166. As the King's
Cup (Copa del Rey) schedule began, Bernd Schuster sent the second-team players to the first round, but suffered an unexpected loss to Real Union, the weakest of the weak.
It was a ridiculous situation.
Callejon and Saviola, who played as the front two, failed to capitalize on even a single opportunity and ended up scoring no points.
There was still a second game left, but an even bigger problem was that future games were hindered by receiving as many as six yellow cards.
It was at this time that public opinion began to doubt Coach Schuster's ability to manage the team.
Isn't it the professional world where even if you do well 10 times, if you fail once, you'll be frowned upon?
The away game against Almeria, which took place just two days later, ended in a 3-3 draw, disappointing the fans.
The team's problems were slowly coming to the surface.
The start was better than other teams, but as the hectic schedule continued, the lack of stamina of the veteran players became a problem.
So they sent young defenders to the game, but Marcelo and Miguel Torres, who lacked experience, ended up making mistakes in every game.
Marcelo was even criticized as a 'fullback who would not return'.
Castilla's De la Red and Tebar's Javi Garcia were brought in, but it was not easy to fill the void left by the veterans.
Their humiliation did not end there.
A few days later, he suffered the bitter taste of defeat in the Champions League match against Juventus at home.
Since advancement to the round of 16 of the Champions League was almost confirmed, the second-team players were sent away, but Juventus was well-armed with the most elite members.
The soulful two-top 'Del Piero-Trezeguet' line, which reigns as the strongest in Europe, was not an opponent that Real's second-tier players could handle.
Regarding this, Don Ballon's columnist 'La Saeta Oscuro' wrote this article.
[Is Real Madrid already exhausted, showing a downward trend with 2 draws and 2 losses in the last 4 games?
Real Madrid's downturn was a planned process. They were on a winning streak at the beginning of the season and looked like they were going to win undefeated, but in reality, it was just a false effort. They used up all the energy they needed to use throughout the season early on, and now they have ended up experiencing side effects.
This can be considered a mistake by coach Bernd Schuster and the medical staff who failed to properly manage the players' physical strength. Some are raising suspicions that a discord has arisen between the Spanish players and the Dutch players.
On the other hand, look at Barcelona.
Not long ago, the theory that Guardiola would be sacked was almost accepted as fact. As soon as he promoted Busquets and Pedro to the first team, he received harsh criticism from fans, and even the media and officials within the club criticized Guardiola.
But now Barcelona has become a completely different team. They are becoming a team that has never been seen before in the history of soccer.
That will be on full display in the upcoming El Clásico. Isn't it exciting just thinking about it?
If Real Madrid wants to stop Messi's runaway, they will have to build up momentum before the decisive day arrives.
Otherwise, there will only be defeat for Real Madrid.]
A harsh criticism.
It wasn't wrong.
Real Madrid needed a change of pace before El Clásico.
And that opportunity came on November 11th at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Bernabeu press conference room before the start of the game.
A reporter asked Director Schuster.
"We had to suffer the humiliation of losing 3-1 in the first match against Real Union on the 30th of last month. We faced the great crisis of being eliminated in the 4th round. Are you planning on having players from Castile participate again this time?"
"No comment on that yet, but what is certain is that we will win. Although the score is currently 3-1, we are a team that has the power to turn it around at any time."
There was another important league game scheduled in four days, so normally we would have given the first-team players a rest, but that was not possible today.
This is because you had to win by at least 3 points to advance to the next round.
"The team has been slow recently with 2 draws and 2 losses. There are many opinions that it is because of team discord. "Isn't there a problem between the players?"
"Our players are doing very well. Castilla's players seemed unable to get along on the pitch, but this was just a necessary step towards becoming one. "We will put all controversies to rest with our performance."
After finishing the press conference, Schuster entered the director's office.
In the interview, I said I was confident, but in reality, my shoulders were heavy.
'The opponent will definitely come up with extreme defensive tactics.'
Schuster was lost in thought.
Real Union is a weak team, but it is a very strong team against counterattacks.
In other words, Madrid was in a situation where they had to strengthen their defense but use powerful attacking soccer.
'It would be better to go to the most elite members for the first half.'
Key players such as Diarra Sneijder, Zidane Guti, and Raul van Nistelrooy were added to the starting list.
Spain's best squad with the best performance over the past year.
It was a lineup that was guaranteed to win once it was released.
But when I actually tried to make a decision, I started to worry.
'Woo Ho-young's condition is quite good.'
Hoyoung, who rested well for a week, showed great performance in training yesterday.
It might have been better to remove Sneijder and add Ho-Young Woo.
While I was thinking like that, time continued to pass.
Schuster put Woo Ho-young on the substitute list and stood up to discuss his thoughts with the technical team.
It was that moment.
smart.
A man came in cautiously, knocking.
"Can I come in?"
"Woo?"
It was Hoyoung who seemed to have a lot to say.
He had a reason to start this game, so he spoke calmly.
[The game has started. On the left, Real Madrid came out with an aggressive 4-2-3-1 formation. On the other hand, Real Union on the right came out with a defensive 4-5-1.]
[This means that they will play extreme defense and then counterattack whenever the opportunity arises. It's similar to the first game. However, the difference is that the members of Real Madrid have become almost elite. What you need to pay attention to here is that Woo Ho-young started in the attacking midfielder position. Woo Ho-young is taking Zidane's place.]
[Woo Ho-young, who led the team in Castile, has now taken the same position in the first team. I am already curious about whether he will be able to prove his title as Zidane's successor.]
Real Madrid's goal is a 3-point victory.
To achieve that goal, Schuster brought in Ho-Young Woo instead of Zidane.
It was super strong.
[Woo Ho-young is in charge of offense and defense control in Real Madrid's second line. The initial movement looks quite good. Woo Ho-young seems to be in very good condition, perhaps because he rested well for a week.]
[That's right. But the key is Real Union's defense. No matter how weak the team is, such a tight and solid defensive organization is not something that can be easily defeated.]
As expected, Real Union brought in the best members.
But even so, they are players from the third division.
Hoyoung faced back boldly.
'It's a game where you can win something important. Let's focus.'
There was one condition that had to be met in today's match (4th round of the King's Cup).
If it wasn't today, this opportunity would have been lost forever.
I put aside my worries about the next game and gave my best to today's game.
The efforts soon paid off.
[Woo Ho-young looks forward after receiving Sneijder's pass.]
Ho-young's eyes turned to the front.
'The defensive line is very stable.'
The defensive line consisting of Larrainzar, Gurrutxaga, Iglesias, and Gabarain was so strong that it was hard to believe it was in the third division.
'They are all veteran defenders with a lot of game experience.'
Hoyoung calmly took his steps.
I looked for an opportunity by passing to the left.
Now he had to take responsibility for Real Madrid's build-up.
They solidified a stable defense at the back and Hoyoung built up at the front.
I solved the game using what I had learned so far and my own know-how.
The unique energetic energy of the samba rhythm brought vitality to the game.
Meaning was given to each pass and movement.
It was original and powerful.
The players, who were like miracles, understood Hoyoung's intentions and took action.
Because Zidane's color was intact, there was no sense of discomfort.
The ball moved quickly.
Tuk.
[Woo Ho-young takes the ball to his feet with a neat trapping.]
Surprisingly, the field was very different from before.
The spacing and formation of the solid defenders were disorganized.
But it is not easy to realize it.
It is only visible to those who can see it.
Hoyoung looked.
The fact that there are cracks in the defensive organization.
And now is the time for playmaking.
Tuk.
[Woo Ho-young continues to move forward with the ball.]
[Manu Garcia comes right in front. A breathtaking confrontation.]
[The space is too narrow to do anything. It seems better to stack up with Raoul on the right.]
Hoyoung's choice was different.
Instead of backing down, he attempted to attack head-on.
"come! Garcia!"
The defense and midfielders, including Manu Garcia, were thoroughly trained in preparation for Woo Ho-young's breakthrough and playmaking.
In particular, we put a lot of effort into preparing for shooting after a sudden change of direction.
however.
"Tsk."
widely.
Manu Garcia flinched at the agile movement.
Central defender Gurrutxaga then came to the rescue, but Hoyoung had already left the narrow path due to Marseille's turn.
Left fullback Larrainzar, who came running right after, hurriedly tried to put his foot in, but nothing changed.
"This is crazy!"
As if he had expected it, Hoyoung pulled the ball back with his foot and hit it with the opposite foot at the same time.
"Cut it off!"
Iglesias, the last defender, attempted a sliding tackle in half a beat.
However, Hoyoung quickly deflected the ball to the left.
A sight that is not strange even if the knee is shattered.
The thigh muscles, which had reached human limits, were able to hold it together.
Hoyoung, who quickly defeated four players in a small space, stood in front of the goalkeeper for the last time.
[oh my god. This move reminds me of Lionel Messi! But Javier Blanco comes out in a hurry!]
If it was going to end here, it wouldn't have even started.
Percussion!
Hoyoung escaped to the right with a short and concise dribble.
Inside the box, it was literally a melee situation.
widely.
It stopped there.
A gap that is invisible to commentators.
From that point that was forcibly created, another gap appeared.
The situation was all created by Hoyoung's cool-headed judgment and excellent foresight.
Hoyoung did not miss the opportunity.
Calmly and fiercely.
With his back to the goalkeeper, he lightly pulled the ball back with his heel.
Raoul was standing there, frozen.
It was such a perfect opportunity that if he couldn't put it in here, he should have been released right away.
Raoul gently placed a spoon on it.
Crash!
[Oh my god!]
[This is an unbelievable wonder play. Hoyoung Woo records a fantastic assist!]
It was a wonder play that could be compared to Messi's legendary dribble goal that shocked the world.
While the commentators were speechless, good news came before Hoyoung's eyes.
[Piercing Foresight (S-)↑]
[Piercing Foresight (S-) can be transferred to other talents. Do you want to do it?]
Instead, he was promoted to S class.
Immediately, he calmly picked up the ball and returned to the halfway line.
Raoul, who suddenly felt chills, approached Hoyoung, stroking his forearms.
Hoyoung spoke without paying attention to Raoul's eyes, which seemed to be looking at a monster.
"Captain. There are still two goals left."
With those words, Hoyoung focused on the game again.
I couldn't be satisfied with just 1 assist.
There is still a long way to go.
I had no doubt in myself that I could do it.
I felt a sense of responsibility for taking over from Maestro Zidane.
Hoyoung stared into space.
[Woo Ho-young]
Possessed talent
– Unprecedented soccer prodigy (W)
– Cha Boom's thighs (L)
– Flawless playmaking (W)
– Soccer emperor's goal-making ability (SU)
– Maestro's build-up (SU)
– Control of half court Versatility (SU)
– Stormy dribbling (SU)
– Fantastic footwork (SU)
– Stiffness that surrounds an immovable rock (U)
– Elastic muscles of a black leopard (U)
– Artistic ball control (SS+)
– Perfect composure (SS+)
-Unrivaled ball trapping (SS-)
-Phenomenal ball keeping (S+) -Amazing
power (S)
-Genius individual skills (S-)
-Perfect space penetration (S-)
-Excellent positioning (S-)
-Piercing Prediction (S-)
– Perfect basic skills (S-)
– Two-beat fast kick (S-)
– (More)
A talent that has grown rapidly since his debut in the first division.
The huge difference in level with the opposing team's players allowed Hoyoung to play shockingly.
Hoyoung was strong enough to play against strong teams, but he was even more terrifying against weak teams.
Moreover, my condition was good today.
Two goals?
It was nothing.
There was still a long time left that I couldn't show.