The next day, a cool breeze blows in the morning.
Most of Sao Paulo FC's first-team players, who had no training, took time to rest and recharge.
On the other hand, there were also players who did not do that.
For example, a man who thinks even just a few days of rest is a waste of time, so he comes to the training ground to maintain his form.
It was a young man holding a Bible in one hand and a sports bag in the other.
"long time no see. "Ricardo."
"How have you been, Director?"
It was Ricardo Kaka.
He was currently absent from any official games or team training due to his transfer to AC Milan, but was visiting the training ground every day.
The biggest goal was to maintain my condition and skills, but there was a different reason today.
"Do you have something to say?"
"Something like this."
It was because of a request from Director Carlos.
"Are the transfer preparations going well?"
"You know. The club has been very helpful. "I'm resting comfortably without doing anything."
Currently, Kaka has no schedule left.
Until June, he was a member of Sao Paulo FC, but it didn't really matter if he moved to Italy right away.
"well. It doesn't look like you're resting well. "I heard you trained last night too."
"I maintain minimal ball sensation."
"After all, human nature is not easily changed."
Anyway, Carlos continued.
"The reason I asked to see you is because I want to ask you something from the club level. "I'd like you to coach one of the team's prospects before you leave. How would you like it?"
Tutoring.
It refers to providing guidance and advice on a 1:1 basis, and is also called mentoring.
In simple words, teacher.
Just as Messi learned soccer from Aimar and Ronaldo learned soccer from Quaresma, a teacher is a good driving force in a player's growth.
Kaka coolly responded to that request.
"All right."
"You don't look very surprised."
"ha ha ha. You always asked for it this time of year. Last year it was Douglas."
It was even more strange that Kaka, known for his brilliant mind, did not notice his request.
"So who is it this time?"
"There is a boy from Korea."
"yes? "You mean Asian?"
"Is there a problem?"
"It's not a problem, it's just a first time. "I'd like to see it sometime."
"haha. "I think you'll probably like it."
Carlos said as he got up from his seat
.
"I told you to come by 10 o'clock, so I'll probably be there soon."
"Then shall we go to the training ground first?"
"Sure."
The adult team training ground where the two soon arrived was, as expected, quiet.
however.
"I think it's already here?"
"Anyway, it's because I'm so diligent."
A boy lifting hard and kicking a ball in the corner.
"hi."
"Uh… uh…?"
As Kaka approached him and spoke in a friendly manner, the boy stiffened as if frozen in place.
Of course, seeing Kaka and his talent appear before my eyes, I had no choice but to do so.
Woo Ho-young.
The boy felt like his heart was going to explode.
[Kaka]
Talents
– Prince of soccer (T)
– Playmaking of the prince of soccer (U)
– Crazy dribbling at the speed of light (S)
– Faithful and good mentality (A+2)
– Amazing work ability (A+2)
– Sculptural beauty (A+)
-Powerful mid-distance shooting (A+)
-Flexible individual skills (A)
-Clear goal-making ability (A)
-Active activity (A-)
(More)
(You can pursue one talent if you meet the conditions.)
(T You can acquire some of the senses by coveting the title. However, you can only covet it if you are over 18 years old.)
(Light speed dribble (S) can be coveted only when you achieve the hidden condition.)
(Condition 1: 1000 minutes or more Training together)
(Condition 2: Receive Kaka's know-how)
(Condition 3: Advance to the quarterfinals of the Super Championship)
(Condition 4: Be selected as Man of the Match in the round of 16 of the Super Championship)
(Condition 5: Against Fluminense FC Score 3 points)
(Hidden condition: Open when you desire 1 or more talents)
When using the main building, you sometimes meet first-team players, but this was the first time this happened.
'Kaka….'
I never dreamed that I would meet Kaka, who is currently rising in the adult team and is the best player in the current Brazilian league.
What is certain is that it is a God-given opportunity.
'Talent is so powerful. 'I haven't even reached my prime yet, so I can't believe it.'
Prince of soccer.
I thought it was the title that suited Kaka best.
Because he was a man who had everything in the world:
face, personality, personality, skills, skills .
Especially skills.
'Your playmaking ability stands out.'
Kaka is usually portrayed as an attacking midfielder who hits the goal directly, but that is not the case at all.
He possesses all the abilities required for a forward playmaker, and his chance making and ball distribution abilities are also very good.
'He is not a playmaker with an overwhelming stake like Pirlo, but he is a player who greatly contributes to ball rotation with his versatile play.'
In other words, he was a player who played the role of a control tower well.
He reached the highest level in the field of playmaking, winning the Best Playmaker Award, and his dribbling speed in particular was 'record-breaking'.
However, the conditions for coveting it were quite difficult.
'Training for more than 1,000 minutes cannot be done in one day.'
Kaka will leave for Italy's prestigious AC Milan in June next month.
Today alone was not enough to reach 1,000 minutes by then.
'I wonder if Kaka could be my tutor…'
I thought it was ridiculous, but I was still looking forward to it, and Carlos scratched my itch.
"This is Ricardo Kaka, the player who will be your mentor for four weeks from today."
Carlos' promise to provide the best support for Hoyoung's growth.
This was undoubtedly true.
It's already been an hour since the tutoring started.
"Huh…"
Hoyoung, who was performing basic training with Kaka, gasped.
'Do you work this hard even on your days off?'
I knew well that Kaka was famous for his sincerity.
There is even an anecdote about him reading the Bible on a park bench after saying goodbye to an after-party with colleagues.
He was a model student who even made the paparazzi raise their hands and feet.
And before he was a genius, he was a practice bug.
I could tell by experiencing it myself.
"Whoa…"
I thought I was working really hard, but this wasn't even close to being a part of the axle.
Even with the amount of training, I couldn't keep up with the intensity of the training.
Even though he gained a strong body, Hoyoung was still twelve years old.
still.
'It's like a fortune.'
I didn't give up.
You have to seize the opportunity when it comes.
Hoyoung, who knew this very well, recalled Cha Beom-gon's words.
Fierce body and hot heart!
'can do.'
I persevered through my strength and focused on training.
It was then.
"Don't push yourself too hard. "It's the first day."
Kaka, who was setting up training cones, said with a grin.
Hoyoung took a breath and answered.
"Thank you for the advice. But…"
"Hmm?"
"I also want to become a great player. "Like Kaka."
"haha."
Instead of looking worried, Kaka looked at Hoyoung as if he was amazed.
It was similar to the look in Balak's eyes.
"I understand what Coach Carlos means."
"yes?"
"haha. Nothing. "You said your name was Hoyoung, right?"
"yes."
"Then let's ask before the actual training. What kind of soccer do you want to play?"
"I want to play soccer that leads the game."
"You have the temperament of a playmaker."
Playmaker.
This refers to a player who makes plays based on his ability to set an attack route, control the tempo of the game, and read the flow of the game.
Representative examples include Maradona, Zico, Zidane, Kaka Iniesta, Messi, Ronaldinho, Ribery, Xavi, Toni Kroos, Pirlo Alonso, etc.
While there are playmakers who play on the wings, there are also playmakers who play on the third line.
Among them, Hoyoung wanted to become a playmaker like Ronaldinho who could play as a winger, attacking midfielder, or shadow striker.
"Then let's see what qualifications you have."
"Qualities?"
"If we talk about the qualities of a playmaker, they are largely intuition, decision-making, judgment, and prediction. Sometimes he goes down to the midfield to receive the ball, or sometimes he opens the path for a pass with an active off-the-ball movement."
"The basics of playmaking are first possession of the ball, right?"
"What?"
Kaka's eyes deepened.
"yes. Having the ball is the first step in playmaking. So, regardless of ball keeping ability, you have to catch the ball well. Well, let's first look at judgment and prediction ability. "You stand in front of me and when I send a pass, you run there and catch the ball."
"yes."
Hoyoung nodded.
I knew it well because it was a training exercise I had done a lot with Oscar.
Kaka smiled warmly.
'This may be easier said than done, but it's harder than you think.'
Because it is not just training, but training cones are placed around it as obstacles, it is not possible to receive a pass simply by having quick feet.
Positioning ability and agility are basic, but prediction, judgment, and a wide perspective are also necessary elements.
Moreover, it is not easy to receive a pass from Kaka, who has great kicking power and great creativity, without even breathing together.
'It's especially difficult for young people. 'If you only get one out of four, you've done well.'
In other words, it was a very easy training to measure Hoyoung's skills.
'…Then, let's give a pass that is hard to get.'
Kaka raised his head and looked at Hoyoung.
"Don't look at the publicity, look at the people! "If you follow the ball with your eyes, it's already too late!"
"yes!"
It was at that moment that a forward pass came from Kaka's toes.
Cough!
A ground ball pass that passes through the training cones exquisitely.
'This will be hard to catch.'
An adult player would certainly catch it, but it was difficult for a typical youth to even catch it with his or her reaction speed and senses.
but.
Percussion!
"…!"
As a heavy sound filled the field, Kaka's dark eyebrows twitched.
This is because Hoyoung received a high-quality pass in one go.
'I don't have great quickness, but my speed is amazing.'
I was able to understand a little why Carlos had entrusted me with being a tutor.
But once I tried it, I couldn't be sure.
Afterwards, Kaka tested Hoyoung's qualities in various ways.
The test was completed in about an hour.
Hoyoung was on the verge of collapsing on the field out of breath.
"haha! are you okay. "That's enough, so just sit down and rest."
"Ha… I'm fine!"
"It's okay. "We'll start again in 10 minutes, so take a break."
As soon as those words were said, Hoyoung collapsed on the floor.
Kaka turned his back and smiled faintly.
'You're doing much better than I thought. Above all, he is good at reading the flow of passes. Where on earth did you learn that? Moreover, he is mentally strong and has fighting spirit.'
Before I knew it, my motivation began to burn.
Because it was like seeing my own childhood.
It was even more refreshing that he was an Asian boy with a short history of soccer.
At that time, Hoyoung, who was catching his breath, checked the time and opened his mouth.
"It's a conditioning period. Is it okay for you to stay at the training ground?"
"haha. "Are you worried about me now?"
Kaka came and sat down next to him and continued speaking.
"People should always be sincere. "A sincere person remains faithful even in big things."
It feels like reading the Bible.
It was advice he could give because he was Kaka.
And he was good.
His personality was evident from his facial expressions and tone of voice.
Does it feel like you are being purified just by being next to you?
And Hoyoung once again realized that the superstar Kaka was standing in front of him.
My whole body heated up at that thought.
Unable to bear it, Hoyoung jumped out of his seat, wiping his sweaty face.
"Let's do it again!"
"It's good. Sincerity is what makes people rich. "Skill or whatever."
Words that touch my heart deeply.
Hoyoung truly thought that this man was a saint.
He said that.
"Then, shall we try some different training this time? "From what I heard, the next game is important."
"yes. The opposing team has a monstrous Brazilian defender named Marcelo. Coach Carlos said he is one of the top defenders in the U15 league."
"Marcellura… If the coach says so, we might play for the national team together in the future."
Did they say that one of the qualities of a playmaker is prediction?
'It's huge.'
In fact, Kaka would later play on the same team as Marcelo.
This is assuming that the future does not change.
"Anyway, then let's attack him. Predicting what the opponent will do and responding to it is a very important ability as a playmaker."
From that day on, the secret tutoring that could not be paid for began, and the final battle quickly approached.