Weird Defender Joo Ji-Tae

42 – Worry (Revised)

042

Immediately after connecting the first-half closure with a triumphant long-range shot, Ju Ji-tae joyfully threw his uniform top as exuberantly as his long-range shot.

And, receiving a card from the referee as he put on a show for the anticipated celebration, he displayed his first yellow card in the competition, ignoring his sore thigh.

“This guy is crazy in every way.”

“That lunatic. Sigh.”

After halftime, the second half resumed.

The Chinese players, barely recovering from the previous setback, were once again struck by a massive shock.

“What’s with him again!!!”

This time, it was Jo Jaeshin who started to rampage.

If the first half belonged to Ju Jitae’s solo performance, the second half showcased the dynamic duo of Ju Jitae and Jo Jaeshin.

Even their resilient play and the biased judgments of the referee could only hold for a while.

“Jo Jaeshin, you adorable kid! Finally achieving a hat-trick!”

“You ruthless guy! Now, let me score a goal too!”

With Jo Jaeshin completing his hat-trick, the Chinese players finally lost their composure.

Republic of Korea 7 : 0 People’s Republic of China

It was a resounding victory for South Korea.

After the game, an immense aftermath unfolded.

First, the reactions to the victory itself.

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It wasn’t just any East Asian trio, but the intricately entangled trio of East Asian nations.

In this mysterious triangular relationship that could explode at any moment, the bomb called ‘sports’ had been thrown.

Japan, fueled by injustice and anger over their defeat with biased refereeing in China,

The host country, and historically the first time reaching the World Cup quarterfinals (even if it’s the Youth World Cup), China, always sincere in football.

And now, Korea, buoyed by the outstanding performance of Ju Jitae and Jo Jaeshin.

The interest was as immense as their staggering populations.

—Justice has been served lol

—Chinese cut!! Chinese cut!! Chinese cut!! Chinese cut!!

—Kitaｷﾀ━━━(ﾟ∀ﾟ)━━━!! Is this the power of Joseon gentlemen!?

—Korea is too strong lol

—Watching football for a long time, I thought we had become stronger, but watching this game reminded me of the past. It was a game where the gap seemed even greater than the time when we never won against Korea. Is the era of shared victories coming back?

—Ju and Jo are both descendants of Koreans who immigrated from the Shandong Peninsula and the Liaoning region. The government should quickly recognize them as the national representatives.

Korea’s victory brought catharsis to both South Korea and Japan, while instilling a sense of despair in China.

Another spectacle was Ju Jitae’s bizarre ceremony.

—But what’s up with Ju Jitae’s ceremony?

—Receiving a yellow card as a ceremony for not even breaking a leg lol. Really foolish lol

Though an incident, receiving the first yellow card of the tournament for not even breaking the opponent’s leg and turning it into a ceremony was truly absurd.

It was only natural that attention was drawn to this bizarre ceremony.

People naturally wondered why he even bothered to receive cards to show something.

—But why is it such a frenzy about Shooting Star?

ㄴWhat’s the meaning behind it?

ㄴThe meaning? Lol, it’s just showing off that he’s better at shooting than Jo Jaeshin~

ㄴOh, seriously? Who the hell cares?

ㄴHaha, no way~ That can’t be true~

—So, “for J” refers to Jo Jaeshin?

ㄴIt seems fitting in the context.

ㄴExactly! Jo Jaeshin got upset, and there were fireworks in the second half, lol.

ㄴAh~ Jo Jaeshin caused a stir in the second half because of that. How cute, lol.

The fact that they were childhood friends was already widely known.

Naturally, the interpretation that “J” referred to Jo Jaeshin became the consensus.

Meanwhile, Ju Jitae had no leisure to pay attention to community reactions.

‘Damn it. My knees are acting up.’

Could it be the aftermath of the China match?

The pain was similar to when his body fell apart during the first round.

‘Just one match, why…? Could it be because I was younger then…?’

Ju Jitae was not perfect from the beginning.

The completion of the play that was once praised as ‘divine’ came after settling in Spain through the Netherlands.

In other words, it was after much more physical growth and development than now.

Even with that body, he couldn’t endure for long and eventually his knees and ankles gave out. So, with a body younger and more fragile than now, it would be even more dangerous.

The tingling sensation rising from his knees made Ju Jitae suddenly anxious.

“Coach, I’m sorry, but it seems like something’s wrong with my knee.”

As soon as the China match ended, Ju Jitae went straight for a detailed examination.

“There’s some damage to the ligaments. It’s not severe.”

Fortunately, it wasn’t a major injury, but…

“Well… there’s no problem right now, but as the medical team leader, I’m concerned about the possibility of patellar ligament injury. I’ve been a soccer fan for a long time, but I didn’t notice it in other games, but the play Ju Jitae showed in this match is very similar to Honaudu’s.”

Indeed, Ju Jitae nodded at the analytical statement typical of the national team’s medical team leader.

“That’s right. I’ve taken a lot of inspiration from Honaudu’s play.”

“Fast, dynamic, and flashy plays really explain why Honaudu is Honaudu. I like it too. But as a doctor, I wouldn’t recommend it. Such plays put excessive pressure on the knees, leading to chronic injuries.”

The head of the medical team might not have known, thinking he was just a young player… but no.

Ju Ji-tae understands. He knows how much strain his play puts on his body, how risky it is.

It all began in the Netherlands when he started developing this style of play.

It was after Jong-sin’s funeral when he returned to the Netherlands.

The time when he was finalizing his pro contract, scheduling his debut as a pro.

He had always liked flashy plays, but the coaches at PSV, where Ju Ji-tae was at the time, warned him that the intensified play was dangerous.

But Ju Ji-tae ignored them, and with a sensational performance in his pro debut, he became a rising star overnight.

After that, there were no more objections from the coaches.

Whether it was just because he had turned pro, or they realized his talent was too exceptional to restrain, it’s hard to say… maybe both?

Anyway, even after moving to Sevilla in La Liga after two years, the coaches raised concerns about the risk of his playing style.

The flashy and spectacular play, enhanced through the Netherlands, was causing his knees to ache even back then.

He tried to restrain himself a bit due to the coach’s objections… but ultimately, what the audience wanted was flashy play, and at that time, Ju Ji-tae was more interested in immediate attention than the distant future. So, he returned to his original style in just half a season.

After that, well… he followed in the footsteps of Ronaldo.

Whether in games or practice, despite playing a physically demanding style, he neglected his body, drinking every day, spending nights with women. Could his knees be okay?

Just before transferring to Chelsea, his knee finally gave out.

As a result, he spent the first year at Chelsea dealing with injuries and rehabilitation, then returned to the field in the second year, showing some promise, only to end up on the surgery table again.

Repeated this cycle for three years before being sold to Germany.

Germany? What a joke. During more than half of the three years there, he was dealing with surgeries and rehabilitation.

The end of that was a return to the domestic league.

Now, recalling a past that feels so distant, Coach Jang Ki-seok, who had been watching cautiously, hesitates and asks.

“Um… Ji-tae, what do you think? Can you play in the match?”

“……”

What should he do?

He thought, touching his knee.

The knee clicking felt similar to the first time, surprising him, but fortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a significant issue. After all, even if he played a demanding style at a younger age, it’s unlikely for a problem to arise after just one game.

But…

“I’ll sit on the bench.”

“Hmm. Then substitutions? Is that possible?”

“Of course. Substitutions can be made anytime.”

Yeah.

If you can take a break, it’s better… But there’s no need to be too afraid.

* * *

The opponent in the quarterfinals was Italy.

Germany was expected to advance, but unexpectedly, Italy joined the quarterfinals by defeating Germany.

“They barely made it past the round of 16 last time, and now they’re in the quarterfinals?”

Even though they were defeated by China, who they claimed had biased judging, they managed to beat Germany? Curious, I reviewed the match, and it was truly… Italian.

“There’s something unique about them.”

They relied on the traditional chess move, Catenaccio, and not only entered space defense but also took the game to a penalty shootout.

Italy laughed during the penalty shootout, which involuntarily made them seem strangely confident. These guys even won the round of 16 and the quarterfinals through penalty shootouts.

“They held on through extra time in the round of 16 and quarterfinals, and won through penalty shootouts? Seriously?”

Joo Ji-tae let out a bitter laugh.

What should I call it… very Italian.

Still, it relieved my worries.

If Germany, with a well-balanced squad and strong positions, was the opponent, it would have been better to be in the starting lineup. The game was likely to be replaced early, but if it’s Italy, it’s different.

“Maybe this time I can rest on the bench?”

With strong defense only and Italy being weak in attack, the Korean defense should be able to handle it, even without me. Moreover, there are talented players in Korea, excluding myself.

There’s Cho Jae-shin, a genius who recorded second place in the Ballon d’Or for three consecutive years in his previous life.

“Jae-shin. Somehow, he suddenly grew in the China match… With his current skills, he can easily destroy Italy.”

Of course, even if it’s Cho Jae-shin, it won’t work alone… His help is essential.

“So… Do you want me to take care of things so you can rest?”

“Oh, why are you saying it so harshly?”

Joo Ji-tae gently pacified Cho Jae-shin with a chubby expression.

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“I mean, I’ll help you so that you can single-handedly destroy Italy.”

“How?”

Joo Ji-tae just smiled.

How? By using the memories of my past life.

Why waste the special privilege of regression?

“I’ve thoroughly analyzed the Italian players, especially the defense.”

“Who are you?”

A suspicious expression, but it’s genuine.

Because most of the Italian guys here know that face.

Players I’ve faced off against in the first round countless times, both in the pro league and as national representatives. I know them well—their play styles, habits, weaknesses are already sharp.

Joo Ji-tae’s self-assured expression made Jo Jae-shin nod hesitantly.

Well, listening won’t hurt… at least.

Joo Ji-tae, with a look of waiting, began his explanation.

“When aiming for the opening goal, I recommend targeting the left side. Baritelli on the left appears to have strong one-on-one defense, but in reality, he’s a guy who always hastily extends his leg, feeling extreme pressure in a 1:1 confrontation. Until now, that’s been considered an advantage, but with your reaction speed, you can easily handle it. So, when facing him, rather than attempting first, you should break through according to his movements. And as for Mateo—”

“Enough!! Geez, my ears hurt. Either put it in writing or tell me to memorize this?”

“Oh. Right.”

Certainly, it doesn’t come across well in words alone.

Joo Ji-tae brought out a ball.

“What’s this?”

“I’ll just engrave it on your body. I’ll imitate each one while saying it, so stick close and try to mimic it.”

“Been a while since a 1:1? Sounds good.”

A 1:1 duel held after a long time.

Jo Jae-shin confidently entered the duel.

“Damn it!! You son of a b****, agility is your weakness!! Why are you so fast!!”

“Oh, come on. Am I telling you to die? You might not know. In situations like this, instead of training to match it, you should consider a few steps ahead and train. That’s how it works in real situations.”

And although it was a mess… the effect was clear, just as he said.

* * *

[Jo Jae-shin’s opening goal explodes against Italy!!]

Meanwhile, the other side was also remarkable.

[Oh… Without Player Joo Ji-tae, the defense is too shaky. Korea immediately concedes a goal.]

Joo Ji-tae, silently watching the game, began to take off his vest.

I guess… I have to go out?