The White Wolves received an invitation as a Special Guest to the Cornerstone Cup, marking the beginning of a series of unprecedented challenges. This invitation was granted solely due to the team’s unity. We express our deepest gratitude to the Cornerstone Cup organizers for this opportunity. Given the team’s recent performance, it’s clear we are in a golden generation. However, to become a truly strong team, we must maintain this level of performance and put in immense effort to achieve that goal.
The Cornerstone Cup took place on Saturday, April 20, at Hyupsung University’s K-Futsal Park, where we were placed in a group with six teams. This setup was somewhat disadvantageous compared to other teams, as only the top two teams from each group advanced to the finals. However, none of that mattered—our mindset was to remain unyielding and show only what we had prepared. We constantly remind ourselves: “No Failure, Just Process.”
Our first match was against BIS International School, whom we had previously defeated 6-1 in our inaugural season. We were determined not to back down, as our newly reinforced team was on a different level. Having tasted victory before, we feared no opponent. Within just five minutes, our continuous buildup play resulted in a goal from Howon’s precise shot, dampening the opponent’s confidence. This goal stemmed from a long-distance pass by center-back Chunghyeop to striker Minkyu, who scored instantly. Later, Brian Cho dazzled with his dribbling, netting a solo goal before we took a water break. However, our focus faltered, and we conceded a goal early in the second half. Frustrated by the dip in passing quality and concentration, Chunghyeop took matters into his own hands, scoring a decisive goal and securing a 4-1 victory.
Our second match was against SALT School, and it turned out to be a particularly disappointing game. Despite moments of individual brilliance, we lacked the final execution. After a cut-back cross from Eunjun led to a goal by Minkyu, we took the lead. However, just three minutes later, a cross header from SALT equalized the score. Their aggressive pressing made the game tough, and we ended with a draw. Still, with four points, we remained at the top of the group.
The third match was against CSIS, a team with whom we have a good relationship. CSIS wishes us well, and we also hope for their success. Unfortunately, the game did not start well for us; our players, exhausted from the demanding schedule, struggled to execute attacks and frequently gave the opponents opportunities. Despite our efforts, we failed to score, and a clearance attempt by Chunghyeop resulted in an own goal, leading to a 1-0 loss.
Regrettably, we finished third in the group and did not advance to the finals. However, we are proud of the remarkable growth our team has shown in such a short time. Although we didn’treachthefinals, wecherishtheexperienceandholdontothememorieswithsmiles. Once again: NoFailure, JustProcess!
By. Chunghyeop Lee