Chapter 20
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In the third round of the World Cup qualifiers, Shin Ah-yoon, watching the match between Iraq and Korea with her family, gradually felt her expression harden.
“This is so frustrating to watch.”
“Exactly. It doesn’t seem like our players or the coach are doing poorly, but still…”
It was truly a frustrating game.
Korea’s second-line resources, which could be considered as strong as Europe’s, were completely bogged down by Iraq’s dirty playing style.
Even when they managed to break through, Iraqi players immediately disrupted the flow with reckless fouls.
Time dragged on endlessly until ten minutes into the second half.
The anger that had been held back was now starting to boil over.
“What’s with their dirty playstyle? What if our players get hurt? Who’s going to take responsibility? I mean, look at Lee Kang-jin. He’s from Manchester City, and do you know how much he’s worth…”
“Ah, honey… I know you’re a Manchester City fan, but isn’t it unfair to single out Lee Kang-jin here?”
“Did I say anything wrong? It’s easy for you because none of your beloved Liverpool players are on the national team right now. Do you know how much I love Lee Kang-jin? Remember how upset I was when he left Mallorca for PSG?”
“Mom, come on, Lee Kang-jin would fit perfectly at Manchester United. Don’t you think he could be the next Park Ji-sung?”
“What? Shin Seung-ah! What did you just say? Are you seriously saying Kang-jin should go to United?”
“…Oh, no. I didn’t mean it like that…”
“Alright, alright, let’s stop arguing and focus on the game. We never know what might happen!”
“True, our boy might still get a chance to play…”
Listening quietly to the exchange between Baek Ian’s and her family, Shin Ah-yoon forced herself to calm her burning frustration.
“A chance to play, huh? Will Ian really get to play today? Everyone seems to be quietly hoping for it.”
Though she couldn’t know what Martin Valdé was thinking, Shin Ah-yoon predicted that Baek Ian wouldn’t play in today’s match.
It wasn’t because she thought he lacked the skill to play in a national team match.
It was simply because this stage didn’t seem like the right place for a rookie.
“The third round of World Cup qualifiers.”
Today’s game was one that could secure Korea’s place in the finals if they won.
Unlike the league matches where mistakes could sometimes be remedied, the limited opportunities of the World Cup qualifiers often led most coaches to avoid risky choices.
A coach like Martin Valdé, who had built his career in Europe, would certainly be well aware of this.
“But would Ian be disappointed if he doesn’t get to play?”
Looking down at her phone, Shin Ah-yoon sighed deeply.
When they had read the announcement together, Ian had shown no particular reaction to being selected, but she believed he must have been quietly happy inside.
After all, being part of the national team was that kind of thing.
For a player, showcasing their skills while representing their country was often a lifelong dream.
Ian, too, would surely want to show his best in a frustrating match like this one.
“Considering Ian’s usual playstyle, he would do really well against Iraq. His physicality is stronger, and his escape dribbling is excellent. He’d definitely be worth considering…”
But he likely wouldn’t get the chance.
Even though Martin Valdé had shocked everyone with his unconventional and bias-free decisions, he surely understood how important today’s match was.
“Ah… Is Ian really not going to play? What if Iraq scores, or we end up with a draw?”
“Those Iraqi players are so rough. I just hope no one gets injured.”
“Maybe it’s because it’s against a Middle Eastern team. It doesn’t look easy… At this point, maybe we should just settle for a draw and focus on the next match.”
As the continuous stream of frustrating moments unfolded, Ah-yoon’s family voiced their thoughts while watching the TV with faint glimmers of hope.
Listening quietly to their comments, Shin Ah-yoon put down the chicken she was eating and headed to the bathroom.
Bang!
“Haah…”
Leaning against the door, she let out a long sigh.
Hearing her family talk about the game, she couldn’t stop imagining Ian’s face, disappointed about not being able to play.
The remaining game time was just about twenty minutes. Adding extra time, it might stretch to 30 or 35 minutes.
“Just ten minutes… I’ll stay here for a bit, wash my face, and then go back out.”
Once she calmed herself, she’d be able to watch the game more comfortably.
With that thought, Shin Ah-yoon crouched down and let time pass.
Eight minutes later, as the clock showed, she stood up and prepared to wash her face.
That’s when it happened.
“We did it! We did it!”
“Ahhhhh! My boy! Woohoo!”
“What? Is this for real? Sis… huh? Where is she now? Sis! Come out now! If you miss this, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life!”
“What… what’s going on?”
Suddenly, an uproar erupted outside.
Did someone score a goal?
Hearing the cheers, she hastily fumbled for her phone to check the football community updates.
As the page loaded after a short delay, the screen revealed something unexpected.
“What?”
– [Korea vs Iraq] Yoon Seung-hwan’s insane near-post opening goal.
– [Korea vs Iraq] Baek Ian’s Marseille Turn frees up the midfield, followed by a through-pass assist in his debut.
Unbelievable scenes began to unfold before her eyes.
***
When Korea, which had been struggling against Iraq’s new version of Bed Football, scored the opening goal, the exhausted viewers regained their enthusiasm.
[Baek Ian! He completely outplays Ibrahim Sulaka with a Marseille Turn! Is he going to push forward? He keeps his pace and charges up the field! There are many second-line players ahead! What choice will he make?!!!]
[He passes immediately! Taking advantage of the Iraqi defense being drawn to Bae Joon-hong and Yang Min-hyung, he delivers a perfect pass to Yoon Seung-hwan! Yoon Seung-hwan, after a penetrating run, faces the keeper head-on… GOOOAL! Yoon Seung-hwaaaan! Baek Ian and Yoon Seung-hwan! These 18-year-old rising stars of Jeonbuk’s future are rescuing Korea from this crisis!!!]
[Wow… That moment was exactly what the Korean national team needed! The young duo breathes new life into the team, which had been struggling with Iraq’s rough play and time-wasting tactics!]
[Ah… look at the players. The seniors are going over to pat the rookies on the head. Of course, they are! How adorable must they seem right now.]
[Exactly. If I were there, I might have even given them a kiss.]
– What do you mean a kiss, you crazy commentators LOLOLOL
– I looked up who said that, and it’s that guy who covers K-League for Copang. He’s obsessed with Baek Ian LOLOL
– Yoon Seung-hwan’s goal was insane… Who would have thought he’d go for the near post instead of the far post?
└ Agreed. It felt like watching Mbappé. He was giving off total world-class vibes.
– Yoon Seung-hwan’s goal was amazing, but you can really see the difference when Baek Ian comes on. His escape dribbling is just unreal; he shook off two players as soon as he got the ball.
A miraculous goal created by just two young players—both of whom had been doubted ever since their selection.
It was no wonder the atmosphere became electric.
[Let’s take another look at that goal. First, Hassan charged at Baek Ian for a contest, but Ian dealt with it brilliantly.]
[That’s right. With Baek Ian’s height, Hassan probably expected an aerial duel or a screen play, but Ian instead deflected the ball off Hassan, regained possession, and then completely fooled Ibrahim Sulaka with a slick turn.]
[He then sent a perfect pass forward, which Yoon Seung-hwan finished beautifully.]
– Even watching it again, that was insane. Iraq’s dirty, close-contact play was neutralized with just two escape moves.
– That was crucial. Iraq was relying on their lone volante in midfield. Once Baek Ian broke through, their defense was left with huge gaps.
– Where are all the people who criticized Baek Ian and Yoon Seung-hwan’s selection? Stop hiding and come out.
└ Haha, but at the time, it did seem questionable. They picked guys who hadn’t even played five professional matches.
└ Even Jeonbuk fans and K-League watchers were skeptical. Sure, we knew Ian was talented since the AFC Champions League, but we didn’t expect him to perform like this on such a big stage.
[Ibrahim Sulaka looks visibly shaken. He’s staring at the field with a hollow expression. The sense of guilt must be overwhelming since it was partly his mistake.]
[Exactly. He fell for the turn, lost his balance, and couldn’t recover, leading to a one-sided attack. It’s understandable he feels disappointed.]
– Even Sulaka can’t catch a break LOLOL
– Honestly, I feel bad for him. He was doing all the midfield work solo, but then some crazy kid comes in and turns him into a scapegoat…
– At least Ian gave him a thumbs-up. Cheers to that~
– What’s Liverpool doing? Instead of hyping Szoboszlai as the next Gerrard, why don’t they just sign this kid? He even fell in the same spot as Gerrard LOLOLOL
– Ibrahim Sulaka… His name is so badass though LOL
[And right now, as we speak, Baek Ian intercepts Iraq’s misplaced pass! He’s quickly advancing up the field again!]
***
For professional players, there are two kinds of debut matches.
The first is their genuine debut in a professional league.
The second is their debut on the senior national team.
For someone like me, the latter holds much greater significance.
No disrespect to Jeonbuk or the K-League, but the reality is that it remains a second-tier sport in Korea, overshadowed by baseball.
The level of attention given to national team matches, which captivate the entire nation, is on a completely different scale.
Even if a player has already debuted at one of the world’s top clubs abroad, there’s probably no better way to leave a lasting impression on Korean fans than by excelling on this stage.
“This is an incredibly important stage… For me, it’s just another experience, but for others, it must feel like walking on thin ice.”
It’s undoubtedly a dream stage.
Performing well here could make me “our Ian,” no matter how reckless I might be in the K-League.
But if I mess up even once, I’d instantly become “that damn Baek Ian.”
Especially as a defensive midfielder.
An unsung hero—a position where even good performances often go unnoticed, but mistakes stand out like a sore thumb.
Unlike forwards who can redeem themselves by scoring goals, a mistake in this position makes you the number-one suspect.
As a rookie, to leave a good impression, I needed to be both stable and impactful.
And somehow, I was managing to pull it off.
“Ughhh!”
“Ian, you can pass it right away!”
Intercepting the misplaced pass from Iraq’s attack line, I quickly dribbled the ball up through the center.
Ibrahim, who had been humiliated once, clenched his teeth and charged at me.
Unfortunately for him, I had no intention of engaging with him again.
“Kang-jin hyung, I’ll send it forward!”
Thump!
Tap!
I broke through the pressure by sending the ball to Kang-jin hyung, who was positioned in the half-space of the second line.
The Iraqi defense was under threat once again.
At present, Kang-jin hyung—widely considered Korea’s best player and a member of Manchester City—was left unmarked.
Even with several players marking him, he was difficult to stop, so having him alone gave him complete freedom to dictate the play.
“Min-hyung, you can take the shot yourself!”
With a simple through-pass, Kang-jin hyung sent the ball into the box.
Receiving the pass, Min-hyung hyung dribbled to create space and attempted a direct shot.
Thud!
“Ah! Tsk!”
The intentionally lofted ball succeeded in deceiving the keeper.
But, unfortunately, it hit the crossbar and bounced back out.
The attack was interrupted, and the ball rose high into the air.
That ball slowly descended back into the box.
“I’ve got it!”
Tap!
“Damn it! (اللعنة!)”
Park Namu, who had sneaked into the box unnoticed, dove in with a powerful header.
Having already dived to stop Min-hyung hyung’s shot, the keeper had no chance of reacting to the header coming from the opposite side.
Swish!
The net rippled as the ball sank into the goal.
—
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