Korean Derby – Garcia Scores First, Then Chaos in the Second Half
The first half ended without any additional goals after Garcia’s strike. Chelsea had targeted our goal repeatedly through Captain Park Seo-joon’s direction, but my superb saves and the defensive line held firm, allowing the match to proceed without any serious incidents.
“Taewoo, no other tactics?”
As we headed toward the locker room, Guerrero approached with a shoulder pat and opened the conversation.
“Hey, don’t you have any conscience?”
“What?”
“Because of you I watched a volleyball video… ugh, never mind. Would you even understand if I explained it to you?”
*Looks like his conscience has been eaten with rice.*
He really thinks there are only a handful of tactics where you just kick the ball and score?
With that thought, we entered the locker room and Manager Peter Guardian greeted us with a bright smile.
“How did you come up with such a brilliant tactic without me knowing?”
*Oh right. We were just saying we’d try that later and hadn’t mentioned it to the manager yet…*
*Oh no, big trouble.*
Sanchez and Guerrero, who had been the masterminds behind the tactic, stared at me while sweating bullets.
They looked like they were the culprits of this crime.
*Damn it, stop staring at me…*
* * *
“The opponent is constantly shooting from mid-range. This must be a plan to pull down our defensive line.”
I had expected to be warned about it, but fortunately the manager didn’t say a word and instead began giving tactical instructions.
*Whew… I made it.*
I shot them a warning with my lips while giving Sanchez and Guerrero the side-eye with an angry expression—the same ones who had pointed at me as the culprit with just their eyes earlier.
“See you later.”
“Even if we’re currently sitting at the top of the Premier League, we can’t assume we’ll maintain that position until the season ends.”
I knew exactly what the manager was worried about.
We had come a long way from a team that was always fearing last season’s defeat to one that had lost that fear.
But in the process of that growth, complacency was the poison that could instantly collapse everything.
Especially since our squad boasted the youngest starting lineup in the Premier League, the manager’s concerns were only deepening.
No one knew when this sweet winning streak would finally end.
But at least we had to make sure we didn’t collapse on our own.
“Okay, everyone stay focused. Let’s prepare for the second half. There’s still a lot more we can show the world.”
With those final words from the manager, the second half began.
The second half was just as fierce. Manchester City and Chelsea traded attacks and defenses without a single moment of breathing room, turning the pitch into an even hotter furnace.
[Manchester City’s pass intercepted by Park Seo-joon! He threads a pass to the side and sprints forward! Has this player always been this fast?]
The first move had belonged to Chelsea.
Fueled by home-fan cheers, Captain Park Seo-joon intercepted our pass with lightning speed and launched an instant counterattack.
[Wow! Spectacular! The 2-1 pass that dismantled City’s defense in the blink of an eye!]
For a moment I had forgotten that Captain Park Seo-joon’s favorite weapon was mid-range shots.
But the instant counterattack had reminded me why Park Seo-joon was the first name that popped into my head whenever I thought of him.
And just as I forgot it for a split second, he struck like a hammer.
[Park Seo-joon, shot again? No! Tap it back! As expected from Park Seo-joon! The pass slices through the ground!]
[Pass received by Haust! Only Jung Taewoo stands in front! Can Haust beat the wall that is Jung Taewoo and score?]
[Haust’s shot… no, cross! When did Park Seo-joon get there so fast?]
[Park Seo-joon! GOOOOOAL INTO THE EMPTY NET!!! GOAL! Park Seo-joon scores past iron-wall Jung Taewoo and levels the score!]
[Who said this player isn’t captain material? In my opinion, he’s shining brighter than anyone else right now—true captain material!]
In the 18th minute of the second half, after receiving Park Seo-joon’s pass, Havertz faked a shot then curled a cross. Park Seo-joon, who had already sprinted all the way into the penalty box, buried the ball into the empty net to level the match.
“Sorry, my mistake. I shouldn’t have let it slip.”
The moment he missed the ball, Manchester City captain Mathias raised his hands in apology to his teammates.
No one had anything to complain about regarding the captain’s apology.
Everyone simply comforted him with the universal “it’s okay” gesture.
“You still have plenty of time left—stay calm and don’t lose your pace!”
From the bench, Manager Peter Guardian’s voice boomed as he encouraged the players.
Exactly as he had said.
The score was tied 1-1, but the second half still had most of its time remaining.
[The match resumes with Manchester City’s kick-off.]
There was one player everyone had forgotten.
Sanchez.
He had many shortcomings.
He was short, and his physical attributes weren’t the best.
A player lacking the key talents scouts look for in strikers.
Yet he possessed an exceptional vision, pinpoint passing, and the ability to control the team’s tempo despite his young age.
He destroyed opposing defenders through intelligent play that compensated for his lack of physical presence.
That was why he was the key player in Manchester City’s current Tiki-Taka system.
Not the flashy protagonist, but the precise cog in the machine.
Like Xabi Alonso in Barcelona’s golden era—less showy, yet the heart that moved the entire team.
[At the left flank, Sanchez takes the ball!]
[Eh? No pass? Sanchez takes the ball himself and dribbles forward.]
[Oh ho… you see it? That movement of Sanchez’s. It looks like he missed the timing for a pass, but actually he’s deliberately dragging the ball. It’s a clever little feint as if he’s saying to the Chelsea defenders, ‘You still not coming?’ or ‘Then I’ll advance more.’]
[Classic intelligent Sanchez play. Drawing the opponent in while pretending to make a mistake… Will the Chelsea defenders fall for this trap?]
Two defenders had no choice but to come over and mark Sanchez.
He kicked the ball long without a moment’s hesitation, as if he had been waiting for exactly this moment.
[Sanchez’s cross! The pass flies over the heads of the defenders! Oh! Look at Guerrero exploding with speed!]
[Shot! Ah… Kepas’s spectacular save! It leads to a corner for Manchester City!]
[Kepas’s super save was as if he was declaring, ‘If there’s Taewoo in Man City, then I’m the man for Chelsea!’ He’s proving today that he’s one of the world’s best goalkeepers too!]
The perfect arc Sanchez’s corner kick drew.
At that exact moment, Mathias leapt into the air.
As if shaking off all the self-reproach he had felt when he let Park Seo-joon score earlier, his jump carried pure determination.
Mathias’s forehead connected hard with the ball, and the ball brushed Kepas’s fingertips and rattled the net.
Amid the deafening roar of the stadium, Mathias clenched his fist.
[Sanchez’s kick! The man Manchester City fans adore most, Mathias, shows explosive jumping power! OOOOH! Mathias shoots up like a rocket! Perfect timing header… GOAL!!!!]
[2-1! Mathias did it! The player who let Park Seo-joon score earlier because of his mistake earlier now becomes the hero of the winning goal that leads the team to victory!]
[And Sanchez’s corner kick that started this goal was also perfect. The defenders couldn’t stop the cleverly placed ball in the perfect height for Mathias’s header… This is exactly the power of Manchester City!]
[This team is no longer just a mid-table side. Even though it’s only the first half, they are already champions standing tall at the top of the Premier League!]
* * *
[Jung Taewoo vs Park Seo-joon, the winner of the Korean Derby is Manchester City… New history written in 90 minutes.]
[Everyone shone… Park Seo-joon’s spectacular goal in defeat, Taewoo’s ever-unwavering save show.]
- The future of Korean football is bright!
- Park Seo-joon is still young and rising, and Taewoo is just starting. Plus, Yoo Hee-sung and Lee Tae-yang are heading to Europe soon—aren’t they going to win the World Cup?
- I wish they would stop hyping it, but I can’t help but get excited… Our country’s chronic defensive instability—does one Taewoo really solve everything? Am I weird?
[Park Seo-joon, Jung Taewoo is a player who has created a new paradigm for the goalkeeper position.
“Taewoo is a player who has established a new paradigm for the goalkeeper position. He has truly amazing talent and knows how to use it perfectly. But somewhere he’s a little crazy… and that madness turns into real soccer ability—that’s incredibly impressive.”]
- lol lol lol lol lol Park Seo-joon’s pack-blow was proper
- Madness lol lol lol lol lol This is literally the perfect word to describe Taewoo
- Breaking the TV while fighting Tae-yang for the remote during the Olympics is legendary lol lol lol
- I was really shocked when I saw him spiking the ball during the corner-kick situation earlier. Real? But it was hilarious that he succeeded lol lol lol
- Real lol lol Talent + madness combo is insane…
[Madness for Taewoo? Nah, he’s just working really hard.
“Madness you say? I’m just an ordinary kid who wants to play soccer well. I’m actually normal! Was that spike pass planned for today? {laughs}
Of course. I’ve watched hundreds of hours of volleyball highlight videos just to do that one thing.”]
- ?? Where does a soccer player who plans to spike during a match get to watch 100 hours of volleyball highlights lol lol lol
- Isn’t this madness if it isn’t? lol lol lol lol
- “I’m normal but I watch 100 hours of volleyball highlights as a soccer player.”