As expected, Japan's locker room was in shambles.
And understandably so, the first half had ended without them showing even a glimpse of Kagawa's space-creation ability or Japan's signature counter-attacking style.
Had they managed to land at least one decent counter, it wouldn't have been this bad.
"Hoo..."
Some of the Japanese players were shaking their heads and sighing at the devastating result.
The Korean players had simply been too strong for them to handle.
With his players gripped by fear, the Japanese manager had no choice but to make tactical changes.
"Don't fall back. Stand your ground until the end."
Having come this far, they opted for a full-on clash.
It was their last hope.
As the second half began, Japan circulated the ball from their defensive line and slowly pushed their formation forward, searching for a breakthrough.
But in the 55th minute, Koo Ja-young's long-range strike found the back of the net, and Japan's momentum was crushed once again.
After that, the match turned dull.
This time, Korea had parked the bus.
With the win nearly secured, there was no reason to risk pushing forward aggressively.
Saving energy for the final was the smarter move.
In the 65th minute, Korea sealed their victory and made a substitution.
Ho-young, who had been moving sluggishly since the start of the second half, came off the pitch and returned to the bench.
"Haah..."
His face had gone pale, and his breathing was rough.
Playing back-to-back 90-minute matches over several days was pushing him to his limits.
Especially in this match, where he had burned too much energy in the first half, he was unable to perform properly in the second.
'Stamina is the biggest issue.'
He could unleash explosive performances against weaker teams, but sustaining it over time was a different story.
Moving up to the U17 league in this condition would be tough.
In that sense, this tournament had been a valuable experience that not only highlighted his strengths but clearly exposed his weaknesses.
Piiiii!
Thankfully, the match ended without further changes at 3-0.
Thanks to that, Ho-young was able to claim one of Kagawa's talents, [Delicate and Precise Ball Touch (B+)].
'Next time we meet, he'll probably be much better. He's the kind of player who truly explodes once he reaches the senior level.'
Right now, Kagawa might just be a B-tier prospect, but in a few years, he would develop into an A-tier player.
Then again, who knew?
Maybe this match would push Kagawa to reach even greater heights or possibly the opposite.
One thing was certain.
Both of them would keep moving forward.
As Ho-young walked off the pitch and headed toward the locker room, his expression remained stiff despite the dominant win.
It was because of this:
[Potential (B)]
This was something he had claimed from Kagawa Shinji by fulfilling the special condition.
There was a description included, which made it easy to understand.
[Enhances one possessed talent within the (B-) to (B+2) range.]
It was like skill points in a game.
'Oh-ho.'
It would be best to assign it to the most needed talent.
'This is huge.'
From youth talents to now even potential, he had gained a lot during this overseas trip.
But it wasn't over yet.
"Les gars, c'était un bon match."
A voice in French said, "Good game."
All twenty-two players, walking through the tunnel, immediately turned their heads.
A large, imposing black man stood before them.
He had stopped by the stadium entrance to offer encouragement and was a current professional player appointed as an ambassador for the Mondial Football Montaigu tournament.
But none of the players seemed to recognize him.
"Who is that? Do you know?"
"No idea."
"Looks kinda familiar though..."
Ho-young, on the other hand, knew exactly who he was.
Dark skin, massive frame, the kind of physicality that made you want to avoid him altogether.
He was a French legend, a veteran who had only recently been in his prime.
Even for Ho-young, it wasn't an instant recognition.
The generation gap between them was significant.
Still, that didn't mean the man's name carried any less weight.
'A true legend.'
He was a key part of the French backline that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup, a member of the famed Les Bleus, and one of France's most iconic figures.
He was also the captain of Chelsea from 2001 to 2004, laying the foundation for the Chelsea empire.
His prestige was clear from the fact that he had been appointed as an ambassador for the Montaigu Tournament.
Just like how Zinedine Zidane, a legend of the same era, had served as the ambassador for the globally renowned Danone Nations Cup.
Who could have expected to run into someone like that here?
A towering figure, standing 188 cm tall and weighing nearly 90 kg, boasting the raw physicality typical of elite African players.
He was always mentioned in debates about the greatest defenders of all time.
Staring into his eyes, Ho-young let out a quiet laugh.
[Marcel Desailly]
[Possessed Talents: The Immovable Rock (T), Unshakable Solidity of a Rock (U), Unmatched Jumping Ability (S), Phenomenal Physique (S), (View More)]
(You can obtain one talent upon meeting the required conditions.)
(If selecting a Title-grade (T) talent, partial sensation-based comprehension will be acquired. Must be 18 or older to claim.)
(S-grade talents require hidden conditions to unlock.)
(Condition 1: Win the Mondial Football Montaigu Tournament.)
(Condition 2: Win the Golden Boot at the Mondial Football Montaigu Tournament.)
(Condition 3: Be named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.)
(Condition 4: Accumulate 4,000 minutes of strength training.)
(Condition 5: Receive training from Marcel Desailly.)
(Hidden condition: Unlockable after claiming at least one talent.)
Nicknamed The Rock, Desailly was one of the finest defenders of the late 1990s to early 2000s, known for his overwhelming strength and near-superhuman physical capabilities.
He even filmed a commercial where he trapped a steel ball on his chest.
Ho-young's jaw dropped.
'Two S-grades.'
A stark contrast to Ballack, whose talents were filled with A-grades.
Desailly wasn't versatile, but his physical talents were completely maxed out.
What shocked Ho-young more than that was his age — 34.
Normally, players begin to decline significantly at that point, but Desailly was still going strong.
'Well, he was dominating the EPL until just last year.'
Indeed, Desailly had helped lead Chelsea to the Champions League final the previous year and maintained his form right up until retirement.
'But if I recall correctly, he retired shortly after leaving Chelsea.'
And Ho-young was right.
Desailly was currently playing in the Middle East, earning a hefty salary before retiring at the end of the season.
And here he was, appearing just in time.
Of course, even if Ho-young managed to acquire [The Rock's Firm Armor (U)], it didn't mean he would instantly possess Desailly's monstrous physicality.
It would improve him somewhat, but the rest would still require hard work and natural development.
'Still...'
With that alone, maybe he could close the age gap with older players.
He might even be able to keep up at the U16 or U17 level.
The problem was figuring out how to obtain it.
As expected of a legend, the conditions were absurdly difficult.
'Everything depends on the final.'
Ho-young clenched his jaw.
No matter who the opponent was, he would crush them.
If Desailly retired, this chance would be gone forever, so he had to seize it.
Step.
Ho-young gathered his courage and approached Desailly.
He only knew how to say "Bonjour" in French, but he spoke Spanish, Portuguese, and English.
He wasn't afraid of talking to foreigners.
"Hello."
"Oh, hello."
That was a relief.
He had been slightly worried that Desailly might hold a grudge over Korea destroying France in the opener, but the veteran welcomed him with a smile.
"So you're the kid. Not bad, huh?"
Desailly meant it.
He thought Ho-young had shown an impressive level of football for a U16 tournament.
'Sure, the tactics helped, but for a youth player to execute them properly isn't easy. With a few tweaks, he could be playing professionally in a few years.'
Suk Hyun-jun scored the goals, but the player who left the strongest impression was Ho-young.
Desailly was curious.
Not quite as much as he was in the French players, of course, but out of the foreign players in the tournament, Ho-young stood out the most.
He asked, in the global language of English.
"You understand me?"
"Yes. I speak English. Just... speak a bit slower, please."
"You're doing well."
"Thank you."
"I'm looking forward to the final. Hope to see you again at the awards ceremony."
Desailly would be participating in the award ceremony and presenting the prizes.
For Ho-young, this was a rare chance to build a connection with the legendary player.
"Then see you again."
"Yes, it's an honor to meet you."
"Ha ha."
Desailly laughed at Ho-young's overly formal response.
Whether it was sincere or just polite, it felt nice to hear.
So he asked,
"By the way, do you know who I am?"
Though he asked, Desailly didn't really expect Ho-young to know his face.
'He might've heard my name, but probably doesn't recognize my face.'
Unlike Zidane or Ronaldo, he wasn't a global superstar.
Unless the kid was a Premier League fan, there was no reason a young Asian boy would know him.
But Ho-young gave a surprising answer.
"I'm a Chelsea fan."
"Oh?"
Desailly's face immediately lit up.
It was a lie, of course...
"Really?"
"Of course! You were John Terry's mentor, weren't you?"
"Ha ha ha. You know your stuff."
Desailly laughed heartily, and Ho-young laughed along.
His first French connection couldn't have gone better.
"Phew!"
Even after returning to the locker room, Ho-young's heart was still pounding.
'If I ever meet Zidane, I might just die of a heart attack.'
He let out a deep breath as he changed clothes.
Just then.
"Yooo~ That English wasn't bad!"
His older teammates gathered around, impressed by his English.
Sure, it was just basic vocabulary and grammar, but speaking to a foreigner at all made him look cool.
"Do they teach English in Brazil too?"
"Probably. It's a multicultural country, right?"
Not quite.
He hadn't learned English formally in Brazil.
But with so many English-derived words in the language, his English had improved a bit naturally.
And if he were to gain Monica's language talent too?
'I could probably pick up Spanish easily.'
That would definitely make breaking into Europe much smoother.
In fact, his move might happen very soon — possibly right after this tournament.
"Then Ho-young can spy on the opponent's tactics next match!"
"You idiot. France speaks French, not English."
"Oh, right?!"
The next opponent was France.
The final match was just two days away.
[France vs Korea: A Fateful Rematch in the Final... Revenge or First Title?]
As this kind of headline was setting Korean fans' hearts ablaze, night fell in France.
Under the floodlights, Montaigu Stadium was packed with over 30,000 spectators.
That was more than triple the attendance of last year's final between Italy and Japan, thanks to host nation France making it to the final.
As the players were called onto the pitch one by one, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause.
The stadium exploded when France's ace was announced.
[Numero 6, Moussa Sissoko!]
"Woooooooah!"
In the opening match, Moussa Sissoko had been on the bench due to a minor injury.
But now, with his name on the scoreboard, French fans shouted in excitement.
He was already skilled enough to debut professionally, and his presence made a night-and-day difference.
And then.
[Numero 7, Woo Ho-young!]
As the name "Woo" appeared on the big screen, a wave of scattered cheers rang out.
But most French fans remained silent.
Ho-young, who had already given France one nightmare, was once again their number one threat.
Soon, players from both sides shook hands.
Ho-young's intense gaze landed on one person.
Moussa Sissoko was twitching his lips.
And then, the match began.
The final night in France was just getting started.
(To be continued.)