TRCSSITE 03

Episode 3. Soccer Really Is Easy (2)

“Just because of one instance? Still, he did show some change.”

The physical coach’s words were right.
It was just one instance so far.
It wasn’t incredibly good either. Just a decent play befitting a soccer player as part of the team.

“Yeah. But only one instance.”

After that, Seo Jae-woo’s performance was unimpressive.
He frequently failed even simple passes.
Then, at one point, he had a shooting opportunity inside the penalty area.
The timing to strike the ball was good. The problem was the result.
This kid couldn’t even get the ball near the goalpost.
From a certain perspective, his skill seemed to have fallen even compared to before the release notice.

“Sigh— There it is.”

The physical coach let out a deep sigh.

“As I thought, that kid is a lottery ticket not even worth scratching. It’s already a dud. A scrap of paper.”
“Still, we should watch more.”
“Huh?”

Hae-wan’s thoughts were different.
It’s true he’s doing poorly.
But he could see the intention behind that play.

• ‘That attempt just now was definitely good. It’s just that his footwork is a mess.’

• ‘Right! He should’ve attempted a breakthrough there! Still, tripping over his own feet like that is a bit…’

• ‘It’s good he started using his head, but why did his basics suddenly drop off a cliff?’

But still.

“That simple side pass is really not bad. When he does that and just sprints forward, the opponent can’t do anything.”
“It works because he’s physically good.”

Seo Jae-woo is a fast player.
Actually, maybe his condition isn’t great today, as his speed itself wasn’t that special.
Just a bit faster than others?
But that was enough.
Just running forward at the right timing is enough to bother the opponent.
In fact, didn’t a threatening scene occur? He wasted the chance with that garbage shot, but still.

“Right. That’s the kind of play I wanted!”

A slight smile tugged at the corner of Yoo Hae-wan’s mouth.

“Coach Yoo.”
“Hmm?”
“Was this why you defended him in the meeting? Were there signs of some change?”

In fact, when the opinion for Seo Jae-woo’s release was strong, Yoo Hae-wan desperately cast the opposing vote.
Thanks to that, this final chance was given today.

“No? I didn’t know he’d be like this either. I thought he’d just mess up as usual and get kicked out.”
“Then why bother giving him this chance? Just curious.”
“It’s nothing special. Just my small stubbornness. I think a kid of his caliber shouldn’t have regrets when he quits soccer.”
“What made you think that way… I have no idea.”

Seo Jae-woo was a diligent player.
Until his standing within the team became extremely narrow.

“He was the first to arrive at the training ground and the last to go home.”
“Was that so?”
“Yeah. When he first joined the team. That is, before your time. Back then, his skill was decent for a freshman too. Maybe his actual skill level was below average, but his potential was exceptional.”
“Seeing him these days, I can’t even imagine it.”
“He gave up a bit, you see. He gave up. He was blatantly treated like gold in the team, right? Even among the kids, he was ostracized. He’s been broken like that for a while now.”

• Beep-!*

The first half ended.
I frowned deeply.
I wasn’t satisfied with my performance.

• ‘It’s too pathetic.’

Most of my attempts came to nothing.
Especially that open shot was so miserable I couldn’t believe it even after I kicked it.
As a manager, if our team’s striker does that?
A handful of my hair would have fallen out.
I was sitting blankly on the bench, resting while looking at the field.

“Seo Jae-woo.”

At the sound of someone calling from beside me, I turned my head.
There was a grandfather with white hair and lots of wrinkles. He looked even older than me.
In Seo Jae-woo’s memory, this person was…

• ‘The manager.’

He was this team’s manager.
His name was Ham Gwang-chun, I think.
I immediately composed myself.
My managerial career spans 33 years. Of that, the period spent managing top-tier professional adult teams amounts to 25 years. Is there anyone who knows better than me what kind of look a manager gives a player, how he judges them?

“Your play was pathetic.”

The words that came from his mouth were different from my expectation.
No.
I did perform poorly.
But I didn’t expect criticism.
Weren’t they just going to release me anyway since I’m no good?

“This isn’t a place to show growth potential. I want you to prove that you are a resource I can use immediately, even in the next match.”
“……”

He was demanding, with difficulty, that I do better.
Manager Ham Gwang-chun just left those words and turned sharply, heading to the bench next to us. It seemed he was originally in charge of the opposing team.
I didn’t bother answering. It wasn’t a statement expecting a reply anyway.
A one-sided notification.
I just gave a short nod before he turned away.

• ‘That’s the feeling he wants. So this is it?’

I don’t know this team’s situation at all.
But I got a hint from the manager’s words just now.
I think I understand what he wants.

“Alright— Focus! Let’s briefly go over the problems we had in the first half and go into the second half. First…”

I let the head coach’s words flow past me.

• ‘The manager is watching.’

I could tell just by the look in his eyes.
Ultimately, the real power in this team is the manager.
If I win him over, it’s done.
If I can deliver the play he wants, the release will become null and void.
He even gave me a direct order.

• ‘He set the whole table for me.’

I just need to pick up the spoon, scoop, and eat.
Luckily, I’ve roughly finished checking my performance level during the first half.
Kicking?
Passing accuracy?
It’s all a mess. Even for a youth level, it’s utterly unusable.
So.

• ‘Let’s stick to the initial plan and use that friend Jae-hyuk.’

That talented center-back who was well-disposed towards me is the best card in my hand right now.

“…That’s all!”

The break was short.
The match resumed immediately.
On the way to the field, I spoke to the teammate beside me.

“Jae-hyuk-ah.”
“Huh?”
“If I pass, give me a return pass immediately. Keep doing it, whether it’s once or twice. If it seems like it’ll get blocked, just kick it long.”
“For the entire second half?”
“We shouldn’t if it seems impossible. Let’s just try it once.”

I wish I could also tell him how to execute long passes.

• ‘That might be too much, I guess.’

The instructions a manager gives must be simple.
The ideal picture realized in my head absolutely does not emerge. Because what comes out is much simpler and rougher than that.
Ultimately, you have to dress the player in clothes that fit their level.
I gave instructions suited to the ability of Park Jae-hyuk that I had observed.

“Got it. I’ll try.”

My guess was that Seo Jae-woo was a troublemaker.

• ‘Fortunately.’

It didn’t seem like his soccer intelligence was good either.
But Park Jae-hyuk nodded without objection.
I got over the biggest hurdle. Now it was my turn to deliver.

• ‘The flow of the game is crystal clear now.’

The actions taken by me or other teammates.
The opponents’ responses accordingly.
I had watched it all for 30 minutes.
Information I could grasp within 10 minutes if I were sitting in the manager’s seat.
How to win this match.
And how the player named Seo Jae-woo needs to be utilized in that winning process to shine.
It was all crystal clear to me.

• Beep!*

The second half began.
Our team had the kick-off. Our team’s attackers sent the ball backward and then filtered into various parts of the enemy camp.

• ‘Everyone wants to be the protagonist.’

Strikers only thinking about how to receive and score. This is why our team failed to score throughout the first half.
There’s no player linking in the middle. The balance is broken.
But the opponents were the same.
It’s just that this team is like that. There was no player organically linking the ball.

• ‘Is it a weakness of youth teams? Their goal is to get noticed and stand on the pro stage, after all.’

They have narrow vision.
Frankly, it’s stupid behavior.
But I understand.
They’re all still young.
They want to be noticed, right?
And in my current situation, I’m actually thankful there is such a gap.

• ‘Because I’m clearly a player of lower level.’

I lived for decades without legs.
Then, suddenly, I got legs.
Just poof.
It was so awkward. Mistakes frequently occurred even in simple movements.
It wouldn’t be strange if I tripped over my own legs and fell by myself.

• ‘The role I need to take on now is… an inverted full-back.’

I had to create space for the strikers who were just opening their mouths in the nest like baby birds.
To solve this problem from the full-back position, this was the only way.

• ‘Can I do it?’

There would be countless variables and situations.
There would also be quite a few cases where I possess the ball in the attacking third. Because I told Jae-hyuk to give me return passes.
Whether I can properly distribute the ball to other strikers at that time is the key.

• ‘If I can’t, then there’s no helping it.’

There’s no one else to take on this role besides me anyway.
And attacking passes inherently have a higher chance of failure.
Even for players renowned for their passing.
They too sometimes kick the ball hoping for a bit of luck, you know.
As a manager, it’s a situation I’ve experienced a lot.

• ‘It’s a situation where our team’s play maker’s level is lower than the opponent’s defense line.’

Whether due to injuries.
Or simply because the opposing team’s caliber is higher.
I’ve faced it countless times. And I succeeded in attacking most of the time.
It won’t be different this time.
Because I can directly apply colors to the sketch I drew.

Soon, the ball came to me.
A meaningless circulating ball from the defense came to Park Jae-hyuk, and he gave the ball to me.

• Thump!*

I pushed a side pass and then sprinted forward. But this time, the route was slightly different.
Inside.
That is, I drew my path feeling like I was gradually moving away from the sideline.

• Thump!*

The return pass came immediately. After receiving the ball, I passed it to our team’s defensive midfielder.

“Pass! Return!”

Having come inside to a certain extent, now I had to run forward. Before I knew it, I had crossed the halfway line.
This game is clearly low-level. It’s incomparable to the pro level.
The tempo is also incredibly relaxed. And I was the only one moving at a fast tempo here.

• ‘At first, I just thought I was relatively fast.’

Seen from afar, it would probably look different.
I’d be uniquely fast.
It’s not just that my speed is good.
The speed at which I demand the ball is different.
Usually, moving this urgently can cause problems like passing mistakes.

• ‘But the opponents are slow too. So I actually have room to spare.’

Only I am moving urgently.
I continued advancing, utilizing the surrounding teammates.
After receiving the return pass from the defensive midfielder.
My ball touch was clumsy, causing the tempo to die down for a moment, but that was actually good.
I immediately passed the ball to the left. To our team’s winger who was standing blankly.
This guy doesn’t like me. He couldn’t stand seeing me receive a back pass even in situations with no other option.
Probably doesn’t trust me, I guess.
I gave it to him knowing that.
Because my usefulness was over now.

“Return!”

I shouted loudly while running into the empty space.

• ‘Phew, out of breath.’

I’ve been running continuously from the defensive third to this position now.
The body is sturdy, but the problem is me utilizing this body.
Comparing it to a computer, it feels like the performance is good but the program optimization is lacking.
Should I say the efficiency isn’t coming out properly?
The winger immediately crosses the ball.
By now, there were only opposing players around me.
A tightly woven defensive net, as if they must block my advance.
Their gaze is properly focused.
What does this mean?
Well.
It means other places are wide open.

• Thwack!*

Our right winger received the cross.
And gave a short pass to our left-footed striker. The striker, who had been in a free position, ran forward and struck the ball hard.

• BOOM!*

The first goal of this match exploded.
It was a point less than a minute after the second half began.