Korean Derby: Ban Yeager's One-Sided Rampage

The Premier League schedule resumes after the international break.

Manchester United's first match is against Birmingham City, the team they competed with in the Championship last season.

Most of United's key players have just returned from international duty, so they need some rest.

In this thin squad, the one ray of hope is, as always, Ban Yeager, making his start a certainty.

Unlike other popular clubs, United are in the Europa League this season, so their fixtures often differ by a day.

Today is one such day—no games from Real, Barca, the EPL Big Six, PSG, Munich, or the like that Korean fans follow. Just Manchester United on the slate.

Overseas football fans, itching from the international break, flock to this match in droves.

[Alright, Manchester United are a whopping 2nd in the table! To snatch 1st from our rivals Liverpool, we need this win today! Praying for Ban Yeager's hat-trick as kickoff begins!!!]

Baek Seung-hoon has just returned from captaining South Korea through two matches, but there's no time for rest.

As Birmingham's core player since their League One days through back-to-back promotions, he's forced into the starting XI.

Thanks to that, 150,000 Ppan-ye viewers get their Korean Derby fix and cheer.

But.

A one-sided beatdown begins—not even worthy of being called a derby.

(Ppan-ye oppa shout clip)

(Ppan-ye oppa clip 1), (Ppan-ye oppa clip 2) No seriously, from the start she's not hiding, practically begging someone to notice? lolololololololololololololol

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Fans have reached the point where a single Ban Yeager goal barely fazes them anymore.

Of course, that's largely because the opponent is rock-bottom Birmingham City with 0 wins, 2 draws, and 5 losses.

For Manchester United, drawing Birmingham at a time when they can't field their full starting XI is a stroke of luck.

Proving it, Ban Yeager scores just five minutes into the first half.

As in their Championship clashes, Baek Seung-hoon and Tomoki Iwata both swarm to mark him.

Thwack!—

Undeterred by the double mark, Ban Yeager receives the ball with otherworldly movement and threads a pass through.

Last season, marking Ban Yeager, Baek Seung-hoon wondered how a debutant could play like this.

He's definitely grown even more...!

But now, facing him again, he can no longer view him as a wide-eyed rookie.

Not even a full year since pro debut, yet career-wise, Ban Yeager has already surpassed him.

Having tasted despair in two national team losses, Baek Seung-hoon now faces defeat even at club level.

As a Birmingham player, the despair is the same—but as a South Korean footballer,

what he feels isn't despair.

It's hope.