Chapter 35
***
The Regionalliga, Germany's current third tier and top regional league.
The Regionalliga was split into two divisions, North and South.
Union Berlin was in the Nord division (North).
In the Nord division this season, the teams finishing 1st and 2nd were directly promoted to the second division, while five teams from 15th place down were relegated back to the fourth division.
At the time, German football had abolished the promotion-relegation playoffs, and they wouldn't be brought back until the 2008/2009 season.
Anyway, the Regionalliga was the final step before breaking into the professional ranks, so the competition was fiercer than you'd expect.
'Hertha Berlin's reserve team, huh....'
And unlike the fourth division, from the third division upward you could run into reserve teams belonging to first-division clubs.
The only good thing for Union Berlin was that they didn't have to face Bayern Munich's reserve team.
'Running into Bayern Munich's reserves in FM was hell. In real life, it'd probably be even worse.'
Bayern Munich, which collected talent from all over Germany, made even its reserve team a disaster.
'Seriously, they're a reserve team, so why are they working so hard when they can't even get promoted?'
I complained, sure, but the Bayern Munich reserve players were also doing their best to earn promotion to the first team, so it couldn't be helped.
'Come to think of it, wasn't Dortmund's reserve team in the Nord Regionalliga?'
Just as the South Regionalliga had Bayern Munich, an entrenched old powerhouse,
the Nord Regionalliga had a team called Dortmund, but unfortunately Dortmund at this time was in poor shape even at the first-team level because of financial problems.
'If they were in the first division, I would've scooped up those Dortmund prospects left and right. Shame.'
Anyway, a lot of people expect reserve teams to be strong, but in reality that's not the case.
While third-division teams aim for promotion, reserve teams are focused on player development, so there's a huge gap in motivation.
In other words, aside from Bayern Munich, whose class gap was on another level entirely, reserve teams are one of the easier opponents in the third division.
For that reason, a lot of 'experts' predicted a Union Berlin win in the match against Hertha Berlin II.
As I looked at the odds for Hertha Berlin and Union Berlin, a fresh idea suddenly crossed my mind.
'...I probably shouldn't bet, right?'
It was a night that brought to mind Ivan Toney, the GOAT of self-motivation.
***
Hertha Berlin.
If the future Union Berlin represented East Berlin, Hertha Berlin represented West Berlin.
Though the two clubs were called the Berlin derby, unfortunately Hertha Berlin and Union Berlin didn't have much of a rivalry.
Union Berlin fans hated Hoffenheim and Leipzig, who ignored the Bundesliga's traditional 50+1 rule, even more than they hated Hertha Berlin.
'Come to think of it, those two are hated by all Bundesliga fans.'
Anyway.
Hertha Berlin was a club based in Berlin, Germany's capital, but it wasn't a popular team.
Even though it was the only first-division club among the countless Berlin teams.
Even the first team was in that state, so the reserve team was naturally even worse.
The stadium was packed with Union Berlin jerseys. Even at Hertha Berlin's home ground, Union Berlin fans' jerseys stood out more.
"Union! Union! Union!"
Listening to Union Berlin's chant ringing in my ears, I looked at Hertha Berlin's reserve-team players.
'As expected of prospects under a professional club, their potential really is impressive.'
Honestly, I was amazed. Hertha Berlin's youth team had that many players with outstanding potential.
'But most of them are players I've never even heard of.'
But in the end, I could count on one hand the players there I'd actually heard of.
When a player doesn't develop as well as expected, there are all sorts of factors—lack of effort, injuries, and so on—so it's hard to say what the cause is.
'No, that guy looks like he'd be great as a fullback. Why is he playing winger?'
But when you see a player who'd blossom in another position, you can't help wanting to chime in.
"Ah. That's not how a manager does it..."
***
Hertha Berlin's coach did not underestimate Union Berlin.
[Union Berlin, despite being a newly promoted team, a strong promotion candidate....]
Just as the experts had named Union Berlin a strong promotion candidate, they were no pushover now.
Even though they were in the fourth division, Union Berlin's manager Thomas Tuchel and assistant coach Park Chan-hyeok had proven their worth.
A 23-match unbeaten run in the league was not something luck alone could achieve. It needed skill to back it up.
'A third-division club got invited? I guess things like this happen when the assistant coach is Asian.'
And I heard they also played a good match against a professional team from an Asian league during preseason.
'I have no idea what level Asian professional teams are at.'
Since Hertha Berlin had no data on Asian football teams, it couldn't objectively assess Osung Redwings' strength.
Although Asian countries did well at the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, there was still a strong sense that home advantage played a major role.
'Even if they're a professional team, they're Asian, so a lower-half second-division side should be about right, I guess?'
Since there were so few Asian players who had made a name for themselves in Europe, racist attitudes also existed.
'Then Union Berlin should be thought of as a top-of-the-table third-division team.'
Hertha Berlin's coach settled on his assessment of Union Berlin and prepared for the match accordingly.
[Unbelievable! Union Berlin are completely overwhelming them!]
But contrary to his expectations, Union Berlin were the stronger team.
The players were similar in ability, but there was a huge difference in mentality as they went into the match.
Union Berlin's players were bound together by fierce determination, while Hertha Berlin's prospects had no choice but to shrink back under Union Berlin's momentum.
It couldn't be helped.
Unlike other teams that were aiming for victory and promotion, reserve teams were about developing good players who could be used in the first team at any time and managing their fitness.
And then, 30 minutes into the first half.
[It's in! Yannick Voigt's opener! Union Berlin take the lead thanks to Yannick Voigt's opening goal!]
The difference in mentality between the two teams produced the result.
***
The match between Hertha Berlin and Union Berlin was one-sided in Union Berlin's favor.
Union Berlin, having boosted their morale with a strong showing against Osung Redwings in preseason, penned Hertha Berlin's reserve team into their own half and battered them.
A short while after Yannick Voigt's shot rippled the net.
[Union Berlin win back possession once again!]
Union Berlin succeeded in winning the ball back through their high press.
"Jaaaaa! Crush those little bastards!"
"We destroy everything that oppresses us!"
"Fuck the East German government! Fuck Dynamo! Fuck the Stasi!"
The away fans' cheers rang out.
'Why the hell are they yelling at us?'
Hertha Berlin's prospects were cowed by the Union Berlin fans' crazed chanting.
[Yannick Voigt is making a run in behind! Hertha Berlin still haven't reset their defensive line! They're in trouble!]
The moment they stole the ball, Union Berlin launched a counterattack.
[Yannick Voigt! He's sprinting toward Hertha Berlin's half at incredible speed, like he's on fast-forward!]
Hertha Berlin's players hurriedly tried to reorganize their defensive line, but
[Yannick Voigt! He shoots right away!]
Union Berlin's attack finished even faster than that.
[No! It's a pass, a pass!]
Yannick Voigt's cutback found Thomas Meyer, who had entered the penalty area a beat late.
[Thomas Meyer is making the run! He shoots!]
Thomas Meyer didn't miss the chance that came his way.
[Goooooal—! Thomas Meyer doesn't miss this time and scores! 2-0! Union Berlin strike again!!]
└ Wow, holy shit, Union Berlin are just crushing them.
└ It wasn't that Osung did badly. Union was just that strong.
└ What? Osung Redwings lost in the exhibition match?
└ Damn it. Osung beat Union, you bastards. Why does everyone think Osung lost?
└ Osung won, right? Why did I think they lost?
└ A hard-fought 2-1 win over a third-division team is basically a loss....
***
Meanwhile, at the same time.
'I want to celebrate too.'
Park Chan-hyeok, sitting on the bench with a cast on his leg, couldn't stand the boredom and called Thomas Tuchel over.
"Thomas, come here."
"What is it?"
Thomas Tuchel approached with a puzzled expression at Park Chan-hyeok's call.
"Let's do well."
He couldn't hide his confusion at Park Chan-hyeok's sudden words.
"What?"
"I just mean let's do well."
That day.
"...Have you perhaps seriously injured your head while practicing celebrations?"
Thomas Tuchel was genuinely worried about Park Chan-hyeok.