Weird Defender Joo Ji-Tae - Chapter 204



204 – The Unfortunate Matchup

204

After sensing that the team was shaken by the goal, Coach Jang Gi-seok chose to reorganize rather than push for an equalizer.

“Don’t attack recklessly! Ji-hoon, fall back! Fall back and slow down!”

The flow of the game was the opposite of what was predicted before the match, with Korea being overwhelmingly favored.

The score at the end of the first half was 0:1.

Although Hungary’s score was regrettable, considering they had been pressing hard from the start and had finally scored, Korea’s defense had stabilized after conceding, and Hungary’s coach, Machasi, had also slowed down the tempo, so the score remained unchanged until halftime.

After the shocking first half, both team’s coaches were busy making tactical adjustments during halftime.

Coach Jang Gi-seok of the Korean national team analyzed the opponent’s movements in the first half and instructed his players accordingly, while Hungary’s coach, Machasi, did the same—

“What’s going on!?”

It was the same as in the first half, with both teams’ fortunes hanging in the balance.

* * *

A correct judgment doesn’t always lead to a good result.

Sometimes, a correct judgment and proper analysis can lead to the worst result, and sometimes, a wrong judgment and poor analysis can lead to the best result.

In other words, it’s all about luck.

No matter how hard people try, the outcome ultimately depends on heaven’s will. If you’re lucky, you can get a good result, and if you’re unlucky, you can get a bad result.

In the first half, Korea got an unfortunate result due to Coach Jang Gi-seok’s mistaken judgment.

It was clear that Hungary would come out strong defensively, but instead, they started with a powerful high press, pulling their line up high.

The prediction had failed, and the unfortunate result was inevitable.

From Korea’s perspective, they had no choice but to blame their own mistakes for the outcome.

Hungary, too, had failed in their prediction, but the result was different.

They had acknowledged that they couldn’t win and had adopted the motto “Let’s lose with honor!” But their opponent had come out with a strong starting lineup, and they were unable to keep up with their opponent’s attack.

Both teams had made wrong judgments about their opponents and the game, but the results were the opposite.

And that was the case this time as well.

Coach Jang Gi-seok thought that Hungary would defend tightly this time.

“This is the World Cup quarterfinals. It’s a tournament. Our opponent will definitely start to lock it down from now on. They’ll try to keep one goal and play defensively like cowards. Let’s go and knock them out!!”

So, he made a bold move, substituting in key players from the bench all at once.

The team’s core attacking player, Jo Jae-sin, midfielder Song Ga-ram, and the team’s captain and ace, Juzitae. With the start of the second half, he used three of the five available substitution cards, launching an all-out attack.

“Is there a fool who is already tired here? Of course not! Because we have to shock the world again. The opponent will surely come at us strongly. But don’t back down. Don’t get pushed around! People said we would break easily, but who’s winning now? Run like it’s the final game. Don’t leave any regrets and pour out all your strength! Our time hasn’t ended yet. It’s time for Marzar’s magic to shake the world again!”

Hungary also seemed to adjust their tempo in the second half, pouring out their reserved energy and going all-out.

Unlike the first half, which was a mismatch, one team made a wrong judgment, and the other made a right one—

[Wow! What’s going on!! Hungary is getting crushed!!]

[Jo Jae-shin shoots!! Ah, Jo Jae-shin’s shot is sadly blocked by the goalkeeper’s fingertips. What a regrettable scene! It was a hair’s breadth away from going in.]

The result was the opposite.

This time, Korea, which had failed to meet expectations, showed overwhelming performance and achieved a successful result,

[Coach Machasi is making a big gesture! Is he telling them to keep going? Hungary’s defense is collapsing, isn’t it?]

[They started with a high line, but now they’re retreating a lot. This isn’t because they wanted to, but because they’re being naturally pushed back by Korea’s momentum! Hungary is losing their spirit!!]

Hungary, which had succeeded in their prediction, was facing a devastating result.

[Ah no! The player who was chasing, Buzanski, has fallen! Kim Chan-ki gets a good chance on the side! Kim Chan-ki, Kim Chan-ki! He’s going in!]

[Kim Chan-ki breaks through the inside! Eventually, Soboslai tries to catch up, but— Yes! He has to pass! Kim Chan-ki’s pass reaches Jo Jae-shin! Jo Jae-shin, Jo Jae-shin shoots, and scores! The equalizing goal is scored in the 13th minute of the second half!!]

Coach Machasi, who had predicted the result, closed his eyes and sighed.

“Damn it. This is ridiculous.”

He couldn’t control the Korean players who were going wild.

* * *

Park Kyun-oh, the defender of the Korean national team, sat on the bench, staring blankly at the ground.

Playing in the World Cup with the Taegeuk mark on his chest had been his dream since childhood. It wasn’t just Park Kyun-oh’s dream, but every football player’s.

As he went through the elite course, playing for the national team at each age level, Park Kyun-oh thought his long-held dream was finally within reach.

Especially when he won the Asian Youth Championship and the World Cup, he thought he could soon wear the “real” Taegeuk mark and play in the World Cup.

But during the previous World Cup, where Korea achieved its best result ever, Park Kyun-oh had to watch from home.

He saw his teammates, Ju Ji-tae and Jo Jae-shin, soar to great heights and perform magnificently on the World Cup stage.

After four years of hard work, he finally made it to the World Cup stage.

Having Ju Ji-tae as a giant wall in the same position was unavoidable. Park Kyun-oh never thought he could surpass Ju Ji-tae. He just wanted to take the partner position, but the main player was not him, but Kwon Ji-hoon. Moreover, the second-choice center-back was not him either.

While Ju Ji-tae, Kwon Ji-hoon, and Kim Myung-jin took turns playing as partners, Park Kyun-oh was stuck on the bench. But finally, he got the chance to play in the World Cup, and it was in the quarterfinals!

He had prepared a lot.

He analyzed more than anyone, worked harder, and poured out all his strength, but— he couldn’t do anything against Hungary.

He was overwhelmed by the opponents’ fierce pressure, couldn’t even build up, and ended up conceding a goal.

No one could do it.

In such a strong pressure, in a game where the opponents were like mad dogs, who could solve the game?

He thought so, but—

“That’s the world’s best.”

Ju Ji-tae was different.

Why did the playmaker who played in the first and second lines have to be pushed back to the third line? Was it because of the extreme pressure of modern football?

Was it that players in the past were more talented, and players now were less talented? On the contrary, with the advancement of sports science, players’ skills had improved more than in the past.

There were no players like Zidane, Kaka, Riquelme, or Ronaldinho in modern football.

Even players with such talent couldn’t withstand the pressure.

But… there were players who could play freely, even with a sense of leisure, despite the pressure.

It couldn’t be explained by anything other than exceptional talent.

“A genius.”

From noble mtl dot come

It’s not an exaggeration to say that he has the greatest talent of all time.

Finally, Korea scored its fourth goal.

And it was as if he had broken through the Hungarian players’ defense, which had been pressing him, and precisely passed the ball into the penalty area to score a goal.

Despite this, he returned to his position with a nonchalant expression, as if nothing had happened.

It was then that Park Gyun-oh realized who he was playing with.

Until a few years ago, his long-cherished dream was to wear the Taegeuk mark and play in the World Cup.

Until recently, his dream was for his country to achieve good results in the World Cup, thanks to his own efforts, and to advance to the finals.

And now, his dream has changed. When that player wears the Taegeuk mark, his partner is remembered as himself. He wants to be the legendary partner, the legendary player beside him.

[The game is over!! Korea, which was trailing 0-1 at halftime, has made a comeback in the second half with a storm-like offense, scoring 5 goals and winning 5-1!!]

[Wow… Korea, with its main players back, is really different. They’re truly amazing.]

[Moreover, Jo Jae-sin, who played only 45 minutes in this game, has scored a hat-trick and finally reached 11 goals!!]

[This is a joint record for the most goals scored in a single World Cup, ranking second all-time! Coincidentally, the player who shares this record with Jo Jae-sin is Sándor Kocsis of Hungary, who scored 11 goals in the 1954 Swiss World Cup. Jo Jae-sin has surpassed the record of a Hungarian player against Hungary!]

[Now, the only one left is Just Fontaine, who scored 13 goals in the 1958 Swedish World Cup. At this scoring pace, Jo Jae-sin’s record-breaking is not just a dream.]

[Ah… and speaking of coincidences, the next game is against France, Just Fontaine’s country.]