Chapter 164 – Romantic Striker – 4
#
After Joo Jesus’ shot hit Spain’s net, the Korean national team gained momentum and put pressure on Spain.
[Kim, who plays for Real Sociedad, succeeds in stealing the ball from Bruno Iglesias with a neat sliding tackle! Oh, Kim! Kim gets up right away, hits the ball, and runs! It’s fast!]
Kim Dong-jun, who cut the ball, ran at high speed and crossed from the side. Joo Jesus, who was behind Sergio Pepe, quickly jumped out as soon as he saw Kim Dong-jun cross.
Kim Dong-jun’s cross crossed the penalty box, and Joo Jesus stretched out his legs and changed the direction of the ball toward the goal.
Tuk-!
The ball touched the foot of the Lord Jesus and headed toward the goal. Spain’s goalkeeper stretched out his hand, but Joo Jesus’ shot avoided the Spanish goalkeeper’s hand and shook the goal once again.
Sloshing-!
“Waaaaa-!!”
When an additional goal was scored shortly after the first goal was scored, cheers were heard from the stands in Korea.
Jesus Joo seemed to not even be able to hear the cheers coming from the stands, and with a dull expression, he picked up the ball in the goal and walked to the center circle.
[Oh my gosh!! The end of the human era is coming!! Jesus, the god of soccer, scores an additional goal less than 5 minutes after scoring the first goal!!]
#
The moment the Lord Jesus scored his second goal.
Sergio Pepe, captain of Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, lowered his head and hid his vain expression so as not to be caught on camera.
‘… ‘Crazy bastard.’
Sergio Pepe did not think that stopping the Lord Jesus would be easy. However, he never imagined that he would be robbed so one-sidedly as he is now.
Sergio Pepe, who was confident that although he was not the best center back in the world in history, he would still fit in with one hand, his pride was shattered as he was completely torn apart by Joo Jesus, who was in serious mode.
‘… ‘He’s even injured?’
What bothered him more than anything, as he was proud of his skills, was that the Lord Jesus was now injured and his skills were reduced.
“Puta Madre is a complete monster, right?”
Sergio Pepe’s voice was clearly heard in the ears of the Spanish national team players who were in silence.
#
The game resumed after Jesus Joo’s second goal. Even though he was ahead by two goals, a part of him was anxious.
Joo Jesus himself was well aware that the Korean national team of the past was different from the current Korean national team.
The Republic of Korea’s defense team, led by Kim Dong-jun and Yoo Young-beom, whom they trained strongly starting from the league, has shown good performance and has blocked Spain’s attacks well so far.
But the reason he still felt anxious might have been because of the time bombs in his knees and ankles.
‘Let’s hold on just a little longer…’
Is it because it was a bit too much? A slight pain rose from his knees and ankles. The Lord Jesus suppressed his frowning expression and acted expressionless.
He walked around the grounds slowly as usual. Spain placed one additional markman around Joo Jesus after scoring two goals.
A total of three marksmen wandered around Jesus Christ, preventing him from catching the ball.
Just like that, the influence of Joo Jesus and the three Spanish players completely disappeared from the field. Only then did the counterweights between Korea and Spain begin to align.
Ko Seok-jun’s shot, which received Kim Jin-su’s pass, was blocked by a save. In Spain’s ensuing counterattack, Luis Garcia’s shot, which received a heel pass from Jesus González, hit the goal post and bounced away.
Korea and Spain, who were exchanging offense and defense with each other, ended the first half when Hong Do-yoon blocked Jesús González’s shot with his face right before the end of the first half.
#
The players who entered the locker room let out heavy breathing. Hong Do-yoon, who blocked Jesus Gonzalez’s shot at the end of the game with his face, had gauze in his nose.
Aside from him, the players’ bodies were full of big and small wounds.
But now the players’ eyes were focused on just one person. When he took off his soccer shoes, the players noticed his swollen ankle.
The team doctor and physical therapist looked serious. They asked the Lord Jesus to be substituted and rest in the game even now, but the Lord Jesus firmly shook his head and refused to listen to their words.
“With the remaining 45 minutes, if I can play that much more time and advance to the final, that’s enough for me.”
The players’ expressions hardened after hearing the Lord Jesus’ words. Several players tried to stop Joo Jesus, but Yoo Young-beom and Kim Dong-jun, who are known to be close friends with Joo Jesus, and even Ko Seok-jun, who was angry about Joo Jesus’ appearance in the semifinals, shook their heads and stopped them.
They realized that there was something about the finals in his earnest expression. The only sound in the locker room was the sound of the team doctor treating the Lord Jesus’ leg.
As the end of halftime approached, the players left the locker room one by one with unsmiling expressions.
In the empty locker room where all the players had left, the voice of Go Seok-jun, who had returned to the locker room without the other players knowing, rang out behind Jesus, who was looking at family photos and praying earnestly for the last time.
“… “Can I just go to the finals?”
The Lord Jesus answered slowly, taking in the picture of his family.
“… Uh.”
After hearing the voice of the Lord Jesus, Ko Seok-jun quietly nodded his head and headed to the ground.
#
At the start of the second half, Spain removed a tired Iker Bravo and brought in Fernando Torres. Jesus González moved to left-winger and Torres took the striker position.
Torres, who came on as a substitute, made active moves and threatened Korea’s goal.
“Puta!!”
Torres’ shot went slightly wide and missed Korea’s goal, and he cursed in disappointment and put his uniform in his mouth.
Although they failed to score, Spain’s mood began to revive after Torres’ shot.
In the 70th minute of the second half, the attention of the Korean defenders was taken away by the sudden penetration of Jesús González, who changed his formation from striker to left-winger.
Luis Garcia delivered the ball to Bruno Iglesias, who was alone on the other side, with a transition pass.
Bruno Iglesias, who caught the ball, immediately penetrated into the Republic of Korea’s half and fired a shot.
Bruno Iglesias’ shot was blocked by Yoo Young-beom’s save, but the second ball fell in front of Jesus Gonzalez.
Yoo Young-beom has not yet recovered his body’s balance immediately after making a save. The moment when everyone thought it was a lost goal.
Ko Seok-jun stuck his head in front of Jesus González’s legs and cleared the ball.
Ko Seok-jun succeeded in clearing the ball safely, but he was unable to avoid the legs of Jesus Gonzalez, who was already trying to shoot.
Byak-!
Ko Seok-jun’s head and Jesus González’s legs collided.
Bibibbibik-!
The referee urgently blew his whistle to stop the game and signaled to the Korean bench to deploy medical staff.
#
[Ah-! Thank goodness. I’m so glad! Ko Seok-jun gets up safely!]
[Go Seok-jun, this was a very dangerous action. But I feel heartbroken by their unselfish fighting spirit.]
[Yes. There are 15 minutes remaining in regular time. I don’t know how much extra time will be given, but I hope the players finish the game safely without any injuries!]
#
Coach Utilike added a defender, excluding Ko Seok-jun, who suffered a head injury.
The game was restarted with a dropped ball.
Yoo Young-beom kicked the ball long into the Spanish camp, and Spain attacked fiercely again.
Dongjun Kim blocked Luis Garcia’s pass to Bruno Iglesias with a sliding tackle.
During the sliding tackle, Kim Dong-jun fell to the ground complaining of pain in his thigh. Utilike immediately ordered Jeong Jo-jun, who was on the bench, to warm up.
The team doctor on the ground made an X with both hands and announced that Dongjun Kim could no longer play in the game.
85 minutes of the second half. Spain succeeded in scoring a consolation goal. With momentum rising, Spain pushed Korea hard and succeeded in scoring an equalizer at the end of regular time in the 90th minute of the second half.
‘You come this far, and it ends like this?’
The Lord Jesus felt the strength draining from his body.
He looked blankly at the sky with the emptiness filling his heart. Should we aim for the next World Cup? With that in mind, Jesus Joo was about to give up the game when he heard Go Seok-jun’s voice in his ears.
“Hey! Lord Jesus you idiot! They say you have to go to the final no matter what! But are you giving up so easily, you idiot?”
The moment I heard Go Seok-jun’s profanity-laced yell, images of his family flashed through my mind. Yuna, Yohan, and their two daughters, Hayun and Seoyoon, who are still newborns.
The eyes of Lord Jesus, who had given up on the game, returned to focus. He slowly turned his head towards where the voice came from.
There, Ko Seok-jun could be seen with a bandage on his head, and next to him, the assistant referee raised the flag for extra time.
There are 4 minutes of extra time in the second half. Joo Jesus pushed the ball to Kim Jin-su with a kickoff and ran forward at the same time.
A throbbing pain rose from my ankle, but this level of pain was nothing.
The Lord Jesus ran like that, hypnotizing himself. Time continued to pass.
Extra time is now coming to an end.
Kim Jin-su relieved Spain’s pressure and delivered a pass under Joo Jesus’ legs.
As the ball headed toward the Lord Jesus, cheers erupted from the Korean audience. The Lord Jesus lived up to the audience’s expectations. He succeeded in advancing into Spain’s half by taking the ball between Luis Garcia’s legs.
Spain’s goal slowly came into view. FC Barcelona’s Sergio Fabregas came running with a scared expression.
Jesus Joo tried to shoot after passing Sergio Fabregas to create a more perfect chance.
He deceived Sergio Fabregas with body paint and hit the ball and ran. Sergio Fabregas, who was pushed aside, urgently stretched out his legs and made a sliding tackle.
Jesus tripped on Sergio Fabregas’ leg and fell, and the referee declared a foul on Sergio Fabregas.
A free kick chance that will be the last attack opportunity.
Jesus Joo touched the ball with a stern expression and prepared for a free kick.
