The Argentina Junior Cup, which determines Argentina's top young talent, has begun. River Plate, as always, structured their build-up play through captain Eduardo Guarin, especially during the Christmas period.
[The River Plate juniors are focusing on their strong passing play early on.] [Their passing is already so refined it could be considered at a professional level.]
Boca Juniors U-20, on the other hand, applied pressure to disrupt River Plate's passing. They didn't allow them to easily break through.
In a pressured situation, River Plate's midfielder Franco Sanchez rushed his pass, and as a result, he made a mistake.
[Oh no! A pass error! Franco Sanchez made a hurried mistake while trying to avoid the press from Lautaro Orban!]
The ball bounced off in the opposite direction.
As the ball became loose, both teams rushed toward it.
Crr—aaack!
The fastest to reach the loose ball was Yoo Jiwoo.
[Yoo Jiwoo! The Asian "fairy" of Boca has intercepted the ball!] [But it's still not safe! Eduardo Guarin, who was the closest, is closing in fast!]
Eduardo Guarin was quickly approaching, stretching his foot out, but Yoo Jiwoo skillfully used a drag-back to avoid him.
With a slight touch, he moved the ball to the right.
It nearly went out of bounds, but Yoo Jiwoo displayed fantastic ball control, running just along the sideline.
— Oooohhh!
[He bypassed Eduardo Guarin and is now dribbling! The ball is stuck to his foot!] [This is why he's known as the best technician in the youth league. His dribbling skills are outstanding.]
Yoo Jiwoo's ball control, which keeps the ball glued to his foot, was his strength.
"Americo! If you can't stop him, push him out!"
A player with the body of a rugby player blocked Yoo Jiwoo's path and tried to tackle him.
Bang!
Yoo Jiwoo's body collided violently with the scoreboard.
[Wait a minute! What's going on here?! An accident happened!] [Yoo Jiwoo collided with Americo and slammed into the scoreboard!]
The referee immediately blew his whistle, and both teams rushed over.
Americo Chero, River Plate's left-back, received a card for his reckless tackle.
"Damn it!" the Boca Juniors players shouted at him.
Guillermo Darin was especially furious.
"What? That was just a light tackle."
"Tackle? He wasn't even going for the ball, he was targeting Yoo Jiwoo, you idiot!"
"You used to be after Diego, and now you're picking on some no-name Asian kid?"
"You bastard!"
The players clashed, but the team captains quickly intervened, and Americo Chero muttered something to Yoo Jiwoo, who was still on the ground.
"I told you, you'll never get past me."
Yoo Jiwoo stood up and approached Americo Chero.
"Let's see. Who wins?"
Yoo Jiwoo wasn't one to shy away from a fight.
This was one of the first things he had learned when he came to Argentina.
---
In modern football, tactical systems focused on team play have become more prevalent, and individual players rarely change the outcome of a game.
As Dominic Hoff once said, "Football is a sport played by teams, not individuals. If a player's actions destroy the team's balance, even someone like Gerard Leo would be cut."
That's why the importance of passing and team tactics grew, and old tactical systems gradually faded.
River Plate embraced this modern football model, focusing on passing, while Boca Juniors stuck to a more old-fashioned approach.
A playmaker who coordinates the attack between forwards and midfielders.
The role once held by the iconic No. 10, which has almost disappeared from modern football.
Yoo Jiwoo played this role, despite being deployed as a right-wing forward, under coach Rodolfo Finti's direction. He was told to focus more on movements toward the center.
"Here!"
Yoo Jiwoo kept moving into space, never resting. His stamina was exceptional.
Unlike other young players who often lacked endurance, Yoo Jiwoo had consistently trained his fitness in Korea, and his stamina was a regular test winner on the team.
As a result, Yoo Jiwoo's fitness was the best on the team. His relentless running, combined with defensive contributions, made his coach smile automatically.
[Moving continuously between the right wing and central positions, Yoo Jiwoo is too much for River Plate to handle!] [His work rate is really impressive.] [According to stats, Yoo Jiwoo covers an average of 8 km per game, and he's the fittest player on the team.]
Americo Chero couldn't keep up with Yoo Jiwoo's movements.
[Shuuuu—! Ah, it goes just past the post! It would have been a goal if the trajectory had been a bit higher.]
With his quick feet and big body, Americo Chero couldn't follow him.
'Again!'
For 20 minutes, Americo Chero was only chasing Yoo Jiwoo's back.
Slowing down, Yoo Jiwoo lifted his head outside the penalty area to check the situation.
The defenders were holding their line, and he made eye contact with Guillermo Darin.
With a quick right-footed pass, Yoo Jiwoo sent a no-look ball to Darin.
[What a pass by Yoo!]
The ball perfectly matched Darin's run, setting up a one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper.
But the linesman raised his flag, signaling an offside.
"Aah," Guillermo Darin sighed, looking at Yoo Jiwoo with a guilty expression, but Yoo Jiwoo waved it off.
[It was a beautiful pass, but offside.] [And did you see that? Yoo's no-look pass! His vision and technique are exceptional.]
Dribbling, passing, and finally, his vision.
Yoo Jiwoo, a rising star transitioning from the youth level to the professional level, couldn't be stopped.
---
The first half of the game was nearing its end.
---
---
Seo Seol-hee couldn't speak as she looked at her son.
"You weren't lying."
"Huh? About what?"
"That our son is smiling while playing football."
From their close position on the field, she could see her son's expression clearly.
It was different from the expressions she had seen in Korea—various expressions, but the one that shone was the smile of a child who had regained his light.
"Of course. I would never lie about our son."
"Plus, he talks a lot with the other players."
Yoo Min-ha also noticed her younger brother's change.
Seo Seol-hee spoke with a slightly choked voice.
"I'm glad we came to Argentina. If I knew he would shine like this, I would have brought him here sooner."
At first, she thought Yoo Han-woo was lying.
"Sweetheart! Our son is smiling while playing football! And so brightly!"
She had been surprised. Because back in Korea, he never showed such a smile while playing football.
That's why she wished for her son to be happier here, surrounded by teammates who shared his spirit.
"Our son is the best!"
---
As the first half of the game neared its end, the River Plate U-20 coach, who had been watching Yoo Jiwoo's movements closely, suddenly stood up.
He thought about the orders given by the crafty Boca Juniors U-20 coach.
Then, he came to one conclusion.
"Ha, the role he's been given is as a wide playmaker?"
Now, he realized that Yoo Jiwoo had been assigned the role of an attacking midfielder playing on the wing.
It was a role that had lost its clear concept since the players who once played in that role had retired.
"...A sixteen-year-old is fulfilling such a difficult role?"
To move between the center and the wings and control the game in both areas requires a high level of tactical understanding, and Yoo Jiwoo was handling it with ease.
He kept scanning the field, making sure his movements didn't overlap with teammates, and passed the ball accurately. And when the game stalled, he would take it upon himself to break through and open up the play.
The River Plate coach shouted from the bench.
"Americo! Don't just follow him—watch the flow of the ball! Block the passing lanes!"
Americo Chero, determined not to let Yoo Jiwoo get past him this time, braced himself. He had no intention of letting him through, even if it meant fouling him.
As Yoo Jiwoo advanced with the ball, Americo closed in.
[The distance between Yoo Jiwoo and Americo Chero is narrowing!]
Thud. Thud.
Yoo Jiwoo nudged the ball forward with his foot and attempted a La Croqueta move.
Americo Chero quickly turned around, but Yoo Jiwoo had already taken two steps forward and was too fast for him to catch up.
[Perfectly evading Americo Chero, Yoo Jiwoo accelerates further! Incredible speed! But there's a center-back blocking his path ahead!]
He didn't slow down.
The center-back stepped back, calmly analyzing Yoo Jiwoo's movements.
'What the heck?'
The center-back stumbled, trying to react.
'Who is this kid?'
With a swift step-over, Yoo Jiwoo left him behind and faked a move to the right, cutting left as the defender's steps got tangled.
With a move ahead of the defender, the goal was in sight.
Thwack!
The ball was expertly curled with his left foot, aiming for the bottom corner.
Thud.
The ball was perfectly placed in the left corner of the net.
– Waaaaaahhh!!!
A thunderous cheer erupted from the Boca Juniors supporters.
[Gooooooal! A perfect finish with his left foot after cutting in from the right wing! This is the next-generation ace of Boca Juniors, Yoo Jiwoo!]
1 – 0.
The scoreboard flashed the score, and Yoo Jiwoo ran toward the Boca Juniors supporters.
Whoosh!
He slid on his knees and then kissed the club emblem on his chest in celebration.
"You crazy boy! I really love you!"
The fans went wild.
"You must stay with Boca forever!"
The small boy from a tiny Asian country was creating a storm.
"Jiiiiiwoo!"
The Boca Juniors fans went crazy.
They jumped to their feet, shaking with excitement, and Yoo Jiwoo saw his family celebrating in the stands.
Then.
He bowed deeply.
"Thank you for allowing me to come to Argentina."
His unique celebration caused an uproar among the fans, and soon, he was surrounded by his teammates, grinning widely.
Seeing him enjoying the moment with his teammates, his family secretly wiped away tears.
The joy mixed with bittersweet emotion.
Soon, they joined the crowd, cheering louder than ever before.
They hoped that their son, hearing the cheers, would forget the painful memories from Korea and smile even more brightly.
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