End of the first half.
Barcelona's dressing room fell into a dreadful atmosphere.
The score was still only a one-goal difference, so they should have been able to hold on to hope for a comeback, but an indescribably hopeless mood hung in the air.
That was because, despite having prepared so hard for the match, everything had been rendered useless by Ho-young's solo play.
There was no hope now.
Veterans such as Puyol and Xavi raised their voices and tried to encourage the players, but it was useless.
They knew it too.
That no matter what they did, they simply could not win.
"He is an opponent we cannot beat."
They still could not believe it.
That 80-meter solo dribble.
That ability to cover the entire pitch freely while moving between defense and attack.
It was not something a human being should have been able to do.
"Haa... I can't believe it."
It was only a matter of time before their will faded.
Even if they managed to pull one back, they could think only that they would still lose in the end.
If Ho-young made up his mind, he could force a goal at any time, just like before.
He was football itself in the literal sense.
No matter how many experts put their heads together, no matter how structured the six-sided pressing was, no matter what they did, it was impossible to deal with him when the physical gap was that large.
It felt like watching a professional footballer playing in an amateur Sunday league.
There was nothing Barcelona could do anymore.
All they could do was,
"Let's go to the end. They may be a one-man team, but we are one team. We can do it. Do not give up hope until the end."
Say polished words like that and try to revive the players' spirit just a little.
[
The match was not even over yet, but online was already in chaos.
That was because the records Ho-young had set in the first half were unbelievable.
[Ho-young, peak speed in acceleration zone approaches 50 km/h]
That was 5 km/h faster than Usain Bolt and a figure that proved Ho-young was the fastest man among humanity.
Football fans, naturally, could only be stunned.
[Last season his top speed record was 42 km/h, but now he is 8 km/h faster...]
└He really does not seem human. At this rate, isn't he going to end up in some kind of lab experiment?
└Area 51 will probably come for him soon
└What if he is still hiding something? Every time he is in trouble, he pulls out something new. Feels like he still has not shown everything
└Agreed. How far is he planning to go?
And it was not just the speed that shocked people.
[Ho-young covered over 8 km in the first half alone... an extreme contrast with Lionel Messi's 4.4 km]
└Wow, this is rough
└This is a humiliation for life
└2 Messis = 1 Ho-young
On top of that, Ho-young had completely dominated Messi in every category, tackles, interceptions, passes, dribbles, and more, proving he was on a far higher level.
Manchester City's players felt it too.
"There is no way we can lose now."
"We are definitely winning."
"Young is genuinely insane."
Because of that, the atmosphere in City's dressing room was extremely good.
Ho-young's level was forcibly instilling a winning mentality into the players.
"Still, we have to do even better."
A positive effect.
That did not mean the players were only relying on Ho-young.
They were world-class players and some of the finest prospects in the world.
They understood clearly what they had to do, and they knew perfectly well how to win.
"We are almost there, almost there. The Big Ears are finally right in front of us!"
"Heh heh. Those Barcelona guys are nothing special. If they were going to lose anyway, why did they prepare so much?"
Eden Hazard, completely carried away by the mood, raised his voice.
The atmosphere in the team was at its peak.
Then one player called the others together.
"Be sure of victory, but do not get arrogant."
It was the voice of Manchester City's captain, Ho-young.
Then he gave a brief explanation about the match and calmed the players down.
After that, he raised his voice.
"We are Manchester City. Let's go out there and fight for the Citizens who are raising their voices for us."
"Of course."
"Definitely."
The second half began shortly afterward.
With the fierce roar of more than 30,000 Citizens.
"Waaaaaaaaaa!!"
As the players came out of the tunnel, a roar loud enough to tear the eardrums apart poured down.
Half of it was voices shouting Ho-young's name.
[Look at this. This is the miracle one player has created. Isn't it incredible?]
[Yes, I have had goosebumps so long that now I feel chills. It is truly an honor to witness a sight like this in my lifetime. And I am really looking forward to what he will show us in the second half.]
As if to satisfy those expectations, Ho-young produced a dazzling piece of play the very moment the match restarted.
It was exactly one minute after the whistle blew.
[Ho-young steals Puyol's ball out of nowhere!]
An instantaneous ball recovery.
Barcelona, with their line pushed high, had been circulating the ball at the back when Puyol made a mistake.
As Ho-young suddenly pressed from the front, Puyol panicked at the tremendous speed and tried to pull the ball back, only to lose it.
Usually, mistakes like that happened right at the start of a match, and this was exactly one of those cases.
The location was the second line.
For Ho-young, it was practically a position from which a goal was guaranteed.
And one more thing.
[You preemptively covet Tarzan of Catalonia (T). You partially acquire Carles Puyol's experience and instincts. It will take 12 days to fully absorb the experience and instincts.]
A talent gained by fulfilling Puyol's trademark move, "a surprise tackle."
And right after that.
[Dani Alves is charging in!]
Attack, defense, physicality.
Dani Alves, an all-time great wing-back with all three qualities in abundance.
Despite his small frame, he was also excellent in physical duels, and he threw himself at Ho-young ready to be sent off if necessary.
Because if he did not do something like this, they would surely concede.
That was why he hurled himself in like a beast.
But then.
Thuuump!
"Kghhh!!"
Ho-young's body was as hard as if it were clad in plate armor.
It felt as if Alves had thrown himself into a rock.
At the same time, with the feeling that his bones might have cracked, Alves was sent flying in the opposite direction.
Meanwhile, Ho-young remained standing in perfect balance.
For a full-grown man weighing 70 kilograms to have charged at him at full speed, he was astonishingly unharmed.
That was because he had concentrated the energy inside his body into a specific area and reinforced it.
And at that moment, the chance came.
[The way ahead is completely open, only Valdés is left!]
A perfect situation to shoot.
In an instant, Ho-young planted his left foot to deliver the perfect shot.
But there was one problem.
[Piqué with a sliding tackle!]
In the brief moment Dani Alves had bought time, Piqué came flying in with both legs extended.
And his feet were very high.
His intention was to snap Ho-young's leg.
It was especially dangerous because Ho-young had just planted his standing foot.
But that dangerous situation was over in an instant.
[Ho-young jumps!!]
Just before Piqué's tackle came in.
Ho-young quickly twisted his ankle, trapped the ball between his two legs, and leaped into the air without hesitation.
A so-called frog jump.
A leap high enough to completely nullify Piqué's tackle.
And that danger immediately turned into an opportunity.
[W, whaaaat?!]
[He shoots immediately!!]
Ho-young and the ball were still in the air.
And then.
Boom!
A shot flew out.
In that brief instant while suspended in the air, he had powerfully struck the ball with his right foot after pinning it between his legs.
At a glance, it looked as if he had levitated and shot while floating.
A play that made no sense whatsoever.
Valdés could do nothing but stare blankly without moving even a hand.
The net shook immediately afterward.
Rustle!
[Goooooooal! It went in!!]
[Ah... what do you even call that? A levitation shot? What is certain is that there has never been anything like it. He lifted the ball himself and then shot it in midair.]
[What is even more incredible is that the shot was just as perfect as if he had struck it from the ground. It is truly at the level of art.]
Transcendent shooting.
That was what a shot beyond human limits looked like.
[Ho-young is literally flying around today. He is producing an unquestionably world-class performance.]
Ho-young carefully monitored his physical condition and adjusted his play accordingly.
And his brilliance continued.
In the 68th minute.
After blocking Di María's dribbles three times or more after he came on for Sánchez, more welcome news arrived.
[You preemptively covet Angel of Death (T). You partially acquire Ángel Di María's experience and instincts. It will take 7 days to fully absorb the experience and instincts.]
And around the 75th minute.
When he scored a header from Bale's cross, he succeeded in coveting the following talent.
[You preemptively covet El Guaje (T). You partially acquire David Villa's experience and instincts. It will take 11 days to fully absorb the experience and instincts.]
As a result of completing a hat-trick, he had come to covet the title of the goal machine David Villa, El Guaje.
It was the talent of a highly capable striker, worthy of the nickname the Little Giant.
[3-0, it would not be an exaggeration to say Manchester City have already secured the title. For Barcelona, there is no hope left.]
[Yes, the players look exhausted. They used far too much energy in the first half.]
The match was racing toward its end.
Manager Tito Vilanova ordered one final all-out attack, but nothing changed.
Instead, it only became an opportunity for Manchester City.
[Manchester City's third line, Ho-young looks upfield.]
The moment Ho-young, who had dropped back to defend, got the ball, he stabbed it deep forward.
It was a killer pass that found Gareth Bale up front in one go.
Tap!
And Bale did not betray that trust.
He was not quite Ho-young, but after beating Piqué with a fierce knock-and-run, he unleashed a powerful left-footed shot.
Valdés, whose momentum had already been completely broken, was caught wrong-footed and could only concede.
Rustle!
[Goooooooal! Gareth Bale calmly puts it away! And before that, Ho-young's pass was incredible too!]
[If I got a pass like that, I think even I could score. What vision and technique that is.]
"Hoo!"
Bale copied Ho-young's celebration and celebrated the goal.
And it was a meaningful goal for Ho-young too.
[You preemptively covet Pass Master (T). You partially acquire Xavi Hernández's experience and instincts. It will take 16 days to fully absorb the experience and instincts.]
By registering an assist with Xavi's trademark, "a pass that splits the earth," he was finally able to obtain that long-desired talent.
With that, the foundation for coveting Hidden Condition 2 had been laid.
"I can covet Transcendent Passing at Euro 2012."
Honestly, even this was already enough.
Because he had gained so much from this match.
Talents from Messi, Puyol, Xavi, Villa, and Di María.
And on top of that, by the end of the match, he was able to covet three additional talents.
Beat Barcelona by a margin of three goals or more.
Win the UEFA Champions League.
Win a match using La Pelopina Turn.
As a result of fulfilling those conditions one by one, he was able to covet the titles of Ronaldinho, Patrick Vieira, and David Silva in sequence.
And above all, the most valuable thing of all was of course the trophy itself.
[Manchester City achieve the grand slam!]
The grand slam achieved.
Now the only goals left for Ho-young were the upcoming Euros and the World Cup.
(To be continued.)