> [It's in! It's in! Korea scores in just 16 seconds! 16 seconds! What a start!]
[Believe it, Korean fans! Saitama, Japan's sacred ground, has just been breached. One attack was all it took!]
The roaring stands turned chaotic in an instant.
On one side, cheers erupted for the Republic of Korea; on the other, stunned silence reigned—mouths shut as if sealed by honey.
And amidst the uproar—
Ho-young jogged calmly down the touchline.
If anyone scored today, it had been agreed among the seniors that they'd celebrate with a walk—like a procession.
Without a word, teammates like Park Ji-seok and Ki Sung-ryong fell in line behind him, joining the silent parade.
That was when the Japanese crowd began to boo.
> "That's a foul! A foul! What kind of start is that?!"
"To Pepaya!"
"He's obviously on something!"
"Woo-woo-woo-woo-woo-woo-woo-woo-woo!"
The booing swelled and then abruptly faltered.
Ho-young, now standing in front of the supporter's section behind the goal, turned his back to the audience.
With both thumbs, he pointed proudly to the name "WOO" on his jersey.
The gesture infuriated both the Japanese crowd and the internet.
Netizens unleashed a flood of creative reactions:
> ['Woo' Lee wins]
['Woo' represents an entire bloodline]
[Woo-moo-Woo-moo, Japan's lunch today]
[Woo + ㄹ + 지 + 마 = Don't mess with Woo, Japan]
Woo. Woo. Woo.
> [Yes. I'm WOO. Now quit barking.]
└ This is iconic.
└ The Japanese crowd got silenced by one name.
└ They must be so embarrassed right now.
Indeed, the Japanese fans who had been chanting "woo" finally shut their mouths.
For a moment.
> "WEEEHHHHHHHHH!"
That was the loudest boo they could muster.
They had no other response.
Coach Hur Sung-soo, watching from the sidelines, couldn't hold back his laughter.
> "This match is ours."
He had spent two sleepless nights formulating his tactics—but in the end, it was Woo Ho-young who executed both his plan and the opponent's.
Ho-young's grasp of both teams' tactics was simply overwhelming.
Barely a few days into training with the national team, he was already giving it his all.
> 'It was the right call to give Woo Ho-young a free role.'
To Hur Sung-soo, Ho-young was a godsend.
A player so talented, he had already surpassed the coach's own strategic abilities.
Even Shevchenko, who once revived Ukrainian football, hadn't shined like this.
Because Korea was seen as a weaker team, Ho-young's brilliance stood out even more—and so did the expectations placed on him.
If the team did well, he'd be hailed as a hero. If they didn't, he'd be blamed.
Either way, he was both sword and shield for Hur Sung-soo.
Not that he was using him as a scapegoat—but it eased the pressure significantly.
And this World Cup…
> 'The bracket looks good.'
It was as promising as the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup run.
If they could beat Nigeria and Greece, the Round of 16 was practically guaranteed.
With a favorable draw, they might even face Uruguay or Mexico in the next round.
Their goal of making it past the group stage could lead all the way to the quarterfinals.
Considering the current Korean squad was seen as one of the weakest ever, this was a miracle in motion.
> 'Yeah. Crush Japan and take this fire to South Africa.'
Coach Hur clenched his fists.
Becoming the next legendary coach after Guus Hiddink no longer felt like a dream.
On the other hand, Okeshi scowled deeply.
It was like watching a nightmare unfold in real time.
> 'Damn it all.'
A miscalculation.
He had been completely wrong.
Against Ho-young's unpredictable tactics, the traditional playbook had crumbled.
The plan to boost team morale just a month before the World Cup had backfired miserably.
In a last-ditch effort, Okeshi switched to a defensive 5-4-1 formation.
The vow not to lose had already been shattered.
They no longer needed to score.
> 'Just avoid a catastrophic defeat.'
1-0.
Even if they just passed the ball around for the remaining 89 minutes, they needed to avoid a rout.
Their World Cup momentum couldn't be destroyed before it even began.
Beep—
The match resumed.
> [Japan is switching to a tighter formation. They're closing gaps and dropping the line.]
[They're clearly trying to hold out. Park the bus and maybe counter if a clean chance shows up.]
The ball circulated near Japan's penalty box, their line drawn low.
Almost a ten-man wall.
But Ho-young welcomed this change.
> 'This might be fun.'
They were winning 1-0 anyway.
He didn't even need to defend. He could go all out on offense.
> 'Now I can force mistakes in that tight space by applying pressure.'
Coach Hur Sung-soo's strategy clicked into place.
Tight pressing. Aggressive, fast-paced movement.
> 'Perfect.'
Ho-young surged forward.
He hadn't slept much last night, but his body felt light.
He was more than ready to crush Japan.
> [24th minute—Japan continues possession.]
[Honestly, I don't know what to say. It looks like they're doing passing drills. This isn't right.]
Local commentator Park Mun-seok shook his head.
Japan's play was abysmal.
After dropping their line, they passed the ball endlessly within their half.
It might've been an attempt to slowly build from the back, but after 20 minutes, nothing had materialized.
Japanese fans in the stadium grew quieter and quieter.
They wanted to support their team—but there was nothing to cheer for.
Meanwhile, Koreans had no intention of letting up.
> [Is this really football?]
[Woo Ho-young just pressed once and they crumbled, LOL.]
[Japan's pass accuracy is gonna hit 100% at this rate.]
And then it happened.
The Korean attackers suddenly turned up the pressure.
They didn't need to, not with a lead—but it was a great opportunity to raise their momentum before the World Cup.
> "Press them into clearing it long!"
Park Ji-seok's voice rang out.
He, Ki Sung-ryong, Kim Jung-hu, and Lee Cheong-ryong—all part of the 4-4-1-1 formation—pressed tightly together.
Fullbacks Cha Doo-rim and the rest maintained width and speed to guard against Japan's counter.
> [Woo Ho-young and Lee Geun-oh are pressing hard up front! Japan's formation is crumbling!]
[Keun-oh intercepts! Almost took it—still a great challenge!]
Korea's press was relentless.
The wider Ho-young moved, the faster the ball zipped around, raising the match tempo.
Japan's defense scrambled.
Their passes grew sloppy. The ball began rolling back more and more often to goalkeeper Narazaki.
> [Korea's aggressive movement is suffocating Japan.]
[Can this still be called playmaking?]
[Of course. Playmaking isn't just with the ball—it's also what you do without it. Creating situations is still making a play.]
[Exactly. Folks, Woo Ho-young's playmaking has begun. Japan's backline is clearly feeling the pressure!]
Park Mun-seok was nearly shouting by now.
It wasn't a traditional assist or dribble—but Woo's movement alone was dictating the match.
His pressure never faltered.
If anything, it intensified.
> [Something's about to happen. It might not look like much, but for defenders under pressure, every moment becomes a nightmare.]
[Aaaaah! Just as you said—!]
Whack!
Left side.
Park Ji-seok's sudden pressure forced a mistake from right fullback Nakatomo.
The panicked defender tried to clear it, but the pass veered wildly into the open right corner.
Fortunately, left fullback Yuki Abe was there.
> [Yuki Abe is sprinting to retrieve it!]
[Ah! But behind him! Woo Ho-young is closing in!]
Twenty meters out.
Woo Ho-young was barreling toward the ball like a storm.
With a slight head start, he overtook Yuki Abe within two seconds.
And then—
Whack!
> [Woo Ho-young takes possession!]
[Yuki Abe dives in—!]
Screech.
Yuki Abe, with a desperate face, launched a slide tackle—tearing up turf as he passed through empty space.
Ho-young had already dodged, striking the ball forward in time.
> [Yuki Abe just skated right by! It's like he's riding a playground slide! Somebody get him up!]
[And now—it's a golden chance for Woo Ho-young!]
Narazaki rushed out.
But Ho-young, calm and collected, tapped the ball just as the keeper moved forward.
> 'No!'
Narazaki backpedaled in panic, but the ball was already floating—sailing over his head into the net.
Pandemonium.
> [Goooooooooal! Woo Ho-young scores again! He's dropping bombs in Saitama Stadium!]
Yuki Abe, stunned, looked like he'd just lost his country.
And in a sense, he had.
> 'How is he so fast?'
He hadn't been careless. He had done his best—but his body just couldn't keep up.
> [Who's faster—Woo Ho-young or a four-legged beast?]
└ Centaur?
└ No kidding, Woo's probably faster.
└ Facts. No debate.
Online and offline, Korean fans were having the time of their lives.
Still, they weren't done.
It was only the 40th minute.
One more goal was possible.
And just five minutes later, the chance came.
> [Ki Sung-ryong lines up for the corner. He's signaling something.]
[Japan's defense looks shaky. They've been surviving—but who knows how long.]
Corner kick from Park Ji-seok.
Center-backs Lee Jong-soo and Kwak Tae-hee moved into position inside the box.
Ho-young waited by the far post.
Ki Sung-ryong's corner curled in.
> [Ball headed outside the box!]
[Ho-young is sprinting in! Is he going to shoot right away?!]
It was a set piece trick.
Ho-young broke from the edge of the box and wound up for a shot.
A turning strike.
Low chance of success in a crowded area—but worth trying for a player known for his acrobatic finishes.
Japanese defenders jumped, anticipating a high shot.
But—
> "···!!"
The ball didn't rise.
It zipped across the ground.
Boom!
Straight into the lower left corner.
It shook the net.
A perfectly timed ground strike—preying on their expectations.
> "Downpour!"
> [OH! It's in! It's in again! That's a hat trick!]
[Incredible. Since Cha Bum-kun in 1975 and Park Sung-ho in 1979, Woo Ho-young is now the third player to score a hat trick in a Korea-Japan match.]
3-0.
And still 45 minutes to go.
Japan wished a meteor would hit the pitch.
That's how bad it felt.
In the second half, Korea continued dominating without slowing down.
Ho-young was subbed off around the 55th minute to manage his condition.
Beep—
> [South Korea crushes Japan 5-0, thanks to Woo Ho-young's hat trick. This is the biggest win since the 5-1 match in 1956.]
[Without question, this was the greatest Korea-Japan war. Let's take this momentum straight into the World Cup.]
The journey to the World Cup had begun.
And Japan had just been the perfect warm-up.