Chapter 325 – Happening (2)

325

The first match of Group B of the World Cup was held at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, Seville’s home stadium, against Korea and the Netherlands.

It was a matchup between the two teams expected to compete for first and second place in the group, but experts’ predictions and dividends leaned towards Korea’s victory.

〈The Netherlands has built an impeccable force on both sides of the air and defense, but it is difficult to expect that it will be able to stop Hong Min-jun〉

The preview comment before the game accurately expressed people’s feelings, so I thought that even the Netherlands, which boasts a well-balanced and solid power, would not be able to stop Min-Jun Hong.

And in reality, the game went exactly as people predicted.
In short, it means that the Netherlands could not stop Hong Min-joon.

“Today’s starting lineup for the Korean national team is impressive, right?”
“The position of the players… It’s strange. In fact, it abandons the sides and concentrates in the center. At first glance, it looks like a 4-3-2-1 formation, right? What is this?”
“Uh… Could this be it? A Christmas tree formation?”
“Right!! This is the tactic that AC Milan led by Carlo Angelotti dominated Europe in the mid-2000s!!”

Those who paid attention to the starting lineup of the Korean national team and the positions of the starting players before the match soon realized that the expert’s comment before the match was correct.

“Unbelievable! Korea is overwhelming!! They are constantly exchanging passes in the middle and locking the Dutch in their own half!!”
“Hong Min-joon receiving the ball alone from the side! 3 Dutch players are surrounded… Not lost! Hong Min-joon who protects the ball between 3 people!! Cross as it is!!”
“That’s a lot of pressure! The Netherlands are unable to develop the ball in the center and often lose possession! Korean attack again.”
“Goal!! In the 15th minute of the first half, Fiorentina’s young goalscorer Cha Myung-geun scores Korea’s first goal!! Ki-soo Kim’s pass was good.”
“I couldn’t record an attack point, but Hong Min-jun played an active role, right? If you look at the previous scene, two Dutch players are surrounding Hong Min-jun, who is alone on the left side, to check. And at the moment of Kim Ki-soo’s pass, he did a dummy run outside the penalty box and caught the attention of center back Gerart van Wagening, who was marking Cha Myung-geun.”
“Cha Myung-geun, who scored a goal, Kim Gi-su, who recorded an assist with a good pass, and Hong Min-jun, who drew attention and created an opportunity. It’s a wonderful joint goal by the Korean national team.”

South Korea, which tied the Netherlands tightly through centralized tactics and launched a one-sided attack, scored the first goal in the first half of the 15th minute.

“Hong Min-joon scored an extra goal in the 27th minute! The Republic of Korea’s wave-like offensive is bearing fruit!”
“Another goal in extra time! Hong Min-jun’s concise shot following Yun-hyeok’s long pass!”

The score was 3-0 before the end of the first half.

As expected, the Netherlands was unable to stop Hong Min-joon, and lost 3 goals in the first half. Korea took out a replacement card early.

Hong Min-jun was replaced at the start of the second half.
And it was considered not a bad decision.

“At the start of the second half, Hong Min-jun was replaced. It is seen as a replacement for stamina distribution.”

If Korea’s goal was to pass the group stage or to reach the quarterfinals, I don’t know, but the people’s expectations were much higher, so it was essential to arrange the physical strength of the players in order to satisfy the national expectations.

It may be okay for players from the domestic or Asian leagues who play the World Cup in the middle of the season, as it is a time when stamina and sense of the game are in perfect balance, but it was not for Europeans.

His sense of the game may be high, but he is physically exhausted right after the season ends.
What about Hong Min-jun, who started the season earlier than others for the Dubai Olympics and finished the harsh EPL schedule?

It must have been a harsh EPL schedule, but didn’t it reach the finals of all competitions it participated in while achieving a quadruple record?

It is only recently that he shows the temperament of a steel king, but Hong Min-joon is a player who lacks physical strength.
The irreplaceable core of the Korean national team, Hong Min-jun, who accounts for more than half of the national team’s strength, was essential for the World Cup.

In fact, even though Hong Min-joon was missing, the Korean national team faced the Dutch desperately, and faced them tightly.

The Netherlands launched a fierce offensive during halftime, taking advantage of Korea’s unfamiliar tactics and the absence of ace Hong Min-jun, but the score did not change until the 60th minute of the second half.

Afterwards, Korea replaced the Europeans one after another and began arranging their stamina, and in the 67th minute of the second half, the Netherlands scored a chase goal, but victory seemed to be heading for Korea nonetheless.

However, in the 81st minute of the second half.
A small mistake caused by the desperate Dutch attack shook the game.

“Uh… ? What is this? Koh Chang-shik player card… Exit, exit!!”
“The fist I swung to clear the ball ended up hitting Karel Willems in the face!”

Dutch striker Karel Willems, who was penetrating into the square while all eyes were on a high cross raised from the side into the penalty box, was punched by the goalkeeper and suffered a nosebleed.

As a result of VAR, Karel Willems caught the ball first and was sent off because of the price of the goalkeeper. Two minutes later, 22-year-old center back Oh Se-hyun, who plays in Marseille, France, tried a risky tackle in excitement and gave up the penalty.

Excited by the PK that followed the sending off, the Korean players protested wildly, and the referee responded with a card.
Even captain Choi Moon-tae, who received a yellow card in the 20th minute of the second half, was sent off, and the Korean national team suddenly became 9 players.

The score was chased by 3:2 in an instant and two players were sent off in less than 5 minutes.
The veteran team captain Choi Moon-tae and goalkeeper Go Chang-sik were sent off, and the young national team, which replaced the core team members Hong Min-jun, Yoon-hyuk and Seol Yo-han, collapsed and allowed a series of goals in extra time.

“This… What is this? South Korea, who conceded two goals in a row in extra time, lost to the Netherlands!”
“Ah… The national team players who fell to the ground and couldn’t get up. Player Cha Myung-geun sheds tears.”

A shocking defeat followed by a series of exits in a situation where victory was clear.
Another twist occurred in the post-game interview, where everyone watching the game had no choice but to grab their backs, and the whole nation was excited with anger.

“I suffered a shock defeat. How do you feel?”
“The process is disappointing, but the results are not disappointing.”

When captain Choi Moon-tae and national team coach Park Ki-young were unable to raise their heads like criminals, only Hong Min-joon, who was the only member of the team to participate in the interview, casually threw out a shocking remark.

“Yes? Uh… Can you elaborate?”
“The team’s performance was not bad until the middle of the second half, but their performance in the crisis was disappointing. As long as we carry the Taegeuk mark, we must be able to deal with crises with courage.”
“Oh, I see. Hong Min-joon’s words are a disappointment for the inadequate response to the crisis. So what do you mean the results are not disappointing?”
“I am sorry to the people for starting the first game with a loss. But wouldn’t it be better to lose in the group stage than lose in the tournament?”
“Uh? That word… ?”

The interview room became quiet as everyone focused on Hong Min-joon’s remarks.
Hong Min-joon smiled leisurely and said.

“Today’s defeat will be our only defeat in this World Cup. We will come back stronger and more perfect from this defeat. Trials that don’t kill us only make us stronger. It’s just—”

A charming husky voice that resonates quietly.

“It’s just a happening.”

* * *

『The national team suffered a dramatic come-from-behind defeat in the first game』
『Choi Moon-tae, missed the next match due to Ko Chang-shik’s exit!』
『National Team in Crisis! But Hong Min-Jun is My Dong-Pung?”

The results of the match as well as Hong Min-jun’s interview received a lot of attention.

—Kia~~~~ This bastard Hong Min-joon is talking in dialect again~~ Please stop it~~~~~~
— Yeah, I think I’m going to go crazy, yeah, I think I’m going to go crazy, yeah, I think I’m going to go crazy
-Please… Please shut up…
—Ugh, his hands and feet are shriveling. When will his middle two be cured?
—I can’t fix it ㅋㅋ At that level, I’m just in a state of being one with the second grader ㅋㅋ
—But isn’t that a little cool? Am I cool?
—My oppa is really cool.
– What’s the voice
—You’re so sexy, how nice it would be if you called my name with a voice like that
— It’s perfect if you don’t brush your mouth, but does he really cut himself off haha

Unable to play in the next game due to the loss in the first game and the sending off of two starters.
It was a moment of crisis when the red light came on to advance to the round of 16, but Hong Min-joon’s nonchalant interview gave the public a sense of security.

—It’s strange. It was developed from the first game, so why are you relieved?
—Do you think I will go to the round of 16?
—Hong Min-joon ㅋ I’m strong haha
—Ah haha ​​The round of 16 is basic haha
—If you just let that bastard go, he’ll easily go up to the round of 16 or the round of 8 haha
—I believe in Minjun Hong! I believe that 1 loss is the last loss!

And Hong Min-jun was a man who knew how to keep his words.

『Korea advances to the round of 16 with 2 wins and 1 loss!!』
『The Crisis of Ki-Young Park ended with an Happening!』
『A defeat that became a medicine! Overwhelming performance after the first defeat!』
『Hong Min-joon sets another record!』