In the TV studio, commentator Huang Jianxiang's voice became urgent again.
"A brilliant reverse run! Ye Chen's sudden move caught both Fathi and Pospech off guard!"
"Ye Chen is in the penalty area, and the ball is right at his feet!"
"The goalkeeper charges out!"
"Ye Chen shoots!"
"Goal!!! Goal!!! Goal!!! Goal!!!!"
"Ye Chen has scored his second goal in his debut match!"
"What a graceful finish!" Huang Jianxiang exclaimed.
"I have to apologize to Ye Chen here. Before the second half began, I worried that he might struggle to keep up with such an intense match. Yet, in just 20 minutes, he's scored a brace! This is the hope of Chinese football!"
His co-commentator Xu Yang chimed in, "Ye Chen is incredible. I remember hearing news that he didn't even get a chance to play in youth matches, but that was clearly Manchester United's issue, not Ye Chen's. I guarantee, with Ye Chen's movement, he'd secure a spot even at Barcelona!"
"So, what makes this positioning so remarkable? Xu, please explain to the viewers," Huang Jianxiang said with a smile.
"Many might think this goal looked simple, but it's actually quite clever!" Xu began.
"First, when Kagawa received the ball, Ye Chen made a slight retreat. Without that move, he would've been offside, making the play invalid!"
"Second, their chemistry was outstanding. Considering Ye Chen just joined Dortmund and doesn't know Kagawa Shinji well, the fact that one glance was enough to coordinate is amazing! For Kagawa's pass to pierce through Pospech, the ball had to be fast. If Ye Chen had hesitated even a fraction, the goalkeeper would've claimed it!"
"But Ye Chen's final decision was the most impressive part!"
"With this opportunity, he had barely a second to decide, and he chose the boldest option," Xu remarked. "I expected him to aim for the bottom-right corner or stab it into the near post, but I never thought he'd chip it! This goal was like a Panenka penaltyâshowcasing intelligence, composure, and skill all at once!"
"In just 20 minutes, I've become a fan of Ye Chen! I hope he shines even brighter in his career!"
"Who wouldn't be?" Huang Jianxiang agreed. "By the way, Ye Chen's performance today outshines Lewandowski's by miles! In the first half, Kagawa made two similar through passes to Lewandowski, but he was either offside or too slow!"
Xu nodded, "Lewandowski's form isn't great today, but resting him makes sense. Dortmund has a Champions League match against Marseille midweek, so giving him a break is reasonable."
Huang Jianxiang added, "According to my records, the last time a Chinese player scored a brace in the Bundesliga was Yang Chen in 2000! Now, 17-year-old Ye Chen has achieved it in his debut!"
He paused dramatically. "I have a bold idea..."
Xu exchanged glances with him and burst into laughter.
"Let's focus on the game first!"
At Opel Arena, the crowd erupted in cheers for Ye Chen's goal, with Dortmund fans roaring in celebration.
Home fans, however, wore mixed expressions.
They begrudgingly acknowledged Ye Chen's genius but lamented their team's role as the backdrop to his brilliance.
Suddenly, Mainz's anthem resounded, with fans chanting loudly to rally their team.
On the pitch, Kagawa and the others ran over.
"Hey, bro, that celebration was cool!" Kagawa Shinji gave Ye Chen a thumbs-up.
Götze curiously asked, "Is that an original celebration move?"
"Definitely stylish," PeriÅ¡iÄ added with a grin. "But it still doesn't beat your goal!"
"By the way, Ye, what does Siu mean?" Kagawa inquired.
Ye Chen froze.
Wait, had Cristiano Ronaldo not debuted that celebration yet?
That couldn't be right!
Ye Chen, a CR7 fan, genuinely didn't remember when the celebration originated. Judging by his teammates' reactions, it seemed it hadn't happened yet.
[Fact-check: It appeared in 2013.]
If Ronaldo had done it, everyone would knowâhis influence was massive!
Now, this celebration accidentally became Ye Chen's "original." What would happen when Ronaldo used it later?
Was this like plagiarizing a celebration?
Ye Chen shrugged it off. This wasn't something he could control.
In football, a one-goal lead was never safe.
Ye Chen was determined to score two more.
"Your positioning is fantastic. Let's keep working together!" Kagawa grinned.
"Of course! But they won't let me get the ball comfortably in the box anymore. I'll try a long shot!" Ye Chen whispered.
"But you've already missed two!"
"I was warming up!" Ye Chen replied, undeterred.
"Alright, alright. Just focus on your positioning, and I'll get you the ball," Kagawa relented.
The game resumed, with Mainz desperate for an equalizer.
At the 70-minute mark, Klopp substituted Moritz Leitner for Kagawa to bolster the defense. The priority was securing the win while preparing for the Champions League.
However, Mainz's attacks grew increasingly dangerous, forcing another substitution in the 75th minute. A fatigued Ä°lkay GündoÄan was replaced by center-back Felipe Santana. Dortmund shifted to a 5-4-1 formation, leaving Ye Chen alone up front.
Mainz, sensing an opportunity, pressed harder.
In the 88th minute, a Mainz shot was cleared by SubotiÄ. Götze, near the midfield, controlled the ball with his chest and booted it forward to Ye Chen.
Ye Chen took the ball and sprinted forward.
PeriÅ¡iÄ surged down the left flank, setting up a two-versus-two.
As Fathi approached, Ye Chen suddenly slowed, feigning a pass.
Pospech drifted toward PeriÅ¡iÄ, leaving Ye Chen with space.
At the last moment, Ye Chen accelerated, faked a left-foot pass, and used the outside of his right foot to flick the ball in the opposite direction.
Fathi slipped and fell trying to recover.
With open space ahead, Ye Chen prepared to dash forward but was tripped from behind!
"Thud!"
Ye Chen hit the ground hard.
The referee immediately whistled and ran toward the foul.
Fathi protested, claiming there were other defenders, but the referee dismissed him with a stern look and brandished a red card.
Dortmund was awarded a free kick from 35 meters.
Ye Chen approached Götze, "Mario, can I take this?"
Surprised, Götze stepped aside. "Sure. Just aim well!"
As Ye Chen positioned himself, he couldn't help but wonder:
Does a free kick count as a long shot?