Chapter 180 – There Is No Number of Cases (2)

180

Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi, the home stadium of Ellas Verona, where the match between Korea and Argentina was scheduled, was buzzing with cheering squads from both countries.

However, unlike the enthusiasm of the cheering squads of both countries, the stadium could not hide the empty feeling.
It was a stadium that could not be called large, with a total seating capacity of less than 40,000, but it was a burdensome distance to come from Asia and South America on the other side of the globe.

Maybe that’s why the middle of the stadium was empty despite the heated cheering before the game started.

In particular, unlike the Korean and Argentine cheering seats, the neutral seats were almost empty, so soccer officials sitting in the neutral seats had to stare at each other.

“What is this? It’s not a meeting place, it’s a familiar face.”

People who fill the empty neutral seats.
Half of them are local Italians who came to watch football, and the other half are football workers.

No matter how wide the soccer world is, officials active in Europe say hello to the greens and rice here and there.

“Senpai, senpai. Look over there. The Napoli general manager has come in person! Besides, this is a Manchester United scout, Juventus technical advisor, and that’s Chelsea… Who is it? One of the board members.”
“Technical Director John Behrman.”
“That’s right! Senior, you know everything by pretending not to care?”

Newcastle’s scouting duo of Victor Showwell and Kathy Rockbell were also caught between them.

“All these people must have come to see the Argentine players, right?”
“Why do you think so?”

Cassie triumphantly answered Victor Showwell’s question, who tilted his head.

“Of course, senpai! It’s a World Cup match between Argentina, one of the two biggest exporters of soccer players along with Brazil! Scouts, of course, should keep an eye on it!”

Victor Showwell snorted at that confident answer.

“I was wondering what you were talking about. That’s stupid.”
“Mmm, stupid… Are you saying I’m stupid right now?”

At Cassie’s question, pointing at his face with his long finger, Victor calmly nodded his head and confirmed the kill.

“Oh, the Argentine squad has Carlos Votto and Daniel Baleno, who are being watched by the big clubs! And what about Rodrigo De Serna, whose contract ends this year! Also, there are outstanding players like George Rigor, Guillermo Panzer and Rodolfo Hemes. Because there is!?”

Victor clicked her tongue as she watched as she picked her fingers one by one each time she said the name of her player.

“Therefore?”
“That’s why! They’re all players that big clubs are aiming for or that are certain to advance to the big leagues!”
“They are already known players, but now, what do you think?”
“So, senpai, are you saying that these people gathered like this to see the Korean players? That means—”

Cathy Rockbella, who raised her voice vigorously, looked at a player who was stretching.

“—That’s right. He could have come to see an Asian player. Yes.”
“Yes. The protagonist of this match is not Argentina. This is Korea.”

Along with Brazil, Argentine players are well known as one of the two largest player exporters.
On the other hand, what about Korea?

This unusual nation, which tends to produce at least one or two good players per generation, has produced two players who are doing well in the EPL this generation.

In addition, with only half a generation difference, Hong Min-joon and Yoon-hyeok were the hidden gems, so the scouts couldn’t help but focus on them.

Do you know
Could there be another gem hiding among those players?

In the European football world, Asia was on the periphery, and East Asia was even more on the periphery.
Only the Middle East, where talented players are swept away with oil money, and Japan, where you can scratch the lottery at a low price through cooperation with the Bundesliga, are only known, but Korea is an area that has escaped the eyes of European scouts.

Of course, they sometimes produce outstanding players, but one exceptional player is not enough.
Even in places like Africa, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe, sometimes exceptional players come out, but no one pays attention to such places.

But this time it was different.
From the two players who do great work in the EPL, to Yoon-hyuk, who showed unbelievable performances after entering Hamburg, the big league Bundesliga, from the Korean amateur league, as well as Hong Min-jun, who rocked the European soccer world.

Above all, didn’t it result in a runner-up in the Olympics?
A good performance at the U23 soccer event, the Olympics, means that there are many promising players.

That means,

“Sometimes. There are times when good players pour out from a certain generation. Like the golden generation in Belgium and now in Spain, good players pour out from a certain generation like a joke. Korea might be the lucky winner. Isn’t it?”
“But looking at this list, there are very few athletes who have been to the Olympics.”
“Or how about.”

At Cassie’s rebuttal, Victor smiled coolly.

“I have Hong Min-jun.”

The world of football is both broad and narrow.
To the extent that it is said that it is a face that everyone knows when they cross a bridge with each other.

So, the problems that happened inside Frankfurt this season were already well known in the football world, and the Frankfurt board Jin’s shoveling and Hong Min-jun’s reaction were an open secret.

“Maybe the biggest word this season will be that Asian friend.”

How terrifying a war of money will unfold, Victor Showwell observed Asians waiting for the start of the game with excitement.

Depending on one line of his report, it was quite thrilling that the ransom price of the player in front of him could run wild or could be lower than expected.

* * *

Before the match, the Argentine players were chattering with relaxed expressions.
In fact, a team that is considered as a candidate for the championship beyond the first round of the group stage and whose goal is to advance to the round of 16 will catch your eye.

So what about our team—

“Ha~ Truly. It’s unpleasant to see the old idiots giggling while looking at us. We’re ignoring that, right?”
“No. That’s smiling at the senior’s face.”
“No, but why is this bastard so obsessed with the maknae?”
“Should I handle it, Master?”
“Kill.”

Our team was relaxed too.

Senior captain Choi Tae-shik, the leader of the team, and senior EPL duo Bae Chan-sik and Yu Man-gi are all good-natured and pleasant people.

With seniors and aces leading the locker room atmosphere, it is natural for the team atmosphere to follow suit. In other words, I, the youngest member of the line like now, get along casually enough to joke with senior Bae Chan-shik, who is a senior.

The reason our team can relax ahead of the match against Argentina, which has an overwhelmingly high probability of defeat, is also because of this team atmosphere.

“If you kill them, they’ll go crazy, so kill them with soccer.
“Old story!”

It was also because of my existence.

“Maknae. Let’s do it like we practiced. Okay?”
“Just trust me, senior. I will definitely win the World Cup.”
“Babe bluffing.”

The seniors who laugh at my boastful words.
The reason seniors relax is not because they believe in my assurance that I will win the World Cup. It was because I saw with my own eyes the skills I showed in practice and evaluation matches.

And now it’s time to show it not only to the team members, but also to Korean soccer fans who wish for the round of 16.
Our goal is not just the round of 16. Seriously, winning—it’s impossible, and it’s to recreate the legend of the semifinals.

The match started with Argentina’s starting lineup.
As soon as the first touch was made, the Korean players rushed like a furious wave.

“Backwards!”

Despite intense forward pressure from the start, the Argentine players calmly passed the ball to the rear.

Like South American players with good personal skills, protecting the ball leisurely under pressure shows the difference in quality of each player.

Despite the leech-like movements of the Korean players who did not give up and constantly applied pressure, the appearance of spinning the ball with ease continued for a while.

Argentine players who easily get away with one player and pass the ball backwards with two players.
The play waiting for exhaustion rather than counter-fire against the fierce momentum in the beginning was like a wild beast preparing to take off.

The point where it seemed that Korea’s intense forward pressure would end in failure as only physical strength was consumed.
It was at that point that Hong Min-jun and Yoon-hyeok moved.

“What!?”

Korea came out today with a 4-2-3-1 formation.
And although everyone started out with a predictable starting lineup, only one spot, in the middle of the ‘3’ in the second line, was outside the predictions of experts and fans.

The era of the ‘classic attacking midfielder’, where the old attacking midfielder was the alpha and omega of the team, has come to an end, but that position was still an important position.

In Korea, this position has been fixed for a long time, and it is Yoo Man-gi, who is playing in the EPL.
In his team, he played as a central midfielder, but in Korea, he took on a more aggressive role and assumed the role of an ace.

Today, Yu Man-gi went down to the central midfielder, the main position, and it was Yun-hyeok who stood in that position.

Yoon-hyeok’s appearance in the second line, which showed his strength in the defensive role, raised many people’s doubts, but this is all for now.

Right away,

“No! Pass it the other way!!”

For pressing with excellent football intelligence.

Of course, no matter how good Yun-hyeok’s soccer intelligence is, there is a limit to him alone.

So, a player who was passively involved in pressure for now, a player who would at least take part in defense would be taken for granted… What if I just put pressure on you?

“I stole it! Enter!!”