A global club competition sponsored by Toyota and organized by FIFA.
The FIFA Club World Cup.
Because of the word "World Cup," one might think the tournament holds extremely high prestige, but in reality it is not that renowned.
The competition began in 2000 and was often held in a rushed manner each year, earning the reputation of being "a tournament better not held at all."
However, starting in 2008, the total prize pool jumped to 16.5 million dollars, about 16.5 billion won, and the tournament gradually became more structured.
With the winner's prize reaching about 5 billion won, it was an opportunity Real Madrid could not ignore.
Because the players had expended enormous energy during the recent El Clásico, the semifinals were played with reserve players.
But for the final, the plan was to field the strongest lineup.
Since there were no competitions until early January due to the Christmas break, they could go all out.
Their opponent was Seongnam Ilhwa.
Last season, under coach Shin Tae-yong, the team had lifted the 2010 AFC Champions League trophy, earning the right to represent Asia in this tournament.
Objectively speaking, they possessed one of the stronger squads in the competition.
Unfortunately, from Real Madrid's perspective, it was nothing more than laughable.
Some believed the extremely humid and hot weather might become a variable.
But that was merely the faint hope of the weaker side.
Just three days earlier, Real Madrid had easily defeated Africa's powerhouse TP Mazembe 3-0 in the semifinals, despite fielding only reserve players.
In reality, the championship was as good as Real Madrid's already.
Even before the tournament began, most football fans thought so.
[
└What exactly is shocking about that?
└Not shocking at all.
└The reporter clearly knows nothing about football lol.
└Still, I doubt there'll be a huge score. It's not a league match, they won't waste energy chasing records.
└True. They'll probably score two or three and take it easy. I predict 3-0 or 4-1. Seongnam's attack isn't bad.
A match with little tension.
It would not be an exaggeration to say the outcome was already decided, with less than a one percent chance of an upset.
Even so, football fans around the world paid enormous attention.
They wanted to see the dazzling football of Real Madrid.
Especially after the recent El Clásico.
Many hoped they might witness another match like that.
And it was not only ordinary football fans who felt this way.
Two hours before kickoff.
"I'm looking forward to a good match."
The man who entered Real Madrid's locker room with an excited expression was Sheikh Mansour, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates.
He encouraged not only Ho-young but the other players as well.
Standing beside him was an elderly man clinging closely like sticky rice cake.
It was President Calderón, who had personally traveled to the UAE for a new business venture.
For Ho-young, sharing the same space with him was extremely uncomfortable.
But it would all end today.
Of course, Ho-young intended to return to Real Madrid one day.
However, there was no set time.
Whether it would be six months or twelve months later depended entirely on him.
Calderón, who had been encouraging each player one by one, approached him.
"What can I possibly say to you? Only thank you. I look forward to the end. I trust you understand what I mean."
He meant that he was grateful Ho-young had followed his wishes.
In other words, he was thanking him for becoming a political sacrifice.
But.
'Things won't go exactly the way you want.'
Ho-young had no intention of becoming Calderón's puppet.
[Yes, we are here at Zayed Sports City Stadium. The players from both teams are finally entering the pitch. The long-awaited moment has arrived.]
[The Seongnam Ilhwa players all look visibly nervous. Yet there is also determination in their expressions. Just from their eyes, they look as though they will never accept defeat.]
[That's what you call a winning mentality. It's exactly what Seongnam Ilhwa needs right now.]
Meanwhile, Real Madrid looked very relaxed.
Moreover, they had recovered much of their stamina after resting in the previous match, so their condition was excellent.
It became obvious during the handshakes.
Every Seongnam player who shook hands with Ho-young seemed tense.
Those who had met him before treated him with great respect.
An aura that made age irrelevant.
The foreign players were no different.
In particular, Seongnam's specialist striker Radoncic went even further.
"After the match, could we exchange jerseys?"
Requesting a jersey swap before the match even began was something that almost never happened.
But for him, it was a desperate request.
This was a chance that might never come again.
The most composed player on Seongnam's side was their goalkeeper.
"Let's have a good match."
[Jung Sung-ryong]
Possessed Talents: Overwhelming Kick Power (A-), Excellent Ball Handling (B-), Decent Prediction Ability (C), Serviceable Defensive Positioning (C-)
(You may covet one talent if the conditions are met.)
(Condition 1: Score 3 or more goals in this match)
(Condition 2: Record at least 30% finishing accuracy)
The conditions had changed since the last time they met in the national team.
There were not many talents worth taking, but ball handling seemed useful.
'It could help with throwing as well.'
After shaking hands with Ho-young, Jung Sung-ryong lifted his sharp gaze.
"I won't go easy on you."
"Of course."
Smirk.
Jung Sung-ryong raised one corner of his mouth in a characteristic smile.
It was not arrogance.
He was simply curious.
As a goalkeeper, what would it feel like to face Ho-young in a real match?
He had wondered since the South Africa World Cup.
A curiosity any footballer might have at least once.
And Jung Sung-ryong got his answer in just five minutes.
5th minute of the first half.
Gulp.
"Hoo."
Jung Sung-ryong exhaled heavily.
His body felt stiff and difficult to move.
Cold sweat covered him.
It was not just because of the heat.
The match unfolding before his eyes was the reason.
And the cause was, of course, Ho-young.
The ball was far away, yet he could not relax even for a moment.
So far Ho-young had not made any major move.
But every second was filled with tension.
He already knew how exceptional Ho-young's playmaking ability was.
'You never know when a chance will appear.'
Just his presence alone created anxiety.
That was Ho-young's presence.
However, it was not enough to completely control the match.
'Right. I'm just scared.'
Real Madrid. The best footballer in the world. World Cup Golden Boot winner. Countless wonder plays.
Those preconceived notions created his overwhelming presence.
But in the actual flow of the game, nothing extraordinary had happened yet.
'He's just a person like anyone else. Don't be afraid, Jung Sung-ryong.'
He had faced countless strikers on his way to becoming a national team goalkeeper.
One lesson he learned was this.
You must eliminate fear of the opposing striker before entering the match.
Mental strength.
He needed to cast aside prejudice and believe he could stop the opponent.
Winning the match was never even part of his expectations.
'I'll stop at least half of them.'
Ho-young's finishing ability was extremely high.
But that did not mean every shot he took would go in.
'I can do this too, Jung Sung-ryong. Don't be greedy. Just stop one out of every two shots.'
With that resolve, he focused on the match.
No matter if the opponent was Real Madrid.
They would not go down easily.
'We are the best in Asia.'
If you think you will lose, then you have already lost.
With that thought, Jung Sung-ryong tightened his goalkeeper gloves.
[Seongnam Ilhwa has set up in a 4-5-1 formation and is playing very compact defense. Surprisingly, they are showing a solid performance against Real Madrid.]
[Haha. Quite surprising. Should we call it a rebellion by the underdog? Several players are man-marking Ho-young, who is playing as an attacking midfielder, and trying not to give away control. Rather than aiming for victory, it almost seems like their goal is simply to stop Ho-young.]
Seongnam Ilhwa's strategy was simple.
Whenever they won the ball, they passed it around in their own half to waste time.
If they lost possession, they focused entirely on marking Ho-young.
They held out like that for twenty-five minutes.
[Many expected a flood of goals, but the match is still scoreless. It's becoming quite dull. Seongnam Ilhwa has locked things down, and Real Madrid does not seem very eager either.]
[They know they can win even if they take it easy.]
"Don't let Ho-young touch the ball!"
"Block every space you see!"
"The rest of you just defend in front of the goal!"
Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuaín were roaming around up front.
Yet Seongnam's players focused only on Ho-young.
But in the 28th minute.
[Xabi Alonso pushes the ball forward slightly. Ho-young drops deeper to collect it himself.]
[It seems he's decided to take matters into his own hands.]
His movement changed.
As the frustrating match continued, Ho-young dropped deep to collect the ball himself.
Then he widened his vision.
'There are plenty of weak spots.'
The movement of the opposing players and the spaces between them.
He had already identified where the gaps would appear.
He drew a safe path forward in his mind.
From that moment, the flow of the match changed.
Tap.
[Near the halfway line, Ho-young carries the ball forward.]
[Joo Jae-chul steps up to challenge him.]
Attacking midfielder Joo Jae-chul blocked his path with a fierce glare.
The tension rose.
But only briefly.
Thud!
[He opens space on the right and breaks through!]
There was no mind game.
Immediately afterward, Jo Byung-kook and Hwang Chul swarmed like piranhas and stuck their feet in.
But they could not stop Ho-young's dribble.
Whoosh!
Their kicks missed completely.
In that short moment, at least five tackles came in.
But Ho-young moved his feet in zigzags and kept control of the ball.
Then he spun his body ninety degrees to the left, shifting the ball in that direction.
A clean escape from pressure between two strong defenders.
But it did not end there.
[Sasa is charging in as well!]
The European foreign defender.
He lunged in with a rough sliding tackle.
The timing was nearly perfect.
But Ho-young's reaction was even faster.
[Ho-young performs a Marseille turn!]
[An incredible escape from pressure. Even if you have great footwork, it's difficult without excellent press resistance.]
[Ho-young pushes forward!]
"Ooooooo!"
The cheers of forty thousand spectators filled the stadium.
Yes, this was what they had been waiting for.
They had come to the stadium despite the scorching heat to witness plays like this.
The decisive moment arrived right then.
As Koo Ja-sung left his position marking Douglas and rushed forward, Ho-young passed the ball and created the chance.
Inside the penalty area.
Douglas returned it with a lob pass.
Then came the lob shot.
Jung Sung-ryong reacted, but the shot floated mercilessly into the net.
The goal came in an instant.
Clang!
[Gooooal! Ho-young scores the opener!]
[Isn't this what makes Ho-young so terrifying? He is both a playmaker and a finisher. Even when the match isn't flowing well, he can create a goal at any moment.]
[Exactly. It's like a guarantee.]
Seongnam Ilhwa's mental strength.
It shattered before even thirty minutes had passed.
"This is ridiculous."
Jung Sung-ryong scratched the back of his head.
Even looking back, he could not understand what had just happened.
He simply could not see it.
'It wasn't a situation that should have produced a goal. So why…'
Something beyond comprehension.
Ho-young's ability seemed even greater than what he had seen on television recently.
And it was not just a feeling.
Ho-young had truly grown significantly over the past few days.
[Absolute Value of 'Half-Pitch Domination Versatility (W+3)' 22.00]
It was the result of integrating multiple talents through Messi's potential.
The limits of a human.
In other words, the ability to dominate the field.
He had now gained the conditions to surpass it.
The requirement was the same as ball sense.
Win the FIFA Club World Cup title in this tournament and then lift the Europa League trophy.
That would be enough.
'Good. My condition feels fine.'
Only thirty minutes had passed.
The game was just beginning.
With this momentum, a large score difference seemed possible.
But perhaps because of the weather, Real Madrid's players seemed unmotivated.
Just as many had predicted, they appeared content to win casually.
And so the first half ended uneventfully.
2-0.
The additional goal Ho-young scored from a corner near the end of the first half was the last moment of action.
A hat trick was possible.
Even playing casually, victory was guaranteed.
But.
'It feels a bit disappointing to end it like this.'
Was this not his final match for Real Madrid?
He wanted a spectacular finish.
So during halftime, Ho-young went to the manager's office and made a request to Scolari.
At that moment, the greatest show on earth began to take shape, the final act of his time at Real Madrid.
(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.)