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Park Jisong began to catch his breath, which had risen all the way to his chin, as the soccer ball rolled out beyond the goal line.

His body, nearing retirement, was damaged here and there, and the more he ran, the more he felt indescribable pain.

After every match, he would have to rest for days, focusing solely on recovery.

He seriously contemplated retirement every time he struggled with injuries and pain, yet he couldn’t detach himself from the field.

Playing among the best players in the best leagues brought him emotions beyond mere enjoyment.

And although he believed he had given it his all, perhaps it was the lingering regrets in his heart that held him back.

In his heart, he didn’t want to retire forever, but begin means there will eventually be an end.

Back in 2002, during the World Cup, Park Jisong was the youngest, and now he had reached the twilight of his playing career.

“Good job!”

Park Jisong spotted Son Jinho giving a thumbs-up with a shining smile just before his impending retirement.

“Ha. Those were the good times.”

Without realizing it, Park Jisong shot a gaze full of envy. He envied Son Jinho’s healthy, injury-free body and youth.

‘It’s pathetic, but…’

Watching his active junior made him proud yet jealous, and he felt sorry for the future burdened by the expectations of the nation.

Though conflicting emotions existed, well, that’s just human, right?

Anyway, the first half ended with a score of 0 to 0.

As Park Jisong entered the away team’s locker room, Alex Ferguson approached him.

“Ji!! How’s the knee?”

It was throbbing a bit, but Park Jisong answered with a smile.

“It’s no problem!”

He was confident in his ability to hold on.

***

With the first half over, came halftime.

Perhaps it was due to their 3 to 1 lead on the aggregate score?

The atmosphere in Dortmund’s locker room was quite good.

“Jinho, nice pass.”

“Kevin, your cutback was great too. Leva, your shot was a shame.”

The players praised and encouraged each other’s plays.

“Everyone did well! That first half was stellar! Of course, I did the best as the coach.”

Seeing this, Jürgen Klopp tossed a light joke to lift the spirits even higher.

“Woah─!”

“Respect the players’ rights, coach!”

“Jürgen Klopp! You have to respect us!”

“O. Jinho, you just seemed totally crazy there.”

The Dortmund players erupted in jeers at Jürgen Klopp.

Their bond resembled that of real siblings.

Even amidst silly talk, laughter bloomed in Dortmund.

“In the second half, Manchester United will be in a hurry. Well, of course. They need three more goals to reach the Champions League quarterfinals.”

As Jürgen Klopp returned to a serious expression and started issuing tactical commands, the mood shifted in an instant.

“We just need to calmly wait and strike hard the moment those pirate bastards show a weakness.”

The Dortmund players nodded at Jürgen Klopp’s words.

***

With referee Cüneyt Çakır’s whistle, the second half began.

Manchester United fiercely pressed Dortmund right from the start.

[Manchester United launching an attack, Michael Carrick looks for Wayne Rooney!]

They had to score three goals in the remaining 45 minutes, so Manchester United couldn’t help but feel anxious.

[Son Jinho intercepts the pass directed at Wayne Rooney!]

However, Manchester United’s assault hit a wall with Son Jinho, playing as a central midfielder, blocking their way like Mussolini’s army halted in the French mountains.

Jürgen Klopp’s strategy had hit the nail on the head. By deploying Son Jinho in a more defensive role instead of an attacking midfielder, they’d successfully thwarted Manchester United’s attacks.

[Dortmund launches a counterattack; Park Jisong applies pressure but Son Jinho easily shakes him off!]

As Son Jinho intercepted the ball, Dortmund swiftly countered.

[Unlike the first half, Park Jisong looks very tired. His legs appear heavy.]

[Both Son Jinho and Park Jisong were active in the first half, but of course, younger Son Jinho has better recovery.]

[Indeed, there’s a remarkable 14-year age difference between the two.]

Easily slipping away from Park Jisong’s pressure, Son Jinho spotted Marco Reus charging into the space behind Raphael.

Son Jinho’s pass, perfectly backspun, slowed just in front of Marco Reus.

“gut(good)”

Thanks to Son Jinho’s easy-to-receive pass, Marco Reus galloped forward without losing speed.

He shredded through Manchester United’s right flank and entered the penalty box.

As Marco Reus invaded the penalty area, Ferdinand rushed to defend desperately.

Marco Reus feigned a cutback, successfully deceiving Ferdinand, and unleashed a shot toward the near post, shaking the net defended by David De Gea.

“Hoooaah─!”

“Wooooah─!”

As Marco Reus scored, he pointed at Son Jinho, showcasing their harmony.

***

[Ah… After conceding, the footsteps of Manchester United players began to feel heavy.]

With the goal conceded, Manchester United’s players started to lose their fighting spirit.

[That goal practically sealed their fate. Dortmund scored one more at Signal Iduna Park, and Manchester United must now score four goals in the remaining 30 minutes.]

[A dire situation for Manchester United! But the soccer ball is round, and anything can happen!]

While the broadcasting team attempted to lift the tension, as time passed, the movements of Manchester United players rapidly slowed down.

[Ah, Park Jisong is being substituted.]

Manchester United substituted fatigued players but continued to press forward.

Yet, they couldn’t shake off Dortmund’s pressure.

Among them, the star was Son Jinho, who darted around energetically, disrupting Manchester United’s build-up.

In a performance reminiscent of an alpine squad, time ticked away meaninglessly for Son Jinho while the other Manchester United players outside the substitutes were completely exhausted.

“Jinho! You can start attacking now!”

Realizing the chances of a turnaround for Manchester United had entirely vanished, Jürgen Klopp urged Son Jinho to launch offensives.

[Son Jinho! Successfully approaches the Manchester United penalty box with a one-two pass with Mario Götze!]

Receiving a return pass from Mario Götze, Son Jinho aimed for the near post with a long-range shot.

The soccer ball whizzed past David De Gea’s fingertips, shaking the net.

[It’s in!!! Son Jinho’s fifth goal in the Champions League!! Son Jinho set a new record for the most goals by an Asian player in a single Champions League season!]

***

Meanwhile, at that moment.

“…Mom.”

“Why did you call?”

“I think the baby suddenly kicked. It might just be my imagination, right?”

As Park Jisong and his team scored, Han Gyeouri, who had been watching with tears flowing, looked at her mother, Hwang Mi-yeon, feeling the baby’s kick from her abdomen.

“You’ve grown up now. Your daughter will cheer for a different team than you.”

“It could be that I feel upset because Man U conceded, right?”

Hwang Mi-yeon wore a serious expression as she looked at her daughter, who was rebelling against her words.

“Gyeouri.”

“Yeah?”

“When I was pregnant with you, Chelsea conceded, and you kicked in my belly.”

“No way.”

Han Gyeouri, hearing this shocking truth.

[De Gea’s incredible save!! But he couldn’t clear it too far!!]

[Mario Götze!! Goooal─! Mario Götze scores a late goal just before the end of the match!!!]

As her baby seemed to kick in joy at Manchester United’s goal, she fell into despair once again.

“…It could just mean Jinho’s team is playing well, so cheer up.”

“…!! That makes sense!”

With Hwang Mi-yeon’s comfort, Han Gyeouri barely revived.

***

[Aggregate score 6 to 1, a crushing defeat for Manchester United.]

[Manchester United reveals its limits against Dortmund, the prelude to its downfall?]

[Dortmund advances to the Champions League quarterfinals, sharing the joy of victory with the crowd.]

[Arsenal allows a hat trick to Cristiano Ronaldo.]

[Right after the match, Cristiano Ronaldo comments on Son Jinho’s SNS: ‘So, who’s the best now?’]

[Son Jinho replies on Ronaldo’s SNS, ‘It’s Messi.’]

└ ㅆㅂㅋㅋ Son Jinho mentions Messi and gets blocked by Ronaldoㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

***

– Chairman Hwang Geum-soon: Lmaoㅋㅋㅋㅋ Man United got wreckedㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

– Gyeouri: Uncle got knocked out in the Round of 16 too, why are you teasing?

– Chairman Hwang Geum-soon: Well, I had a feeling Arsenal would get knocked out in the Round of 16 since the start of the season.

– Gyeouri: Ah…. Ah…

Following the solemn words of Chairman Hwang Geum-soon, the chat remained quiet for a while, without any messages besides sighs.

 

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