My Girlfriend Wants Victory

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November 23, 2011.

Round 5 of the Champions League group stage between Dortmund and Arsenal.

This fifth round was a critical match for both Dortmund and Arsenal, with no room for retreat.

Currently, in Group F, Arsenal and Marseille were leading with 7 points each, while Dortmund sat in third with 6 points. Olympiacos was in fourth place with 3 points.

In this precarious situation where a single slip could lead to elimination from the Champions League, Dortmund made their appearance at Arsenal’s home ground, Emirates Stadium.

After a brief security check of their belongings, as they passed through the entrance tunnel and entered the stadium…

“Ooh to! Ooh to be! Ooh to be a! Gooner!”

The cheers of Arsenal fans began to echo.

‘…Isn’t Arsenal famous for their expensive ticket prices?’

Son Jinho’s eyes were met with the sight of a packed crowd at Emirates Stadium despite the high ticket costs.

“Heja! BVB! Heja BVB!”

Of course, among the crowd were the traveling fans of Dortmund too.

Under the leadership of captain Sebastian Kehl, Dortmund exchanged light greetings with their away fans.

“So, there’s no speech from the little captain today?”

The players gathered in a circle before the away fans, fired up for the match.

“Shut up! Old captain.”

“Old captain, don’t procrastinate what you need to do!”

The prankster reprimands aimed at Sebastian Kehl from the Dortmund players continued.

“Let’s win, you idiots!”

Sebastian Kehl raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, looked at his teammates with a smile, and finished speaking shortly.

With the motivation complete, the players began to take their positions.

Since it was Dortmund’s kickoff, Shinji Kagawa and Robert Lewandowski entered the center circle to prepare.

“Booooooo!”

“Kill! Jerry! Kill! Jerry!”

As the referee’s whistle blew, boos erupted from the Arsenal fans…

The match began, with both teams fighting for a place in the Champions League Round of 16.

*

[Dortmund vs. Arsenal in the Champions League group stage Round 5! The match has started with the referee’s whistle!]

[The red uniforms make up the home team Arsenal, while the yellow uniforms are the away team Dortmund.]

[The Korean derby that South Korean football fans were looking forward to has once again fallen through as Park Juyoung was left off the roster.]

└ Why isn’t Park Juyoung starting?

└ But Van Persie is better than Park Juyoung, right?

└ They could just use a two-top.

└ From what I see, the coach and players seem a bit anti-Korean.

└ It’s just that he’s lacking in skill, so stop that anti-Korean noise;;

*

[Son Jinho drops down to receive the ball! Gervinho presses quickly but is easily shaken off!]

└ Wow…. Look at that stability. Can’t believe he was born in ’95.

└ Whoa; a ’95 baby is already starting for Dortmund?! Is he really a genius?

└ He’s taking the starting position on a team like Dortmund, but if it were Arsenal, even Son Jinho would struggle.

└ ??? Dortmund were the champions last season, you know?

└ Arsenal’s trophy-less losers LOL, look at them foaming at the mouth to bash Son Jinho LOL.

└ Why are they ranting at us out of nowhere;; Looks like a Park Juyoung fanboy, tsk.

└ I don’t think they’re even a Park Juyoung fandom.

└ Then who are they?

└ Everyone knows, right? They are people who go into a frenzy at the word ‘genius’…

└ Ah, LOL, is that you again, the plastic parent?

└ Honestly, shouldn’t we acknowledge Son Jinho by now? The talent level is on a different scale.

└ Objective self-assessment is hard enough, but objective assessment of your child is even harder, right?

*

[Son Jinho! Stealing the ball through Aaron Ramsey’s legs, he immediately passes it forward!]

└ Damn, that foreign kid is really good.

└ My brother still holds South Korean nationality, you fool.

└ Why cheer for Son Jinho when he’s retired from the national team? It makes more sense to support Park Juyoung.

└ Both Park Juyoung and Son Jinho represent Korea, so do we really have to pick just one to cheer for?

└ Hmph. Is Son Jinho really representing Korea? That’s a bit much;;

└ Honestly, he just retired from the national team, but is he not contributing to national prestige enough at this point?

└ For real, I felt a surge of pride when I saw a white girl waving the taegukgi the other day.

*

[Son Jinho’s pass goes over Arsenal defenders’ heads to connect with Robert Lewandowski!]

└ But if we’re funding his study abroad, should we demand a refund since he didn’t even play a match for the national team?

└ Didn’t you see what the Football Association said in the national audit? My brother is studying abroad using his own money, you idiot.

└ The Football Association only helped with the administrative stuff regarding the scholarship related to FIFA. They also said they’d cancel if the citizens wanted it.

└ Then why didn’t they cancel?

└ If he naturalizes, who will bear the backlash?

*

[Entering the penalty box, Lewandowski calmly prepares for a shot!]

└ Ooh, that was a solid shot.

*

[Arsenal’s Szczesny makes an incredible save! He successfully saves the team from crisis!]

└ Wow, what the actual hell;; he saved that.

└ Well shot and well saved;;

*

[Lewandowski shot calmly into the corner of the goal. Szczesny, with animal-like reflexes, managed to save it.]

[Followed by Dortmund’s corner kick! Szczesny coolly makes the punch!]

[The ball is received by Aaron Ramsey, who passes it to Walcott on the right! Walcott charges forward! He is fast! Approaching Dortmund’s penalty box with incredible speed!]

└ Wow, Walcott is a crazy speedster;;

└ Not only was he fast, but his off-the-ball movement was great!

└ Zipping in, then zipping back out to charge forward, he’s so sick!

└ What the heck is that nonsense?

*

[Ah! Walcott’s shot is blocked by Roman Weidenfeller’s save, and the first half comes to an end!]

└ ?

└ Huh? Why is the first half already over?

└ Ah LOL, my time evaporated LOL.

└ The quick transitions between attack and defense make Dortmund’s game so entertaining.

└ More like we were distracted by the heated talks and lost track of time;;

*

Halftime is over, and the second half begins.

If the first half was dominated by Dortmund, the second half shifted towards Arsenal.

Right from the start of the second half, Arsenal pushed aggressively against Dortmund and in the 49th minute…

As Aaron Ramsey snatched the ball from Sebastian Kehl, he passed it to Gervinho on the left wing.

Gervinho advanced towards the center but was blocked by Dortmund’s tight defense, laying the ball back.

“Fuck! What are you doing, you idiot!”

In that moment, a wave of anger from Arsenal fans flooded towards Gervinho for wasting a precious attacking opportunity.

[Alex Song! Breaking through Dortmund’s defense and crossing!]

Receiving the ball from the back, Alex Song tore down the left flank, weaving through three Dortmund defenders before launching a cross that Van Persie connected with a header to split the net.

[Robin van Persie! HEADER! Goooaaaal! Arsenal takes the lead!!]

└ Did Wenger hit the blow dryer? The players came out as different players;;

└ Damn, Song!

└ Wow, shit;; it felt like Messi for a moment.

└ Look at Dortmund’s defense; they’re hopeless!

*

After conceding the first goal, Dortmund launched a more aggressive offense to level the score, but in the 85th minute during a corner kick, Thomas Vermaelen headed the ball to Van Persie, who volleyed it in for a second goal.

[Van Persie’s multi-goal! Dark clouds are gathering for Dortmund’s Champions League hopes!]

└ Oh, that’s just great;;

└ It’s over.

└ Congrats to your brother’s cafe for Dortmund’s Champions League exit^^.

└ What’s your brother’s cafe?

└ It’s Son Jinho’s anti-fans’ cafe.

└ Ugh, do these people have nothing better to do?

*

Despite the goal that essentially sealed the match, Dortmund refused to give up.

“Damn it! Don’t hang your heads! The match isn’t over yet!”

“Don’t give up! There’s still time left!”

At Son Jinho’s shout, Dortmund’s captain Sebastian Kehl reacted.

“A star was born in 1909!”

With unwavering support from the traveling fans, Dortmund’s supporters cheered for the players who refused to give in.

“And the moment I saw that star, I knew it was a star from Dortmund!”

Fueled by the support, in stoppage time of the second half, Shinji Kagawa connected a pass from the left wing and shook the Arsenal net.

However, only two minutes remained until the end of the match.

At that moment, even the traveling fans of Dortmund felt it was too late to turn the tide.

“Get the ball! It’s not over yet!”

But Dortmund’s players did not give up.

Son Jinho’s voice reverberated on the ground. Lewandowski removed the ball from the net and sprinted toward the halfway line.

Goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller waved his arms, requesting support from the Dortmund fans.

“Shine, my star Borussia!”

Substituted in for the unwell Mario Götze, Ivan Perišić immediately started to run wildly, putting intense pressure on Arsenal as soon as the game resumed.

“Shine and show me the way!”

Arsenal tightened their defensive line and began to bunker down, while Dortmund continued to press.

Dortmund maintained their relentless attack.

A deflected shot off Szczesny’s hands went out of bounds, leading to a corner kick for Dortmund.

The match clock was ticking down, and this might be their last attacking chance.

Mertersacker cleared the corner kick away.

As the referee brought the whistle to his mouth to signal the end of the match…

The ball that had been cleared by Mertersacker headed towards Son Jinho.

As the referee hesitated for a moment, pondering the end of the game…

Son Jinho, with a smooth first touch, settled the ball as it came towards him and immediately swept with his left foot.

His lightning-fast long-range shot shook the net.

The surprised referee stared dumbfounded at Arsenal’s goal for a while before declaring a goal for Dortmund.

As Son Jinho celebrated his successful score, he dashed toward the corner flag where the away fans were gathered.

Upon facing the thrilled fans cheering for him…

“No matter which path you lead me, I’ll be with you!”

He felt a tingle that made his hair stand on end.