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[First Korea-Japan clash in three months since the East Asian Football Championship final, will Japan succeed in their revenge?]
[The battleground is Japan's football sanctuary, Saitama Stadium]
Saitama Stadium, located in Saitama Prefecture.
Amid intense attention, the international friendly between South Korea and Japan was held.
Before the match even began, it was already overheated.
Several incidents broke out as Japanese home supporters sprayed water at Korean fans and hurled abuse, asserting home-ground dominance.
And it did not end there.
A few far-right Japanese individuals attempted to smuggle in prohibited cheering materials, engaging in unacceptable behavior.
Most were stopped by security, but some kept items hidden until player entry, only then pulling out the Rising Sun flag.
In truth, such incidents were not uncommon whenever Korea and Japan met, whether at international or club level.
Recently, however, Japanese jealousy toward Korean football had grown immense, making the situation even worse today.
It was all because of Ho-young.
"Booooooo!"
"Get out of here!"
"Saitama refuses entry to Ho-young!"
"Idiot Ho-young! Get lost!"
The Urawa Reds supporters.
More than anyone, they had once hoped for Ho-young to choose Spanish naturalization.
But when he ultimately chose the Korean national team, they turned from fans into hostile anti-fans.
With that decision, Japan's chances of defeating Korea in the next decade had significantly diminished.
Still, if there was a chance to win, it was today.
At Saitama Stadium.
For Japan, it was a match they had to win at all costs.
The formation they put forward was a 3-4-3.
It was the same system Guus Hiddink favored during the 2002 World Cup, a setup that allowed numerical superiority in various areas of the pitch.
However, for Japan, it was an experimental formation rarely used.
Just before kickoff.
Manager Okada Takeshi stepped onto the pitch in a training suit and jumper, glaring sharply at the field.
'If we occupy space across all areas and build diverse attacking routes, we have a chance.'
He was known as an eccentric in football circles.
As a child, he had wanted to play baseball, but turned to football due to the rigid culture of Japanese baseball.
That unusual beginning led him into football, and with his innate football intelligence, he rose to become a manager.
He was also the hero who guided Japan to its first-ever World Cup finals appearance in 1998 in France.
He was always brimming with confidence, so much so that he declared, "I have never considered anything less than the semifinals" as the goal for the upcoming World Cup.
Not only global netizens but even Japanese citizens criticized him, calling it unrealistic and reckless.
Moreover, aiming specifically for the semifinals seemed odd.
Some Korean netizens speculated it was a pointed reference to Korea's semifinal run in 2002.
In response, several Japanese players and media outlets engaged in verbal sparring, saying, "If Korea did it, why can't we?"
And today.
At Saitama Stadium, tensions reached their peak.
The match was about to begin amid the roaring cheers of over 60,000 spectators.
Korea would kick off from the right side.
[Many Korean supporters have traveled here. We hope the players can live up to their expectations.]
[That's right. As many remember, in 1998 there was the famous "Tokyo Battle." The match where commentator Song Jae-woo said, "Mount Fuji is collapsing." We hope that glory is recreated here at Saitama.]
[I agree. But there must be a reason Japan invited Korea to Saitama instead of Tokyo. What would that be?]
[Looking at recent international records, Japan has 10 wins, 7 draws, and 1 loss at Saitama Stadium. That is why it is called the sanctuary of Japanese football. It is likely they brought our team here for that reason.]
There was another reason for that strong record.
Saitama was the home ground of the Urawa Reds supporters, known for their extreme and sometimes dangerous tendencies.
They were often criticized even within Japan.
Today was no different.
Most of the stands were filled with Urawa Reds supporters, using drums, flags, and various cheering tools to suppress Korea's momentum.
Security prevented any further display of the Rising Sun flag, but the aggressive chants only intensified.
At one point, the match was nearly disrupted.
Abusive language filled the air, and the Urawa trademark red flares burned across the stands.
Simultaneously, a massive card section displayed "Asia's Strongest Japan," while tens of thousands of flags waved.
However, Korean fans did not back down.
Though far fewer in number, they responded fiercely with the cheering tools they had brought.
Boom!
"Dae-Han-Min-Guk!"
As pride between the two nations escalated, kickoff was slightly delayed.
[The smoke from the flares is causing a brief delay. Officials are proceeding carefully for the players' safety.]
[You can see Ho-young at the center circle stamping his feet. He looks eager to start.]
[They might be exhausted before kickoff. The stadium should have handled this better. It is hard to believe such an incident occurred at Saitama during an international match.]
[Ah, referee Stuart Attwell is returning to the pitch. The match should begin shortly.]
After receiving final instructions from the organizers, Stuart Attwell walked toward the center circle.
For the English referee, such circumstances were rare.
"Phew."
Having broken into a sweat before kickoff, Stuart jogged over and shook hands with Lee Geun-ho and Ho-young.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"No problem."
"We'll start immediately. Get ready."
"Yes."
Only then did Stuart finally relax.
The crowd remained aggressive and loud, but there were no further obstacles to proceeding.
He blew the whistle.
Piiiiii!
The roar surged skyward.
Then.
"Uh, uh…?"
As if cold water had been poured over the stadium, the deafening noise abruptly fell silent.
Ho-young had received the ball.
Tap.
"…"
'What?'
Stuart had intended to ease into position at the start.
Unfortunately, that was impossible.
From the very first seconds, Korea launched an attack.
Lee Geun-ho's pass found Ho-young charging forward.
Tap, tap!
He sprinted into open space without hesitation.
Stuart could not keep up with the pace.
'That lunatic.'
No matter how hard he chased, the distance widened.
[An explosive breakthrough from Ho-young! He's surged 30 meters and already passed the second line!]
[Unbelievable!]
It was not the first time he had shown such a play.
As a youth, he had done it several times, and the clips still circulated online under the title "Ho-young Locomotive Mode."
Fans often wondered when they would see it again.
No one expected it to be today.
The most shocked were the Japanese players.
Their 3-4-3 structure was immediately thrown into chaos.
With their wide spacing, Ho-young pounced into the gaps like a predator.
He burst past the front line of Okubo, Okazaki, and Nakamura, then sliced through the second line of Abe and Hasebe.
"Close him down!"
"Forget the ball, stop Ho-young!"
At once, central midfielders Endo and Honda rushed in.
Blocking the runner's path risked a foul, but they had to break the flow.
However.
Thud.
Extending his leg like an octopus, Ho-young, who had pushed the ball forward, suddenly cut it left.
The control was delicate, almost as if he handled it by hand.
Endo was left helpless.
"Tch."
Still, Honda remained.
Having transferred to CSKA Moscow after an outstanding season, Honda Keisuke finally faced his idol.
Ho-young.
Already an Asian legend.
Facing him in an international match was an honor.
He resolved to stop him.
'I'll block him.'
A determined light flashed in Honda's eyes.
Though naturally an attacking midfielder, he was deployed centrally due to his defensive ability.
But.
"Urgh."
Even world-class defensive midfielders struggled against Ho-young. What chance did Honda have?
After cutting left, Ho-young used the outside of his foot to snap the ball right.
It was a reverse flip-flap, reminiscent of Ronaldinho's trademark move.
And then.
'Damn.'
The bus had already left.
Tap!
[He beats Honda as well! The run continues! How far will he go?]
It was miraculous.
Who could have imagined such play from a player in a red national team shirt?
And it was not over.
Centre-back Konno Yasuyuki stepped up to cover, but when Ho-young shook his upper body, he froze.
'Don't bite, don't bite.'
He tried to steady himself.
In the end, he deceived himself.
Whoosh!
"Ah!"
This time it was no feint.
[He's past Konno! Into the box! Nakazawa is closing in!]
The last defender, Nakazawa Yuji, attempted to cover, but Ho-young exchanged a quick one-two with Lee Geun-ho, creating the timing.
Lee's pass was slightly heavy, allowing goalkeeper Narazaki Seigo a chance to clear.
But Ho-young's shot was a split second faster.
He stretched his left foot and struck a toe poke.
Narazaki could only turn his head helplessly.
The net was already shaking.
Rustle!
(To be continued.)