August 16, 18:00.
Beijing Workers' Stadium.
All 60,000 seats were sold out the day before the match.
Fitting for a city with a large Korean population, about 10,000 Korean fans had turned up. The remaining 40,000 seats were expected to be filled mostly by Chinese fans, with the last 10,000 reserved for Chinese public security officers.
They were there for crowd control.
Even before kickoff, there was some minor tension outside the stadium between Korean and Chinese fans, which was immediately defused by the public security.
A century-old dream.
China had spent the past year preparing for the Beijing Olympics, deploying security officers across the city to maintain order.
The usually rowdy Chinese spectators didn't dare utter a word in front of the officers, quietly entering the stadium instead.
While some came to enjoy the match, many had one main reason for attending.
"Today for sure, I'm going to see Korea lose. This is already the fourth time I've come. It better be worth the money!"
Some Chinese fans desperately wanted to witness Korea's defeat with their own eyes.
But after Cameroon lost in the first round, and even Italy could only manage a draw, the scene they longed for never materialized.
With China eliminated from the group stage after 2 draws and 1 loss, these fans came today to vent their frustration.
Beeeep!
The match kicked off to the roar of 50,000 spectators.
Belgium, who had possession from the start, were known for combining sharp attacking play with solid defense.
Leading the attack was Mousa Dembélé, making waves in the Dutch league, and holding the backline was Vincent Kompany, who had shown promise with his solid defensive abilities.
Both were future stars, but at this stage, they had yet to fully realize their potential, playing at a level expected of players in their early 20s.
In ten years, beating Belgium might be a tall task. But today, they were beatable.
In fact, Korea's odds for this match weren't that low.
It was a match that could go either way.
That was especially true because Marouane Fellaini, the 194cm central midfielder, was out with an injury he picked up in the match against China. He couldn't play today.
That was a huge boost for Korea.
If there was a time to win, this was it.
[17 minutes into the first half, Belgium came out in a 4-2-3-1 formation, but they're already making changes.]
[Since the start, nothing has gone their way. They were expected to dominate aerial duels but only hold about a 6-to-4 edge. Their forward passes aren't reaching Mousa Dembélé effectively either. That's why they're trying something different now.]
Belgium had initially tried to unleash firepower through midfielders with strong long-range shooting, but it wasn't effective.
So, they shifted to a 4-2-4 formation.
But one change wasn't enough to solve everything.
Jan Vertonghen, tasked with controlling the midfield in Fellaini's absence, struggled throughout the match, unable to fulfill his role.
Likewise, Anthony Vanden Borre, who was supposed to shield the back four, ended up being dominated by a single Korean player.
Ho-young.
As cracks formed in their double pivot, the balance between offense and defense collapsed.
It rippled through the team, with Dembélé wandering the pitch like a lost child, failing to pose any real threat.
There were many causes, but the biggest problems were the unfamiliar tactics and the lack of cohesion among the players.
Disharmony.
That's what was haunting Belgium.
As for Korea...
[You can clearly see how much slower our players are compared to the Italy match. The same problems that experts pointed out in the Honduras game are showing up again. We need to stay focused and take more care with every pass.]
[Exactly. Our players just need to push themselves a little more!]
Korea's performance wasn't great either.
They had poured too much into the Italy match.
If they gave 130% then, they could only manage about 70% now.
In defense, they made unnecessary passes. In midfield, their movement was sluggish.
Ho-young, deployed up top to conserve energy, dropped back to help distribute the ball, but his teammates couldn't keep up.
Even when he created chances on his own with solo runs, Belgium's defenders stuck to him like glue, preventing any goals.
'My body feels heavy.'
Ho-young understood his condition clearly.
"Hoo."
Still, all he could do was give his best until the final whistle.
Beeep!
[The first half ends with Korea and Belgium tied 0-0.]
[Yes, they fought well. Possession was similar. Korea had slightly fewer shots, but still, this isn't bad. What's disappointing is the lack of fighting spirit. To show your full potential in a match like this, you need to be ready to die out there.]
At that moment, inside Korea's locker room.
The players looked visibly exhausted.
But the atmosphere was still positive.
The match was far from over, and with just a little more effort, they could push through.
Ki Sung-yueng approached Ho-young.
"Relax."
"Ah, yes."
"If guys like that show up again, I'll take care of them."
Fear.
Ki Sung-yueng assumed that was what Ho-young was worried about.
He was half right.
It wasn't to the point that it hindered Ho-young's play, but it was true his performance had been affected.
That was just part of his personality.
In a crisis, he stayed calm and handled things well. But after the fact, his heart would race and the memories would linger.
'Focus.'
Ho-young shook his head.
There was too much on his mind.
He emptied it all and filled his thoughts with just one thing — the belief that he could win.
'One step at a time, let's start over.'
He also had to shake off the pressure of playing in a quarter-final.
Beeep!
After the 15-minute halftime, the second half began.
Korea made no major changes, but Belgium significantly altered their lineup and tactical approach.
They pulled their defense back to reinforce the midfield and structured their attack more carefully to deceive Korea's defenders.
The tactics ordered by coach Jean-François were working.
They weren't rushing. Instead, they added subtle movement to create decisive chances.
It was a big improvement over the first half.
The crowd, who had been complaining about the low level of play, began to get into it as the match finally became watchable.
The match picked up speed, turning into a fast-paced affair.
Winning mentality.
You could see it from the Belgian players.
But Korea didn't back down either.
"Dae-Han-Min-Guk!"
The Red Devils.
Their thunderous support heated up the stadium.
Back-and-forth action continued until the clock hit 90 minutes.
[The second half ends scoreless. We're going into extra time.]
[We're almost there. Just a bit more, and we can do it.]
30 minutes.
It was going to be hell.
Belgium had used all their substitutions, while Korea, under coach Park Sung-ho, had one left.
He subbed in Kim Jong-kook for Park Ju-young and pushed Ho-young up as the lone striker.
The plan was to hold the line and wait for a single counter-attacking chance.
They had practiced this system several times since arriving in China.
That chance might not even come.
But it did.
12 minutes into the first half of extra time.
Thud!
[A pass into space for Mousa Dembélé! Dembélé is matched up with Gi Dong-jin! What will he do...]
[Ah! He's beaten him! Gi Dong-jin allows Dembélé to break through on the wing! A cross into the middle!]
Tap.
An attempted header from attacking midfielder Martens, but it went straight to the goalkeeper.
[Saved by Jung Sung-ryong!]
Aaaahhhhhh!
The crowd groaned, but it wasn't over yet.
Jung Sung-ryong gathered the ball and launched it forward with a powerful kick.
It flew over the midfield line and dropped at the feet of Ki Sung-yueng.
"Run!"
Boom!
Ki Sung-yueng launched a long pass deep into the opponent's half.
A counterattack.
Belgium's backline was wide open.
Their defenders scrambled back, but stopping this counter completely was impossible.
It was Korea's golden opportunity.
"Here!"
Smack!
Lee Geun-ho, receiving the ball on the left wing, looked at Kim Jong-kook.
Kim Jong-kook then glanced at Ho-young.
And at that moment.
Near the edge of the penalty area.
A ground pass was played to Ho-young's feet.
Slide.
As Ho-young took possession, Vincent Kompany stepped up to mark him.
Their eyes met.
Tension.
It was clear in both their gazes.
But Ho-young was the first to regain composure.
At this moment, he focused solely on winning, blocking out all other thoughts.
Kompany, still just a prospect, wasn't at the level to stop him.
In a one-on-one, Ho-young was confident he could get past him.
He steeled himself.
But then.
'Right side.'
Ho-young's vision widened, and his gaze shifted.
A more effective route appeared.
He reached out and nudged the ball.
Tap.
[A forward pass from Ho-young to the right! It just barely reaches Lee Chung-yong! Lee Chung-yong looks back to Ho-young! And here comes the return pass!]
Smack.
Breakthrough successful.
Using a one-two with Lee Chung-yong, Ho-young escaped Kompany's shadow and immediately prepared to shoot.
Goalkeeper Logan Bailly rushed out.
He wasn't an easy opponent.
He remained focused until the end and read the situation well.
But Ho-young's anticipation was sharper.
He feinted a shot toward the right post.
Seeing this, Bailly instinctively leaned to his left.
But then.
[Ho-young with a shot feint! He fakes a shot and cuts left! The goal is wide open! Shot, shot, shoooooot!]
After fooling even the goalkeeper, the ball rocketed off his foot.
It flew like a bullet and slammed into the net.
It was Korea's opening goal, struck from Ho-young's boot.
[Gooooooaaaal! A goal that feels like rain in a drought! Ho-young!]
[His third goal of the Olympics! A late, dramatic goal! We knew he'd do it!]
The stadium erupted in chants for Korea from the Red Devils.
When extra time ended and the final whistle blew, most of the crowd left the stadium in frustration and disbelief.
Beeep!
[Korea advances to the semifinals! They've achieved the dream of reaching the Olympic football semifinals!]
[We're proud of you, boys!]
It was Korea's first ever Olympic semifinal appearance.
At that very moment, in another quarterfinal match in Shenyang, Brazil demolished Italy with a 4-0 victory and secured their place in the semifinals.
But the night of football wasn't over.
An hour later, the third and fourth quarterfinal matches kicked off simultaneously in Qinhuangdao — and both were blockbusters.
First, Ivory Coast versus the Netherlands.
It was a thriller, ending in a 3-2 win for the Dutch, sending them into the semifinals.
And finally, Argentina, who finished second in Group A, took on Nigeria, the group winners.
The match went into extra time, and in the dying moments, Lionel Messi scored the decisive goal, giving Argentina a dramatic victory.
With that, Argentina became the final team to advance to the semifinals.
They would be Korea's next opponent.
(To be continued.)