When the first half of the first World Cup is over and the players enter the locker room, they are given about 8 minutes until the referee calls them back to the pitch.
Being able to use this time well is an essential quality of a director.
Italy coach Dennis said this to his players right after the first half ended.
"The opponent is Korea! korea! "You idiots!"
It was meant to shock the players.
This is actually a method that some coaches often use when they are losing a game, and Demis' intensity was quite high.
This is because, especially since the opponent is a youth, there is a high possibility that he will come to his senses if he gets angry and curses to the fullest.
"You idiots, you are still an Azzurri corps. If you lose like this, don't even think about returning home in peace. "You have an obligation to advance to the quarterfinals!"
Dennis burst out in anger, blood forming in his neck as if he was struggling.
"Especially you, Giovinco."
"yes yes?!"
"Does it make sense to be caught by someone who was born six years too late and not be able to do anything? And that to a striker who is not a defender? "Are you still a crack at the team?"
"..."
Giovinco, who was still mentally weak, trembled with his hands.
Beads of sweat ran down my hairless scalp.
Coach Dennis took aim at that point.
Come to your senses.
It's okay to be angry, so wake up.
Accordingly, Giovinco pledged to live up to the coach's expectations.
30 minutes in the second half.
With the game still down 2-0, Giovinco finally exploded.
"Aaaah!"
There is a saying:
Italians have similar personalities to Koreans.
What this means is that you have an impatient and hot-tempered personality.
However, looking at the noise, it seems like they are a mix of Chinese people, but it is Italians who are evaluated that way anyway.
And among soccer players, there were many hot-tempered players.
Likewise, Giovinco had the same temperament.
It's usually a mild amount, but once it explodes, it explodes endlessly.
Like a volcano.
'Uuuuuu!'
There seemed no hope of turning the game around.
Not only was individual skill a problem, but the overall team condition was also a mess.
So it exploded.
That's what they call mental breakdown.
That exact phenomenon is happening now.
"hey!"
"why!"
Giovinco called and Hoyoung answered.
Since the ball had been thrown out on the opposite touchline, there was a fight between players on both teams for positioning for the throw.
On the other hand, Hoyoung and Giovinco are on opposite sides.
Nevertheless, Giovinco was properly annoyed because Hoyoung was openly marking Giovinco.
It was a frustrating situation for him to the point where he felt angry.
So I called Hoyoung.
The referee was on the other side.
"If you call me, tell me."
"No, you are you!"
"what!"
There was no way language could communicate between the two.
So Giovinco spoke in the English he knew.
"FUCK YOU!"
"Ah, yes."
"FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU!"
"You bark, I'll kick the ball."
"…this person!"
Giovinco, unable to bear it, momentarily tilted his head down 90 degrees.
Pow!
The place where his hairless head rested was on Hoyoung's chest.
butt.
Giovinco burst into real anger following the director's instructions.
"Ceeeeee…"
Giovinco was sweating profusely and his nostrils were fluttering.
On the other hand, Hoyoung was carefree.
He burst into laughter again and raised his arms above his head.
"Is it osteoporosis? Or is it something soft? Ha ha ha ha ha."
At the same time, Hoyoung opened his chest wide as if to say that if he was going to hit him, he would definitely hit him.
"Or get your head off."
"Ah…"
Hearing that cold voice, Giovinco regained his senses.
'This isn't it.'
I didn't want this kind of reaction.
I wanted to see Woo Ho-young sweating and embarrassed… but
it was Giovinco who actually broke out in a cold sweat.
Sigh.
"Kyaak keak!"
Giovinco slowly removed his head and spat a lot of spit onto the field.
It was then.
"Uuuuuuuuu!"
The crowd erupted in boos toward Giovinco.
And Tunisia's referee Mourad Dami did not miss the sight.
He was already running hurriedly from far away, rummaging through his card pocket with his hands.
Beep!
"Red?!"
"It's a red card!"
Red card.
It was a card that reflected the referee's opinion that a player who lost self-control was not worthy of participating in the game.
That was the end of it.
Giovinco had to leave the pitch with his face flushed and tears streaming down his face.
Director Demis' face also frowned.
Korean commentators went wild and raised their voices.
[sure! of course! There should be a red card!]
[That's right. It's a scene that reminds me of the round of 16 of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. At that time, didn't you induce the hot-tempered Italian player Totti to leave through a rough fight?]
Provocation.
It's a very typical and basic tactic, but it's still a strategy that works well even after decades.
It was also proof that it was difficult to control emotions.
[Ah~ I think that's the biggest drawback of players with weak self-control. It would be an issue that needs to be addressed properly during childhood.]
[That's right. No matter how angry I am… haha. Headbutting. Something like that happened during the 1998 World Cup in France, but since then the judging has been strengthened, so it's unthinkable in a World Cup? I think it's because he is a player who is not yet mentally mature, but I think he should watch the World Cup in Germany next year and learn the mental strength of the pros.]
Commentator Park Moon-seok said in a confident tone.
And the headbutt incident ended as if nothing had happened.
Afterwards, Giovinco was sent off and Italy's ten players struggled, but they could not stop Korea's heated offensive based on their numerical superiority.
When 3 minutes of extra time was given, the score '3:0′ was displayed on the electronic display board.
Afterwards, when the referee's whistle sounded on the grass, the image of Coach Dennis screaming loudly appeared on the electronic screen.
The comical image was broadcast all over the world.
It was another nightmare following 2002.
But Director Dennis' dark history did not end there.
Interview conducted after the game ended.
Reporter Hwang Tae-seok persistently raised his hand.
For a moment, there was silence in the audience.
Because I thought it would make an interesting picture.
Hwang Tae-seok said.
"In the interview before the game started, the coach said, 'You will find out when you watch the game.' Um… Actually, I watched the game with both eyes open, but I wasn't sure. "What on earth could you possibly know about this game?"
"Okay. "Let's just ask questions about the game."
"is it so. So let me ask you this. Coach, what did you learn from this game? "That people should always be humble?"
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
The audience burst into laughter.
Dennis parted his lips with a red face.
"You're rude."
"Thank you for the advice. "Then I'll stop here."
"this!"
Dennis got up from his seat.
The interview I accepted to make excuses for losing the game actually turned out to be poisonous.
There was no shameful murder like this.
He quickly left the interview room as if running away, once again causing laughter in the audience.
Meanwhile, Hoyoung, who was selected as the man of the match with 1 goal and 1 assist on this day, succeeded in coveting Giovinco's 'fast legs as fast as a Lamborghini (A+2)'.
And Hoyoung's game interview heated up the Korean media the next day.
[South Korea's Super Crack Woo Ho-young says his thoughts on the game, "I deserved to win"]
└Korea's Woo Ho-young. proud.
└You said it right.
└Let's follow Park Ji-seok to Manchester United.
└Before that, let's start by winning the World Cup!
As the desire to win the World Cup grew stronger, the momentum of the Korean national team soared to the sky.
In this way, South Korea secured 7 points and succeeded in advancing to the quarterfinals as first place in Group C.
The opponent they would face in the quarterfinals was Gambia, who eliminated the Netherlands from Group D and narrowly advanced to second place in the group.
The quarterfinals began at 4 PM on September 26, three days later.
'Let's see…'
Before the game started, Hoyoung's eyes scanned the Gambia's young players.
Despite being the youngest team in the competition with an average age of 16.2 years, they were causing a sensation with their excellent team chemistry and agile physical skills.
When looking at talent alone, there were no players of this kind, but as an African country, there were quite a lot of talents such as stamina, hitting the power, and running.
'good. If we win here, we will advance to the semifinals.'
What that means is Cha Beom-gon's L-level talent.
Reaching the semifinals does not mean you can get the coveted title right away, but you will first achieve one condition: being in the semifinals of a tournament hosted by FIFA.
Next, complete the number of mid-distance shooting shots over 30 meters.
'Not long left.'
I would have to go to Spain after the World Cup to find out, but I thought it would probably be possible next year or the year after.
'Hehe.'
I imagined my lips parting.
But that's it.
Hoyoung put down the kimchi soup he was drinking for a moment and focused on the game that was about to start.
It is not too late to have sweet imaginations even after 90 minutes.
Thump thump!
As the tension and excitement of being in the World Cup quarterfinals pounded my eardrums, the referee's whistle quieted the noise.
Bleep- I
felt like I was isolated in a quiet space, and only the sound of my breathing rang in my ears.
'can win.'
Winning mentality.
Armed with it from head to toe.
widely!
And kickoff.
At the same time, Hoyoung took his step.
As expected, the game was a mixed bag.
South Korea was strong as the dark horse of the tournament, and Gambia was more formidable than expected.
African boys had power.
Although his basic skills are inferior, his explosive speed and agility make up for his shortcomings.
A fierce fight unfolded throughout the game.
Meanwhile, Hoyoung played as a front-line striker due to his lack of stamina, but thanks to the good work of Koo Ja-young and Lee Cheong-ryong in the midfield, he did not seem to be pushed down much.
And the first 30 minutes.
After a fierce battle, it was Korea that achieved the result.
The one who did it was the solver wearing number 7.
It was Woo Ho-young.
Crash!
Hoyoung's headed goal cut through the Gambia's goal net.
It was the 5th goal of the tournament.
[Gooooooooooo! It's a goal! Woo Ho-young scores the first goal!]
[Awesome! The heading angle was not good, but it hit the Gambian player's shoulder and deflected, causing the goalkeeper to miss the ball. The cross posted by Lee Cheong-ryong was also good.]
[Ah! Is the Goddess of Victory standing on Korea's side? If things continue like this, it will be worth aiming for the semifinals or even the finals!]
There was no shortage of excitement.
But it was too early to be satisfied there.
Once the wick had burned, it did not go out and burned brightly again as if oil had been poured on it.
15 minutes in the second half.
The flame has reached its peak.
Korea's second goal was scored after a melee over the second ball in front of Gambia's goal.
It was an own goal by a Gambian player.
That paved the way to the semifinals safely.
Just before the end of the second half, Kim Shin-woo showed shaky defense and allowed a goal, but the clock stopped 30 seconds later.
"Waaaaaa!"
Red waves covered the green grass, as if recreating the myth of the semi-finals.
Of course, it is an embarrassing level of competition to compare to the adult World Cup, but it was a very touching experience for the children.
Just one step to victory!
But the next opponent was the key.
Mexico, the powerhouse of North and Central America.
They were the overwhelming favorites to win this tournament, advancing to first place in Group B and scoring a whopping 12 points through to the semifinals.
It was also a team that included Mexico's top prospect, who was named in the Golden Boy Top 10, the Ballon d'Or prospect.
.
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