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Episode 2. Soccer Really Is Easy
I am a manager.
Combining my coaching career, I have 40 years of experience.
The number of league or cup tournament wins is countless, and Champions League victories alone exceed ten.
From my perspective, the coach’s remark earlier was highly inappropriate.
A coach on my team saying such a thing to a player’s face before a game?
I’ll kick that coach off the team first.
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‘Release? That won’t do!’*
I still don’t even know exactly which team this is.
Given that, it should be normal for the weight of the word ‘release’ to not fully sink in yet.
But.
My instincts were desperately rejecting that word.
Furthermore.
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‘Who does he think he is?’*
That coach is incompetent.
I said it.
If it were my division, he would have been kicked out long ago.
Even if the conclusion is reached that this body and my talent are lacking, I absolutely refuse to be released on the spot like that guy said.
It’s unpleasant. It really is.
It reminds me of the team that sacked me during my managerial days for an early FA Cup exit despite a strong 10-win, 2-loss record in the Premier League.
That team, they walked the path of decline just like that. Stupid bastards.
Anyway.
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‘A manager can’t argue against such foolish decisions. It’s the same for a player.’*
Moreover.
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‘Seo Jae-woo’s reputation is rock bottom. To play as a soccer player, you have to give your best at every moment.’*
Anyone who isn’t a fool would notice.
No one spoke to me while I was warming up.
Those surrounding glances felt all too familiar.
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‘They were steeped in prejudice and preconceptions.’*
They are the same glances I received countless times while living as a manager without legs. Especially before rising to the ranks of a renowned manager, I had to fight against suspicious looks at every turn.
The looks the surrounding players were giving me now were exactly like that.
There was one difference from back then.
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‘There’s no clear reason. No, there must be a reason. I just don’t know it yet.’*
I had no legs. That was a problem I could solve by proving it wasn’t an issue.
But Seo Jae-woo isn’t like that.
He has both legs perfectly intact, doesn’t he?
Furthermore, he has the physical attributes suitable for a player.
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‘He’s sturdy. Seems fast too.’*
That’s why it’s even more confusing.
A guy who calls himself a coach openly mentions release in a team meeting, pressuring the player.
Teammates accept this fact as a given. Moreover, they place no expectations on Seo Jae-woo.
What on earth is so wrong that he gets this treatment?
I can’t know right now.
“Everyone, move to your positions! It’s a 30-minute half match. Be careful not to get injured!”
I headed to my spot on the left side of the field like that.
“Hey, Seo Jae-woo. You okay?”
For the first time, a fellow player spoke to me.
Park Jae-hyuk.
Position: center-back. Age: same as Seo Jae-woo.
Unlike me, he has a solid standing within the team.
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‘Is this Seo Jae-woo’s memory?’*
Like when I didn’t have language issues.
It seems some of Seo Jae-woo’s memories are being shared with me.
I guess I can trust it?
“What?”
“Is the release story real?”
“You think that was fake?”
“That’s absurd.”
Right.
Tell me more.
I need information.
As if hearing that wish, Park Jae-hyuk continued.
“After all you’ve done for this team? And release from the youth team is nonsense. Don’t worry.”
Hmm.
I don’t have info on what Seo Jae-woo did.
But for now, I nodded understandingly.
“See?”
“You’ll be fine. Just perform like you used to.”
Rather, a new question arises.
Was Seo Jae-woo’s original skill not bad?
Amidst growing confusion.
“I still remember the day you first came to this team. The shock I felt then is still vivid.”
Why?
What is it?
Tell me too.
What on earth happened?
But Park Jae-hyuk didn’t give me the answer I wanted.
“Anyway, you can overcome this. It seems everyone thinks you’re finished, but I think differently. Got it?”
“Thanks.”
Finishing that short conversation, I moved to my position.
I didn’t get all the information I wanted, but it was a very good sign.
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‘A center-back is a teammate playing right next to me.’*
The fact that he’s well-disposed towards me became the most powerful card I could play immediately.
Park Jae-hyuk is more reliable than Seo Jae-woo, you see.
According to Seo Jae-woo’s memories, anyway.
At least I gained one piece of information.
Seo Jae-woo was originally a promising prospect.
It seems he fell from grace for some reason.
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‘I can do it. I have to.’*
During my managerial days.
There was nagging I did to the players every day.
<You bastards! The basics of soccer are using your teammates! Got it?>
The fact that I have one trustworthy, well-disposed teammate alone makes Seo Jaewoo’s current combat power feel three times greater.
Yeah.
I have to prove it.
That the advice and guidance I gave the players wasn’t wrong.
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Beep!*
The match started.
I’ve always thought of soccer as art, and the manager as an artist.
I have so many sketches stored in my head.
But most of them were discarded without ever seeing the light of day.
Because the performance of the tools—the players—was insufficient.
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‘It wasn’t even a difficult painting.’*
Then, I gained two legs.
The possibility to directly apply the colors myself opened up.
Of course, that’s a dream far too distant for now.
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‘First, let’s start with simple drawings, slowly…’*
Creating small plays in combination with the teammate beside me.
It’s like drawing a large apple with proper shading and shadows.
The basic process anyone who learns drawing goes through.
The foundation of fundamentals.
Let’s start by drawing that.
Just then, the ball came my way. It was a loose ball.
Receiving it wasn’t hard. But.
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‘The gazes are fierce.’*
Not just the opponents, but the teammates too.
Everyone was looking at me. A sense of pressure I never felt as a manager.
A player really is different from a manager.
Still, I have to do my job.
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Tap. Tap.*
I gently nudged the ball and slowly moved forward.
“Oh— What’s this? Your eyes look different from usual.”
The opposing right winger blocked my path.
A familiar face.
Name: Lee Kwang-jae.
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‘Is this Seo Jae-woo’s memory?’*
He’s not a release candidate.
But he’s not outstanding either. He occupies a decent backup substitute position on the team.
A somewhat sly-looking face and expression. An agile-looking physique.
I can roughly picture what type of player he is.
“Don’t wanna get released? Heh heh.”
He spoke to me with that relaxed attitude. No intense pressure or attempt to steal the ball, just maintaining distance.
A stance saying ‘go ahead and pass wherever you want.’ But a defensive style that absolutely wouldn’t allow a dribble.
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‘There are plenty of places to pass, no?’*
I can see at least two people in front who could receive my pass. A situation where the opponent’s man-marking isn’t properly established.
But a forward pass was risky. Not an option for the current me. Do I know what level Seo Jae-woo’s footwork is at?
“If you won’t come, shall I go?”
As if not giving me more time to think.
Lee Kwang-jae rushed in to steal the ball.
I executed the play I had in mind.
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Tap!*
I pushed the ball to the side, passing it to Park Jae-hyuk.
And immediately ran forward.
“Return!”
At my words, Park Jae-hyuk didn’t hesitate and gave a one-touch return pass.
A perfectly suitable trajectory and speed.
By the way, Seo Jae-woo’s body. It’s really good, huh?
My instant acceleration just then was good.
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‘As expected, that guy’s sense is pretty good, right?’*
Soccer is a sport where you have to send the ball beyond the opponent’s goal.
The first step to achieving that objective?
First, you must possess the ball and send it forward.
There are countless ways to do that.
I just chose a path I could take among them.
Head Coach Yoo Hae-wan was watching the match with a dry, expressionless gaze.
Next to him was Physical Coach Lee Seong-hun. Both were in charge of managing the White Team in this Blue-White team-squad match.
“Ugh— I’m tired. Coach Yoo, are you heading home early tonight?”
“I should.”
“How about pork belly and soju for dinner? Let’s just do one quick round and call it a night.”
“Forget it. Let’s just watch the match.”
“Ah— What’s there to see today that’ll change anything?”
Today’s match wasn’t really that important.
Seo Jae-woo’s release was practically confirmed. Cases of release from Korean youth teams are very rare.
Because players naturally leave the team when they age out anyway.
For players who age out, there are roughly three paths:
Sign a pro contract and join a professional team.
Advance to a university soccer team.
Retire from playing.
It’s a structure where those lacking skill are naturally weeded out. So, unless it’s a special case, they don’t kick players out.
But Seo Jae-woo was an exception.
“Other days maybe not, but today we have to watch. That kid might really get released.”
Seo Jae-woo had previously received disciplinary action for an assault incident on the pitch.
It was an incident where he headbutted an opposing player. Up to this point, well, it could be dismissed as a kid’s mistake.
But after that day, Seo Jae-woo’s performance plummeted vertically.
Even before that, his skill level was below expectations.
Now, he’s gone a step further, repeatedly putting on such pitiful performances that it’s hard to even call him a player.
“He’ll be released. That’s what I meant. What’s going to change?”
The staff of Suwon F C U-18 had agreed that Seo Jae-woo had no future as a professional player and decided to send him away early for the sake of his own future and the team atmosphere. The current match was the final chance given before that decision was finalized.
“Still, he’s the first-ever release candidate in team history, we should pay attention.”
“You’re being extremely thorough.”
“There was potential. And he was a hardworking kid too.”
Yoo Hae-wan didn’t respond further.
In fact, his thoughts were similar. Seo Jae-woo would, with very high probability, fail to turn the situation around and be burdened with the dishonor of becoming Release Candidate No. 1.
“I really don’t get it, no matter how I look. That kid Seo Jae-woo is a blockhead. It got worse after that incident. Even if his condition is good for one day today, is he going to improve in the long run?”
“The higher the level, the harder it’ll get. That’s why we decided on release.”
“Exactly!”
“But that kid’s potential was real. And—”
The physical coach cut off Yoo Hae-wan’s words.
“Yes. It was real. Great physique, fast feet too. Perfect balance. He was a kid who could perform in any position you put him.”
Seo Jae-woo.
He was a noticeable prospect.
Because he possessed a balanced body capable of both explosive speed and monstrous power simultaneously.
When he first joined the team, he was expected to be a winger.
But a fatal flaw was quickly revealed.
Seo Jae-woo didn’t know how to use his teammates.
His passing sense was truly, miserably poor.
And that wasn’t all? His own movement was bad too.
Off-the-ball ability worse than a middle school level. It’s not just that his spatial penetration ability was lacking. Rather, whenever he tried to do something, he’d get caught offside, making him utterly unusable as an attacking resource.
The flaws were too big. And they didn’t get fixed.
“Frankly, if only his basic team play was at a minimal level, he could have even secured a pro contract, right? Maybe not the first division, but he would have worked in lower leagues. Now it’s all useless talk though.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Huh?”
The possibility of Seo Jae-woo’s revival?
Low. Shouldn’t deny this.
Especially from the coaching staff’s perspective, who struggled desperately for the past two years trying to salvage Seo Jae-woo.
“That kid. His eyes looked different today.”
Just then, the ball rolled to Seo Jae-woo.
He naturally passed the ball to the teammate beside him. And then ran forward. With his unique agile movement, he quickly got past the opposing player. The opponent, caught moving the wrong way, couldn’t chase Seo Jae-woo.
Seo Jae-woo received the return pass again.
And then kicked a long forward ball ahead.
“Well, well? Look at this kid?”
I definitely said it earlier.
Narrow vision.
Can’t do team play.
Only physical, a blockhead.
A useless kid except for activity and speed.
I definitely said that.
But.
“That wasn’t bad just now, was it?”
Yoo Hae-wan looked at Seo Jae-woo with an interested gaze.
It was a simple play.
Temporarily giving the ball to the player beside him, changing position, then getting it back.
But its effect was greater than expected.
Even the final long kick wasn’t bad.
The result was a failure. Blocked by the opposing defensive midfielder.
“Was there a passing lane?”
“The fact that he tried something is what’s important. It didn’t feel like he just kicked it blindly.”
At this level of match, merely attempting something deserves credit
