My Girlfriend Wants Victory

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“Hey there.”

“Uh? Jinho, what’s up?”

Howard, the referee for the Manchester Derby, wore a puzzled expression as he noticed Son Jinho approaching him with a serious look on his face.

“Did Cristiano Ronaldo get the last touch on that shot?”

Renowned for his geniality, the referee, though caught off guard by Son Jinho’s sudden inquiry, held the soccer ball and began his verification process.

“Well, I see some saliva marks here. It’s a goal for Ronaldo.”

Confirming the sticky saliva on the soccer ball’s surface, the referee counted it as a goal for Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Haah…”

“SIUUUU─!”

At that very moment, Son Jinho released a sigh with a dejected expression, while Cristiano Ronaldo flashed a bright smile and roared once again at the camera.

***

At the same time.

[Well, from the broadcast screen, it’s hard to tell if it actually touched or not.]

[Yeah, personally, I don’t think it touched, but we’ll have to check the records shortly.]

The commentary team covering the Manchester Derby was embroiled in a debate over who the goal scorer was.

Against that backdrop, the goal was awarded to Ronaldo.

[Ah! According to the records, it’s recognized as a goal by Cristiano Ronaldo!]

[Well… it seems like it would have gone in anyway, but either way, Ronaldo scores the opening goal in the Manchester Derby.]

[That’s right. By the way, what should we call this? A tongue shot…? It’s quite a unique way to score.]

[Well… it can’t be helped that the scoring scene looks a bit dirty.]

The commentary crew looked at the scene where Cristiano Ronaldo desperately stuck out his tongue towards the ball with somewhat grim expressions.

***

As the crucial opening goal broke the tense balance of the match and was granted to Ronaldo,

Not long after, the referee blew his whistle to signal the end of the first half.

During the ensuing halftime,

The coaches of both teams started encouraging their players in their own ways, or adding tactical adjustments.

“Attention!”

“Attention─!”

In the away team’s locker room, Manchester United’s Alex Ferguson unleashed his famous hairdryer treatment.

Meanwhile, the tactician Pep Guardiola, instead of cheering his players in the home team locker room, focused on the changes in the upcoming second half.

“The game is flowing as we planned. Well, it would have been better to keep a clean sheet, but this much is within the expected range against Manchester United.”

“We’re going to be a bit more aggressive in the second half. Now that Ronaldo has scored, Robin van Persie will be a bit greedier, and if no additional goal comes, Manchester United will gradually push up their line, and we’ll have to seize that opportunity and hit them hard.”

And then the second half began.

[Ah! Robin van Persie’s header is soaring high!]

Manchester United started strong in the early phase but failed to add another goal.

[Football is a game of flow. As Manchester United failed to score an additional goal, the momentum gradually shifted to Manchester City.]

The game began to tilt more towards Manchester City.

As the gap between the attackers and defenders widened,

Alex Ferguson mentioned this from the touchline, attempting to adjust the players’ spacing, but Manchester City’s counterattack came a bit quicker.

[Salvador Alonso has the ball and passes to David Silva!]

A counterattack was unfolding through Salvado Alonso, who had transferred from Real Madrid to learn Pep Guardiola’s football.

While the match had repeatedly exposed their slow mobility issues, Alonso’s passes slicing through the ground remained powerful.

[Salvado Alonso is asking for a return pass from David Silva.]

As David Silva shook off United’s pressure, he connected a pass to Salvado Alonso, who moved to receive it.

[Alonso looks ahead. Sergio Agüero is making a run!]

Salvado Alonso’s ground-slicing pass reached Sergio Agüero.

[Virgil van Dijk is chasing fast, but Agüero’s starting timing was fantastic!]

‘Right away, shoot!’

It seemed as though Salvado Alonso’s desired play whispered in Agüero’s ear.

[Agüero─!!]

Agüero gently lifted the ball with the underside of his foot, executing a chip shot that soared over the keeper’s head.

[Goaaaaaaaaal! Sergio Agüero!!! Scoring with a fantastic chip shot that goes over the keeper!!!]

The ball passed through David De Gea’s hands, shaking Manchester United’s net.

[Not to mention the goal, Salvado Alonso’s pass was simply breathtaking.]

The Etihad Stadium erupted with excitement at the equalizing goal.

***

With the equalizer boosting their morale, Manchester City relentlessly pressured United.

[David Silva is preparing a corner kick!]

[Silva sends it into the penalty box!]

Then, in the 37th minute of the second half.

Amid the corner kick situation, City’s captain Vincent Kompany succeeded in netting the turnaround goal.

“Come On!!”

Vincent Kompany, who scored the comeback goal, ran to the corner flag to celebrate.

“Blue moon! Now I’m no longer alone!”

The Manchester City fans filling the Etihad Stadium began to sense victory.

***

As the match time dwindled.

Leading by a single goal, Manchester City dropped back and went into lockdown mode.

The Manchester City players were scrambling, eagerly clearing the ball and defending fiercely against United’s relentless assault.

“Don’t just clear it forward! Think about retaining possession!”

Pep Guardiola shouted from the touchline at those players, but…

“Damn @$%#%ing piece of garbage!”

The old man’s face was flushed with anger as he yelled obscenities at the players, so it seems Guardiola’s words didn’t quite get through to them.

In any case, overwhelmed by Manchester United’s attacks, the City players began to hunker down.

Despite their continuous assaults on City’s goal, United found it challenging to break through.

Before long, even added time was running out.

Manchester United had one last attacking chance.

At the moment when the Manchester City fans began to smile, sensing victory,

Sadio Mané, shaking off Aleksandar Kolarov, attempted a cross.

Both Vincent Kompany and Robin van Persie leaped for the cross.

In a fierce contest between the two, it was Vincent Kompany who emerged victorious.

Winning the contest against Van Persie, Kompany headed the ball clear.

However, due to Robin van Persie’s interference, he couldn’t properly clear it.

The ball flew towards me from just outside the penalty box.

And at that moment.

Before my body even made the decision to shoot, it reacted instinctively.

‘Huh?’

The impact was so precise that I hardly felt my foot.

‘It’s perfectly placed.’

I was confident the shot would score.

Bang─!

And the ball became a bullet, piercing straight into the net.

With the sound of an explosion, the ball shot off at an incredible speed.

Claudio Bravo stood there blankly watching the net ripple.

As I felt the shot cut through the net, I sprinted towards the corner flag.

I could see Claudio Bravo with a dazed expression and the octopus-haired old man on the touchline, kneeling with his head in his hands.

And the faces of Manchester City fans, despairing with open mouths.

In an instant, Haeun’s face, who was wearing a Manchester City jersey during the pre-game video call, flashed in my mind.

But it was quickly replaced with the image of my devoted daughter cheering for Dad’s goal.

Anyway, as I sprinted full speed toward the corner flag and nodded my head while sliding to my knees, I heard…

“E~~YEAAAAAAAAAAH”

The tremendous roar of Manchester United fans engulfed the Etihad Stadium.

***

[Manchester United draws 2-2 against Manchester City.]

[After the match, Son Jinho smiles as he chats with Pep Guardiola.]

[Ronaldo’s opening goal selected as one of the strangest goals in football history.]

[Cristiano Ronaldo states, “It was a pre-arranged play. Son Jinho told me he would pass.”]

[Shocking volley shot from Son Jinho at a speed of 128 KM/h, cutting through Manchester City’s net.]

[When asked if it was a pre-arranged play, Son Jinho awkwardly smiles and slips away, saying, “I should go first because of childcare.”]

└ Did he just play a full match and then go take care of the kids?

└ Family-oriented, huh?

└ Isn’t that more about insane stamina though?

└ Seriously lol

└ So? Was it really a pre-arranged play?

└ Looking at Son Jinho’s expression, it doesn’t seem like it.

└ I mean, come on lol Who would seriously agree to score with their tongue in advance?

***

Since both City and United were based in the same Manchester, they were quite close.

“Dad, I’m back!”

I successfully returned home shortly after the match ended.

But Haeun, who usually would come rushing out barefoot to welcome me, was nowhere to be seen.

After waiting for a while with my arms wide open, and still no sign of Haeun,

I entered the house with an awkward expression and moved towards the source of the noise.

“Man City’s doing poorly!”

“Why do you hate them?”

In my eyes, I saw my mom and daughter engaged in a tug of war.

“United’s not that great!”

“United just drew with City, right? That means City’s not that great either!”

“No way!”

“Huh? They drew 2-2! And it was at City’s home ground? Doesn’t that mean United wins by decision?”

“No way!!”

Looking at Gyeouri, who had the intelligence of a three-year-old, my heart swelled with emotion.

“Hehe, it brings back a lot of memories.”

I chuckled at my father-in-law, who gazed at that scene with a warm smile.

‘…What kind of life have you lived, Father-in-law?’

As I burst into laughter,

“Mom! Dad’s being mean!! You fool!”

Only then did Haeun find me and rush over to start tattling.

With a smile on my face, I affectionately ruffled Haeun’s hair.

Well, she’s cute, so it’s all good.

***

A few days after the match against Manchester City ended.

The Boxing Day match on December 26 was approaching.

A home match against the so-called men’s team, Stoke City.

As I walked while discussing today’s game with my friends,

“Son Jinho, you don’t need to pass to me in this game… Krrr!”

Cristiano Ronaldo, who was chatting, suddenly fixed his deadly glare straight ahead.

“Ang?”

Right there stood Charlie Adam, flashing a bright smile as if proudly showing off his wide front teeth.

Seeing Charlie Adam, Ronaldo instinctively started loosening up.

“If you hit someone outside, it’s assault!”

I calmed Ronaldo, who seemed ready to charge at Adam outside the pitch.

Meanwhile, I could hear Robin van Persie’s muttering near my ear.

“Huh? Hitting inside the field is still assault, right?”