NOVEL NEXT chapter 200
200 – The Power of 1 Port
200
Ju Ji-tae quietly scanned the national team roster.
Manchester City, Marseille, Lille, Everton, Eibar, Benfica, Dinamo Zagreb, St. Pauli…
From renowned teams to unfamiliar clubs, the list of teams represented by the national team players was impressive.
‘Ah… Is this a mother’s heart?’
How much had he struggled to complete the current roster?
Now, he could finally take a breather and reminisce about the first round, thinking about which team was doing well, which coach was promising, and which players were performing well, and helping his national team colleagues with their transfers.
Although it didn’t show on the surface, the current national team roster was half-completed by Ju Ji-tae’s own hands.
The fact that only he knew how much stronger the national team had become compared to the first round was a painful truth.
Who else would acknowledge his hidden efforts for the World Cup victory?
Of course, not everything had improved.
Take the forwards, for example.
During the first round, Jo Jae-shin had also burst onto the scene, becoming Korea’s representative striker, but the core of the national team’s attack was still Oh Seung-hwan.
However, unfortunately, Oh Seung-hwan had become a victim of changed circumstances.
In the first round, he had scored 19 goals in a season with AS Roma and performed well in the World Cup, eventually transferring to Juventus and becoming a legend in Korean football.
What about now?
Well… Since Ju Ji-tae’s image was not good in Italy, he had been forced to leave AS Roma and wander around various teams, eventually returning to Korea and failing to make the World Cup squad.
In a way, he could be seen as a representative case of someone who had been affected by Ju Ji-tae…
‘Ah, it can’t be helped. I’ll just have to buy him a drink later and console him.’
It’s just a small sacrifice for South Korea’s World Cup victory.
Of course, the parties involved did not give their consent. However, for the greater good, one must accept the sacrifice of a few.
Didn’t Oh Seung-hwan’s sacrifice pave the way for young players like Han Seung-joon, Park Hye-chan, and Kim Seong-ho to rise to the top?
“Come to think of it, it’s not just Seung-hwan hyung, but also Jun-sang hyung, Si-hyun hyung, Su-han hyung, and Han-ho hyung… Most of the hyungs who should have been at this World Cup are gone.”
It’s strange that most of the key players from the previous World Cup have fallen.
The World Cup, which achieved a record-high third place, should have been a stepping stone for their careers to flourish… but four years later, most of them have been downgraded or relegated.
Their vacant spots were filled by new players led by Joo Ji-tae. The previous World Cup’s youngest lineup rose to the top, and players in their early 20s were massively recruited, making them the team with the youngest average age among all World Cup participants.
Is it because the current national team coach, Jang Gi-seok, has a taste for discovering new faces after successfully promoting himself and Cho Jae-sin? … Ah, no way. Even if Coach Jang has been promoting himself and Cho Jae-sin, it’s unlikely that he would expect another unusual case like that. Ah, no way.
“Maybe it’s true.”
Thinking back, after the U-20 team and the U-23 team, Coach Jang took over as the head coach of the adult national team and was still passionate about discovering new faces… That’s why the media called him “Jang the Couter.”
Looking back, Oh Seung-hwan’s recent form wasn’t good, but Jun-sang, Si-hyun, Su-han, and Han-ho, who shone in the previous World Cup, maintained their form quite well.
“…….”
If we consider the grand goal of winning the World Cup, the hyungs will understand.
… Maybe.
* * *
2038 USA World Cup.
South Korea was grouped with Belgium, Senegal, and Ecuador in Group D. Up to this point, it was very ordinary.
The composition of the group, with Asian, European, African, and South American countries, seemed typical of the World Cup. However, what made Group D special was the pot.
The World Cup is divided into four pots, with countries ranked higher in the FIFA rankings placed in Pot 1, and those with lower rankings placed in lower pots.
The exception is the host country, which is always placed in Pot 1 regardless of its FIFA ranking.
Therefore, being in Pot 1 means being one of the top teams that have qualified for the World Cup, i.e., a “championship contender.” It’s natural that an Asian country has never been in Pot 1 before, except for the host country.
Until now.
World Cup Group D
Pot 1 — Korea (8)
Pot 2 — Belgium (9)
Pot 3 — Senegal (24)
Pot 4 — Ecuador (37)
Korea, with the highest ranking, took the top spot in Pot 1.
Although it’s a bit awkward to be in Pot 1, Korea proudly secured the top spot with a FIFA ranking of 8.
It was a historic moment for an Asian country to take the top spot in Pot 1 for the first time, but Korean fans couldn’t be happy about it.
FIFA rankings 9-16 are in Pot 2, and Belgium, ranked 9th, was in the same group. Pot 3 had Senegal, a dark horse from Africa, and Pot 4 had Ecuador, making this group the “Group of Death” in this World Cup.
However, the concern at this time wasn’t about Korea’s advancement to the round of 16.
In the past, the goal was to reach the round of 16, so the group allocation and team strength were crucial, but that was the old days of Korean football.
For Korean football fans who have become affluent since Joo Ji-tae’s era, worrying about the round of 16 was unnecessary. Of course, it was natural. With Joo Ji-tae leading the team, what’s there to worry about?
The winner of three consecutive Ballon d’Or awards.
A player evaluated as the best defender in the world, surpassing the current generation and already being considered one of the all-time greats.
Maybe he’ll become a legend in this era… No, he’s already writing his legend in real-time.
With such a player leading the team, is it possible to be eliminated in the group stage?
And there’s also Cho Jae-sin, who won the EPL scoring title last season and this season, becoming the first Asian player to win two consecutive EPL scoring titles!
Fans’ concerns weren’t about advancing to the round of 16.
It was all about how actively they could utilize rotation in the group stage and how much physical strength they could conserve until the final match.
That was it.
Korean football fans were already worried about their physical strength in the final match.
And it wasn’t groundless.
In reality, Korea was dominating Group D, known as the “Group of Death”.
[Kim Sang-ho! Kim Sang-ho makes a long run! Good job! Good try! Kim Sang-ho’s bold breakthrough attempt, although it was blocked, was a great try! It’s great to see them challenge like this!]
[Looking at the national team players now, they’re filled with confidence. You can feel it in their play. They’re not afraid to challenge and try, so even if they make mistakes, it’s okay. Joo Ji-tae is holding it down behind them!]
[And again, Joo Ji-tae easily takes the ball away. Watching him play makes defense look so easy. It’s not easy, but it looks easy because he’s playing at a higher level. He’s like a player who can anticipate the opponent’s next move and block it with ease!]
The first match against Senegal.
Korea, with their best 11 players, showed a overwhelming performance against Senegal. What was impressive was that the attackers and midfielders didn’t fear failure and actively challenged.
The risky plays that avoided safe passes and went for bold attempts created a thrilling atmosphere, making the viewers happy.
Although there were risks involved, Joo Ji-tae’s defense made it look easy, and the viewers enjoyed the contradictory yet fascinating football that was both aggressive and stable.
[Song Ga-ram finishes with a shot! Korea scores a beautiful goal in the 14th minute!]
[Han Seul-gi! He shoots straight in! Goal! Wow, what an amazing goal! Han Seul-gi’s mid-range shot shakes the goal net!]
[Go Tae-ho passes the ball, and Park Hye-chan heads it in for the third goal! Korea is on a roll!]
Despite making several substitutions in the second half, Korea won 3-0 against Senegal and secured a spot in the round of 16 with a 4-1 win against Belgium.
Their final opponent in the group stage was Ecuador from South America.
Although they had already secured a spot in the round of 16, if they lost the final match, they could end up in second place behind Belgium.
The difference between advancing as first place or second place was significant, so Jang Gi-seok started Joo Ji-tae and Jo Jae-sin to secure first place.
[Korea wins all three matches and advances to the round of 16 with a perfect record!!]
The result was, of course, a win.
And, their opponent in the round of 16 was—
“Whoa!? Them again?”
“Yeah~ Nice to see you. We’re back at it again~”
The Korean fans cheered,
“What!? No way!”
“No way! It’s them again!?”
The Japanese fans were in despair at the draw.
[So, it’s going to be like this… We’ll be facing Japan, the second-place team from Group C.]
It was a Korea-Japan match.