Philippe Senderos knew that he had benefited from a refereeing mistake.
Because it had definitely been his foul.
But surprisingly, the referee had ruled in his favor.
The decision calling it a simulated foul was something he had never expected.
In fact, this World Cup had felt strange from the beginning.
From the Spain match to the recent Germany match, Switzerland had repeatedly received small and large advantages.
The conspiracy theories circulating in the media were not entirely unreasonable.
On the other hand, there had also been times when Switzerland suffered disadvantages.
But none of those had been decisions severe enough to affect the result of a match.
In the end, they had received more benefits than harm.
Looking back, that was true.
Before the match started, coach Ottmar Hitzfeld had said this.
"Even if you concede a penalty, do not give Ho-young a chance. Foul him if you must. Do not worry about the consequences."
By following his coach's instructions, Senderos had managed to avoid a critical situation.
For the team, it was fortunate.
But Senderos also felt a bit uneasy.
After all, Ho-young had countless fans around the world.
He would surely be attacked by many football fans because of this incident.
Still, he decided not to care.
What mattered most was victory.
As long as they won, that was enough.
Just as there was a huge difference between first and second place, there was also a big difference between third and fourth.
Senderos swallowed a satisfied smile and took the free kick.
And the moment he passed the ball to Steve von Bergen on the left.
"…!"
It happened in the blink of an eye.
Ho-young, who had been moving back toward the second line, suddenly spun around and sprinted toward them like a madman.
More precisely, he was heading for Steve von Bergen.
No one had expected it.
To make matters worse, the pass itself had not been particularly fast.
Of course, it was still faster than a person running.
But Ho-young's speed was far beyond that of an ordinary player.
Senderos knew that very well.
A chill ran down his spine.
Cold sweat trickled down his neck.
And as expected, the ominous feeling proved correct.
Thud.
Von Bergen rushed forward to receive the ball, but Ho-young's foot arrived a step earlier.
A successful interception.
"Ah…!"
"Mark him immediately!"
No, it was already too late to catch him.
Ho-young had accelerated fully and was already past the penalty area.
Goalkeeper Diego Benaglio quickly rushed out after realizing the situation, but the problem had already grown too large to fix.
The ball had already left Ho-young's foot and sailed over Benaglio's head.
And then.
Rustle.
A perfectly placed lob shot landed cleanly in the net.
[It's in! Ho-young!!]
[That's exactly it! He exploited the opponent's mistake perfectly! Only Ho-young, the fastest player in football, could have done that!]
"Woooooo!"
After scoring, Ho-young spread his arms like an airplane and ran across the field.
Then.
"Ho!"
He leapt into the air, finishing his celebration.
The moment stood in sharp contrast to Senderos's collapsed expression.
[You can imagine how frustrated Ho-young must have been. It shows clearly on his face.]
[Let's look at the goal again. It all happened in about three seconds. Even seeing it again, it's hard to believe. It was a truly satisfying goal.]
The stadium erupted into wild excitement.
But apparently that was not enough.
Ho-young walked into the goal, picked up the ball, and calmly returned to the halfway line.
Then he glanced at referee Cerrito.
"Hey. The celebration is over. Aren't you going to restart the match?"
"Ah… yes."
Cerrito blinked awkwardly for a moment before restarting play.
Then came the 30th minute of the first half.
[Switzerland's attacking tempo is increasing. Korea must be careful of runs from the second line.]
[Alexander Frei receives the ball. Someone needs to close him down quickly.]
The heart of Switzerland's attack, Alexander Frei, searched constantly for an opportunity to break through the defensive line.
But it was not easy.
Ki Sung-yueng and Kim Jung-hoo blocked him in front.
Park Ji-sung moved actively on the side, cutting off passing lanes.
And behind him…
[Ho-young drops back from midfield! He applies sudden pressure!]
[Ah, Frei's touch was just slightly quicker.]
Tap.
Just before Ho-young's tackle arrived, Frei lofted a pass forward.
But in his haste, he made a mistake.
He struck the ball with too much power instead of delicately chipping it.
[Nkufo runs after it, but the pass is slightly too long!]
[Jung Sung-ryong collects it safely. He immediately sends a goal kick forward!]
The goal kick toward midfield dropped above Park Joo-hyung.
Defensive midfielder Benjamin Huggel arrived late, but the ball had already landed at Ki Sung-yueng's feet.
At that moment, Ki Sung-yueng's eyes narrowed sharply.
The ball shot forward along the ground like a laser.
A killer pass toward the left flank.
Thud.
[Ki Sung-yueng's killer pass! Park Ji-sung receives it.]
[Good. It's a counterattack. They must use their speed to create a chance.]
[And just as we say that, Ho-young is making a run into the box! Park Ji-sung must look to the center!]
Perfect understanding.
Park Ji-sung's low cross had already been delivered into the penalty area.
Moments later, Ho-young's shooting motion followed.
At the same time, Senderos threw himself forward.
But.
"!!"
Shot feint.
Ho-young pulled back the shooting motion once, completely deceiving Senderos.
He then opened the shooting angle on the opposite side and struck properly.
Senderos could only stare helplessly as the net rippled.
It was a powerful long-range shot that flew beyond Benaglio's fingertips.
Rustle.
[Gooooal! What a strike! Ho-young! Ho-young has done it again! In the 31st minute of the first half, Korea takes a two-goal lead!]
[Excellent! The tempo of the counterattack and the spacing between players were perfect. And Ho-young's finishing was superb. That's his 14th goal of the tournament.]
[With this goal, Ho-young breaks Just Fontaine's record for most goals in a single World Cup. He is now just one goal away from Ronaldo's all-time tournament record!]
"Ho!"
Second goal.
Once again, Ho-young celebrated proudly.
Two shots, two goals.
A 100 percent conversion rate that struck fear into Switzerland.
The second half still remained, but the momentum had clearly shifted.
Switzerland desperately needed a way to change the flow.
Otherwise defeat was inevitable.
Halftime, Switzerland's locker room.
"Weaklings."
Ottmar Hitzfeld.
The German coach had led Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich during their golden eras and had once rivaled Alex Ferguson.
True to his fierce reputation, his personality was just as intimidating.
He was extremely dissatisfied with the first half.
Even after receiving so many advantages, including questionable decisions, his team had been helpless against their opponent.
"Get yourselves together. You are wasting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This is not a league that comes every year. It is not the Champions League or the Europa League. This is the World Cup, which comes once every four years!"
The dream of winning the tournament was already gone.
But third place was still within reach.
They could not collapse like this.
"Play as if this is your final stage. The World Cup is the opportunity of a lifetime. Fight as if you are ready to die. Football is war. If we do not kill the opponent, we will be the ones who die."
Hitzfeld continued speaking passionately for five minutes.
There was little tactical discussion.
Most of his words were meant to ignite the players' determination.
And indeed.
Whether his speech worked or not, Switzerland's performance improved immediately as the second half began.
The atmosphere grew intense, and the match became increasingly heated.
Switzerland completely changed their approach from the first half and turned the momentum.
Soon they created a decisive opportunity.
Whistle.
[Ah, Jo Yeon-hyung is called for a handball.]
[It's a bit unclear. It might not have been intentional, but the referee awards the penalty without hesitation.]
[It's unfortunate, but there's nothing they can do. They have to trust Jung Sung-ryong.]
They trusted him.
But their hope was not fulfilled.
Rustle.
The ball flew precisely into the corner of the goal.
Frei, the penalty taker, converted it cleanly.
But it did not end there.
Around the 24th minute of the second half.
Switzerland maintained their momentum and scored another goal within ten minutes.
It began with a mistake from Kim Jung-hoo's misplaced pass.
2-2.
The score was suddenly level, and time rushed toward the 85th minute.
[It looks like this match may go to extra time.]
[Yes. The players are exhausted. For both teams, the number of passes and overall activity has dropped significantly.]
This was the seventh match of the tournament.
Both teams were under heavy physical strain.
Some players had even played every match.
Seven full matches in one month would challenge even the strongest stamina.
Ho-young was no exception.
Feeling the strain, his movement had noticeably decreased in the second half.
Not only in defense but even in attack.
After all, he had run 13 kilometers in the previous match against Spain.
It would have been strange if he were not tired.
He tried to conserve energy while organizing play patiently, but Korea struggled to build from the back and failed to create clear chances.
If it goes to extra time, we will be at a disadvantage.
Now he had to draw the sword.
And the opponent was already exhausted.
It was time to unleash the stamina he had saved.
Then came the 90th minute.
[Jung Sung-ryong restarts play with a goal kick. The ball goes to Jo Yeon-hyung.]
[Jo Yeon-hyung looks deep forward. A long pass toward the second line!]
The ball dropped into the center of Switzerland's half.
Ho-young instantly gained the favorable position and jumped high.
But Switzerland would not simply watch.
"Not happening!"
Senderos jumped with him to contest the ball.
With his height and strong heading ability, he had a good chance.
But.
Thud.
Damn it.
Senderos lost the physical battle.
Ho-young reached the ball with his head.
Yet Senderos did not retreat.
In his excitement, he swung his arm without thinking.
Thud.
[Ah! Ho-young is down!]
[That is a clear foul! He struck him in the head with his elbow!]
[Oh no!]
The intention was obvious.
Referee Cerrito slowly approached and pulled out a yellow card.
Senderos was sent off for a second booking.
[Of course. That was the correct decision. If even that had been ignored, it would have been an open admission of biased refereeing.]
[But we must be worried about Ho-young. He has suffered so many fouls in this tournament.]
[Ah, he's getting up. That's a relief.]
"Ho-young, are you okay?"
"Yes. I'm fine."
His head had spun briefly after the elbow, but the dizziness quickly faded.
There were only two minutes left.
There was no time to waste.
"I want to take it."
Since Ho-young was already the designated free kick taker, everyone agreed immediately.
Twenty-six meters.
A comfortable distance.
But the angle was slightly awkward.
I'll have to curl it widely.
Ho-young carefully calculated the angle and distance.
He whispered something to Ki Sung-yueng, then stepped back two steps.
Then.
Tap.
Ki Sung-yueng rolled the ball to the side.
Ho-young planted his foot.
Just before striking a powerful shot.
[Ho-young shoots!]
But.
Tap.
It was another shot feint.
He deceived not only the defensive wall but the goalkeeper as well.
Then he rolled the ball to the other side and opened a new shooting angle.
At the same time he struck with his right foot.
A powerful curling shot bending toward the right.
At that moment he knew.
It was in.
Rustle.
And then.
We won.
He was certain.
[Gooooal! The comeback! A goal with one minute left before the final whistle!]
[Ho-young's hat-trick! It's done!!]
His 15th World Cup goal.
In his first tournament, Ho-young had equaled Ronaldo's record.
"Woooooo!"
He jumped in pure joy.
Could there be a moment more emotional than this?
Unless a natural disaster occurred, Korea had secured third place in the World Cup.
But that was not the only surprise.
Messages filled his vision.
[Absolute value of "Ball Control at the Pinnacle" has reached 22.00]
[Talent has reached the limit of human capability.]
[Upon meeting the conditions, it can be upgraded to "Transcendent Ball Sense (TS)" based on the absolute value.]
(Condition 1: Win one of the European top four leagues, La Liga, EPL, Bundesliga, Serie A)
(Condition 2: Win one of the European top four league cups)
(Condition 3: Win the FIFA Club World Cup)
(Condition 4: Win the Europa League)
So in simple terms.
He had just reached the limit of human ability.
And to surpass it, he would need to fulfill those conditions.
"Hoo…"
His mind was spinning.
Whether it was because he had reached the human limit or for another reason, his heart began beating rapidly.
And before he knew it, the whistle signaling the end of the match echoed across the stadium.
Korea's victory was confirmed.
But then.
"Uh…"
His vision suddenly blurred.
Within it, a pale figure began to appear.
It felt strangely familiar.
(To be continued.)