Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: Bayern Munich -3
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After Robert Lewandowski's goal, Union Berlin kept the momentum going and pressed Bayern Munich hard.
Bastian Schweinsteiger lost the ball under Thomas Müller's fierce pressure.
Shinji Kagawa picked up the loose ball and immediately fired a through pass.
But Shinji Kagawa's pass toward Robert Lewandowski was a bit too long.
The ball failed to reach Robert Lewandowski and rolled out beyond the goal line.
“Kagawa! Fußball Gott!!”
Union Berlin's home fans put aside their disappointment and clapped to encourage the players.
With the home fans' cheers and home advantage on their side, Union Berlin was dominating one-sidedly.
A normal team might have let the game slip away like this, but Bayern Munich—freed from the shackles of Jürgen Klinsmann—began to show their true potential.
“Spread out as much as possible and attack!!”
Jupp Heynckes gave instructions to the players from the touchline.
Bayern Munich's players immediately carried out the manager's orders.
“Franck Ribéry's solo breakthrough!”
“He's broken through Union Berlin's proud Berlin Wall! Franck Ribéry goes for the shot!!”
“Gooooaaaal—! Bayern Munich equalizes! Franck Ribéry scores the equalizer!!”
Franck Ribéry tore apart Union Berlin's right flank and entered the penalty box.
His half-beat quicker shot ripped straight into the Union Berlin net guarded by Manuel Schmidt.
The moment Union Berlin conceded, all eyes in the stadium turned to Park Chan-hyuk.
They were curious if he would do a celebration.
But contrary to the crowd's expectations, Park Chan-hyuk did not celebrate.
He didn't have the mental leeway to celebrate an opponent's goal.
***
‘……Should I celebrate this? Or not?’
In that split second, I was plunged into immense agony.
My body was heating up at the rare chance for a celebration.
‘Whew, better not….’
But I had a strong feeling that celebrating now would ruin the game's atmosphere beyond recovery.
With desperate restraint, I managed to hold back.
My hands and feet were trembling, and saliva kept pooling in my mouth, but….
Anyway, I held back.
“……Just celebrate something like that.”
Even Assistant Coach Daniel Teixeira was egging me on.
“Gah…! Don't tempt me!”
But I didn't fall for the devil's temptation.
Anyway, what Union Berlin needed right now was a goal.
We had to hit back at Bayern Munich, who had gained momentum from scoring.
“If they've scored one, put in two more! You bastards!”
I soothed the players from the touchline and instructed them to attack aggressively without shrinking back.
Even if we couldn't clinch the league title today, we could do it in the next match.
I told the players to play without pressure.
And above all.
‘In this game, the ref is half on our side.’
In this primitive era without VAR, the referee had no choice but to glance at the crowd when making calls.
Being human, when tens of thousands boo, the ref starts doubting their own decision.
‘Even celebrities on broadcasts get bothered by passing hate comments—this is just human nature.’
That's why celebrities get hurt by hate comments and make extreme choices sometimes.
Humans are social animals and can't help but care about those around them.
And I'm the same.
The place I was born is South Korea.
One of the countries where people are experts at comparing themselves to others and watching their step.
‘Those long years of scorn and oppression... I was sick of it.’
You might not believe it, but I do care about others' eyes too.
If I didn't, I'd have run to the corner flag the moment we conceded.
[But seriously, doesn't the Korean national team need a type like Park Chan-hyuk who bulldozes even the association?]
└ Agreed, it'd be perfect if he were national team manager.
└ And he needs to understand Korean culture.
└ You just wanna see Park Chan-hyuk as national team manager lol
Korean public opinion lately seems to think I'm some lone wolf who doesn't care about others.
Unfortunately, I've only bulldozed at timings where I could get away with it.
Call it fantastic tightrope walking.
In fact, after Thomas Tuchel left, haven't I held back on provocations as much as possible?
The media slapped the "provocative" label on me anyway because of my image.
But that image wasn't entirely my fault.
‘These damn racists…! Sticking me with a villain image.’
I also blamed the German media, the home of "yellow peril" rhetoric.
While I was lost in serious thought on the touchline with a grim expression.
Union Berlin's maestro and Balkan Zidane, Luka Modrić, delivered a perfect through pass to the onrushing Son Heung-min.
Son Heung-min, with the ball, charged into the penalty box and unleashed a curling shot from what would later be called the Heung-min Zone.
The perfectly curled shot flew to a spot the German keeper couldn't reach and rippled the net.
I quietly clapped from the touchline, showing the manager's gravitas.
The trembling in my body…. Well. It was just a physiological reaction.
***
“Gooooaaaal!! Son Heung-min! Son Heung-min's wonder goal! Union Berlin takes a 2-1 lead!!”
“Son Heung-min's timing was perfect! A flawless run and a sharp curler! We might be witnessing the start of a legend!”
“Yes, exactly! And Luka Modrić's pass was spot on too!”
“Not for nothing is he called the Balkan Zidane. It's no exaggeration to say most of Union Berlin's attacks originate from Modrić's feet.”
The game continued even after Union Berlin took the lead again.
“Union Berlin and Bayern Munich are clashing fiercely now.”
“Yes, the rapid exchanges have made the game even hotter.”
Union Berlin and Bayern Munich.
The two teams battled without giving an inch.
“Bayern Munich's intense pressure, but Luka Modrić exchanges passes with Thomas Müller and escapes!”
“This player really has composure. I get why Manager Park Chan-hyuk lay on the floor cleaning to sign Modrić.”
Bayern Munich tried focused marking on Modrić, but he easily shook it off with quick passes to teammates.
“Yes… And for those who might not know, Guten, Union Berlin's main sponsor, is known to be from Manager Park Chan-hyuk's family business.”
As the broadcasters elaborated on Park Chan-hyuk's family.
We got a good scoring chance.
Time flew by in the game.
Before long, it was just before halftime.
“Huh? Shinji Kagawa intercepts Schweinsteiger's pass!”
“Union Berlin counter! Lewandowski is sprinting forward!”
“Shinji Kagawa to Lewandowski…!”
Union Berlin seized the last attacking chance.
“Robert Lewandowski goes down!!!”
“It's a penalty! The ref calls a penalty kick!!!”
A Bayern Munich defender tripped Lewandowski's leg during the defensive play.
Faced with no shooting angle blocked by the defender, Lewandowski chose to go down instead of forcing it.
As Lewandowski rolled on the ground, the ref blew for the foul.
“Ref!! That Polish guy's doing Hollywood acting right now!”
“Watch your words—that's problematic.”
Bayern Munich players rushed the ref claiming it was simulation, but he firmly shook his head.
It was clearly visible to the ref with a perfect angle.
And at the same time.
“The ref saw it right. He kicked the leg, not the ball!”
The South Korean broadcast team's energy was sky-high.
“Union Berlin penalty! The taker is… Cafu!”
“Lewandowski seems shaken from the contact, and Son Heung-min is too young, so veteran Cafu is taking it.”
Moments later, the ref's whistle blew.
Cafu slowly approached the ball.
He struck it hard—
Swish—!
Into the bottom left corner, shaking Bayern Munich's net.
“Gooooaaaal! It's in! Cafu! Veteran Cafu for Union Berlin scores the additional goal!!”
***
The moment Cafu's penalty split Bayern Munich's net.
“Union Berlin long-term investment, let's go!!!!”
Park Jung-ah threw both hands up high.
Having watched Union Berlin games live, she had fallen for soccer's charm too.
Her parents were beside her.
They couldn't hide their tears at Union Berlin clinching the league title.
“That Chan-hyuk kid, he's been into soccer since he was little, and now he's proven it.”
“I was so worried he didn't even get a single perfect attendance award like everyone else….”
“But thankfully, Jung-ah did well in studies. Jung-ah will definitely get into a good university.”
Park Jung-ah could only smile awkwardly at her parents' silent pressure toward her.
‘……No, what kind of school life did you have as a regressor, you jerk?’