[Ha Jeongwook]

"Not bad, guys. But that's not enough. Duckyoung suck, so you should've scored at least four goals." Coach Yeo's rooftop high expectations reflect in his harsh reprimand to the squad. For the first time in a while, while not fond of his brash demeanor, I agree with him.

When he leaves the dressing room, I gather my teammates around me and warn them, "We must keep our focus on. Let's not forget some of their best assets are on the bench, ready to sub someone later on." The team nods. The atmosphere, which was joyous until the end of the first half, has slowly turned grave.

Seongjae breaks the silence. "Do you think he'll sub someone straight away or trust the starting eleven for the first part of the second half, too?"

Jeong Kyeongjun, the goalkeeper, shakes his head. "Honestly, I don't know. Coach is so unpredictable."

I point out, "We need to start scoring a third goal as soon as the second half starts and put further pressure on them. We also must make sure our defense system is impeccable, or they'll have a comeback." I try to be realistic without dragging the rest of the squad into pessimism, which the others appreciate.

"I wonder why Coach hasn't considered appointing you as at least a vice captain yet."

"Don't count on it just yet, Kyeongjun. I have a lot of work to do to win over Coach." I shake my head, trying not to let his constant previous criticism get over my head. I need to be focused. There's no room for missteps. Before any of my other teammates can rebut my thoughts, we're all called for the second half.

***

As expected, Duckyoung has made a few substitutions, throwing Saehyeon in the mix. They count on him to try and get back on their feet. I advise. "Let's double down on marking him. He's a tough one to deal with."

Seongjae agrees with me. "You're damn right, Jeongwook. I trust Coach's game plan, what about you?"

"Same."

Coach Yeo has decided not to sub any of us, expecting us to raise the bar in the next forty-five minutes. I can't disappoint him. I can't disappoint the squad. I can't let the audience down. My parents and sister are also at the bleachers, cheering for us.

The second half starts the way we finished the first: high pressing and an aggressive attacking style. This choice rewards us for the first fifteen minutes, until Coach has to sub Hoin due to physical issues. Hyeonjun follows just two minutes after.

Lim Yeongyu and Kal Sihwan take their place. I can feel Coach's lack of faith in them. Those two barely have any playing time—for example, the last time Sihwan was on pitch for more than five minutes was eight months ago. That's an eternity. What if he makes mistakes due to poor form?

It's unfair to blame just a few elements of the team over a potential loss, though. We must stay focused and prove our worth on the pitch. We're here to win, not to wallow over who's useful for the squad and who isn't. All I know is that the momentum has switched to Duckyoung's side, which is bad for us.

In particular, Saehyeon doesn't want to relent on ball possession. The accuracy of Duckyoung's passes has vastly improved since he entered the pitch. I'll do anything in my power to contrast his and the other midfielders' initiatives. Still, Saehyeon already has a missed shot in the bag. This is a sign—we're in for a long half hour.

Time for another substitution on Duckyoung's side. Lee Baram replaces Lee Byeonggi, who's dealing with cramps. This is the turning point for our rivals, more than Saehyeon entering the pitch. In fact, Baram serves an assist for Duckyoung's first goal. 1-2.

I hear Kyeongjun yell at the defenders. "Let's stay focused! It's not over yet!" He's right. Coach won't forgive us for conceding a goal. If we don't pay attention, we might squander the large advantage we gained in the first half.

Meanwhile, our streak of "bad luck" continues as Yeongyu is forced to leave the pitch, too. He, in turn, replaced Hoin. Coach Yeo, of course, is extremely nervous, to the point that he barks at the bench. "You, go in! Now!" He's talking to Kim Gyuwoong, a midfielder, while Yeongyu is a lateral back.

A change of system is on the way. Because of it, Heo Jigeon and Mok Donggyu have now to change positions: the former as the right back and the latter switches from left to center back. What a mess. This will hurt rather than help us.

While Donggyu has no troubles adapting in the new position, the same can't be said about Jigeon. He isn't a defender and it shows. Duckyoung's strikers have an easier time to elude his marking. However, he doesn't make glaring mistakes.

One, instead, comes from Sihwan, whose foul causes a penalty for Duckyoung. He profusely apologizes for it, but most of our other teammates ignore him. They're too focused on protecting the goal post. Meanwhile, the other team is debating who should kick the penalty.

Anyway, it ends up not being too relevant as Kyeongjun successfully blocks it. The possession swings back to us and we restart attacking. I also have a chance for a personal shot, but Duckyoung's goalkeeper is alert and this becomes a miss for me.

After another missed shot, this time by Gyuwoong, Duckyoung equalize the score with an amazing overhead kick, for which Kyeongjun can't do much. 2-2. Frustration mounts among my teammates as now we're back to square one.

"Let's not give up!" I shout in an attempt to energize them, but they don't catch the signal. Meanwhile, Coach subs our captain, Eom Jinseok, who's visibly tired. Since the vicecaptain is unavailable due to a ban, it's up to Coach to decide who gets to wear the captain's band for the last minutes.

In a surprising move, Jinseok hands it to me. He doesn't give me an explanation. He just passes it and leaves the pitch to make room for his replacement. This must be one of Coach's moves to turn me into a core player in the team, or just to get under my skin.

Anyway, I must keep my cool, weather the storm and lead the team back to victory. Meanwhile, Duckyoung carries out their last two subs. They have no more slots to use, while we have one more. I don't know if and when Coach will take advantage to it.

Time passes inevitably, and it's clear we have to give our all to win and possibly more. Duckyoung, on the other hand, are stoked after their comeback and also sense the possibility of a victory that would be stunning on their side.

Seongjae scores, but his shot is invalidated because of an offside. I try to encourage him. "Don't lose focus, you can score again." He gives me a thumbs up, but it's clear he isn't at his best anymore. Ninety minutes have passed. Now, only the overtime is left.

Neither side wants to make do with a draw, so each has another great chance to put their side back on the lead. The true turning point, anyway, comes at the very last minute of overtime. I regain ball possession with a clean tackle; however, it swings to Saehyeon because I slip.

I try to stand up and get back what's mine even though cramps are getting the best of me. Unfortunately, it's too late. He brilliantly dribbles the central backs and throws a missile at the goal post, leaving Kyeongjun petrified. That's when the referee blows the whistle thrice. Game over. 3-2 for Duckyoung.

I mutter in disbelief. "Fuck me!" Several teammates of mine throw disapproving glares at me and some shake their heads. When we make our way back to the lockers, Coach yells at me. "You ruined everything, Ha! Consider yourself lucky if you get playing time the next game!"

He leaves without leaving me room to apologize for my mistake or fight back. My teammates, too disappointed for the loss to defend me, also take their way out of her. However, someone stays for me. Saehyeon.

I congratulate him for the victory. "What a comeback! You all did great. I mean, your own goal was... incredible. I, on the other hand, looked like a fool-"

He cuts me off as a way to let me regain my composure. "No, you didn't look like a fool, Jeongwook. You held your own fairly well. Don't beat yourself down. You'll bounce back. Trust me." We shake hands, promising to each other neither will give up, before he reunites with his own teammates.