Chapter 741: George’s Maiden Appearance

Till this very day, George Wood still vividly remembers the words his mother told him when he was first chosen to be a member of the England national team that was going to compete in the World Cup.

It feels like he had only just heard those words yesterday, but in truth, four years had already gone by since then.

Four years ago, he could only watch as others competed on the pitch. He sat on the bench for 5 matches, and did not even get a single minute of game time.

Four years later, he is well aware of the fact that there are many media outlets that have expressed their desire to see him start in the World Cup matches.

Wood was once a player whom the previous manager did not think highly of, but ever since Capello took over, he has managed to earn the favor of the tough Italian manager through his professionalism and willingness to work hard without complaints.

England’s midfield defense would become significantly better whenever Wood plays on the pitch. The opponents would only run into an iron plate if they tried to go down the middle.

What Capello has to consider now was not whether or not Wood should play, but rather who Wood should play with.

George Wood might have improved his chances of becoming a regular starting player for the England national team, but he certainly did not improve his relations.h.i.+p with his team mates due to his reticent personality.

He was like a drop of oil in a gla.s.s of water.

There were not many people in the England national team whom he could have a chat with besides Leighton Baines and Aaron Lennon, who were both from Nottingham Forest just like him.

Just like Capello, he always puts on a long face, which makes it hard for others to approach him.

During the last few days of training for the World Cup in South Africa, Wood could not think of what else to do other than to train. Everyone else besides him had all gone out together to do shopping.

Their entire shopping trip had been zealously photographed by the paparazzi who were constantly on their trail. However, you would never find a shot of George Wood in any of those photographs.

That was because he would rather make an overseas call to chat with his mother.

Some of his team mates secretly gave him the nickname ‘Mama’s Boy’. His nickname certainly contrasted his tough personality on the pitch.

The George Wood off the pitch was definitely not someone who captured the interest of others, and neither was he someone who would get on the news. Every single time his name is mentioned in the media, it would only have something to do with tactics or the match. He is never involved in any gossips.

He would make an appearance during training and practice matches, but besides those, it was as if he had vanished from the eyes of the public.

However, those days where Wood went unnoticed would not continue for much longer, because the World Cup was about to commence, and when it does, it would be the time for George Wood to s.h.i.+ne on the stage.

※※※

The opening match for the World Cup was between the host South Africa and Uruguay. There were not a lot of well-known football stars playing in the match. South Africa held the home advantage, whereas Uruguay was slightly stronger in terms of abilities as compared to South Africa. In the end, both teams were evenly matched, and the game finished with a score of 1:1.

The match could be considered to be an exciting one, but there were no specific scenes that lingered in the spectators’ memories.

It might be the opening match, but to the British fans, it was not a match that they particularly cared about.

Everyone was waiting for the D group match between England and Costa Rica.

England, being a Pot 2 team, got very lucky during the allocation of groups, and was put in the same group as Costa Rica from North America, Korea from Asia, and Brazil from South America.

Brazil was a strong team, but as for the other two teams in the group…

The media from all over the world believed that it would be Brazil and England who were going to progress onto the next stage. They did not think that either Costa Rica or Korea would pose a threat to those two teams.

The Koreans and the Korean media were still living in the 2002 dream where they managed to make their way to the semifinals of the World Cup. They began fantasizing about the numerous ways they would be able to make their way into the knockout stages.

One of the ways was that they would draw with Brazil, marginally win over England and completely triumph over Costa Rica.

Another way was to lose to Brazil and draw with England. They would then progress onto the next stage by scoring numerous goals in the match against Costa Rica and beat England to second place on goal difference.

They could also win against Brazil, England and Costa Rica, and progress onto the next stage by winning in all three of the group stage matches.

However, no one else besides the Koreans believed that Korea would be able to make their way onto the next stage of the World Cup.

The day before the match against Costa Rica, news about England’s starting line-up were already widely reported.

During his pre-match show, Tony Twain talked about his predicted line-up for England for tomorrow’s match. George Wood was the player he believed would start as a midfielder for the England national team.

Everyone believed that George Wood will make his maiden appearance in the World Cup tomorrow.

However…

Wood was informed that he was not in the starting line-up for tomorrow’s match at lunchtime.

Capello, the manager who ruled with an iron fist, did not explain the details of his decision to Wood. All he told him was that he was going to start Lampard and Gerrard in the midfield due to tactical needs.

After he made his announcement, Capello specially looked at Wood. He realized that the lad remained emotionless and simply nodded his head to acknowledge his decision. It was only then that he was able to leave feeling relieved.

Capello was more detailed in his explanation to the media than to Wood. He told them that Costa Rica was not a particularly strong team, hence he needed a team that could score more goals against such a team. Wood was a player that does not contribute much to the offense. There was no need for him to waste a spot in the team just to bolster the team’s defense, when that same spot could be used to boost the team’s offense. Hence, the decision was to let Wood rest for the upcoming match.

His explanation made sense, but that still did not stop Wood’s supporters from being disappointed that they were not going to see him wear the England’s national jersey in his maiden appearance for the World Cup the next day.

The England national team without George Wood was pressurized by Costa Rica in the starting 20 minutes of the match that took place the next day, but beyond that, England was generally able to control the flow of the match, and they did not give Costa Rica any other opportunities to score a goal.

As per Capello’s wishes, England was able to clinch a 3:1 victory over the Pot 4 team.

Lampard, who took over George Wood’s position in the match, scored one goal and provided one a.s.sist, and he was named man of the match.

Twain was slightly concerned at the fact that Lampard had been named man of the match. There was not a single manager who would drop his best player in the next match. Moreover, the next match was against Korea, who was not a strong side. Capello had even less reason to put Wood on the pitch.

Before the World Cup commenced, Twain had published an article writing about how George Wood would become one of the leading ‘actors’ on the World Cup stage.

Now, it seemed like Wood had merely become a ‘subst.i.tute player’.

Even if he featured in the match against Brazil, it would just give people the impression that he was a player that played only because England had already progressed onto the next stage of the World Cup, and they needed to rest their starting players and preserve their energy against Brazil.

During his commentary, Twain made some veiled criticisms of Capello’s decision to not play Wood. At the same time, he suddenly hoped that the Koreans would be able to create a little trouble for the England side and force the England team to make some changes…

※※※

Just as Twain expected, Lampard, who performed brilliantly in the previous match, continued to start in the match against Korea, while George Wood continued to sit on the bench.

The British were all looking forward to the match. They were all hoping to see Capello’s team triumph over Korea and make their way onto the next stage of the World Cup in advance with two wins under their belt.

However, Twain did not think it would be an easy match to win for England. “The Koreans have already lost to Brazil. This match is critical in deciding whether or not they have a chance to progress onto the next stage of the World Cup. I don’t think that this match will be as easy as some people might think. If anyone in the England side looks down on their opponents, then they might be in for a tough time, even if they are only up against the Koreans!”

Twain did not like the Koreans, but he still approves of their strong willpower. If the Koreans were to really go crazy during the game, and should the England team show arrogance and belittle their opponents, then there really was a possibility for England to meet with unexpected failure and potentially lose the game.

Twain had hit the nail on the head once again.

England met fierce resistance from the Korean side right from the outset of the match.

The strategy employed by the Korean team in the match was an ‘all-out offense and defense’. They utilized their outstanding stamina to run all over the pitch, and began s.n.a.t.c.hing the b.a.l.l.s from the England players’ feet during the first half of the match. Their actions forced England to commit more errors as a result of their frenzy. The number of unforced errors made by England kept going on the rise as the game progressed.

The England players were clearly unprepared to deal with the Koreans’ treacherous playing style. They went into a panic every time the Koreans s.n.a.t.c.hed the ball from them, and were unable to play at even half of their usual standard.

Lampard’s remarkable performance from the last match turned out to be a ‘disaster in disguise’. His outstanding performance had caused the Koreans to ‘take really good care of him’. It was normal for Lampard to find himself in situations where he is marked by two players. He would also get kicked at the ankle, get hit on the thigh or get his s.h.i.+rt pulled among many other gestures.

The referee would constantly blow on his whistle every time the Koreans did that, but his whistles did little to deter the crazy Koreans. What were fouls compared to the possibility of missing out on entering the next stage of the World Cup?

Lampard would fall to the ground time after time, and he would raise both his arms helplessly. His gesture almost looked like he was surrendering to the Koreans, but in actuality, he was protesting against them. However, it was useless for him to protest.

The Koreans were clever with the way they are committing the fouls. They rarely make fouls from behind, because those are offences that the referee will definitely give a card for. Sometimes, a red card might even be given in those situations.

Additionally, they also do not only let only one or two players commit fouls.

At halftime when all the commentators began to discuss about the match, John Motson angrily commented that the Koreans were too shameless.

Twain only smiled in response. He actually longed for the Koreans to be even more shameless than they are now…

Capello was definitely not a fool like Steve McClaren. The current situation was that Lampard had been so tightly marked by the Koreans that he had almost vanished from the game in the latter part of the first half and had no chance of scoring. He also made very little contribution to the team’s defense as well.

If Twain was Capello, he would definitely take Lampard off the pitch without hesitation and put George Wood onto the pitch. He would make use of Wood’s ability to fight and s.n.a.t.c.h the ball to help the England team regain control in the midfield.

Of course, Wood’s offensive abilities did not rival Lampard’s, but a team’s defense often changes its offense.

Putting four attacking players on the pitch would not lead to the team’s offensive abilities multiplying by four, and neither would it improve an originally bad offense.

The key to winning the match was to solidify the midfield defense and use an even tougher approach than your opponents to regain control of the midfield.

Twain expressed his views to the other commentators in the broadcast room. Everyone nodded their heads in approval.

Motson even joked that the Football a.s.sociation should get Twain to become the manager of the England national team once Capello’s time was up.

Twain grinned. “If they did, the officials at the Football a.s.sociation will suffer from a bad headache every day.”

※※※

The second half had barely started, but there were no changes at all to the situation on the pitch. The Koreans continued to stop England’s offense by running tirelessly around the pitch and committing fouls during their defense. At the same time, they were also waiting for an opportunity to launch a surprise attack against the England side.

The Koreans could accept a draw as a result for this game, because their final game was against Costa Rica, and they were confident of winning that match.

However, England could not settle for a draw, because their final match in the group stage was against the powerful Brazil. Capello’s plan was to win against both Costa Rica and Korea and then play half-heartedly against Brazil so as to preserve the team’s energy before they faced their opponent in the knockout stages.

The Koreans were trying their hardest to drag England down. They were going to draw with England, win against Costa Rica and then compete with England for the spot into the next stage based on goal difference. They were able to only let Brazil score two goals by going all out in their defense in the previous game.

Capello knew that he could not continue the match in this manner against the Koreans any longer. He waved his hand and decided to get Lampard off the pitch.

An individual who was standing by the side of the pitch removed his outer jacket and revealed his jersey within. It was England’s No. 13 player George Wood!

“Ohhh… It’s George Wood’s maiden appearance for the World Cup!” Motson looked at Twain with a smile.

Twain noticed Motson’s gaze on him. He shrugged and said, “I think this subst.i.tution was only done because things have reached a critical stage… England did not think that they will meet with such fierce retaliation from the Koreans. But I still believe in George’s abilities. He has always been entrusted with helping the team find a way to win during critical times in Nottingham Forest as well.”

As Twain said those words, Capello had pulled Wood over to him by the side of the pitch, and was relaying his intentions to the player who was about to make his way onto the pitch through his interpreter.

“I need you to help me reestablish order in the midfield and stop the Koreans’ momentum. Do you know what you need to do, George?”

Wood nodded his head. “Defend.”

Capello smiled. “That’s right, that’s what you need to do. We are losing the ball too much in the midfield and we’ve allowed the Koreans to go on the counterattack several times. Things will get risky if we keep letting them do that. I hope you can protect the midfield. If the Koreans s.n.a.t.c.h our ball then you go and s.n.a.t.c.h it back… Don’t be afraid of committing fouls. This referee does not blow the whistle often and also does not show a card easily as well. Let’s show the Koreans what we are made of!”

He pushed Wood onto the pitch.

※※※

“George Wood. Sotonian. Plays as the captain for Nottingham Forest. He has lifted the Champions League trophy twice, the EFL Cup trophy once, and the Premier League trophy once. He has almost earned all the glory that he should earn as a professional footballer. However, his record as a national player remains as blank as a piece of paper. He is not a player that gets utilized much because he only plays as a defensive midfielder. This is the first big match that he has played for his national team. Capello clearly has high hopes for Wood to be putting him on at such a time in the match. Let’s see what kind of changes he can bring to the current situation on the pitch.”

Motson introduced George Wood in great detail. He actually felt a little uncomfortable when doing the introduction. As a commentator for the Premier League, there was no need for him to introduce George Wood as though he were a newcomer. However, he needed to do that for Wood when he plays for the national team.

※※※

Wood ran onto the pitch and gestured for the team to s.h.i.+ft their positions forward.

He had clearly done that at Capello’s request. England needed to go forward and attack and they needed to score goals.

As for the midfield defense… They could just leave everything to Wood!

Manchester United’s star player, Park Ji-sung, had intended to cut into the penalty box after bringing the ball forward down the flank, but this time he met a powerful obstruction. He had kicked the ball forward a little too hard, and the ball got tackled away by George wood who had sprinted up front.

Gerrard lost the ball in the midfield?

No problem!

George Wood tackled the ball away while the opponent was still trying to readjust the ball on his feet.

The Koreans’ tenacity and their ability to run all over the pitch that they were so proud of had no effect against George Wood.

If they tried to be rough, George Wood was even rougher than them! Wood showed no mercy against the Koreans. He tackled the ball every time he was supposed to, and also fouled them every time he was supposed to. He did not hesitate in the slightest. He was just like a robot who had been programmed before the match, and he carried out all his orders that had been inputted into him.

Park Ji-sung was once again sent cras.h.i.+ng to the ground by George Wood. This time the referee finally blew his whistle to signal that George Wood had just committed a foul. However, he only issued Wood a warning. He did not show a card.

Wood’s actions caused unhappiness in the Korean players. They surrounded the referee and hoped that the African referee would show Wood a yellow card.

The Korean players’ actions angered the British fans at the stands. They started booing them.

Why don’t you ask for a yellow or red card from the referee when you are kicking our players?

Now that George is giving you a taste of your own medicine, what right do you lot have to be upset?

Well done, George!

Kick those Korean monkeys to their deaths!

In an instant, cheers directed at Wood burst out at the stands and began getting louder.

George Wood used his usual tough playing style and fierce expressions to intimidate the Korean players, and allowed the England team to regain their control on the pitch. The results were very conspicuous when the England team finally toughened up, and that was also when the gap in abilities between the two teams finally surfaced.

Only Park Ji-sung in the Korean side had the ability to battle it out with the England players, but sadly, he was already on the list of players that Wood was going to ‘take really good care of’.

Now, every single time Park got the ball, he has to run forward while avoiding Wood. He was fearful that he would get sent off the pitch by Wood. He had not seen Wood’s playing style before in the Premier League. If Capello had really sent Wood on the pitch to incapacitate him, then he might really be incapacitated by the end of the match…

The advantage that the Koreans gained over England by running all over the pitch slowly disappeared as their stamina depleted.

On the other hand, the England team relied on George Wood’s tenacity in the midfield to give themselves the upper hand in the game.

On the 77th minute of the match, Gerrard provided an a.s.sist for Darren Bent to score the only goal of the match. The England team was able to ensure their qualification into the next stage of the World Cup, and at the same time, they sent the Korean team packing.

The Koreans stood rooted at the stands. They could not believe the truth that had just unfolded before their eyes. They had intended to at least make their way to the top 8 teams of the compet.i.tion…

The Korean team has not been able to make their way past the group stages in the next two World Cups after they managed to attain considerable success in the 2002 World Cup.

To the Korean fans, they believe that they were unable to progress past the group stages in the World Cup in Germany due to how the Europeans ‘ganged up on them for revenge’. As for this World Cup in Africa, they could not progress further because ‘they had bad luck’ and was a.s.signed to the ‘group of death’ (what they themselves defined to be the ‘group of death’).

However, the whole world knew. The Koreans lost simply because they are not good enough, and that was their true standard of football. They might have a player who plays for a big football club like Manchester United, but it did not mean that their entire team was made up of players who could play for Manchester United. Park Ji-sung is not their savior, and modern football is not invented by the Koreans.

Their current standard of football can only ensure that they can make their way into every World Cup in the future. They might not even be as strong as their closest neighbor j.a.pan.

※※※

Twain was very happy. He was happy that the Korean side that he hated got eliminated from the World Cup in advance, and he was also happy that George Wood had put in a brilliant performance earlier.

“If I were to rate the England players’ performance for this match, I’d give Wood the highest score out of all of them. His appearance on the pitch was key in changing the game in England’s favor. Capello would also be praised by the British football fans for his decision to send Wood on the pitch for a long while. His decisive action of changing players led to a victory for his team, and also contributed to the formation of a brand new midfield for England!” Twain could not stop praising George Wood’s performance during his post-match commentary. He was not even scared that others would say he was being biased.

“I believe Capello has also found the best starting line-up to play in the games from here on out. Also, I’d like to remind him of something. Their next match is up against Brazil. There might be a few players on that team who needs to rest, but George Wood does not need to rest! It does not matter how many consecutive matches he needs to play. He does not need to rest. He is truly nuclear-powered, he does not tire ever! Please do not put him on the bench because you want him to rest for the game. He should be a starting player for the England team as long as he is not injured! If England can make their way to the finals then he can play in all the games including the finals. There’s no need for squad rotation and there’s also no need to get him off the pitch earlier. He’s a monster, but what the England team needs the most right now is a monster!”