Chapter 125
– Gyeouri: Ugh! I was worried for nothing because of the Glazers!
As the news of Ferguson’s retirement reversal spread, the worry that Ferguson might leave Manchester United faded away, and Han Gyeouri came back to life.
Through Ferguson’s interview, it seemed Manchester United had escaped the pit of despair.
But that didn’t mean I wasn’t worried.
First and foremost, what I was most concerned about was Alex Ferguson’s health.
Being a football manager is a huge workload and a job that brings immense stress.
Just look at Ralph Rangnick and Jürgen Klopp, who have both suffered from burnout.
In fact, Jürgen Klopp had to undergo a hair transplant earlier this year, and due to the struggles he faced as Liverpool’s coach, his hair had turned back into a wasteland.
“Hmm… Is it the thousand-year-old ginseng?”
I thought of Jürgen Klopp’s flying hair and naturally worried about the elderly Ferguson’s health.
It’s five years from now, but didn’t Ferguson’s doctor ask him not to attend Manchester United’s matches?
Well, at that time, the performance of Manchester United was enough to make fans of all ages clutch their necks in despair.
Still, winning must happen as soon as possible, before health issues with Ferguson become a bigger problem.
Additionally, another concern was that football tactics were evolving rapidly compared to the past.
From Rinus Michels’ Total Football to Cruyff’s style and the pressing tactics of Sacchi, it eventually led to Guardiola’s positional play and Klopp’s gegenpressing.
As technology progressed, it began to be integrated into the sports industry.
Whether Alex Ferguson would adapt to such changes was uncertain.
On top of that, the aging of defenders added to the situation, meaning the team needed to go through a rebuild.
I was a bit worried that health issues might arise faster than in our original history…
But whatever happened, the fact that they had gotten rid of the ‘muppet’ problems made the situation better than the original history.
“If it were the original history’s muppets, it would be a miracle to make it past the quarter-finals, let alone winning the Champions League.”
Well, anyway.
With a slightly more calm mind, I headed to Bayern Munich’s home stadium, Allianz Arena, to face Bayern Munich in the DFB-Pokal quarter-finals.
***
[(Sports now) DFB-Pokal Quarter-finals Bayern Munich 0 : 0 Dortmund. Before the match starts.]
└ Today’s Ho-woo chance? I’m experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
└ Totally possible, my bro is strong in big matches.
└ Damn, what is this Ho-woo withdrawal syndrome? LOL
└ I wanna shout Ho-woo at dawn, that’s my condition.
└ Damn, isn’t that mental illness? LOL
└ There’s this YouTube video where someone shouts Ho-woo during a class. The whole school echoed with it, LOL.
└ Damn, is it Hoari? LOL
└ Isn’t Hoari less fitting than Hoooling? LOL
└ Hoooling, damn, LOL
└ Guys, it’s a one-off match, why is it at Bayern’s home ground?
└ For a pro team vs pro team, the team drawn first is the home team.
└ Oh, thanks.
└ But honestly, I don’t get it. Shouldn’t it be like the Champions League where there are two matches, home and away, and the total score decides? This is pure luck-based.
└ Yeah, luck is also a skill~
└ How is luck a skill?
└ Luck is also a skill. The saying “7 luck, 3 skill” isn’t for nothing.
└ Woah;; damn, I’ve never seen anyone talk about luck-seven skill-three like that.
└ Is it ‘cause you got nothing to say, so you pick at me?
– The starting lineup is out, Son Jinho starts. –
└ My bro is starting! Ho-woo-woo-woo─!
└ Ho-woo-woo-woo-woo─!
└ But for someone like Son Jinho, wouldn’t he be a starter on any team?
└ For real, at 18, being World Best is insane.
└ ???: Son Jinho is only third on our team.
└ FIFA World Best, do you look down on it? What kind of garbage is saying that?
└ Barcelona’s vice president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, said about Son Jinho’s transfer rumors, ‘Son Jinho is only third in our team.’
└ Ah. They’re right about Barcelona;;
└ Damn LOL, is it Woodeeru? The tactics are going to shit ㅋㅋ
└ But don’t Xavi and Iniesta have their ages? Are they not thinking of a generational shift?
└ They’ll probably bring someone up from La Masia.
└ By the way, why does Barcelona’s vice president look like someone I wanna punch?
└ That face looks so familiar as hell.
└ Isn’t it that old Jin-go from Doraemon?
└ Damn, Jin-go LOL
└ Wow, he really looks just like Jin-go LOL
***
As the match time approached, Bayern Munich’s home fans filled the stadium.
This DFB-Pokal quarter-final match’s opponent for Bayern Munich was Dortmund, their strongest rival this season.
Winning this match would essentially mean they had climbed the eight parts of the Pokal championship.
Bayern Munich’s fans fervently supported their players, hoping for victory.
With the fans’ enthusiastic cheers, Allianz Arena began to heat up.
“Have confidence! This season, we’re showing the best performances.”
Right as the players were about to head to the entrance tunnel, Jupp Heynckes encouraged the Bayern Munich players.
Bayern Munich, who had shown weak performances against Dortmund for the past two years, was confident about today’s match.
“And Schwein and Javi! Make sure Jinho can’t even breathe!’
Although Ribery was suspended for slapping Gu Jachil in the DFB-Pokal Round of 16, the team was already prepared.
“Pack ma’s!!! (Let’s go!)
The confident voices of Bayern Munich’s players echoed in the locker room as they entered the field.
Beeep─!
As the whistle blew, the match started simultaneously with Schweinsteiger and Javi Martínez working hard to block Son Jinho’s passing lanes.
The fierce battle in midfield quickly led to the end of the first half, and in the 15th minute of the second half.
[Bayern Munich goes on the counterattack! Toni Kroos delivers a cross!]
As Lewandowski’s shot was blocked by Dante’s fierce defense, Bayern’s signature fast and lethal wing attack unfolded.
[A sharp cross fitting the name!!]
In front of the goal, amidst the chaos, Mario Gómez’s header hit the crossbar and bounced back.
[Headeeer─!! Hits the crossbar!! Mario Gómez’s header hits the crossbar!]
As the rebounded ball was pushed into the goal by Arjen Robben, they scored the first goal successfully.
Sway.
After confirming that Dortmund’s net was shaking, Jupp Heynckes smiled briefly and nodded seriously.
[Goal─! It’s in!! Arjen Robben!! The assassin of the old age! Arjen Robben scores the opener!!]
[Roman Weidenfeller showed a good performance today, but luck wasn’t on his side! In the midst of a chaotic situation in front of the goal, the ball that hit the post happened to fall right in front of Robben. Arjen Robben calmly steps in and pushes the ball into the net!]
[Bayern Munich starts to gain the lead with Arjen Robben’s goal!]
***
With Arjen Robben’s goal, Dortmund began to fall behind.
[Dortmund’s player substitution is coming.]
Jürgen Klopp immediately pulled out a substitution card. Nuri Şahin came on for Sven Bender.
İlkay Gündoğan became more offensive, but due to Bayern Munich’s strong pressing, Dortmund could not create any real opportunities.
As the game clock reached the 44th minute of the second half.
Jupp Heynckes substituted offensive midfielder Thomas Müller for defensive midfielder Luiz Gustavo to lock things down.
Dortmund kept knocking at FC Bayern Munich’s door.
But Bayern Munich showcased tremendous defensive concentration in this match.
Even when the Dortmund players breached their defenses, Bayern Munich’s backline didn’t lose focus.
Even if they fell, they would quickly get up and charge forward with pressure; Bayern Munich.
Thanks to this fighting spirit of Bayern Munich, the added time flowed by effortlessly.
[The additional time has ended, and it’s extra time of the added time!]
Just before the match concluded, Dortmund was granted their last attacking opportunity.
Seeing the Bayern Munich players filling the penalty box in Son Jinho’s line of sight.
“Damn. What an unplayable setup.”
Son Jinho cursed under his breath without realizing it.
Realizing there was no suitable passing option, Son Jinho chose to dribble through.
[Dribbling Son Jinho! Schweinsteiger sticks to him! Son Jinho!! He shakes off Schweinsteiger!!]
As soon as he evaded Schweinsteiger, Son Jinho checked his teammates around him and delivered a pass using his heel.
Just before Daniel van Buyten could clear Son Jinho’s backheel pass, Marco Reus, who intercepted it a step ahead, managed to sneak into the penalty box.
Realizing there was no angle to shoot, Marco Reus immediately tried a cutback.
Marco Reus’s cutback leads to Robert Lewandowski.
Bang─!
Seeing the ball approaching him, Lewandowski processed it nonstop.
Sway─!
The shot pierced through Manuel Neuer and tore the net.
[Go, goooool!! Dortmund’s dramatic equalizer just before the end of the match!! The game returns to square one!!!]