Total Football.
Literally translated, it means football where everyone participates.
And the meaning is exactly that.
Every player on the field becomes one unit, defending together and attacking together. It was a tactical revolution in the world of football.
People even say, "Modern football is divided into before and after the birth of Total Football."
It was also the tactical foundation of Tiki-taka.
And then.
[Cha Du-rim, Lee Hyung-pyo, Ki Sung-yueng, Kim Jung-hoo, Lee Chung-yong, Park Ji-sung, Ho-young, Park Joo-hyung! The Korean players are pushing forward!]
[The area around the ball is completely covered in a wave of white shirts. It's an unbelievable sight.]
Korea presented Total Football as their answer to Spain's Tiki-taka.
A true head-on counter.
The players maintained a consistent formation as they exchanged passes and moved past midfield.
Five or six players crowding tightly in the center was a terrifying sight.
Their target was the goal.
Ho-young held the center, while the other players circled around him, exchanging passes.
It looked as if they were protecting the eye of a typhoon.
At first glance, the sight seemed almost comical, and some spectators even burst into laughter.
But it was undeniably a frightening tactic.
There was once a time when the Netherlands, led by Johannes Cruijff, caused a sensation by perfectly implementing Total Football.
However, it had a clear weakness. Without a commander-like figure on the team, it was difficult to execute the tactic properly.
And if the opponent deliberately played pragmatic football, scoring became difficult while conceding became more likely.
So Ho-young made a slight adjustment.
Sun Tzu's principle, the best defense is a good offense.
Instead of balancing defense and attack equally, the tactic was only deployed during attacks, aiming for a decisive strike.
In war terms, it was like drawing a two-handed sword against an enemy armed with both sword and shield.
In other words, Total Attack.
The stamina normally reserved for defense would be used for offense.
This was the strategy Korea brought to the field, a bold attempt to defeat Spain.
There were certainly flaws.
In fact, there were so many gaps that even an ordinary viewer could easily spot them.
But at the center of the tactic stood a reliable commander.
Ho-young.
He led the attack to ensure the center did not collapse, while his teammates filled in the weaknesses, completing the system.
Up front, Park Joo-hyung moved in zigzags, opening Ho-young's path. On both sides, Park Ji-sung and Lee Chung-yong squeezed inward, narrowing the gaps.
The pressure coming between them was escaped through short and quick passes.
"Focus on the passes!"
"If we lose the ball, it's over!"
This complex movement was a single attacking pattern completed in just two days.
It was no exaggeration to say it was everything Korea had prepared.
Even the foreign commentators were in an uproar.
[This is unbelievable. In this World Cup, only Chile and Spain had shown distinctive tactics. That showed how dominant pragmatic football had become. But now, Korea has joined that group.]
[At the very least, they've succeeded in surprising Spain. But the important thing is the result. What matters is what outcome Korea can create from this.]
At the moment, the ball stayed in the second line, and around it, more than a dozen players moved busily.
Korea had eight players in attack.
Spain had nine players defending.
For a brief moment, time seemed to stop.
When Ho-young's feet stopped, the flow seemed to break, and Korea's attack suddenly slowed.
An enormous tension settled over the pitch.
Within that short moment, a tactical battle unfolded.
Ho-young read the eyes of Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta, while Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets read Ho-young's.
For a moment, they stared.
"Switch from zonal defense to man-marking!"
"This isn't the time to press! Stay in the line!"
"Ramos! Keep an eye on Park Ji-sung!"
Spain was not a team that would simply accept this.
In the defensive line, Iker Casillas and Carles Puyol took command. In midfield, Xavi Hernández played the same role as they responded thoroughly.
It was a battle where one could not take their eyes off the pitch for even a second.
Once the situation settled slightly, Xavi widened his vision and began observing the situation from a broader perspective.
There's no way out.
Korea was simply clustered together, exchanging passes without producing any meaningful attack.
At least that was how it looked to Xavi.
If there's any gap, it would be the space behind the flanks. Otherwise, a sudden breakthrough from Ho-young.
Xavi's eyes sharpened.
He was certain. There was no path.
And at that moment.
[Ho-young and Ki Sung-yueng exchange passes and move forward again. Ho-young is slowly attempting a breakthrough.]
[Xabi Alonso is approaching from the front. It looks like he's anticipating Ho-young's dribble. Our players need to recognize that quickly and help Ho-young break through.]
"Press again!"
Xavi's voice echoed loudly.
Immediately, tight pressure was applied on the pitch, and Spain began to surround the Korean players.
But in that instant.
"Go!"
A perfectly synchronized movement.
Park Ji-sung and Lee Chung-yong switched positions in an X pattern, tangling the defenders' movement.
At the same time, Park Joo-hyung and Ho-young switched positions in a straight line.
Park Joo-hyung received the ball and nudged it forward with a short pass. Ho-young, receiving the pass, let the ball run through, deceiving Xabi Alonso and Busquets.
From that moment, Spain's defense fell into confusion.
And at that same moment, a path that had not existed before appeared.
"Here!"
Thud.
Ho-young's lofted pass flew toward the right flank.
In the confusion between Capdevila and Ramos, Park Ji-sung, who had switched positions with Lee Chung-yong, slipped out to the right side and received the ball.
Immediately, the return pass came back to Ho-young's feet.
[Near the penalty area. Ho-young, the angle doesn't seem right for a shot. Or will he try to break through?]
Despite the urgency, Spain's penalty box remained solid.
Carles Puyol and Gerard Piqué firmly held their positions in key areas.
Moreover, Xavi Hernández and Xabi Alonso had recovered and were applying pressure from behind.
It was a fierce battle with no room for compromise.
But Korea's attack did not end there.
Once more, they twisted the situation, Ho-young and Park Joo-hyung spreading to the left and right.
At the same time, Lee Chung-yong and Park Ji-sung moved into the center of the penalty box.
"Crazy."
"Stay focused!"
"Piqué! Hold your position! Defend the zone, don't chase the man!"
Spain's defenders hurriedly switched to zonal defense, concentrating with everything they had.
[Ho-young is making a run down the left flank. He receives the pass that Park Ji-sung let through.]
[Ramos and Iniesta are closing in.]
Busquets joined from behind, forming a triangle to press Ho-young.
Whether it was a dribble or anything else, they were determined not to allow him the play he wanted.
[Even after being shaken like this, Spain is responding thoroughly. Their defensive organization is truly impressive.]
[That's right. Forcing a breakthrough here seems difficult. He needs to widen his view.]
Sergio Ramos, Andrés Iniesta, Sergio Busquets.
If Ho-young had been certain he could break through them at will, he would have done it from the beginning.
But they were world-class players.
They were not Argentina's second team, nor aging veterans past their prime. They were global stars at the peak of their careers.
Treating all three like training dummies and breaking through them consecutively would be close to gambling.
Moreover, near the halfway line, David Villa was ready to make a run at any moment.
If Ho-young forced a dribble and lost the ball, the chance of conceding immediately would be very high.
But then.
Tap.
Ho-young did not retreat.
He used body feints left and right, drawing a slight reaction from Ramos.
But Ramos did not step back either.
I won't fall for it.
Ramos considered himself one of the closest people to Ho-young in this stadium.
He had often seen Ho-young create hesitation with body feints and exploit the narrow gap to break through.
He had already noticed that Ho-young was attempting the same move now.
But he did not expect this.
Whoosh.
A step-over.
When Ho-young added step-overs to his upper-body feints, the situation changed.
Ramos knew he should not be fooled, but his body reacted before his mind could stop it.
For a brief instant, a gap opened.
A space so narrow that ordinary people would not even see it.
If someone had Messi's small frame and superior agility, it was a gap they could break through.
For Ho-young as well, it was a situation worth attempting.
From behind, Iniesta and Busquets believed Ho-young would definitely attempt the dribble.
In less than a second, they exchanged signals.
Within that tiny moment, a suffocating psychological battle unfolded.
To lure Ho-young into the dribble, Iniesta and Busquets deliberately opened space to the sides.
Just as expected.
Tap.
Ho-young chose to break through.
As he slipped into the gap, Iniesta's tackle shot in like a predator snatching its prey.
A display worthy of a master of mind games.
Up to that point, everything was perfect.
But something felt strange.
No, far too strange.
"Tsk."
Something unexpected happened.
The ball, which should have been taken long ago, was still at Ho-young's feet.
With superb ball control, he had slightly evaded the collision and protected the ball.
Even for Iniesta, who prided himself on controlling the ball freely, it was a ball touch he envied.
And it did not end there.
Ho-young lifted his head.
The spatial calculation was instantaneous, and without hesitation, he stretched out his leg from where he stood.
A pass toward the central area of the second line from the flank.
[A pass slicing across the field!]
[Ho-young looks toward midfield!]
Improvisation.
Without even planting his supporting foot, Ho-young struck the ball with the outside of his foot.
Even so, the pass flew at incredible speed, passing Ramos, Iniesta, Busquets, and Puyol before arriving safely at the central area of the second line.
It was possible because of his leg strength and kicking power.
[The ball is safely delivered to the center.]
[Ho-young protects the ball well!]
He had nearly fallen into Iniesta's trap, but thanks to his calm judgment and wide vision, he kept possession.
And he did not simply keep the ball.
Thud, tap.
[Cha Du-rim receives the pass.]
[He then sends it to Lee Hyung-pyo.]
[Spain's formation has become uneven. Even they don't seem to know how to respond. Our players must capitalize on this opportunity.]
In the central area of the second line, Lee Hyung-pyo and Cha Du-rim were waiting.
Total Attack.
It was gradually revealing its true form.
A moment where danger turned into opportunity.
[Cha Du-rim immediately makes a run after passing to Lee Hyung-pyo.]
[He's pushing into the second line!]
A quick attack.
The situation unfolded rapidly.
Cha Du-rim exchanged a one-two pass with Lee Hyung-pyo and penetrated into the box.
Inside the box, he formed a triangle with Park Ji-sung and Lee Chung-yong, exchanging short passes.
Thud.
Tap.
"Quickly!"
"Play it short!"
That brief sequence of play caught Gerard Piqué off guard.
Piqué, who should have controlled the penalty box, could only flounder like a lost lamb.
"Piqué! Focus, you bastard!"
It was already too late to fix the situation. Spain's players had completely tangled their movement.
Not everyone could make calm and rational decisions like Puyol.
Damn it.
At the very least, Puyol had to stay sharp.
What mattered was the ball.
In the end, as long as they blocked the shot, it would be fine.
Just as he launched a sliding tackle toward the ball at Park Ji-sung's feet.
[Park Ji-sung with a heel pass! He lets it roll backward!]
A brilliant play.
Park Ji-sung's pass was slightly faster than Puyol's sliding tackle.
And at that spot stood Ho-young, who had already made a run from the flank.
At that very moment, Busquets' standing tackle came in from behind.
Swish.
But Ho-young's eyes were faster than Busquets' foot.
[Ho-young cuts inside once!]
[With that cut, the space has opened wide! Will he shoot!]
[Ah, he has to shoot!!]
The path to the goal had finally opened.
There were almost no obstacles.
Except for one.
Iker Casillas, guarding the goal.
The advantage was absolutely with Ho-young.
Left foot, right foot, curling shot, driven shot, chipped shot. He had many weapons to face Casillas.
Among them, Ho-young chose the toe kick, a shot with minimal motion and almost no delay.
And at that moment.
Boom.
With a quick kicking motion, Ho-young stole Casillas' timing.
The ball slipped past the tip of his left foot and shot straight between Casillas' legs.
Casillas tried to snap his legs shut with animal-like reflexes, but the shot had come two beats too fast.
The net rippled without mercy.
Rustle.
Unbelievably, it was Korea that scored the opening goal.
The stadium fell into shock.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)