Germany, who came out ambitiously with a 4-2-3-1 formation, showed something different from the other teams that had faced Spain so far.
[Germany are on the right side of the pitch, slowly moving the ball around as they assess the flow of the match.]
Most other teams had been conscious of Ho-young and tried to decide the match early, but Germany were doing the exact opposite.
It reflected manager Joachim Löw's intention to move away from the pressure of having to settle things early and instead build up their own play step by step.
[Ever since the 2010 South Africa World Cup, Germany have firmly established themselves as one of the best national teams in the world. The reason for that is their balance, and that is showing clearly in today's match as well.]
After the South Africa World Cup, Germany earned the nickname of the most balanced team in the world.
Their organization and chemistry between players went without saying, and whether it was physicality or technical quality, they excelled in every area.
That was also why they had managed to bring down Spain, who had been called the best in 2010.
[These days, a defense-first, counterattacking style is the global trend, isn't it? But Joachim Löw's Germany have instead taken Spain's tiki-taka and turned it into their own style, playing a dominant brand of football.]
Germany made safe circulation of the ball their top priority while steadily building possession.
They intended to take on the match through passing and combination play, just like Spain.
'Their style is direct.'
7th minute of the first half.
Ho-young, who was applying pressure from the front line, could clearly feel just how refined Germany's football was.
'Toni Kroos, Khedira, and Özil are raising the success rate of their passing and increasing the intensity of the system. If we lose focus for even a moment, we'll concede.'
And that was not all.
Behind Germany's refined play, there was also strength.
Overwhelming physicality.
It was more than enough to threaten Spain.
Germany, who had the advantage in speed and strength, used intense pressing from the front to build the foundation for the football they wanted to play.
They had turned the weakness that the Spain of 2010 had failed to overcome into one of their own strengths.
'And they're strong in physical duels too, so they don't get shaken easily.'
Germany's physical battles were at the highest level in the tournament.
First of all, Germany's right back Jérôme Boateng was putting in excellent defensive work with his superior physique.
And on the opposite side, Germany captain Philipp Lahm was organizing the defense as a whole, covering not only the flank but also central areas.
He was the key to the defense.
The ultimate target Ho-young had to break down today.
[Philipp Lahm]
[Possessed Talents: Magic Dwarf (T), Tactical Understanding of the Magic Dwarf (SU), Astonishing Center of Gravity (S+2), Astonishing Football Intelligence (S+), Fantastic Crossing (S-), (More...)]
(If the conditions are met, you may covet one talent.)
(If you covet a T-grade Title, you can acquire part of the senses.)
(For T-grade, if Hidden Condition 3 is coveted, you can acquire part of the senses.)
(For S-grade and above, you must achieve the hidden condition to covet it.)
(Condition 1: Play football together for 90 minutes)
(Condition 2: Win this match)
(Condition 3: Block a cross from the flank)
(Hidden Condition: Opens when you covet at least one talent)
(Hidden Condition 3: Neutralize Philipp Lahm's defensive organization)
The defender with the greatest tactical understanding in modern football.
No, out of all positions, he could be called the very best in that area.
Tactical understanding.
Out of all the talents Ho-young could covet from Germany's players in this match, it was the one he needed most.
'If I combine it with Johan Cruyff's talent, I could develop it into a whole new level.'
Johan Cruyff's L-grade talent was also related to tactical understanding, but because it had the difficult condition of 'Develop an original tactic and reach the World Cup final,' he still could not covet it.
So before that, he had to covet Lahm's talent first.
'Neutralize his defensive organization...'
A difficult condition, fitting for such a rare talent.
To break down Lahm's defensive organization, one of his greatest strengths, he first had to solve the problem right in front of him.
[Spain are struggling badly against Germany's physical duels.]
[Powerful physical play is one of Germany's strengths as well. If there is one thing Spain need to solve first, it would probably be that.]
The golden generation completed by the emergence of Thomas Müller, Mesut Özil, and Toni Kroos.
That, combined with Germany's trademark physicality, was what Germany were now.
If Iniesta and David Silva had not been so good at escaping pressure, Spain would not have been able to put together a proper attack at all.
Everything was unfolding exactly as Joachim Löw had wanted.
'Slowly, and patiently.'
If you get impatient, you get punished.
That was what manager Löw was thinking as he watched the match with his arms folded.
It was his outstanding tactical understanding that had created the Germany of today.
Using Bayern Munich's style as the base, he emphasized sacrifice over individual brilliance.
Rather than having one player excel, he instructed every player to stay faithful only to the role they had been given.
That was also why Germany's players did not hold onto the ball for long and kept it moving constantly.
This final.
The dominant opinion had been that the result was already as good as decided, but Joachim Löw believed in himself.
After all, he was famous as the nemesis of outstanding players like Messi and Ronaldo.
Right then.
Scratch.
He scratched his backside and suddenly started sniffing.
A habit that came out whenever he became serious.
It meant the match was becoming that important.
The tempo of the game began to rise little by little from that moment on.
"Mesut, drop a little deeper! We go up together!"
"I'm going!"
Germany moved in a systematic way, like interlocking gears turning, and then gradually began to reveal the claws they had kept hidden until now.
[Germany's careful play is growing more and more aggressive.]
[Yes, now we are finally seeing Löw's true colors. What the fans had really been expecting was the explosiveness Germany had shown throughout this tournament.]
Löw's real weapon was just about to come out.
It looked as if the frustration that had made the match feel so clogged up was about to clear completely.
But.
'Too late already.'
Ho-young, who had caught the shift in momentum in real time, quickened his steps.
The calculations had been finished long ago.
Now it was time to show it through action.
Germany's late adjustment had instead allowed Ho-young to find the breakthrough.
'They would have been better off going all out from the start.'
Joachim Löw.
A manager who showed a gambler's spirit in the group stage and quarter-finals, but tended to become passive once he reached the higher stages.
And Ho-young knew that all too well.
'That's Löw's chronic weakness.'
Ho-young moved busily as he widened his view.
With astonishing judgment and anticipation, he read the flow of the game, grasped the opponents' positions, and pierced through the essence of their tactics.
'Özil is dropping to reinforce midfield, then they're planning to patiently open attacking routes on both flanks and create chances for Thomas Müller.'
From analyzing Germany's recent matches before kickoff, he had already found that they scored most often through low crosses.
That was also what manager del Bosque had instructed the defenders to prioritize above all else.
So just before Germany could break through on the flank, Ho-young stepped in first and applied even more aggressive pressing from the front than before.
His intention was to wreck the opponent's plan and at the same time seize the momentum for Spain.
And then it happened.
[Ho-young charges at Jérôme Boateng!]
As Jérôme Boateng pushed up on the overlap, Ho-young ran over and cut off his path.
A giant standing 192 centimeters tall and over 90 kilograms.
Since right back Jérôme Boateng had once played for Manchester City, Ho-young already knew his defensive style well.
Though Ho-young was at a disadvantage physically, stopping him was easy enough.
In the end, it was Boateng who blinked first.
[Jérôme Boateng takes a step back. He sends the ball backward.]
It was a good decision.
Everyone knew how excellent Ho-young was at tackling.
But that decision soon brought about a disastrous result.
Once Iniesta, one of Spain's key players, came alive, left back Jordi Alba was able to stay true to his role.
And that created a butterfly effect, giving the team a positive lift.
That was when Spain started to emerge from Germany's shadow.
[Ho-young applies fierce pressure once again.]
[Ah, Germany's back line is being shaken badly. And no wonder, because the plan they prepared has completely fallen apart. The players are clearly panicking!]
"Stay focused! If we lose it once, it's over!!"
Philipp Lahm shouted at the top of his lungs, but the defensive line, once shaken, could no longer settle down.
That was the weakness Ho-young had been targeting in Germany.
Every player had to perform perfectly.
But if even one area opened up, the organization collapsed, and the team soon lost its essence and crumbled.
[At this rate, Philipp Lahm's defensive organization cannot function with proper efficiency.]
[That's right. It would be different if the players could cover each other's gaps, but Germany's players have already crossed the point of no return. This is the result of focusing too much on their own roles in normal times.]
People say there is no such thing as a perfect tactic.
That was being laid bare right now in Germany's half.
Spain's goal came from there.
Clang!
[Goooooal! Spain take the opener!]
[Brilliant, it was a fantastic curling shot from David Silva!]
The assist provider was Ho-young.
It was a goal scored by exploiting the flaw in the opponent's tactics without expending much energy.
"Damn..."
"How can it be this simple?"
Neuer and Philipp Lahm let out quiet sighs.
Because the move to score had been so natural.
[Isn't there a saying in football? Lionel Messi creates situations where a goal is inevitable, and Cristiano Ronaldo scores in situations where a goal should be impossible. But there is a player who does both.]
[That player is Ho-young.]
[That's right. Even if he switched to management after his playing career ends, it feels like he could still leave a huge mark on football history.]
1-0.
That was the score as the first half neared its end.
Germany had poured every ounce of strength they had into producing even that much, and if they had not, they might well have conceded at least two.
From their point of view, it was no different from having already given up on the second half.
The midfielders and defenders in particular were seriously exhausted.
So Ho-young made up his mind.
'Let it all out.'
This was the last moment of the tournament anyway.
The remaining 45 minutes.
He resolved to make this final a historic match.
He cast off all pressure.
Because the balance of the match had already tilted beyond recovery.
So Ho-young, intending to burn everything he had left, walked up to Sergio Ramos and said,
"Look forward to it."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"In 45 minutes, the word hyung is going to come out of your mouth on its own."
Ho-young showed a brighter smile than ever before.
Now it was time to enjoy football.
(To be continued.)