashed a shot.
Straight at the goalkeeper.
[A surprise long-range shot!]
Tap.
"Argh!"
The ball struck the keeper's fingertips and deflected.
However—
[Goal!]
The deflected shot spun past the keeper and into the net.
It was a smart, unexpected play that caught everyone off guard.
[Unbelievable! He just let it fly from there!]
[He's very savvy. Gave up space, slowed the tempo, then suddenly opened a shooting angle. That was brilliant decision-making. A very clever play. And Suk Hyun-jun's movement was excellent too.]
Not exactly.
'Wait... that actually worked?'
The goal had been more of a fluke.
He wasn't sure it would work but tried it anyway and it did.
'Wow... is this what it feels like to be Messi or Ronaldo?'
It felt surreal.
To pull off exactly what you imagined in your head on the pitch.
This was the result of fast legs and a solid long-range shot combining.
"Wow."
When your body follows your thoughts so perfectly, football becomes ridiculously fun.
Whether this would work at the senior level remained to be seen, but for now, it felt amazing.
"Hehe."
He couldn't help but laugh. It might have looked like he was mocking the opposition, but he couldn't stop it.
Because.
[Powerful Long Shot (C+)↑]
His talent had just leveled up.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
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