It's the second day since Kaka's tutoring started.
Hoyoung stayed with Kaka for more than half a day as if he were his alter ego.
This was because Coach Carlos was of the opinion that a clumsy tutor was worse than not having a tutor at all.
Thanks to this, Hoyoung was able to watch Kaka's every move together until he returned home, and was able to learn other things besides soccer.
Kaka generously passed on his know-how, including mental management methods and exercise methods, as well as areas in which Hoyoung was lacking.
However, this does not mean that Hoyoung only did personal training.
Naturally, in preparation for the round of 16, I participated in team training and tactical training regularly and was devising ways to maximize my performance in the next game.
And on the fourth day after starting tutoring, Kaka told a special story.
"To be honest, I had a prosperous childhood in a decent home. My mother was a teacher. So, I was just playing soccer as a hobby, but one day, a dream began to form."
"Suddenly?"
"Soccer was fun. But I realized that in order to enjoy soccer more, I had to get better. So, step by step, I developed my dream. "Every night, I go to the playground, jump rope, kick a ball, and wake up early in the morning to go swimming."
"So that's when you started showing your presence?"
"No, honestly, I had a completely different childhood than you. "I couldn't get off the bench until I was 14."
"yes?"
Hoyoung asked back without realizing how surprised he was.
A player who achieved great success like this didn't get a starting position until he was 14?
I couldn't believe it, but Kaka's eyes were sincere.
Hoyoung was immersed in his story.
"So at that time, my coach and parents told me to give up on sports."
"You were in crisis in your career as a player."
"No, not at all. I had faith in dreams. So I didn't give up. Then, that year, he grew taller and led the U15 team to the championship in just one year."
"Oh…"
"But when I was 18, I had a serious accident and injured my spine. The doctor said I can no longer play soccer. But I had faith in myself. And like a miracle, he came back."
Kaka continued speaking, placing his hand on Hoyoung's shoulder.
"What I want to say is this. You are much younger now than I was then. And his skills are very good. Do you understand?"
"yes."
"It's obvious, but you have to believe in yourself. And there are 10 players behind you. And above all, sincerity allows you to focus only on soccer. Reporters harassing you? Paparazzi? No need to worry. "That's enough."
"yes. Thank you for the advice."
Grinning.
The smile did not leave Hoyoung's mouth.
If there was anyone who made you feel good just by looking at him, it was Kaka.
'This guy is truly a model student to his core.'
When I was with him, I just felt like my mind became infinitely clearer and purified.
When I felt like I was getting closer to him, Hoyoung asked first this time.
"But this is something I've been curious about for a while. Is there a special reason why you went to AC Milan?"
"My biggest goal was to advance to a prestigious club in Europe's big league. And in Milan, I have the opportunity to learn soccer from good players such as Shevchenko, Pirlo and Seedorf, and Sao Paulo is Milan's satellite club. haha. "I don't think it would be a bad idea to learn Italian in advance, just in case."
"hmm."
Hoyoung's face took on a serious look.
I know it's a joke, but it's still a story worth thinking about.
'AC Milan… well.'
Serie A in the early to mid 2000s was full of top players.
In addition, Serie A may have suited Hoyoung's tendencies because it emphasizes slow development and space-oriented passing play rather than technical skills.
but.
'If you go to Italy now, you'll have a lot of trouble.'
It was said that Italy, which lost to Korea in the round of 16 during the 2002 World Cup, had a negative perception of Koreans.
'I'll think about it later.'
What mattered now was the next game.
"The most important thing when dealing with Marcelo is to get rid of pressure, right?"
"yes. And remember this."
"What?"
"This is a tactic I sometimes use when the opposing defender is in charge of the build-up, so listen carefully."
That night.
With those words, Kaka unraveled the bundle of stories he had been hiding.
"What happened when I was in the U15s was that there was a fearsome defender named Dani Alves…" It was
a story so big that it made my ears tingle, but it wasn't boring at all.
Because it was a valuable experience that could not be heard anywhere else.
The night before the Super Championship round of 16 match against Fluminense FC.
A column about Asians was published in the O Estado de S. Paulo sports newspaper.
It was something that had happened for the first time in a very long time. A short column titled
[Will Sao Paulo FC's yellow walrus Woo Ho-young become a walrus or a golden dragon?]
contained interesting content.
[Seahorses are fish that float by being pushed by the current rather than swimming. As a human, it's like swimming while holding a tissue in each hand, but instead, they live by sucking small shrimp or plankton with their straw-like mouth. Likewise, Woo Ho-young has played under many players and has grown to this point by imitating their play styles. According to a coach at Sao Paulo FC, after meeting Douglas Costa, the team's focus became faster, and with Casemiro…]
It also cited an interview with Hoyoung and an SBT reporter and included this.
[He is humble. Therefore, many people are concerned about it. But I don't think so. Just because you're humble doesn't mean your dreams are too small, right? Hoyoung Woo is not Brazilian, but I think it will be fun to watch him grow. Will the yellow seahorse swimming in the strong current become a walrus or a golden dragon? It's like waiting for the lottery drawing day.]
As a newspaper friendly to Sao Paulo FC, there was no malicious content.
Therefore, Sao Paulo FC fans were enthusiastic about the content of the article, but of course there was also the opposite reaction.
They say it's a bubble at best, or that their performance so far was just luck.
In particular, fans of Santos FC and SC Corinthians, who are said to be enemies, often ridiculed the article.
And whether the column was true or not was scheduled to be revealed at the Super Championship tomorrow.
The next day at 3:15 p.m.
"Woo!"
Fluminense FC arrived at Arena Sao Paulo Stadium in 5 hours.
The audience at the stadium where the Super Championship round of 16 will be held welcomed Hoyoung's entrance.
It was a reaction that proved Hoyoung's status as a key player of the team in just the past few games.
Although the number of spectators was less than 700, it was actually quite a large number for a youth game.
That's how meaningful today's match was.
The same goes for Hoyoung.
A decisive battle.
Since the game started, Hoyoung couldn't take his eyes off one boy's play.
[Marcelo]
Talents
-Soccer genius (A)
-Active overlapping (A-) -Outstanding
individual skills (B+2)
-Flexible dribbling (B)
-Sharp crossing (B) -Good
ball cutting (C+3)
– Organized linked play (C+2)
-Rhythmic flexibility (C+2)
-Clean Marseille turn (C+)
(You can covet one talent when the conditions are met.)
(Condition 1: Break through 4 times)
(Condition 2: Score)
(Condition 3: Win the game)
'Rough yet flexible.'
Kaka said that observation is an essential quality for a playmaker.
He taught Hoyoung that even though it may be difficult at first, if he keeps working hard, he will be able to exploit the opponent's weak points.
That's why Hoyoung observed Marcelo closely.
When I looked at him, I could see the flow of the game.
Fluminense FC plays with a very strong defense and then uses a tactic of turning the game around with a single counterattack.
Same thing today.
Whether attack or defense, everything revolved around Marcelo.
It was truly surprising that one fullback could dominate the game.
Indeed, although the defender who will lead Real Madrid in the future is different, there is something different about it.
but.
'There is a gap.'
Weaknesses began to appear between the cracks.
'His dribbling is flexible and his individual skills are excellent, so he holds the ball for a long time. Since he has decent tackling skills, even if he gets taken away, he has the confidence to get it back.'
Hoyoung finished his judgment.
"Oscar. "When I give the signal, put some pressure on the number 2 center back."
I decided to try it right away.
The secret that Kaka told me last night.
widely.
When Marcelo had the ball, Hoyoung signaled.
"now!"
Oscar sneakily approached the opponent's center back and applied pressure to narrow the space.
A surprise move.
As a result, Marcelo, whose passing path was blocked, had no choice but to broaden his horizons.
Since it was not possible to pass the ball to the side, the rule was to distribute the ball forward or build up through dribbling.
however.
"…!"
The opposing attacker started running at some point.
Woo Ho-young, number 14.
He was one step closer.
'Was this why Oscar was putting forward pressure?'
As a result, the front line was not easy.
However, if you play soccer, there is a high chance that you will get hit in the foot and be touched out.
The rest is behind.
But there wasn't enough time to turn away.
Because Hoyoung had already reached the front.
however.
Sigh.
Marcelo raised his mouth again.
'With just this method?'
Marcelo thought that escaping the attacker's pressure was a piece of cake, so he dribbled flexibly to escape the pressure and open space.
'Why am I losing my strength over something that is nothing special?'
Until then, I thought so.
But I soon realized.
It was a very clear miscalculation.
"Uh…?"
Tuk.
The moment I tried to escape the pressure and pass forward, my body stumbled.
The cause was Hoyoung, who started a physical fight.
"crazy."
I couldn't imagine it.
I thought they would just put pressure on me, but I didn't know they would fight like that.
'This is completely crazy. 'That Asian bastard.'
Marcelo did not give up his shoulder.
Since we were roughly the same height, I thought we wouldn't be pushed around.
But there was one thing that Marcelo overlooked.
stall.
Hoyoung's strong body, built with solid muscles, was not comparable to his.
Percussion.
Marcelo collapsed without even using his strength properly.
"Fuck!"
I raised my hand to express my resentment, but of course the game continued.
Because it was an incident that occurred as a result of a legitimate physical fight.
It was never a foul.
Marcelo could only watch from afar as Hoyoung ran toward the goal with the ball.