Zinedine Zidane, a man known to dominate the atmosphere with just a look, lifted his back from the chair.
He was stunned.
'His playing style changes every time?'
From what he had heard, Ho-young was best suited as a shadow striker. The kind of player who played as an attacking midfielder and also finished the attack himself.
That was partly why Zidane hadn't taken much interest in Ho-young until now. Their styles were fundamentally different.
Ho-young relied on explosive pace and dribbling, while Zidane was the opposite, a maestro who controlled the entire match.
The formal name for that role is often called a trequartista — the "perfect" position. Simply put, it's a role that requires mastery of all the skills needed to control the game and lead attacks.
A classic example would be the football god himself, Maradona.
And yet, surprisingly enough, Zidane had seen glimpses of that very style in Ho-young's first-half performance.
Of course, he would have to watch the second half to be sure, but so far, that was the impression he got.
It piqued his interest.
Zidane found himself genuinely curious about Ho-young and started bombarding questions.
"You said his playing style changes according to the situation?"
"Not to that extent, but sometimes he does adjust his style from match to match."
"Incredible."
Sure, there are players who can adapt to multiple roles like a chameleon. But for someone to perform each role as if it were their natural position was extremely rare.
If anyone fit that description, perhaps only Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stéfano.
Míchel added, "It's high football IQ. Or more accurately, just incredible natural talent."
That answered some of Zidane's curiosity.
But not all of it. He continued with his questions, unable to hide the nagging thought in his mind.
"Born in '93, you said?"
"That's right."
Both the questioner and the responder wore the same expression.
Was this for real?
Even a footballing genius like Zidane couldn't help but acknowledge Ho-young's potential.
That only fueled Zidane's growing interest.
Just how far could this kid go?
That was what he wanted to know most.
'Passing, composure, decision-making, playmaking, physicality, body type… there's nothing he's lacking.'
If anything, the only areas that seemed a bit underdeveloped for a trequartista were ball retention and long passing.
But…
'He's born in '93.'
At that age, there was nothing he couldn't learn.
Now he understood why President Pérez had been so adamant about assigning a tutor.
So he accepted on the spot.
"Let me take him on. At least until I retire."
"That's a fine decision."
Pérez's shoulders lifted with delight.
He had been in a foul mood for days, but now he was grinning from ear to ear.
"Let's keep watching. The real football starts in the second half."
"Is there even anything more to see?"
"You haven't seen the full extent of that boy's abilities yet."
"I thought I just saw it 20 minutes ago."
"Look there."
Zidane narrowed his eyes again.
The players, done with their halftime break, were returning to the field.
And Ho-young was loosening up his legs.
The second half kicked off in a completely different atmosphere.
Juvenil A, which had focused on slow build-up play centered around Mata, made a tactical shift. They moved from a 4-2-3-1 formation to a 4-3-3, placing more emphasis on attacking down the flanks.
It was a clear sign of intent from Juvenil A's head coach, Alberto, to ease the burden on Mata and diversify the attack.
In truth, he had been under pressure.
The team was currently sitting second in Group 1 of the Juvenil League, trailing Barcelona. If they were to lose today to the Juvenil B side, it would be disastrous.
With the club already in a gloomy atmosphere, they had to win this match at all costs.
So Alberto played his trump card.
He added a double pivot in midfield to shut down Ho-young's playmaking.
That's when Aleix Vidal was subbed in.
'If they try to play smart, shut them down with physicality.'
Recalling Alberto's instruction, Vidal, a centre-back born in '89 was ready.
Though he had good pace and a decent right-footed cross, making him more suited to right-back, he often made costly positional errors due to his poor football IQ.
But that only applied when he was a full-back.
When playing as a centre-back, where he wasn't required to overlap, he showed stability as a defensive enforcer.
That's why Coach Alberto chose him as the one to stop Ho-young.
Purely for his physicality.
Against a commanding attacking midfielder, sometimes brute force is the best counter.
And Vidal himself felt confident.
Not that he had a specific reason. He had never played against Ho-young before, which fed into his baseless self-assurance.
'Let's see what this Golden Ball kid's really made of.'
Beep!
The second half began shortly after.
And right away, Ho-young made his move.
Thwack!
B team striker Callejón passed the ball to Ho-young right from kickoff, and Ho-young immediately charged forward.
With long strides nearly a meter apart, he burst past Juvenil A's central midfielder.
When he noticed the defensive midfielder closing in from the left, he sharply cut the ball to the side with his heel.
Heel chop.
The defensive midfielder was caught by the change of direction and failed to recover.
Ho-young's ability to change direction, powered by extraordinary flexibility, was far beyond that of an average youth player.
'Two left.'
Only two players stood between him and the goal.
The first was Mikel, the other defensive midfielder.
Tall but sluggish.
He was 17.
Ho-young's eyes narrowed.
Like a predator spotting easy prey, he shook his upper body side to side.
A body feint.
Mikel, tricked by the movement, leaned too far to the right.
Ho-young chose the left.
Tap!
A clean breakthrough.
Now only one man remained — centre-back Vidal.
He rushed in, determined to stop Ho-young's run.
"Huff."
Panting, he came to a halt right in front of Ho-young.
Vidal was confident in one-on-one duels.
He stared at the ball between Ho-young's legs and began counting in his head, lowering his center of gravity and bracing his legs.
He was waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.
That was his defending style.
'Just cross the line. I dare you.'
As soon as Ho-young tried to get past, he planned to clamp down immediately.
No matter how fast the opponent, if you catch them before they reach full speed, you can win.
'Come on.'
A psychological battle played out between them.
Then, Ho-young suddenly darted forward.
"Urgh!"
Vidal's eyes quickly followed the movement.
So far, so good.
But.
A cheetah doesn't only run straight. It can change direction in a heartbeat when facing an obstacle.
The same goes for humans.
Swish.
Ho-young instantly shifted direction.
The resulting burst of speed rendered Vidal's defense useless.
From the stands.
Genie.
That word flashed through Zidane's mind.
It was the French word for genius.
Finally, he fully acknowledged Ho-young's talent and began applauding.
'A genius among geniuses.'
There's a world of difference between a prodigy recognizing another, and a genius doing the same.
So Zidane's approval carried serious weight.
Especially considering what Ho-young had just done.
It wasn't just the quality of his skill, but his ability to apply it tactically.
A breakthrough that showcased his innate talent for dribbling.
"Hmm."
Zidane couldn't hide his amazement at the sheer impact.
Sure, youth players sometimes score after dribbling past four defenders.
But this was the opening of the second half.
All the defenders were in position.
That was what impressed Zidane the most.
"He's definitely different from your average prospect."
"If he were the same, would I be going this far?"
"I thought it was because he was handsome, to be honest."
"If he were ugly, I wouldn't have brought him here in the first place."
Pérez raised his voice with all seriousness.
"Keep watching. He still hasn't shown everything."
"What more could there be?"
Zidane got his answer in the 75th minute of the match.
Clang!
A long-range shot from 25 meters out, fired by Ho-young, rattled the goalpost.
Though it didn't result in a goal, it was enough to gauge his skill.
This alone was enough to make Zidane want to take him as a pupil.
Or rather, Zidane wanted to do so.
Throughout the match, Ho-young had left a lasting impression.
His ability to play well aside, it wasn't easy to both perform and read the flow of the match, and use that insight intelligently.
'Even if it's a basic tactic, actually applying it mid-game isn't something just anyone can do.'
To Zidane, Ho-young had the qualities of a leader on the pitch.
His smooth and adaptable playmaking was something even Zidane had to respect.
'Who the hell taught him this?'
He never imagined it was Kaká.
Zidane had been a late bloomer himself, so he didn't blindly believe in youth prodigies.
But this was different.
Ho-young's future… whatever it turned out to be, it was going to be massive.
In the second half, Ho-young's impact dipped due to expending too much energy early on, but he remained a threat throughout.
Whenever a good chance came, he led the B team's attack with dribbles, long shots, or playmaking.
On the other hand, Juvenil A didn't sit back either.
With unlimited substitutions allowed, their head coach kept sending out fresh defenders to stop Ho-young.
Overwhelming numbers made a difference.
In the end, the match ended in a draw, but it was an immensely meaningful game for Ho-young.
[Select the talent you wish to obtain.]
- Model Mentality (A+3)
- Consistent Off-the-Ball Movement (B+2)
- Solid Fundamentals (B+2)
- Excellent Passing (B+2)
(See more)
Mata's talents.
He had a ton of A-grade abilities, but due to overlap, there weren't many available for Ho-young to take.
He chose the second one.
[Consistent Off-the-Ball Movement (B+3)↑]
As he approached the level of a professional, he needed to refine his weapons.
So Ho-young focused on improving his attacking skills.
'Passing can wait for tutoring.'
And tutoring from one of Real Madrid's top pass masters would fix that instantly.
In any case, the match ended successfully.
Although he tired out in the second half, he felt confident that he could perform like this in multiple matches if promoted to Juvenil A right away.
It was a match that gave him a confidence boost.
And right after the game, the captain of the A team approached him.
"You were really good. If the opportunity arises, I definitely want to play alongside you."
Ho-young smiled.
"It was a good match. I'm sure that day will come."
Mata, the good-natured young man, not unlike Kaká.
If Ho-young were ever to move to the Premier League one day, that day might really come.
"Let's have another good match next time. I enjoyed it."
Leaving Mata behind, Ho-young exited the pitch with a smile.
But that smile faded the moment a man approached him.
"I enjoyed the match."
"Uh? Uh…?"
"Since we've met, how about a handshake?"
Not knowing what was going on, Ho-young took the handshake, trying to suppress his pounding heart.
The hand was rough, but strangely comforting.
And from that moment, for about four weeks, Zidane would put him through hellish training until the day he retired.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ 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.)