Chapter 112
The moment Lee Seong-jae's header found the back of the net, the South Korean commentators erupted in cheers.
“Goooooooooal! It's in! Lee Seong-jae! Lee Seong-jae's debut goal!”
Likewise, congratulatory comments poured into the soccer article on a famous portal site.
[Lee Seong-jae Scores a Bundesliga Debut Goal!]
└ Kya ㅅㅅㅅㅅㅅㅅㅅ I've been pissed watching those Japanese bastards do well lately, but this feels great.
└ Union Berlin? These guys just play good football.
└ Personally, I think it's fucking ridiculous when people say Park Chan-hyuk only succeeds because of his players. He's the hottest manager around, lol.
└ That's mostly Park Chan-hyuk antis talking shit.
└ Yeah~ While you're posting hate from your rooms, Park Chan-hyuk is managing in the Bundesliga~
└ Wow… but being a Bundesliga manager in your early twenties is one hell of a career.
Recently, South Korean football fans had been feeling a sense of crisis.
That was because Japan had been aggressively courting Park Chan-hyuk.
[Union Berlin Actively Cooperates with the Japanese Football Association.]
└ Huh? Berlin and Tokyo are meeting…?
└ Anti-communist pact;;
└ Ah, I don't like the idea of more Japanese players joining Union Berlin.
└ This is what being a traitor looks like, not the other stuff.
└ Traitor Park Chan-hyuk OUT.
└ No, if Asians perform on the European stage, that's a good thing, isn't it…?
└ Exactly. Asian players need to keep performing consistently in Europe for other teams to recruit them.
└ In fact, after Son Heung-min made a successful debut, Germany started sending a lot of scouts to Korea as well.
Some soccer fans complained about the increasing number of Japanese players, but they couldn't help being convinced by Park Chan-hyuk's subsequent interview.
[Park Chan-hyuk on the Pro-Japanese Controversy…. “The moment I make a choice that harms the club, my standing as a Korean manager will fall. As a Korean manager, I have to represent Korea to European football clubs and prepare for the day a second Park Chan-hyuk emerges, so I must work to show them only the best I can.”]
Park Chan-hyuk's words were right in every respect.
Of course, that didn't mean soccer fans stopped cursing him just because he was right,
The haters started trashing Park, even spreading false information.
There was no special reason they acted this way.
People didn't need as big a reason as you might think to hate someone.
[Park Chan-hyuk Announces Lawsuits Against Haters for Malicious Comments and Spreading False Information, Retains Jang & Jang….]
Thus, the haters naturally began entering life on hard mode.
Anyway.
“The match will restart with Hamburg's kickoff!”
With Union Berlin holding a one-goal lead, the match restarted with Hamburg's kickoff.
└ Why is there dust on Park Chan-hyuk's clothes?
└ No idea? Did he fall trying to steal the celebration?
Having taken the lead against Hamburg thanks to Lee Seong-jae's opening goal,
Union Berlin played with a little more breathing room.
“The two teams fought fiercely, but the first half is ending without another goal.”
Both Union Berlin and Hamburg tried their luck with shots, but neither managed to find the net again during the remaining time,
and the first half ended with Union Berlin leading 1–0.
***
The first half ended, and halftime followed.
“Second half! We drop our line from the start.”
During halftime in the locker room, I passionately explained the tactics to the players.
“Hamburg will grow more anxious as time passes while searching for an equalizer, and then the gap between their defense and midfield will widen. We'll watch for the right moment, then boom—counterattack!”
The players nodded at the clean, no-frills tactical explanation.
In truth, being a manager was a job where confidence mattered more than one might think.
I had to give confidence to players who took the field trusting their manager.
When finishing a speech, it was best to speak decisively, just as I had now.
Well. Even if my prediction of the opponent's tactics was wrong, it didn't matter.
‘The players can't see the big picture during the match anyway.’
And as a match progressed, only a handful of players remembered what their manager had said during halftime.
That was because tactics constantly changed through the sport's interaction with the opposing team.
When a match ended in victory, the players would have received at least dozens of instructions,
and some of those instructions would contradict one another.
As a result, it was rare for a player to remember what the manager had said at halftime.
‘In the first place, it's hard to challenge the manager over tactics.’
Anyway.
The second half continued.
Union Berlin gradually dropped its line and devoted itself to defending against Hamburg's fierce attacks.
In fact, a defensive-first, counterattacking-later tactic was quite difficult to implement.
The core of this tactic was building a shield that couldn't be pierced no matter what.
‘And it's a tactic that suits the current Union Berlin well.’
Unlike last season, when defense had been its weakness, Union Berlin had clearly become a team whose strength was its defense this season,
and its forwards were using their speed—among the fastest in the Bundesliga—as their main weapon.
The fact that Union Berlin was racing at the top of the league this season was also
largely thanks to the performances of the defenders signed this season.
There's a reason people say that attack brings the crowds and defense brings victories.
Last season, Union Berlin drew in the crowds with its attacking football,
but this season, it was challenging for the title on the strength of its improved defense.
‘Besides, the attack hasn't exactly gotten weaker compared to last season.’
When Union Berlin won the league title this season,
many things would change, starting with the club's stature.
‘And if we achieve good results next season as well, we might even earn the title of Bayern Munich's rival.’
If that happened, we could become Munich in the south and Berlin in the north.
Anyway.
Time passed quickly, and everything went according to plan.
As the Hamburg players grew more anxious with the passage of time, they began forcibly pushing their line higher,
and Union Berlin created threatening chances through counterattacks.
But as the end of the match drew near, I began to grow anxious.
‘……What if I really don't get to do a celebration this time?’
For reference, I truly hadn't intended to steal Lee Seong-jae's celebration in the first half.
Of course, if Lee Seong-jae had scored in the second half, I would have run over without hesitation.
But unfortunately, Lee Seong-jae's goal had come early in the first half,
and since there was plenty of time remaining, I had thought another goal would come.
‘……Should I have just stolen his debut-goal celebration without hesitating then?’
I began to feel a little regret over not rushing out because my conscience had stopped me.
‘I was too conscientious and ended up missing out for no reason…!’
While I was feeling this sincere regret from the bottom of my heart,
the voices of Union Berlin's fans gradually began growing louder.
The counterattack Union Berlin launched after stopping Hamburg's attack had begun.
Luka Modrić's pass went toward Lewandowski, and Lewandowski sent it on with one touch toward a Union Berlin player making a run into the penalty area.
“Shoot!!”
I shouted toward the Union Berlin player making a run into the penalty area.
And a moment later.
The ball left the Union Berlin player's foot and shook the net.
Sway─!
“Jaaaaaaaaa!”
At the same moment the ball found the net, the roar of the Union Berlin supporters rang out.
“Yannick Voigt! Fußballgott!!”
The scorer was none other than Yannick Voigt.
Once I confirmed the scorer, I sprinted toward the corner flag at full speed without the slightest hesitation.
‘……But is that where the Union Berlin fans are?’
For a split second.
I wondered whether I was going the right way, but
even if it wasn't the right way, it was already too late to turn back.
If I stopped here, Yannick Voigt would certainly ‘steal’ the celebration from me.
‘What matters is having a shamelessness great enough to deceive even myself.’
I leaped high into the sky from the corner flag.
***
The Hamburg fans watching the match from the stands couldn't hide their shock at the sight of Park Chan-hyuk.
“…He flew…?”
Park Chan-hyuk had soared high into the sky and taken a running start in midair.
The sight was enough to remind them of Michael Jordan in his prime.
Park Chan-hyuk performed his air-walking routine, spinning his hands around in midair, then
crossed his arms and landed on the ground.
“Hooooooow─!”
Even the Hamburg fans were captivated by Park Chan-hyuk's beautiful celebration,
“That fucking bastard!!!”
“Boooooo!! Get out of here, you bastard!”
and they cheered without even realizing it.
“Hmm. Was it the other side, not this one?”
Park Chan-hyuk nodded as he looked at the trash raining down.
***
[Gooooooooooooal─! Goooooooooal─! It's Yannick Voigt's insurance goal!!]
[Yannick Voigt's clinching goal just before the end of the match!]
[Ah! Just as I was saying it, Park Chan-hyuk is running! He's running! At incredible speed!]
[And..!!]
“Hooooooow─!”
[Hoo! Park Chan-hyuk's celebration is ringing out!!]
[Huh? Wait a moment, isn't that where the Hamburg fans are?]
[Oh. An object is being thrown onto the pitch.]
[Manager Park Chan-hyuk is eventually booked by the referee.]
└ Lmaooooooooooo
└ Why does this bastard Park Chan-hyuk look so aggrieved? lololol