As the blazing sun rose and the chill began to fade, the day of the decisive match finally arrived.
March 25, 2 PM.
Twenty-two players entered Montaigu Stadium, exchanging handshakes as they prepared for the match. With advancement to the next round on the line, both teams looked solemn and determined.
Even with two wins under their belt, Korea couldn't afford to relax. Depending on the outcome, the group standings could still shift, and qualification was not yet guaranteed.
Ho-young, focused and composed, reinforced his winning mentality while scanning the German players to assess their talents one by one.
Then, he spotted a familiar face.
"Long time no see."
It was Thomas Müller, whom he hadn't seen in a year. In that time, Müller had not only grown over 15 centimeters but had also significantly developed his skills.
[Thomas Müller]
[Possessed Talents: Football Genius (A), Clever Space Penetration (A+2), Solid Fundamentals (A), High Football IQ (A-)]
(You can obtain one talent by meeting the required conditions.)
(Condition 1: Record more attacking points than Thomas Müller.)
(Condition 2: Successfully execute Clever Space Penetration.)
A welcome gift from their reunion—provided he could meet the conditions.
'But that guy hasn't come out yet.'
Ho-young's eyes shifted to the German bench, where he recognized another face. Holger Badstuber, the defender who had once overwhelmed him three years ago.
It brought a rush of anticipation.
Both his hands warmed with excitement.
He was looking forward to facing these high-level German players, eager to show them how far he had come since three years ago.
After the pre-match handshakes, Ho-young sprinted onto the pitch at full speed.
Determined and brimming with confidence.
Beeeep!
That determination showed the moment the match kicked off.
First minute of the first half.
As if he had been waiting all his life for this moment, Ho-young immediately surged into the attacking third.
It was a prearranged build-up play.
Lee Chung-yong, with his excellent vision and passing ability, quickly delivered a low ground pass to Ho-young.
However, Germany's central midfielder Daniel read the play.
"I'll cut it off!"
As Daniel rushed to intercept, Ho-young also dropped deeper to receive the ball.
The ball contest began.
Upon noticing Daniel's large 180cm frame, Ho-young avoided engaging in a physical battle.
Instead, he feinted as if to receive the pass with his back to the defender, but let it run past him with a no-touch receive.
"Urgh."
He'd decided from the start to avoid body contact, knowing it wouldn't work in his favor.
But Germany's defense wasn't foolish.
They quickly responded to Ho-young's sudden breakthrough, setting up a tight defensive structure like a spider's web.
At the heart of it stood another imposing figure, standing nearly 180cm tall.
A future legend dubbed the successor to Beckenbauer, a textbook commander-style centre-back.
[Mats Hummels]
[Possessed Talents: Football Genius (A-), Sharp Anticipation (A-), Swift Ball Interception (B+), High Work Rate (B-)]
(You can obtain one talent by meeting the required conditions.)
(Condition 1: Reach the semifinals.)
(Condition 2: Successfully execute a dribble.)
'Looks like Germany came fully prepared.'
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call this the future German national team.
Their intensity was undeniable.
Regardless of name value, their sheer size and physical presence was intimidating. They truly looked like giants.
Especially Hummels, even larger than Daniel, was already showcasing his ability in Germany's U17 league.
He was so talented that, despite only being 16, he was already being scouted for a professional contract by Bayern Munich.
But for some reason, all of this only excited Ho-young.
This was exactly what he had been hoping for.
A chance.
An opportunity to face exceptional players and test himself.
The tougher the game, the more he stood to gain.
Today was the day.
And now was the time.
"Urgh."
Hummels threw his shoulder into Ho-young, initiating a body challenge.
Not only was his size an issue, but the strength gap from the age difference made it hard to endure.
It felt like having a boulder pressing against his back.
Even trying to hold his ground was futile, with no sign he could push back.
'If this keeps up, I'll lose the ball.'
In that split second, Ho-young clung to possession while thinking fast.
'If he's using brute strength...'
Then he would counter it.
With flexibility.
He made his move.
A fatal weakness of physically strong players, their slow turning speed.
Ho-young spun his body swiftly to shield the ball and then completed another half-turn to fully escape Hummels.
"Ugh!"
Hummels grimaced and tried to follow, but he couldn't keep up with the speed.
It was a flawless Marseille turn.
[Clean Marseille Turn (C+2)↑]
'Nice.'
This was a skill he had acquired from Marcelo at the end of last season.
Now, synergized with the exceptional flexibility he'd gained from Neymar, it created a beautiful breakthrough.
Only two defenders remained.
One of them, a tall Black defender, stood firm ahead, maintaining the right distance and solidly guarding his zone.
Clearly a veteran.
He didn't recklessly charge in or expose any gaps.
'Their defensive shape is too tight.'
It was like climbing a steep mountain.
There wasn't much space to dribble through.
Given the situation, the wise move would be to slow down and use tactical positioning to regain the initiative.
After all, a Lamborghini only shines on the autobahn, not in tight city traffic.
But.
'I can make it work.'
If it was a storm instead, then that changes everything.
It doesn't matter how narrow the road is. A storm breaks through everything.
That's what made it a storm.
Tap!
Ho-young's dribble made spectators hold their breath.
The first to respond was the defender, Jerome Boateng.
Like Hummels, he was one of the key centre-backs anchoring Germany's defense. A versatile player with strength in both physicality and build-up play.
He also had a solid football IQ.
'Müller warned me about him.'
Last night, Thomas Müller had advised him to be cautious of Ho-young, calling him exceptionally skilled for an Asian player.
German coach Jonas had said the same, constantly emphasizing that Ho-young was Korea's core player and must be tightly marked.
And now, Ho-young's dribble had officially begun.
'He's fast!'
Boateng was genuinely impressed by Ho-young's pace.
But still.
'I've handled players like this before.'
Standing 180cm tall, Boateng trusted in his physicality.
Confidently, he kept close to Ho-young, initiating body contact.
Normally, tall players are stiff and sluggish, but Boateng was different.
His dense, explosive muscles and agile legs set him apart.
Thanks to his long, powerful hamstrings—a trait more common among African descendants—he could run with incredible speed.
He accelerated with legs that seemed to stretch endlessly, almost questioning whether he was really a centre-back.
'Just a bit more...'
Using his superior physique, Boateng chased Ho-young down at full speed.
He was just a few steps away.
Then—
'If I can just get my leg in...'
With a single tackle, he could stop Ho-young.
Just one more step.
But then—
Tap!
"?!!"
At that moment, Ho-young slipped away by the slightest margin.
It was an unbelievable burst of speed.
Like a rocket igniting and launching, one sudden dribble widened the gap dramatically.
Huff, huff.
Ho-young, charging like a steam locomotive, was impossible to catch.
Watching this up close, Boateng couldn't help but scoff.
"Maniac!"
He had never faced a forward this fast.
Well, maybe he had.
He'd played against track athletes who ran 100 meters in under 11 seconds.
But they only had top speed. They couldn't dribble well at full pace.
Effective sprint dribbling isn't just about speed. You need to control the ball.
That was Ho-young's specialty.
That's why Boateng had tried to defend with some space.
But he still got beaten.
'Maybe I should have left even more room...'
A slight misjudgment led to a costly mistake.
The train—no, the madman—was already gone.
'Got it.'
That was the third defender down.
The battle with Jerome Boateng had been dangerously close.
Had his timing been even a little late, it would've ended in failure.
But thanks to his improved body control, Ho-young had pulled off a perfect sprint dribble.
He had now passed three defenders.
'One left.'
The final defender, tall but unremarkable otherwise, was blocking the path with a frightened expression.
But Ho-young didn't waste time on him.
Due to Germany's centralized defense, the flanks were wide open.
"Here!"
Tap!
He sent a sharp pass to Lee Chung-yong on the right wing.
Then immediately sprinted toward the box.
A few seconds later, Lee Chung-yong returned the ball with a low cross into the area.
Tap!
Unmarked.
Ho-young stretched out his foot at the perfect moment to meet the cross.
It connected cleanly.
He knew it instinctively.
'That's in.'
And indeed.
Ripple!
A simple yet smooth passing sequence resulted in a goal.
It was a fluid, flawless finish.
"Suiii!"
"Sui!"
After Suk Hyun-jun, this time it was Lee Chung-yong mimicking Ho-young's celebration.
Meanwhile, the mood in the German camp turned suffocating.
"Ahem."
Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng, who had just been wrecked by Ho-young's solo play, stood together.
Highly rated in Germany's U17 league, both had taken a hit to their pride.
Scouts were watching, yet they had shown nothing.
Embarrassed, they couldn't even lift their heads.
'Why does this feel familiar...'
Boateng suddenly experienced déjà vu.
'Right. It's like that guy from Dortmund.'
He thought of Mario Götze, Germany's top 1992-born talent, now rising rapidly in the Bundesliga.
'To think Asia has a player like that. Incredible.'
Only now did Müller's warning truly sink in.
That this was the best Asian player he had ever faced.
'He wasn't exaggerating. I need to stay sharp.'
As the core of Germany's defense, Boateng gathered the defenders together.
Even if the barn door was closed after the horse had bolted, it still needed to be shut.
With Thomas Müller up front, if they focused on defense, they could still win.
Boateng rallied the team.
"Chin up. It's only the 2nd minute of the first half. We can always turn this around. We are the German national team."
The pride of a nation with three World Cup titles was not to be underestimated.
And whether it was because of that determination, or something else, Germany held their ground for the rest of the half.
Though Korea had several more dangerous chances, they couldn't add to the score, thanks to brilliant saves by the German goalkeeper and midfielders dropping back to defend.
Germany played smart and composed football.
Using their height advantage, they shifted focus to aerial dominance and poured on the pressure.
Though it didn't lead to a goal yet, they were building momentum for a strong second half.
After the first half ended, the German locker room was in disarray.
A coach rushed in, as if the building were on fire.
"Coach! Update from the other pitch. France scored just before halftime."
The other Group A match had also just reached halftime, with France scoring against Ivory Coast.
This put immense pressure on Coach Jonas.
Germany now had no choice but to beat Korea to even have a shot at advancing.
And they had to win by a large margin.
"Damn it."
Jonas was growing increasingly anxious.
He remembered the interviews from the coaches of France and Ivory Coast after they'd lost to Korea.
—We regret losing the opening match, but Ho-young is a player with a very strong weapon. And he knows how to use it thanks to his extensive experience. He's a very smart player.
—Say something about Ho-young? We conceded two goals to him. What more is there to say?
Their tones differed, but both coaches had praised Ho-young's talent.
So Jonas had spent days crafting tactics to counter Ho-young.
But who could have predicted he would explode from the very first whistle?
Sigh.
As Jonas tried to calm his nerves.
"Coach."
One of Germany's key players, who had suffered a minor injury during the France match, approached him with tape wrapped around his wrist.
"I'll go in."
A determined declaration from the midfield ace tasked with leading Germany's offense.
(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.)