As Ho-young got on the ball, the Seattle-based commentators couldn't hide their surprise.
[A player named Ho-young has just come on. Frankly, he's not well-known here, but if you look at his career... he's left behind a trail no one else has replicated.]
[He holds over six records as the youngest player in tournaments like the World Cup and Spain's Segunda División. He's regarded locally as the future of Real Madrid.]
[Wow, we may be witnessing the rise of an Asian wave in world football.]
It was a surreal sight, even for those deep in the football world.
An Asian player, from a region often overlooked in the sport, not even old enough for high school, now wearing a Real Madrid shirt. It was shocking, to say the least.
All eyes turned toward him as Ho-young calmly rolled the ball and scanned the field.
'They're not a team to take lightly.'
Founded in 1974, the Seattle club had recently rebranded as Seattle Sounders FC. Since then, with significant financial investment, they had built a fairly solid squad.
The talents Ho-young identified on the pitch proved that.
'No A-grade talents, but a good number of B-grade players.'
Compared to Castilla, they were definitely a level above.
Real Madrid's current lineup, comprised of mostly 1.5-team players, wouldn't have an easy time handling them.
'This might be fun.'
For some reason, he felt a refreshing sense of excitement.
Especially with 67,000 fans in the stands.
Having played in the Di Stéfano Stadium with barely 6,000 spectators, playing here made him feel larger than life.
But more than anything, he was eager to show what he could do.
So he moved.
Tap. Tap.
He played a return pass to Zidane, closing the gap between them.
The ball came right back, and Ho-young instinctively delivered a grounded pass to Raúl on the left.
At first, there was a bit of dissonance.
But after about five minutes of linking up, that changed quickly.
'Feels natural.'
It was strange.
While he had frequently played alongside Zidane, he had far less experience with Raúl, Guti, and Robinho.
Yet he felt comfortable.
Almost as if he were playing in Castilla again.
The seniors' awareness and Zidane's build-up play helped Ho-young blend seamlessly into the team.
This was world-class football.
On top of that, Ho-young adapted quickly, raising his performance level in no time.
He gradually increased his activity, expanding his range as if the field was his own, shadowing Raúl's movements.
As a shadow striker, he fulfilled the second striker role perfectly, orchestrating play from deep.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid pushed their possession up to 72 percent, dominating the game.
For over ten minutes, the ball barely left Seattle's half.
"Fuck."
Frustrated, the Seattle players began to mutter curses under their breath.
Before Saviola was subbed out, the match had been manageable.
But everything changed the moment Ho-young came in.
Before, Zidane and Guti's grip on midfield had been troublesome, but now, even breathing was difficult due to Raúl's movement and Ho-young's presence just behind him.
Josh Gardner, Seattle's left-back, found himself thinking:
'Zidane...?'
It felt as if Zidane had stepped up into the front line.
Right now, the build-up that normally started with Zidane in midfield was reaching the final third, practically controlling half the pitch.
Guti, planted in midfield, was completing passes at a 95 percent success rate, further maximizing Real's control of the game.
From midfield to the front line.
Everywhere flowed with stability, and Real Madrid wasn't about to let that go.
[Real Madrid is regaining the energy that vanished after the first half. Is this the power of youth?]
[Haha, it certainly seems that way. Ho-young is handling the balls coming from midfield very well. Thanks to him, the gap between midfield and the second line is being filled. It's like placing a stepping stone in what used to be a gaping hole.]
[So you're saying Ho-young is fulfilling his role well?]
[He clearly understands his position. While Saviola was a powerful attacker, Ho-young brings balance and harmony. Now we just have to see what kind of plays he'll produce. The groundwork is already laid.]
No sooner had those words been spoken than Real Madrid made an attacking move.
It began on the right with Robinho.
Known for his flashy footwork, he pulled off a stepover to beat one defender and launched into a run down the flank.
In the center, Ho-young was making a threatening run into space.
Robinho saw it.
But instead of passing directly to Ho-young, he hesitated and looked elsewhere.
Even though a pass to Ho-young might have created a golden chance, Robinho made a different choice.
Tap.
He laid the ball off just outside the penalty box to Zidane.
And that's when it happened.
Zidane's brow furrowed sharply, his eyes sharpening like blades.
It was as if the sun-soaked stadium had suddenly frozen over.
A moment of high tension.
Then, Zidane's foot moved.
Tap.
"...!!"
A lofted through ball split the defense instantly.
The one breaking through the gap was none other than Ho-young.
Thud!
With shocking speed, he broke the offside trap and locked eyes on the goalkeeper.
67,000 spectators focused solely on that one moment.
"Ooooooh!"
"Shooot! Kiiiiid!!"
Most in the stands were Seattle locals who had simply come to enjoy the match. They weren't die-hard Sounders fans.
So when a goal seemed imminent, they cheered for the spectacle.
For that brief second, the roar of the crowd surged, cheering Ho-young on.
The stadium trembled with their shouts.
But inside the penalty area, everything felt still.
Ho-young.
He eased up, exhaled once.
"Whew."
Shaking off his nerves, he poured his full attention into the ball, just like always.
Calmly, he received Zidane's lofted pass with his chest.
Just then, the goalkeeper rushed out in a panic.
Ho-young's lips curled into a soft smile.
A chance he couldn't miss.
Especially one created by Zidane himself.
Tap.
With a light touch, he gently lifted the ball over the onrushing keeper.
The buzzing 67,000 fans suddenly fell silent.
Then, just as the ball arched over the keeper's head—
Bounce, bounce.
There was no sound of the net rippling.
Only the roar of the fans erupted across the field.
"Yeahhhh!!!!"
[Goal! In the 85th minute, Real Madrid scores again after 45 minutes!]
[It was a penetrating run that completely broke Seattle's offside trap. As expected, his speed is unbelievable. He controlled the ball before the defenders even reacted.]
The crowd roared in appreciation of the long-awaited goal.
An unofficial debut goal.
With a smile tugging at his lips, Ho-young turned around quickly.
Instinctively, he ran toward Zidane, arms wide.
But before he got there, Zidane had already come running to hug him.
"Well done."
"Thank you."
It wasn't even an official match, but emotion swelled at his nose and eyes.
He thought he might cry, but instead, the opposite happened.
He couldn't stop smiling.
"Haah."
Real Madrid.
Scoring a goal for the first team made his heart ache with joy.
As excitement spread through his whole body, he suddenly realized something.
'I forgot to do a celebration.'
He immediately sprinted toward the corner flag and punched the air with a clenched fist.
"Siuuu!"
A celebration that declared, this is just the beginning.
[This is Real Madrid. They're giving Seattle a clear look at reality through explosive attacking play. Showing exactly what football is all about.]
[And the man leading the charge is a 14-year-old Asian boy. Can you believe it? Real Madrid has brought a monster to the United States. It's stunning.]
[To spectators unfamiliar with football, they might be thinking, hey, maybe age doesn't matter in football after all.]
[Hahaha!]
"Is age not that important in football?"
The commentator was right.
Even in the stands, voices like that were starting to pop up here and there.
"I don't know much about football, but I guess having a young, energetic body gives you an edge. Like rhythmic gymnastics or something."
"Don't be silly. Football's a contact sport. You really think a kid can handle the physicality?"
While debates like that went on, others couldn't stop commenting on Ho-young's performance.
"I thought he was just some middle schooler here for a talent show, but he's better than Seattle's players."
"Wow. He looks even more handsome when he's sweating."
"Yeah... for an Asian, he's pretty good-looking."
Half of the reactions were about his skills, the other half about his looks.
Meanwhile, the match resumed.
Real Madrid continued dominating every part of the pitch.
With less than ten minutes remaining, it felt like they could've easily scored three more goals.
However, Robinho's excessive dribbling wasted several chances, and the match ended 3-1.
After the game, Real Madrid held post-match interviews.
Manager Schuster and captain Raúl gave their thoughts in the underground press room, while the rest of the players were briefly interviewed in the tunnel on the way back to the locker room.
"Ho-young! Look this way!"
Click!
As he brushed his hair back, a reporter from AP News stopped him.
"This was your unofficial debut. How do you feel?"
"It's a mix of emotions. Feels amazing."
"Oh, your English is quite good!"
"I learned it in school, but I'm picking it up quickly."
"Haha."
The interview continued in a light, cheerful mood.
It started with match-related questions, then moved on to his relationship with Zidane.
The interview wrapped up with a message for the fans.
"I'd like to thank the local fans who took the time to come watch me. I promise to repay your support with even better performances. Thank you."
That interview quickly spread to Korea that evening, igniting the passion of Korean football fans.
With the match wrapped up successfully, the World Tour seemed to be going smoothly this year.
But that night...
While some players partied with drinks at the hotel's basement bar, one man headed to Manager Schuster's room with a face full of frustration.
It was Robinho, who had finished the match without recording a single attacking contribution.
(To be continued.)
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◇ 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.)