Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: 08/09 Preseason -4
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***
Meanwhile, at that very moment.
Soccer fans who had come to watch the Union Berlin vs. Oseong Red Wings match live were plunged into shock.
The gap in level between Union Berlin and Oseong Red Wings was far wider than they had imagined.
Oseong Red Wings was a team with real pedigree in Korea, nicknamed Oseong Madrid.
Korean league soccer fans had thought they could put up a good fight against the newly promoted Bundesliga side Union Berlin.
Those who had consistently followed Union Berlin's games knew the team possessed substantial firepower, but for others, the perception was strong that Union Berlin was just a second-division team at best.
In reality, Union Berlin's players were unknowns to Korean league soccer fans—they'd neither heard of nor seen them before.
But as soon as the match kicked off, Union Berlin unleashed a brutal massacre.
[(Live) Union Berlin 6 : 0 Oseong Red Wings.]
└ Whoa, is this level gap for real?
└ Six goals conceded in the first half alone lolololol
└ This is last year's Korean league champions, right?
└ Bundesliga 2nd division title >>>>>>> Korean league title?
└ Nah. It's just that Union Berlin is insanely strong.
└ You could tell just from their DFB-Pokal game against Bayern Munich. These guys were always beyond 2nd division level.
└ Holy shit, where are all those idiots who said Park Chan-hyuk couldn't manage a Bundesliga team?
└ All buried in the ground.
└ Player quality, right?
└ Developing players is part of a manager's skill. How many of those guys have you even heard of?
└ Fair point. Scouting and developing players well is managerial talent.
└ And the tactical gap is huge too. Oseong can't do a damn thing against Union Berlin.
Meanwhile, the managers who had badmouthed Park Chan-hyuk started getting flak from soccer fans.
They pulled every connection they had to push out articles as favorable to them as possible.
[Netizens, the squad market values are worlds apart. Union Berlin's big win was inevitable.]
└ You a journalist on the association's payroll?
└ Union Berlin's players aren't even that expensive...
└ They have Cafu, doesn't that make them pricey?
└ Dude, Cafu is 38... Park Chan-hyuk lured the retired guy back to play.
└ Even with a value gap, how do you explain a 6-0 scoreline?
└ Make that 7-0. They just gave up another on a penalty right after halftime started.
└ Sigh... we're screwed. For real.
└ Ah. Please, Chan-hyuk hyung, stop thrashing our team ㅠㅠ Why take it out on us ㅠㅠ
└ Wow... it's kinda hilarious thinking we're lucky we didn't finish 1st in the league last season.
But public opinion among soccer fans didn't shift easily.
The match had been so overwhelmingly one-sided that no half-baked media spin could turn it around.
***
The second half of the Union Berlin vs. Oseong Red Wings match followed the same one-sided flow.
"Ah.... The ref's pointed to the spot! Penalty to Union Berlin!"
"The taker is Yannick Foigt!"
"The ref's blown the whistle! Yannick Foigt is charging forward─!!"
"GOOOAAAL─! It's in! 7-0! Union Berlin makes it 7-0!"
Union Berlin added one right at the start of the second half, then kept the goals coming.
"Cafu's cross! Lewandowski lays it off! Yannick Foigt unleashes a right-footed shot!"
"Aaah─! It's in! Goal!!!"
"Oseong Red Wings concede their 8th. What is happening here! Oseong Red Wings are completely crumbling at their home stadium!"
"Sigh.... This is a tactical mismatch from the get-go."
"Union Berlin puts eight past last season's league leaders Oseong...."
"Yes, it seems Manager Park Chan-hyuk came with his mind made up."
Union Berlin continued their scoring spree.
"......At this rate, they're gonna cry. Shouldn't we ease up now?"
"Should we slow the tempo? Yeah. It's a friendly—let's not burn too much energy."
Union Berlin's players tried to dial back the tempo looking at Oseong Red Wings' shell-shocked faces.
"Don't slow down! Keep pushing!"
But every time Union Berlin players deliberately eased off, a bellow came from the touchline.
Behind them stood Park Chan-hyuk, still hungry for more.
- Nine goals... Nine goals for Union Berlin.
And shortly after.
- Ah...! Thiago Silva adds another. Union Berlin hits double digits.
Only after Thiago Silva netted his debut goal from a corner kick to make it 10 did Park Chan-hyuk finally nod in satisfaction.
***
The moment the Union Berlin vs. Oseong Red Wings score hit 10-0.
I instructed the players to show some mercy.
Seeing Oseong's players with their mentality in tatters softened me up.
"Whew.... Yeah, what fault do those guys have? It's all on the incompetent adults."
"......Now you say that?"
Daniel Teixeira gave me a dubious look after overhearing my mutter, but I stood tall.
When, where else.
Would they ever feel the full force of a Bundesliga team's punch?
This match would surely be a valuable experience for the Oseong Red Wings players too.
'The Club World Cup format change might let them face it someday, but that's still a ways off.'
Anyway.
Slowing the tempo wasn't just pity for Oseong's players—it was also to reduce injury risk for Union Berlin's squad.
'It's preseason. No need to push too hard.'
Today's game was a preseason friendly.
Team priorities over personal grudges.
Following my orders, Union Berlin gradually slowed their attacking tempo, and I subbed off the fatigued players.
Just before full time, Oseong Red Wings managed a consolation goal.
But the game was already long decided.
And soon after, the whistle blew.
I approached Oseong Red Wings' players, who looked on the verge of tears, and offered some comfort.
"Lift your heads."
Oseong Red Wings had quite a few players who would later stream on personal broadcasts or YouTube.
I was getting a head start on image management for the future.
"Losing to a strong team isn't shameful."
I manufactured a heartwarming story that those players would recount for years to come.
"You're not weak. We're just strong."
Hm. That ought to console them plenty.
***
[Union Berlin crushes Oseong Red Wings 10-1.]
[Oseong Red Wings suffer shocking defeat.]
[Match exposes gap between European and Asian soccer levels.]
[Union Berlin's Manager Park Chan-hyuk doesn't hold back on Korean soccer: "A manager's role demands constant study of tactics...."]
***
Having instilled some urgency into Korean soccer, Union Berlin wrapped up their preseason tour successfully.
But calls for reform from the public didn't emerge as strongly as expected.
Well, that made sense enough.
The memories of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup were still fresh.
It was regrettable, but as a Korean, I didn't raise my voice demanding soccer association reform.
‘......No need to tarnish my image with the public.’
Sure, I'd love to see Korea do well at the World Cup.
But with missions still uncleared, I had my own nose to worry about first.
Anyway.
Union Berlin finished up in Korea and returned to Germany.
***
[Thomas Tuchel goes unbeaten in UEFA Cup qualifiers, secures group stage spot.]
[Bayern Munich falls 2-1 to Dortmund in Supercup....]
[Jürgen Klopp claims first trophy of his career with win over Bayern Munich.]
***
Back in Berlin, Union Berlin prepared for their league opener.
Their first opponent: Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga's (former) despair.
"You okay with this? It's Bayern Munich."
"First game in Munich? Suits me fine."
The chairman, staff, players, and fans all voiced concerns that the opening opponent was too tough for a top-flight debut.
[Union Berlin's Manager Park Chan-hyuk brims with confidence for victory.... "Munich without Tuchel isn't last season's Munich."]
But I was brimming with confidence in victory.
No—overflowing to the point I was pondering how to win.
‘Beat them too hard, and Jürgen Klinsmann gets sacked early. Gotta take it easy. Light 3-0 maybe?’
Time flew by from there.
Match day for Union Berlin vs. Bayern Munich arrived.
At Bayern Munich's home, Allianz Arena, Philipp Lahm greeted me with a face that screamed reality check.
Patting his shoulder gently as if in understanding, I broached carefully.
"Philipp, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
It was a proposal that would normally be laughed off, but right now, it might just persuade him.