U-17 FIFA World Cup.
The World Cup is open to players under the age of 17 and is the youngest tournament hosted by FIFA.
Some people are undervalued because they are teenagers, but the World Cup is the World Cup.
Its status is so high that more than 90,000 spectators attend the finals.
The reason is that it can be said to be the gateway to becoming a major soccer star.
'Quite a number of U17 World Cup players have reached stardom.'
As far as Hoyoung remembers, there were more than ten people.
Spain's Casillas Fabregas, Iniesta Torres and Xavi Silva.
Italy's Buffon Del Piero Totti.
Toni Kroos of Germany.
Brazil's Ronaldinho Ronaldo, etc.
In particular, Maradona led Argentina to victory at the Youth World Cup by performing a one-man show.
It was no exaggeration to say that most world-class athletes took that course.
South Korea's Son Hong-min was one of them.
however.
'If I were to step on that stage…'
It is a tournament hosted by FIFA.
This means that if we advance to the semifinals, we will be able to lay the foundation to acquire Cha Bum-gon's talent!
If we look at the best performance of the Korean national team in history, it reached the quarterfinals in 1987, led by Shin Tae-yung and Seo Jeong-won.
Like the Adult World Cup, the possibility was not completely remote.
'The problem is age.'
For the U17 team, the average age is 16 to 17 years old.
The youngest is 15 years old, and sometimes 14-year-old players play only once, but the frequency is very low.
But what if 12-year-old Hoyoung participates?
The youngest record held by a 13-year-old African player will be broken by a few months.
Excited.
My heart became warm.
'Can I do it?'
To be honest, I wasn't sure.
It's so difficult for an elementary school student to get along with a high school student.
I've seen news that a Korean player named Ji So-hyung was selected as a member of the U19 national team at the age of 14 and participated in the youth championship… but what's
important is whether or not he can demonstrate his skills among middle and high school students. .
It wasn't like he had a big physique.
Hoyoung has a large bone structure and quite strong muscles.
Of course, compared to people of the same age.
However, the reality is that the actual amount of muscle strength falls short of them.
Up to five years age difference.
'He's quite old.'
There have been a few practice games with the U17s at Sao Paulo FC, and I felt it keenly every time.
You can do whatever you want until you're 16, but when it comes to dealing with a 17-year-old, you don't know if you can try as hard as you can.
Even if you hold on tenaciously, if a large body weighing over 80kg decides to fight with you, you will be thrown away helplessly.
'Ronaldo, I heard you played against adults at the age of 14…'
That's possible for Ronaldo.
And Hoyoung is not Ronaldo.
We have now acquired a portion of Neymar's talent, but there are still countless talents that we have not yet acquired in South America.
still.
'I guess I asked to see you because you had something on your mind.'
You can't lose confidence first.
A few days after that.
Before returning home, good news arrived.
The results of the Selfie Brass Brazil International Language Certification exam that I took recently were announced, and I proudly passed and received an advanced certification.
Hoyoung, who was happier than anyone else, laughed out loud as he hugged Monica in the morning.
"congratulations!"
"Thank you Monica."
It was a gratitude that came from the heart.
It's easy, but you don't know how difficult it is to watch your studies from time to time.
However, Monica said it was no big deal and looked embarrassed.
"It's okay, but what~ heh?"
"haha. "Thank you so much."
Of course, I had no intention of ending it with my bare mouth.
'I must repay you.'
That's one thing, but before that…
[The talent vessel is currently full. Soccer prodigy (S-) (27th) is waiting.]
[Select in advance the talent you want to pursue after 27 days.]
-Gymnastics gifted (B+2)
-Evenly balanced body (B+2)
-Innate Sense of language (B)
– Excellent flexibility of the pelvis (B-)
– Good jumping ability (C+2)
– Flashy dance step combination (C+2)
– Fairly stable windmilling of a club (C+2)
Innate sense of language.
By choosing that talent, the difficulty of the remaining conditions became easier.
'Next is body balance.'
As Hoyoung's mouth widened, Monica laughed as well.
Early March.
When Hoyoung, who finished the season, appeared at Incheon Airport, about 15 people gathered.
Last year there were only three people, including my parents and reporter Hwang Tae-seok, but this year there were more than twice that number.
"son!"
The first meeting was with Woo Hwang-seon and Kim Hee-seon.
Last year I cried, but this time I was shocked.
"Oh my god. "Look at how my son's character has grown taller."
The couple exclaimed in exclamation at Hoyoung's completely different face.
"Wait a minute~ Could you please look here?" It was a
shower
of cameras that put an end to their reunion.
Several sports reporters, including Hwang Tae-seok, were there to report.
After the interlude photo time, there was an interview.
Hoyoung confidently accepted the interview.
Reporters were busy asking questions from beginning to end.
"If there is a player you are close with, would you please tell me?"
"Breno Oscar Casemiro Douglas Marcelo. "There are too many."
"I guess they are Brazilian friends? Oh well. haha. "There won't be any players we would know."
The reporter smiled sheepishly, as if he had said something for no reason, and put the question back.
And an unexpected answer flowed from Hoyoung.
"Kaka and Balak."
"to?"
"Ka…Kat?"
Murmur.
Kaka, who moved to AC Milan last year and is making a big splash.
"…Are you sure you mean Ricardo Kaka?"
"yes."
"Then Ballack is Michael Ballack?"
"yes. We exchange emails sometimes. "They provide counseling for concerns."
The reporters all had similar faces.
A face of disbelief.
Although it is unclear whether the truth is true, it was enough to shock reporters.
They frantically began writing down Hoyoung's words.
The next day.
Hoyoung, along with Woo Hwang-seon, went to Suwon, Gyeonggi-do to meet coach Beom-gon Cha.
Cha Bum-gon took time out of his busy schedule to welcome Ho-young shortly after the K-League opened.
"Has he lost some breast fat? My face seems to have become slimmer. The bridge of my nose also became sharper. "You've grown so tall that I don't recognize you."
"haha. "It seems like the director has gotten younger."
"Hehehe."
After a friendly greeting was exchanged, the topic of conversation immediately shifted.
The person who opened the door was U17 national team coach Park Gyeong-woon, who was sitting on the opposite sofa.
"Don't be scared, Inseok. "I won't eat you."
When Hoyoung looked a little nervous, Park Gyeong-woon smiled and said.
Hoyoung was actually nervous.
The fact that Park Gyeong-woon's face looked fierce in front of me played a role, but more than anything, I couldn't help but feel nervous because he was the 'national team coach'.
Seup.
My lips were dry.
Selection to the U17 national team was a matter directly related to selection to the national team.
If he shows good performance here, his chances of being selected as the youngest national team member increase.
If that happens, he can surpass the record of Lucas Necht, who made his international debut at the age of 14.
Of course, the youngest title is not necessarily necessary.
What matters is opportunity.
An opportunity to explore your talents.
'Is it possible.'
A coach would not want his players to look young.
That's why Hoyoung straightened his back and showed off his confident appearance.
Park Kyung-woon then lifted his shoulders and asked.
"Hoyoung, do you know what the U17 team is?"
"yes. This is the Korean youth national team that took third place at last year's Asian Championships, defeating Qatar with Seok Hyeong-jun's winning goal! So, we secured a spot in the Peru U17 World Cup."
"haha. "It's crispy?"
As it was an important international conference, the direction of the conversation was extremely serious.
The main content was about Hoyoung's selection to the national team.
"First of all, there are no club schedules until April?"
"yes. why?"
"This month, an under-16 tournament called 'Mondial Football Montague' will be held in France."
"Ah~"
"Okay. "Then, there is no problem in terms of schedule."
Park Kyung-woon did not mention anything about the U17 World Cup held in September this year.
Submitting the entry was still a long time away, so it was a matter that could be decided at that time.
First, let Hoyoung play in the U16 team, and if it is determined that he can play against older players, then you can let him join the World Cup team.
'There is no need to get excited.'
Coach Park Kyung-woon, who had never seen Hoyoung's soccer skills in person, was still showing a cautious attitude.
Director Cha Beom-gon recommended it to the core, so I would test it, but I was wondering whether the boy would be able to overcome the age difference.
'Tsk. Not even Maradona…'
For such a soccer hero to be born in Korea was as impossible as picking a star in the sky.
"Anyway, your father gives permission, right?"
"yes. of course."
As a father, I had absolutely no reason to refuse when my son was selected for the U16 youth national team.
He seemed to like it more than Hoyoung for not being able to control his sudden outburst of clownness.
"Please take care of my son."
"Don't worry. "It's Director Cha's recommendation, so of course I should."
"haha."
"Hehehe!"
Cha Bum-gon, Park Gyeong-un, and Woo Hwang-seon.
A burst of cool laughter passed between the three.
The person I was most worried about was young Hoyoung.
No, it was overflowing excitement and anticipation.
The Mondial Football Montaigu Tournament will begin in mid-March.
The next day, Hoyoung was able to receive permission from Sao Paulo FC to participate in the tournament.
Because the season had already ended, there was no reason to object to being selected to the national team.
The first time Hoyoung was called up to the national team was three days later, when his face appeared on a corner of a sports newspaper.
[Woo Ho-young's youth national team countdown to rewrite Korea's soccer history?
Woo Ho-young (13, Sao Paulo FC), a young but not small giant, has once again become a hot topic.
Park Gyeong-woon (45), coach of the youth national team, who is preparing for this year's Youth World Cup, suggested the possibility of Woo Ho-young joining the national team, but said, "Woo Ho-young is only 13 years old," and that it is still too early to discuss the possibility of selection for the World Cup entry.]
Newspaper articles like this one warmed the hearts of domestic soccer fans.
Likewise, articles about Hoyoung were occasionally posted on the Internet.
[Woo Ho-young takes over Brazil, the world's strongest country!
Super promising star Woo Ho-young (13), who returned from conquering Brazil at the speed of light and a storm-like sprint, is running while raising a lot of dust.
Regarding this, a Brazilian soccer expert listed Woo Ho-young's name as one of the 'world's top five soccer prodigies (under 14 years old)' and praised him as a player who will stand shoulder to shoulder with Alexander Pato Carlos Vela Boyan Krczki and Mario Gotze in a few years. .]
Articles like this, full of the so-called 'gukppong' that you can't stop tasting once you taste it, were raising the public's expectations.
There was even a ridiculous fake article saying that Barcelona's Ronaldinho was planning to go to Brazil to teach soccer to Hoyoung himself.
The highest peak among them was this.
[Woo Ho-young's shooting stance perfectly matches Maradona's shooting stance, which is shocking…]
[Now Korea is also a soccer powerhouse. Winning the World Cup is no longer a dream but a reality]
'…Please stop here.'
It was Saturday morning, March 5th, when the cold weather was rampant.
Hoyoung, who was traveling to Paju NFC training center in Woo Hwang-seon's car, put down the newspaper without saying a word.
'That's too harsh.'
It was a typical 'creating a hero' that exists in every country.
…Still, I was grateful for your interest.
Hoyoung rubbed the chicken meat on his forearm and asked Woo Hwang-seon, who was driving.
"dad. "What would you do if I told you I wanted to move the team to Europe?"
"What do you mean?"
"It's okay for now, but if I have a professional debut in mind, I can't do it alone. But I actually want to make my professional debut in Europe."
"One of Mom and Dad should follow Hoyoung and go live in Europe."
"Did you know?"
"It's not someone else's business, it's our eldest son's business, so I found out anyway."
Woo Hwang-seon has been looking for a solution by meeting with Korean soccer agents since last year.
Therefore, I knew more about him than Hoyoung.
"They say it's extremely rare to get caught, but it's better if you think about making your pro debut in Europe. "So that it won't be a problem later."
"yes. "I heard it too."
Hoyoung's voice contained concern.
This is because he did not want his family to be separated because of him.
Woo Hwang-seon glanced at Ho-young and said.
"son."
"yes."
"My son can just play soccer without worrying about anything."
I guess it was a pointless worry.
There is such a strong support.
'And I haven't received an official recruitment offer yet.'
Hoyoung answered with a lighter face.
"I'll work hard!"
Paju NFC (National Football Center) natural grass stadium.
Boys wearing fluorescent training vests over their red uniforms were warming up.
It was Korea's proud U17 soccer team.
Besides Hoyoung, there were three or four other players who joined for the first time today.
'As expected… there are no geniuses.'
Hoyoung felt strange when he returned to Korea after being in Brazil.
This is because the level difference between Brazil and Korea was significant.
'I have raised my eyes too high. Actually, this is great.'
Youth national team.
Hoyoung was so thrilled to be in the middle of this.
Isn't this a stage where you can fully display the skills you have honed overseas?
I couldn't wait to compete in the game.
Moreover, there were some familiar faces among the players.
The atmosphere was heavy, perhaps because of the Korean national team's unique hierarchy, but…
'If we play soccer, we'll become closer.'
Fortunately, though, there was a player I was friendly with.
"How are you, brother?"
"It's just me… But how come you seem to be bigger than me?"
Seok Hyung-jun, who reunited with Ho-young after almost a year, tilted his head.
This is because the perspective has narrowed significantly compared to last year.
"How tall are you?"
"171."
"Be honest. "Can you give me hormone injections in Brazil?"
"Tsk tsk."
They were so happy to see each other after such a long time that they whispered and exchanged a few more words.
That was the problem.
"Some kid is talking during training. "I won't be quiet."
The oldest person is Kim Shin-woo, born in 1988.
When the team captain and defensive pillar said that, Seok Hyeong-jun had no choice but to bow his head.
Hoyoung likewise lowered his head.
Because it was true that I had done something wrong.
'Discipline is definitely strict.'
It is the polar opposite of Brazil.
It was completely different from the atmosphere in Brazil, where I was like friends with players who were 16 or 17 years old in Korean age.
"Don't think it's your first time. uh?"
"yes."
Kim Shin-woo seemed like he was going to say, 'Gather under me.'
The air was heavy and the atmosphere was bloody.
But Hoyoung didn't pay too much attention to that.
As the saying goes, when you go to Rome, follow the Roman laws, so I decided to just follow the flow.
So I tried to focus on training…
"Hey, wait a minute."
Kim Shin-woo called again.
"yes."
"I heard you learned soccer in Brazil."
"yes. But what?"
"I'm just saying this just in case, but in Korea, you learn by getting hit. That's how you do it well. So, let's take care of it~"
Kim Shin-woo was on edge this morning, as if he had received some energy.
Beep!
What ended the cold atmosphere was the sound of coach Park Kyung-woon's whistle announcing the gathering.
When all the players gathered in one place, Park Gyeong-woon pointed to the strategy board and said.
"Kim Seong-su, Oh Yeon-ho, Park Chang-soo, Kim Jae-min, Lee Chang-ho, Nam Woo-jeong, Koo Ja-young, Seok Hyeong-jun, and Woo Ho-young. The players whose names have been called now will change into blue vests."
With the arrival of new players, the Blue and White match was scheduled to begin soon.
The blue team is the second team, including newly joined players.
The white team was the first team led by Kim Shin-woo, the captain and defensive pillar.
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