Chapter 9: "Clash of Talents

Countries like England, Spain, Italy, France, and Germany all loved football.

However, the way South American countries loved football was slightly different from others.

To them, football was life itself.

If given a choice between work and football, ten out of ten would choose football. That's how deeply South Americans were obsessed with the sport.

"Coach, may I go ahead?"

Rodolfo Pintí didn't say a word but pondered deeply.

"I want to show this arrogant kid the superiority of Argentine football. Please allow me!"

Having grown up in such an environment, Nizareno didn't back down from Yu Jiwoo's provocation but instead burned with enthusiasm.

"Are you sure about this?"

Rodolfo Pintí knew Nizareno's skills well, which made him worry about Yu Jiwoo.

"Yes."

Yu Jiwoo answered nonchalantly.

His calm response surprised the people around him, and with both players agreeing, Rodolfo Pintí willingly gave his permission.

"I have a lot to say, but I'll save it for later. This is a chance to see what the new recruit is capable of, so I'll allow it."

At Rodolfo Pintí's gesture, a few members of the coaching staff brought out a small goalpost from the corner.

"If you dribble past and score, Yu wins. If the ball is stolen, Nizareno wins. Simple enough?"

"Sounds good."

"Understood."

Rodolfo Pintí was well aware of Nizareno's skills.

Though his personality left much to be desired, his talent was beyond question.

'It'll be hard for Yu to win.'

Nizareno's position was center-back, and his defensive skills were exceptional. In fact, he was set to be called up to the second team in January.

Thus, most of the people present believed Nizareno would easily beat Yu Jiwoo.

"Everyone, step back behind the lines."

The other players distanced themselves from the two.

"Nizareno's going to win, right?"

"Isn't that obvious? He's a nasty guy, but he's good."

"Sigh, looks like another rookie's going to lose confidence."

While the others murmured, Nizareno glanced at Yu Jiwoo and said,

"If you beg for forgiveness now, I'll let it slide."

Yu Jiwoo pretended to clean his ear and stopped himself from flipping the middle finger.

"Your breath stinks."

"…What?"

"Shut up."

"…"

"Check your underwear. I'm not giving you time to change."

Rodolfo Pintí handed the ball to Yu Jiwoo.

"I'll blow the whistle to start."

"Got it."

Beep!

The moment the whistle sounded, Nizareno, who everyone thought would charge immediately, instead lowered his stance without moving forward.

'Oh, the vibe has changed.'

Tap.

Tap.

Yu Jiwoo focused on Nizareno's movements as he nudged the ball forward with the top of his foot, carefully closing the distance.

'He's definitely different from the players I've faced so far. Must be because he's been systematically trained.'

The atmosphere was entirely different from the opponents he had encountered before.

10 meters.

5 meters.

In a one-on-one situation, timing was everything. Yu Jiwoo calmly waited for the right moment to make his move.

As the distance closed, Nizareno side-stepped, ensuring there was no opening for Yu Jiwoo to penetrate.

184 cm vs. 172 cm.

A height difference of over 10 cm.

Overcoming that came down to one thing: individual skill.

Tap, ta-tap!

Yu Jiwoo attempted a sudden dribble with a flip-flap.

Thud!

Nizareno used his body, leveraging his height and build to overpower him.

He put his shoulder in first, throwing Yu Jiwoo off balance and even trying to push him to the ground.

But…

It was a trap Yu Jiwoo had set.

Pretending to lose his balance, he lured Nizareno into letting his guard down.

Tap.

Feigning a fall, Yu Jiwoo stretched his leg, slipping the ball between Nizareno's legs.

Seeing the ball pass through his legs, Yu Jiwoo planted his right hand on the ground, using the momentum to pivot around behind Nizareno.

'What the hell?!'

Surprised by Yu Jiwoo's beast-like reaction, Nizareno hastily turned around but couldn't make it in time.

By then, Yu Jiwoo had already nudged the ball into the goal.

Thud.

When the whistle blew and the match was decided in less than a minute, the players watching were left speechless.

A one-on-one duel might seem like a 50:50 situation, but defenders generally had a slight advantage.

Without passing routes, attackers were limited to either the left or right, making their moves predictable.

Moreover, with Nizareno holding a physical advantage, it seemed even more likely he would win.

The fact that he lost left the spectators in shock.

"Ah, wait! It's first to three goals, right?"

Unwilling to accept the outcome, Nizareno suddenly changed the rules. Yu Jiwoo agreed.

"Fine."

This time, it was Nizareno's turn to attack.

As Nizareno dribbled forward, he hesitated upon seeing Yu Jiwoo's stance.

'…What's with this guy? Isn't he supposed to be an attacker?'

After a brief moment of surprise, Nizareno tried to leverage his physical advantage to push through.

Thud!

Yu Jiwoo was knocked off balance in the shoulder clash, seemingly about to fall, and Nizareno seized the chance to break through.

'Huh?'

The ball was already gone.

While falling, Yu Jiwoo had extended his leg, knocking the ball away.

"Haah."

Exhaling deeply, Yu Jiwoo stood up and looked at Nizareno.

"My turn now, right?"

The events that followed left everyone speechless.

It was hard to believe that Nizareno, who had made a name for himself in the youth league, was utterly defeated by a player who had just joined the team that very day.

"Did Nizareno really lose? And that easily?"

"He was set to be called up to the second team in January, and he lost? Who is this guy?"

Nizareno, though notorious for his temper, was considered a defensive ace in the U-20 squad. The fact that he was brought down so quickly only made the murmurs grow louder.

The coaching staff was no exception.

"Wow, Rodrigo really has an eye for talent, doesn't he?"

"Every player he brings in has something special."

They couldn't hide their astonishment.

In just one minute, Yu Jiwoo had silenced the wary eyes of the U-20 team. Looking down at Nizareno, who had tripped while trying to chase him, Yu Jiwoo smirked and said,

"What are you doing? Aren't you going to run?"

"R-Run? You mean, really?"

Nizareno looked up at Yu Jiwoo, shocked.

"Wasn't that the deal?"

"…"

"Do South Americans just casually go back on their word?"

"I-It was a joke! I just wanted to give you a warm welcome!"

"A joke?"

Step.

Yu Jiwoo took a step closer and bent down to meet Nizareno's gaze.

"I don't joke."

"…Just wait and see."

As Nizareno stood up to leave, Yu Jiwoo reached out to block his path.

"Take it off."

"…"

"Take it off."

Nizareno looked to Rodolfo Pintí for help, his eyes pleading.

But—

"Your mouth is always the problem, you know."

Rodolfo Pintí didn't intervene. It was a chance to address Nizareno's rough personality.

"You! I won't let this go!"

"What? You're going to hit me?"

"W-Who said anything about hitting? I'll bring you to your knees with my skills!"

That day, word quickly spread around Boca Juniors' neighborhood about someone running around in nothing but their underwear.

---

A week passed, and Yu Jiwoo had gradually adjusted to training with Boca Juniors' U-20 team.

"You're too stiff! Just go with the flow and do what you want to do!"

What he liked most was how the training system was different from that in Korea.

While Korea focused on structured, organized play within a predefined framework, here the emphasis was on playing freely.

"Keep talking and communicating with your teammates! Playing freely is great, but understanding pre-arranged plays is also important!"

That didn't mean they abandoned teamwork.

The U-20 head coach, James Rodley, was English and had an extensive knowledge of football. He balanced freedom and structure as he led their training.

One key drill was the 5 vs. 5 mini-game.

It was held on a field smaller than a typical futsal pitch, designed to train players to escape tight defensive pressure.

Quick timing for pressing and learning how to break free from it were the focus of James' sessions.

Thud!

Rough body checks.

Swish!

Tackles coming from blind spots.

Players who lacked composure in such situations often ended up on the ground.

"Ramiro! In that situation, you should've passed back instead of trying to dribble through! Didn't you see Hugo?"

James also gave constructive feedback to players who were struggling.

Then, there was one player who stood out.

"Diego Rossi."

He had been talking to Yu Jiwoo nonstop since they met a week ago.

Short and wiry with messy hair, his mischievous grin naturally drew people's attention.

Tap.

Tap.

With just two touches, Diego Rossi freed himself from pressure and calmly slotted the ball into the small goal.

"Good! Diego!"

Even the usually demanding Coach James gave him a thumbs-up.

Diego Rossi was known as "Boca's Treasure."

"What do you think?"

After scoring, Diego approached Yu Jiwoo, sipping water as he asked,

"About what?"

"You can handle this much easily, can't you?"

No matter how much Yu Jiwoo tried to brush him off, Diego kept trying to befriend him. Eventually, by the third day, Yu Jiwoo started engaging in light conversations with him.

"I'll have to try and see."

Training continued, and eventually, it was Yu Jiwoo's group's turn.

Beep!

With Coach James' whistle, a 15-minute mini-game began.

Having never played with his teammates before, Yu Jiwoo leaned heavily on individual play.

"He's at it again. How many times do I have to tell him?"

It was a recurring issue that had yet to change.

"If there's no one to pass to, just return the ball! Always think about supporting your teammates!"

With Rodolfo absent, James acted as the leader on the field.

"Yu, your dribbling is excellent, but you're not being a team player. Trust your teammates a little more."

James didn't hold back on his advice throughout the week.

He even used data to explain Yu Jiwoo's shortcomings and suggested ways to improve.

"Understood."

"Do you really get it?"

"I do."

Thanks to that guidance, Yu Jiwoo significantly reduced unnecessary movements in his play.

He didn't panic even when under pressure.

Left side.

He could see the openings clearly.

After dribbling through a tight space and finally shaking the net with a goal, a strange sense of accomplishment washed over him.

When his teammates rushed over to celebrate, it felt awkward.

He still struggled with getting close to people.

"…"

But this feeling wasn't entirely unpleasant.

Being in an environment where he could focus on football, laugh, and talk was something he was grateful for.

Just as they approached him without hesitation, he thought it was time for him to take a step closer to them as well.

"Someone must've upset Jiwoo! Look at that weird expression on his face!"

"…What's weird about it?"

It wasn't a bad feeling.