There is a phrase called "Guti's day."
It refers to the days when Guti, already a great player, suddenly enters extraordinary form and performs like a monster.
The same applied to Ho-young.
One of the things that surprised analysts when evaluating him was his consistency. In truth, it was thanks to the talent "Condition of That Day (U)."
His usual stable condition combined with Guti's talent, creating terrifying synergy.
And sometimes that synergy reached its peak.
Body and mind.
Every aspect focused entirely on the match, entering a state of pure immersion.
Just like right now.
[Ho-young exchanges a quick one two pass with Xabi Alonso and escapes Xavi's pressure.]
[Busquets steps in to challenge.]
Tap, tap.
[Ah. A clean two touch sequence followed by an explosive burst forward. He drives toward the right.]
Match sense and concentration.
Combined with a body condition that had reached its extreme.
Usually such moments were triggered by a strong winning mentality or fierce competitive spirit.
But today there was another reason.
The disturbance earlier that morning outside the hotel.
Such incidents were common in football, so he could have ignored it.
But the insults directed at Monica.
Dragging unrelated people into the situation was something he could not tolerate.
Moreover, Monica was not the only one there today.
After her strong performance in the championship, she had come to the stadium after a long time. Her parents had been invited as well.
That made him even more uneasy.
And that irritation pushed Ho-young to focus entirely on the match.
There was another reason he had to win.
The opportunity to obtain Messi's potential.
A special condition.
"Achieve Real Madrid's tenth consecutive El Clásico victory."
But it would not be easy.
[Barcelona's players immediately retreat and reorganize their defensive structure.]
Ten consecutive defeats in El Clásico.
Barcelona had placed everything on this match to stop that humiliation.
What Mourinho truly wanted was victory.
Many people, including President Rosell, misunderstood Mourinho.
They believed he played extremely defensive football.
But the truth was different.
Mourinho was not foolish enough to play purely defensive football with players like Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Villa, and Di María.
On the surface it looked defensive.
In reality, the core keyword of his strategy was transition.
It was highly aggressive.
This was not football meant to avoid losing.
It was football designed to win.
Even though all eleven players were currently lined up in suffocating defense, no one knew when they would suddenly explode forward.
Ho-young saw everything from his position as the attacking leader.
'I have to avoid half hearted attacks.'
He had been dribbling down the right, but he turned the ball back toward the center.
Instead of forcing something, he decided to maintain possession and wait for the perfect chance.
Fernando Gago received the pass.
"Ah!"
[Gago. That touch was too heavy.]
[Busquets charges in aggressively.]
Gago failed to control Ho-young's pass properly and ended up pushing the ball straight toward Busquets.
And Busquets would never miss such an opportunity.
"Hup!"
He sprinted forward and stretched out his foot.
Collision followed.
Thud.
Gago stretched his leg too late and stumbled, but play continued.
Busquets seized the chance and attempted to pass forward to Xavi.
Whoosh.
"Damn it!"
Once again.
[Ho-young intercepts.]
Ho-young appeared out of nowhere and snatched the ball like lightning.
Busquets could only stare in frustration.
[Ho-young is showing incredible work rate today. He's covering a massive area from the attacking line down to midfield, even against Barcelona's midfield.]
[He's astonishing every time we watch him. When did his field coverage become this good? He's not chasing blindly either. He moves carefully while maintaining key positions.]
[Exactly. But why hasn't the referee blown the whistle? Fernando Gago is still on the ground.]
"Ref!"
Ho-young kicked the ball out toward the sideline and shouted.
Only then did the whistle sound and the match stopped.
[The referee seems distracted. He should have blown the whistle immediately when the player went down. There will definitely be controversy over biased officiating again today.]
[Without that, it wouldn't be El Clásico.]
Whether at Santiago Bernabéu or Camp Nou, refereeing controversies always appeared.
But today's referee, González, seemed openly favorable toward the home team.
"Gago. Gago."
"Hey. Are you alright?"
"Ugh..."
He gave no response.
Gago clenched his eyes shut and writhed in pain.
His ankle had twisted slightly.
"Those bastards."
"Damn it."
Gago eventually had to be carried off on a stretcher.
[Another problem for Real Madrid. Diarra is already unavailable due to suspension.]
[Ah, Marcos Tebar is coming on. He lacks experience, so his teammates must support him.]
Promoted from Castilla last year, Tebar had spent time on loan and returned this season as a defensive midfielder.
A huge match like El Clásico was naturally nerve racking.
And eventually what everyone feared happened.
"Switch to Plan B2."
Mourinho's voice echoed across the stadium.
As he ordered a tactical change, Barcelona's formation shifted.
The defensive line pushed higher and the previously tight spacing widened.
At the same time the pressing began.
[Pedro and David Villa push forward.]
[They must be careful.]
[Mertesacker exchanges passes with Casillas to escape the press.]
"Tighten the gaps. Ignore the empty space on the sides. Focus on the center."
Casillas organized the defense, seemingly escaping Barcelona's pressing.
But.
[Marcelo receives it. He passes to Tebar and begins an overlapping run.]
[Ah. Pedro changes direction. That's dangerous.]
[Iniesta joins the press.]
Aggressive man marking based on quick transitions.
This was the essence of Mourinho's system.
The midfield had already weakened after Gago's injury.
Moreover, Xabi Alonso was not the best at escaping pressure.
"Tch."
"Stay calm."
But Tebar heard nothing.
The roar of one hundred thousand Barcelona fans filled his ears.
"Woooooo."
In the end.
"Take it."
After a fierce battle for the ball, he lost possession to Iniesta.
Barcelona had seized a decisive counterattack.
[At the same time Messi makes his run.]
[Iniesta sends a through ball into space.]
Iniesta's killer pass flew toward Messi sprinting forward.
But the ball was cut off midway.
Smack.
[Ah. It's Ho-young again. How did he get there so quickly? Isn't he supposed to be playing as an attacking midfielder today?]
[Ho-young safely passes it back to Xabi Alonso. Real Madrid circulates possession.]
Real Madrid had momentarily lost composure against Barcelona's tailored tactics.
Fortunately Ho-young covered the gaps everywhere, stabilizing the situation.
Once things settled slightly, he moved forward through midfield again.
At that moment.
"Young. Thanks."
Tebar raised his hand toward him.
"Don't be nervous. We've got your back."
Ho-young responded by lightly tapping Tebar on the back and moving forward.
'Their pressing is getting stronger. They're betting everything on this. We just have to survive this wave.'
The atmosphere was becoming dangerous.
And sure enough.
[Barcelona's pressure continues. Now Busquets pushes forward as well.]
[Xabi Alonso must stay calm.]
Despite suffering nine consecutive defeats to Real Madrid, Barcelona remained one of the strongest teams in the world.
They were determined not to go down quietly.
It was war.
Thud.
[A heavy collision.]
[Xabi Alonso goes down.]
"Tch."
It happened in an instant.
Busquets' foot came in before Alonso could pass.
But play continued.
Alonso got up quickly and attempted a sliding tackle, but the ball had already moved to the right flank.
[Real Madrid are making small mistakes today. They need to stay focused.]
[The disturbance outside the hotel early this morning may have affected their condition. The intense support from the home crowd is also a factor.]
Barcelona surged forward with full attack.
Marcelo tried to block the flank, but the combination play between Dani Alves and David Villa broke through.
Tap, tap.
It was Guardiola's legacy.
Tiki taka.
And it led to a perfect chance for Barcelona.
[A critical moment. Real Madrid must stay focused.]
[Dani Alves looks toward the empty space in the center.]
Tap.
The receiver was Lionel Messi.
Everything was perfect.
Ramos and Pepe rushed in with aggressive double defending, but Messi easily slipped through.
He ducked his upper body like a mouse and weaved through the defenders, entering the penalty box in an instant.
The entire sequence happened within one second.
His lethal left foot shot followed immediately.
But then.
Thud.
Someone appeared and threw his body forward.
[Ahhhh.]
The roaring crowd suddenly fell silent.
Instead.
"Ah."
Messi let out a sigh.
"Ho-young."
Once again.
It was him.
Ho-young had already arrived, perfectly positioned, blocking Messi's shot with impeccable defensive timing.
[Unbelievable from Ho-young.]
[What exactly is his position? Defender? Midfielder? Or forward?]
[It's as if Real Madrid have two players in every position right now. That's not human.]
Field-Dominating Versatility.
Ho-young roamed the entire pitch without being restricted by position, covering every area.
And he was not finished.
[Ho-young sends it to Casillas and sprints forward.]
[Casillas collects it.]
"Go."
Thump.
Ho-young received Casillas' quick distribution with his head and directed it toward Ronaldo on the right.
Real Madrid counterattack.
While Ronaldo surged down the flank, Ho-young sprinted wildly through the center with relentless determination.
That movement soon dominated the field.
[The situation changes rapidly.]
[Barcelona responds well, organizing quickly and gaining numerical advantage.]
"Busquets, wake up. Form a triangle press."
"Protect the space."
"Three men on him."
But Ho-young's coverage range was extraordinary.
They could not stop him completely.
[Busquets, Puyol, and Piqué are all being dragged around by Ho-young.]
One against three.
Ho-young was battling Barcelona's central defense alone.
With incredible work rate and intelligent off the ball movement, he created gaps throughout their defensive line.
His condition had reached its peak.
The three defenders were completely drawn out.
Eventually they gave away a decisive opportunity.
Ronaldo beat Abidal and delivered a pass.
The ball dropped perfectly at Ho-young's feet.
The shot came instantly.
Boom.
The net rippled.
And that was it.
A goal that shattered Camp Nou.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
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