The National Middle School Soccer Tournament semifinals.
Gangnam Middle School and Jungin Middle School were locked in a tense 1-1 standoff.
"Jungin Middle School is pretty strong this year, huh?"
"They made the national quarterfinals last year. And they've got solid sponsors."
"Well, Daegu FC is their sponsor, after all."
Many middle school soccer teams in the country were run as youth teams for professional clubs.
Jungin Middle School was one such youth team.
Its official name was Daegu FC U-15 Jungin Middle School.
Gangnam Middle School, on the other hand, was still run with the support of its school foundation.
Perhaps that was why.
Coach Jang Un-hyeong was particularly sensitive about their results.
'We definitely overpaced ourselves in the first half. Everyone's stamina has dropped.'
It was Gangnam Middle School that had scored the opening goal.
But their momentum had waned after Jungin Middle School's equalizer.
Coach Jang Un-hyeong turned his head to the right.
"Sang-u. Get ready."
Choe Sang-u stood up at Coach Jang Un-hyeong's words. He took off his training suit and began lightly warming up.
The teammates sitting on the bench watched with wide eyes.
"Sang-u is going in?"
"Choe Sang-u as a substitute..."
"Who's he replacing?"
Bringing in substitute players in the second half when stamina was low was not unusual.
But Choe Sang-u had never played a single game up until now.
He had warmed the bench in the group stage, as well as the Round of 16 and the quarterfinals.
Yet now, they were trying to send him in as a wild card in the semifinals.
The third-year players and even the second-year players furrowed their brows.
'Why Choe Sang-u? There are third-year players on the bench.'
'If Choe Sang-u can go out, so can I.'
Three minutes after Choe Sang-u began warming up.
Coach Jang Un-hyeong called over the coach and ordered Choe Sang-u to be put in.
"Substitution."
"Understood."
The 22nd minute of the second half.
Choe Sang-u stepped onto the pitch for the first time.
His position was RM (right midfielder), a role commonly called winger.
The third-year players on the pitch were bewildered by the appearance of Choe Sang-u, a second-year.
"What? If they're using Choe Sang-u as a winger, doesn't that mean they're building the attack around him?"
"What is the coach thinking? His dribbling is clumsy."
"There's no way he'll put in a proper cross."
Just as the third-year players said, Choe Sang-u's dribbling still left much to be desired.
But Jang Un-hyeong was pinning his hopes on Sang-u's right foot.
'Sang-u's right foot isn't at the middle school level. If it connects properly, it can produce unexpected results.'
He wasn't expecting crosses or take-ons from Choe Sang-u.
A powerful blow to change the stagnant atmosphere.
He had sent in Choe Sang-u hoping for that one blow.
"If it's Sang-u, he can do it."
As the match resumed, Jungin Middle School's attack developed down the left flank.
Jungin Middle School's left was Gangnam Middle School's right.
RM Choe Sang-u dropped below the halfway line to help defend.
Coach Gwon Tae-su nodded at the sight.
"Sang-u's active defensive participation isn't bad."
"But his defending itself is awkward."
"He's only been playing soccer for a little over a year, so I think it's unavoidable that he's still clumsy."
True to his background as a defender, Gwon Tae-su placed slightly more emphasis on defense.
Choe Sang-u chased after the opposing defender frantically, but the ball had already moved to the next player.
"Tch!"
The moment he clicked his tongue, Jungin Middle School's attack continued rapidly.
As befitting a powerhouse that had reached the semifinals, their attacking flow was not bad.
"Check the front!"
"What's the wingback doing!"
The goalkeeper raised his voice toward the right flank.
Jungin Middle School's DM (defensive midfielder) was already running down the line.
"Stick to him! Don't let him cross!"
Gangnam Middle School's center defense was not particularly strong, so a cross would be dangerous.
The goal they had conceded earlier had also been from a header off a cross.
The goalkeeper and most of the players thought they had to stop the cross.
But stopping the opponent's attack was not as easy as they thought.
"The cross is coming in!"
Gangnam Middle School's FB (fullback) Yi Deok-su rushed to follow but ultimately couldn't stop the cross.
"Mark the center!"
At the goalkeeper's shout, two of Jungin Middle School's attackers rose into the air.
It was a header.
'Dangerous.'
At the critical moment, the shot went wide of the goal.
"Ahhh!"
The player who missed the goal collapsed to the ground with a cry of frustration.
Since the shot had come in the 23rd minute of the second half, it likely would have been the winning goal if it had gone in.
The goalkeeper yelled at the defenders.
"What are you doing! You lost your mark!"
Center back Cha Myeong-su narrowed his brow at the goalkeeper's shout.
"They had more guys there for a moment."
"No matter how many there are, only one can get his head on the ball!"
As the goalkeeper said, no matter how many attackers there were, the ball could only go to one point.
If Cha Myeong-su had properly followed the ball, the header would never have happened.
"Tch, fine. I got it, I said."
The argument between the two was quickly settled.
Arguing at length during a match would only harm teamwork.
As a team that had reached the semifinals, Gangnam Middle School knew well how to win.
"Focus and let's go for one!"
"Okay!"
Gangnam Middle School's counterattack began with a goal kick.
Thwack!
The ball left the goalkeeper's foot and crossed the halfway line in one bound.
"The right side is open!"
"To the right!"
CM (central midfielder) Gim Yeong-su, who received the ball at the halfway line, immediately played it to the right.
But immediately after the pass, he gasped.
'What! It's Sang-u on the right!'
Gim Yeong-su didn't think Choe Sang-u would capitalize on the opportunity.
And for good reason—Choe Sang-u's dribbling breakthroughs still had many clumsy moments.
Jungin Middle School's fullback tried to block Choe Sang-u's path.
But Choe Sang-u had never intended to dribble from the start.
'I can do this.'
The distance to the goal was approximately 35 meters.
At the middle school tournament level, this distance was extremely long.
But there was no hesitation in Choe Sang-u's shot.
Choe Sang-u looked at the goalpost and let fly.
Pow!
Gim Yeong-su, who had given the pass, nearly cursed out loud.
'Crazy! From that distance!?'
But his curse died in his throat.
The shot Choe Sang-u had fired struck the goalpost dead on.
Clang!
With a violent sound, the ball bounced out.
It wasn't a goal, but it was a truly threatening shot.
Gim Yeong-su thought it was not a shot possible at the middle school level.
"Block it!"
At the goalkeeper's shout, Gangnam Middle School's striker Baek Min-cheol rushed in.
Gangnam Middle School's attack wasn't over yet.
Bang!
The ball left Baek Min-cheol's foot and tore through the goal net.
"Nice!"
"You're the best! Baek Min-cheol!"
In the 24th minute of the second half, the goal that would decide the match was scored.
The Gangnam Middle School players pumped their fists, and the goalkeeper pounded the pitch with both hands.
"Damn it! How could you just stand there watching him rush in with your eyes wide open!"
"Sorry."
Choe Sang-u smacked his lips as he watched Baek Min-cheol score.
"Did I put too much power? Aiming for the goalpost wasn't a bad idea, though."
There were no players who aimed for the corner or the net itself when taking a mid-range shot.
That was because aiming for the corner or the net often sent the ball on a trajectory the goalkeeper could catch.
Most attackers aimed for the goalpost or the crossbar when shooting.
'This shot couldn't be helped.'
The moment Choe Sang-u turned around, a message appeared before his eyes.
[ Record an attacking point in the match. ] (Complete)
- You have obtained 50 points.
Though the shot had missed, Choe Sang-u had cleared in an instant a quest he had been unable to complete for the past three months.
'I only hit the goal frame, but it counted as an attacking point?'
Choe Sang-u didn't know the detailed regulations because he hadn't been playing for long.
When a teammate connected a rebound off the goal frame into a goal, it was recorded as an assist.
In other words, Choe Sang-u had recorded his first assist in his debut match.
'Hmm, I got 50 points. Should I try buying a skill?'
It had been seven months since Choe Sang-u learned how to use points.