After the first half ends and players return to the locker room, they are given about 8 minutes before the referee calls them back to the pitch.
Making the most of this time is one of the essential skills of a manager.
Italy's coach Demis had this to say to his players as soon as the first half ended.
"They're Korea! Korea, you idiots!"
He was trying to shock his players.
Some coaches use this tactic when they're losing, and Demis applied it with extra intensity.
Especially since the opponent was a youth team. He believed that if he yelled and swore at them, they'd snap out of it and refocus.
"You morons, do you still think you're the Azzurri after that display? If we lose this, don't even think about coming home. You have a duty to reach the quarterfinals!"
Demis shouted with veins bulging from his neck.
"Especially you, Giovinco."
"Y-yes?!"
"You're getting completely shut down by a guy six years younger than you? And he's not even a defender, he's a forward? And you call yourself our crack?"
"..."
Already mentally fragile, Giovinco's hands were trembling.
Sweat trickled down his bald scalp.
Demis targeted that weakness.
He wanted to shake him up. He didn't mind if Giovinco got angry, as long as he woke up.
Giovinco made up his mind to meet the coach's expectations.
In the 75th minute of the match.
With the score still 2-0, Giovinco finally snapped.
"Raaaghhhh!"
There's a saying that Italians have similar personalities to Koreans.
It means they are quick-tempered and hot-blooded.
But when they start getting loud, they might remind you more of the Chinese.
In any case, that's the reputation Italians carry.
Especially among footballers, there are plenty of fiery tempers.
Giovinco was no exception.
Normally calm, but when he explodes, there's no holding back.
Like a volcano.
"Ughhhh!"
There seemed no hope of turning the match around.
Individual form was a problem, but the entire team's condition was poor.
So he exploded.
A total mental collapse.
The infamous meltdown.
"Hey!"
"What?"
Giovinco called, and Ho-young responded.
The ball had gone out on the far touchline, and players were fighting for positioning ahead of the throw-in.
Meanwhile, Ho-young and Giovinco were on the opposite side.
Still, Ho-young was tightly marking him, which pushed Giovinco over the edge.
To him, it was infuriating to the point of madness.
So he called Ho-young over.
The referee was on the far side of the pitch.
"You called me, then say something, punk."
"You son of a bitch!"
"What?!"
They couldn't understand each other.
So Giovinco resorted to the English he knew.
"FUCK YOU!"
"Ah, sure."
"FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU!"
"You bark, I'll keep playing."
"Ugh!"
Giovinco couldn't take it anymore. He suddenly dipped his head forward at a 90-degree angle.
Thud!
His bald crown struck Ho-young's chest.
A headbutt.
Like coach, like player. Giovinco had followed orders and exploded with rage.
"Sh-shit…"
Sweat poured from Giovinco's face as he flared his nostrils in rage.
Ho-young, on the other hand, was unfazed.
He even burst out laughing and raised his arms above his head.
"Osteoporosis? Or maybe you've got soft bones? Hahahahaha."
Then he puffed out his chest as if daring Giovinco to hit him properly this time.
"Go on then, or move that head of yours."
"Ah…"
That cold tone snapped Giovinco back to reality.
'This isn't what I wanted.'
He hadn't expected this reaction.
He had hoped to see Ho-young sweat nervously and look flustered.
But instead, it was Giovinco who was drenched in sweat.
Slide.
"Ptooey!"
Giovinco stepped back and spat thickly onto the pitch.
At that moment.
"Boooooo!"
The crowd erupted into jeers.
And Tunisia's referee Mourad Daami hadn't missed a thing.
He came running over from a distance, hand already reaching for his pocket.
Tweet!
"A red card?!"
"It's a red!"
A red card.
It reflected the referee's judgment that a player who had lost all self-control no longer deserved to be on the pitch.
That was it.
Giovinco had to leave the field in tears, face flushed.
Coach Demis's expression twisted in sync.
Korean commentators erupted with excitement.
[Absolutely! A red card was the only proper decision!]
[Yes, this reminds me of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup Round of 16. Back then, we provoked Italy's hot-tempered player Totti into a red card through rough play.]
Provocation.
It's a basic, classic tactic, but one that still works after decades.
A testament to how hard emotional control is.
[Yes, that's the biggest weakness of players with poor self-restraint. This is exactly the kind of issue that needs to be addressed properly during youth development.]
[Exactly. No matter how frustrated you get... come on. A headbutt? That kind of thing happened at the 1998 France World Cup, but ever since then, the rules have tightened. You don't see that anymore on this stage. He clearly lacks emotional maturity. He should watch next year's Germany World Cup and learn what professionalism looks like.]
Commentator Park Moon-suk spoke with confidence.
And the headbutt incident was wrapped up as if it had never happened.
Down to ten men, Italy fought hard, but they couldn't stop South Korea's relentless assault.
By the time the 3 minutes of stoppage time were up, the scoreboard read 3-0.
As the referee's whistle brought the match to an end, coach Demis's furious face appeared on the stadium screen.
His ridiculous expression was broadcast to viewers all over the world.
A second nightmare, following the one in 2002.
But Coach Demis's humiliation didn't end there.
After the match, during the post-match press conference...
Journalist Hwang Tae-seok persistently raised his hand.
Silence filled the room.
Everyone was expecting something interesting.
Hwang Tae-seok spoke.
"Before the match, you said, 'You'll see once the game begins.' Hmm… I watched the whole thing with both eyes open, but I still don't get it. What exactly were we supposed to see?"
"Let's stick to match-related questions."
"Fair enough. Then let me rephrase. What did you learn from this match? That people should always stay humble?"
"Hahahahaha!"
The room burst into laughter.
Demis, face red, finally spoke.
"You are rude."
"Thanks for the advice. I'll stop here."
"Why, you…!"
Demis jumped to his feet.
He had agreed to the interview to explain the loss, but it had completely backfired.
A total embarrassment.
He stormed out of the room in a hurry, leaving everyone laughing behind him.
Meanwhile, Ho-young, who recorded 1 goal and 1 assist, was selected as Man of the Match.
He successfully obtained Giovinco's [Legs Faster than a Lamborghini (A+2)].
And his post-match interview made headlines back in Korea the following day.
[Super Crack Ho-young of Korea declares, "We deserved to win."]
└Korea's Ho-young. Proud of him.
└Facts only.
└Let's follow Park Ji-sung and join Manchester United.
└Let's win the World Cup first!
The dream of winning the World Cup ignited across the nation, and the Korean team's morale skyrocketed.
With 7 points, South Korea advanced to the quarterfinals as Group C's top seed.
Their quarterfinal opponent was Gambia, who barely made it through as Group D's runner-up, having eliminated the Netherlands.
The quarterfinal took place three days later, on September 26, at 4 PM.
"Let's see here…"
Before the kickoff, Ho-young scanned the young Gambian squad.
With an average age of 16.2 years, they were the youngest team in the tournament, yet had caused a sensation with their strong team chemistry and athleticism.
None of the players stood out talent-wise, but as expected from an African side, many showed impressive stamina, speed, and power.
"Alright. One more win and we're in the semifinals."
Which meant unlocking Cha Beom-gon's L-rank talent.
Reaching the semifinals in a FIFA-sanctioned tournament was one of the requirements.
It didn't mean he could claim it right away, but he would at least clear one major condition.
The next step was accumulating a set number of long-range shots from beyond 30 meters.
"Not much left."
He would know more after going to Spain post-tournament, but at this rate, it might be achievable by next year or the year after.
"Heh."
Just thinking about it made his lips curl.
But that was enough for now.
Ho-young set aside his wishful daydreams and focused on the upcoming match.
There'd be plenty of time to savor the sweet fantasy after 90 minutes.
Boom, boom!
With his ears pounding from a mix of nerves and excitement, the referee's whistle finally silenced the noise.
Pheeeeeep—
It was as if the world had gone silent, with only the sound of his breath echoing in his ears.
"We can win this."
Winning mentality.
He had it running from head to toe.
Tap!
Kickoff.
At the same time, Ho-young moved.
As expected, the match quickly turned chaotic.
True to their reputation as dark horses, South Korea played well, but Gambia was tougher than anticipated.
The young African players had power.
Their technical skills were lacking, but their explosive speed and agility covered for it.
A hard-fought battle raged throughout the match.
Ho-young, short on stamina, started as a striker. But with Koo Ja-young and Lee Chung-yong managing the midfield well, there were no major issues.
Then, in the 30th minute of the first half.
After a fierce struggle, South Korea finally broke the deadlock.
The hero was none other than number 7.
Ho-young.
Swoosh!
A header from Ho-young ripped into the Gambian net.
His fifth goal of the tournament.
[GOOOOOOOOOAL! It's a goal! Ho-young scores the opener!]
[Brilliant! It wasn't an easy angle, but the ball deflected off a Gambian defender's shoulder and slipped through the goalkeeper's hands. Great cross from Lee Chung-yong too.]
[Wow! Is the goddess of victory smiling on Korea? At this rate, the semifinals... no, even the final might be within reach!]
The stadium exploded with excitement.
But they couldn't be satisfied just yet.
The fire had been lit, and now it was blazing even hotter.
In the 60th minute of the second half.
The flames hit their peak.
After a scrappy battle for a second ball near Gambia's box, South Korea scored again.
It was an own goal by a Gambian defender.
That goal all but sealed Korea's path to the semifinals.
Just before the final whistle, Kim Shin-woo's poor defending allowed a goal, but 30 seconds later, the clock stopped.
"Yaaaaaaaah!"
Red waves swept across the green pitch, recreating the legend of the 2002 semifinals.
Of course, this wasn't the senior World Cup, so the scale was smaller.
But for these kids, it was an unforgettable, emotional moment.
Just one more step to the trophy.
But the next opponent was the real test.
North and Central American powerhouse, Mexico.
The overwhelming tournament favorite, they had advanced as Group B winners and scored a whopping 12 goals en route to the semifinals.
They also featured a top prospect ranked in the Golden Boy Top 10.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)