Chapter 155
Chapter 155
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: vs FC Porto -4
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***
Kicking things off with Yannick Peitz's goal, Union Berlin began to pull ahead in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 clash against FC Porto.
"Damn...!"
"Stay calm, everyone! The game's not over yet!"
It was only natural for Porto's players to grow anxious after conceding so early, completely against the script.
Porto's players, rattled by their impatience, started racking up pass errors and little slip-ups. Union Berlin pounced on those openings to create another prime chance.
"A pass mistake by FC Porto! Thomas Mayer sprints in quick and snatches it!"
The moment Porto's midfielder flubbed the pass, Thomas Mayer beat him to the punch and stole the ball.
"Union Berlin's counter begins!"
As Union Berlin's counterattack kicked off, Thomas Mayer charged toward Porto's half with the ball. Spotting a defender in his path, he immediately fed it to Ángel Di María racing up the flank.
"Thomas Mayer to Ángel Di María!"
Thomas Mayer's pass reached Ángel Di María safely.
With a silky first touch to settle the ball, Di María whipped in a cross a half-beat ahead of the defense.
"Ángel Di María's cross—!"
Di María's cross sailed into the penalty area.
"He jumps! Lewandowski!"
The curling cross traced a perfect crescent arc right to Robert Lewandowski's forehead.
The keeper, who had rushed out to punch it clear, was left stranded in no-man's-land.
The ball kissed Lewandowski's forehead perfectly, sailing past the stranded Porto keeper and rippling into the net.
"GOOOAAAL! Poland's bomber Robert Lewandowski adds another! Porto now need four goals just to advance!!"
***
"Figures. He looked so light on his feet yesterday, and sure enough, he's on fire today."
I nodded as I watched Ángel Di María not just shredding Porto's flank but dismantling it entirely.
He'd been unusually bouncy in training the day before, leaving me agonizing over the lineup until the last second.
This match was one we could've defended our way into the quarterfinals.
Personally, I thought starting Son Heung-min over Di María made more sense.
But in the end, I had no choice but to pencil Di María into the starting XI.
His form was just that overwhelming.
Ángel Di María was a player with noticeable ups and downs.
His peaks and valleys were stark, and he ping-ponged between them even mid-game.
'Can't do much about that, though.'
Truth be told, every player has fluctuations.
Soccer's a human sport at its core.
Demanding consistent form every minute was asking too much.
It wasn't some data-driven machine.
'Even FM requires managing condition... and reality's way more finicky.'
Anyway.
After assisting Lewandowski's goal, Di María kept up his insane performance.
With Di María on a tear, Union Berlin's attacks naturally skewed to the left flank.
Luka Modrić's long ball found Di María.
He took a calm first touch, shrugged off Porto's pressure on the wing with ease.
Then he accelerated toward their goal, bombing forward.
Di María blew past FC Porto's defense in a flash.
'...Why does it feel like he's in fast-forward by himself?'
Porto's players focused on marking his dangerous left foot.
But Di María hit them with a rabona pass at an unpredictable moment, leaving them stunned.
The rabona cross headed for the box.
It was a height tricky for a header.
But Lewandowski answered with a volley.
Leaping into the air, he scissored his legs and struck it.
It was a slight mishit off the toe, but it flew goalward anyway.
The keeper, caught flat-footed by the surprise rabona timing, could only stare.
Lewandowski buried it, then burst out laughing as he ran to Di María. Natural as could be.
And as Di María's unreal display continued, it was just as natural for his positional rival Son Heung-min's expression to stiffen.
Hmm.
'...Did I bring in too tough a competitor for the spot?'
If Son got completely squeezed out, I could always loan him to a solid club.
On the flip side, I trusted the fire in Son Heung-min.
The Son I knew wouldn't quit, no matter the mountain—he'd keep charging and growing.
***
'Whoa. He's unreal. For real.'
On the bench, Son Heung-min watched Di María's rampage and despaired inwardly.
Di María had dominated the game that thoroughly.
He tore Porto apart and capped it with a goal right before the end, owning the Champions League second leg.
['1 Goal, 2 Assists' Ángel Di María Named Man of the Match.]
And instead of Lewandowski with his multi-goal haul, Di María taking MOTM was a no-brainer.
As Son watched Di María's interview after the whistle, his confidence started ebbing away without him realizing.
'If he keeps this up, starting spot's a lost cause... Should I transfer?'
Sure, he was thriving young at Union Berlin.
But he couldn't play like Di María.
That evening, though.
"The key is an unbreakable spirit."
"...Pardon?"
"Middle-unbreakable. Unbreakable core. I believe in your talent. You'll be Premier League top scorer someday."
"...I'm not thinking of transferring."
"Then Bundesliga top scorer."
After his meeting with Park Chan-hyuk, Son Heung-min steeled his wavering resolve.
He didn't want to lose the starting battle pathetically in front of a manager who believed in him more than he did himself.
But Di María's Porto-destroying impact lingered heavy on Son.
The next day.
At Union Berlin's training ground, Son unconsciously started mimicking Di María's moves.
Park Chan-hyuk spotted it, halted training on the spot, and called Son over.
The two talked with serious faces.
"Do what you're good at."
"...What I'm good at?"
"If you don't know, next match I'll show you your strengths."
Park left those words and walked off the pitch.
In the next league game, Son started up top.
With the packed schedule draining Yannick Peitz and Lewandowski, Park had benched them outright.
He even left them out of the subs—a bold move.
A wordless pressure settled in Son's chest.
'...Is this right?'
But once the game kicked off.
Son started experiencing magic.
The moment he got the ball, shooting lanes opened up naturally.
Gareth Bale, Ángel Di María, and Shinji Kagawa's decoy runs had wrecked Hertha Berlin's backline.
Son curled a shot from space.
First goal.
His second was similar.
As he notched a brace and turned to sprint for Park.
He spotted him by the touchline, face screaming 'I'm still hungry.'
Son skipped the celebration, grabbed the ball, and jogged back to halfway.
Union kept the pressure on after.
Time flew, nearing full time.
'Should've run over after the brace.'
As Son grew antsy.
His hat-trick chance arrived.
Di María threaded it to him through two pressing defenders.
'He just... slips it through like that?'
Son marveled inwardly.
His body reacted on instinct.
The ball off his toe ripped Hertha's net.
Hat-trick complete, Son bolted for the Union bench without thinking.
He saw Park charging out, grinning.
Son fought back tears welling up.
Moments later.
As Son spread his arms for a hug.
Park sidestepped the oncoming embrace effortlessly.
'...Huh?'
Then, in Son's view.
"I'm the cosmic genius Park Chan-hyuk!! Hoooaaaa!!"
Park, dashing to the corner flag for an uppercut celebration, roaring to the crowd.
"Got fooled again, eh, Heung-min?"
Daniel Teixeira, the assistant coach, approached the embarrassed Son and pulled him into a hug.
***