The Road to the Promised Land: Chapter 42

Family Comes First, Familiar Faces :Previous «Home Page» Next: The Right Question to Ask
== The Star of the South ==
Wednesday May 1st
Trudering-Riem, Bavaria, Germany
6:30 PM CEST (5:30 PM BST)
In that early evening in Munich, the Manchester United team left the Mandarin Oriental hotel on a coach bus. But instead of heading to the stadium in the North, the bus headed to the suburb of Trudering-Riem, in the East. After a drive under 20 minutes, the team bus stopped at a very small square standing at the junction of Emplstraße Street and Rappenweg Street, which is in the vicinity of the old Munich Airport.
"What is this place?" Yusuke asked.
"It's the first time I've come here, but this is another memorial to the 1958 Munich Air Disaster." Kakeru replied. "They call it Manchesterplatz."
"Manchester Square, I get it." Yusuke said.
At that place in 2004, Manchester United built a lasting memorial to honor the memory of the 23 casualties in the Munich Air Disaster. The main plaque of that memorial is shaped as a pitch bearing the names of the victims; the plaque was on top of the stone. Underneath is another plaque expressing Manchester United's gratitude to the municipality of Munich and its people; the text was written both in English and in German.
The Manchester United players, all dressed in their Paul Smith suits, made their way in front of the memorial where Andrew, Matthias, and other club officials laid wreaths of flowers in front of the memorial to pay their respects to the victims. After a little moment of silence, Andrew took a moment to deliver a few words to his players.
"For those who may not already know, this place honors the memory of the 23 people who lost their lives in the 1958 Munich Air Disaster – including 8 players of this club: Roger Byrne... aged 28; Tommy Taylor... aged 26; Billy Whelan... aged 22; Geoff Bent... aged 25; Mark Jones... aged 24; Eddie Colman... aged 21; David Pegg... aged 22; and Duncan Edwards... aged 21. Jack Blanchflower survived but never played again; he was only 24 years old. We remember them as a great team they could have become, but we also remember them as those who paved the way for the many other players who came after, including you lads." Andrew said.
Andrew paused for a moment before he carried on.
"For those who survived the crash and those who had to rebuild the club, they had to overcome grief and sorrow in order to fulfill the dreams of the ones who could no longer be there. But Jimmy Murphy once said that it is 'not about honouring their memory. It's about showing who we are to the world. Showing we'll not be bowed by tragedy. Because how we are in the future will be founded on how we behave today.' When you will step on that pitch later tonight, put everything on the line. Leave every ounce of sweat and blood out there. We came here today to remember 23 people today. They won't be on the pitch, but they will be watching with a grin on their faces. By giving it all out there, by doing everything that you can, by leaving no single other thing you could have done, this would be the best way you can pay tribute to those who lost their lives not that far from here. Rising from the ashes and then going for glory, we have done it before. Can you do it again?"
"YEAH!" the players replied.
"Let's do this again, lads!" Andrew finished.
After that moment of reflection, the Manchester United players and coaches got back on the bus before they took a drive for a little more than 20 minutes between Manchesterplatz and the home stadium of Bayern Munich. From that moment in time and onward, the players continued their mental preparation ahead of the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
Fußball-Club Bayern München e.V., commonly known as F.C. Bayern München or simply as Bayern Munich, is the most successful club in the history of German football. Beyond its record wealth of domestic titles and national cups, the team nicknamed as "Stern des Südens" (Star of the South) also has a rich history in European and international club competitions. Bayern already holds 5 European Cups (1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, and 2013), 1 UEFA Cup, 1 European Cup Winners' Cup, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 1 FIFA Club World Cup, and 2 Intercontinental Cups. Bayern have played in a grand total of 10 matches in the European Cup final overall, but they were looking to reach the final for the first time since 2013.
For Manchester United, the task was to break a hoodoo against Bayern. In fact, the team from England have not eliminated the German giant since the 1999 UEFA Champions League final. For the first leg of this semi-final, Manchester United had to deal without Nana (on compassionate leave) and without Nikolaj (serving a 1-match ban) against a team that boasted the best defense in all of Europe as well as a very powerful and balanced attack.
Bayern Munich vs. Manchester United (UEFA Champions League semi-finals, 1st leg)
Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
8:52 PM CEST (7:52 PM BST)
Inside the Allianz Arena, the crowd was getting pumped up for the upcoming arrival of the 2 teams. After the starting lineup for United was announced to the crowd, a piece of Bavarian folk music was played through the speakers for 30 seconds before it suddenly came to a halt. Then PA announcer Stephan Lehmann started the process of presenting the starting lineup for Bayern Munich.
Stephan Lehmann: And now... Ladies and gentlemen... Let there be light!
Then the main floodlights in the stadium were turned off while the musical piece "None Shall Live" by Two Steps From Hell was played through all speakers inside the stadium.
Stephan Lehmann: Hier ist die Mannschaftsaufstellung des F.C. Bayern München (Here is the team lineup of F.C. Bayern Munich)!
The upcoming pre-match spectacle would see the floodlights flashing back on when each player's name is presented. Players for the starting XI are presented in this order by Lehmann and the crowd: goalkeeper first and then field players (by number).
Stephan Lehmann: Im Tor: Nummer eins und die Kapitän (In goal: number 1 and the captain) ...MANUEL!
Bayern supporters: NEUER!!
Stephan Lehmann: Unsere Nummer fünf (Our number 5) ...TORU!
Bayern supporters: ASUKA!!
Stephan Lehmann: Unsere Nummer sechs (Our number 6)!
Bayern supporters: THIAGO!!
Stephan Lehmann: Unsere Nummer acht (Our number 8) ...JAVI!
Bayern supporters: MARTÍNEZ!!
Stephan Lehmann: Nummer neun (Number 9) ...ROBERT!
Bayern supporters: LEWANDOWSKI!!
Stephan Lehmann: Nummer fünfzehn (Number 15) ...KARL!
Bayern supporters: VON SECKENDORFF!!
Stephan Lehmann: Nummer zweiundzwanzig (Number 22) ...SERGE!
Bayern supporters: GNABRY!!
Stephan Lehmann: Nummer fünfundzwanzig (Number 25) ...THOMAS!
Bayern supporters: MÜLLER!!
Stephan Lehmann: Nummer siebenundzwanzig (Number 27) ...DAVID!
Bayern supporters: ALABA!!
Stephan Lehmann: Nummer neunundzwanzig (Number 29) ...KINGSLEY!
Bayern supporters: COMAN!!
Stephan Lehmann: Und Nummer zweiunddreißig (And number 32) ...JOSHUA!
Bayern supporters: KIMMICH!!
Then the presentation went down the list of substitutes and then the coaches for Bayern Munich. Inside the players' tunnel, both teams stood silent waiting for the referee to give the OK to walk forward.
'It's going to be difficult, Seven. But we will do everything we can to get out of here with something good.' Kakeru thought.
Then the referee made the signal ordering both teams to follow him and his assistants.
"HERE WE GO, LADS!" Matthias rallied his Manchester United teammates.
"AUF GEHTS, JUNGS! (LET'S GO, GUYS!" Manuel Neuer did the same with his Bayern Munich colleagues.
As the players made their way up the steps and onto the playing surface, the large majority of the 66,000 Bayern Munich supporters in the crowd of 70,000 waved flags that were assigned to each seat. The end result of the flag waving was an astonishing mosaic that almost covered the whole stadium with apparent red and white stripes making up the traditional colors of Bayern Munich. At one end of the stadium, a giant card stunt revealed the full Bayern Munich badge in its full glory.
On the commentary is Clive Tyldesley.
Clive Tyldesley: Well, Bayern Munich will feel this is their best chance to reach the Champions League final for the first time since their last triumph in 2013. They have reached the semi-finals in 4 of the last 5 campaigns, but they have suffered their share of heartbreaking eliminations in that period. Bayern can rely on 4 winners from the 2013 team in their starting lineup: Manuel Neuer is captaining in goal; David Alaba is still a regular at left-back; Javi Martínez returns in midfield at the expense of Corentin Tolisso; and Thomas Müller starts behind the striker. Robert Lewandowski also played in the 2013 Champions League final, but he was on the losing end with Borussia Dortmund.
As displayed on television, this was the starting 4-2-3-1 lineup for Bayern Munich: Manuel Neuer (goalkeeper and captain), Joshua Kimmich (right-back), Toru Asuka (centre-back), Karl von Seckendorff (centre-back), David Alaba (centre-back), Thiago (central midfielder), Javi Martínez (central midfielder), Kingsley Coman (right forward), Thomas Müller (attacking midfielder/second striker), Serge Gnabry (left forward), and Robert Lewandowski (striker). The Bayern Munich field players wore an all-red kit.
Clive Tyldesley: Manchester United have made 4 changes to the team that trounced Manchester City in the weekend. Diogo Blanco replaces Joel Muamba at right-back, but Andrew Shaw makes his return at left-back. In midfield, they have to cope without Nana Mishima, who has been allowed to leave the team for personal reasons, and without Nikolaj Kristiansen, who has received a 1-match ban for his 2 yellow cards in the quarterfinals against Real Madrid. They are replaced by Aidan Whelan and Liam McGregor. The attacking force remains unchanged with Araya, Van Leeuwen, and Aizawa.
In response, United set forward an improvised 4-2-3-1 formation to cope with the unavailability of 2 important midfielders – Nana and Nikolaj. The lineup looked as followed: Jan Farkas (goalkeeper), Diogo Blanco (right-back), Erik Johansson (centre-back), Matthias Köhler (centre-back and captain), Yusuke Saeki (central midfielder), Liam McGrgeor (central midfielder), Santiago Araya (right forward), Aidan Whelan (central attacking midfielder), Kakeru Aizawa (left forward), and Marius van Leeuwen (striker). The Manchester United field players wore midnight blue shirts, white shorts, and white socks.
Clive Tyldesley: There is always a special occasion around every time when Manchester United play in Munich because of the indelible mark on history on the 6th of February 1958. Two cities forever twined by tragedy. The shroud of history covers this fixture, but the immediate Champions League future of these 2 great clubs is on the line tonight.
Following the coin toss, Bayern were set to kick the match off. Both teams stood by in their respective ends of the pitch, waiting for the referee to blow the kickoff whistle at the right time. Finally, the clock struck 9:00 PM Munich time, which equated to 8:00 PM UK time.
PEEEP!
Clive Tyldesley: They say the league table never lies in this week of semi-finals. We had the best teams from France and Spain squaring off in the other semi-final yesterday. There's little doubt that the best teams in Germany and England this season have been Bayern Munich, in the all-red, and Manchester United, wearing blue shirts on the night. Doesn't necessarily follow that either will finish up as the best in Europe though.
For the very early stages of the match, Bayern were almost monopolizing time possession on the ball. The home side was looking to draw first blood early on, and it didn't take really long before a first scoring opportunity came up.
In the 3rd minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Headed back by Alaba... Thomas Müller...
Following a punt down the field by a Manchester United defender, the ball was headed back into the Manchester United half by Alaba. The ball bounced away from both Liam and Martínez before it reached Thomas Müller's feet. The German attacking midfielder first attempted to run forward, but Erik quickly arrived in his way. Then the pass was made from Müller towards Coman on the right wing.
Clive Tyldesley: Into the path of Kingsley Coman...
Coman tried to overrun Shawzy, but the English left-back fell back while holding a reasonable distance with the French forward in red. Then Shawzy stopped on the edge of his own penalty area to hold his ground, forcing Coman to dribble the way around while more Manchester United players arrived to defend. Nevertheless, Coman passed the ball into Kimmich's overlapping run.
Clive Tyldesley: Overlapping is Kimmich...
Finding some space as he received the ball, Kimmich promptly crossed the ball into the Manchester United penalty area. The pass was aimed at Lewandowski, but Erik headed the ball far away from his own penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: It's Johansson who clears his line.
The loose ball was flicked by Thiago towards Toru almost at the halfway line. Then Toru passed the ball ahead and on the right for Kimmich before the latter passed the ball ahead and back to Thiago.
Clive Tyldesley: Kimmich... back to Thiago again...
After a couple of steps forward, Thiago launched a through pass into the path of Kingsley Coman. The Manchester United defenders thought there was an offside for a split second, but Coman was onside instead!
Clive Tyldesley: Defence is being stretched by Coman here... Here's a chance for Thomas Müller...
In desperation, Erik ran after Coman to deny the shooting lane. However, Coman made a drop pass to his left and towards Müller. The German attacking midfielder took the shot immediately upon receiving the ball, but Jan made a kick save to deny the opening goal.
Clive Tyldesley: And Jan Farkas has to make a really important save early in the game!
The rebound bounced towards Yusuke, who then punted the ball towards the middle of the pitch. Kakeru tried to run after the ball, but Toru jumped up to head the ball ahead. Nevertheless, the ball was intercepted by Liam, who then started running forward. On the following seconds, Javi Martínez attempted to tackle the ball away from the Scotsman. However, Liam was caught by Martínez instead.
PEEP!
Clive Tyldesley: McGregor fouled by Martínez. But Bayern Munich came ever so close of taking an early lead here.
While the Bayern Munich players protested, the Manchester United players sighed in relief after escaping an early goal.
Meanwhile at Victoria Warehouse:
"That was close!" Sarah said.
"They stretched our backline so easily. I thought that was offside." Noriko replied.
Then the TV replay showed that Coman was onside because Matthias stood a little further back compared to the other Manchester United defenders, and thus neutered the offside trap. The mass of Manchester United supporters gathered in the place were still chattering on what had happened.
"Nope. Köhler clearly played him onside." Noriko said.
"That was a good drop pass for Müller as well. We're lucky that Müller went for the shot though." Sarah replied.
"Yeah. Lewandowski was all alone a few yards next to him."
"I just hope we can weather the storm. That's the most important for us now."
"I know, Sarah. We have to survive the onslaught." Noriko said.
As Sarah pointed out, the primary mission for United was to survive the first 15 minutes without falling behind on the scoreboard. However, Bayern Munich continued to apply tremendous pressure on the Manchester United players by playing a very aggressive and direct attacking style in front of their loud supporters. Shots flew either wide to the mark or too weakly to be of any danger against Jan. As United were working their way to absorb that pressure, the German side was bound to have another dangerous shot on Jan's goal.
In the 11th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Coman...
Arriving a few yards in front of the Manchester United penalty area, Kingsley Coman was confronted by Liam in front of him. However, the French forward dribbled his way past Liam before he made a short pass ahead for Serge Gnabry.
Clive Tyldesley: Gnabry...
Standing with his back to the Manchester United goal on the edge of the penalty area, Gnabry shielded the ball to buy some time while Diogo was trying to push him back. Then Gnabry made a short through pass with the back of his heel and between Diogo's legs at the very moment Coman made an overlapping run.
Clive Tyldesley: Skips it through. COMAN...
Erik attempted to get in the way, but Coman shot the ball past the Swedish defender. However, Jan stuck the right foot out, which was enough to deflect the ball off the junction between the post and the crossbar.
Clive Tyldesley: Somehow Farkas kept it out!
Then the ball bounced to the side of the penalty area. Coman ran towards the loose ball before he attempted to make a centering pas in front of goal. But then Yusuke kicked the ball out of bounds, thus conceding a corner kick.
Clive Tyldesley: Manchester United, under siege again, found their way to clear their lines again. Bayern Munich still have a corner kick though.
Meanwhile at Victoria Warehouse:
"Damn! They're cutting us like a hot knife through butter." Noriko said.
"I know. They could have scored twice." Sarah replied.
"We were really lucky. I'm not sure Farkas knew too much about it on Coman's shot, but he did just enough there."
"Off the foot and then off the frame. We need to start attacking soon."
"We have to defend this corner kick though." Noriko said.
Back in Munich, the Manchester United players scrambled to move into defensive positions ahead of the corner kick.
"Knight, pick up the far post. Clover, on the near post." Jan guided Kakeru and Aidan towards their assigned positions.
"Got it, Wolf." Kakeru replied.
Meanwhile, Bayern moved 5 players inside the Manchester United penalty area while United had 10 players inside their own box.
"I'm marking you, Asuka-san." Yusuke said.
"We'll see if you can handle me, Saeki."
Seconds later, the referee was ready to blow his whistle. Thiago was ready to take the corner kick.
PEEP!
Clive Tyldesley: Thiago will take...
Thiago struck the ball in a way that it was curling in towards the near post. Despite Erik's best efforts to mark Karl von Seckendorff, the big German defender in the all-red kit outjumped the Swede to head the ball towards the goal.
Clive Tyldesley: VON SECKENDORFF!!!
The headed shot flew across Jan and towards the far post, but Kakeru reacted quickly to jump up and block the shot with the top of his head. The ball bounced out of play instead.
Clive Tyldesley: TERRIFIC SAVE ON THE LINE BY AIZAWA! Corner kick.
Kakeru conceded another corner kick, but the last action earned him congratulations from his teammates.
"Good save, Knight!" Matthias said.
"You saved my butt, Knight. Thanks." Erik added.
"Too close for comfort. We have to defend better there." Kakeru replied.
"Right." Matthias said before he gave the word to his teammates. "Mark everyone tighter, lads!"
Then Kakeru and Karl came up face to face for a brief moment.
"You were lucky, Aizawa." Karl said.
"That had nothing to with luck. Guarding the post is something I'm quite good at." Kakeru replied.
"We'll see how long you guys will last against us."
"We can withstand more than that."
"Plenty of time left to prove you wrong." Karl said.
"We're just getting warmed up." Kakeru replied.
Then the following corner kick was easily caught by Jan, who smothered the ball to give a moment of respite to his teammates before the play carried on. By the time we reached 15 minutes of play gone, the score was still 0-0. As a result, the intensity of Bayern's attacks inevitably went down by a notch. It was exactly what United were waiting before they could start testing the Bayern Munich defenses, hopefully find the gaps that would lead to the back of the Bavarian team's goal.
In the 19th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Manchester United looking for a gap. McGregor... Saeki... to Shaw...
For a rare moment thus far, United controlled the ball inside Bayern's half. After a few passes, the ball arrived to Shawzy around the two-thirds of the length of the pitch. Then the English left-back advanced a couple of yards while looking ahead for a teammate to pass the ball to.
"Shawzy!" Kakeru shouted ahead.
Seeing that Kakeru was lurking along the long outer edge of the Bayern penalty area, Shawzy launched a hard pass that was a hybrid between a through pass and a cross. The ball was deliberately fired behind Toru as well, but Karl still remained an obstacle standing in the way.
"Not going past me, Aizawa." Karl said.
'Who said I would shoot?' Kakeru thought.
Instead of receiving the ball for the purpose of preparing a shot, Kakeru flicked the ball with the inside of his front foot to make a layoff pass towards Marius. The Dutch striker was on the "D" in front of Bayern's penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: Swung into Aizawa... Van Leeuwen...
While everyone expected Marius to shoot despite the presence of Karl, Neuer, and Alaba in the shooting lane, the Dutch striker made a pass onto his right and towards Santiago. Arriving just inside the penalty area, Santiago fired the shot towards the Bayern goal.
Clive Tyldesley: ...and Araya!! Good save by Neuer!
The ball flew past Alaba and towards the inside of the near post, but Neuer parried the ball out of play to preserve the 0-0 scoreline.
"¡Coño! (Dammit!)" Santiago cursed.
"Good try, Santi!" Kakeru applauded the effort.
"Corner kick, lads! Let's do this." Matthias rallied his teammates.
Both teams set themselves up for the upcoming corner kick. Although United had their share of tall customers to attack on corner kicks, Bayern also had plenty of tall players to defend on such situations as well.
PEEP!
Clive Tyldesley: Whelan with the corner kick. Playing it short for Araya...
Instead of playing the usual long corner kick, Aidan chose to play a short pass towards Santiago. The Chilean-Colombian tried to find some space in order to cross the ball, but found none before he passed the ball back to Aidan.
Clive Tyldesley: Back to Whelan...
As soon as Aidan received the pass, the Irishman launched a long aerial pass towards the front of the Bayern goal. Everyone expected Neuer to catch the ball, but the German goalkeeper slightly misjudged the ball for a split second. The ball bounced off his outstretched hand and into a dangerous area.
Clive Tyldesley: Neuer... didn't deal with it. Dropped...
In that open area, Kakeru immediately struck the left-footed volley towards the goal. Neuer was beaten, but then...
Clive Tyldesley: Aizawa! Saved off the line by Asuka!
Toru arrived just in time to stick a leg out and block the shot, but the ball then bounced towards Matthias. The Manchester United captain stood up to support the attack, and thus did not hesitate to shoot when the ball went to his feet.
Clive Tyldesley: Bouncing back to Köhler!
But as soon as Matthias took the shot, Karl threw his body in the way to block the shot. Then the ball bounced out of play to the side.
Clive Tyldesley: What a block by Von Seckendorff! Manchester United denied, not once but twice! It was a mistake from Neuer, but Toru Asuka and then Karl von Seckendorff have thrown bodies on the line. We're still scoreless.
The tens of thousands Bayern supporters applauded their 2 defenders' efforts. On the other hand, the Manchester United players could only look in disbelief.
"Should have scored." Kakeru said out loud.
"We'll get back at them, Knight." Aidan replied.
"It's OK. Now they will be thinking twice before they go on an all-out attack." Marius added.
'At least, Bayern will have a little bit of doubt to deal with.' Yusuke thought.
Meanwhile in the Bayern Munich camp:
"Das war knapp (That was close)." Toru said to Karl.
"Sie sind in der Tat eine gute Mannschaft (They are a good team indeed)." Karl replied.
"Jetzt ist das Schachspiel interessant (Now the game of chess is interesting)." Toru said with a smile.
The last scoring opportunity prompted Bayern Munich to be a little more mindful of United's attacking capabilities. Then both teams continued pushing back and forth, but attacks were neutralized by defensive actions on both sides. The match appeared to become a stalemate, but Bayern Munich would eventually a way to get closer to their first short-term objective.
In the 27th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Saeki... now McGregor...
In the middle of the park, the 2 Manchester United midfielders passed the ball between each other. However, Liam soon found himself under strong pressure from Müller. Then both players tussled for the ball until Liam went down on the grass.
"REF! HEY!" Liam shouted for a free kick.
However, the referee chose not to call a foul. The decision allowed Bayern to counterattack immediately.
Clive Tyldesley: "No foul" says the referee. It's Thomas Müller on a break...
Thomas Müller rushed with the ball down the left wing until he entered the Manchester United penalty area from the side. Yusuke, Erik, Matthias, and Shawzy rushed back to defend in their own box, but Müller also had Coman, Gnabry, and Lewandowski supporting the attack. Picking his moment, Müller made a drop pass towards Coman, who then took the shot right away.
Clive Tyldesley: Kingsley Coman!
In a desperate attempt, Shawzy tried to stick a foot out to block Coman's shot. However, the ensuing deflection put the ball on a silver plate for Serge Gnabry, who fired the ball into an open goal. Everyone thought Bayern took the lead, but...
Clive Tyldesley: It's come to GNABRY!!! OFFSIDE!! Won't count! Won't count! Serge Gnabry is offside.
As soon as the linesman's flag went up, the early cheers from the 66,000 Bayern supporters quickly made way for sarcastic cheers from the 4,000 Manchester United in the stadium. The Bayern Munich players still couldn't believe decision, but the TV replay confirmed the offside call. Serge Gnabry was indeed a few inches offside when Coman took the shot off. Even with the fortuitous deflection off Shawzy, the goal was never going to count.
Meanwhile at Victoria Warehouse:
"Phew! Another narrow escape." Noriko sighed in relief.
"If it wasn't for Shaw making a step ahead before Coman took the shot, Gnabry would have been onside." Sarah said.
"We played toe-to-toe with Bayern for some time now, but we have to make sure they don't find their stride after this."
"I hope it too, Noriko."
Manchester United were saved by the finest of margins, but Bayern Munich regained the momentum after that most recent attack. It didn't take long before the Bavarian team would have another go at the Manchester United goal, but also with greater effect that time.
In the 30th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Here's Asuka... he running forward with the ball...
From his own half, Toru started running with the ball forward until he reached the halfway line. Then the Japanese defender launched a long aerial pass ahead.
Clive Tyldesley: Long ball forward for Lewandowski...
The ball's trajectory went down towards the edge of the Manchester United penalty area. Robert Lewandowski ran after the ball, but Erik kept up the pace in front of the Pole's run. Not taking any chances, Erik headed the ball out of play. However, a corner kick was also conceded to Bayern.
Clive Tyldesley: Johansson just about deals with it, but at the expense of a corner kick.
Both teams moved quickly into positions to either attack or defend on the following corner kick. Thiago was ready to proceed upon the referee's signal.
PEEP!
Clive Tyldesley: Taken by Thiago.
Thiago whipped the ball towards the area in front of the near post, but Aidan rushed forward to deflect the ball away from the mass of players in the penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: Towards Martínez. Turned away at the near post by Whelan...
The ball bounced in front of the penalty area where Kimmich flicked the ball back inside the penalty area and towards Thomas Müller, who was isolated by both Matthias and Santiago.
Clive Tyldesley: But it's found its way via Kimmich, now Müller...
Trying to hold the ball just inside the penalty area and with the byline nearby, Müller resisted Santiago's man-marking. Then Müller made a short pass back to Kimmich, who was roaming on the right flank.
Clive Tyldesley: Kimmich again...
Upon receiving the ball, Kimmich whipped the long pass destined to go in an area in front of the far post. In that area, Karl managed to stealthily put his hands on Diogo, using the Portuguese right-back as a springboard to reach the ball in the air.
Clive Tyldesley: Towards Von Seckendorff...
But instead of heading the ball towards the Manchester United goal, Karl headed the ball back across the face of goal. Then Thomas Müller charged in with a mad diagonal dash followed by a header on the ball in mid-air.
Clive Tyldesley: It's a chance for Müller! It's IN!!
The powerful header flew by Matthias and then off Jan's hands before it went into the back of the net. And in a flash, we had bedlam coming from the 66,000 Bayern supporters inside the Allianz Arena.
Clive Tyldesley: Thomas Müller strikes first for Bayern Munich!
In the immediate aftermath following the 1-0 goal, a techno remix of Jack White's "Seven Nation Army" was played as a goal song through all speakers in the stadium.
Clive Tyldesley: The man who scored the goal that broke Manchester United's hearts in the Champions League quarterfinals in 2014... He scored in the last 2 rounds against Atletico Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur, and now he has scored the first goal of the semi-final!
After the 30-second musical cue was finished, the PA announcer announced the goal.
Stephan Lehmann: In der 30. Spielminute... TOOOOOOOOOR für den F.C. Bayern München durch unsere Nummer 25 (In the 30th minute... GOOOOOOOOOAL for F.C. Bayern Munich by our number 25), THOMAS!!!
Bayern supporters: MÜLLER!!!
Stephan Lehmann: THOMAS!!!
Bayern supporters: MÜLLER!!!
Stephan Lehmann: THOMAS!!!
Bayern supporters: MÜLLER!!!
Stephan Lehmann: Neuer Spielstand (New scoreline): F.C. Bayern München...
Bayern supporters: EINS!!! (ONE!!!)
Stephan Lehmann: Manchester United...
Bayern supporters: NULL!!! (ZERO!!!)
Stephan Lehmann: Danke! (Thank you!)
Bayern supporters: BITTE! (YOU'RE WELCOME!)
While the Bayern Munich players and supporters were celebrating, the Manchester United players were disgusted at themselves for a short moment.
"Sorry, lads. I should have had that one." Jan said.
"No. I lost track of Müller." Matthias replied.
"Pick it up, lads! It's only one goal!" Yusuke rallied his teammates.
"Fury's right; we can catch up! There's 15 minutes left in this half." Marius added.
"Let's go at them again, lads!" Kakeru said.
Having fallen behind on the scoreboard, there was only one thing United could do to let doubt creep into Bayern's minds: to score the important away goal. But as much as United put more efforts going forward, Bayern's calculated defense, masterfully led by Toru and Karl, cut those attacks short. Nevertheless, the tiniest mistake could bear heavy consequences as well.
In the 37th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Saeki to Whelan. United can break here...
Starting an attack for United, Yusuke passed the ball towards Aidan. Then the Irishman attempted to make a pass forward to Santiago as the former crossed the halfway line. However, the pass rolled too far ahead of Santiago, which made an easy recovery for Alaba.
Clive Tyldesley: Not a good pass by Whelan. Now Alaba...
After Alaba recovered the ball, the Austrian left-back made a short pass to Karl, who then passed the ball to Toru on the right. The Bayern defenders passed the ball around in front of their own penalty area.
"Don't think I will let you off now." Kakeru said.
Kakeru rushed towards Toru. But instead of attempting one of his trademark runs forward, the Japanese defender chose to pass the ball back to his goalkeeper.
Clive Tyldesley: Asuka... passing back to Neuer...
The ball rolled towards Neuer, but Santi chose to run towards the German goalkeeper. Feeling the pressure, Neuer attempted to clear the ball ahead. However, the ball went straight towards Marius, who stood by a dozen yards in front of the Bayern Munich penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: Oh! It has gone straight to Van Leeuwen...
After the Dutch striker intercepted, he also spotted Kakeru initiating a run between Toru and Karl. On the following second, Marius launched a through pass into Kakeru's run as the 2 Bayern defenders were caught flatfooted and off-guard by Neuer's error. The Manchester United forward found himself all alone against the imposing figure of the Bayern Munich goalkeeper.
Clive Tyldesley: It's AIZAWA!
Rushing towards the goalkeeper, Kakeru waited for the perfect split second to chip the ball above and beyond Neuer's reach. Then the ball bounced into the back of the net, silencing the crowd at the Allianz Arena but for the pocket of 4,000 Manchester United supporters.
Clive Tyldesley: IT'S 1-1!!! KAKERU AIZAWA WITH THE CRUCIAL AWAY GOAL! WHO ELSE?
Kakeru celebrated his goal by kissing the badge on his shirt before pointing up to the sky before he was joined by his teammates.
"YATTA!" Kakeru shouted.
"Nice goal, Knight!" Marius congratulated.
"Thanks. Nice pass, Roman!" Kakeru replied.
"Well done!" Santiago exclaimed.
"Come on!" Liam added.
"Good job, lads! We made the first step. Let's go for the next one!" Matthias said.
Meanwhile in the Bayern Munich camp, players were angry at their captain for the gaffe that cost them a goal.
"Was zur Hölle war das? (What the hell was that?)" Karl angrily asked Neuer.
"Ich habe es vermasselt. Es tut mir Leid. (I screwed up. I'm sorry.)" Neuer replied.
"Bleib einfach konzentriert. Mach uns nicht fertig! (Just stay focused. Don't **** us up!)" Toru said.
"OK, OK!" Neuer replied.
'It's one thing to be able to make calculations, but human error is not something that can be calculated. Manu has to be a lot sharper than that if we have to go through.' Toru thought. 
Clive Tyldesley: The man who cannot stop on scoring has equalized for Manchester United! It's his 41st goal of this remarkable season, his 9th Champions league goal.
At Victoria Warehouse in Manchester, the crowd celebrated the goal in the most English fashion as usual with beer flying everywhere.
"He did it! He scored!" Sarah exclaimed.
"I know! That came out of nowhere!" Noriko replied.
When the TV replay showed Neuer's gaffe leading up to the goal, the crowd in the room gave a sarcastic cheer. Then the crowd started singing the fan chant that praises Kakeru.
"I didn't think that Neuer would do something like that after being known for years as the best goalkeeper." Sarah said. "What was he thinking?"
"Of course, he's a very good shot stopper and he's unique as a sweeper-keeper. BUT he has done his share of big mistakes over the years too." Noriko replied.
"That should be quite mentally crushing for Bayern. We better take advantage of that."
"Right. We have to go for it."
With the equalizer coming almost out of nowhere, Bayern Munich players and supporters were bewildered. On the other hand, the goal gave a much-needed energy boost to Manchester United. The Mancunians started attacking with more authority as they sought for a second goal before halftime.
In the 44th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Here's Saeki... to Shaw on the left...
Moving the attack into Bayern's half, Yusuke started moving forward with the ball before he passed the ball into Shawzy's run. Then the English left-back ran until he picked his moment to whip a long ball inside Bayern's penalty area. The long ball flew towards the front of the 6-yard box. Although either Karl or Alaba were attempting to reach the end of that ball's trajectory, Marius managed to get his ball on the ball first.
Clive Tyldesley: Cross in to VAN LEEUWEN!
Marius headed the ball towards the goal, but Neuer managed to get one hand in the way to deflect the ball out of play.
Clive Tyldesley: That's a pretty decent save by Neuer!
The Manchester United players had their hands on their heads in disbelief.
"Oh, come on!" Marius said out loud.
Nevertheless, United still had a corner kick coming up as a result of Neuer's save. Both teams lined up while Aidan was ready to take the corner kick.
PEEP!
Aidan whipped the ball towards the mass of players in front of Bayern's 6-yard box. The ball managed to reach Liam, who ended up heading the ball above the crossbar and onto the top of the goal.
Clive Tyldesley: Whelan... in towards the head of McGregor. That wasn't far away either.
"Damn!" Liam cursed.
"It's OK, Big Mac. We'll get them." Kakeru cheered his Scottish teammate up.
Meanwhile at Victoria Warehouse, shouts of disbelief still echoed inside the room. The Manchester United supporters could not believe that their team did not convert on the most recent opportunity.
"I really thought Van Leeuwen would score at the end of that cross a little earlier." Sarah said.
"Neuer made up for his earlier mistake." Noriko replied.
"I hope we won't come to regret this."
"Fingers crossed, Sarah." Noriko said.
After that last scoring chance, both teams settled things down without any further fuss. After a couple of minutes of injury time, the referee signalled the first halftime of a very competitive contest so far.
PEEP PEEEEEEEP!!!
Clive Tyldesley: Halftime. Bayern Munich took the lead on Thomas Müller's goal on the 30th minute. Then Kakeru Aizawa equalized on a mistake from Manuel Neuer. Both teams have shown intent and ability to attack even though Bayern controlled the ball a little better in the first 45 minutes. We expected a very competitive contest for this one. So far, it has not disappointed. At halftime, the score is: Bayern Munich 1-1 Manchester United.
After a rest and a team talk from the managers, both teams got back on the pitch. For some time, neither team appeared to overcommit on the attack by fear of being hit on the counterattack. However, the home crowd gave Bayern Munich a little extra energy to start finding their marks on the attack. The German team was going to be the first to have a crack on goal in the second half.
In the 55th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Recovered by Martínez. Now it's Thiago... finds Kimmich...
Controlling the ball inside the Manchester United half, the ball went from Javi Martínez to Thiago. Then the ball went from Thiago to Joshua Kimmich. Seeing that there was a chance to move closer to the Manchester United penalty area, Kimmich ran in full speed with the ball.
Clive Tyldesley: Kimmich going forward...
With everyone expecting a shot, 2 Manchester United players moved in front of Kimmich. However, the German right-back whipped an aerial pass at the far post instead of shooting the ball. The pass then landed into the path of Serge Gnabry.
Clive Tyldesley: To the far post. There's a chance for Gnabry!
Without asking, Gnabry struck the ball with his left foot. However, the end product was between a shot and a pass across the 6-yard box. The ball rolled both too far in front of Robert Lewandowski and so close to the far post. Luckily for United, the end result was a goal kick.
Clive Tyldesley: What a chance! Serge Gnabry slices the ball just by the post.
The Bayern Munich players looked in disbelief. Meanwhile, the Manchester United players sighed in relief.
'That was too close. We should have known that Kimmich learned his trade from Philipp Lahm. That run was similar to what Lahm used to do.' Kakeru thought.
'If Gnabry was not too selfish, we would have gone behind by now.' Yusuke thought.
"Wake up, lads! They came close, but we need to get started. Come on!" Matthias rallied his teammates.
Meanwhile at Victoria Warehouse:
"Oof! Close call again." Sarah said.
"I'm not sure if Gnabry was attempting to knock that back across the 6-yard box for Lewandowski or to go for glory himself. Anyway, I'm glad he missed." Noriko replied.
"So far, we have been too conservative in the second half. We have to go at them soon."
"If anything, that should wake us up now." Noriko said.
As if United wanted a wake-up call, the Manchester United players came back with a better collective effort afterwards. Bayern Munich were controlling the ball better than United, but the English side could afford to wait for a mistake from Bayern Munich.
In the 60th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Here's Javi Martínez... his pass a little far for Müller.
With Bayern on the rush forward, Martínez attempted to reach Thomas Müller with the pass. However, the ball rolled too far away from Müller. Instead, Yusuke was the one intercepting the pass. Then the following pass went ahead to Aidan.
Clive Tyldesley: Recovered by Saeki... Now to Whelan...
Trying to strike on the counterattack, the Manchester United players rushed forward. After Aidan received the ball in the center circle, the Irishman passed the ball forward to Kakeru. The Japanese forward soon found himself one-on-one against Toru Asuka.
"Come on, Aizawa!" Toru said.
"You're asking for it." Kakeru replied.
Instead of stopping his run, Kakeru chose to take on Toru. In a swift motion, Kakeru tapped the ball with the inside and then the outside of his right foot to perform an elastico feint, which sent the ball to his right. But on the next split second, Kakeru ran straight into Toru.
Clive Tyldesley: Here's Aizawa. Clever for Van Leeuwen...
Although Kakeru and Toru both went to ground after that contact, the referee gave the advantage to United as Marius had control of the ball. Bayern supporters were shouting for a foul, but to no avail. Arriving around 10 yards in front of the Bayern penalty area, Marius chose to take the shot from distance.
Clive Tyldesley: Van Leeuwen goes for goal!!
Despite Karl's attempt to get himself in the shooting lane, Marius' shot flew with pace, dip, and curl towards the Bayern goal. In a reflex move, Neuer stretched his hand to deflect the ball out of play.
Clive Tyldesley: And forcing a save out of Neuer! Corner kick.
While both teams started moving towards their assigned positions on the upcoming corner kick, Aidan chose a very different strategy by playing the short corner kick quickly with a pass towards Shawzy.
Clive Tyldesley: Whelan plays it quickly. Shaw...
After the ball reached Shawzy, the ball was rolled back to Aidan. Then the Irishman made a ground pass inside the Bayern penalty area and towards Liam. All of that happened as there was a moment of disorganization within Bayern's defensive ranks.
Clive Tyldesley: Steered into McGregor with space...
As Liam received the ball, the Scotsman had to face Javi Martínez. Seeing a gap between Martínez and the other Bayern defenders, Liam dragged the ball for a yard to his right before he took a low shot towards the Bayern Munich goal.
Clive Tyldesley: McGregor!
However, the shot was not as hard nor accurate to worry Manuel Neuer, who easily picked up the ball
Clive Tyldesley: Well, it was a tidy pick-up by Neuer.
At the same time that the Manchester United players were walking back in disappointment, Manuel Neuer wanted to make sure that his teammates would not make things too easy for their opponents.
"Wir machen es ihnen zu einfach. Spiele eng gegen sie! Auf gehts! (We're making it too easy for them. Play tight against them! Let's go!)" Neuer said.
"Lass uns das machen. Los jetzt! (Let's do this. Come on!)." Karl added to the rally cry.
Meanwhile at Victoria Warehouse:
"Shame. We could have taken the lead there." Noriko said.
"Van Leeuwen's shot was great, but McGregor should have done better from where he was on the kick after that." Sarah replied.
"Whelan was clever to play the quick corner kick when Bayern were not quite ready."
"Sometimes it's better than just hoofing the ball in."
"Yeah, especially against that backline." Noriko said. "I have a strange feeling that the next team to score will win this match. It is that kind of tight game."
"Fingers crossed that it will be us."
The match continued with both teams experiencing their share of ball control. However, Kakeru, Marius, and Santiago were often left frustrated by combined efforts from Toru, Karl, and Alaba to stop the Manchester United attack by all means in the rulebook. One aspect that is often overlooked is the fact that Bayern Munich can also strike swiftly on counterattacks like any other team, especially when defenders like Toru and Karl can start with a first good pass forward.
In the 64th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Pushing forward is McGregor... finds Aizawa ahead on the left...
As the Manchester United players moved inside the Bayern Munich half, Liam passed the ball towards Kakeru. Then Kakeru charged through the left wing until he made a 90-degree turn towards the Bayern Munich penalty area. However, Kakeru came up against Toru again.
'I have to try getting past him.' Kakeru thought.
Waiting for the right moment, Kakeru attempted to nutmeg the ball between Toru's legs while running next to him. However, Toru easily intercepted the ball before he started running with it in the opposite direction.
Clive Tyldesley: Can't get through. It's Toru Asuka with the ball... 
Toru continued to lead the rush with the ball until he arrived just before the center circle. Then the Japanese defender launched a long aerial through pass towards Kingsley Coman, who was being followed by Shawzy.
Clive Tyldesley: Long ball forward. Coman trying to burst past Shaw...
In a desperate move as the footrace was about to be lost, Shawzy tried to foul Coman just outside of the Manchester United penalty area. However, Coman avoided contact before he entered the penalty area. Then Bayern's French forward skipped his way around Jan.
Clive Tyldesley: Shaw couldn't stop him!
Having gone around Jan, Coman let the ball roll towards the yawning cage. However, the shot was rolling quite slowly.
Clive Tyldesley: IT'S KINGSLEY COMAN...
In order to make sure the ball would go in, Serge Gnabry ran after the ball. However, Matthias also rushed his way back towards the ball, just in time to sweep it off the line and out of danger to save the goal.
Clive Tyldesley: GNABRY IS THERE! CLEARED OFF THE LINE BY KÖHLER!!!
The 66,000 Bayern Munich supporters inside the stadium could only look in disbelief as the ball went out of the play on the sidelines. The score was still 1-1 after that last adventure.
"Dammit!" Kakeru cursed out loud before he thought: 'I have to be a lot better than that. I almost cost us a goal.'
"Stay sharp, Kakeru. Don't lose your focus now." Yusuke tried to cheer his teammate up.
"We have to try going at them again. It's all we can do now." Marius said.
"I know. I have to do better." Kakeru replied.
With the match still hanging pretty much in the balance, both teams knew how important the next goal would be. As for Kakeru himself, he felt that he had to contribute more on the attack outside of the lucky goal he scored in the first half. But in order to do that, Kakeru had to work hard and find his way past either Toru or Karl, who were both some of Kakeru's toughest opponents in his high school days.
In the 68th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Here's Shaw... Whelan...
As United were passing the ball around inside Bayern's own half, the Bayern Munich players were defending their own penalty area in numbers. At one point, Aidan made a short pass towards Kakeru, who was momentarily playing on the right wing.
Clive Tyldesley: Aizawa...
Although Kakeru was inside the Bayern Munich penalty area, he was standing with his back to the Bayern goal while Joshua Kimmich was right on him. Nevertheless, Kakeru surprised Kimmich by spinning around him and overrunning him on the outside.
Clive Tyldesley: He's got away from Kimmich...
Knowing that Kakeru was entering a dangerous position, Toru rushed to get in the way. However, Toru also had to think about Marius arriving as well.
"Karl, markiere ihn! (mark him!)" Toru warned Karl, asking him to mark Marius.
Without asking, Karl moved to mark Marius. The new situation forced Kakeru to take a precipitated attempt of a pass in front of goal. However, Toru stuck his leg out to clear the ball out of play.
Clive Tyldesley: Aizawa... Oh, it's Toru Asuka again. How many timely interventions has he done tonight? It's a corner kick though.
"Corner kick. Let's go, lads!" Matthias rallied his teammates to be ready.
Players on both sides moved into positions while Aidan took the ball to the corner flag. Then all eyes were on the referee.
PEEP!
Clive Tyldesley: Whelan to take...
Aidan whipped the ball towards an area in front of the near post. Although Javi Martínez was marking Marius, the Dutchman managed to outjump the Spaniard for the ball.
Clive Tyldesley: Van Leeuwen with the header...
But instead of heading the ball towards the Bayern goal, Marius deflected the ball across and towards the path of Matthias. The German captain of Manchester United was in a good position to hit the ball from point blank.
Clive Tyldesley: IT'S KÖHLER!!!
Matthias took a powerful header towards the Bayern Munich goal, but Manuel Neuer parried the ball away with a reflex save to deny a goal.
Clive Tyldesley: It was a good save by Neuer.
As the rebound rolled outside of the penalty area, Kimmich ran after the ball with the prospect of launching a counterattack for Bayern Munich. Fortunately for United though, Shawzy tackled the ball out of bounds to stop any quick counterattack.
Meanwhile at Victoria Warehouse:
"Neuer again! It's frustrating!" Noriko exclaimed.
"I know that a top class goalkeeper can be frustrating to play against, but I never thought it would be that frustrating." Sarah replied.
"What worries me more is what would happen if we waste our energy without finding the back of the net."
"What do you mean?" Sarah asked.
"If our forwards can't find the back of the net, our midfielders on the pitch must shoulder some of the workload. However, they can't do what Nana and Kristiansen do. We're asking a lot from them, but that could wear them out." Noriko replied.
"So... you think they could take advantage of our fatigue?"
"Bayern Munich know that we are very difficult to play against. However, they are a powerful, athletic, and ruthless team. They will be looking to defeat us through attrition and better depth tonight."
"Hence we need to be clever." Sarah said.
"We have to be ready for the late onslaught." Noriko replied.
In the immediate aftermath, Bayern made the first substitution of the match by sending veteran Frenchman Franck Ribéry to replace Serge Gnabry on the left wing. Although Ribéry was in the twilight of his top flight career, his tenacity and his work-rate were still vital for Bayern in the context that they were looking to grind and wear down the opposition.
In the 73rd minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Thiago on the rush... finds Müller...
Moving the attack towards the Manchester United penalty area, Bayern Munich pushed the Manchester United defenders on the back foot. Nevertheless, Yusuke and Liam were also moving to help their defenders. After Thiago made a pass towards Thomas Müller, the latter choose to pass the ball towards Franck Ribéry on the left.
Clive Tyldesley: Ribéry...
Ribéry was facing Diogo, who firmly stood his ground on the edge of the penalty area by a few yards. Yusuke was also arriving to attempt denying him the space on the inside. Nevertheless, Ribéry moved onto his right with a burst of speed. The Frenchman was looking to find a space to shoot through the maze of defenders.
Clive Tyldesley: ...accelerates.
Yusuke ran to try getting himself into the shooting lane, but Ribéry was still very quick and agile. Picking the spot, Ribéry struck a powerful right-footed strike towards Jan's goal. The ball flew low towards the bottom corner of the goal to Jan's right.
Clive Tyldesley: Good strike... OHHH!! Jan Farkas with a brilliant save at the near post! Franck Ribéry got everything behind that shot, but he has been denied by the big Slovak. It's a corner kick.
As quick as a cat, Jan parried the shot in extremis before the ball went out of bounds. On the following corner kick, the ball was kicked too far away from anybody in the Manchester United penalty area before it ended up out on the side for a Manchester United throw-in. At that moment, the Bayern Munich head coach made his second and yet surprising substitution.
Clive Tyldesley: Bayern Munich will make their second substitution here. Mina Meier will come on; Kingsley Coman is off. Mina Meier is one of the few female footballers who made a successful jump in the men's game, and who could make an impact at any moment's notice.
Wearing number 23 for Bayern, Meier gave Coman the double high-five handshake before she rushed towards her intended position. The tall blonde woman was tasked to play behind Robert Lewandowski while Thomas Müller moved to the right wing. Meier quickly found herself shadowed by Yusuke after she arrived.
"We'll see how good you are with me throwing sand into your wheels." Yusuke said.
"I was expecting nothing less of a challenge from you." Meier replied.
Meanwhile at Victoria Warehouse:
"Well, there she is." Noriko said.
"She's really tall." Sarah made the remark about Mina Meier's height.
"She's 184 cm tall. That makes her even taller than Thiago, Serge Gnabry, Kingsley Coman, Joshua Kimmich, and David Alaba among the Bayern players who started the match. But she is more than just a tall player."
"How so?"
"She's really fast. Furthermore, she moves with grace and the slickness of a swan." Noriko said. "She will be quite a tough opponent to deal with."
"Without Nana nor Kristiansen around to help, this is going to be quite a test for our midfield." Sarah replied.
"That's exactly what I was afraid of." Noriko finished.
Mina Meier's inclusion looked a little surprising from the outside, but Bayern Munich players and coaches knew very well how dangerous she could be in times when her team needed a goal. In the following minutes, United replaced Aidan Whelan and Santiago Araya with Francisco Serrano and Kevin Flynn as a response. By doing so, United switched from a 4-2-3-1 formation into a 4-1-2-1-2 with Kakeru and Marius both playing as strikers.
Manchester United held their ground for as long as they could with the available personnel. However, the absence of their 2 best midfielders was taking a toll upon the Manchester United midfielders on the pitch. With time winding down inside the final quarter of an hour to the match, Bayern Munich were clearly taking the ascendency.
In the 80th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Here's Frank Ribéry... he's got support from Mina Meier...
Once again, Bayern Munich players stormed their way inside the Manchester United half. From Ribéry on the left, the ball travelled towards Meier in the middle. However, Yusuke was arriving in front of her to deny entry into Manchester United's penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: Saeki's in the way...
Meier looked at Lewandowski as a passing option ahead, but the big Polish striker was tightly marked by Matthias. Instead, Meier made a short pass towards Müller on the right.
Clive Tyldesley: Comes to Müller...
Instead of precipitating a move, Müller held onto the ball long enough until Thiago and Kimmich would support the attack. When both players arrived, Müller passed the ball into Kimmich's overlapping run.
Clive Tyldesley: Kimmich on the overlap...
Kimmich ran with the ball until he arrived close to the byline. Then the German right-back whipped a ground pass inside the penalty area, where Thiago was standing.
Clive Tyldesley: He's pulled it back. Thiago let it run...
Thiago accidentally missed the pass as the ball rolled between his legs. The ball continued rolling its way towards the "D" in front of the penalty area, in which Meier was running in full stride. She was about to strike the shot in her stride.
Clive Tyldesley: MINA MEIER!!!
Meier's shot was struck with velocity, but Yusuke managed to stick his right leg in the way to deflect the shot away from danger.
Clive Tyldesley: Blocked by Saeki! The man who successfully neutralized Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale has come to the rescue again.
The end result was a corner kick for Bayern Munich, but that didn't keep Meier from applauding Yusuke's effort in good sportsmanship.
"Good block, Saeki." Meier said.
"I can do this anytime." Yusuke replied to her.
Both teams quickly moved in their assigned positions. But unlike in earlier stages of the match, Franck Ribéry was taking corner kicks instead of Thiago. The French forward in red looked at the referee, waiting for the whistle.
PEEP!
Clive Tyldesley: Ribéry with the corner...
Ribéry whipped the ball towards the far post. However, it flew further away than what his Bayern teammates would have liked. Only Robert Lewandowski managed to run and jump high enough to get a touch of the ball.
Clive Tyldesley: Deep towards Lewandowski... but he couldn't bring it back. Goal kick.
The ball was headed out of bounds by Lewandowski, resulting in a goal kick.
"We're barely holding on." Yusuke said.
"We have to hold on. If we can get at least a draw, it would be a good result." Kakeru replied.
"I know, but they keep pounding on us."
"We can still do this." Kakeru finished.
United had narrowly escaped going behind, but Bayern Munich were definitely feeling that re-taking the lead was within touching distance. As for Mina Meier personally, the woman known as the "Swan on the Grass" was determined to make a lasting impact on the first leg of this semi-final.
In the 83rd minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Manchester United might get something on the rush. Serrano... Flynn...
Manchester United players moved forward on a rare attack at that moment. Moving inside the Bayern Munich half, Kevin looked ahead of him to find someone to pass to.
"Kev! Kev!" Kakeru shouted for a pass.
Meanwhile, Toru, as he has always been, led his fellow defenders by setting them up against the opposition.
"Karl! Markiere Van Leeuwen fest! Alabisi, gib Sie Serrano keinen Platz! (Karl! Mark Van Leeuwen tightly! Alabisi, don't give space to Serrano!)" Toru instructed to Karl and Alaba respectively.
"Verstanden! (Got it!)" Karl replied.
"OK!" Alaba added.
With Karl and Alaba marking their respective targets while Javi Martínez was running after Kevin, the English midfielder was forced to pass the ball towards Kakeru. However, Toru anticipated the pass as well.
'Exactly as I predicted.' Toru thought.
Clive Tyldesley: Recovered by Asuka...
Toru easily intercepted Kevin's pass towards Kakeru. Then the Japanese defender in Bayern red ran forward with the ball up to the center circle before he unleashed one of his trademark long balls ahead on the counterattack. The ball landed into Robert Lewandowski's feet as the Polish striker was standing his ground outside of United's penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: Long ball towards Lewandowski. No flag...
Lewandowski was showing his back to the Manchester United goal when he received the pass. Matthias and Erik were marking the Pole as well. It appeared that nothing would came from that counterattack.
"Lewy!" Mina Meier called for a pass.
Without any hesitation, Lewandowski made a very short layoff pass to the side. Then Meier, who escaped Yusuke's marking for a split second, burst her way through with the ball by skipping in-between Diogo and Erik.
Clive Tyldesley: Layoff pass. Meier has gone on!
Entering the penalty area, Meier came up against Jan. Then the woman from Frankfurt slotted the ball beyond the Slovakian goalkeeper with disconcerting ease.
Clive Tyldesley: IT'S MINA MEIER!!!
As the ball struck the back of the net, the 66,000 Bayern Munich supporters inside the stadium roared their joy. Bayern Munich had regained the lead at 2-1!
"JAAAAAA!!!" Meier shouted.
Within a few seconds, Mina Meier was joined by all of her Bayern Munich teammates in the celebrations.
"JA! DAS IST DAS! (YES! THERE IT IS!)" Thomas Müller congratulated her.
"DU HAST ES GESCHAFFT! (YOU DID IT!)" Lewandowski added.
"NETTES TOR! (NICE GOAL!)" Toru added.
Within a few seconds, Mina Meier was mobbed by her ecstatic teammates as the crowd sang along with the "Seven Nation Army" cue again. Meanwhile, the Manchester United players looked in disgust at the result. Yusuke promptly picked up the ball in the back of the net before he ran towards the center circle with it.
"There is still enough time to save something! Come on, lads!" Yusuke rallied his teammates.
"Let's score the next goal! Don't give up!" Matthias added to the rally cry.
"YEAH!!" several Manchester United players replied.
"It takes one minute to score goal! Let's go for it!" Kakeru added before he thought: 'Yusuke. It may be your first year at the club, but you're already like a captain on whom we can rely on.'
Clive Tyldesley: Bayern regain the lead with 7 minutes to go! Mina Meier, the woman who was given a chance to play against men at Bayern Munich, has scored the biggest goal so far for them in the Champions League. Manchester United need a reaction now.
Interacting with the crowd after the goal, PA announcer Stephan Lehmann made the announcement as followed:
Stephan Lehmann: In der 83. Spielminute... TOOOOOOOOOR für den F.C. Bayern München durch unsere Nummer 23 und dem Schwan auf dem Rasen (In the 83rd minute... GOOOOOOOOOAL for F.C. Bayern Munich by our number 23 and the Swan on the Grass), MINA!!!
Bayern supporters: MEIER!!!
Stephan Lehmann: MINAAA!!!
Bayern supporters: MEIEEER!!!
Stephan Lehmann: MINAAAAAAA!!!
Bayern supporters: MEIEEEEEEER!!!
Stephan Lehmann: Neuer Spielstand (New scoreline): F.C. Bayern München...
Bayern supporters: ZWEI!!! (TWO!!!)
Stephan Lehmann: Manchester United...
Bayern supporters: NULL!!! (ZERO!!!)
Regardless of how many goals the visiting team has scored, German supporters always shout "NULL" as an intimidation tactic.
Stephan Lehmann: Danke! (Thank you!)
Bayern supporters: BITTE! (YOU'RE WELCOME!)
Meanwhile at Victoria Warehouse, the main sound being heard in the main room were moans of utter disappointment.
"Bollocks!" Noriko cursed.
"Of all people, she had to be the one scoring the goal." Sarah said.
"Mental fatigue led to this. Our midfielders didn't provide the cover that our Ds needed, and that is what happened."
"So what now?" Sarah asked.
"We have to dig deep and find the last ounce of energy we need to score a second goal." Noriko replied.
"Fight to the very end." Sarah said.
Even though the players wearing the devil on their crests were mentally and physically exhausted by Bayern's relentless pressure in the second half, the visitors were not going to give up just yet. However, disaster was about to strike Manchester United in the most innocuous of all incidents.
In the 86th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Meier... just couldn't reach Lewandowski. Well played by Saeki though...
In an effort to snuff United out, Bayern Munich continued applying pressure through ball control inside the Manchester United half. But as Meier attempted the through pass towards Lewandowski, Yusuke intercepted the ball. Then Yusuke initiated a counterattack by passing the ball forward to Kevin, who crossed the halfway line with the ball.
Clive Tyldesley: Flynn... ahead towards Aizawa...
Kevin passed the ball ahead for Kakeru, who then advanced several yards with it. As Kakeru arrived within a short distance from the Bayern Munich penalty area, he looked at Toru running in parallel to his path while Kimmich was also hustling back to defend.
Clive Tyldesley: Asuka holding his line, Kimmich arriving...
Kakeru waited for Kimmich to move a little further back before the Japanese forward cut his run by 90 degrees to the right. Then Kakeru ran along the long edge of the Bayern Munich penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: Aizawa cutting across...
Kakeru was looking for a gap to shoot the ball into, but Toru ran after him into a shoulder-to-shoulder contest.
Clive Tyldesley: Still Aizawa...
'I have to get past him.' Kakeru thought.
'I'll stop you here, Aizawa.' Toru thought.
Seeing that there was no teammate arriving in open areas, Kakeru was forced to carry the ball on his own. Then Toru lunged a right-footed tackle that pushed the ball out of danger on the following split second.
Clive Tyldesley: Good tackle by Asuka again.
But in the same process, Kakeru's left ankle was caught by Toru's trailing leg in the follow-through of the tackling motion. A number of Manchester United players shouted at the referee, demanding a penalty kick. However, the referee brushed the penalty claims away.
Clive Tyldesley: Aizawa was taken down, but the referee says that Asuka got the ball first.
At the same time that the Manchester United players were protesting, the referee saw that Kakeru remained down on the grass. Kakeru was holding his left ankle before he slapped one hand down on the grass in dejection.
"Are you all right?" the referee asked Kakeru.
"Ask the physio to come on! Hurry!" Kakeru replied.
"OK." The referee replied before he looked at the Manchester United bench, signalling for the physio to arrive.
Clive Tyldesley: Now the referee is asking for help from the Manchester United bench. It could more serious than we first thought.
At that particular moment, all people associated with Manchester United held their breaths, praying for Kakeru's injury to be not as severe as first thought. They could not afford to lose their Japanese talisman at such a crucial time in the season.
"Hold on, Kakeru. Where does it hurt?" Ethan asked.
"Left ankle." Kakeru replied.
"Sorry for the tackle, Aizawa." Toru apologized to Kakeru.
"You got the ball first. I was unlucky." Kakeru replied to Toru.
Ethan took a moment to examine Kakeru's ankle a little closer to assess the type and the severity of the injury. After a quick assessment, Ethan signalled that Kakeru had to be substituted.
"Christ! We have to make a change." Andrew Butler said. "Make the switch."
"Tony, you're on!" Michael ordered Anthony to get ready.
Clive Tyldesley: Well, Andrew Butler is left with no choice. Anthony Laurent is set to come on as Kakeru Aizawa is now back on his feet.
Then Kakeru got up on his feet.
"I'm really sorry for letting you down now, guys." Kakeru said.
"We'll go for it." Marius replied.
"Stay strong, Kakeru." Yusuke added.
Despite the injury, Kakeru was able to walk on his own straight towards the exit tunnel, albeit a little slowly. The Japanese forward came to wish good luck to his French teammate.
"Good game, Knight." Anthony said.
"Thanks. Good luck, Tony." Kakeru replied, giving the double high-five handshake.
Then Kakeru moved down the tunnel leading to the Manchester United dressing room. Andrew Butler showed a stern face to hide his emotion, but he was deeply worried about what that untimely injury would mean for his team.
Clive Tyldesley: It is the last we have seen of Kakeru Aizawa tonight. He gave everything he could give, but it can be such a cruel game.
Around a minute later, Bayern made their final substitution by replacing Thiago with the more versatile German midfielder, Leon Goretzka. Manchester United were pushing in desperation to find a late equalizer that would also mean an invaluable second away goal as well. However, anything that had a high reward also came at a high risk.
In the 90th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: The 90 minutes are almost up. Serrano... whips the ball forward.
From the right side of midfield, Francisco attempted a long ball forward for Marius. However, Karl outjumped the Dutchman for the ball.
Clive Tyldesley: Cleared by Von Seckendorff...
The ball was headed high up in the air, albeit at some distance outside of the Bayern Munich penalty area. Kevin was in position to chest the ball down, but his first touch on the ball failed him for a split second. It was all Toru needed to rush towards the ball.
Clive Tyldesley: Chested down by Flynn, but Asuka recovers...
'This is bad!' Yusuke thought, knowing that his team was overcommitted.
Seeing that Manchester United had committed several players forward, Toru initiated the counterattack himself with support from Meier, Ribéry, and Lewandowski. Just before he arrived at the center circle, Toru made a short pass ahead to Meier.
Clive Tyldesley: Bayern Munich can break. Here's Meier...
"I have it." Meier said.
"Los! Los! (Go! Go!)" Toru instructed Meier to run forward.
Meier ran across the halfway line with the ball, entering the Manchester United half. Then she passed the ball ahead and on the left to Franck Ribéry.
Clive Tyldesley: Now to Ribéry. Blanco is ahead of him...
Knowing that support was arriving behind him, Ribéry bought some time by shifting his run by 90 degrees to his right and on the edge of the penalty area to lure 2 Manchester defenders with him. And then Ribéry made a reverse pass into the run of Robert Lewandowski.
Clive Tyldesley: Good reverse pass for LEWANDOWSKI!!
Arriving in front of Jan, the Polish striker slotted the ball out of the goalkeeper's reach and into the top corner of the goal. In a flash, the Allianz Arena erupted into a frenzy.
Clive Tyldesley: It's 3-1! Robert Lewandowski, who has been Bayern's top marksman by far all season, has put the result beyond any doubt on the night. Bayern Munich have been irresistible with power, purpose, and ruthlessness. Manchester United have now a mountain to climb.
Meanwhile at Victoria Warehouse, disappointment made way for near despair among several Manchester United supporters. The place started to empty as soon as Lewandowski scored the goal.
"We're in really deep trouble now." Sarah said.
The sight on the giant screen was one with Bayern Munich players fully ecstatic while the Manchester United players looked utterly distraught.
"It's a shame things turned out the way they did, but that was a risk to take. The players did everything they could." Noriko replied.
"We shouldn't have gone on the attack to expose ourselves. For us, one goal of a difference would be more manageable than a 2-goal difference."
"It's true. Hindsight is 20/20, but I understand why we went for a goal. With better execution, we could have scored and then go home happy at 2-2."
"Maybe. If Kakeru was there, perhaps we would have had a better chance." Sarah said.
"Sometimes things go out of the players' control. Should have, could have, it doesn't matter. There will be plenty of time to think later." Noriko replied. "We still have injury time left to play and then 90 minutes at Old Trafford against them next week. Anything can still happen."
"Do you think we still have a chance against that team?" Sarah asked.
"Until the final whistle is blown in less, there is always a chance." Noriko replied.
"We're going to need reinforcements first." Sarah finished.
Although 5 minutes of injury time were added at the end of the 90, Manchester United could not muster enough strength to launch a single serious attack. The Mancunians were exhausted and depleted in key areas. On the other end, Bayern Munich played a conservative approach to finish the game with no further incident.
PEEP PEEP PEEEEEEEEEP!!!
Clive Tyldesley: Bayern Munich irresistible. Manchester United fought as well as they could, but they couldn't deal with the power and the ruthlessness of Bayern Munich in the end. There is still one match to be played in 6 nights from now. You never know with Manchester United, but they will have to work really hard if they hope to overturn this result. Thomas Müller drew first blood in the semi-final. Kakeru Aizawa's equalizer kept the match pretty much in the balance until Bayern Munich regained the lead through Mina Meier on the 83rd minute. Then Robert Lewandowski put the icing on the cake for Bayern in the last minute of the 90. No question whatsoever on who has been the better side tonight; Bayern Munich have beaten Manchester United by 3 goals to 1.
Under the raucous cheers of the 66,000 Bayern Munich players, players on both sides shook hands sportingly.
"Good game, Asuka-san." Yusuke shook hands with Toru.
"Thanks, Saeki. We did our job today, but it's only half of it. We will be ready for next week though." Toru said.
"So we will. This is far from over." Yusuke replied.
Then Toru walked away before Meier came to meet Yusuke.
"Well, you scored a big goal. I must say you're tougher to handle than I thought." Yusuke said.
"Thank you. It's a satisfying result, but I still wish I could play against Nana Mishima." Meier replied.
"You never know though. She may come back."
"Even so, we have the advantage."
"I will see you next week then." Yusuke finished.
Then Meier walked her way ahead to celebrate even more with her teammates while the Manchester United players left off the pitch, down the tunnel, and back to their dressing room. After all the players went to their respective seats, Andrew Butler came in to have a look at his players' morale. He saw all Manchester United players with the long faces, totally silent.
"Listen, lads... We will get back at them in Manchester. For this match, there is nothing more we can do now. But we still have 90 minutes left to play on next Tuesday. So for tonight, try to rest, relax, and think about what we have to do next." Andrew said.
After those few words, Andrew went to inquire about an update on Kakeru's injury at the infirmary. The Japanese forward was still examined by the team doctor and by the physio.
"How does it look?" Andrew asked.
"It's not serious, Boss. He needs to keep his ankle iced for now, but that should be it." Ridley replied.
"Your prescription?" Kakeru asked.
"Take it easy for a few days, and then get back in the gym." Ethan replied.
"Thanks."
"Where does that stand for the next few matches?" Andrew asked.
"Pretty safe to say that he will have to skip the match at Goodison Park, but he has a chance to be in the squad for the second match against Bayern as a substitute." Ridley replied.
Kakeru sighed.
"Hey, don't make that face. It could have been a lot worse." Ridley said.
"I know, Doc. It's just a little bit harder to take on top of losing the match." Kakeru replied.
"Just make sure you come back fit enough to play at any point next week, Aizawa." Andrew said.
"Yes, Boss." Kakeru replied.
A few moments later, Kakeru made his way back the main area of the dressing room. His teammates also wanted to know how serious his injury was.
"So how is it? I mean your injury." Matthias asked.
"Doc says that I won't play against Everton on Saturday. However, he also said there is a chance I could make the bench against Bayern next Tuesday." Kakeru replied.
The Manchester United players pushed a little sigh in relief.
"Don't worry about Everton, Knight. We'll go after them." Marius said.
"Just make sure you come back fit for next Tuesday." Jan added.
"Thanks, guys." Kakeru replied.
Then Kakeru went to have a look at his smartphone only to see that Nana was on Messenger asking the same question about the injury. Kakeru started typing in the live chat window.
"Not too serious. Out for Everton, but hope to be back for the 2nd leg vs. Bayern." Kakeru wrote.
"Sorry about the result." Nana wrote back.
"Our midfield could have welcomed some help. Tough to play without you and without Nicky at the same time."
At nearly 9,400 km (5,840 miles) to the East of Munich, Nana read Kakeru's last message. It was well over 6:00 AM in Kamakura, Japan at that moment.
"I know. Sorry I can't be of much help right now." Nana wrote.
"Did anything change with your mother?"
Nana sighed when she saw the question.
"Nothing at all." Nana wrote.
"Stay strong. All of my prayers go to her." Kakeru wrote back.
"OK. Stay healthy. Write you back later."
"Write you soon. Bye."
After the last message, Nana closed the live chat window. Having just watched Manchester United getting dominated by Bayern Munich, a part of her felt guilty for leaving her team at such a moment when her team needed all of the best players to make a way through to the final.
"What should I do now? I wish the answer was that easy." Nana said out loud to herself.
At that moment, Nana was torn in the middle of a growing dilemma about what she should do next now that her teammates are in trouble at the very same time that her mother has not waken up yet. She was hoping that someone could give her a hint of an answer somewhere.
Family Comes First, Familiar Faces :Previous «Home Page» Next: The Right Question to AskCategory:Chapters
Category:The Road to the Promised Land