The Olympics is the highest stage of honor for most athletes.
But football is a bit different.
Because Olympic football emphasizes amateurism, players over the age of 23 are generally not allowed.
Teams can select up to three overage players as wild cards, but that doesn't change the fact that the prestige of the tournament is lower compared to other international competitions.
Still, it is the Olympics, and the global spotlight ensures that the tournament garners interest worldwide.
In other words, while it may not be considered a major football competition, it remains an important opportunity for young players.
Especially for countries from Asia, South America, and Africa, Olympic football is treated with great importance.
Cameroon was no different.
Since they had little hope of winning medals in other events, football was extremely crucial for them.
So, when the first half against Korea ended with Cameroon trailing, the atmosphere in the locker room was tense.
Captain Samuel Eto'o's sharp voice echoed through the room.
"Get your heads straight!"
Eto'o.
He was a man who, despite being reserved, exuded overwhelming confidence and an unrelenting will to win.
Though not the most charismatic captain, his authority in the national team was unmatched. He was considered the king of Cameroon.
His influence was such that even the country's president paid attention to him.
And for good reason. He had debuted for the senior national team at the age of 14 and led Cameroon to Olympic gold at 19.
With nearly 100 appearances for the national team, he had earned the full support of both the public and the president.
The talk of him becoming a future president wasn't a joke.
However, back at Barcelona, he was losing his place in the squad due to conflicts with Ronaldinho, the arrival of Thierry Henry, and Lionel Messi's rapid rise.
And now today.
The mounting frustration exploded at the thought of possibly losing to Korea.
Losing to Italy would be one thing, but dropping the first half to Korea was something else entirely.
'This isn't why I came to the Olympics.'
Eto'o had considered skipping the tournament due to his ongoing slump, but in the end, he chose to participate for several reasons.
It wasn't a tournament he could miss, not with Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Messi all participating.
And the news of Ho-young's inclusion played a part too.
Last year, after coaching Bojan at the request of President Laporta, Eto'o had witnessed his protégé crushed by Ho-young. That left him curious to see for himself just how formidable this Korean player really was.
All those reasons combined led him to join the tournament.
But now...
'Damn it.'
Cameroon's reputation as an African powerhouse was on the line.
To be fair, they weren't being outplayed.
They had superior possession and were ahead in most metrics, including dribbling, tackles, and pass success rate.
But what mattered most was the score.
Even if you have 99% possession, if you're trailing on the scoreboard, it's meaningless.
'This can't continue.'
A change was needed.
So he moved.
He opened the locker room door and went straight to the coaching office to make a request to coach Martin.
"Let me play the way I know best."
A 4-3-3 formation built on fluid movement and constant switching.
A system focused on creating space through relentless movement and short passes.
This was the football Eto'o excelled in.
The style that would later be known as "Tiki-Taka."
At this point, it had already been studied for years and was currently being refined at Barcelona under coach Frank Rijkaard.
It was the tactic that best brought out Eto'o's abilities.
However, for Cameroon's U-23 squad, it was a difficult system to execute.
It required more than just one or two good players. The entire team needed to be synchronized for it to work.
If even one player slacked off, cracks would form, and the whole system would collapse.
Still, Eto'o had a reason for calling for this tactic.
'If we can't play safe, then we go all out.'
A head-on clash.
It was a choice only Eto'o could make, someone capable of overwhelming an entire defense on his own.
"I won't focus on anything else but attacking. For the next 25 minutes, feed the ball to the right flank. I'll burn everything I've got in this match."
If they didn't win this game, their chances of advancing to the quarterfinals would drop to nearly zero.
The third match was against Italy, and the odds of winning that one were slim, so they had to defeat Korea no matter what.
In short, the real battle would begin in the second half.
A full-throttle shootout was about to unfold.
At the same time, the Korean team was just as busy.
They were leading on the scoreboard, but their defense was shaky enough that conceding a goal seemed inevitable.
Coach Park Sung-ho and assistant coach Hong Myung-bo had thoroughly prepared for this and drilled it into the players.
The second half kicked off soon after.
Korea had the kickoff.
[The second half has begun. There don't appear to be any noticeable changes in formation at first glance.]
[Right. Korea seems to be sticking with their plan to control the midfield, stay compact in defense, and look for counterattacking opportunities. On the other hand, Cameroon... although the formation is still a 4-3-3, they've made a major shift. Their shape is now unbalanced. It's asymmetrical.]
Before the words had even finished, Cameroon made a drastic adjustment.
While they remained in a 4-3-3 formation, the right winger moved centrally, creating a two-top formation with the center forward.
As a result, possession was now funneled primarily to the left winger's side.
Samuel Eto'o's zone.
From that moment on, Cameroon began to rotate positions relentlessly, centered around Eto'o, disrupting Korea's defensive structure.
Their attack was explosive, a display of all-out offensive energy.
And the results came quickly.
Just five minutes into the second half, Eto'o delivered a powerful shot on target.
[Eto'o's low-driven shot is collected by Jung Sung-ryong. That was a dangerous moment!]
[Cameroon is clearly going all in. Korea needs to find a response now, whether that's retreating a step or matching them head-on.]
[At this point, our best bet is for Ki Dong-jin, who's man-marking Eto'o, to hold firm.]
Ki Dong-jin was having a rough time.
It showed on his face.
Coach Park Sung-ho had ordered him to press like a mad dog and never let up, but how could a mad dog possibly take down a black panther?
Pressing was proving ineffective.
Samuel Eto'o's ability to shake off pressure was the best Ki had ever faced.
'Then the best option is that...'
Ki Dong-jin recalled something Ho-young had said during halftime.
—Eto'o's nickname comes from his ability to swiftly and precisely cut through the opponent's throat. It means his line-breaking and finishing ability are exceptional. And on top of that, he even contributes to defense. If he focuses solely on attacking, there'll be times when you can't stop him, even if you know what he's doing. At that point, the only option is to go full-body defense. If he has a weakness, it's physical duels. Playing in Spain for so long, he's not used to rough contact. His frame isn't built for it either, unlike someone like Alex Song.
In Korea, it's rare for the youngest player to offer tactical advice.
But Ho-young had done so without hesitation, and Ki Dong-jin found his words worth listening to.
'Physical battles, huh.'
Not many people know this, but Eto'o isn't particularly strong in physical confrontations.
Just like Ho-young said, he's lean and agile, not someone built for body clashes.
That's why he often drifts wide instead of staying in the center, where it's harder to find space.
It's also why he struggled last season against Pepe, known for his physical defending at Real Madrid.
So Ho-young's advice was well worth trying.
'Alright.'
From that point on, Ki Dong-jin stopped trying to press recklessly. Instead, he let Eto'o receive the ball first, then stuck to him like glue whenever he tried to make a move.
Thud!
Every time Eto'o touched the ball, a fierce physical battle ensued.
The lenient referee still didn't blow his whistle, and Ki Dong-jin kept engaging in intentional body contact.
It was literal body-on-body defense.
As someone with experience as a centre-back, Ki Dong-jin had excellent man-marking ability.
Of course, stopping Eto'o's slippery dribbles wasn't easy.
Even in a slump, a world-class player is still world-class.
But with support from centre-back Kim Min-soo and Ki Sung-yueng providing cover, Ki Dong-jin was able to manage the threat.
1-on-1 was too much, but 3-on-1 worked well.
And any gaps left behind were naturally filled by the forwards tracking back to support defensively.
A solid defense.
It was clearly working.
'It's working.'
It really was.
Thanks to the whole attacking line helping on defense, the structure held firm.
As the defense stabilized, the momentum began to shift toward Korea.
With Ho-young dropping deeper to link up with Ki Sung-yueng, Korea slowly began to gain more possession.
The players closed the distance between lines, gradually freeing themselves from Cameroon's pressing.
Ho-young's ability to utilize his teammates was beginning to shine.
As a result, Cameroon's attack started to lose direction.
The game that had once burned with intensity was gradually cooling down.
Even when Eto'o tried to create chances on his own, they didn't lead to goals.
Then, in the 80th minute, Coach Park Sung-ho made a crucial substitution.
He reinforced the defense to secure the win.
And in the 85th minute.
[Ho-young makes a bold tackle to intercept Alex Song's pass! Incredible anticipation!]
[Excellent work from our players. Just a little more and we'll have this. If we win today, the door to the quarterfinals opens wide.]
For Korea, the next opponent was Italy, so they had to win this match to relieve the pressure going into the next game.
Victory was within reach.
Time kept ticking, and with Cameroon having spent so much energy in the first half, their players were running out of gas.
At the 90-minute mark.
Five minutes of added time were given, but Cameroon couldn't make anything out of it.
'This can't be happening…'
Eto'o, facing the reality of losing a match they should have won, was stunned.
It wasn't just about today's result.
'That kid's going to be promoted to the first division this season?'
Ho-young.
With him, Real Madrid might become even stronger than last year.
No, it was certain.
Eto'o had a feeling that the fiercest El Clásico of his career was just around the corner.
And then.
Tweet—
The referee's whistle signaled the end of the match.
The final score was 2-1.
Korea held on to their lead and earned a valuable victory.
And the moment the match ended, Ho-young received a reward just as valuable.
[Elastic Muscles of the Black Panther (U).]
He hadn't acquired Alex Song's talent, but this alone was more than enough.
With his reward secured, Ho-young later gave a short but impactful interview to a Korean reporter.
"We're here with Ho-young, known as the 'Youngest Record Breaker.' Today, you set new records as the youngest player and goalscorer in Olympic football history. How does it feel?"
"I'm deeply moved, since this is my debut on the Olympic stage. But I won't settle for this. I'll continue taking on new challenges."
It was a truly professional response.
Impressed, the reporter followed up.
"There's a rumor you might be participating in the Olympic athlete entrance ceremony tomorrow. Is it true?"
"Ha ha. You'll have to tune in tomorrow to find out."
At that moment.
Italy's coach, Pierluigi Casiraghi, urgently summoned several players to the team's hotel room.
Giuseppe Rossi from Villarreal, the team's main forward.
Sebastian Giovinco, still regarded as one of the world's top young talents.
Silvestri and Montolivo, both already proven in Serie A.
And finally, Claudio Marchisio, the poster boy of the Azzurri.
After watching Korea's match, Coach Casiraghi was preparing to assign them a critical mission.
(To be continued.)
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