My Girlfriend Wants Victory

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In conclusion, contrary to the historical draw between South Korea and Russia, the match ended with a victory for South Korea.

[Ki Seung-yong intercepts the ball! Straight to Lee Cheong-ryong!]

[They are teammates! The teamwork is definitely impressive!]

The uninjured Cheong-ryong and his slightly faster-growing brother Hong-min broke down the flanks and scored the equalizer.

[Lee Geon-ho!!]

Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev made a blunder, leading to a successful comeback.

[South Korea is starting to take the lead!!]

And then, the exhilarating Ho-woo celebration from Lee Geon-ho.

“Ho-wooo-oo-oo-oo!”

I almost couldn’t contain my laughter at the clumsy Ho-woo celebration, nearly rushing onto the pitch.

I couldn’t help but wonder how poorly he must have performed in his celebration.

‘Could this be part of Gi-hyun’s grand plot to try a clumsy Ho-woo celebration and bring me back to the national team?’

– It’s me?

Even my head couldn’t dismiss the possibility that Gi-hyun might have a point.

‘The dark figure Gi-hyun…’

What a colossal villain… just kidding.

Anyway, South Korea’s performance was surprisingly excellent.

The football association, which had messed up multiple times, probably thought they would really be doomed if they failed this time.

They selected players strictly based on skill, entirely excluding connections based on academic or blood ties.

Joo-yong, who lost form by not participating, didn’t even make the national team.

The starting goalkeeper was none other than Kim Seung-kyun instead of Jung Sung-yong.

Thus, the Group H first match between South Korea and Russia concluded with a victory for South Korea.

More than the surprising outcome of the match, it was the discussion about me that drew attention.

[Why is Ballon d’Or winner Son Jinho watching the match from the stands?]

└ Was the team that strong?

└ No, I heard he retired because of the football association’s media play?

└ lol So it’s like saying our football association dumped Messi? Those Koreans are total fools. They just sat back and watched?

Football fans around the world expressed their surprise at me, the Ballon d’Or winner who had taken home the 2013 award, being in the stands instead of on the pitch or even the bench.

-Mino Raiola: Gino.

With my supportive presence in the stands becoming the talk, the German Football Association and the English Football Association once again tried to make contact.

-Mino Raiola: England is offering better conditions.

And it seemed that England was slightly more proactive than Germany; perhaps their shock from a pitiful defeat against Italy weighed heavily.

-Mino: Have you changed your mind?

The English Football Association offered more benefits than expected.

– Ho-woo: I’m not thinking about the national team right now.

But I hadn’t really considered representing the national team yet.

While representing the country is an honorable thing, my current priority was to lift the trophy in the Champions League.

Injuries tend to occur unexpectedly when players lose focus and tire out.

Nothing is more disappointing than failing to win due to injury in crucial moments.

For that reason, I rejected all naturalization offers.

And I still felt a slight sense of patriotism.

Well, others might call me a fool or an idiot.

When I see the national flag on the pitch, my heart swells with pride, and I feel truly grateful when Koreans come to cheer.

‘Hmm… Am I brainwashed?’

Anyway, the matches in all groups concluded with the end of the South Korea vs. Russia game, and while teams from Asia, except Korea, recorded a grim no-win performance…

[South Korea earns points as the only Asian team….]

[European football fans say, “Reducing Asian World Cup tickets should be considered….”]

[Gianni Infantino criticizes FIFA President Jeff Blatter, “The latter emphasizes overly commercial aspects. Look at the performance of the Asian teams. Increasing their tickets would lead to a decline in the quality of the tournament.”]

Soon after, the second round of the group stage began.

[(Brazil WC) Brazil, defeating Mexico 1-0, becomes the first to enter the Round of 16.]

Following Croatia, Brazil managed a victory against Mexico, making them the first to secure a spot in the Round of 16.

[Japan draws with Greece. Red flags for Round of 16.]

Japan drew with Greece after losing to Drogba’s Ivory Coast, effectively ruining their chances of reaching the Round of 16.

Koreans rejoiced at Japan’s World Cup exit.

[South Korea beats Russia, and they will capture Algeria to overtake Belgium for the Round of 16]

[A boastful Algeria sees South Korea as mere victims of a single win.]

[South Korea! The big brother of Asian football and a beacon of hope! Dreaming of a consecutive Round of 16 away match after defeating Algeria!]

└ We didn’t even send our legendary first team, yet we seem to be going to the Round of 16?

└ It’s on a completely different level compared to Japan, right?

└ Looks like the Japanese got all quiet, huh? lol

└ But honestly, it seems like Son Jinho isn’t even necessary at this point, right?

They began to treat the absurd articles and their certain victory against Algeria as a given.

And just a few days later in South Korea’s match.

Facing off against Algeria, South Korea showcased shocking performance levels.

In the first half, the shots were 10 to 2.

Algeria had the aggressive upper hand.

Fortunately, goalkeeper Kim Seung-kyun blocked most of Algeria’s shots with reflexes like a beast, limiting them to just one goal in the first half.

[The first half, which was dangerously tense, has finally ended. During half-time, it seems a defensive line reshuffle is necessary!]

└ Seriously, is it right for national team players to just chase the ball?

Korean football fans were left in shock by the unexpectedly poor performance even though the match had not yet ended.

In the second half.

[The rising Dortmund solution, Son Hong-min, successfully scores the equalizer!]

Korean players finally woke up and narrowly managed to score the equalizer, and fortunately the match ended in a draw.

[South Korea records a 1-1 draw against Algeria.]

[Looking into South Korea’s Round of 16 advancement scenarios based on various possibilities.]

The national team showcased great performance in the second half, but football fans started to miss my presence.

“Son Jinho, check this comment out.”

Receiving online reactions from Gyeouri, I couldn’t help but smile.

‘Huh. Am I actually enjoying this right now?’

It seems I was reveling in the sight of 50 million people regretting and obsessing over my absence.

‘Thrilling. Always something new.’

***

[(Brazil WC) Son Jinho also watched the second match against Algeria.]

[Son Jinho wore a serious expression while watching the performance of the national team.]

└ If you’re frustrated, just go play yourself!!

└ Please just step down ㅜㅜ

[Choi Gi-hyun, the Committee Chair for Strengthening Performance, implores everyone to believe in the players until the end of the tournament despite their poor performance.]

└ What’s this guy even doing?

└ Get down already, you jerk.

└ People could tell he had no knowledge of football administration since the moment he became chairman, right?

└ Might as well just develop some youth players, tsk tsk.

[Japan loses 4-1 to Colombia, marking their exit from the World Cup with no wins.]

[Following Japan, Australia also fails to progress to the Round of 16.]

[All Asian teams except South Korea confirmed their knockout in the group stage.]

[Voices criticizing the number of World Cup tickets for Europe and South America against those for Asia arise once more.]

[(Brazil WC) Can South Korea maintain the pride of Asian football?]

***

[South Korea, defeated 2-1 by Belgium! Russia and Algeria draw, allowing them to advance to the Round of 16.]

After falling to Belgium, South Korea observed Russia and Algeria drawing, which somehow allowed them to advance to the Round of 16 by the numbers.

[Kevin De Bruyne, who scored the match-winning goal stated, “Son Jinho’s retirement is a great loss for the football world. If he were on the Belgian national team, it would be a huge help.”]

Coming off the bench to score the decisive goal, Kevin De Bruyne fanned the flames of support for South Korea after the match.

[The continuous love calls for Son Jinho! After Germany, England and Spain, now Belgium and Greece also propose naturalization.]

└ Wow, they’re just throwing out feelers everywhere.

└ Wanna hear something interesting? If you color the places they threw feelers to, it looks just like Rome.

└ Shit, Koreans are the new Romans now. Got it?

While the internet was heating up with Kevin De Bruyne’s remarks, the Round of 16 matches commenced in the Brazil World Cup.

South Korea faced Germany.

[Title: What the? Germany was more manageable than expected?]

└ Didn’t they say Germany was among the favorites to win?

└ Looks like they’re candidates for a good laugh lol.

└ Germany has always struggled against Korea, you know?

└ They did nothing but get beaten while failing to do anything in the match, yet they’re still laughing?

└ But the score was 1-0, right?

└ Where did all the people who criticized Gi-hyun go?

└ Gi-hyun: If someone needs to take responsibility, I’ll take it. But please keep believing in and supporting the players until the tournament ends.

└ Ah… I finally see Gi-hyun’s grand vision now ㅠ.

Despite the preconceived notion of being badly beaten, they displayed remarkable performance.

[Title: Honestly, if the legendary first team had played, we’d have won ㅇㅇ.]

└ Damn, we’re now using this line? lol.

└ But it’s true, right? If Son Jinho had played, we could have made it to the quarter-finals, right?

└ Jinho-hyung, come back ㅠㅠ.

└ For real, if Son Jinho was there, quarter-finals were definitely doable ㅜㅜ.

└ Wasn’t it even possible to reach the semi-finals?

└ If that’s the case, reaching the quarter-finals against Brazil should be possible, right?

└ What if we could have made it to the finals?

└ Well, our quarter-final opponent would have been Brazil, right?

└ LOL okay that sounds tough, this Brazil team is really something else.

└ Honestly, I don’t think Germany would win against Brazil either ㅇㅇ.

If Son Jinho had not retired from the national team, I began to imagine how far we could have gone.

[Title: Guys. By the way, isn’t Choi Gi-hyun friends with Son Jinho?]

└ I know it’s a happy circuit, but I’ll give it a spin anyway ㅠ.

└ Please come back, Son Jinho ㅠ.

└ But was Son Jinho really that good? The person I know said that Kagawa Shinji would have better skills than Son Jinho. Is it true that Son Jinho is better than Kagawa Shinji?

└ You should really cut ties with that friend, that’s so stupid, lol.

└ Do you see Ballon d’Or as a joke? Seriously lol.

└ If Kagawa Shinji was there, they’d probably claim he would have been the Ballon d’Or winner instead.

└ That person is just a societal problem.

└ Hey, that’s my dad.

└ Oh… um, so your dad is Japanese?

└ Why did this jerk start speaking in circumlocution? lol.

***

While the World Cup was in full swing, at Manchester United’s Carrington training ground.

After a disappointing last season, the young prospects of Manchester United appeared in the training ground days after the season ended.

Naturally, it didn’t take long before they were discovered by the training ground staff, and word got to Alex Ferguson and the coaching staff.

“Tsk. Don’t you kids know that resting is a type of training?”

Despite having granted them a vacation, Alex Ferguson and the coaching staff couldn’t help but show pleasure at the sight of prospects gathering to train voluntarily, yet they scolded them firmly due to the injury risks.

At the same time, among the players not participating in the World Cup, only those who wanted to gathered to prepare for the next season a bit earlier.

As a result, most of the prospects returned from vacation to participate in special training.

Thus, the new season for Manchester United started slightly earlier than for others.