Chapter 106
Translator 8uhl
Chapter 106
Chapter Title The Eldest Son Desperately Wants Soccer
This is Fußball Arena München, where the Champions League Round of 16 first leg is underway!
Note UEFA regulations prohibit sponsor names, so this is the name used for UEFA matches
Every one of the 75,000 seats is packed. There are quite a few fans who came all the way from England to watch todays match.
You can see plenty of Koreans waving the Taegukgi too.
Its probably because two players who represent our country right now are starting.
Who could have imagined it? Korean players wearing number 7 for Bayern Munich and Newcastle, starring as key players, and now competing in the Champions League like this.
As the commentators heatedly bantered back and forth, Taeyang came facetoface with Park Mingyu.
Youre Taeyang, huh.
Park Mingyu flashed a friendly smile and extended his hand toward Taeyang.
With perfect timing, Taeyang pretended not to notice the outstretched hand and bowed his head in greeting.
Hello, sunbaenim. Im Yoon Taeyang.
Just as smoothly, Park Mingyu acted like the handshake offer had never happened and patted Taeyangs lowered shoulder.
Lets do well today.
Yes, sunbaenim.
With that, Park Mingyu headed into the locker room.
Taeyang lifted his head and stared at Park Mingyus soccer cleats.
It was the oddly grating sound of metal clinking against the ground.
Steel studs? Its not even raining today... Thats overkill.
In modern soccer, pure steel studsSG studswere no longer used.
Even those who preferred SG studs before mixed studs came out had all retired by now.
These days, almost everyone used mixed studs combining SG and FG.
There were occasional FGonly users, but pure SG studs? No one.
Unless maybe players from regions with heavy snow and rain.
Unique taste.
Maybe because hes from the Ji Youngsoo line, he prefers the oldschool style?
But if you get tackled by those, youre losing a chunk of flesh at minimum.
It felt a bit off, but Taeyang let it slide.
The players are entering the pitch, and the match will kick off shortly. Lets check the lineups first!
Bayern Munich
FW Hemersong Salvatore Park Mingyu
MF Huxle Kalle Eder
DF Duarte Baistiger Power Oliveira
GK Pierre
Newcastle
FW Yoon Taeyang Ilinyu
MF Lindeman Boxall Menendez Gomez Sanchez
DF Murisi Arnold Zenus
GK Ricella
Both teams are bringing their absolute best lineups against each other.
Yes, even players recently back from injury look to be in good shape.
Bayern Munich is sticking with their usual 433, but Newcastle is in a 352 formation?
Bayern Munich boasts a fearsome squad, but their midfield could be seen as a weak point. Newcastle looks like theyre aiming to dominate the center and decide the game there.
Hmm... I see.
The commentators reaction to Newcastles 352 was lukewarm.
The fans watching the match felt the same.
No matter what Newcastle tried, Bayern Munich held the advantage.
Everyone thought so.
What kind of team was Bayern Munich?
A team that hadnt failed to advance past the Round of 16 in the Champions League for a decade.
Newcastle, on the other hand, had only reached the Round of 16 or beyond twice in the last ten years.
And even those were in what was called their best season ever.
Above all, hardly anyone on the team had real Champions League experience.
Menendez was the most familiar with it, followed maybe by Ilinyu.
Even director Artelizo had never managed in the Champions League.
Amid all that, the whistle blew, and the match began.
Newcastle probed cautiously, slowly advancing while testing Bayern Munichs defenses.
Building up from the midfield with passes, without any real attacking thrustuntil suddenly, the balance tipped left, and Lindeman sent a cross pass to Sanchez on the opposite flank.
Sanchez took the ball and charged forward.
Racing high along the sideline, Sanchez spotted Duarte marking him and passed to Gomez, who had overlapped. Gomez cut into the halfspace but found Baistiger blocking his path, so he fed it to Menendez.
Thwack!
The instant Menendez received it, he eyed the space Baistiger had opened and unleashed a longrange shot.
The powerfully struck ball rocketed straight toward goal.
Clang!
The ball veered past where Pierre was positioned, smashing into the post and ricocheting away.
It was the kind of shot thats hard to even hit like that, but the rebound was the real problem.
The loose ball bounced in front of the penalty box, and everyone converged on it like hawks.
Shane Power got there first.
As he went to clear it, Ilinyu thrust his foot in.
Blocked by Ilinyus boot, the ball popped up again, and as the players timed their jumps amid the scrum, they all leaped.
Ilinyu rose confidently in the middle.
And experienced something unfamiliar.
The very alien sensation of his body being shoved aside.
The aerial duel winner was Baistiger, who had muscled Ilinyu out.
Baistiger soared alone and headed the ball toward Shanes side.
Baistiger and Shanes eyes both widened in shock.
Taeyang had appeared out of nowherehis face unseen until nowsnatching the dropping ball and firing it straight at goal.
By the time all eyes turned to the net, the ball had already beaten the unprepared keeper and bulged the mesh.
Goal! Its a goal! Yoon Taeyang scores!
Taeyang stays glued to the ball until the very end and finally claims it for the score!
A victory of sheer focus.
You couldnt have scored that without watching the play to its conclusion and holding back from rushing in.
As the goalscoring Taeyang strolled away casually, Park Mingyu watched from afar and clicked his tongue.
As expected... maybe the third ones the charm.
Muttering something cryptic, he dug his studs forcefully into the turf.
Each stomp ground the metal studs deep into the grass.
Newcastle, now leading, presses from midfield.
Munich cant get the ball past the center circle.
When play resumed, Newcastle hounded Munich aggressively from midfield whenever they had possession.
Munichs midfielders couldnt push forward and had to play it back.
Watching the situation, Baistiger noted Newcastles high defensive line and attempted a long pass into the space behind.
As the ball sailed forward quickly, Munichs forwards sprinted onto it.
The most eyecatching was, predictably, Park Mingyu.
Despite his SG studs, Park Mingyu accelerated without a care.
With the ball at his feet, he instinctively glanced around.
Murisi was glued to his side.
Park Mingyu tried to boost his speed, but when Murisi kept up easily, he slammed on the brakes right there.
His metal studs dug into the ground as he stopped, nutmegging the passing Murisi and sending the ball sideways behind him.
Ah!
A collective groan of disappointment rose from the stands.
Park Mingyus pinpoint pass had been intercepted by Arnold, who launched it forward.
Newcastle on the attack again.
Taeyang collected Ilinyus dropped ball, charged at Baistiger, and breezed past him with a back free flap.
Even though the guy had shown monstrous defending in the Bundesliga, getting shrugged off like that was shockingbut his partners, Shane Power and Duarte, didnt panic and closed down on Yoon Taeyang.
Taeyang dragged them out and passed to Ilinyu, but Ilinyus shot sailed just wide.
Yoon Taeyang is terrifying! Hes on fire today, shaking up Munichs backline!
Thats Yoon Taeyang! The fearsome 17yearold whos unlike anything the Bundesliga has seen!
Taeyang glared at Ilinyu for a moment before turning and sprinting back.
Park Mingyu, returning to Newcastles half, spotted him and his eyes gleamed.
As expected, the kid was trouble if left alone.
Even in this Champions League, and for his standing back home moving forward.
The match was going smoother than expected.
Munich, choked in midfield, tried going direct from midfield to attack with long balls, creating a few hairy moments, but thats why they had three centerbacks, right? To handle this.
And they were managing.
Murisi was especially on another level.
Like a combo of Arnold and Zenus?
Seriously, Id never really noticed him before, but now that hes here and playing, I cant believe I overlooked this guy.
They were even ahead on the scoreline.
In the notorious Bundesliga, at Bayern Munichs Allianz Arena no less.
Thinking back, my best Champions League run in my past life was the quarterfinals.
And even that was hailed as a miracle for that team.
Anyway, win this, and Id be closing in on my personal best achievement ever.
More than the league, the Champions League had me buzzing.
No, all the other players must feel the same.
Its not called the dream stage for nothing.
Just then, another Munich long ball failed.
This time, not a long ballArnold to Boxall, Boxall to advancing Lindeman, then across to me sprinting on the other side.
I didnt trap it but let it run, faked Baistiger behind me with an upperbody feint, spun, and chased it down.
One more goal like this, and...
Urk!!
Suddenly, I feel someone grabbing me from behind.
Unexpected, but okay, no problemgo down, draw the foul.
I fall back naturally, but with a bit of exaggeration, when yet another unforeseen twist unfolds.
As Im toppling backward, someone slides in with a tackle on the ball.
Park Mingyu...!
Why the hell is he here tackling?
In the chaos, he pokes the ball away, but his leg cleverly trips me, and his body collides with whoever grabbed my jersey.
The three of us tangle and crash to the turf together.
Amid it all, my temple burns.
What?
What... happened?
My head swims.
Baistiger! Grabbing Yoon Taeyangs jersey...! Oh! Park Mingyu!
No way!
Baistiger yanked Yoon Taeyangs jersey, sending him tumbling backward at just the wrong moment, as Park Mingyu slid in with a tackle.
Spotting Baistiger pulling the jersey, Park Mingyus eyes lit up.
Hed worried about backlash on himself, but this setup would pin all the blame on Baistiger.
With the sliding tackle, he first touched the outside of Taeyangs foot, then feigned surprise by covering his face as his studs raked Taeyangs calf.
In the process, he hooked Baistigers leg with his arm, tumbling all three into a heap.
Even in that split second, Park Mingyu calmly assessed, lifting his leg as if desperately trying to block the falling Taeyang while shielding his own face with his arm.
It looked for all the world like instinctual selfdefense.
He felt something heavy collide with his studs.
At this angle, it had to be Taeyang.
A grin crept across his face behind his arm.
Then, enduring the chainreaction impacts, he struggled to his feet and saw it.
Taeyang sprawled on the ground, blood pouring from his head and leg.
His face cold as he watched, but quick as a flashbefore anyone noticedhe schooled his features into shock and hoisted Taeyang up.
Gazing at the limp form, he pulled a distraught expression and raised his hand.
Taeyangs hurt here!!
Once in his native tongue, panicked.
Yoons injured!!
Once in German, regaining composure.
A flawless performance, impeccable acting.
In the meantime, bright red blood dripped from Taeyangs body onto the grass.
Park Mingyu smirked inwardly.
Thats when it happened.
Ah, fuck... This games such bullshit.
The fallen Taeyang sat up.
And Park Mingyus face slowly hardened.