The 2010 South Africa World Cup can be summarized by three key words.
First, the high-altitude stadiums of South Africa.
Second, the vuvuzela, the traditional instrument of the Zulu people.
And third, the innovative official match ball developed by Adidas, the Jabulani.
Traditionally, the official World Cup ball evolves over time.
However, it tends to become more advantageous for attackers and increasingly disadvantageous for goalkeepers. The reason is simple, more goals make for better entertainment.
If players only exchange passes for 90 minutes without scoring, what excitement would there be?
That is why balls are generally designed to favor shooting, and the result was the Jabulani.
Manufactured by Adidas using a special method, this ball had a shape closer to a perfect sphere than previous editions.
The scientific principle behind it was that the more spherical the ball, the greater the accuracy of a kick.
In addition, small ridges and grooves were added to the surface to accelerate the ball's speed.
Adidas confidently declared that a perfect ball had been created and that fans could look forward to a goal fest.
But once the tournament began, the reaction was completely different.
Criticism poured in from all sides, with some saying it was worse than balls sold in local stationery shops.
Even Spanish players, known for their precise passing, complained.
The problem lay in the ridges on the surface.
Because the shape of the ridges was not uniform, when a player struck the ball, even he could not predict where it would move.
The South Korean national team also struggled with it. The general consensus was that among all the balls they had ever used, this one felt particularly strange.
Its shot speed was certainly fast.
But only a handful of players in the World Cup could truly handle it properly.
And one of them was Ho-young.
That was because he had experience striking the Jabulani for several years.
In his previous life.
Of course, those old sensations did not remain perfectly intact.
However, he at least knew how to handle the ball effectively, and his excellent touch played a significant role in neutralizing its unpredictable bounce.
Because of that, Ho-young adapted to the Jabulani several times faster than others.
That was why he stepped up as the direct free kick taker despite the distance being 36 meters.
It is worth trying.
Confidence surged within him.
[Ho-young is calculating his run-up. Is he going to shoot directly? The distance is considerable.]
[It seems more likely that they will link up with a pass. Not only is the distance far, but the Jabulani, which has been controversial since yesterday, behaves very differently from a normal football. The angle is good, but it seems risky to shoot.]
[Then how should the Jabulani be struck?]
[With caution.]
[Ah, I see. Commentator Cha Bum-kun, have you ever struck the Jabulani?]
[No.]
[I see. Since you are Ho-young's true mentor, it seems you are more focused than usual.]
[...]
Gulp.
Caster Bae Sung-jae wiped away sweat.
Cha Bum-kun was completely immersed in the match and barely paying attention to the broadcast.
Yet it was entertaining in its own way.
[It seems your own son, Cha Du-ri, is getting less attention.]
[He will handle himself.]
[I see.]
Meanwhile, the free kick was about to be taken.
One step forward.
As everyone held their breath, Ho-young took a heavy stride.
He calculated the position and spacing of the defensive wall and mentally registered the goalkeeper's positioning and the direction of the wind.
His eyes were fixed solely on the ball.
After precisely six steps, he struck.
Boom!
A thunderous sound echoed across the pitch.
The Jabulani left his foot with almost no spin.
It was Cristiano Ronaldo's trademark knuckleball free kick.
But it was not just any knuckleball.
The ball speed was so fast that Yakubu, Dickson Etuhu, and Sani Kaita, who formed the wall, could not even react.
Moreover, the ball rose high, making it impossible to block with a leap.
Most importantly, the trajectory was bizarre.
Like a cobra dancing in midair, it swerved violently from side to side before suddenly dipping toward the left corner.
Goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, positioned far off his line, could do nothing but flinch.
Still, there was a chance.
Clang!
The ball struck the top of the crossbar and dropped down.
For Nigeria, it felt like a lifeline from hell.
Enyeama and Kalu Uche both began to smile.
[Ah! It does not go in!]
[It is still alive!]
But it was already too late to react to the second ball.
Enyeama had turned to collect it.
Then the situation changed in an instant.
The ball that rebounded off the bar was sucked inward rather than outward.
Spin.
The knuckleball struck the crossbar and took on reverse spin.
Although Enyeama hurriedly scooped it out, the referee's whistle had already blown.
Tweet!
[Gooooal! It is a goal!]
[As expected, Ho-young!]
[South Korea scores their first goal of the World Cup!]
[An incredible knuckleball free kick. It floated slightly, but at the final moment the ball dipped sharply and went in. If it had been struck even slightly off, it would have gone out.]
[That is right. Ho-young has done it. One wonders how Pelé would react watching this. A record that stood for 52 years has finally been broken. Ho-young sets the youngest goalscorer record by 273 days.]
"Ho!"
Ho-young leaped high and landed firmly on both feet.
Could there be anything more thrilling?
"Whoa!"
He threw an uppercut in celebration.
After a brief moment soaking in the Red Devils' roar, he returned to the halfway line.
He caught sight of Kalu Uche clutching his head in disbelief.
It looked even more ridiculous than what he used to see in La Liga.
But there were still 60 minutes left.
Ho-young did not lose focus.
Fifteen minutes later, the first half ended with Korea leading 1-0.
Heated voices echoed from both locker rooms.
The managers were urging their players to remain focused.
The second half began much like the first.
[Both Korea and Nigeria maintain the same formations. No substitutions.]
Swedish coach Lars Lagerbäck kept his tactics unchanged.
Aside from conceding the free kick, the first half had not been bad.
Except for Ho-young and a few others, the level was manageable. If they pressed those weak points persistently, an equalizer was possible.
Moreover, Ho-young did not seem in peak physical condition, and his work rate was lower than expected.
No matter how exceptional he is, conserving energy in the first match makes sense.
And this was high altitude.
Excessive exertion could reduce fitness to below 50 percent for the next match.
Nigeria still believed it was manageable.
[Nigeria strengthens the midfield.]
[They are trying to prevent Ho-young's playmaking from destabilizing the back line.]
[At the same time, they are stretching play to the flanks.]
Lagerbäck had noticed in recent friendlies that Korea's wide defense weakened as matches progressed.
He intended to exploit the flanks and find an equalizer.
The opportunity came in the 63rd minute.
Tap.
[The ball flows to the right. Nigeria's Chinedu Obasi receives it. He drives forward.]
[Dangerous! They must stop him!]
"Hyung-pyo!"
"I've got him!"
Lee Young-pyo attempted to shoulder Obasi along the touchline but was outmatched physically.
After brushing him aside, Obasi surged like a beast and whipped in a cross into the empty box.
Kalu Uche, marked by Cha Du-ri and Lee Jung-soo, made a sharp run toward goal and met the ball.
To make matters worse, Jung Sung-ryong reacted late.
Thud.
[Ah…!]
[Cha Du-ri loses his man!]
[Kalu Uche scores. The attacking midfielder from Almería who challenged Ho-young before the match.]
[Unfortunate. If he had held his position, this would not have happened.]
"Raaah!"
Overexcited, Uche ran toward the camera and stuck out his tongue, as if mocking someone.
His teammates quickly pulled him away, and the match resumed.
[Nigeria equalizes in the second half.]
[It is fine. In football, what matters is the response after conceding. Do not panic. Hold positions and fulfill roles.]
[There is still plenty of time. If they conserved energy before, now they must be more decisive.]
[They must work harder. You cannot sacrifice today worrying about tomorrow.]
"Hm."
Coach Heo Sung-soo folded his arms and groaned softly.
Conceding from a single lapse was not part of the plan.
Still, one relief remained.
Ho-young was still on the pitch.
There is still plenty left.
Korea had been instructed to unleash a full offensive push once the opposition defense grew fatigued.
That moment was approaching.
Ten minutes later.
[Ho-young on the ball. He exchanges passes with Ki Sung-yueng and advances. Park Ji-sung is to his side.]
[He drives forward himself!]
A storm seemed to sweep through the once-quiet stadium.
This was Korea's prepared strategy.
The other players had moved actively throughout the first half to drain Nigeria's stamina. Once they tired, Ho-young would take over.
The aim was to preserve him for the second and third matches, even the round of 16.
Energy management was crucial, and this tactic maximized his attacking efficiency.
Literally a one-man team.
Everything revolved around him.
One might expect complaints, but none surfaced.
It was for the team.
With favorable draws, even the semifinals were possible.
And Ho-young was a player who justified belief.
[Ho-young accelerates. It looks like he is unleashing his hidden strength. Nigeria cannot keep up.]
[Excellent.]
[A pass toward Park Ji-sung on the left!]
His vision was as if viewing the pitch from above.
Combined with long passes rivaling Xabi Alonso's, his playmaking was cleaner and more creative than before.
A single long pass shattered Nigeria's well-organized defensive line.
Tap.
Park Ji-sung trapped the ball and could hardly believe it.
Even at Manchester United, only Paul Scholes could deliver such a pass.
[One-touch connection. Park Ji-sung drives forward.]
[Low cross into the center!]
Ho-young slipped between centre-backs Joseph Yobo and Danny Shittu, creating the chance.
At that moment.
"Hup!"
Thud!
Danny Shittu, weighing nearly 100 kilograms, barged in with his shoulder.
But Ho-young nimbly slipped through.
The collision occurred between Yobo and Shittu.
Only Enyeama remained.
[Ho-young! One on one! Ho-young!]
[Shot!]
The strike was unleashed in an instant.
A quick, low effort toward the right corner.
And.
Thud.
With flawless finishing, Ho-young scored again, expressing the thrill with his entire body.
"Ho!"
But he ended the celebration quickly and returned to the halfway line.
Only 60 minutes had been played.
He still felt fresh, while Nigeria's defense was exhausted.
With two goals already, he wanted a hat trick.
At this rate, it felt inevitable.
"Damn it."
Uche's face twisted again.
And.
"Heh heh."
There was someone else wiping sweat from his hands.
High in the stands.
A man in a white shirt seated in the VIP section.
The Emperor of the World Cup, Pelé, felt a strange sensation as he considered that all his World Cup records might be broken.
(To be continued.)