Weird Defender Joo Ji-Tae

41 – Power (Revised)

041

It happened in an instant.

When Joo Ji-tae, who had caught the ball deflected by the goalkeeper’s punch, was walking away,

“Danger—!”

“Uh, uh!?”

After a perfect tackle, a strange sound echoed.

Thunk—

‘This is bad.’

It was a chilling sound that anyone standing on the ground could feel uneasy about.

Amidst the entangled fall of two figures, a desperate scream echoed.

“Aaaaah!!!”

More precisely, it was the one-sided scream of the Chinese player beneath.

As Ji Tae Ju, who had fallen on top, hastily rose with a bewildered expression to inspect the Chinese player, the condition seemed grave at a glance.

Anyone could tell there was a problem with the bones, given the smoothly aligned thigh bone protruding visibly.

Urgently, the medical team intervened, halting the game.

A swarm of Chinese players rushed towards Ji Tae Ju with furious skirmishes from the Korean players blocking their way. The noisy whistle persisted.

“Stop! Everyone, stop! Back off!!”

Finally, after several cards were issued, the true state of the field emerged.

The referee deliberated.

“Should I give a card?”

Although he managed to calm things down, the tense atmosphere, ready to explode with the slightest provocation, was ominous. Openly manipulating the game was risky, even if he had promised to receive a substantial amount through a Swiss account from China. If investigated, it would eventually be exposed.

This wasn’t just any match; the attention of the world was focused on this game, especially after the impact of the Japan match.

Judiciously delivering a friendly judgment was possible, but being too overt could set a precedent, making it crucial to maintain a balance.

“It’s ambiguous.”

Externally, Ji Tae Ju was blameless.

From a defender’s perspective, he only tried to clear away the opponent who lurked near the penalty area, and the situation unfolded with an unintentional tackle while he swung his foot. The player’s injury was serious, but it wasn’t enough for an expulsion, and issuing a card for this incident would be more like an accident.

Pondering deeply, the referee called Ji Tae Ju and delivered a verbal warning.

“Warning. If you make another dangerous play, you’ll get a card.”

And the ground descended into chaos once again.

* * *

Retreating after receiving the warning, Ji Tae Ju sighed quietly.

“Darn.”

This wasn’t what he had anticipated; it was quite different from his expectations.

Originally, he intended to kick the stud, not the thigh bone, but the opponent’s tackle came in so forcefully that he reflexively kicked, resulting in a perilous moment. The force used to kick lifted the opponent’s foot, and thankfully, Ji Tae Ju, too, avoided a major injury due to the fast and powerful response.

“It feels awkward when I think about it. I shouldn’t feel sorry, right?”

Thus, even though the opponent’s injury was more severe than expected, Ji Tae Ju felt no hint of guilt.

In a sense, isn’t it a case of reaping what one sows?

Who would throw such a murder tackle?

From Noble mtl dot com

“Hey! Who kicks a player claiming to play fair?”

Naturally, he could stand up to Jo Jaeshin, who approached subtly, taunting.

“Fair play, huh? An eye for an eye, don’t they know that?”

“That guy is absolutely insane. Even watching from a distance, he kicked so boldly. What kind of fair play is that?”

“If I hadn’t, my ankle would have been gone. He aimed for my ankle. Didn’t you see me falling?”

At that, Jo Jaeshin sighed.

“Ha… What kind of soccer is this in the first place? Are we really playing soccer now? Not Soccer 3? Why is martial arts soccer being broadcast in a stadium, not a movie theater?”

“It’s okay. Don’t you know I have a black belt in Taekwondo? With my well-trained martial arts, I can win easily.”

“You jerk.”

“Someone had to do it anyway. If you just stand there and take it, that’s the way to get hit more. You have to let them know that they can get hit too.”

Jo Jaeshin looked at his friend intently.

The guy who spoke as if it was obvious felt strangely unfamiliar.

“So why are you doing it?”

Since when.

The guy began to change.

It wasn’t just a sudden improvement in skill.

The skill of oneself or the guy is something that can skyrocket at any time with the right opportunity.

But for a person to change, it’s not so easy, and it can’t happen in a short period. However, for some reason, he had changed in an instant.

Because it was a change for the better, he didn’t show it, but at times like this…

“I’m a bit jealous.”

It wasn’t a standstill for him, but seeing the guy grow rapidly alone couldn’t help but spark competition or rivalry, whatever you call it.

No matter how close friends are, ultimately, he and the guy are competitors.

Not in the same position, but as soccer players of the same generation—

“I can’t lose.”

Jo Jaeshin made up his mind.

* * *

Originally, he had no intention of actively attacking.

As his body was not yet fully developed, he tried to refrain from plays that put a lot of strain on his body,

‘These kids really need some proper education.’

Watching the brat thrashing around like a rabid dog, foam flying, it seemed I’d have to properly deal with this madness this time.

I unintentionally snapped a ligament, but wasn’t that an accident?

Sure, I was aiming. But not to break a ligament, I thought a tackle with studs might sting for a bit and that was the extent. I never aimed to break a ligament.

I only gave in on the ligament because of the excessive tackle he was throwing at me.

That’s… right, it’s an accident, an accident.

But does it make sense to dash off, telling the other side to experience it if something happens to your teammate?

‘If you’re going to do something, do it sensibly. These kids don’t know any bounds.’

The game resumed, and charging in recklessly like this is a surefire way for someone to get carried off injured.

Ju Ji Tae reluctantly decided to break his self-imposed ‘rule’ upon his return.

The rule wasn’t anything special… just not ‘pushing hard.’ It meant restraining aggressive play, in other words.

Because back in his prime, pushing hard and enjoying aggressive play got him demoted from the position of ‘god.’

Therefore, he tried to restrain plays that would burden his body as much as possible… but enduring when the opponent comes at you like this is not an easy feat.

Might as well thoroughly stamp on the opportunity.

Playing against Korea and against oneself was becoming as terrifying as trembling in fear.

Triggering the forgotten syndrome once more.

***

Ju Ji Tae naturally enjoyed flamboyant and brilliant plays.

Of course, he was good at it. Such plays are a dream for anyone, after all.

But flamboyance and brilliance for a footballer weren’t always positive.

Dazzling footwork, sudden accelerations and decelerations, sharp direction changes, showcasing speed-enhanced individual skills, all put tremendous stress on the body.

A prime example was when a talent like Kaka was given but the human body couldn’t endure, like in the case of Ronaldo Nazario.

A player with a sturdy physique standing at 183 cm, faster than Kaka, displaying techniques like Neymar and aggressive dribbling like Maradona while firing shots like Raul, Ronaldo Nazario is still considered one of the greatest forwards to date.

When you think of Ronaldo Nazario, what stands out is his overwhelming skill displayed through his tremendous speed.

But this play put enormous strain on the knees.

And in his prime, Ju Ji Tae was exactly like Ronaldo Nazario.

Although there’s a difference between a forward and a midfielder, Ju Ji Tae also exhibited refined ball control and direction changes at top speed, much like Ronaldo. His final phase was also reminiscent of Ronaldo Nazario’s.

Despite indulging in plays that burdened the body, he lived for pleasure rather than managing his physique.

This was why Ju Ji Tae, even after momentarily holding the title of ‘god,’ returned to the domestic stage in his final years. Despite being called a rascal and criticized by the media, he hadn’t committed a crime, and with his skill, he could play anywhere.

No, that’s not it.

Even just looking at Benjema, one can tell that most crimes can be absolved with skill alone. No matter how much you curse or swear, in the end, being a player means survival is only possible with skill.

In that sense, even though he was once called a ‘god,’ returning to the domestic league in his later years was nothing less than a sign that he was outperformed in skill.

And that was the truth.

His body was completely torn apart after years of physically demanding play.

That’s why Ju Ji-tae didn’t want to “work hard.”

Of course, it also means increasing the workload, but above all, if you engage in the game with all your effort, plays that have become ingrained habits will naturally come to the surface.

“But it’s necessary now.”

Ju Ji-tae started moving in earnest around the 10-minute mark of the first half.

Malicious plays from Chinese players aimed at the culprits who took their teammate out poured in, but no interference could stop him.

Even if they openly kicked him, played pranks by sticking close, or even dared to tackle him to the point of injury, nothing could deter him.

Ju Ji-tae turned numerous malicious plays targeting him into compliments with the grace of someone as skilled as a matador.

Elegant turns that seemed as if he and the ball were one, brilliant ball control, overpowering speed during breakthroughs and sudden stops that were impossible to imitate, and even step-overs executed at an astonishing speed.

At first, it was mockery.

Mockery of a China that couldn’t stop a single player no matter how many malicious fouls they committed.

But as Ju Ji-tae’s play continued, people became enchanted by his graceful, intense, brilliant, and passionate dance.

Even the Chinese players facing him.

“We… we can’t win.”

“He’s a monster… there’s nothing we can do.”

And then, in the 39th minute of the first half.

Finally, when Ju Ji-tae’s long-range goal burst into the net.

Even though it was the first goal of the match, and now just a one-goal difference, the confidence of the Chinese players had been shattered.

So much so that not a single one of them could make a move.

About 30 minutes was enough time for Ju Ji-tae to start moving in earnest and to demonstrate the “level” difference to the Chinese players.