TRCSSITE 04

Episode 4. Soccer is Easy After All (3)

During the match.

Coach Ham Gwang-chun sought out Head Coach Yoo Hae-wan.

“Coach Yoo.”
“Yes, Coach.”
“Move Jae-hyuk up to defensive midfielder.”
“Huh?”
“Bring Jae-hyuk on and take the kid in that position off. If we have a center-back on the bench, swap him in or something.”
“But this substitution wasn’t planned…”

Yoo Hae-wan looked into Ham Gwang-chun’s eyes. They were filled with certainty.

Coach Ham was usually quiet and reserved. It was hard to say his tactical prowess was exceptional. He was a typical manager-type coach. However, precisely because of that, he was good at actively listening to and accepting the opinions of his coaching staff. His communication skills with the coaches were excellent, and he was adept at mediating disagreements, so there were no particular complaints.

‘He’s also the person who agreed to keep an eye on Seo Jae-woo through this practice match in the first place.’

But very occasionally, he would become stubborn as a mule. At times like these, no one could dissuade him. And from experience, Yoo Hae-wan knew something.

‘When the head coach pushes for something, he has his reasons.’

His perspective was different. He was someone who knew nothing about the latest trends in modern soccer. And yet, he had survived at the forefront of the industry, coaching players until now. He’d heard that offers from adult professional teams still came fairly often. It was just that due to physical issues, he didn’t accept them and chose to lead a youth team instead. In other words…

“Understood. I’ll make the change.”

It was best to just listen.

“Seong-hoon, warm up quickly. You’ll be subbed in within 5 minutes.”
“Yes. Understood.”
“Pssht! Jae-hyuk! Move up one line! As a holding mid! Im-ho, cover center-back for now! Keep working hard out there!”

After swiftly carrying out his tasks, Head Coach Yoo Hae-wan approached Ham Gwang-chun again. They were on the same bench, so the distance wasn’t far.

“Coach. I’ve made the change as you instructed. May I ask the reason?”
“That’s a question that kid should answer.”

Ham Gwang-chun gestured with his eyes toward Seo Jae-woo.

When the instruction came from the bench…

‘This is it!’

It felt like a suffocating pressure had been lifted. This was exactly the change I wanted. Right now, my only usable weapon is physical ability. But I couldn’t even dribble properly in this situation.

I needed a player near me to exchange passes with. In that sense, placing a player who currently trusts me one line ahead was a wise choice. Even if it wasn’t his primary position.

‘If you’re good defensively and can distribute the ball well, that’s a defensive midfielder!’

At the current level, Park Jae-hyuk could play as a defensive midfielder without any awkwardness. In terms of individual player efficiency, it might be slightly lower, but…

‘Considering the synergy with me, it’s a net positive.’

I had to make it work. That was the role required of me, Seo Jae-woo, for this team now. A clear task for survival had been given.

“Keep giving me return passes. Launch a long ball when it seems risky.”

Park Jae-hyuk nodded vigorously. Seeing his raised嘴角 corners, he seemed to be enjoying playing soccer. I know that expression well.

Players who realize their talent and break through barriers often wear that face. That kid is growing a step right now. At times like this, just adding a little sauce brings out the full flavor.

“When I make a straight sprint forward, that’s when you should hit the long ball.”

I even specified the exact timing. The direction? He’ll figure it out. Just as Park Jae-hyuk trusted me from the start, after playing together for 30 minutes, I’ve also gained trust in this player. An appropriate level of expectation has been set—that he can do at least this much.

“Okay.”

The match resumed. Park Jae-hyuk immediately gained possession after the restart. I moved forward, getting past the opposing winger marking me, Lee Gwang-jae. Although he belatedly chased after me…

Thump!

It was insufficient to intercept the pass. I passed the ball back to Park Jae-hyuk. And then I sprinted straight forward with all my might. It was the first full sprint I’d attempted with this body.

Pavababak-

‘It is fast.’

At least, it was significantly faster than the surrounding players. How it would compare to the adult professional level in Europe, I wasn’t sure. Since I was on the field, I couldn’t accurately gauge my own speed. My field of vision definitely seemed to narrow, though.

T-T!

Soon, the sound of a ball being launched came from behind. I slowed down just a bit and glanced back. The ball’s direction was precisely toward me.

‘Hey, wait. What is this?’

Right. The direction could be accurate. The power could be appropriate. But the ball losing speed upon bouncing and settling neatly at my feet—that’s a different matter. This was a pass worthy of praise even at the adult professional level.

‘Other players were surging forward too.’

I don’t just watch the ball. I always roughly keep track of the positions and states of surrounding players. That’s why I could act immediately upon receiving the ball—though until now, that just meant short passes to available teammates nearby. But now, no viable path seemed visible.

‘Seems impossible.’

All nearby teammates were marked by opponents. I decided to use a weapon I had kept in reserve until now—one that was too demanding for my current self to utilize fully.

‘I have to do it now.’

Even if I fail. I sensed the moment had come to try. If a player I coached hesitated at such a moment? I definitely would have been furious.

I gulped. And then I swung my left foot hard at the ball. An early cross from near the sideline, just above the halfway line, toward the penalty area. With my current kicking ability, it was an attempt that shouldn’t have had a chance.

T-T!!

I had failed repeatedly throughout the first half. Apart from short passes, almost everything was hopeless. Statistically, my pass completion rate probably wasn’t even 60%. But…

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

My cross found the head of our team’s striker.

Thud!

It was purely luck. There was no other explanation. And so, the second goal of the game was scored. It was my first assist since becoming Seo Jae-woo.

Peep! Peep! Peep!

The match was over. The referee’s whistle sounded incredibly welcome. Much more so than the whistle confirming victory in a Champions League final.

‘I only played 60 minutes, and it’s this exhausting?’

Right. I knew it in my head. That being a coach and a player are different. But experiencing it firsthand, the depth of that difference was far greater than I had anticipated.

“Good work, everyone. Don’t skip the cool-down. Since it’s the Blue-White match, the head coach will handle the team meeting.”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”

Who knew playing one match could be this tough? And it wasn’t even a 90-minute match, but a 60-minute one. Yet, I felt completely drained. But I couldn’t just stand there dazed.

‘I need to understand the situation.’

There’s still so much I don’t know. Who am I? Where is this place? Is this a dream or a rebirth? While most questions couldn’t be answered immediately…

‘I’ve gained a lot of information.’

Playing one match provided a lot of information. I am Seo Jae-woo. A youth player on the verge of being released. This place is South Korea, and the team is Suwon F C U-18. Also, this feels more like a rebirth than a dream. Everything is too vivid.

‘There’s still too much I don’t know.’

What kind of player was Seo Jae-woo? Or rather, before being a player, what kind of person was he? What are his family relations, what life has he lived? And so on.

‘First… it’s clear my standing within the team is still at rock bottom.’

Today, during the match, I performed decently. No, I could even say I did quite well. Although my skill level isn’t satisfying, the overall level of the match wasn’t high to begin with. Yet, no one was still favorable toward me. With a few exceptions.

“And Seo Jae-woo.”

Suddenly, Coach Ham Gwang-chun called my name. That person was probably included among those ‘exceptions.’ The old coach with an inscrutable gaze and tone, hard to read. There’s a significant possibility he actually has nothing special in mind—considering how many old coaches there are who only look impressive on the outside. But…

“Yes?”
“Come with me.”

For now, I had to hope this coach was an extraordinary person. Eyes from all around were fixed on me.

“A one-on-one with the coach?”
“I’ve never seen this before.”

Whispers could be heard here and there. It seemed this wasn’t a frequent occurrence. I remember having individual meetings with players at least two or three times a week… Well, everyone has their own style. I followed Coach Ham Gwang-chun toward his office.

Coach Ham Gwang-chun had to desperately hide his emotions.

‘That kid has changed.’

Seo Jae-woo. The team’s problem child. The worries about how to handle him only deepened day by day. But in over a decade of leading youth teams, Ham Gwang-chun had never once cast out one of his own players. He managed to see them through to graduation. Of course, many ended up quitting soccer upon graduation, but that was inevitable. It’s a world where lacking talent leads to being weeded out.

The key point was that even those who quit had fulfilled their duties as team members until the moment of graduation. Ham Gwang-chun believed without a doubt that this was an important aspect of his capabilities as a coach.

But Seo Jae-woo was a different case. One could summarize it as ‘beyond redemption.’ He had far too much negative influence on the team.

Ham Gwang-chun cleared his throat and offered Seo Jae-woo a chair.

“Have a seat.”

Seo Jae-woo complied obediently. This too was different. The immature, twisted teenager was nowhere to be seen.

“You’ve become well-mannered.”

Seo Jae-woo stared intently at Ham Gwang-chun. His gaze seemed to try to read his inner thoughts, almost mesmerizing. In the end, Ham Gwang-chun averted his eyes first.

“Let’s get straight to the point. I need an explanation for the movements you showed in the second half of today’s match.”
“An explanation, you say?”

Even his speech had become polite. Everything from start to finish felt awkward. What had changed this kid? He had to find out. As Ham Gwang-chun waited, Seo Jae-woo continued speaking. Carefully. Clearly.

“I played it safe.”
“Safe?”
“Yes. I tried to choose only the options with the highest probability of success among the choices available to me.”

Thinking about it, it was true. Among the defenders who played today, Seo Jae-woo had the lowest rate of forward passes. He was a defender who didn’t send the ball forward. Yet, the fact that he fulfilled his role as a team member deserved praise—at least he didn’t ruin the game like before.

The problem lay elsewhere. The final scene of the match remained too vividly etched in Ham Gwang-chun’s mind. The early cross that seemed冒险, even reckless. How could that be considered a safe choice? Finally, he couldn’t help but ask.

“What about the final assist?”

Seo Jae-woo answered as if it were obvious.

“At that moment, I had no other choice.”

Ham Gwang-chun closed his eyes. And replayed the final scene.

‘Seo Jae-woo was on the verge of being isolated. The opponents had also noticed he was only using short passes. Opposing players quickly closed in on his nearby teammates.’

Any short pass he made would likely have been intercepted. Although it’s a youth level, these are elite sports players preparing for the pros. They possess a minimum level of intelligence. Ham Gwang-chun and the coaching staff had taught them to do so.

Seo Jae-woo’s style had shifted to focus on short passes. And at the precise moment the opposing players adapted to that change, the early cross went up, as if guided by a ghost.

“I wouldn’t be able to make that kick again if I tried. It was a lucky connection.”
“You know that. But why specifically at that moment—that’s the question.”

It was a matter of timing. Why did he make that choice exactly at that moment? This was the question filling Ham Gwang-chun’s mind. Then, a similarly conclusive answer came.

“Any pass I made would have been blocked, so what could I do? I just had to launch it.”

His tone almost seemed sarcastic, as if wondering why he was even being asked something so obvious. Coach Ham Gwang-chun’s eyes widened.

“You saw that?”

A 17-year-old boy? On the field? When? How? Why?
He barely swallowed his follow-up words.