Scolari was just as stubborn as he looked.
He usually believed his thoughts were correct and rarely backed down from his stance.
The tactics he planned to deploy in the upcoming El Clásico were already nearly finalized.
But then.
"You have an idea, huh...?"
That was what Ho-young said when he suddenly showed up.
Scolari had anticipated that something like this might happen eventually, but experiencing it firsthand still caught him off guard.
A player with less than ten years of football experience, and only in his third year as a professional, was offering tactical advice.
Still, he wanted to hear him out.
"Have a seat. Want something to drink?"
"I'm fine as I am. I think better when I'm thirsty."
"That makes sense. The brain works faster when you're in desperate need of something."
Scolari chuckled and lowered his water bottle, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
He was surprised to find he could relate to one of his players so easily.
"Feel free to speak openly. I may be known as old-fashioned and conservative, but I'm not as rigid as they say. I'm less stiff than Capello at least. Though we do share that fiery temper. Haha."
Scolari deliberately lightened the mood.
Truthfully, perhaps he had been waiting for this moment.
Even as a world-renowned manager, there was always a possibility that he could learn something from Ho-young.
After all, Ho-young had already proven himself as a tactical mind.
Scolari couldn't help but wonder what kind of bold idea he might bring up.
Then, Ho-young finally spoke.
"After playing in today's match, I was thinking, what if we used the Chaser Drill as an actual tactical concept?"
"You're saying we should use it to disrupt the opponent's defense in real matches?"
"Yes, simply put."
That's it?
That thought crossed Scolari's mind.
So, he's still within the expected range.
Had he overestimated Ho-young?
It was a suggestion anyone might have come up with.
I guess I expected too much.
Scolari rubbed his mustache, concealing his disappointment, and began to speak in a calm, advising tone.
"What you're suggesting is like trying to walk from Madrid to Norway."
"Then we should take the train or a plane."
"Ho-young."
Scolari's voice sank low.
"I don't like word games. Especially not in critical moments like this. No matter how much praise you receive, there are no exceptions."
"I'm not joking. We do have trains and planes, don't we?"
"What?"
He repeated those words in his head for a moment.
Scolari let out an incredulous laugh.
"Haha. What, is Ronaldo the train? Or the plane?"
"That depends on the situation. Sometimes I should cover aerial routes, and Ronaldo should stay on the ground. Other times, the opposite."
"So, you're saying we need to use various options to make this tactic work in reality."
He was proposing to add versatility to a tactic that was hard to apply.
It was worth some praise.
But that was all.
"Honestly, it's practically impossible. The Chaser System only works in training because the situations are simple and controlled. If we want to use it in a real match, we'd need incredibly stable ball distribution."
"But we have Xabi Alonso."
"Against Barcelona, even breaking through their press will be difficult. There won't be time to worry about anything else."
"That's where I come in."
"!"
A sharp response.
Scolari flinched and stroked his mustache again.
Then Ho-young continued.
"If I drop deeper and help with build-up, it might be possible. Plus, Ronaldo, Douglas, and I all have pace. We could manage switching play for at least 15 minutes."
"Hmm..."
Scolari felt like he had been struck in the back of the head.
It wasn't that I overestimated him, but that I underestimated him. If they can escape the press, this tactic could be used two or three times in a match.
Perhaps this tactic could become a weapon to catch Barcelona off guard.
Match Day Morning.
Spain's sports media was already churning out article after article about El Clásico.
Most of them were filled with rumors, with no way to tell fact from fiction.
[AS] Abidal unlikely to play… expected to be out at least another week...
[Don Balón] Lionel Messi has urged Guardiola to use a 4-2-1-3 formation.
[Marca] Analysts agree: Scolari is likely to use Ho-young as a right winger in a front three.
[Sport] Marcelo recovers quickly from injury, signaling green light for a possible return.
Leaks between professional football clubs were nothing new.
This time was no different.
Both teams had already gotten wind of each other's injury reports and medical results, so it was unlikely anyone would fall for these smokescreen tactics.
As expected, Marcelo's name was nowhere to be found in Real Madrid's starting lineup.
"There was an article saying Marcelo would play, but it turned out to be false. He's not even listed among the substitutes. But... Barcelona is surprising."
Shockingly, Barcelona's starting lineup included a player who shouldn't have been there.
Éric Abidal, who was reportedly still four days away from recovering, had been named a starter.
It wasn't impossible, though.
"Looks like Barcelona's medical staff really pulled out all the stops for this match."
"Seems that way. As long as there's no risk of long-term effects, it's certainly possible. It depends on the staff's skill and the player's condition."
"Still, Real Madrid must be fuming. It's like taking a punch before the match even kicks off."
Exactly.
Real Madrid had trained expecting Maxwell to replace Abidal.
They had been dealt an early blow.
But they weren't stepping onto the battlefield without their own weapons.
"Interesting. The psychological warfare between the two sides is fascinating. Barcelona landed the first punch with Abidal, but that doesn't mean Madrid is losing the mind games. Marcelo may not be playing, but someone unexpected is."
"That's right. Ronaldo, Ho-young, and Douglas Costa are all starting."
That much was still within the range of expectations.
But Ruud van Nistelrooy's inclusion was not.
"Van Nistelrooy... I can't remember the last time he started. He hasn't fit into Scolari's tactics lately and hasn't seen much playing time. For him to be in the starting XI for such an important match means Scolari has something special planned."
"Guardiola must be feeling the pressure. It's already his third El Clásico. If he loses again, who knows what might happen."
The players from both teams began walking out onto the pitch.
Then.
Tweet!
At Camp Nou, Barcelona's home ground.
Amidst deafening cheers from 97,138 spectators, the referee's whistle echoed across the field.
"Yes, the match has begun. Real Madrid lines up in a 4-2-3-1 formation as announced. Van Nistelrooy starts as the lone striker, with Ronaldo, Ho-young, and Douglas Costa positioned behind him."
"They've deployed leopards in the second line and placed a bear up top. With quick mobility and solid presence, they'll likely focus on post-play to break through."
It was a logical expectation.
Now 33, Van Nistelrooy's mobility had declined, but his post play inside the penalty box remained elite.
Given the chance, he could still unleash a powerful finish at any moment.
The plan was clear: the second line would destabilize the defense, and Van Nistelrooy would finish the chances they created.
And once the match began, that prediction proved accurate.
"Van Nistelrooy is serving as the focal point of the attack since the whistle. He's drawing Gerard Piqué in and preventing him from stepping up."
Because of that, Seydou Keita, playing as a defensive midfielder, had to drop deep to receive the ball himself.
Still, it wasn't a major issue.
In fact, Dani Alves and Éric Abidal's overlapping runs were already in full swing from the early minutes.
Abidal, just returning from injury, was particularly impressive with his movement.
It was almost like he had never been injured at all.
Receiving passes from Puyol and Keita, he quickly overlapped or fed the ball to Iniesta, kickstarting their tiki-taka rhythm.
"But Real Madrid isn't backing down. They're holding their ground. Pressing is being initiated from the second line, with Ho-young leading the charge. It's a completely different approach from last season."
"You can really see Scolari's football philosophy at work. People often describe his style as 'pragmatic samba football.' Barcelona needs to be cautious."
The match was intense from the outset.
Ho-young anchored the central line, with Ronaldo and Douglas busy flanking both sides, executing high pressing.
There were no issues in the center, where Ho-young held firm.
Keita was struggling to deliver the ball cleanly to Xavi or Iniesta.
But the right side was a different story.
"Damn it."
Douglas Costa was struggling to contain Abidal.
After all, it was his El Clásico debut.
And he was giving it everything he had, no exaggeration.
But facing Abidal was proving to be too much.
"Too strong..."
When trying to break through, Abidal closed the space perfectly. When defending, Douglas couldn't stop him even once from dribbling past.
It felt like kicking the ball against a brick wall.
Understandable, considering it was Douglas's first time facing a world-class full-back.
"If it keeps going like this, I won't be able to do anything I planned."
They were about to roll out a carefully prepared tactic soon. If he was already struggling now, things would only get worse when it mattered most.
"This is such a burden..."
Douglas lost confidence in his own play.
Despite the mental support Ho-young had provided over the past two weeks, it had completely crumbled.
He had reached his limit.
"Ugh!"
"Oh no! Douglas loses the ball to Abidal!"
"At the same time, Abidal breaks forward down the flank. Xavi Hernández is moving into space to receive the ball!"
A golden attacking chance for Barcelona.
Douglas's face collapsed.
Just like Benzema had once experienced, it was turning into a disastrous debut.
But he didn't know something crucial.
Thud!
"A sudden challenge from behind! Ho-young closes in on Xavi! It's a fierce battle for the ball!"
Ho-young was always watching his back.
"Ho-young's tackle!"
"But Xavi shows incredible ball retention. He just won't let go!"
"That's some fantastic press resistance. Amazing."
Xavi managed to keep the ball, but Ho-young's relentless pressure disrupted the timing of the attack.
It was essentially a wasted opportunity.
"Damn."
While Xavi shook his head in frustration, Ho-young walked over to Douglas and gave him a few words of encouragement.
It helped Douglas regain a bit of confidence and pull himself together mentally.
Now, it was time to unveil the tactic they had prepared.
And the chance would soon arrive.
(To be continued.)