Who is Diego Maradona?
He was a god who stood at the pinnacle of football, not just in Argentina but across the world.
But what if there were a player who carried the scent of such a legendary figure?
Naturally, all eyes would be on him.
The largest tavern on the streets of the La Boca harbor district, Viento de Plumas (Feather and Wind), was always bustling with the locals.
"Yeah! Go for it! Go for it!"
On TV, the 15th round of the league was being broadcast live.
Amidst a fierce back-and-forth, the fiery attacking football of Boca Juniors glued everyone's eyes to the screen.
> [One man! Two men! A swift directional change from the flank to the center! This is Yu's strength!]
Having evaded a defender on the right flank, Yu Jiwoo rushed into the central area.
Setting his stance, he struck a powerful shot with his left foot toward the far post.
The ball threaded between defenders and embedded itself in the bottom-left corner of the net.
> [It's in! It's in! Another sensational left-footed strike from Yu Jiwoo! This puts him in second place in the scoring race, now just two goals behind the leader, Fernando Belmonte!]
"Yu is absolutely insane. How can a 16-year-old display such skills?"
"His playstyle reminds me of Diego Maradona."
Many people were gathered, enjoying drinks after work, and most of the conversations revolved around football.
Unsurprisingly, the topic of Yu Jiwoo came up repeatedly.
"Second in scoring during his debut season—does that even make sense?"
"There's still the second half of the season to go. We'll have to wait and see. He might falter later."
"At this rate, he could even become the league's top scorer."
At the start of the season, no one had imagined it.
The idea of Yu Jiwoo becoming the league's top scorer.
No player had ever made such an impact in their debut season.
"If that happens—"
A man with a scarred face took a swig of his beer and continued:
"We'll be witnessing the birth of a player who could become the greatest in history. Something neither Pelé nor Maradona ever achieved."
"Cheers to that!"
"And with this momentum, maybe even a championship!"
"For Boca! Forever!"
Boca Juniors fans were overwhelmed with an odd sense of excitement.
Here was a player with the potential to become the best in the world. If his debut season was this phenomenal, the expectations for the following season were bound to soar.
"Even the beer tastes better these days."
"You too? Same here! Hahaha!"
Two men clinked glasses and then noticed a poster hanging on the wall.
It was a photo of Boca Juniors' last league victory from the 22-23 season.
"Antonio!"
A man who was selecting drinks for the bar turned around at their call.
"What?"
The three were friends.
"It's time to replace that picture, don't you think?"
"I hope so. Look at it—it's already faded after seven years."
The Viento de Plumas tavern, the oldest bar in the area and run by the same family for three generations, was a shrine of sorts for Boca Juniors fans.
The walls were decorated with Boca Juniors memorabilia, making it a cherished place for supporters.
"It's fine. Soon, we'll cover the walls with new championship photos."
> [Boca Juniors claims victory! Is there any club that can stop them?]
With the MVP Yu Jiwoo's face displayed on the TV, there was no doubt in their minds that the championship photo on the wall would soon be updated.
---
Copa Sudamericana Quarterfinals
I was benched for this match to rest, and Carlos Luque, who had just completed his suspension, started.
Beep!
> [Oh! Carlos with an unnecessary foul! That was a poor challenge in that position!]
And then—
> [A poor cross from Carlos! It completely misses the target. After such a long break, his performance seems to have deteriorated significantly!]
Sigh.
Even from the bench, I could hear the coach's audible sigh.
Carlos was trying his best, but he looked sluggish.
His ball control was off, and he repeatedly lost possession during attacking plays, failing to create opportunities on the flanks.
"…Did Carlos go drinking again last night?"
"They say he's been drinking ever since his suspension started."
"Is he insane? The coach hates players drinking the night before a match."
He was supposed to be competing with me for the starting spot.
But watching his performance, one thought crossed my mind—he was no threat.
The coach seemed to feel the same way.
"Renato, start warming up during halftime. You'll go in as soon as the second half starts."
"Yes, sir!"
He didn't hesitate to make the substitution.
The match ended 3-1, with Javier Casero's long-range strike in the 88th minute securing Boca Juniors' spot in the semifinals.
"Damn it!"
Despite the win, Carlos, frustrated after being substituted due to his poor performance, angrily kicked a water bottle.
The water spilled all over the floor, prompting Sebastián Lancellot to reprimand him sharply.
> "If you're going to throw a tantrum, do it elsewhere. Don't ruin the atmosphere."
A player who drinks and gets injured—Carlos had already fallen out of favor with Sebastián.
"Yu!"
"Yes."
"From now on, the right-wing forward position is yours as the first option."
Carlos was visibly shocked.
"Isn't that too harsh, coach?"
"What do you mean?"
"I admit drinking and getting injured was wrong, and I regret my mistakes."
"So?"
"But isn't it unfair to lose my starting spot over just one bad game?"
Carlos had a point. I stayed silent, not wanting to stir up drama, but the coach decisively shut him down.
"What were your stats last season?"
"12 goals and 7 assists."
"And Yu's current stats?"
"…10 goals and 5 assists."
By October, with the first half of the season not yet over, I had already scored 10 goals and provided 5 assists, ranking third in both goals and assists.
Did that make sense?"
"…Yes."
In the world of professionals, performance always came first.
It didn't matter how old you were or how much experience you had—results were the only thing that truly mattered.
"Yu, what do you think?"
If this was the nature of professionalism, I only had one answer.
"I won't let you down."
---
Meanwhile, in Korea, the final round of the World Cup Asia Qualifiers was underway.
[ South Korea's World Cup Hopes Brighten: 3 Matches, 2 Wins, 1 Loss, Currently Second in the Group! ]
[ Kang Woo-tae Scores in Two Consecutive Matches, Leading the Team to Victory! ]
[ Coach João Dalute: "We still have a lot to improve. Drastic changes are needed to compete on the World Cup stage." ]
Wow… Looks like they'll get through the group stage.
ㄴ What an upset. LOL.
ㄴ Seriously, didn't expect this. Thought they'd get eliminated early. Haha!
ㄴ Kang Woo-tae's finishing skills are insane.
To prepare for the World Cup, shouldn't Yoo Ji-woo be included? He's been on fire in Argentina.
ㄴ He's second in league scoring and third in assists. Is he really just sixteen? Did he fake his age or something? LOL.
ㄴ For real?
ㄴ No way.
ㄴ Look up the Argentine league standings; you'll be shocked.
If we want Ji-woo on the national team, we need to get rid of Cha Sung-in and his cronies at the Football Association.
ㄴ Is that even possible?
ㄴ It has to be. The national team is in shambles, so anyone who can help should be brought in.
ㄴ If that's Yoo Ji-woo, we should beg him to join. It's about time Korea had a Ballon d'Or winner.
ㄴ LOL.
ㄴ A Football Association overhaul would be legendary, wouldn't it?
South Korea was second in the group behind Iran during the final World Cup Asia qualifiers. While advancing to the main tournament wasn't an issue, their lack of competitiveness made it clear they'd likely suffer crushing defeats on the World Cup stage.
Amidst the qualifiers, one major issue arose.
It was revealed that national team coach João Dalute had secretly visited Argentina.
"A few days ago, you were spotted in the Argentine league. Are you planning to call up Yoo Ji-woo?"
"I'm working on it, but Yoo's resolve is strong."
"Did you meet him?"
"Yes, I spoke with him, but his stance remains unchanged from his previous interviews. He said he won't play as long as 'they' are there."
Shortly after this interview, a headline emerged:
[ Football Fans Unite: "Cha Sung-in and His Cronies Must Resign!" Protests Spread! ]
From public petitions to massive protests, football fans were pressuring the association relentlessly.
---
Boca Juniors' undefeated streak ended in the 16th round of the league.
Due to squad rotation for stamina management, key players were rested, and substitutes were brought in, leading to a 4–3 loss in the closing minutes.
Fausto Barco, a 20-year-old right-back and the second-youngest player on the team after Yoo Ji-woo, bore the brunt of the criticism. In a 1v1 situation, he was too easily outmaneuvered, conceding a goal that tied the game at 3–3.
It was an unavoidable situation.
Football wasn't a game you could win every time, and it thrived on exploiting brief mistakes.
[ Boca Juniors Stunned by 13th-Place CA Unión de Santa Fe! ]
The end of their winning streak meant fans heavily criticized Fausto Barco for his costly errors.
This was the professional world. If you won, you were showered with love; if you lost, you faced scathing criticism.
"Hey, it's okay."
"Yeah! Mistakes happen. Just do better next time and move on!"
The players rallied around the young Fausto Barco.
"…I'm sorry. It's because of me."
"It's fine!"
"But… Yu is doing so well, and I…"
"That's because he's not normal, man!"
Fausto Barco was a well-known name among Boca Juniors fans.
Since his youth, he'd been touted as the next defensive cornerstone, following in the footsteps of Ernesto Guerrera.
But the professional world was harsh.
His debut season was lackluster, and his second year wasn't faring much better.
To make matters worse, Yoo Ji-woo had burst onto the scene like a comet, further dimming his confidence.
Why is he so good?
What's different between him and me?
Why can't I play like him?
These thoughts slowly eroded Fausto's self-esteem.
"He must have been amazing from the start, right?"
With a heavy sigh, Ricardo Mesa sat beside the troubled Fausto.
"You think so?"
"…Yes?"
"Do you have any idea how much that kid trains?"
While Fausto knew Ji-woo was a "training freak," he didn't know the extent of it.
"He trains like his life depends on it. At least three times more than anyone else. That's why he gets the results he does."
"..."
"So, put in the effort. You'll improve too."
In the professional world, mental strength was just as important as skill.
Even seasoned veterans found it tough, let alone rookies who had just debuted.
"If I work hard, I can be like him?"
"Of course."
Fausto stood up and approached Yoo Ji-woo, who was preparing for his extra training session after everyone else had left.
"Yu."
"Hmm? Fausto?"
"Can I join your training?"
"Aren't you heading home? Training's already over."
"I can't go like this."
"Really? Then can you set up those cones over there?"
"What kind of training are you doing?"
"Step drills."
"Why?"
"Improving your steps increases your reaction range."
From that day forward, Fausto joined Ji-woo's late-night training sessions.
"Huff… Huff…"
Every night, Fausto was the first to collapse from exhaustion.
As he sipped water, watching Ji-woo sweat buckets and continue training, he couldn't help but voice his amazement.
"Does that guy never get tired?"
Beeep!
"That aside…"
Beeep!
"Now I understand why he's so good."
Beeep!
"With that kind of training volume, it'd be stranger if he weren't this good."
Through their shared training sessions, Fausto realized one undeniable truth.
The reason Yoo Ji-woo could achieve such incredible results was simple.
No matter how painful or exhausting it was, he had the willpower to keep pushing himself to improve.