Coach Heo Seong-soo had been under public pressure for months to call up Ho-young.
There was widespread public outcry over why Ho-young hadn't yet been selected.
Truthfully, since Korea had practically secured qualification for the World Cup, there had been no real need to rush it.
But the finals were coming next year.
Only two matches remained in the final round of Asian qualifiers.
The match on June 10 came too soon to arrange a call-up, but for the June 17 match, he planned to send an official request and bring Ho-young in.
More importantly, it was a directive from Korea Football Association president Cho Jun-hyung, a self-proclaimed superfan of Ho-young.
In truth, Coach Heo and Cha Bum-kun had a deep rift between them, and that made using Ho-young uncomfortable.
But not taking him to the World Cup was unthinkable.
'He's become too big.'
Treating Ho-young like just another overseas-based player would only backfire.
If handled poorly, it could turn the nation against him.
"Can't be helped."
Unless the president of the KFA cut ties with Ho-young, there was no way around it. But Cho Jun-hyung and Ho-young already had a personal connection.
That meant Ho-young wasn't just a player to take along. He was a player they had to welcome with open arms.
The player who could turn a team eliminated in the group stage into one reaching the Round of 16, and from there, into the quarterfinals.
Ho-young returned home a few days later.
Wearing a fedora and sunglasses, he looked every bit like a fashion icon.
But aside from his Adidas kit, everything he wore was unbranded.
Beside him was Lucci, attached at the hip like a secretary, acting as both bodyguard and companion.
"Even in no-brand gear, you make it look high-end. Models should step aside."
"It's all thanks to your fashion sense, Lucci. But is the fedora and sunglasses really necessary...?"
"This is our way of showing the world that you're not tied to any brand yet. No need to advertise for free. And you know how important fashion is for footballers these days. I studied fashion for a while, remember?"
"Of course. I know that better than anyone. Still in touch with Daniela and Dorothy?"
"Of course. Always keeping in touch. Daniela's doing well in Milan with Ronaldo. Her business seems to be thriving. She even reached out first about a sponsorship deal."
Ronaldo's wife Daniela had launched a fashion brand in Milan and was now interested in sponsoring Ho-young.
"If the terms are right, I'd be happy to accept."
"I'll start negotiations. Oh, and I heard Ronaldo is set to retire soon. Must feel a little strange, huh? Zidane already retired, and now Ronaldo too."
"Am I the only one feeling this way? It's like two of football's brightest stars are fading at once."
"But three new stars are rising, right? And you're going to be one of the giants! Both in your era and in football history. Surpassing Pelé himself."
"Then I guess winning the World Cup is a must."
The World Cup.
Along with the Champions League, it was every footballer's dream and greatest goal.
That dream seemed impossible with the Korean national team. Yet naturalizing for another country had a heavy penalty: he wouldn't be eligible for national team matches until he turned 23.
Unless FIFA changed its policies in the future, which Ho-young knew from the future was unlikely, it was practically impossible.
Unless, of course, some major event disrupted world football.
Either way, he was determined to play in this World Cup.
Incheon International Airport was bustling with fans.
Ho-young left the airport and headed straight to the KFA headquarters in Jongno with officials who had come to greet him.
There, he met President Cho Jun-hyung and Coach Heo Seong-soo.
The atmosphere was warm.
"Congratulations on winning the Champions League Golden Boot. I had chills watching it live."
"You're the pride of our nation, truly. Haha."
It was an open secret that Spain had offered Ho-young citizenship.
That's why both men were going all out to ensure he didn't change his mind.
They couldn't afford to lose a player of Ho-young's caliber, a true game-changer.
If it were any other overseas-based player, they might have tried to exert control, but not with Ho-young.
Coach Heo spoke frankly.
"Ho-young, I'd like you to contribute to the national team. Honestly, I may have called you up a bit late, but I hope you'll understand and come along willingly."
"Yes, Ho-young. I'd love for you to become the youngest Korean to play at the World Cup, gain experience, and grow into an even better player. What do you think?"
Ho-young felt slightly taken aback by the situation.
He wondered if this was really the Korea Football Association he'd known.
But he didn't care much about politics.
As long as he could focus on football, that was enough.
Ho-young replied.
"I understand."
June 17.
As soon as Ho-young's name appeared on the final squad list for the World Cup qualifiers, Korean football fans exploded with excitement.
Especially since the opponent was Iran, a team they hadn't beaten in four years, expectations were sky-high.
[Good evening, viewers. We're live at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. The final qualifier for the 2010 South Africa World Cup is about to kick off. With me is commentator Park Moon-seok.]
[Hello. This is Park Moon-seok, your commentator for today.]
[As mentioned earlier, Korea only needs a draw to secure the top spot. What are your thoughts on today's match?]
[Looking at the past three years, Korea's record against Iran is three draws and one loss. Some say we're particularly weak against Iran. I hope we can finally break that jinx today.]
[And so, Coach Heo has pulled out his trump card. Our people have waited so long for this moment. The KFA received dozens of calls every day asking why Ho-young wasn't being called up.]
[Exactly. And now, that moment has arrived. Ho-young is making his A-match debut today, becoming the youngest ever to do so. There's great anticipation for how he'll link up with Manchester United's Park Ji-sung, Celtic's Ki Sung-yueng, and Bolton's Lee Chung-yong.]
There had been debate about today's match.
Ho-young's addition would definitely strengthen the squad, but some feared it might disrupt team chemistry.
After all, Ho-young had no real experience playing with the national team in a match.
And they hadn't had many training sessions together either.
But paired up front with Park Chu-young, Ho-young brimmed with confidence.
'The opponent is Iran.'
From the moment the match began, Ho-young moved calmly, orchestrating the attack.
Working in tandem with left midfielder Park Ji-sung, he helped build up play down the flank.
Just before the first half ended, a chance came, but Park Chu-young's shot went over the bar.
Even so, captain Park Ji-sung gave a thumbs-up to lift team morale.
Ho-young's eyes turned toward him.
[Park Ji-sung]
[Possessed Talents: Two Hearts (U), Astonishing Stamina (S+2), Excellent Agility (A+2), Razor-Sharp Decision Making (A+2), Outstanding Tactical Understanding (A+)]
(You may covet one of the talents if conditions are met.)
(For S-grade or higher, hidden conditions must be fulfilled.)
(Condition 1: Start together in a match for the Korean national team)
(Condition 2: Record an attacking point)
(Condition 3: Win the match)
(Hidden Condition: Unlocks when at least one talent is coveted)
The conditions had changed drastically compared to the Champions League final.
Now, it would be much easier to covet a talent.
And "Two Hearts" would pair excellently with the "Astonishing Stamina (S+3)" gained from Nedvěd.
The tempo of the game began to rise.
And then, it happened.
Thwack!
[Park Ji-sung's penetrating pass slices through the center!]
[A ball into space! Ho-young charges in! He takes a touch, then shoots—whoosh!]
[GOOOOOOOAL!]
It all happened in a flash.
Just before the end of the first half, Ho-young scored his debut A-match goal.
The stadium erupted.
[Isn't this exactly what Korean fans have been hoping for?]
[That's right. Ho-young is like a breath of fresh air for a team that's long suffered from a lack of finishing power.]
1-0.
Korea took the lead into halftime, and continued to control the game after the break.
Just Ho-young's presence alone placed immense pressure on the Iranian players.
[The second half has begun.]
[The formation has changed. Korea's using a 4-2-3-1, a formation they rarely use. Ho-young is now in the attacking midfield role, with Park Ji-sung and Lee Chung-yong on the wings.]
Korea had lacked a true orchestrator, which made using this tactic difficult before. But now, things were different.
In the second half, Ho-young stepped up as the conductor, showcasing a new side of his game.
Every time Korea gained possession, the ball funneled to Ho-young's feet.
All attacks began there.
Tap.
[Ho-young has the ball. You can feel the tension. Iran's defense is visibly nervous.]
[It's no surprise. Ho-young is a world-class player. If I were a defender and he had the ball, I'd be terrified.]
Iran's six-man defensive unit, led by two defensive midfielders, tightly marked Ho-young.
But he calmly evaded their pressure with footwork worthy of a circus act, never losing possession.
At the same time, he dictated the rhythm of the match.
Sometimes slow and composed, other times as fierce as a crashing wave, he shifted the tempo with sharp passing, unsettling Iran's defense.
Occasionally, when his teammates failed to move as intended, Ho-young simply carried the ball himself and tore through Iran's defense.
[The Korean national team is putting on a dominant performance.]
[Ho-young is covering the entire second and midfield lines. Thanks to him, we're getting a lot of space down the flanks. It's practically like he's ruling half the pitch alone.]
Park Ji-sung didn't waste the opportunity.
He tirelessly moved to create space and eventually broke into the Iranian backline to create a critical chance.
Thwack!
[Park Ji-sung's low cross from outside the penalty area!]
[Ho-young's on the move!]
Centre-back Hossein Kaebi rushed forward, but he was slower than Ho-young, who was already perfectly positioned.
Kaebi made a quick decision.
'He's going to shoot.'
He dove to cut down the angle.
But Ho-young didn't shoot. Instead, he dribbled.
Smack!
[Ho-young feints with a shot to beat Hossein Kaebi! He cuts into the right side of the box!]
Inside the penalty box, chaos erupted.
Ho-young's eyes sharpened.
On the far side, Park Chu-young was moving to find space, surrounded by three defenders.
And a tall defender was charging in.
[Mohammad Nosrati closes in on Ho-young!]
[Ho-young needs to stay composed here!]
"Hup!"
Nosrati lunged, but Ho-young calmly pulled the ball back.
Then, he pushed forward with another dribble.
[Ho-young needs to be careful not to let the ball go out. At this point, he needs to either pass or cross.]
[Exactly. From there, there's no shooting angle. With the defense packed in, he should pull it back or switch it.]
That was the sensible choice.
But not if you defied logic.
Boom!
[…What?!]
It was practically a zero-angle shot, but the strike flew without hesitation.
Then,
Clink!
The ball, heavily spun, curved on a beautiful trajectory and sank into the opposite corner of the net.
A left-footed curling shot, blending the talent stolen from Henry with Roberto Carlos's spin kick.
[GOOOOOOOAL! What a goal! Ho-young scores from an impossible angle!]
[Wow... it's hard to believe what we just saw. A zero-angle shot in the middle of chaos—this is an extremely rare sight.]
[Incredible. Two shots, two goals. Phenomenal finishing. Ho-young is showing exactly why he's so highly rated!]
Iran pulled one back, but Korea held on to win 2-1.
With that, Ho-young successfully acquired "Two Hearts (U)".
[Korea defeats Iran for the first time in four years. What a historic night. A 17-year-old, by Korean age, debuts and performs like this in his first A-match.]
Team chemistry disrupted by Ho-young's sudden inclusion?
Against Iran, that wasn't important.
What mattered was that Ho-young was now part of the squad.
Coach Heo Seong-soo began to believe that, maybe, just maybe...
This South Africa World Cup might lead to Korea's first-ever Round of 16 finish on foreign soil.
His ascension to legendary status among Korean coaches was now only a matter of time.
He looked ready to bow before Ho-young on the spot.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
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