"Wow, so handsome!"
"Is this our newly signed player? He's too good-looking!"
"OMG! My heart skipped a beat!"
The female fans in the stands couldn't help but scream in excitement.
Meanwhile, the male fans looked worried.
If even a national team striker like Lewandowski couldn't score, now they were putting a 17-year-old boy on the spot...
It seemed even harder to get a goal!
However, among the crowd, a beautiful voice broke through. As soon as Lina saw Ye Chen step onto the field, an uncontrollable smile spread across her face.
"Go for it, Chen!"
Lina clasped her hands over her chest, silently cheering him on.
She hadn't told Ye Chen she was coming to watch the game today, planning it as a little surprise.
Meanwhile, fans in faraway China erupted in excitement as Ye Chen took the field.
After all, many of them didn't usually watch the Bundesliga. But now, glued to their TVs watching Dortmund, it was all for Ye Chen.
Before the match, there were skeptics who called Ye Chen the "next Hao Junmin," claiming that even if he made the squad, he'd just be warming the bench, the eternal water boy.
They warned, "The higher the hope, the greater the disappointment."
Even after his hat trick in the last match, critics still found angles to discredit Ye Chen.
But one fact was undeniable!
In the previous Bundesliga game between Mainz and Dortmund, Ye Chen's debut caused a significant spike in viewership ratings.
On a national platform, even a one-point increase in ratings is extraordinary. Some TV programs can't achieve that at all, let alone gain an entire percentage point!
Because of this, the renowned commentator Jian Jun was specially invited to provide temporary commentary for today's game.
"Many fans might not be familiar with Ye Chen. He's a Chinese player who recently signed with Dortmund. Having come from Manchester United's youth academy, he joined Dortmund on a free transfer. In the last round, as a substitute against Mainz, he scored a hat trick in just half a match, making him the first player in Bundesliga history to achieve a hat trick on debut. At 17 years and 5 days old, he also set the record as the youngest goalscorer in Bundesliga history!" Jian Jun explained enthusiastically.
"Now, with Lewandowski injured and off the field, this young player has been thrown into the fray. Let's see if Ye Chen can break through Augsburg's tight defense."
"I've heard Ye Chen has a fantastic free kick and long-range shot. These are the best weapons for breaking down a compact defense! Perhaps this is why Klopp chose him over Kagawa," Jian Jun analyzed.
Ye Chen stepped onto the pitch, and the system's notification sounded in his head once again.
"Ding! New task issued: Lead the team to victory and score a goal or provide an assist. Successful completion will reward a Bronze Chest. Failure will result in a deduction of 5 random attribute points!"
A Bronze Chest for a victory?
Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. As expected, the rewards were adjusted based on the opponent's difficulty.
And that made sense...
If beating a relegation team rewarded a Diamond Chest, he'd be invincible in half a season!
At 31 minutes and 24 seconds, the match resumed. Löwe threw the ball in from the sideline, and PeriÅ¡iÄ gained control.
Ye Chen moved up to support.
PeriÅ¡iÄ feinted a pass, and as the right-back Wienerroither shifted his weight, PeriÅ¡iÄ suddenly cut inside.
The move was dazzlingly smooth.
But as a player, Ye Chen didn't just stand there watching. He quickly sprinted forward.
As PeriÅ¡iÄ broke into the box, center-back Brack moved up to defend.
Meanwhile, Ye Chen's position was shadowed by midfielder Brinkmann.
"Bang!"
PeriÅ¡iÄ shot without waiting for the defense to close in.
But his strike was blocked by Brack again.
This time, the deflection didn't go out for a corner. Instead, it ricocheted toward Ye Chen.
Both Ye Chen and Brinkmann lunged for the ball simultaneously.
At this moment, Ye Chen's SS-level skill card, Poacher, gave him a burst of speed and explosiveness, leaving Brinkmann trailing.
Ye Chen reached the ball first and tapped it to the left.
As he was about to regain control, Brinkmann slid in with a desperate tackle to clear the ball.
But Ye Chen, already in front, shielded the ball with his foot upon noticing the sliding challenge.
The ball went out for a goal kick, but Ye Chen was swept off his feet!
"Beep!"
The referee, having witnessed everything, blew his whistle and pointed to the penalty spot!
The stadium erupted in cheers!
Ye Chen sat on the ground, rubbing his ankle.
These guys were ruthless, deliberately targeting areas without shin guards.
If not for his Ironman attribute, such fouls could've easily injured him!
"The referee points to the penalty spot! The young player, just on the field, uses his speed to win a penalty for Dortmund!" Jian Jun shouted excitedly.
Huang Jianxiang chimed in, "Let's look at that foul again!"
The replay showed Ye Chen and Brinkmann's simultaneous start. But Ye Chen's reaction, speed, and explosiveness were all leagues ahead!
"This is a clear foul. The slow-motion replay clearly shows the defender didn't touch the ball!" Huang Jianxiang declared.
But now, the question aroseâwho would take the penalty?
Ye Chen wanted to take it, but penalties weren't assigned based on personal wishes.
With Lewandowski and Kagawa off the field, the third-choice penalty taker was midfielder Ä°lkay GündoÄan.
Just then, Klopp shouted from the sidelines, "Let Ye take the penalty!"
The players on the field heard Klopp's instructions. Though surprised, they followed the coach's orders.
Klopp had his reasons for this decision:
1. Ye Chen earned the penalty; it was reasonable for him to take it.
2. Ye Chen's second goal in the last match showed his composureâan essential quality for penalty-taking.
3. Ye Chen had never taken a penalty before, so the opposing goalkeeper wouldn't know his habits.
Of course, Klopp was taking a risk. If the penalty missed, the media would criticize him.
But Klopp was curious to see how many goals Ye Chen could score in his breakout season.
After all, during contract negotiations, Ye Chen had been incredibly confident.
With goal bonuses starting at 20 goals, Klopp had assumed it would take Ye Chen at least two years to claim the bonus. Yet, this kid delivered a hat trick in his debut game...
That was extraordinary!
Now, with the season seven games in, Ye Chen's three goals already placed him 13th on the scoring chart.
Others took several matches to score two or three goals. Ye Chen? He did it in one game...
The players retreated from the penalty area, leaving only Ye Chen and Augsburg's goalkeeper, Simon Jentzsch.
Jentzsch approached Ye Chen as he placed the ball on the penalty spot.
"Kid, you'd better go back home to your mommy. Football's no game for babies!" he taunted, attempting to unsettle Ye Chen.
Ye Chen ignored him and glanced at the referee.
The referee signaled him to step back.
Such trash talk was common in football and wouldn't warrant a card.
Ye Chen took two steps back, striking a pose reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo'sâconfident and imposing.
"Beep!"
The referee blew his whistle, signaling Ye Chen to take the shot.
The crowd of 80,000 at Signal Iduna Park held their breath, their eyes glued to Ye Chen.
The massive stadium fell silent.
Ye Chen could even hear his own heartbeat...
At this moment, he was the center of attention, carrying the hopes of everyone.