Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: vs Jürgen Klopp -2
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***
The match between Union Berlin and Mainz continued, with both teams locked in fierce battle throughout the first half.
[Title: Anyone watching Union Berlin vs Mainz right now?]
└ Me;; These guys are really 2. Bundesliga?
└ Who the fuck said the Korean league is on par with 2. Bundesliga lol.
└ Nah, it's just Union Berlin and Mainz—they're on another level.
└ But yeah, this season's 2. Bundesliga feels extra explosive.
└ Park Chan-hyuk <<< The madman who fixed the team's shit atmosphere after Thomas Tuchel left and even got results;;
└ And on top of that, he's developing Korean youngsters like some crazy genius.
└ Can't Park Chan-hyuk just coach the Korean national team....
└ But club coaching and national team are different beasts....
└ National team gig is an honor, but he said his goal is lifting the Champions League with a big club, so no.
Korean soccer fans were blown away by the high-level play from these two teams, even though it was just the 2. Bundesliga.
As people lost track of time watching the intense clash between Union Berlin and Mainz...
The first half was drawing to a close.
[Thomas Mayer cuts it out—the ball goes to Marcus Matzke!]
Union Berlin launches a counter after intercepting Mainz's ball.
[Mainz pressing hard, but Marcus Matzke shakes it off. He spreads it wide to the flank! Timo Breitner takes it—cross!!]
Timo Breitner, starting as the left winger, attempts a cross.
[Oh! But Neven Subotić gets there first and clears it!]
Neven Subotić successfully heads the ball away just before it reaches Lewandowski.
[Yes, and as Subotić clears the cross, the ref's whistle blows. First half ends 1-1. Union Berlin took the lead with the opener, but Mainz hit back quickly.]
[Indeed. Scoreline's 1-1, but what a brutal first half. Both teams attacked so aggressively, with transitions this quick—you wonder if there's ever been a match like it.]
The ref's final whistle echoes across the pitch.
Despite the fierce tussle, neither side found another goal, and the first half ended 1-1.
***
The players entered the locker room after the whistle, breathing heavily as they caught their breath.
I quietly scanned the team, then nodded.
"First off, great job in the first half, everyone."
The moment I spoke, all eyes turned to me.
It was a scene that showed just how much respect I commanded from the players.
I met their gazes and lightly praised their first-half efforts.
Small smiles crept onto the faces of the Union Berlin players.
Most of them were still young, so the manager's praise brought genuine joy.
"This match is a huge one for us."
As I continued, a sense of pressure began to settle on their faces.
If it wasn't the reaction I wanted, I might've panicked mid-speech.
But this was exactly what I'd steered them toward.
"This game's the one that decides if Union Berlin rides this momentum to the stars—or crashes back down."
I wanted them to grasp the stakes.
In the now-heavy atmosphere, I turned to Yannik Foigt.
"Yannik! So what do we want? Victory? Defeat?"
"Victory!"
Unlike his usual self, Yannik Foigt replied with all humor stripped away.
Union Berlin's young players naturally absorbed the mood.
Normally, I'd wrap up the motivation here.
But today's opponent was that man: Jürgen Klopp.
He was surely firing up the Mainz squad right now too.
'I can't lose.'
Rivalry ignited.
I delivered a speech only I could give at Union Berlin.
"Win today, and there's a bonus."
The word "bonus" left my lips.
"Jaaaaawooooooooooool!!"
"Yaaa─booooooo!!"
The Union Berlin players erupted in cheers.
In this atmosphere, they'd tear apart even Bayern Munich.
After long years of scorn and hardship, the Germans had reverted to war machines.
***
Halftime ended, and the second half kicked off.
From Union Berlin's bench, I eyed the Mainz players.
'They all look dead set on winning.'
Mainz's players burned with resolve in their eyes.
Jürgen Klopp had motivated them with his locker room talk.
Mainz sat fourth in the league, so they wanted this win bad.
Unfortunately, the bonus-fueled Union Berlin was a whole different beast from the first half.
Our players charged with insane tenacity—like they'd eaten something wild.
Union Berlin fans responded to that grit with blistering support.
"Dem Morgengrauen entgegen, ziehn wir gegen den Wind.
(Toward the dawn, advancing against the wind.)"
"Wir werden alles zerlegen, bis wir Deutscher Meister sind.
(We'll smash everything until we're German champions.)"
Buoyed by the fans' fire, the players gave even more.
The fans, moved by the players, roared back louder.
"Wir! Eisen!! Union!!"
The virtuous cycle spun endlessly.
Infinite momentum, powered purely by the bonus promise.
"Go on! Captain! Get up there and bag a hat-trick!"
Even the bench players cheered passionately for the win.
I'd emphasized we were one team, promising bonuses to the subs too.
Right now, every soul at Union Berlin was united for victory.
The moment Robert Lewandowski's shot ripped into Mainz's net...
I turned to look at Jürgen Klopp.
Coincidence or not, he was staring right back.
His gaze was filled with bewilderment.
Well...
That's that, and I had to do me.
"Hoooowooooooo─!"
If I didn't steal the celebration, Levi would get sulky.
***
Jürgen Klopp couldn't hide his fluster from the second-half kickoff.
Union Berlin had gone full lunatic, rampaging even harder than the first half.
'...They're playing like this is the season finale. Did dropping out of the Pokal give them a fitness edge?'
Union Berlin's DFB-Pokal exit had its upsides.
More stamina for the starters.
But as they started dominating post-halftime, Lewandowski scored, and the game tilted fully our way.
"Hoooowooooooo─!"
Klopp let out a hollow laugh at the sight of Park Chan-hyuk sprinting to the corner flag for the celebration.
'The lineup hasn't changed much, but they're a stronger team than in the first half.'
The Union Berlin starters were identical to our previous meeting.
Yet facing them now felt tougher than that draw—because our players had grown that much.
Plus, some inexplicable reason had them running like their lives depended on it.
'What the hell did he do to make them fight like cornered animals?'
***
The match between Union Berlin and Mainz raged on.
We stole the ball with intense high pressing.
Robert Lewandowski, in possession, spotted Son Heung-min streaking into the space behind and lofted a perfect through ball.
Mainz's defenders had pushed past halfway, desperate for an equalizer.
Their keeper rushed out, abandoning the goal.
Thwack—.
Son calmly chipped the bottom of the ball, lobbing it over the keeper.
Tap.
He slotted it coolly into the empty net.
"Yeaaaaaaah!!!”
The crowd's roar exploded as Son bolted straight to the corner flag.
The clock was ticking down—end was near.
He'd burned his last energy on the sprint, legs wobbling.
But he couldn't slow down to the corner flag.
Even a second late...
The manager would steal the celebration.
Seeing Park Chan-hyuk charging the flag, Son leaped desperately.
"Hoooowooooooo─!"
"Hoooowooooooo─!"
That day, a double Hoo echoed from both corner flags.
***