The FA Community Shield.
It is a competition held just before the start of the Premier League season, a one-off match between the previous season's Premier League champions and FA Cup winners.
In Spain, it would be the equivalent of the Supercopa de España.
Manchester United held the title for the most wins by an overwhelming margin, and this year marked their fifth straight Community Shield appearance.
Normally, only the Premier League winners or FA Cup winners can take part, but if one club wins both, as Manchester City had this time, then the Premier League runners-up take the other spot.
That was why Manchester United had qualified.
One unusual feature is that if the match is level after 90 minutes, extra time is skipped entirely and it goes straight to penalties.
Before kickoff, Ferguson entered the dressing room with a grim expression.
Then he had the players sit down and began to speak.
"Today's match will decide the rest of the season."
He was right.
At the moment, both Manchester United and Manchester City were going through major upheaval.
Whether Manchester truly was about to change hands, or whether the throne would be defended once again, would be determined by today's match.
And that would also affect the players' morale, which would clearly have a major influence on the season that was about to begin.
It was a match completely unrelated to the league table, but its significance mattered more than anything else.
A match with the club's pride on the line.
In particular, Alex Ferguson, who was thinking of retiring either this season or the next, had poured a great deal into this match.
"All of you, listen carefully. Anyone who cannot answer my question had better be ready to die."
At Ferguson's threat, the players all stiffened, visibly tense.
"You are Manchester United. You should consider it a disgrace to hand a title to those City bastards. It will stain your career for life."
With those words, Ferguson placed a huge burden on his players.
But only for a moment.
Then he continued.
"Close your eyes for a moment and think about last season."
"..."
"..."
The painful memories of last season stabbed at their hearts.
Who could have imagined that Manchester United, who had led the league table for so long, would end up surrendering the title to another team?
And to Manchester City, of all clubs.
It was pain beyond words.
"Surely we cannot go through that bloody experience again, can we? Anyone disagree with me?"
"No, sir."
"Good. One taste of that pain is enough. Today, right here, we are going to prove beyond doubt that we are the true masters of Manchester."
It was not just empty talk.
Manchester United had made every effort in pre-season to reclaim the throne this year.
Just like Manchester City, they had called the players back early to bring their fitness up quickly and strengthen the team's cohesion.
Not only that, they had also spent money to bring in top players.
Ashley Young, the elite winger known as the man faster than a bullet.
David de Gea, the Spanish international goalkeeper expected to succeed Iker Casillas.
By signing those two rising stars, they had prepared for a revival.
And now it was time to explain the tactics.
"I'm only going to say this once, so listen carefully. Every single word I say here needs to be carved into your hearts. It will decide whether we win or lose today."
This was the most important moment.
"They're playing mind games with us right now."
There was mind game written all over the Manchester City starting lineup that had just been announced.
The coexistence of Yaya Touré, David Silva, Iniesta, Ronaldinho, Ho-young, and Adebayor.
It could be seen as a 4-2-3-1, but given Guardiola's tendencies, there was also a chance it would be a 4-3-3.
'If that's the case, then one of David Silva, Ho-young, or Ronaldinho will definitely be placed in midfield.'
At first glance, there was no way to tell who would be deployed where.
In the end, they had no choice but to prepare for every possibility, and Ferguson presented alternatives for several different scenarios.
One of them was this.
"And if Ho-young goes up front, then they'll have thought about using David Silva's press resistance to break our strong press. They'll try to take control of the midfield first. After that, they won't hold back. One hundred percent, they'll push the possession up and make Barcelona-style tiki-taka the foundation of their tactics. Is there even one player among them who can't pass?"
David Silva, Iniesta, Ronaldinho, Ho-young.
If those world-class passers controlled the second line, there was a high chance Manchester United's half would be torn apart.
"And after that, Ho-young might start performing the role of a false 9. He already showed it a few times on the US tour."
Ferguson had prepared for the match so thoroughly that he could see straight through their plan.
"So we're going to target their midfield."
"!"
Most of the players were startled by that statement.
The opposition had come out with a system designed to dominate the midfield, and they were going to attack that very area?
Nemanja Vidić, the team captain and the core of the defense, asked the question.
"A direct counter?"
"Wrong. Weakness always comes from the other side of strength. We are going to exploit the cracks that appear in their midfield."
Ferguson had focused on Guardiola and Ho-young, David Silva and Iniesta, watching them constantly and devising a response.
"Especially Yaya Touré. His level has dropped noticeably right now. He won't be enough on his own to act as the midfield cleaner, not if they come out in a 4-3-3."
Nothing was certain.
But based on the three matches Manchester City had played this pre-season, the odds were high.
And Ferguson's judgement and ability to anticipate were well above average.
Along with that, his passion was immense.
Ho-young had become a massive source of stimulation for Ferguson.
Because of him, Ferguson, who had been losing interest in management, had recovered his passion and found a new goal.
To beat Ho-young.
That was Ferguson's final goal and dream before retirement.
At present, his head-to-head record against Ho-young stood at 1 win and 1 loss.
He had beaten him when Ho-young was at Real, and recently suffered a bitter defeat to Manchester City.
This match would be the key battle that decided the fate of the two of them.
Ferguson spoke with a fearsome look on his face.
"If anyone gets dragged down because their head's full of Ho-young, they're dead. And if the second line gets broken, every last one of you runs back, no exceptions. Anyone slow to react to Ho-young's dribble is getting torn apart today. And De Gea will deal with the long-range shots."
"Understood."
"Yes, sir."
If they lost again this time, they would have no face left to show the fans.
So they had to win.
Ferguson took off his glasses and spoke.
"Their ambition will drag them into the pit themselves. If they come out in a 4-3-3, and if they put David Silva or Ronaldinho in midfield, then we deal with them without mercy, just as we prepared."
"Yes, sir."
"Today, think only about winning."
"Understood."
Wrapped in a winning mentality, they stepped out onto the pitch.
[Manchester United, on the left, will kick off.]
[Manchester United have come out in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Wayne Rooney is up front as the lone striker, with Nani, Giggs, and Ashley Young lined up behind him. Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick are in central midfield. The back four is Rafael, Ferdinand, Vidić, and Evra.]
[The point we need to watch most closely here is the goalkeeper. De Gea, who came over from Atlético Madrid.]
After Van der Sar's retirement, Manchester United had searched for a replacement and succeeded in signing the young goalkeeper De Gea from Atlético Madrid.
And he had shown outstanding form in pre-season, justifying the expectations placed on him.
He still looked a little shaky dealing with aerial balls, but after producing a string of super saves, he had emerged as one of the team's brightest hopes.
Today as well, he had a vital role.
That was to stop all of Ho-young's sudden long-range shots and set pieces.
The weight on his shoulders was enormous.
Because of that, Manchester United's defenders could trust De Gea and focus more on other areas, carrying out Ferguson's instructions.
[United are charging forward aggressively from the start.]
[The midfield pair of Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick are applying a strong high press. Ashley Young, Ryan Giggs, and Nani are joining in as well.]
United attacked by using their numerical advantage in midfield.
David Silva and Iniesta moved busily, looking for a way to launch a counterattack, but with their understanding still not fully developed, they could not impose themselves properly.
That was where Manchester United's strength began to show.
A move designed to exploit the fact that Ho-young was stationed up front.
"Forget Ho-young for now!"
Ferguson responded to the shifting flow of the game and directed his players' movement.
From then on, they did not focus on Ho-young.
After all, Ho-young could not actively contribute much in defense from that position.
Manchester United attacked the space being covered by defensive midfielder Yaya Touré.
And 5 minutes later.
"Phew..."
It was simply too much for Yaya Touré to handle on his own.
And it was not as though David Silva and Iniesta had the defensive ability of a true defensive midfielder either.
[Ah, Yaya Touré gives up space once again!]
One of the pillars holding up a great fortress was beginning to shake.
And from there, cracks started to spread.
On top of that, Manchester City were not yet used to the formation, and even their back four looked rattled.
And then, in the end.
Thud!
[Goooooooal!]
Manchester United had the opener.
"Kuooh!"
It was a goal created by Giggs and finished by Wayne Rooney.
And that was not the end of it.
Once Yaya Touré had been broken through once or twice, he completely turned into a hole in defense, and after repeatedly giving Giggs space, they conceded another.
[Goooooooal! Rooney's long-range strike crashes into the net!]
[Yaya Touré is losing his bearings, and that's throwing off the movement of Vincent Kompany and Jérôme Boateng as well. Manchester City still look uncomfortable in this shape.]
14 minutes into the first half.
Manchester United led 2-0.
Ferguson's tactical response seemed to be working perfectly.
Truly, the title of 'master of tailored tactics through mind games and anticipation' fit him exactly.
"Phew... damn it."
Yaya Touré lowered his head.
But none of his teammates blamed him.
This was a problem they had already expected to some degree.
With the team still lacking cohesion, defensive issues were inevitable.
4-3-3.
Perhaps it had been a tactic introduced too early.
But Manchester City did not change it.
Anxiety began to creep in, the fear that they might lose helplessly like this, but they pushed ahead with the plan anyway.
[Playing David Silva as a central midfielder was an interesting move. It was a good idea, but I'm not sure. There's a lot of space left in midfield and the second line now that Ho-young is no longer there to cover it. His absence is huge.]
[That's right. It does look difficult. Perhaps they should change the system even now...]
Up to that point, nobody knew.
But once play resumed and Manchester City went forward again, the true value of it slowly began to show.
10 men.
Every player except Ho-young moved busily, giving Ho-young more spatial freedom.
Iniesta and David Silva built from the back and drew attention, while Ronaldinho and Adebayor, higher up the pitch, ripped through the spaces and threw the game into chaos.
At the same time, Ho-young moved constantly up and down, dragging defenders out with him.
Meanwhile, when United switched to defense, their players remembered Ferguson's words.
If anyone gets dragged down because their head's full of Ho-young, they're dead. If the second line gets broken, every last one of you runs back, no exceptions. Anyone slow to react to Ho-young's dribble is getting torn apart today. And De Gea will deal with the long-range shots.
In other words, do not worry about the long-range shots, focus on stopping Ho-young's runs.
But the United players soon realized something.
All of that advice was meaningless.
There was a huge gap between theory and reality.
Tap!
[Iniesta sends it forward in one go!]
Whenever City sensed an opening, they played the ball straight to the front.
The build-up was boldly shortened.
From the back, straight to Ho-young.
That simple progression was City's main attacking route.
[Ho-young takes it! He drives forward immediately!!]
And from there, Ho-young's show began.
'Damn it.'
Fast.
Far too fast.
'How are we supposed to catch that?'
That was the thought every United defender shared.
Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick had long since been left behind.
All that remained were Ferdinand and Vidić waiting deeper.
Vidić was the first to step up.
With the pride of a captain, he charged in without hesitation.
At that speed, any collision would mean an injury for sure.
But then.
"Huh."
Sssk!
A sudden stop.
Ho-young sharply slowed down, then flicked the ball up with his heel and settled it on his shoulder.
After that, with a concise and sharp shoulder lift, he made Vidić's tackle amount to nothing.
The play was beyond imagination, and even the veteran defender Ferdinand was so rattled that he could not come up with an answer.
What kind of player dribbled with his shoulder and still had that kind of speed?
The result was obvious.
[He's through!!]
The final defensive line had been broken.
But Rafael and Evra did not get dragged toward Ho-young. Instead, they dropped into the box and prepared for the dribble.
They were following Ferguson's instructions to the letter.
That left the angle for the long-range shot as De Gea's responsibility.
And he failed that task with shocking ease.
Thud!
"...?"
[Gooooooooooal!]
[Ho-young's long-range shot rips into the goal!]
It all happened in an instant.
De Gea had been focused solely on the long-range shot, yet he still could not stop it.
No, he could not even react properly.
And no wonder, Ho-young's shooting skill was currently at a level beyond imagination.
On top of that, he had recently added Beckham's right-footed kicking ability, making his strikes even sharper and more accurate.
[It was the kind of shot that seemed to say, this is how you strike a ball. Manchester City pull it back to 2-1!]
"Hoo!"
After pulling one back, Ho-young kept his celebration brief and carried the ball back to the halfway line.
From that moment on, like traffic suddenly clearing after being completely jammed, City's flow began to move exactly as they wanted.
Controlling the game through possession?
Barcelona-style tiki-taka?
Those were not the tactics City had prepared.
Ho-young.
He was the core, and he was the team's tactic.
The defense could be adjusted afterward.
Even if they conceded, they would score.
That was the football Guardiola and Ho-young pursued.
City launched wave after wave of attacks as if they had decided that no matter how many they conceded, they would simply score more.
United tried desperately to regain their composure and focus on defending, but it was not easy.
Until the end of the first half, they were battered relentlessly and had to surrender the initiative entirely.
And by the time United came to their senses.
[Gooooooooooal! Ho-young completes the hat-trick! Manchester City come from behind to lead 3-2!]
[He took it down with his knee, beat De Gea, and calmly slotted it in. The feel on the ball can only be described as being at the highest level!]
"Hoo!"
A goal created by Ho-young's ball control beyond human limits and Iniesta's second assist.
Only one more step remained before Flawless Midfielder.
(To be continued.)