Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Chapter 48
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Where legends are made (1)
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Treble.
The word for claiming three major soccer trophies in a single season.
In England, that means the Premier League, the top cup competition FA Cup, and the elite European showdown, the Champions League.
Only two clubs in Premier League history have ever pulled it off.
Manchester City and Manchester United.
As their names suggest, both hail from Manchester, making them fierce derby rivals.
In other words, these two bitter enemies hold the only two trebles in Premier League history.
If La Liga has El Clásico, the Premier League has the Manchester Derby.
But ever since Sheikh Mansour took over Manchester City and Pep Guardiola was appointed manager, the clubs diverged onto completely different paths.
The result? Manchester City rose to become one of the world's elite clubs.
While Manchester United got relegated to the Championship.
People even said the derby had lost its old fire.
But the arrival of a Korean player at Manchester United blew away those doubts in an instant.
And now, that legendary chant from United's glory days echoed once more.
FA Cup Final.
Wembley Stadium, hosting the Manchester Derby.
The moment we stepped out of the tunnel, the distinct grassy scent of Wembley hit us, mingled with the roar of cheers and jeers from the stands exploding all around.
Half the stadium surged like a red wave bathed in sunlight,
while the other half rippled like sky-blue waves reflecting the heavens.
The game hadn't even kicked off, but the air on the pitch was already blazing with the players' passion and the crowd's scorching gaze.
My ears rang with deafening noise, but my mind was calmer than ever.
The only clear sound was my heart: thump. Thump.
The instant my foot touched the pitch, I felt alive.
A battle for the trophy was about to begin.
Twenty-two players waited on the grass.
Tweeeet!!!
With the referee's whistle signaling kickoff,
the words lighting up the scoreboard flashed bright amid the stadium-shaking cheers.
Where legends are made
(The stage where legends are born)
Manchester City kicks off.
Erling Haaland taps the ball for kickoff, then spins and sprints forward.
A classic poacher striker.
He's the epitome of a complete forward.
If we didn't have Lucas Cruijtd on Man Utd, I'd have been depressed for ages knowing a guy like Haaland was tearing it up for our derby rivals.
Haaland possesses every striker skill at the highest level.
But those skills are just means to an end: goals.
Right now, the Premier League single-season goal record sits at Haaland's 36.
And below that? Erling Haaland. And below that? Erling Haaland again...
People joke that the only one who can beat Haaland's scoring records is Haaland from another season.
But even a player like that has one flaw... or not quite a strength.
When his team's overall performance dips, his goal-focused style makes him fade into the background too.
So we absolutely cannot let the ball get to Haaland.
And Manchester City thinks the same about me.
They've prepped the whole match to keep the ball away from Ban Yeager as much as possible.
But there's a clear difference between us.
Haaland's a pure No. 9 striker. Ban Yeager? An attacking midfielder.
Manchester United sat deep.
Their back four, especially the center-back duo with slower pace, formed a low line.
They'd have to cover a ton of ground after winning the ball back, but City would too on counterattacks.
United focused solely on packing the defense tight and holding firm.
Even so, City's attack was sharp enough to pierce through and threaten United's goal.
Clang!!
"Maignan!!"
"Everyone, wake up!!!"
Thanks to frantic defending, United clung to a precarious 0-0.
Mike Maignan's fingertip save had just prevented a sure goal.
The ball, deflected off Maignan's fingers, earned City a corner.
Kicker: Phil Foden.
City players crowded the penalty area.
Not just Haaland—Ruben Dias, with his aerial prowess, jostled for position aiming for a direct goal.
United matched up man-to-man, bodies glued tight.
Ban Yeager alone lurked outside the box.
"..."
Not just for counters, of course.
Targeting second balls or prepping for breaks—he was marking Rodri and Riyad Mahrez effectively from outside.
Tweeeet!
Foden's kick flew on the referee's signal.
'Got it!'
The ball arced deep—easy enough for Maignan to punch clear.
This wasn't just defending a corner; it was a prime counter chance.
The second I turned to sprint forward—
Wham—
Rooooaaarrrr!!!
Thunderous cheers slammed my ears. Glancing back, the ball trickled over our goal line.
Maignan punching Foden's kick away was fine.
Well, in hindsight, that punch fed straight to Haaland and cost a goal, so bad call.
But Mike Maignan felt utterly robbed.
The game continued without VAR review.
Haaland's goal put City up 1-0.
Soccer fans piled on, mocking United.
Truth is, Manchester United had been the punching bag for fans, especially Korean ones.
With a huge Korean fanbase came tons of haters, and watching a fallen giant crash was prime entertainment for rivals.
So when United started soaring out of nowhere, everyone scoped them waiting for a slip-up.
Now that they might lose, the vultures swarmed.
City, already superior on paper, could now play with even more freedom.
United? They had to score at least once to see a path forward.
That would force their tactics into a narrower box on the pitch.
The situation was undeniably grim.
For Manchester United,
this was the moment a legend had to be born.
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