Obvious Fate
The match against Marseille ended, and Dortmund advanced to the Champions League round of 16.
"La la la la lala lalala la lala la!"
After quickly exchanging greetings with the Marseille players, the Dortmund squad linked arms amiably and headed toward the Südtribüne, sharing the joy of victory with the fans.
"Wer wird Deutscher Meister?"
"BVB Borussia!"
The ecstatic Dortmund fans and players, still buzzing long after the final whistle, belted out chants for a full hour at Signal Iduna Park.
"Wer wird Deutscher Meister? Borussia BVB heyy!"
Even then, the home fans who couldn't calm down spilled out of Signal Iduna Park and continued their private celebration at nearby pubs.
The day after Dortmund's win over Marseille.
The Champions League round of 16 decider between Manchester United and FC Basel kicked off.
"Glory! glory, Man United!"
Han Gyeowol, decked out in her Manchester United kit, belted out the anthem right at kickoff.
Ding─!
To cherish this moment forever, I quietly started recording a video.
"Whatcha doing?"
Her head turned toward me at the recording sound.
"Filming. Gotta capture this moment."
"Make me look pretty!"
I nodded at Gyeowol flashing a V-sign.
"Think Man U wins today?"
"Duh! Man U smashes Basel 3-0 today!"
In the 9th minute of the first half, Marco Streller's shot rippled the net guarded by De Gea.
"...Huh?"
Her wide eyes darting around were perfectly caught on camera.
"O-one goal down, we catch up easy!"
Familiar scenes started flashing as she played it cool.
Who needs Dr. Meng!
No, not that. I kept filming my desperately cheering-for-Manchester-United Han Gyeowol.
Man U attacked fiercely post-concession, firing 10 shots in the first half, but...
"Argh! Why's that keeper blocking everything!!"
They failed to equalize before halftime.
"M-Man U starts in second half! After Ferguson's hairdryer at halftime, players change!"
Thus, the first half ended with Gyeowol's optimism intact.
The second half began.
As time ticked down without an equalizer, Han Gyeowol—cheering for Man U—started anxiously gnawing the collar of her kit.
"Wait, no!"
84th minute. Alexander Frei latched onto Shaqiri's pass and rifled another into Man U's net.
"...."
I glanced cautiously at Gyeowol. She looked utterly lost.
"...N-not over yet!"
89th minute, Man U's Phil Jones pulled one back, but...
The match ended with Basel holding firm.
"Invincible Man U to Europa?"
I shook my head at her dazed expression.
With Man U's Europa fate sealed, time flew by.
Riding high from Champions League advancement, Dortmund won their Bundesliga round 16 against Kaiserslautern. And on December 16, 2011, the round of 16 draw took place at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.