All Football Talents Are Mine Chapter 238

238. 2010 South Africa World Cup Opening (2)

The keywords for this South Africa World Cup are categorized into three categories.

The first is a high altitude stadium in South Africa.

The second is the vuvuzela, a traditional instrument of the Zulu tribe in Africa.

And the third is the innovative official ball ‘Jabulani’ developed by Adidas.

The original World Cup soccer ball evolves over time.

However, this is only advantageous for the striker and increasingly disadvantageous for the goalkeeper, because it is advantageous to score a lot of goals.

What fun would there be if we only exchanged passes for 90 minutes and didn’t score a goal?

So, it was common to create a ball that was good for shooting, and the result was the Jabulani, an official ball.

This ball, produced by Adidas in a special way, had a shape that was closer to a perfect sphere compared to previous official balls.

This is aimed at the scientific principle that the closer the ball is to a circle, the better the accuracy of the kick.

In addition, protrusions and grooves were planted on the surface of the soccer ball to accelerate the speed of the ball.

In response to this, Adidas expressed confidence, saying that the ‘perfect ball’ was born and “you can look forward to a goal feast.”

But when I opened the lid, I saw this.

There were harsh reviews pouring in from all over, saying that it was not as good as the ones sold at local stationery stores.

Even the Spanish players complained that the pass was so accurate.

The problem was the protrusion of the soccer ball.

Because the shape of the protrusions on the surface was not uniform, there was a serious problem that even the player himself did not know where the ball would fly when he shot.

The Korean national team also had a hard time because of this, and the prevailing opinion was that it was definitely the strangest soccer ball they had ever handled.

The shooting speed was definitely fast.

However, there were only a handful of players who could handle this properly among the World Cup participants.

And one of them was Hoyoung.

That’s because Hoyoung had several years of experience kicking Jabulani.

Right in my past life.

But there was no way that old feeling would remain intact.

At least he knew how to handle the ball, and his excellent ball sense played a big role in offsetting Jabulani’s repulsion.

Because of this, Hoyoung was able to adapt to Jabulani several times faster than others.

That was why he took on the role as a kicker himself, even though the free kick distance was 36 meters.

‘It’s worth a try.’

There was a seething confidence.

[Woo Ho-young calculates the distance to jump. Do you cook it yourself? The distance is quite long.]

[I think they will probably use a pass to link up the play. The distance is a distance, but the Jabulani, which has been controversial since yesterday, is very different from a regular soccer ball. The angle is good, but it seems difficult to kick the shot.]

[Then how should I kick the Jabulani?]

[I need to kick it carefully.]

[Ah, I see. Commentator Cha Bum-gon, have you ever kicked a Jabulani?]

[No.]

[I see. Commentator Cha Beom-gon seems to be more focused on the game than usual because he is Woo Ho-young’s true teacher.]

[….]

Gulp.

Caster Seongji Bae was sweating.

Cha Bum-gon was so focused on the game that he did not pay attention to the broadcast.

But this was also an interesting situation in its own way.

[Why does it seem like Cha Doo-rim, the biological son of commentator Cha Beom-gon, is left behind?] [He

will take care of it.]

[I see.]

Meanwhile, the free kick was played.

One step first.

While everyone was holding their breath, Hoyoung took a heavy step forward.

I thoroughly calculated the position and spacing of the defensive walls and took into account the goalkeeper’s position and wind direction.

Both eyes were focused solely on the soccer ball.

And it was only after Hoyoung took exactly six steps that the ball shot out like a rocket.

Cough!

A fierce shooting sound fills the field.

However, the Jabulani, which escaped Hoyoung’s toes, barely rotated.

It was Cristiano Ronaldo’s patented ‘non-rotating free kick’.

“…!!”

But it wasn’t a simple free kick.

The ball speed was so fast that none of Yakubu, Dixon Etohu, and Sani Kaita, who were building a wall, could react.

Moreover, because the ball was floating upward, no matter how much I stretched my head, I couldn’t block the shot.

And above all, the ball’s trajectory was strange.

It shook violently from side to side, as if a cobra was dancing in the air, and soon fell straight to the left corner.

For goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, who was far behind, a slight flinch was the best he could do.

But there was room.

Oh dear!

The ball hit the top of the goal post and fell down.

For Nigeria, it was a lucky chance to return from hell to heaven.

At that moment, a smile of conversion appeared on the lips of Enyeama and Kalu Uche.

[ah! It didn’t go in!]

[Ahhhh! He’s still alive!!]

But it’s already too late to aim for the second ball.

Because the goalkeeper had turned back to catch the ball.

But for some reason, the situation soon changed.

Isn’t it true that the ball that bounced after hitting the goal was sucked inside the goal rather than outside?

rotation.

This was because the ball, which was shot without rotation, hit the crossbar and had a reverse spin.

Enyeama hurriedly got the ball out, but the referee’s whistle had already sounded.

Beep!

[Gooooool! It’s a goal!]

[Woo Ho-young as expected!]

[With this, Korea scores its first World Cup goal!]

[It was a great free kick. It floated slightly, but the ball fell at the last moment and went in narrowly. If I had kicked it just a little bit wrong, I would have been out.]

[That’s right. Woo Ho-young did it. I wonder how Pele would react if he were watching this goal. A record that had not been broken for 52 years was finally broken. Woo Ho-young set the record as the youngest scorer in the World Cup, 273 days earlier.]

“Hoo!”

Hoyoung jumped up and put both feet on the ground.

Is there anything else so thrilling in the world?

“Oooh!”

Hoyoung gave an uppercut and enjoyed the moment of joy.

Then, a moment later, he returned to the halfway line, receiving the Red Devils’ shouts with his whole body.

Kalu Uche was seen tearing out his own head with a shocked face.

It was even more ridiculous than what we often see in Spain’s La Liga.

But there were still 60 minutes left in the game.

Hoyoung did not lose concentration until the end.

15 minutes after that.

The first half ended with South Korea maintaining a 1-0 lead.

Afterwards, heated voices came from the locker rooms of both teams.

It was the voices of the directors telling us to focus until the end.

And the second half proceeded in a situation no different from the first half.

[Both Korea and Nigeria are in the same formation as in the first half. [There were no substituted players.]

Lars Lagerback from Sweden followed the same strategy.

It was definitely a good first half, except for conceding a goal from a free kick.

Excluding Woo Ho-young and a few other players, the score was clearly below par, and there was a hint of a possibility that they could tie the game if they were persistent.

In addition, Woo Ho-young’s physical condition was not so good, so his activity level was less than expected.

‘No matter how fast and long Woo Ho-young is, it will be a big burden to spend a lot of stamina in the first game.’

Moreover, this is a highland area.

If you waste too much stamina, your physical condition will drop below 50% in the next game.

Therefore, it was a game worthy of Nigeria.

[Nigeria is strengthening the midfield.]

[It seems like they are trying to strengthen the midfield as the defensive line keeps shaking due to Woo Ho-young’s playmaking.]

[They are using the left and right sides widely at the same time?]

Coach Lajeberg said in a recent evaluation match. It was noticed that Korea’s side defense became weaker as the second half progressed.

So, the plan was to create an equalizer by strengthening the side attack.

The opportunity was created around the 18th minute of the second half.

widely.

[Ball flowing to the right side. Nigeria’s Chinedu Obasi receives it. I’m digging right into it!]

[Oh, it’s dangerous! We have to stop it!]

“Hyungpyo!”

“I’ll go!”

Lee Hyung-pyo tried to challenge Obashi along the touchline, but he was no match for his physicality.

After overtaking Lee Hyung-pyo, Obasi ran like a wild animal and crossed into the empty box.

And Kalu Uche, who was being marked by Cha Doo-rim and Lee Jong-su, rushed to the front of the goal with flexible movement and caught the ball.

To make matters worse, Jeong Seong-yong’s reaction was late.

Crash!

[Ahh…!]

[Haa… You missed Cha Doo-rim!]

[Ahh… This is Kalu Uche. He is an attacking midfielder playing for Almeria, Spain, and is also the player who challenged Woo Ho-young in a pre-interview.]

[It’s a shame. If he had been faithful to his position, this wouldn’t have happened.]

“Kwaaaaah!”

A very excited Kalu Uche walked up to the camera and stuck his tongue out of his mouth.

It was a ceremony that seemed to be mocking someone.

However, other players came and stopped him, so the game resumed soon after.

[5 minutes into the second half, Nigeria scores an equalizer.]

[It’s okay. In soccer, everything is important from the moment a goal is conceded. It is important not to get excited, but to stick to your position and be faithful to your role.]

[That’s right. There is still plenty of time. If we have focused on physical strength until now, we need to be more bold from now on.]

[Our players need to work harder. Worrying about tomorrow can ruin today.]

“Hmm.”

Seongsu Heo groaned and crossed his arms.

Being defeated by just one goal was beyond the plan.

The good news, though, is that Woo Ho-young hasn’t been taken out yet.

‘It’s still enough.’

Korea still had a lot left to show.

There was an order to launch a full-scale attack when the opponent’s defense was running out of stamina.

That time was getting closer.

It was just 10 minutes later.

[Woo Ho-young caught the ball. He advances by exchanging passes with Ki Sung-ryong. Park Ji-seok is standing next to him.]

[But he just charges in!]

There was a violent movement as if a storm had blown into the quiet stadium.

This was the operation that South Korea had been preparing for.

A strategy in which the players except Woo Ho-young move actively throughout the first half, draining the opponent’s defense of their stamina, and when that happens, Woo Ho-young steps in.

The purpose was to keep Hoyoung playing in the second, third, or round of 16 games.

Therefore, Hoyoung’s physical strength distribution was more important than anything else, and this tactic was designed to use his offensive power as efficiently as possible.

Literally a one-man team.

Everything worked for Hoyoung.

At least one of the players could have expressed his dissatisfaction, but few showed such signs.

Because in the end, it was for the team.

If we were lucky, it was a golden opportunity to advance to the semifinals.

And Woo Ho-young was a player who never betrayed trust.

[Woo Ho-young starts running. It seems like hidden power is pouring out. Nigerian players can’t keep up.]

[Good!]

[Pass toward Park Ji-seok on the left!]

A view as if looking down at the stadium from above.

In addition, it is equipped with a long pass comparable to Xabi Alonso, making playmaking cleaner and more creative than before.

It was a long pass that destroyed the defensive line that was kept at an appropriate distance in one go.

Percussion.

Park Ji-seok, who trapped the ball for a moment, could not easily believe this situation even after receiving the pass.

This is because it was a pass that only Paul Scholes could have made at Manchester United.

[The ball connects at once. Park Ji-seok tries to break through quickly!]

[At the same time, a ground ball crosses to the center!]

An opportunity opened up as Hoyoung squeezed between central defenders Joseph Yobo and Danny Shittu.

But it was that moment.

“Whoop!”

Pow!

Danny Situ, who weighs 100 kilos, pushed his shoulder hard.

However, Hoyoung escaped with his agile movements as if to show off.

The ones that collided were Joseph Yobo and Danny Situ.

And what remained was goalkeeper Enyeama.

[Woo Ho-young! It’s a one-on-one chance! Woo Ho-young! Woo Ho-young!]

[Just like that!]

In the blink of an eye, shots came out.

It was a shot that flew one beat quickly toward the right corner.

and.

Crash!

Hoyoung, who succeeded in scoring with perfect goal decision-making ability, expressed his exhilarating sensation with his whole body.

“downpour!”

However, Hoyoung ended the ceremony briefly and quickly returned to the halfway line.

It’s only 15 minutes into the second half.

He was still energetic and the opposing defense was already exhausted.

I wanted to achieve a hat trick by scoring two goals each.

I felt like I could definitely do it like this.

“Damn it.”

Kalu Uche’s expression distorted again at that sight.

and.

“Hehehe.”

Besides him, there was one more person with sweaty hands.

The highest point of the stadium.

A man in a dress shirt sitting in the VIP guest seat.

Pele, the emperor of the World Cup, felt strange at the thought that all his World Cup records might be broken.