Play resumed with Kalu Uche circulating the ball.
Although Korea led 2-1, Nigeria could not commit recklessly to attack.
If they failed and conceded on the counter, it would be irreversible.
Unless a clear opportunity arose, they held back.
Then, in the 80th minute.
[Yakubu and Kalu Uche push their line higher. But Korea, still protecting the lead, are showing stable defending. Their organization looks much improved.]
[An interesting fact, Korea have never lost their opening World Cup match.]
[That is right. And there is also the jinx that they have never scored more than two goals in a single World Cup match. Hopefully that jinx is broken today.]
The chance came five minutes later, in the blink of an eye.
[Lee Jung-soo clears Uche's pass.]
[Good. It is a counter-attack.]
A hurried pass from Uche turned into a counter for Korea.
And then.
Tap.
[Ho-young collects it.]
[He goes past Dickson Etuhu. And Danny Shittu as well.]
It quickly became a hat-trick opportunity for Ho-young.
Enyeama rushed off his line in panic, but the ball had already left Ho-young's foot.
There was no mind game involved.
It was a shot struck with conviction.
Tap.
"Ah!"
The ball gently lifted over Enyeama.
The lob he had acquired from Raúl González was clearly different from other forwards' attempts.
It required no psychological duel, just a perfectly measured arc that cleared the goalkeeper's height as if calculated with precision instruments.
A masterpiece.
A talent worthy of its name.
Thud.
[It is in. Gooooal!]
[Excellent. A hat trick. It is a hat trick.]
[Ho-young breaks Pelé's record once again.]
At that moment.
Ho-young sprinted behind the goal and raised both arms high above his head.
Pelé, seated at the very top of that stand, rose and gave a standing ovation.
The image appeared on the giant screen.
It was a scene that might never be witnessed again in football history.
Immediately after the match.
As Pelé exited through the officials' tunnel, reporters rushed to request interviews.
He graciously accepted.
Asked how he viewed the match, he gave a short and firm answer.
"Nothing will be able to stop Ho-young. I stake my name on it."
Though it was the highest praise, the atmosphere suddenly turned tense.
A reporter, feeling a chill, asked.
"Is this the Pelé curse?"
The Pelé curse.
A nickname given because his predictions often came true in reverse.
Once, he declared, "Brazil are the strongest in history. The defending champions Argentina will be their rivals. Host nation Spain are also formidable." All three teams were eliminated in the group stage.
While some of it was exaggerated, the curse had coincided with many surprising outcomes.
It was too strange to dismiss entirely.
But.
"I do not believe in that."
Pelé did not scientifically believe that his words carried a curse.
However, he wondered if some supernatural phenomenon might be involved.
Even so, there was only one reason he praised Ho-young so highly.
A test.
Even extraordinary superstars had fallen victim to his so-called curse. He wanted to see if Ho-young could overcome it.
After the match, sports media around the world published endless articles about him.
[Korea defeat Nigeria 3-1. First victory secured.]
[Ho-young named official World Cup Man of the Match after debut hat trick. Perfect ratings across evaluation sites.]
[Ho-young's genius and extraordinary vision dismantle Nigeria with long passes.]
[Pelé's powerful curse aimed at Ho-young?]
[Ho-young says, "I am breaking Pelé's remarkable records one by one. It is a great honor. I think I am finally ready to meet him. I speak Portuguese and Spanish. If we meet, it will be a moment that will never come again."]
It was a match filled with international praise.
Prominent journalists from Spain and Germany in particular lavished him with compliments. It would not be an exaggeration to say all focus was on Ho-young.
Marca's La Saeta Rubia wrote:
[A football revolution is taking place in two countries, the Spanish league where Ho-young plays and South Korea. Both nations are enjoying unprecedented prosperity. Thanks to Ho-young's performances in La Liga, the market value of Spanish football has risen. Korea is also benefiting from the Ho-young effect. Although Pelé has tried to cast doubt, Ho-young will overcome even that. He will achieve strong results at the World Cup and continue to shine in Spain.]
With his hat trick, Ho-young moved into sole first place in the scoring charts.
Behind him were England's Wayne Rooney and Uruguay's Luis Suárez with one goal each.
But that evening, change came after Argentina faced Greece.
[Argentina defeat Greece 4-0 behind Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuaín, two goals each.]
Messi and Higuaín both scored braces and climbed into joint second in the scoring race.
Greece, unable to adapt to the altitude, conceded three goals in the second half.
There were no surprises.
The players who had drawn attention before the tournament all delivered performances worthy of their names.
Following Ho-young and Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká also impressed.
Portugal defeated Côte d'Ivoire 2-0, and Brazil, though tested by North Korea, eventually won 2-1.
But one match stood out.
Spain.
[Spain lose 0-2 to Switzerland. Is Del Bosque's tiki-taka collapsing?]
[Bernd Schuster says, "The method to break tiki-taka has long existed. Switzerland adapted Ho-young's tactics."]
[Switzerland's perfect tactics, but controversial penalty decision sparks debate.]
[FIFA President Blatter says Switzerland's penalty was not an issue.]
Spain, labeled the top favorite, were stunned by Switzerland.
Regardless of questionable refereeing, experts agreed that Switzerland had prepared tactically for Spain perfectly.
Thus, the World Cup unfolded unpredictably.
Meanwhile, the second match approached.
Korea's opponent was Greece, ranked 13th in FIFA rankings.
Every World Cup match matters, but the second match can be even more crucial than the first.
If you win the opener, you can play with composure in the second. If you lose, it becomes the opposite.
The second match is both hope and the edge of despair.
A turning point.
After their heavy defeat to Argentina, Greece had nowhere to retreat.
Before the match, coach Otto Rehhagel expressed determination at the press conference.
"Six years ago, we created a miracle by defeating strong nations and winning the European Championship. The World Cup produces even greater surprises. Just look at Spain losing to Switzerland. In this match, we will fight as if we are packing our bags to go home."
"You were bold against Argentina with attacking tactics. Will this match be different?"
"Objectively, Korea are weaker than Argentina. But we must deal with Ho-young."
"Is there a method? Many teams have failed against him."
"We were punished heavily by Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuaín. We have developed some resistance to super players. And as the saying goes, a cornered rat will bite the cat. We will show the strength of Euro 2004 champions. Korea should be nervous."
The German coach had a firm tactical identity.
He had famously led Greece to victory at Euro 2004.
Although they were crushed by altitude-strong Argentina, he believed that with the right strategy they could compete with Korea.
At least a draw.
Though he spoke of victory publicly, his true objective was a draw.
Winning would be difficult.
He knew that no matter how round the ball was, Ho-young was even more formidable.
Greece were not a particularly strong side.
Even without Ho-young, Korea might still have had a chance.
But the World Cup is unpredictable.
Create another miracle.
If they could repeat the glory of Euro 2004 and defeat Nigeria convincingly in the third match, a place in the round of 16 might be possible.
There was still hope.
Johannesburg, Soccer City Stadium.
With around 80,000 spectators filling the stands, the match began.
[Group B second match of the 2010 South Africa World Cup begins. Korea in red on the left, Greece in blue on the right. Argentina have already beaten Nigeria, so a win here secures Korea's place in the round of 16.]
[Another point of interest, whether Korea can break their winless second-match jinx.]
[Indeed. In their last seven second matches, Korea have recorded 3 draws and 4 losses. They have struggled in this fixture. Hopefully that changes today.]
Korea lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
As against Nigeria, Ho-young, starting as attacking midfielder, dropped deeper to control the midfield from the outset.
[A wise decision. At this altitude, conserving energy for a midfield battle later would be taxing.]
[They intend to press early and secure momentum. We can expect a strong first half.]
The match unfolded smoothly.
Greece set up in a solid 4-4-2 defensive block, but whenever Ho-young touched the ball, cracks appeared.
Avraam Papadopoulos, the defensive leader tasked with marking him, shouted constantly.
"You idiots, stay focused. Do not let Ho-young get the ball."
Before kickoff, Rehhagel had instructed his players to block passing lanes and prevent Ho-young from receiving possession.
As a result, the first half flowed reasonably well.
[Ho-young on the ball. He attempts a central dribble, nutmegs Papadopoulos.]
[Good.]
[He pushes forward.]
Tap.
After evading left-back Vasilis and defensive midfielder Tziolis in quick succession, Ho-young exhaled.
It is still packed.
The defensive organization was so tight that neither a direct dribble nor a clear passing lane appeared.
It was as if they had trained solely for this for a year.
[Greece cleverly concede the midfield but seal off the second line.]
[They are saying, come through if you can. The coach has prepared thoroughly for every scenario.]
That was true.
But if Korea introduced a different approach, the story would change.
Think long.
In that instant, Ho-young's vision expanded.
He visualized the field and spotted space Rehhagel could not see.
The crowd rose.
[Ho-young switches play. A long diagonal pass to the opposite flank.]
[Park Ji-sung receives on the left. Excellent awareness.]
An incredibly sharp pass.
It ignored the spacing of four defenders entirely.
The stadium erupted.
[Unbelievable vision.]
[Vision alone is not enough. That requires extraordinary football intelligence.]
"The left passing lane was open. Open your eyes."
"Damn."
Samarás and Seitaridis, believing they had sealed every route, could only watch the ball pass between them.
"Use your body."
Thud.
Seitaridis, standing 185 centimeters tall, shoved hard, but Park Ji-sung held firm.
Still, Seitaridis felt composed.
There is nowhere to pass. If cover arrives.
At that very moment.
"Here!"
A sharp shout cut through the air.
But it was not from a Greek player.
It was a Korean voice in red.
Ho-young had sprinted across to provide support.
Unbelievable.
Before they could react, he had already received Park Ji-sung's pass.
(To be continued.)
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