Chapter 142
Chapter 142
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 142
Chapter Title: vs Manchester United -4
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At the very moment Alex Ferguson was chewing his gum in fury.
- Wait, is this for real? Union Berlin's pushing them back?
└ No fucking way;; We knew Union Berlin was good, but this good?
└ You think last season's Bundesliga title was a fluke?
└ I thought they just lucked into it because Munich choked.
└ ㅋㅋ Do other Bundesliga teams look like shit to you? They won by knocking off just Munich.
└ Premier League fans always lowkey diss other leagues, right?
└ Yeah, spot on.
└ But isn't it a fact that the Premier League is the world's best? They rake in the most broadcasting money.
└ That's true for commercial success... but not the best league;;
Korean soccer fans couldn't hide their shock at the sight of Union Berlin dominating Manchester United.
Ever since Park Ji-sung transferred to Manchester United, the influx of new overseas soccer fans had been convinced that the Premier League was the world's top league.
And Manchester United was the powerhouse dominating that so-called world's best league, the Premier League.
Naturally, fans who only watched the Premier League never imagined that Union Berlin—a team they'd barely heard of—would be handing it to "that" Man United.
- Ugh, I keep saying don't sleep on Union Berlin. But nah, nobody listens.
- People gotta learn the hard way, huh?
- Kinda satisfying seeing Man U fans shut up for once ㅋㅋ
- Honestly, those guys always going on about "limited Man U." When Union Berlin got promoted, they started with the "limited Union" crap. That shit was annoying ㅋㅋ
The only ones who had seen this coming were the diehard Union Berlin fans who followed not just the Premier League, but even the Bundesliga games.
"Nemanja Vidić with the block! Yannick Gerhardt appeals for a foul to the ref, but the referee shakes his head firmly!"
"Manchester United on the counter!"
"Oh no, Union Berlin in trouble! They're short on defenders!!"
Of course, Man United wasn't just getting steamrolled.
Manchester United created some great chances with their signature quick counters.
The ball Vidić blocked went to Michael Carrick.
Carrick looked upfield and played it to Ryan Giggs.
"Michael Carrick to Ryan Giggs!"
Even at 36, Ryan Giggs was in full rejuvenation mode.
With his natural speed and acceleration, he sliced into Union Berlin's backline. Against a normal team, he could've taken it all the way for a shot.
But unfortunately, Union Berlin wasn't a normal team.
Virgil van Dijk was already racing back toward Union Berlin's defensive line.
'No way a defender's that fast.'
Ryan Giggs let out a wry chuckle as the distance closed in real time. It was hard to believe a guy over 190cm could recover that quickly.
In the end, Giggs gave up on dribbling into the box for a shot.
He decided to link up with a teammate instead.
Giggs's pass went to Wayne Rooney, who shook Thiago Silva with a bulldozer dribble before unleashing a shot from inside the Union Berlin box.
"Wayne Rooney!!! Woooaahhh! He saved it! Manuel Schmidt!!! Manuel Schmidt denies Wayne Rooney!!"
But guarding Union Berlin's goal was Manuel Schmidt, the man who'd earned rave reviews from Franck Ribéry.
Even with a decoy move thrown at him, Schmidt stayed cool, deflected the ball, and cleared it out beyond the goal line.
"Fucking shit, man."
Having failed to score on Schmidt's miraculous save, Wayne Rooney let out his own Ribéry-level praise.
A surge of frustration boiled up from deep inside him without warning.
Clutching his head, Rooney glanced toward the touchline.
There stood Alex Ferguson, his face flushed red.
'Damn, I'm screwed too.'
That was the moment Wayne Rooney sensed his own future.
***
'Fuck, that was close.'
The instant Wayne Rooney let fly from the box,
my legs nearly gave out.
If Rooney's shot had gone in, the momentum Union Berlin had built would vanish in a heartbeat.
'Legends are legends, huh.'
Unlike the Man United of the future, this current squad still had teeth.
Honestly, Union Berlin pressing Manchester United wasn't because I out-tacticked Alex Ferguson.
It was simply because the Union Berlin squad I'd assembled was better.
I had to humbly admit that.
'No point denying it from the start.'
Building a great team was part of a manager's skillset.
Anyway, even if Union Berlin's starters were nobodies now, every single one would grow into world-class talents in the future.
Measured by their future value, they were a step or two above the current Manchester United players. No exaggeration.
'Sure, Anderson's a hyped prospect, but he hasn't been the same since that injury last year.'
The defensive line and attack featured multiple players who'd lead Man United's golden era.
But Man United's midfield was comparatively weak against Union Berlin's.
'And their keeper not being Edwin van der Sar makes a big difference.'
Unlike the goal Van der Sar guarded, Tomasz Kuszczak—who was in net now—had shown shaky moments all game.
That kept Man United's defenders from pushing forward aggressively.
Being defenders, they had to prioritize the backline.
"Thomas! Watch your back!"
Anyway, having escaped danger, Union Berlin calmly built their attack.
The Man United counter had cooled their heads.
Instead of forcing shots out of impatience, the players focused on passing.
The standout was Gareth Bale, who'd played in the Premier League until last season.
He still harbored a grudge against it.
After all, he'd been practically forced out of Tottenham Hotspur.
This time, Gareth Bale charged into the box himself for a shot.
It didn't go in, but Bale kept delivering.
'Tottenham fans must be raging right now.'
Shinji Kagawa's pass found Bale again.
Just before halftime,
Bale finally broke the deadlock with the opener.
The moment Bale's shot rippled the net,
"Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa─!"
The roar from the home fans shook Union Berlin's stadium.
The cheers were so loud, it felt like the ground was quaking.
At the same time, red flares erupted from the stands, packed with fan messages.
I sprinted toward them for the celebration.
"Whooooooo─!"
This was only possible because I'd bolted out before Bale even scored.
'Yeah. No matter how fast you are, I got there first.'
***
With Union Berlin leading, halftime ended, and the second half kicked off.
Manchester United's players eyed the Union Berlin side preparing for kickoff, their faces dripping with venom.
Sir Alex Ferguson had ripped into them at halftime, awakening the beast.
But Manchester United couldn't breach Union Berlin's defensive wall.
Time ticked away, and at the 57th minute,
Man United made the first change.
"Ji! Get ready! You're coming on!"
Alex Ferguson called Park Ji-sung from the bench.
The Korean derby Korean fans had been waiting for was on.
***
I nodded as I watched Park Ji-sung start warming up.
Thump─.
My heart pounded wildly without warning.
My performances might've dimmed his shine a bit,
but he was still my eternal idol.
Park Ji-sung had planted the dream of going overseas in Korea's young prospects. He'd proven playing for a top European club wasn't a pipe dream.
I'd nurtured my own dreams of going abroad watching him at Man United.
Even if our meeting took a different path...
'I finally made it onto the same stage as my childhood hero.'
All kinds of emotions welled up.
I called over Thomas Meier and pointed at my idol with instructions.
"One solid tackle. Make it hurt."
Mr. Park.
A gift from this gentleman.