Chapter 114
Chapter 114
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: Vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
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Vs. Eintracht Frankfurt.
Eintracht Frankfurt.
This team was well-known to Korean soccer fans as the place where Cha Bum-kun once played.
Heck, even Frankfurt Station had a photo of Cha Bum-kun hanging up.
‘……I wonder if my picture will end up in the Berlin subway someday.’
Lifting the Champions League trophy with Union Berlin made it seem far from impossible.
‘By then, Union Berlin will be counted among the powerhouses.’
By the way.
Unlike most players and managers who dreamed of statues in front of the stadium,
My reason for wanting a subway photo was simple.
‘Because I can just build a statue with my own money.’
Union Berlin was practically mine.
If a guy like me put up my own statue in front of Union Berlin’s home ground, it’d feel a little off.
‘I need to rack up at least subway-worthy achievements so putting up a statue doesn’t feel cringy.’
Anyway.
Union Berlin didn’t seem likely to lose to Eintracht Frankfurt.
The players were so fired up for their first-ever league title that they skipped rest days and threw themselves into training.
Their hunger for the win was so intense that I, their manager, had to step in and hold back the sessions.
‘I even threatened to bench anyone for overtraining.’
To keep them from getting hurt by overdoing it, I had to strictly manage players like Daniel Teixeira.
Well. It didn’t feel bad at all.
No one was slacking off, threatening transfers, or dodging training.
‘I scouted right by picking guys with max pro mindset.’
And.
That attitude paid off the moment the match kicked off.
Union Berlin came out swinging hard against Frankfurt from the whistle.
Frankfurt couldn’t get their heads straight under Union Berlin’s intense forward press.
Alexander Meier, Frankfurt’s striker trying a rare counter, lost the ball to Dante’s tackle.
“Referee!”
“Clean ball contact. Up you go.”
Alexander Meier protested for a foul, but the ref shook his head firmly.
The loose ball from Dante’s tackle fell to Thiago Silva.
The instant Thiago Silva picked it up from deep, Yannick Foirt bombed forward past the halfway line.
The product of their constant communication and practice.
Thiago Silva’s long ball flew precisely to Yannick Foirt.
Yannick Foirt eyed the defenders charging him, dragged them along to the end, then slipped it back to Shinji Kagawa trailing in.
“Shinji—!”
Shinji Kagawa drove forward before nudging it lightly into the box for Son Heung-min.
The pass threaded between Aleksandar Basoski’s legs to Son Heung-min.
Son Heung-min spotted the keeper and unleashed a vicious left-footed rocket.
Thwack—.
His low, whipping shot tore straight into Frankfurt’s net.
Swish—!
The moment Frankfurt’s net rippled, I shot both arms skyward. Then bolted for the corner flag.
Unfortunately, the scorer Son Heung-min beat me there.
No surprise—I couldn’t match the speed of the guy who’d later terrorize the Premier League as a speed demon.
‘……If I could hang with that, I’d never have quit playing.’
Anyway.
“Whoooo—!”
I nodded as I watched Son Heung-min celebrate.
‘Kid’s fully a Union Berlin man now, huh?’
He’d passed the unique Union Berlin initiation rite I’d invented.
‘……Meaning something like: score all you want, but stay sharp till the final whistle.’
These traditions were usually more superstition than substance.
***
“GOOOAAAL—! Son Heung-min! Son Heung-min rips it into Frankfurt’s net!”
“Folks, keep your eyes on this one! Korea’s next legend!”
“Right! Son Heung-min sat out the last first-half match for rest—and he bags one right on return!”
“Yeah, and what a pass from Shinji Kagawa! Tells you how tight those two are!”
“Japan-Korea teamwork at its finest! Kagawa’s through ball, Son’s ice-cold finish! Union Berlin leads Frankfurt 1-0!!”
***
Same time.
“Preseason—Girls’ Generation concert?”
Son Heung-min, mid-celebration at Union Berlin’s corner flag, could only awkward-smile at Shinji Kagawa’s whisper.
“Haha, if there’s a concert, yeah…”
He couldn’t shut Kagawa down flat.
The guy had a weird obsession with Korean idols.
He’d even danced to their choreo with teammate Yuto Nagatomo and posted it on TikTok.
“Your sorrow comes and goes.”
Son Heung-min edged away from Kagawa mangling the lyrics in Korean, humming away.
Bit embarrassing.
***
The game rolled on after Son Heung-min’s strike.
“Thomas Maier with the fierce press! Steals it clean!”
Union Berlin kept the pressure cranked.
Leading the charge: Thomas Maier, fresh off last match’s rest.
He was after it harder than usual.
Blame Lee Sung-jae’s standout turn putting some ‘real’ heat on him.
“Yeah, Lee Sung-jae impressed last game, but overtaking Thomas Maier looks tough.”
Pity laced the broadcast booth.
They figured his starting battle was uphill.
“True. Covers so much ground, always in the right spots.”
Didn’t mean Union Berlin sucked for Lee Sung-jae.
Up close, he could study Luka Modrić and Thomas Maier’s wizardry.
Truth was, he was leveling up faster than his original timeline.
Park Chan-hyuk’s coaching helped, sure—but soaking up elite teammates sped it naturally too.
- Damn, Union Berlin squad is stacked AF;;
- Makes sense now why Hyun-seong and Min-hyuk got loaned pre-season.
- Park Chan-hyuk’s a scouting beast fr.
└ Chan-hyuk hyung your bro?
└ Dude’s younger than me?
└ Younger = banmal rights? Lmao.
Anyway, as Korean fans hailed Park Chan-hyuk’s eye during Union Berlin’s dominance.
“Modrić with the ball again! Spots the run from Son Heung-min!”
Union Berlin hammered Frankfurt nonstop.
“Son Heung-min’s cross!!”
His cutback found Robert Lewandowski storming the box.
- Park Chan-hyuk named that shit right?
- Half-space run + cutback.
- Commentators straight slacking smh.
Lewandowski met the rolling ball.
One touch redirect—net shakes.
“GOOOAAAL—! In it goes! Roberto~~~ Lewandowski!!”
Union Berlin fans erupted again.
Like Son, Lewandowski sprinted the corner flag and roared.
- Why everyone full sprint to the flag?
- Late = no celly.
- For who?
- Gaffer.
- ???
- Sniff. New blood?
- Newbie vibes.
***
Lewandowski’s goal flew by quick.
Frankfurt match over.
Union Berlin crushed 4-0—Yannick Foirt and Shinji Kagawa added on.
“Good game.”
“…Built a hell of a team. League title congrats early.”
“Thanks.”
Light handshake with Frankfurt’s boss, then I scanned the pitch stone-faced.
No injury crisis. No performance gripe.
Just: zero celly steals today.
Union Berlin scorers scattered like lightning.
Even Yannick Foirt bolted flagward now.
Bittersweet hit me.
“…Gotta find some fresh blood.”
New scouting mission brewing.
Soothing the quiet salt solo—
Brainwave struck.
‘……Or steal the opponents’ celly on our goals against?’
Genius. Pure genius.