Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: vs Stuttgart -4
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***
[Lee Sung-jae's strong pressing forces the ball out over the touchline successfully.]
[The subbed-on player has to run his heart out in place of the tired ones, right? And he's doing a fantastic job of it right now.]
The match between Union Berlin and Stuttgart unfolded in fierce fashion.
[Stuttgart's dropping their line and shifting into defensive mode.]
[Yes.... It's fair to say Union Berlin is throwing everything they have left into wrapping this up before time runs out? The longer this drags on, the more it plays into Stuttgart's hands.]
After the equalizer, Stuttgart dropped deep and locked things down tight.
Union Berlin hammered away at Stuttgart relentlessly.
‘They’ve thrown every last ounce into scoring in the time that’s left.’
Stuttgart’s manager had sniffed out that this Union Berlin onslaught was their final desperate push.
While Union Berlin battered Stuttgart in search of a goal, the clock ticked down rapidly.
[Ah… Two minutes of stoppage time announced.]
Regular time came to an end, and the fourth official lifted the board.
[Lee Sung-jae wins a throw-in! The game's not over yet!]
And right on the cusp of full time....
[Lee Sung-jae finds Yannik Foith—Yannik Foith bursts forward immediately!]
Union Berlin launched into their final attacking chance.
Yannik Foith took the ball at the halfway line and kicked off his run.
He burned every last drop of energy he had left.
His legs were turning to jelly, his mind refusing to race.
[Last chance of the game! Union Berlin!]
But he charged forward with everything he had.
He could sense it—if they didn’t score now, defeat was inevitable.
“Yannik Foith! Push it god!!!!!”
As Yannik Foith tore toward the opposition half, the roaring voices of Union Berlin’s away fans filled his ears.
For those fans who’d made the trip all the way to Stuttgart, he had no choice but to keep going even as his lungs burned.
‘I’m the captain of Union Berlin….’
Before he knew it, Yannik Foith reached the penalty area and shook off the defender in his path without breaking stride.
Yannik Foith had no idea how he’d beaten the defender.
When he snapped back to reality, the guy was just… gone.
As Yannik Foith entered the box, his eyes locked on the goalkeeper’s panicked face.
It was the setup for a goal that could be named Bundesliga Goal of the Season.
Amid senses sharpened to a razor's edge....
Tuk.
[Yannik Foith with the pass!!]
Yannik Foith set aside all personal glory.
He slotted it over to Lewandowski, who had the cleaner look.
Thwack—!
[Roberto Lewandowski!!!]
Roberto Lewandowski took Yannik Foith’s pass and rifled it straight into Stuttgart’s net.
[Gooooaaaal—! It’s in! Roberto Lewandowski! Union Berlin’s second goal! Union Berlin surges back into the lead!!]
The second goal doubled as the dagger, and Union Berlin’s players flooded the pitch.
They’d knocked off last season’s Bundesliga champs, Stuttgart, to reach the quarterfinals.
“Jaaaaaaa!!”
While the players celebrated in front of the away end.
Thud thud thud.
Park Chan-hyuk sprinted flat out toward the spot he’d held back for from the first half.
Any sentiment for his old club.
“Hoooowaaaah—!”
One time was plenty.
It sure as hell wasn’t a sprained ankle just because the fans hadn’t recognized him.
***
Stuttgart vs. Union Berlin ended in a Union Berlin victory.
[Union Berlin stuns Stuttgart 2-1, advances to DFB-Pokal quarterfinals!!]
└ Holy shit, they actually won? Thought it was a given they’d lose to last season’s Bundesliga champs.
└ Yesterday’s game was straight-up legendary. Away win, plus Lee Sung-jae’s debut was fire.
└ Gotta check the highlights.
Soccer fans who saw the result couldn’t hide their shock.
Last season’s Bundesliga winners had fallen to a 2. Bundesliga side—an outright upset.
[Union Berlin pulls off the miracle, showcasing Park Chan-hyuk’s true value?]
Union Berlin had slayed the giant Stuttgart and rocketed straight to the spotlight.
The Stuttgart vs. Union Berlin clash dominated soccer shows.
“Chan-hyuk’s gamble paid off big. That late sub of Lee Sung-jae breathed new life into Union Berlin.
The kid’s young, so he made a few mistakes, sure—but it’s crystal clear his insertion made the difference.”
“Exactly. What manager gives a debutant the nod in a match this huge? It’s the kind of call you can only make when you’re young. Experience breeds caution—you can’t fight that.”
“Oh, come on, Chan-hyuk’s no reckless coach. He’s got stability in his game. This time the gamble hit, but he’s not always rolling the dice.”
The panels inevitably pivoted to Park Chan-hyuk’s celebration next.
“And speaking of which—Chan-hyuk’s celebration.”
“Unlike his usual ones, this was straight fire.”
Park Chan-hyuk’s name started spreading, especially among German fans.
***
[South Korea’s great hero Park Chan-hyuk! Crushes last season’s Bundesliga champs!]
Meanwhile, back in Korea, Union Berlin’s DFB-Pokal quarterfinal run sparked pure ecstasy.
No matter the recent drama, Park Chan-hyuk was still Korean through and through.
Plus, it was the debut for Korean player Lee Sung-jae.
Interest in the match was sky-high stateside.
[DFB-Pokal round of 16 thriller—Union Berlin grins last!]
They’d gone toe-to-toe with last season’s Bundesliga kings, Stuttgart, in a nailbiter.
And Union Berlin came out on top.
Soccer fans’ dopamine levels were through the roof.
1. Son Heung-min assist.
2. Union Berlin Stuttgart.
3. Union Berlin result.
4. Park Chan-hyuk.
5. Lee Sung-jae debut.
6. Yannik Foith.
Union Berlin owned the trending searches—it was only natural.
[Union Berlin’s Park Chan-hyuk: the ‘second Mourinho’? Nah, he’s the first Park Chan-hyuk.]
The media flipped from critics to cheerleaders overnight.
[Union Berlin topples Stuttgart—we’re living in the Park Chan-hyuk era.]
└ Motherfuckers were trashing him like dogs, now they’re sucking up lol.
└ Heard he’s suing the outlets that crossed the line.
└ TBH, some of those articles were straight cringe.
└ But why the hate boner?
└ Prolly journos tight with the federation.
└ Isn’t Park Chan-hyuk cool with the federation tho?
└ Word is he’s the prez’s pick, so jealousy.
└ Federation aside, tons of people just hate the guy.
└ Why?
└ Rich family.
└ ???
└ Fr, that’s the reason. Hates from his cushy background.
└ Wait, isn’t he rags-to-riches? Lotto winner or some shit?
└ Exactly—same boat as us, so they hate harder.
└ Old money success? Blame society. New money from the hood? Feels like you’re the loser.
└ Poverty ain’t weakness, but hating over that? That’s weak.
└ Koreans got more poverty of spirit than cash, IMO.
[DFB-Pokal round of 16 blockbuster: Bayern Munich vs Schalke 04.]
└ Pls Schalke bros, take down Munich!
└ Not Munich! Not Munich!
└ Winner plays Union Berlin, right?
└ Yup.
└ Praying for Schalke ㅠㅠ Munich too OP.
The Park Chan-hyuk praise fest and DFB-Pokal quarterfinal cheers raged on for hours.
But the party ended the next day.
Union Berlin’s quarterfinal opponent was set.
[Full time) Bayern Munich crushes Schalke 6-0.]
Union Berlin fans plunged into despair.
[DFB-Pokal quarters locked in: Union Berlin vs Bayern Munich! Priest vs preacher showdown.]
└ GG….
└ Just let this one go.
└ No answer for this one lmao.
└ Chan-hyuk, focus on the league….
└ Fr, draw looks like they were right to treat the cup as dead weight.
└ Quarters alone is a miracle. Good fight…. Schalke got smoked. Brutal.
└ Wtf kinda 6-0 scoreline vs same-division team?
Union Berlin, through to the DFB-Pokal quarters, now faced Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich.