24 – Superior Compatibility
024
In the 1970s, the total football introduced by the renowned Dutch coach Rinus Michels marked the starting point of modern football. The high-pressure tactics of the Italian coach Arrigo Sacchi, commonly referred to as Sacchismo in the mid-1980s, completed the basic framework of modern football.
Modern football can be described as implementing Sacchismo more efficiently and effectively on the base of total football.
The changes and advancements in this tactic demanded changes, advancements, and evolution from the players as well. It required much more organic movement, increased physical activity to navigate offense and defense, and a higher tactical understanding.
In the era before total football, where defense was solely the realm of defenders, and the concept of space and pressure was absent before Sacchismo, a player greater than Pelé and Maradona could emerge. However, now there was no room for a player greater than the team.
Players had to become generalists, not specialists, eliminating weaknesses rather than honing exceptional strengths. Of course, having outstanding strengths was still preferable.
Now, what players ultimately pursued was what is commonly called the hexagon, a well-rounded style. When representing a player’s abilities with stats, they sought a form that filled a graph with six evenly high stats, creating a hexagon.
And Argentine forward Hodrigu Silvio was precisely such a hexagon player, a complete forward.
He excelled in utilizing his superior physicality, with a height of 184 cm and a weight of 82 kg, for plays like jumping to intercept a ball even if the Korean guy was faster.
His post-play, utilizing superior jumping ability and elasticity, was also impressive.
“Ah, this is more effective than I thought. He’s adept at competition, not very Asian-like. However, he didn’t stand out in controlling the field in video analysis. Now that it’s come to this, using the field control… huh? Why is he higher than me?”
He possessed delicate and dazzling ball control skills, as skillful as any technical player.
“Darn it. Now it’s a head-on competition. Just because he’s Asian doesn’t mean he’s insignificant. I was too conscious of him. Let’s break through with my usual play, utilizing my strengths. Receive the ball and turn… good, as expected! He can’t approach as he pleases! He’s quite fast, but the momentary acceleration in my painting catches him off guard!?”
He was fast and agile enough to compete as a winger, and he could even play as a side attacker.
From Noble mtl dot com
Let’s bring that passage to life:
“Don’t give that kid any time. He’s strong and fast, but he’s still just a 17-year-old. If you don’t give him time to think, there might be a gap in his split-second decisions. He doesn’t stop, just continues the play without hesitation. This time—oh, whoa?!”
He was even skilled in coordinated plays.
“I can’t break through. Darn it. Darn it! This monstrous kid. …It’s okay. Stay calm. No matter how monstrous his talent may be, he can’t excel beyond the visible or off the ball. That requires accumulated experience. Use coordination to break through… What!? He read my pass!?”
That’s right.
Joo Ji Tae was exceptional in every stat, a striker with no apparent weaknesses.
However, as with everything in the world, if there’s a bright side, there’s bound to be a dark side.
The name ‘universal’ was colorless and odorless.
A big hexagon may be universal, but a small one turns every aspect into a flaw.
And when the opponent’s hexagon encounters one larger than its own, a superior version…
“Hey, sucker’s here again.”
They’d just be devoured as they are now.
“Oh, impressive, Joo Ji Tae!”
“Despite Coach Jang Ki-seok’s concerns, he shows why he’s the defensive leader! Joo Ji Tae completely shuts down Argentina’s Hordrigo Silvio!”
Even though he was the linchpin of the Asian Cup victory and the tournament’s MVP, worries persisted about Joo Ji Tae.
He’s only 17 now.
The youngest in the national team, even though Coach Jang Ki-seok, who had been worried about the transition from full-back to center-back, has designated him as the defensive nucleus.
If he had been an attacker, like Jo Jae-shin, it might have been different. For strikers, the individual flashes of inspiration are more crucial.
But defense requires teamwork and organizational skills more than the individual’s moments of brilliance.
To appoint a mere 17-year-old as the leader in such a position, especially during a transition to center-back, raised concerns not just among fans but also among experts for their World Cup debut against Argentina.
However, as the game progressed, those worries seemed to dissolve.
“Wow… truly remarkable. Joo Ji Tae seems to anticipate every move of Hordrigo. It’s as if he knows exactly what he’ll do next.”
“Into the first 15 minutes of the game, Joo Ji Tae has displayed a flawless performance. The detailed stats are astonishing: one shot block, three interceptions, five recoveries, seven aerial duels, without a single mistake. Moreover, he’s made eight successful passes into the attacking zone!”
His performance in the Asian Cup wasn’t a fluke. Against Argentina in the World Cup, Joo Ji Tae displayed a game that was truly on another level.
“Coach Jang Ki-seok was right again this time. There were doubts when he first selected Joo Ji Tae and Jo Jae-shin for the Asian Cup, and even when he said he’d build the defense around Joo Ji Tae during this transition to a three-back system, there were doubts. But in the end, Coach Jang Ki-seok was right. Just like in the Asian Cup, he’s proving it with the results this time too!”
Joo Ji Tae was right.
Thirty minutes into the game, Argentina’s striker, Hordrigo Silvio, was virtually erased from the field.
“They called him a sucker, and he truly was one.”
Feel free to make any adjustments you’d like!
The scene of the ball smoothly settling into Ju Ji-tae’s arms, connected with a one-touch pass, drained the already pale Hordrigo Silvio of any remaining color, as if his complexion had been bleached.
With a vacant expression, as if his soul had departed, it was clear that his mental state had shattered into fragments.
Jang Ki-seok burst into a bewildered laughter at the inexplicable sight.
“This is insane. It’s like it’s floating above his head. As if he knows exactly how to move… It’s unbelievable.”
True to his words, no more balls came towards Hordrigo Silvio, who had been thoroughly outplayed by Ju Ji-tae without being able to do anything. Even the Argentine players had reached a point where they couldn’t trust their own forward.
Although he was already moving reflexively, Ju Ji-tae seemed to have completely abandoned the trust that had been broken, redirecting the ball to a different area, despite being in a reasonably good position.
That’s when it happened.
Ju Ji-tae started to move.
Having stayed near Hordrigo Silvio, marking him all along, Ju Ji-tae suddenly sprang out, intercepting Argentina’s pass, and then continued dribbling with the ball.
Woo-hoo-hoo!!
In the aftermath of Korea’s opening goal, an unexpected and dramatic play unfolded, eliciting cheers from the audience.
Ju Ji-tae, after intercepting the pass, continued his dribble at the same speed, leaving Hordrigo Silvio, who seemed to have lost his senses, trailing behind for quite some time. The Argentine midfielders, who should have provided resistance, were pierced through by Ju Ji-tae’s concise yet effective breakthrough.
Two players consecutively bypassed, and only then did a sense of crisis seem to set in.
The Argentine defense rushed in, but Ju Ji-tae, as if he had been waiting, calmly sent an out-front pass in the same dribbling posture, strangely curving it as it connected with the oncoming foot of Cho Jae-shin from the opposite side.
Bang!!
Cho Jae-shin also connected with a lightning-fast shot.
A shooting motion executed simultaneously with the trap.
A relentless half-volley shot.
Swish, swish, swish—
The ball cheerfully split the net, leaving the frozen goalkeeper behind in place, unable to move.
Korea’s second goal had been scored.
“Wow!! That’s it!!”
Jumping up and down with excitement, Jang Ki-seok looked towards the players running towards a certain direction.
Ju Ji-tae stood there, nodding his head with a calm expression amid the celebration.
Right after scoring the goal, Jang Ki-seok realized that he had already headed towards the locker room.
The youngest one. Not the captain, not a veteran. Just him.
“He… He’s the real deal.”
It seemed now he had to admit it.
Because I trusted him, I bypassed the seniors and appointed him as the leader of the defense, entrusting him with a crucial role in tactics… But he, Joo Ji-tae, seems to be even more exceptional than I thought, to the extent that the term “genius” falls short.
32 minutes into the first half.
In Jang Ki-seok’s eyes, anticipation for a substitution was evident.
It signaled the substitution of Jorge Silvio, and also the announcement of Argentina’s defeat.
* * *
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