26 – The Coward’s Punch
026
Ghana’s head coach, Nelson Semedu, watched the match between South Korea and Argentina multiple times.
Although Argentina was not the powerhouse it used to be, it was still a strong team from South America. South Korea, however, overwhelmingly defeated them.
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Barely winning, or winning by a narrow margin—no, it was a victory that was simply overwhelming.
‘The power gap that decided the match wasn’t supposed to be this significant… In the end, it must be the difference in the core players’ abilities.’
After watching the game several times, Nelson Semedo felt that the quality difference between South Korea and Argentina’s players wasn’t as great as expected.
Before the game, there was a dismissive attitude towards the Asian team, but the Korean players, contrary to expectations, proved to be surprisingly outstanding—not that it meant they had defeated Argentina for no reason.
However, if asked if it was enough to overpower Argentina decisively, the answer would be a definite no.
Overall, Argentina’s player level seemed higher.
No matter how talented the Korean players were, except for a few, they had to acknowledge Argentina’s superiority.
Even after watching the game footage multiple times, this was evident in Nelson Semedo’s eyes.
‘But these few outstanding players determined the direction of the game.’
Among the ten field players, half of them were superior to Argentina.
And among the remaining half, about half again could be considered not inferior to Argentina, more or less.
But only three. Three players who were clearly superior to Argentina.
‘Numbers 7, 18, and 19. These three led Korea to victory, especially these two. The talents of numbers 18 and 19 are blinding. Their age is only 17… Are they the future superstars?’
If a player called up to the national team by age group could be considered the best talent in that country and generation, despite being evaluated as the best talents in one country and one generation, many of them leave the adult stage with rather modest accomplishments.
However, players who are “called up” to participate in youth international competitions, even with a 2-3 year age difference, are often successful on the adult stage “generally.”
For example, Argentina’s football legend and GOAT, Lionel Messi, also did not participate in the U-20 tournament at the age of 18. In Korea, at the age of 18, there was the genius player Lee Kang-in, who participated in the U-20 World Cup and won the Golden Ball.
‘Assuming it’s on par with Germany’s strength… I have to approach it just like the game against Germany.’
Therefore, Nelson Semedo raised Korea’s expected lineup to a level comparable to Germany’s.
Youth tournaments are stages where more changes occur than in adult tournaments, and most of these changes are brought about by players who boast genius talents.
As if the two Korean players easily handled Argentina.
‘But it’s still challenging. Dealing with a young genius is not easy.’
The most effective and easiest way to stop a genius player, even if he is a genius, is to overwhelm him with the overwhelming physicality of an “adult.”
No matter how much of a genius he is, he has not experienced the physicality and pressure of the “adult stage,” and unless his talent is at the level of players called legends, he undoubtedly cannot handle it.
Therefore, Nelson Semedo judged “logically.”
‘The main winning pattern is the combination of number 18, who erases one striker with his defensive ability and possesses a sharp long-pass skill, and number 19, a natural goal scorer. To stop this…’
It was simple.
There was no reason to confront a formidable opponent head-on.
Use the player assigned to the defensive zone covered by number 18 as bait to attack the sides. Lower the line to prevent sharp long passes. Push number 19 roughly to prevent him from showcasing his natural goal-scoring sense and force him to push the ball far away from the goal.
“The victory of Korea was impressive, but we also shouldn’t forget that we didn’t achieve a draw with Germany for nothing.”
* * *
Arda Guler, the East Asia scout for Penerbatche, was already at the stadium early in the day, enjoying a hotdog.
“Is it delicious?”
Squeezing his large frame into the chair, Arda Guler was munching on the hotdog when a long-time acquaintance appeared.
In the same industry for a long time, frequent encounters were inevitable, leading to familiar faces and friendships. Chelsea’s scout, John Greenwood, was one such acquaintance.
“Why would a scout from a big club like Chelsea come all the way here?”
“I’m not the only one, am I? Look over there. They’re all gathered.”
Arda Guler even put down his hotdog.
The hotdog, so delicious just a moment ago, now felt like chewing on sand.
“And tournaments like this deserve even more attention from big clubs. It’s not worth talking about money with those who already have it. It’s more effective with those who don’t. Like… promising talents who are hungry and cold.”
“Damn. If a guy moves for money, he doesn’t qualify as a promising talent.”
“Come on, this guy’s joking around a lot lately, huh? In today’s world, who throws money around? Kids know everything, my friend. Besides, we have a lot more than money. For example… the prestige of a prestigious name? Being part of the admired league, the EPL? Or maybe a Champions League-winning history on the stage of stars? Hmm. Come to think of it, Penerbatche seems to lack these things, one after another.”
“…Damn you.”
“Haha, just kidding. Let’s sit here together and watch the game in harmony. Who knows? Will the future world-class player emerge here?”
John Greenwood, amused by Arda Guler’s nonchalant attitude, pointed at the hotdog and laughed.
“Are you on a diet these days? The game hasn’t even started, and you’re leaving what you’re going to eat. Go ahead and eat that too.”
With a sigh, Arda Guler, again engrossed in his hotdog, sat next to John Greenwood. Greenwood leaned back comfortably in his chair, pulled out a tablet, and said.
“Let’s be honest. It’s not good if friends in the same industry restrict each other too much, right? So, who are you?”
Arda Guler swallowed the hotdog and replied promptly.
“Mohammed Suleiman.”
“Hey, friend. I know you’re in charge of East Asia, but why do you keep coming out like this? Who did you pick in Korea?”
“Number 7.”
“Number 7. Where… Oh, this boy? The name… Yoo Ki-tae? East Asian names are difficult, indeed. But there they are. Why don’t you mention numbers 18 and 19? Mr. Ju and Mr. Cho. Last Asian Cup, they seemed deeply absorbed, didn’t they?”
Arda Guler sighed.
“Ha… that’s why I need to move quickly. These stupid kids.”
As soon as the Asian Cup ended, he insisted on urgently acquiring the player for the club, emphasizing the need for swift action. However, in society, things didn’t move as urgently as shouted in the field.
No matter how urgent the cries of the field personnel were, the office workers moved through various procedures, making it seem like society didn’t move urgently at all.
“Oh, dear. Don’t you know the club is still in operation? The higher-ups don’t usually move that quickly. After all, you were originally interested in signing a Japanese player, right? Don’t say too much.”
Scouting, as John Greenwood mentioned, is not just about 1 or 2 games.
Typically, it takes a few months at the least and, in some cases, even a year for player scouting to occur. Especially in modern football, where objective metrics are crucial, it is common to consistently observe and monitor until you can confirm the ‘objective indicators.’
Of course, there are cases where the decision-makers (usually the coach or director) get fixated after just one game and proceed with the signing immediately, but that’s an exceptional situation.
“Oh! The players are making their appearance now. Look, aren’t the two potential signings standing side by side? Number 18 and 19, they’ve been friends since childhood, and it shows.”
At Arda Guler’s words, a bitter smile crossed his face.
‘This guy… he might act clueless, but he’s already done his research. That’s why he said I need to hurry. These fools.’
Considering the money issues with English clubs, the chances of signing are inevitably low.
Indeed, those on the field can’t help but curse the decision-makers.
Arda Guler resumed his feast of anger.
Chomp, chomp—
John Greenwood watched from the side, his expression changing from interest to boredom, then to astonishment.
* * *
Three days later, in the Ghana match, Korea fielded the same lineup as the Argentina match, except for one midfielder.
“This is Korea’s lineup. Once again, they’re starting with a 3-4-3 formation.”
“Kim Min-hyuk in goal. Defenders—”
Three center-backs, two wing-backs classified as midfielders, forming a very attacking formation with four midfielders, and three forwards.
“And here’s Ghana’s starting lineup. Ghana is the only country in Africa to have won the U-20 World Cup.”
Facing them, Ghana opted for a 4-4-2 formation.
“In the front, they’ve placed two forwards in a typical big and small fashion, entrusting ball possession to fast and skillful wing players. It’s a very classic tactic.”
“But don’t let your guard down. Why is it called classic? Didn’t Ghana record a 1-1 draw with Germany in the last match using this method?”
“That’s right. Korea, which showed a strong central attack led by Joo Ji-tae in the Argentina match, will face Ghana, who looks to win on the wings. It’ll be interesting to see what strategy they’ve prepared.”
Facing the team considered the strongest in Group A, Germany, Ghana adopted a defensive stance from the beginning with the same lineup that drew 1-1.
“Ghana’s overall line seems low. The press line is low, and it’s a defensive posture. On the other hand, Korea has a relatively high line.”
In response, Korea also adopted a defensive stance.
More precisely, they went on the offensive, but the two players who should have been the core of the attack played defensively, with their backs towards the goal, throwing what was known as a cowardly punch.
“Oh? Joo Ji-tae, your position seems lower than usual?”
“In the Argentina match, Joo Ji-tae was at the forefront, acting as the first line of defense, actively pressing by covering the center-backs on either side… but today, it’s the opposite.”
“Leaving Joo Ji-tae at the back, the two side center-backs advance. And… Jo Jae-shin seems a bit isolated. It seems like a strategy where, with the best physical player, Park Hye-chan, at the forefront, they’re planning to penetrate from behind… What’s this? Coach Jang Ki-seok keeps signaling to the players. It looks like he’s asking them to move up… What could it be?”
