Weird Defender Joo Ji-Tae

32 – Three Strikes

032

Youth World Cup Round of 16.

The opponent is England, the host country of football.

And to win, one must bear the heavy responsibility of performing not just the roles of two… no, more than that, solely and entirely—until now, even with 30 minutes left before the start of the game, Joo Ji-tae could not be influenced in any way.

Well, it wasn’t burdensome at all.

If it were the adult World Cup instead of the youth one with age restrictions, it might have been a bit different, but players under 20, such as Joo Ji-tae, are not a concern at all.

Yet, despite that, Joo Ji-tae was circling the ground with a troubled expression.

Was it because this was a unfamiliar ground, not where the group stage was played? Of course, that’s one reason as he circled the field, pressing the grass firmly with his foot.

Every football field is unique.

It’s not just about appearance or the number of seats; it’s everything that affects the game.

For instance, the grass.

Grass is one of the factors that directly affects performance, influencing how the ball rolls or bounces based on its type, length, moisture, and even elasticity and growth condition according to seasonal photosynthesis levels. It affects players when they run or stop, change direction, or jump.

Naturally, depending on the type of grass, the studs worn are different, and even handling the ball varies. Even if it’s the same grass, it’s different whether it’s a bentgrass or Kentucky bluegrass.

In international competitions like the World Cup, hybrid grass is the norm, but not every country is sincerely devoted to football, so sometimes when a tournament is held in a country with poor infrastructure, you don’t even get to see hybrid grass.

So, players circling the ground like this is a necessary measure for young Korean players to adapt to the grass and atmosphere of the stadium, especially thinking about the familiar Korean stadiums. Jumping around thinking of the familiar Korean stadium could result in a big hit on the nose.

‘Kentucky bluegrass…’

It may be doomed, but perhaps because this Tienhe Sports Center was once the home ground of Guangzhou Evergrande, which was considered prestigious, the place was well-maintained, almost as good as European football fields. Or maybe they hurriedly renovated it for the Youth World Cup.

“Move while feeling the grass properly. Press it firmly, jump once. Ji-tae, let’s pair up when we roll the ball later. I’ll make you completely accustomed.”

“Okay, then.”

Although Song Hoon, the captain whose presence faded after being buried by Joo Ji-tae, raised his head for the first time in a while… honestly, it’s an unnecessary consideration for Joo Ji-tae.

With 16 years of professional experience in Asian and European leagues and 80 A-matches, he can adapt quickly anywhere, as long as it’s not a dirt ground.

Still, why bother circling the ground with the players?

‘It’s not difficult, but it’s unnecessary to attract unnecessary attention.’

Because he can read the room.

Originally, Joo Ji-tae is not the type to pay attention to others, but recently, due to concerns, he was adjusting to the team’s movements to some extent.

The dilemma that made Joo Ji-tae, who didn’t even care about the game right in front of him, have a troubled expression was simple. It was just a question of how to become a more perfect and exemplary player… nothing more than a doubt about how to become one. Training? Easy.

That’s so obvious. Approaching training with dedication is a fundamental attitude for a professional, even during the first season when Joo Ji-tae, who was once called a troublemaker, diligently participated in training. Of course, only team training. No individual training whatsoever. During that time, he either went to the club or hung out with women.

Passion? It’s not easy.

Simply working ‘hard’ and doing things ‘passionately’ are different. They may seem similar, but there is a distinct difference between the two.

Doing your best, even if you don’t want to, is working ‘hard,’ but to add passion to it, you need the fuel of ‘passion’ that emanates from the heart.

But for Joo Ji-tae, living his second season, this is already a state of depletion.

Reviving the passion that was worn away through the trials and tribulations of the first season is impossible with willpower alone.

But that’s okay.

Ultimately, what matters is how others perceive it.

Whether it’s the passion emanating from the heart, a sense of professionalism, or even greed to raise the value— if it appears to be giving your best outwardly, it all reflects the same.

However, a crucial element, ‘good playing ability,’ is essential here.

Of course, for Joo Ji-tae, this is a constant passive or almost passive element, so it doesn’t matter.

With training, passion, and playing ability fulfilled, now only the personal aspects remain.

‘Personal life.’

The most criticized factor during the first season.

Entertainment and women. These two things that any exemplary player should stay away from…

‘Not easy.’

Far too challenging to distance oneself from.

At least for Joo Ji-tae.

He can endure cigarettes. Perhaps because the regression point is before he learned to smoke, it’s not particularly appealing.

But alcohol and women are difficult. These are things he can’t completely quit, nor does he want to.

In the world, what joy is there in a life without alcohol and women?

‘It’s not about addiction; how can one live without women.’

However, if he indulges in drinking or chasing women like in the first season, he will once again become the target of criticism.

Unlike back then, in this life, there won’t be an event like the ‘death of a beloved younger sister’ to evoke sympathy.

If he can’t quit, then he has to control.

Alcohol and women. Both are things Joo Ji-tae really enjoys, but at the current point where he has ‘lost nothing,’ they are factors that can be sufficiently controlled.

However, what truly puts Joo Ji-tae in a dilemma is not these factors.

What makes Joo Ji-tae’s head ache is provocations during the game.

‘Is it okay for a respected player to do this? Or should we consider disturbing the opponent’s mentality during the game as part of skill?’

Even in baseball, where there is no physical competition like in soccer, catchers use dirty talk to shake the mentality of batters, not to mention soccer, where physical competition frequently occurs.

Ju Ji-tae was a figure known for his peculiarly caustic tongue, earning himself fancy nicknames like ‘Devil’s Mouth’ and ‘Satan’s Maw’ in his early days, thanks to his distinctive knack for colorful language. In Korea, he was even dubbed the ‘Supreme Master of Foul-Mouthed Wit.’

Not just your ordinary foul-mouth, Ju Ji-tae could dish out insults ranging from the pedestrian to personal attacks, even stooping to family matters, leaving many a player scurrying away unable to handle his dazzling verbal acrobatics. Especially adept at dismantling the immunity of rookie league players, he eventually garnered playful references to his style as the ‘Ju Ji-tae Rite of Passage.’

His unpopularity skyrocketed, resulting in multiple disciplinary actions due to his incessant foul behavior.

Yet, this was not what made Ju Ji-tae peculiar.

Certainly, while Ju Ji-tae was notably severe, it doesn’t mean that other players were angelic. Take, for instance, the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

The final showdown between France and Italy.

Zinedine Zidane, in the twilight of his illustrious career with France, encountered the dazzling tongue of Italian defender Materazzi. In the heat of the moment during the World Cup final, Zidane, unable to keep his composure against Materazzi’s verbal antics, succumbed to the ultimate retort, resulting in the unveiling of an elegant headbutt and his subsequent expulsion.

Though there might be a slight factual inaccuracy in the dialogue, the fact remains: Materazzi’s actions led to Zidane’s expulsion, ultimately guiding Italy to a World Cup victory.

This incident alone proves the effectiveness of mental assaults in the repertoire of a seasoned veteran… and they want to prohibit this?

“Hey, Evan.”

“What’s up, Evan?”

The sudden interjection garnered a response from Jo Jaeshin, who had been checking the grass on the side.

Hmm… as much as I doubt asking this guy will help, a sudden brilliant idea struck me.

“Hey, remember that time we were deadlocked in a 1-on-1 face-off, and I got really ticked off? What specifically got on my nerves?”

“Out of the blue?”

He didn’t hesitate.

Jo Jaeshin immediately leaned in.

“Listen up.”

“…?”

“Can’t hear with all this noise.”

But it was quite audible… well, a bit noisy, I guess.

The spectators who had already filled the stadium were scanning the field, shouting at the players who approached the stands.

Ju Ji-tae bent down, leaning in to listen.

Experiences like these are best understood by those who’ve been through them, right?

“That’s something about—”

“What is it?”

“It’s like—”

“Come on, what is it?”

“Like this—”

“Oh, what the hell is it—”

“Ah~ Kimoddi~da Shibaroma”

“…….”

A shiver ran down Namjeong’s spine at the breath that touched his ear—

“Damn annoying, huh?”

“Yeah. Really damn annoying.”

Joo Jitae opened his eyes in realization.

Right.

It’s not always personal attacks or sarcasm that make people furious.

‘I can endure curses, but not this damn Kimoddi.’

From Noble mtl dot com

* * *

He was heading to the locker room, preparing for the game.

‘What’s that?’

Next to the entrance to the locker room, a girl was waving a placard from the stand.

As it became clearer up close, the words were—

It was written in Korean.

“Ha… This guy’s popularity is insane. Hey, look at that.”

Since this was something to be proud of, I quickly called Jo Jaeshin to show him. Instead of a pleased expression, he had a disgusted look on his face.

“Are you into these fan antics~?”

“It’s nice.”

“It feels so damn good~”

“Say what you want.”

“You don’t have any, but I have female fans only~”

“…Keep it in check, seriously. It’s so damn cringy.”

“Ah~ Kimoddi~”

Ah, this.

While admiring Jo Jaeshin getting increasingly annoyed in real-time.

“Hey? Isn’t that a bit spicy?”

“It’s just nonsense~ Ah~ This is a superstar~?”

“Hey, hey. Jooji. It’s a jackpot. What’s he doing?”

“Ugh~ Don’t fall for it~ It’s so obvious~”

“No, I’m serious, damn it!”

In desperation, as I turned my head to the frantic finger-pointing, the fan from earlier was gleefully flipping a hat upside down.

“…Wait, what?”

“Damn… are those real breasts?”

“Yeah, they are. Oh, look at those big tits.”

“Damn, seriously…!”

“So what? She said she’d show. Just watch. Kya~ The continent sure has talented people. Look at that grandeur.”

Although the sudden chest exposure was unexpected, it was still okay up to this point.

The World Cup is a celebration of people worldwide, so you’re bound to encounter all kinds.

Occasionally, due to excitement, spectators couldn’t resist stripping off their clothes. It’s not something limited to just the World Cup.

“Isn’t this a big problem?”

“What’s the big deal? It’s still before the match, so it’s fine. And if it happens during the game, so what? It’s not like we did anything wrong.”

The problem was that the undressing didn’t end here.

“Huh…? What is she doing now? Is she taking off those pants?”

The girl who was bouncing around happily seemed to have not only thrown off her shirt but also her pants with a flourish.

Revealing sexy panties.

“Wow…”

Before the start of the game, taking advantage of the chaos as the audience entered, a bold appeal.

As the belated security personnel rushed over, the girl finally grabbed her panties and went for it—! A murky seaweed stalk struck the eyes.

“Evan-de.”

“Eva-ne.”

Watching the girl being caught and dragged away, Jo Jaesin muttered.

“You’re out on three.”

“Suddenly, what do you mean three?”

What an out-of-the-blue remark.

Jo Jaesin folded his fingers one by one toward Ju Jitae, who was blinking his eyes.

“Triple-star DM for a naked picture is a strike. A picture of a girl’s panties is a strike two. And now, strike three. Ding, ding, ding, you’re out on strike three.”

“Strike three? What the hell are you talking about? So what can you do, you son of a bitch?”

“What can I do? I can report it to the goddess.”

“What a crazy guy.”

Jo Jaeshin patted him on the shoulder with a gentle smile.

“Let’s do well, Jitae. I crave MOM today, hyung.”

“What did you entrust to me?”

“You said you’d help me get MOM in the last game. This game is the one after that. Jitae, let’s do well. You know the goddess sheds tears, right?”

“…”

“Fighting.”

Emi…