My Girlfriend Wants Victory

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[Champions League Quarterfinals First Leg Match Finished.]

[‘The famous feast had plenty to eat.’ Manchester United triumphs 4-3 in the first leg after a fierce battle.]

[‘Glory Glory Man United!’ echoes in Old Trafford!]

[Man of the Match Cristiano Ronaldo, recording 2 goals and 1 assist, leads the team to victory.]

[Son Jinho, who contributed 1 goal and 2 assists, shines brightly.]

[Robin van Persie’s comeback goal shakes off his slump!]

[Robin van Persi leaves a thank-you message for Son Jinho on social media.]

[Alex Ferguson says, “It was a tough match. I’m proud of the players who gave their all until the end.”]

[Lionel Messi praises Manchester United, saying, “They deserved to win today. Their attack was sharp, and their defenders clung to us tenaciously.”]

[Lionel Messi smiles at a reporter’s question, saying, “The second leg is at Camp Nou.”]

[Luis Enrique, full of smiles despite the defeat, says, “Messi is lit up.”]

[Seeing Luis Enrique’s interview, Ronaldo smirks, saying, “I’m lit up too.”]

***

After the end of the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal against FC Barcelona, I felt surprisingly positive.

Without their defensive linchpin Virgil van Dijk participating in the Champions League, Manchester United managed to hold MSN, perhaps at their peak, to just 3 goals.

If van Dijk makes the Champions League roster next season and the defensive line is strengthened a bit more, it feels like Real’s Champions League three-peat could turn into Manchester United’s Champions League three-peat.

And, although it was somewhat unexpected, I also noticed players who leveled up through the match against FC Barcelona.

[Jonny Evans shares his thoughts after the match against FC Barcelona. ‘It was a game where I learned a lot.’]

[David De Gea, “Next time, I’ll stop them all.”]

Jonny Evans, who was thoroughly outplayed by Messi, and David De Gea, who managed to protect the goal with 3 saves despite the relentless barrage from MSN, were the highlights.

[(Fan Forum) The future of Manchester United’s defense, Jonny Evans.]

└ Personally, I’m most excited about Evans. His footwork is excellent, and with more experience, he could become a great defender.

└ That’s right. When he performs at his best, he reminds me of prime Rio Ferdinand.

└ It seems like we have a lot of promising players, like Januzaj and Welbeck.

└ Dr. Man U: Hey Lads!

└ Dr. Man U: Who do you think is the most promising player at Manchester United?

└ Of course, it’s Jinho. I still can’t believe he’s only 19 years old!

The two continued to impress during the subsequent training sessions, raising the expectations of Manchester United fans.

“Son Jinho. Check this out!”

As usual, Han Gyeouri handed over her smartphone, and I checked the post.

“Mom!! Mom!!”

“Are you hungry, Haeun?”

Quickly flipping through posts filled with embarrassing praise, I seized the opportunity while Gyeouri was prepping Haeun’s meal to examine her post history.

Dr. Man U: Hey Lads!

Dr. Man U: Who do you think is the most promising player at Manchester United?

Dr. Man U: Jinho to City? LOL, that’s nonsense.

Dr. Man U: Son Jinho’s blood is red.

└ Hey, buddy. Blood is originally red.

Dr. Man U: Glory Glory Man United~

Dr. Man U: Stupid Liverpool fans should eat this.

Dr. Man U: (Gay meme)

└ Bloody Hell, go to hell, you bastard!

└ Hmm. I’m actually okay with it? Bro, any other pictures?

└ What the….

With a sigh, I looked through Gyeouri’s post history.

Gyeouri.

Not only in Korea but now causing a stir in overseas communities too, huh?

I pressed back, pretending I saw nothing, and returned to the home screen.

Then I entered the gallery and deleted the photos from the folder labeled “for terror.”

While I respect hobbies, isn’t indiscriminate visual terror a bit too much?

That evening.

“Son Jinho.”

“Yeah? Why?”

“…Nothing.”

While Han Gyeouri awkwardly watched for my reaction after realizing the gay meme was gone from the gallery.

– Carrying it: Son Jinho.

Now, the Portuguese attention seeker began to move.

– Carrying it: I’m disappointed in you.

– Carrying it: You should have passed to me in that last situation. Son Jinho, you shouldn’t have forgotten that I assisted you in the first half. I was on the verge of a hat trick….

With 2 goals and 1 assist, Ronaldo, who effectively carried Manchester United to victory, launched a message assault.

As I pondered how to appease him.

Ronaldo garnered all the spotlight by being named Man of the Match, overshadowing both Messi and me.

Ronaldo’s mood, which was on the verge of sulking, brightened up surprisingly quickly.

[On how to win, Cristiano Ronaldo says, “Son Jinho just needs to send me more passes.”]

***

[Bright-faced Ronaldo and a slightly tired-looking Son Jinho.]

[Manchester United departs for the Newcastle away game.]

[Manchester United vs. Newcastle United starting lineup announced. Son Jinho is absent, Ronaldo starts.]

└ What the hell? Injured?

└ Seriously, did he fight with Ronaldo?

└ With the Champions League around the corner, they’re surely managing their stamina;;

└ Why should a young guy worry about stamina, tsk tsk.

└ My brother ran 13KM two days ago, you bastards;;

└ Curre: Most midfielders don’t run that much, right?

└ The vomit guy averages 7KM per game, you know?

└ That idiot can run like that, alright.

└ LOL, my brother ran twice as much as Messi, damn it.

└ 1 Son Jinho = 2 Messis, right?

└ 1 Son Jinho, 2 Messis, quit it with the national pride nonsense, you jokers haha.

└ Son Jinho doesn’t even play for the national team, why all this fuss? Really clueless.

└ The reason you don’t know is that you couldn’t eat the kimchi your mom made for you when you were little ^^

└ LOL, did you just casually drop a personal attack in here?

└ Honestly, the national pride DNA embedded in kimchi is undeniable haha.

└ Indeed. When Son Jinho scores, I feel like I’ve won in life, and it’s because of the kimchi DNA.

└??? We’re really not that extreme, though;;

└ Isn’t that just surpassing national pride and becoming self-deprecation?

└ Must be some seriously aged kimchi with that attitude.

└ Aged kimchi, whoa;;

***

A few days after the Champions League ended, the league match against Newcastle unfolded.

Newcastle, then ranked 8th in the league, fully prepared to host Manchester United at St. James’ Park to qualify for the Europa League.

Having exhausted my energy by running 13KM in the last FC Barcelona match, I was not playing.

Newcastle saw a glimmer of hope as they charged forward doggedly.

Unfortunately for them, Cristiano Ronaldo, who was on fire, existed in Manchester United.

“Viva Ronaldo! Viva Ronaldo!”

Ronaldo began a furious display to prove that his claim of being on fire was not just bravado.

Starting from the half-line, Ronaldo’s solo dribble breakthrough drew gasps and standing ovations from the Newcastle fans, filling St. James’ Park.

Just before the end of the match, Ronaldo scored his 5th goal and rushed to the corner flag to perform the Orange Caramel dance.

Thanks to Ronaldo’s 5 goals, Manchester United achieved a massive 6-1 victory over Newcastle.

And thus, the match against Newcastle concluded.

[‘Goal Explosion.’ Cristiano Ronaldo, scores 5 goals against Newcastle!]

[We are now living in the era of Ronaldo.]

Journalists mesmerized by the Orange Caramel dance wrote article after article about Ronaldo’s performance.

[‘Did he feel inspired by Ronaldo?’ Lionel Messi records a hat trick against Real Betis.]

When Lionel Messi also scored a hat trick in the following match against Real Betis.

[Cristiano Ronaldo has scored a whopping 7 more goals than Messi…]

The media relentlessly showcased the competition between the two players’ records.

Given my biological age, I’m viewed as the heir to Lionel Messi, while Cristiano Ronaldo, who is closer in age to Messi, fits perfectly as his rival.

‘…Are you guys having a battle in some other league called Meho?’

Anyway.

[Lionel Messi, “I don’t care about competing with Ronaldo… I’m more focused on the team’s victory.”]

Despite the provocative interviews from the media, it seemed Messi wasn’t overly concerned.

“Son Jinho.”

Unfortunately for me, Ronaldo felt differently.

The media’s instigation of rivalry made Ronaldo’s mood increasingly uncomfortable.

“We must win against FC Barcelona, no matter what!”

He declared that Manchester United would dominate the second leg against FC Barcelona.

Moreover.

“Evans! Prepare yourself to stop me, Cristiano Ronaldo, at my best for the upcoming away game at Camp Nou!”

Ronaldo acknowledged the critical issue of Manchester United’s defense with van Dijk missing and began focusing Evans on intensive training.

“Stand straight, Smalling. Why couldn’t you stop Messi?”

“….I didn’t even play, you crazy person.”

“I’ll make sure to pass that on to Vidic, just as you said.”

Ronaldo’s intimidating presence inspired me to harshly train other promising players like Smalling.

***

April 10th.

On the day of the Champions League quarterfinal second leg match between FC Barcelona and Manchester United.

“Tot el camp És un clam (The whole stadium is filled with people)”

Manchester United stepped onto the pitch of Camp Nou, a graveyard for visiting teams, which can hold up to 100,000 spectators.

***

[Manchester United Starting Lineup. Diamond 4-4-2]

Ronaldo — Van Persie

Son Jinho

Park Jisong — Fletcher

Michael Carrick

Evra – Vidic – Evans – Jones.

De Gea.

[FC Barcelona Starting Lineup. 4-3-3]

Neymar – Suárez – Messi

Iniesta – Xavi

Busquets

Alba – Mascherano – Piqué – Alves

Valdés.

***