As soon as the second half began, Germany made a tactical change.
Their formation shifted from a 4-4-2 to a 3-5-2, and two players were substituted in at the same time.
It was a bold move from Coach Jonas, aiming to dominate the midfield with a numerical advantage and launch a powerful offensive.
The player who came on to replace central midfielder Daniel was a familiar face to Ho-young.
"Long time no see."
Holger Badstuber.
Originally a centre-back, he was deployed as a defensive midfielder in this match to bolster the defense.
The idea was to strengthen the midfield and form a double-layered defensive wall to stop Ho-young's breakthroughs.
The two exchanged a fierce handshake as they met in the tunnel.
"That little brat from back then. When did you get so big?"
Surprisingly, Badstuber looked confident, despite the fact that his team was under pressure.
He had long wanted to face Ho-young again, and now that opportunity had come.
Above all, he had something to rely on.
The other boy subbed in as an attacking midfielder.
'So he came on despite that injury.'
As soon as he saw the boy, Ho-young clenched both fists tightly.
Sweat ran down the back of his neck, and the tension heightened.
Because he knew.
Just how extraordinary that player was.
[Toni Kroos]
[Possessed Talents: Football Genius (A+3), Precise and Quick Kicks (A-), Outstanding Passing (A-), Refined Build-up Play (A-)]
(You can obtain one talent by meeting the required condition.) (Condition 1: Score as a forward) (Condition 2: Be selected as MOM in this match)
The future core of the German attack, alongside Müller, Götze, and Özil at the 2014 Brazil World Cup.
Toni Kroos.
He was only 15 years old, yet rumors of a potential professional debut with a big club were already surfacing.
Not long ago, he delivered an outstanding performance as an attacking midfielder at the U16 Youth Tournament held in Italy.
His talent was immense.
'Wow.'
Kroos definitely had the potential to become one of the best central midfielders in the world.
Perhaps due to his age, in overall terms, he was even a step ahead of Neymar.
'So many talents.'
He showed remarkable versatility, but his talents were especially skewed towards assisting rather than scoring.
That's what made things tricky.
They had barely scraped through the first half, only to now face an even greater challenge.
But.
'If things go well, I could obtain three talents in this one match.'
Müller, Hummels, and now Kroos.
This match was turning into something special.
At first, the second half seemed to follow the same pattern as the first, but once Germany changed their tactics, the entire flow of the game shifted.
Just one player.
With Kroos's introduction, Germany seized control and began launching rapid counterattacks.
It was a stark contrast to the possession-heavy first half.
As if someone was fanning the flames from behind, the tempo of the game began to accelerate at an unnatural pace.
Kroos used short, organic passes to exploit space and initiate fast breaks.
It was Coach Jonas's custom tactic designed around Toni Kroos, modeled after Arsenal's famed Wengerball style.
The result was clear: Kroos, now in his element, used his exceptional vision to create space, and Müller, in turn, came to life.
In the 55th minute, after dominating the flow of play, Germany finally created a decisive opportunity.
It started with Toni Kroos.
Tap!
With a low, quick, and incisive pass, he broke through Korea's defensive line.
"No!"
The mistake was Kim Shin-woo's.
He lost track of Müller as he made a penetrating run and ended up allowing a one-on-one chance.
The goalkeeper rushed out in a panic, but Müller wasn't an ordinary forward.
Even in front of goal, he remained calm and precise.
As expected, he did it again.
Rip!
The Kroos-Müller combination tore open Korea's goal.
1-1.
The game was back to square one.
As Müller celebrated with his quirky dance, Kim Shin-woo muttered curses under his breath.
"Damn it. I knew it, but I still couldn't stop it."
He had been outfoxed by Thomas Müller's clever movement and spatial awareness.
And he knew deep down.
At this rate, even a draw was no guarantee.
'How the hell are we supposed to stop that…?'
The burden of captaincy weighed heavy on his shoulders.
As the oldest player, he felt ashamed to face his teammates.
Thanks to the youngest member of the team, they had made it this far, and now he was about to ruin it all.
'Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.'
Just as he was endlessly blaming himself, the team's youngest came over to offer advice.
"Use your head."
"Huh?"
At first, he thought Ho-young meant that literally and was startled, but thankfully, that wasn't it.
Ho-young continued in a serious tone.
"Thomas Müller. If you try to stop him physically, you'll always be a step late. You need to use your head."
A year ago, Ho-young had acquired Müller's talent [Clever Space Penetration].
So he knew it well.
Its true value, and how to deal with it.
"I told you last night, right? Müller specializes in sudden space penetration."
"So, use my head?"
"You have to anticipate his movements. It'll be easier than just trying to stop him with your body."
With spatial penetration, even 1 millimeter can make the difference.
Trying to block it with reflexes alone, without beast-like physicality, is nearly impossible.
Which is why Ho-young emphasized using one's brain.
"Got it."
Despite being five years younger, Kim Shin-woo wasn't offended.
If it had been another teammate, maybe he would've been, but Ho-young was different.
It was like being taught by a calculus student while he was still learning basic arithmetic.
He should be thankful.
So instead of getting upset, Kim Shin-woo gave Ho-young a friendly tap on the back of the head.
"Go on. We'll do our best to hold the line."
After Müller's equalizer, Kim Shin-woo and Korea's backline burned with determination to stop Germany's attacks.
But the stronger their defense became, the more intense Germany's offensive grew.
For a youth team, they were executing high-level switching plays, throwing Korea into chaos.
In the 65th minute, Müller's decisive finishing once again shook Korea's net.
This time too, the assist came from Kroos.
'Was he even injured?'
Ho-young started to doubt it.
Even in difficult situations, Kroos somehow found ways to create chances.
But it wasn't as if Ho-young, now stationed up front, could drop back to defend.
In a high-level match like this, he had to choose where to focus.
'I need to focus on attacking. If I waste energy dropping back, I'll run out of steam by the final minutes.'
The match wasn't over yet.
He had to conserve energy for the endgame.
The opportunity would come.
"Huff."
Only after Müller scored the go-ahead goal did Coach Jonas finally exhale deeply.
"Yes. That's it."
His mood lightened considerably.
One more goal and Germany would have a much higher chance of advancing as group runners-up.
'Just one more. One more goal.'
And as if answering his plea, Germany created a golden chance just before the end of the second half.
It was another rapid counterattack starting from Kroos's feet.
"Yes! That's it!"
Jonas cheered in delight.
The play mirrored the scene of their first goal.
Germany's trademark move.
Kroos's forward pass followed by Müller's run into space.
'We just need a proper finish.'
But then—
Clack!
Instead of a finish, Kroos's forward pass was intercepted.
It was a sliding tackle by Kim Shin-woo, who had been laser-focused on defense.
Thanks to his desperate anticipation, he just barely managed to cut off the pass.
In other words, he got lucky.
"Damn it. If that had gone through, it would've been a goal."
Jonas let out a bitter groan.
But his disappointment quickly turned into dread.
Germany's failed counterattack had immediately turned into Korea's.
"Stop him! Stop him!!"
Jonas screamed at the top of his lungs.
Ho-young, who had been patiently waiting for a chance, received the ball with his back to goal.
It was a confrontation just outside the penalty area.
His opponent?
Holger Badstuber, Germany's defensive linchpin.
'He's clearly different from before.'
The sheer presence that came from his massive frame.
It was on a whole different level compared to three years ago.
But Ho-young hadn't spent those years sitting around doing nothing either.
He looked straight into the boy's blue eyes.
[Holger Badstuber]
[Possessed Talents: Football Prodigy (B+), Excellent Defensive Positioning (C+3), Fairly Sharp Decision Making (C-), Decent Jumping Ability (C+), Decent Ball Interceptions (C-)]
(You can obtain one talent by meeting the required condition.) (Condition: Win the match)
He had already gotten past Germany's great walls, Hummels and Boateng. Badstuber was no different.
It was a wall he could now climb over.
He believed in himself.
And in that moment.
A feint using Neymar's flexibility.
A dazzling upper-body fake, enough to widen Badstuber's pupils in shock.
Sure enough, Badstuber's foot reached out.
At the same time, Ho-young pulled the ball back slightly.
'Got him.'
With the rhythm and flair of Brazilian dribbling, he lured Badstuber into making a false step.
The big man lost his balance and staggered.
"Woop!"
Ho-young seized the opening and made his move.
It was a run combining Kaká's speed and Cha Du-ri's explosiveness.
Smaaaack!
A sprint that burned through all the stamina he had been conserving.
"Khah!"
Badstuber, in disbelief, could only watch Ho-young's figure grow smaller as he pulled away.
All he could do now was pray to the goalkeeper.
"Hey!"
Badstuber opened his mouth.
With desperate urgency, he yelled toward the goal.
"Come out! Get out there!"
Germany's goalkeeper.
Ron-Robert Zieler, a member of Manchester United's youth academy, was their final hope.
And true to expectations, he charged out of the goal.
But it was too rash.
He hadn't expected Ho-young to shoot half a beat earlier.
Which led to disaster.
Rip!
With finishing ability at its peak in this tournament, Ho-young slotted in the priceless equalizer.
And that wasn't all.
[Solid Finishing (B-)↑]
Previously [Decent Finishing (C+3)] had now been upgraded.
"Ugh…"
While Ho-young celebrated in the corner, someone was tearing at his hair in despair.
Holger Badstuber.
He collapsed to the ground and buried his face in the turf.
He had boasted so much, only to be humiliated like this in front of his teammates.
Just then—
"I told you, that kid's the real deal."
"Ughhh…"
It was Thomas Müller, approaching to console the devastated Badstuber.
But no words could comfort him now.
It was too late for regrets. Too much had been lost.
A draw.
Though the game ended in a tie, the true victor was Korea.
Peeeeep!
Full-time whistle.
South Korea secured 1 point and guaranteed their place in the semifinals, regardless of the France vs. Côte d'Ivoire result.
"Yes!"
"This isn't a dream, right?"
Thump, thump!
The Taegeuk Warriors pounded their chests, proudly celebrating their achievement.
Ho-young did the same.
He had played the full 90 minutes and was completely exhausted, but the joy of reaching the semifinals washed the fatigue away.
"Hou!"
"Hoo!"
"Hoh!"
As Ho-young celebrated with his teammates, Kim Shin-woo was the first to run over and pat his back.
"Great job!"
"You too, hyung~"
At the start of training camp, Kim Shin-woo had joked about beating up Ho-young, saying it would make him play better. But now, he had done a complete 180.
If this were a field of peaches, he looked ready to grab a cup and swear brotherhood on the spot.
"Ahem."
Rubbing his nose, Kim Shin-woo finally spoke his true feelings.
"Did you see that interception? Honestly, it was a gamble. Hahaha."
That sliding tackle to block Kroos's pass had been a risky bet.
If he'd mistimed it, they would have conceded for sure.
But Ho-young's advice had helped, no doubt about that.
Ho-young replied.
"Hyung. Luck is a skill too."
"You little… you really get it. Haha."
As the two shared a laugh and bonded, a boy from Germany calmly walked over, rotating his wrist.
"Kroos?"
Toni Kroos.
With bright eyes, the boy looked straight at Ho-young and gave him a big thumbs-up.
"Good game."
Then he pulled off his jersey and handed it over.
Even with his team's future uncertain, he was a boy who knew how to accept the result with grace.
'Was he always this kind?'
Regardless, Ho-young thought he'd love to play on the same team as Kroos someday, if the chance ever came.
(To be continued.)