My Girlfriend Wants Victory

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Dortmund vs Hamburg’s Korean Derby showdown.

[Dortmund is on track to achieve an undefeated record in 34 Bundesliga matches. Will they tie Hamburg’s 35-game unbeaten record?]

While Germany and Dortmund fans’ attention was on Dortmund’s tie record of 35 games unbeaten.

[Title: Please let this Korean Derby unfold this time.]

└ It feels like the Korean Derby isn’t shaping up well.

└ My brother is a firm starter, but the other players are still finding their place in the team…

└ Still, it looks like a Korean Derby will happen this time. Son Heung-min has solidified his position in the team.

The main concern of South Korean soccer fans was whether Son Heung-min and Son Jinho would participate.

To be precise, it was mainly about Son Heung-min’s participation.

While Son Jinho sailed through his studies in Dortmund without issue, Son Heung-min faced many hardships and adversities.

Just when he seemed to win in the starter competition, an injury would strike, or he would argue with his teammate, Serbian defender Rajković.

[The broadcast time for the Korean Derby between Dortmund and Hamburg, which showcases the future of South Korean soccer, is at 10 PM!]

Given that it was a showdown between two players viewed as the future of South Korean soccer, interest in Korea was intense.

The Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL), which operates, licenses, and markets the Bundesliga as a subordinate agency of the German Football Association, accommodated South Korean soccer fans by adjusting the game time.

Since the DFL is responsible for Bundesliga licensing and broadcasting rights, it couldn’t ignore the requests of South Korean broadcasters who purchased the broadcasting rights.

Adjusting the game time to cater to South Korean broadcasting did not mean a loss for the DFL.

If the popularity of the Bundesliga rises in Korea, they could sell broadcasting rights at a higher value.

[Jürgen Klopp comments on the game time controversy. ‘We lost Kagawa Shinji to the Premier League. The only reason Tottenham, a team not competitive for the title, fetched Kagawa was the Japanese culture that regards the Premier League as the pinnacle. The Bundesliga must develop further to prevent losing players to other leagues. Increases in interest from abroad in the Bundesliga should be something Germans take pride in.’]

If daytime matches are consistently assigned, there could be complaints from the coach, just like during Lee Kang-jin’s time at Mallorca.

However, there were no major complaints yet. In fact, Dortmund seemed to actively support the DFL’s decisions, possibly due to the shock of having lost Kagawa Shinji to Tottenham Hotspur.

As the game time approached, South Korean soccer fans turned their eyes towards the broadcasting channel.

[Title: Son Heung-min starts!]

Let’s go for the Korean Derby!

└ Is Son Jinho starting?

└ What? I only wrote this after seeing the starting list for Hong-min.

└ Ah, haha, if Jürgen Klopp has any sense, he would start him.

└ For real haha, I was looking forward to seeing Hong-min starting, but if my brother doesn’t start, I might just faint.

***

[Bundesliga Round 4! We will be broadcasting the match between Hamburg and Dortmund. Both Son Jinho and Son Heung-min are starting, and the Korean Derby is on!]

[That’s right. Although Son Jinho has retired from the national team due to manipulation by the Football Association, isn’t he still the future of South Korean soccer?]

└ …He’s saying this outright? It’s refreshing, but shouldn’t the brother also safeguard his livelihood!

[Yes? Yes. Indeed. Ah! Just as I was saying! The referee blows the whistle, and the match begins! Here in Hamburg’s home stadium, Volksparkstadion, the rivalry between two players regarded as the future of South Korean soccer unfolds!]

└ So flustered hahahaha

└ Wow… That pressing is insane hahahaha

└ Watching Son Jinho’s pressing is hilarious hahahaha

└ Ugh… Suddenly feels terrible. If my brother was not a rookie but a world-class player, they probably wouldn’t have sacrificed him like this. He wouldn’t have retired from the national team either.

└ There’s no way that would happen hahaha

└ Seems like you hold the Football Association in too high regard hahaha

└ Seriously hahaha it doesn’t matter if they’re world-class or not; would they twist their bodies just to sacrifice someone?

***

Dortmund’s tactics are consistent. They push up and press the opponent fiercely.

With aggressive pressing, the backspace naturally becomes vulnerable.

As other teams in the Bundesliga gradually get accustomed to gegenpressing, they began to exploit this weakness.

Hamburg shook Dortmund’s net with a sharp attack just two minutes into the game.

Dortmund allowed Raphael van der Vaart to exploit the wide space on the left side and temporarily lost track of Son Heung-min, who was rushing into the penalty box.

Flop─!

Hyung-min changed the direction of Raphael van der Vaart’s cross with his forehead and scored.

As he had stated he was a fan of Ronaldo in his childhood, Hyung-min shared a similar playing style to Ronaldo.

He was somewhat cautious about duels due to trauma from injuries; however, at this moment, he was an excellent header.

“Our son is going to smash Dortmund!”

Regardless, as Dortmund’s net shook, Hamburg’s home fans stood up, erupting in cheers and flares.

As the second year of the Bundesliga rolled around.

It started to feel disappointing when Hyung-min didn’t score.

“Hooouuuuuuu─!”

As soon as he scored, Hyung-min ran to the corner flag and mimicked my celebration.

His voice screaming “Hoo” was filled with a bit of pent-up frustration.

Hmm.

Maybe I teased him too much in the past.

***

Having scored early in the first half, Hamburg dropped back and actively targeted Dortmund’s backspace.

Dortmund’s defenders, fearing the opened gap behind, hesitated to raise the line. Naturally, the intensity of Dortmund’s pressing weakened.

[Raphael van der Vaart on the ball, he sees Son Heung-min!]

[Son Heung-min is rapidly penetrating into Dortmund’s backspace! But Mats Hummels is a step ahead and clears the ball!]

As Dortmund’s pressing weakened, Hamburg could present the plays they had prepared.

[Ah! Unfortunately, the attack went awry, but it showcased Son Heung-min’s strengths.]

[That’s right. He has fast speed and frighteningly accurate finishing skills, and he can use both feet like Dortmund’s Son Jinho.]

Based on his signature speed, Son Heung-min actively aimed for Dortmund’s net.

[Yes. And today, Son Heung-min seems unusually light on his feet.]

The performances of Son Heung-min against defending champions Dortmund began to inspire both South Korean soccer fans and commentators.

[Just as I was saying, Son Jinho has possession of the ball. Ah, by the way, Son Jinho is also a Son, isn’t he?]

[Yes. Perhaps that’s why local fans call them Hamburg’s son and Dortmund’s son.]

While the commentators engaged in trivial banter about Son Jinho and Son Heung-min to pique the interest of soccer fans, Son Jinho sped up the attack.

[Son Jinho sees Łukasz Piszczek!]

Son Jinho passed to Łukasz Piszczek, who was overlapping on the flank.

He advanced into Hamburg’s attacking zone while keeping an eye on Hamburg’s counter.

[Łukasz Piszczek’s cross! Heiko Westermann heads it away!]

While Son Jinho climbed into Hamburg’s zone, Łukasz Piszczek sent a cross from the flank, which was headed away by Hamburg’s center-back Heiko Westermann.

However, just before the cleared ball crossed the touchline, Ivan Perišić managed to keep it alive.

“Aah─!”

Once again, wanting to send in a cross from the flank, Ivan Perišić saw Son Jinho beckoning to him.

[The second ball is controlled by Ivan Perišić, and he passes it to Son Jinho!]

Now familiar with Son Jinho’s call, Ivan Perišić deceived Hamburg’s defenders by pretending to send in a cross and fed the pass right in front of Son Jinho.

Son Jinho nudged Ivan Perišić’s pass with his left foot to create space from the Hamburg players trying to intervene and unleashed a powerful shot with his left foot.

Boom─!

The thunderous long-range shot slammed into the corner of the net.

A few Dortmund away fans waved their flags and cheered, and Son Jinho dashed towards the corner flag where the Dortmund away fans were, taking a deep breath as if to show a true “Hoo” before roaring.

“True! Hooouuuuuuu─!”