Chapter 88: An Even More Special Victory (3)

The news that I wouldn’t be playing spread quickly.

[Manchester City one step away from an undefeated championship… Jeong Tae-woo’s absence a shock]

[Guardian’s gamble? With Jeong Tae-woo benched due to poor condition, 2nd string keeper to be used… Fans voice concerns ahead of Chelsea match]

Fans were bewildered by the sudden news announced just before their team was about to set a historic record.

At ‘Mary D’s’, a pub near Manchester City’s home ground, the Etihad Stadium, fans were engaged in a heated debate.

“No matter what, taking Tae-woo out is Peter’s mistake. They said it’s just a cold, right? Two days is plenty of time to get better!”

“Right, we’re going to fail to win undefeated because of Peter. Damn it!”

People are always like that.

They forget the goals they’ve already achieved and only look at higher places. As if the current achievements were a given.

“Damn it, Tae-woo lacks dedication to the team. If I were his age, I would have played even if I was sick!”

Just then, a middle-aged man in a beer-stained shirt shouted with a flushed face.

“This is why kids these days are no good. They’re too busy taking care of themselves, putting dedication to the team on the back burner. Tsk…”

No one in the pub refuted his words.

Because deep down, they too wanted Jeong Tae-woo to play.

But Seo Jinwoo, who had come to drink with his friends, was different.

“That’s not right. Tae-woo has been so dedicated since he came to our team.”

“What!”

Seo Jinwoo stood up from his seat and spoke firmly to the people in the pub.

“Think about it. As soon as Tae-woo came, our team went from mid-table to securing the championship this season.

The issue isn’t about an undefeated championship or not, if a player who brought such glory to the team is sick, we should be worried about him first.

Having to play even when you’re sick… saying things like that doesn’t make you a true fan.”

“Are you taking his side because you’re both Asian?”

“I’m a British person who grew up in England since I was a child. I’ve never even been to Tae-woo’s country, South Korea. Think about it. Tae-woo has played every single league match. How hard must it be for a player that young.”

Hearing Seo Jinwoo’s words, the people in the pub somewhat agreed, but the middle-aged man was different.

He slammed the beer bottle he was holding in his right hand down with a loud noise and stood up.

Thump!

“This is why kids these days… that’s a given! If you’re a professional player who gets paid to play!”

“Do you really think so?”

“Of course! If you’re a professional player who gets paid to play, you should be dedicated to the team. Isn’t that what they get paid for? And you, how old are you? How much older am I than you, how dare you be so rude…”

“I’m old enough, and I have a child too. And of course, being a football player is a job where you get paid. So what, when you’re at work, you get paid, so you go to work even when you’re sick?”

“What did you say, you brat!”

The middle-aged man’s face instantly flushed red.

He walked towards Seo Jinwoo with stumbling steps.

He seemed to be having trouble keeping his balance due to being drunk, but his gaze was sharp.

The people around held their breath in tension.

The middle-aged man reached out to grab Seo Jinwoo by the collar.

“How dare you…”

But Seo Jinwoo, as if he had expected it, lightly dodged his hand and said coldly.

“Are you going to resort to violence? You must have nothing to say. You rest when you’re sick too.”

“Shut up! What does a brat like you know!”

The middle-aged man steadied his stumbling body by grabbing a table, then picked up a liquor bottle and lifted it.

The people around screamed.

“Aaargh!”

“Stop it!”

Just then, a giant hand firmly grabbed the middle-aged man’s arm.

The middle-aged man’s face slowly turned towards the person who had grabbed his arm.

“Aish, let go! Who the hell are you? A patient who wants to die…”

“Who said you could cause a disturbance in my pub?”

Thump.

A giant shadow obscured the middle-aged man’s vision.

The pub owner’s body was so massive it filled the entrance.

The muscles bulging below his neck were threateningly pulling at his shirt buttons, and his rolled-up forearms looked thicker than a liquor bottle.

A photo of him winning a judo competition hanging on the pub wall spoke volumes of his history.

“Uh… well…”

The middle-aged man’s voice trailed off, seemingly intimidated by the pub owner’s overwhelming presence.

“If you’re going to drink, drink quietly. What are you doing causing a nuisance to other customers. Besides…”

The pub owner’s gaze glinted sharply.

“That liquor bottle in your hand, you weren’t thinking of bringing it down, were you?”

As the pub owner’s gaze went to the liquor bottle in his hand, the middle-aged man’s gaze naturally followed.

“Ahaha… when did I grab this. Mr. Owner, I’m sorry. I was a bit drunk…”

“Then you should be heading home now.”

“Just a little more…”

“Go.”

“Hic… alright. I’m going…”

The middle-aged man stumbled out of the pub.

His foot stumbled in the air in front of the exit, and he finally caught his balance by hitting his shoulder on the doorframe.

“Ah, sh*t…”

He muttered as he went outside, and soon a “Woah!” was heard, followed by the sound of him tumbling down the stairs.

The pub owner sighed and turned his head towards Seo Jinwoo.

“You be careful too. You don’t need to get into a shouting match with a drunk person. You could just let it go…”

A gentle admonition was in the pub owner’s voice.

“Yes… I’m sorry too.”

“Right, be careful.”

The pub owner went back outside to check on the fallen middle-aged man.

After he left, a heavy silence fell over the pub.

But in that silence, people’s thoughts were slowly moving.

A small sense of regret and reflection began to bloom in the hearts of those who had been criticizing Jeong Tae-woo until a moment ago.

‘Maybe… we were too harsh?’

‘Players are human too, after all…’

‘Right… since Tae-woo came, our City has improved so much. He can rest if he’s sick.’

No one said it out loud, but they could tell from each other’s gazes that they were all thinking something similar.

***

On the day of the match against Chelsea, I was sitting on the bench.

The manager didn’t even want me on the bench, but it was an unavoidable choice due to the backlash from fans and the media.

I had heard him say over and over that he would absolutely not let me play, but you never knew.

A situation might arise where the game was so tight that I was needed.

‘My condition isn’t 100% right now, but it’s not bad either. I can definitely play.’

But this is unexpected.

I turned around and looked at our fans.

It was our home stadium, and I expected the fans to react strongly to the news that I was on the bench.

I thought they would criticize the manager or get angry at me, but there wasn’t a single person like that.

‘It’s strange. The atmosphere among the fans was definitely not good at first…’

When the news first came out, the fans’ reaction was explosive.

There were even fans who came to the training ground to protest.

It’s not that I don’t understand how they feel.

Their team was on the verge of a historic moment of an undefeated championship, and the team’s ace was out.

For a simple cold, not a broken bone… it must have been a difficult situation to understand.

So I came prepared to be criticized…

It was really strange.

I didn’t hear a single voice of resentment towards me.

On the contrary, the stadium was hotter than ever.

The fans were chanting louder than usual and cheering for the team more passionately.

As if to show their faith in our team.

[The match between Manchester City and Chelsea is about to begin. As manager Peter Guardian announced, Jeong Tae-woo will be starting the match from the bench.]

[Yes, I’m also very curious to see what kind of result this choice will lead to.]

Wheeeet-

[With the sound of the whistle, the match begins with Manchester City’s kick-off.]

I sat on the bench and watched our team’s play.

Even Chelsea couldn’t easily break the tiki-taka between Mathias, Oden, and Sanchez.

‘The only difference with me out is the defense. Offensively, not much has changed.’

Before the match started, the captain’s words came to mind.

It was when the players were gathered in the locker room.

“If we lose this game, everyone will blame Tae-woo. ‘Why didn’t you play?’ they’ll ask. But we are City. If we’re a team that loses because one person is missing, then let’s not even bother with an undefeated championship. Let’s show them who we are.”

The look in the players’ eyes changed after hearing those words.

Because we are City.

We weren’t the team that was struggling in the mid-table until last season.

We were now Manchester City, standing tall at the top of the Premier League.

A strong team that had already secured the championship.

The DNA of victory was deeply engraved in the players’ blood and flesh.

[Mathias breaks through Park Seojun with a one-two pass with Oden!]

[From Mathias to Oden, Oden to Mathias! As expected of the two veterans of Manchester City, they are showing a truly beautiful tiki-taka!]

[Oden passes to a running Sanchez as soon as he receives it from Mathias! What will Sanchez do? Two defenders are already running to block him!]

Sanchez.

He gets a lot of flak for being a ‘one-trick pass pony’ due to his weak physique.

Of course, he had improved a lot from his evaluation in the first game, but the haters still put him down as a passing expert with no finishing touch.

But if you think about it the other way, it means his passing skills are that special.

Because his skills are outstanding enough to survive in the Premier League even with a weak physique.

[Uh… oh! That’s amazing! Sanchez doesn’t miss the fleeting moment when the defender’s legs are spread and threads a perfect pass through the gap!]

[Wow, to put it through that gap! That’s just crazy!]

[Guerrero, who received the ball, immediately connects with a volley!]

Chelsea’s goalkeeper barely managed to make a save, but that wasn’t important.

The fantastic play Manchester City had just shown was more than enough to blow away any doubts in the minds of the worried fans.

‘What, they’re fine without me.’

I felt a little disappointed for no reason.