217. The Spirit of Juanito (3)

The reason Gennaro Gattuso is called the "fighting bull" is simple.

He's not just good at fighting; he thrives on it.

Rough tackles and scuffles—that's what fuels Gattuso.

That's why today's game was so highly anticipated.

Although age had diminished some of his skills, his current form was exceptional. It was this resurgence that allowed him to completely nullify Ronaldo in the previous match.

And today, his target was Woo Ho-young.

When Gattuso learned he would face Ho-young, no one was more thrilled than he was. The excitement kept him restless even before the match began, eager for the confrontation.

But when it came time to face Ho-young, it was anything but easy.

The ball had been stolen from an unexpected place, and both Ambrosini and Flamini had been taken down one after another.

It was shocking.

Though Ambrosini was older and Flamini smaller, they weren't players who would be knocked aside so effortlessly.

It was a testament to Woo Ho-young's incredible physique.

This only made Gattuso more determined. He braced himself, ready to go all out.

And then it happened.

"Ura!"

[Gattuso shoves his shoulder into Woo Ho-young's!]

Gattuso charged in from the right, slamming into Ho-young.

But Ho-young, who had been dribbling at full speed, didn't dodge. Instead, he slowed down just before the impact.

No matter how strong one is, a collision at full speed would almost certainly lead to a fall. Yet, with beast-like muscles and remarkable flexibility, Ho-young absorbed the shock and maintained his balance.

[Woo Ho-young holds the ball while staying on his feet!]

"Fucking shit!"

A curse slipped out of Gattuso's mouth.

The plan to disrupt Ho-young by forcing a foul failed miserably. Gattuso shifted tactics.

"Get out of here!"

He grabbed Ho-young's uniform, pulling at an angle the referee couldn't see.

However…

[Woo Ho-young powers through!]

"...?!"

This guy wouldn't fall.

By now, most players would have tumbled to the ground, but Ho-young performed as though he was defying gravity. Maintaining an acrobatic balance, he held on to the ball and surged forward.

[Woo Ho-young, can he escape the pressure? Shouldn't the referee call a foul?]

The struggle was fierce.

Gattuso gave his all, but Ho-young's unyielding strength and determination were unmatched.

"Eeeeeeeee!"

With a final push, Gattuso collapsed under the pressure.

[Woo Ho-young breaks free from the scuffle!]

Now liberated, Ho-young bolted like a fish in water.

With space ahead, Real Madrid's wings spread wide. Yuri Zhirkov and Ronaldo raced down the flanks, while Higuain lingered, ready to beat the offside trap.

It was a 4v4 situation—Real Madrid's youthful attackers against AC Milan's aging defenders.

Leading the charge was the 16-year-old Woo Ho-young.

[Young! Young charges forward! He hasn't given up possession yet! How far will he go?]

Thiago Silva, AC Milan's defensive stalwart, locked his eyes on Ho-young.

Before the match, coach Leonardo had given him specific instructions:

"If Ambrosini, Flamini, and Gattuso fail to stop him, you must step up. Understand his movements. Predict his next action. If you do that, you can buy us time."

It was a gamble. Trying to match Ho-young's skill was a lost cause. His ball control was otherworldly. But predicting his moves could create a slim chance.

And now was that moment.

As Ho-young pushed the ball forward, Thiago Silva made his move.

"Ugh!"

Silva lunged for the ball, stretching out his leg.

The ball was closer to him than Ho-young. It was within reach.

But then…

When Thiago Silva took one step, Ho-young took two.

"...!!"

Before Silva could react, Ho-young spun 270 degrees with a breathtaking Marseille turn, leaving Silva in his wake.

[He's done it! Ho-young's signature move opens up space again!]

Nesta tried to intercept, but at 34, he couldn't match Ho-young's blistering pace. The gap in physicality was overwhelming.

Ho-young stormed into the penalty area, about 30 meters from the goal.

Maldini rushed in from the right to cover, but Ho-young remained composed.

'Top right.'

He planted his foot and unleashed a thunderous no-spin shot.

Paaang!

[Gooooooooal! A stunning mid-range strike!]

The ball rocketed into the net, leaving goalkeeper Dida frozen in place.

The stadium erupted.

For 28 years, Dida had seen it all. But this shot—it was otherworldly.

And it was only the beginning.

---

As the Santiago Bernabeu trembled with excitement, fans online were in a frenzy.

[What did we just witness?]

└ That wasn't a goal; it was a meteor strike.

└ I blinked and missed it.

└ Is he even human?

On the pitch, Ho-young's teammates were buzzing with energy. Even Yuri Zhirkov and Ronaldo, seasoned stars, couldn't help but marvel at the young prodigy.

As AC Milan restarted play, Ho-young muttered to his teammates:

"Get the Ferrari ready."

"If we win tonight, you'll have it," someone replied with a grin.

But AC Milan wasn't ready to surrender. Under Leonardo's instructions, their defense tightened.

Still, Real Madrid had seized the momentum, and with Ho-young leading the charge, anything felt possible.

With each passing second, the tension mounted. And when the ball found its way back to Ho-young…

Thump, thump.

The stadium held its breath.

From 46 meters out, Ho-young launched a long pass, splitting the AC Milan defense.

It wasn't just a pass.

It was a masterpiece.

'El Pulmon's Long Pass that Splits the Land', which Hoyoung recently started exploring.

It went about 50 meters and headed towards the opposite goal post.