Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Championship & Promotion
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Eventually, the opponent in the final turned out to be Manchester City.
The Manchester derby was set for the FA Cup final.
Soccer fans around the world were buzzing with anticipation.
But before that, Manchester United had some unfinished business.
With just two games left until the end of the league season.
If they won the 45th round match, the title would be secured without even needing to worry about the final game.
The opponent in the 45th round was Stoke City.
A solid team that had managed to stay in the Premier League for a full 10 years, from 2008 to 2018.
But after that, they'd spent another 10 years stuck in the second division, unable to break out.
This season, they'd already been eliminated from playoff contention, losing any shot at promotion.
With their two remaining games, relegation was off the table too—they were locked in for survival.
No matter how professional they were, in a situation like this, there was no real motivation to play.
And Ban Yeager was the kind of player who never took it easy on teams like that.
Back in the day, Stoke City had drawn plenty of attention in Korea thanks to the Korean player Bae Junho.
Even earlier, they were known as "Bodycheck City" or the "Men's Team" for their rough-and-tumble style.
But now, those players were long gone, and so was their aggressive tactical identity. They'd become just another ordinary team.
Beep!!—
As soon as the whistle blew, Mohamed Bosun Rawal came charging at me to mark me tight.
But, as expected.
It didn't hinder me at all from receiving the pass from my teammate.
Thud—
And when I tapped it forward and started running, Bosun Rawal just gave up chasing entirely.
Sure, once you'd beaten a guy, keeping up was tough—but giving up like that? Unacceptable.
This wasn't even late in the game when fatigue sets in; it was the very start.
It wasn't just Bosun Rawal. The whole team came at us with energy... then fizzled out pathetically.
The score was still 0:0, barely 15 minutes in, and they already looked defeated.
"..."
These guys were straight-up disgusting.
How does a soccer player not run?
Players without that pro mentality need a proper schooling.
With about 15 minutes left on the clock.
After finally netting my third goal, I headed straight to Stoke's goal, just like after the first two, to retrieve the ball.
"Get lost, you bastard!!!"
Instead, Stoke players blocked my path.
These guys were completely unhinged.
They should be thinking about pulling one back.
I'm trying to keep the game going, and they're pissed about it?
If it bugs you that much, grab the damn ball yourselves.
Instead of moping with your heads in your hands—when you never even planned to win from the start—what pride are you defending by snapping like this?
Even in this mess, Stoke never snapped out of it. The final whistle blew with them still checked out.
Final score: 5-0
A hat-trick from me and a brace from Lucas Cruijff.
And naturally, as MOM, I got asked why I kept pushing the game on.
"Accepting defeat right from kickoff is just wrong. No matter who you're rooting for, fans of the beautiful game don't want to see that."
So run, damn it—like me. If you can't.
And so, our second-division title clinch felt a bit anticlimactic.
Not that I wasn't happy. I was.
But I held back a little, saving the real celebration for later.
Plus, being at Stoke's home ground meant fewer United fans could make it.
The silver lining? The perfect moment for pure joy was still coming.
The league's final match.
Round 46, against Millwall—who weren't all that important anymore, but whatever.
Manchester United had already locked up first place and the title.
The second the game ended, we'd have the champions' ceremony and trophy presentation.
The goal for this match? Win, of course—but more than that.
Make sure no one got hurt, so everyone could fully savor the promotion.
And that was something I was dead certain about.
Parents are always right, huh.
Don't run around, and you won't get hurt.
The Round 46 clash with Millwall went off without a hitch.
At the 85th minute, score was 3-0.
Only five minutes of normal time left.
Hardly any stoppages from fouls or injuries, so even with added time, it'd be under 10 minutes total.
The scoreline and dominance made any danger feel remote.
The goals? Nicely shared among United's big three aces.
For Ban Yeager and Lucas Cruijff, one goal each felt almost light.
And the third? Shockingly, Mark Bernal.
He'd been huge in getting United promoted, so scoring in the finale carried real weight.
The match cruised smoothly toward the end.
When this whistle blew, it wouldn't just end a game—it'd wrap the whole season.
And Manchester United would get that top-spot report card.
Beep!—
The three minutes of stoppage time were nearly up.
Just as it seemed it'd end goalless from here, one last corner kick was awarded.
Jack Fletcher stepped up to take it.
To sow chaos, I positioned myself in the penalty box, closest to the corner flag.
Ready to dart out for a short pass anytime.
We'd connected for goals that way before, so Millwall kept marking me tight till the end.
Beep!!—
Seeing that, Jack signaled for a cross instead and set up the kick.
Wham!—
The cross came in lower than expected.
On this trajectory...
If I jump now, I can nod it on.
No one had targeted me in the air before, so I was a bit thrown.
But headers weren't a weakness for me.
Wham—
I turned my head right, redirecting it with a flick.
The ball floated back...
Shwoosh!!—
And buried itself in the side netting.
Whoaaaaaaa!!!—
A dagger goal right before the end.
A header from Ban Yeager, no less.
The game wrapped with Ban Yeager's late fireworks.
In response, a red wave crashed through Old Trafford.
My chant kicked off with the stadium announcer's call.
Teltelterdte! Yeagerben~!
Teltelterdte! Yeagerben~!
The game ended on my goal.
From my dedicated chant, the fans flowed into cheers for each player one by one, filling the stadium endlessly.
Meanwhile, the presentation stage was set up.
As players lapped the pitch sharing joy with fans, the trophy ceremony prep flew along.
With everything ready, the moment arrived: announcing the champions, Manchester United's return to the Premier League.
Ecstatic players and staff.
One by one, medals around necks, they headed to the stage.
We are going up!
We are going up!
We are going up!
United fans sharing the thrill with the players.
Soon, all players were in place on stage—only captain Harry Maguire left, ready to receive the trophy.
Woooooooahhhhhh...!!!
Harry Maguire lifted the trophy high as he approached center.
When he arrived, the pent-up roar exploded.
WAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!—
"Glory United!!!"
"Victory United!!!"
Manchester United
Returns to the Premier League.