Son Jinho Comes of Age
Adult Son Jinho. ***
After bombing SV Werder Bremen, Dortmund kept on winning without a single loss, steadily piling up points.
But... they were still in second place.
This was unavoidable.
You can't beat Mother Nature with human strength, right?
While Dortmund was stacking points without losing, the natural disaster known as Bayern Munich was doing the exact same thing.
A bizarre situation where Dortmund hadn't lost a single game, yet the points gap had widened instead.
"Ha. Those crazy Bayern bastards have no intention of losing."
Heavenly Demon Jurgen Klopp shook his head lightly at Bayern Munich's earth-shattering dominance and continued.
"Well... looks like we've got no choice but to go all-in on the Champions League."
I nodded at Jurgen Klopp's surprisingly calm voice.
This season, Jurgen Klopp and Dortmund's goal was the Champions League.
'Their first and last Champs win was the 96/97 season, right?'
Compared to back-to-back Bundesliga titles, Dortmund's sole Champions League triumph had come in the 96/97 season—a whopping 16 years ago. The fans' thirst for that trophy was immense.
A treble or double would be ideal, but if push came to shove, focusing on the Champions League like Jurgen said made sense. Their tactic sucked not just stamina but even your life force dry, so without prioritizing, they'd collapse in the second half of the season.
"So, Jinho. For the upcoming home game against Hamburg, I'm planning to give you a rest."
Jurgen Klopp said with a smile, handing me a bottle of water.
Hm. Sitting out against a sheep farmer like Heung-min felt a bit uneasy, but it was at home, so probably fine?
'Well... like Jurgen said, Champs comes first.'
I took the water from Jurgen Klopp and nodded.
"Wise manager."
February 10, 2013.
Excluded from the squad for the Champions League clash with Manchester United, I sighed at the score on the broadcast screen.
Dortmund 1 : 3 Hamburg
Dortmund got hit first by Son Heung-min right from kickoff and spent the whole match chasing the game.
The awakened sheep farmer Son Heung-min added another goal to seal the win.
Lewandowski pulled one back just before the end, but the game was already decided.
Soon after restart, the ref blew full time. Hamburg's players celebrated their victory.
This was the moment Dortmund, locked in a title fight with Bayern Munich, got tripped up by Hamburg.
Despite the heavy loss to Hamburg and their sheep farmer, Dortmund's team atmosphere wasn't as bad as expected.
Maybe the players felt relieved shedding the title race pressure?
The vibe was even softer and better than before the defeat.
Apparently, more players than thought were stressed by the fierce battle with Munich.
Some were grinding their teeth to beat Bayern, sure.
But not everyone can be the same. Anyway, two days before the Manchester United Champions League match.
"Jinho!" "Agh!" "Happy birthday, you punk!" "Thanks!" "Birthday party?" "Champs is too close for a party, gonna spend it with family."
I had finally become a legal adult.
"Gino! Congrats!" "Thanks!" "Gino! Happy birthday! And thanks for joining Dortmund!" "Thanks for always cheering at the games!"
After receiving countless birthday wishes from club staff and fans, I headed home in a great mood.
"Happy birthday! Happy birthday~ To our beloved Son Jinho! Happy birthday!"
I spotted Han Gyeowol practicing the birthday song.
The day after turning 18.
As pre-discussed, I signed a proper pro contract with Dortmund.
Three-year term, and they'd send me to Manchester for any offer over 800 billion won.
An astronomical 800 billion won transfer fee for an 18-year-old prospect.
But no one thought it excessive.
Dortmund's Michael Zorc and agent Mino Raiola expected it'd be easily surpassed after my World Best and Bundesliga Player of the Year awards at 17.
With Man U transfer prep complete, a problem arose.
Man U was hesitant due to the steep price.
'It's the future, but the team dropping 1.4 trillion on a top won't pay 800B for me?!'
Looks like the upcoming Champs game against Man U needed a proper schooling.