As the football found its way into the net, Dortmund fans erupted into cheers once again!
The crowd jumped to their feet, creating a deafening wave of sound.
From the sidelines, Klopp clenched his fists and roared in satisfactionâthis goal was incredibly cathartic!
After all, everyone could clearly see how Ye Chen's jersey was nearly torn apart.
But this was thanks to the SS-level skill, "Poacher".
First, it significantly boosted his physical attributes, enhancing both his explosive power and speed.
Second, it honed his positioning.
From the moment the ball was passed to the right flank, Ye Chen had already formed a clear judgment in his mind.
There were two possible scoring points:
1. Between Sanko and Brack, though the chances were high that Sanko would clear it.
2. The near post, which was a better option for a pass.
Gotze chose the near post for a simple reasonâYe Chen habitually ran toward the near post during training.
After scoring, Ye Chen quickly got to his feet and dashed toward Gotze at the corner flag, arms outstretched. The two embraced tightly!
This demonstrated the value of a good teammate.
Why not start with a weaker team and slowly develop?
Ye Chen feared the awkward scenario of not even getting possession.
Dortmund wasn't a true superclub, but they weren't weak either. Having won the league title last season, they were on an upward trajectory.
More importantly, the team had ambition.
Every club dreams of standing at the pinnacle of European football!
That's the ultimate glory, the highest honor a European team can achieve.
Of course, with the current squad, competing on all three fronts was unrealistic.
Ye Chen clearly remembered that their Champions League performance this year was disappointing.
Would his arrival bring even a tiny change?
"He's so fast! Unbelievably fast!" Huang Jianxiang exclaimed in awe. "He and Sanko started almost simultaneously, but Ye Chen managed to position himself perfectly, forcing Sanko to foul him!"
"Ye Chen could have easily earned a penalty by going down, but he chose to shoot mid-air instead!"
"Ye Chen is incredible!"
Zhan Jun's voice trembled with excitement. "I'm declaring right nowâI'm officially a fan of Ye Chen! How can you not love a player like this?"
This feeling was entirely different from commenting on players from other countries.
Perhaps it was because Ye Chen was Chinese, making the experience more relatable.
Ye Chen demonstrated the instincts of a top striker with this goal.
Though young and physically slight, his predatory instincts in front of goal were elite!
Zhan Jun's words resonated with countless fans:
"How can you not love Ye Chen?"
Coming off the bench and scoring a brace, Ye Chen once again proved his scoring efficiency to the fans.
Whether or not he could secure a starting position, the feeling of scoring was exhilarating.
Especially when the entire stadium chanted his nameâit sent shivers down his spine!
The match resumed.
The final three minutes of the first half were uneventful.
Augsburg tried a few attacks, but none were successful.
Dortmund entered halftime with a 2â0 lead.
With the upcoming international break, there was no need to conserve energy.
Unless there were fitness concerns, Klopp was unlikely to make substitutions.
When the whistle blew for halftime, Klopp didn't immediately head to the dressing room. Instead, he high-fived each player before walking in with them.
Although Ye Chen had played for only about twenty minutes, the fans in the tunnel were enthusiastically calling his name and reaching out for handshakes.
Ye Chen didn't shy away, shaking hands with fans before heading into the locker room.
"Ye, you were brilliant out there!" Klopp wrapped an arm around Ye Chen as soon as he entered.
Ye Chen smiled. "Scoring feels amazing!"
"Of course!" Klopp gave him a thumbs up. "You're now in the league's top ten scorers. Keep it up and aim for the Golden Boot this season. How about that?"
"I could, but you need to give me more playing time," Ye Chen replied candidly.
"You're 17, and you want to start?"
"Boss, age isn't an issue. After all, Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or at 20!"
"Don't tell me you think you're the next R9?"
"I don't, but didn't you say that yourself?" Ye Chen grinned.
Klopp chuckled, recalling his own words from a press conference where he had praised Ye Chen.
In the locker room, the team masseurs got to work on the players.
Ye Chen didn't need a massage, but he grabbed two bananas for a quick energy boost.
During halftime, Klopp laid out the second-half tactics.
"We'll pull back a bit in the second half. Fullbacks, feel free to push forward, but Bender, stay deep and cover the flanks when necessary."
Klopp's tactical instructions were detailed, outlining specific movements and attacking patterns.
In this setup, Ye Chen was tasked with leading the line.
Klopp also took a moment to praise Ye Chen, especially for the second goal.
Most forwards would have given up under such heavy pulling, but Ye Chen had the presence of mind to kick the ball mid-air.
This showed his potential to become a top-tier striker.
Halftime ended quickly, and the players returned to the pitch.
Dortmund fans, re-energized, began singing the club anthem to rally the team.
Ye Chen had a single thought in his mind: score more!
One goal wouldn't be enough. Two was good. Three or four would be even better!
After all, Augsburg was a newly promoted team. If he didn't rack up goals against them, was he supposed to wait for matches against Bayern?
Setting a small goal for himself, Ye Chen aimed to score another goal and complete a hat trick!
The second half began with Augsburg switching from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-4-2 formation, bringing on a target man to focus on long-ball tactics.
It worked momentarily, as Augsburg earned a corner in the 49th minute.
The ball flew into the box, and center-back Sanko leapt high, heading it into the net.
But just as Sanko began celebrating, the referee's whistle blew...
Fans were stunned, unsure of the reason.
The referee gestured for a foulâa push.
Replays showed Sanko shoving Hummels before jumping, disrupting his balance.
The goal was disallowed.
The score remained 2â0, and Dortmund had dodged a bullet.
On the sidelines, Klopp was visibly displeased. Gesturing for his players to press higher, he reminded them:
They were the reigning champions facing a newly promoted side.
Letting Augsburg create chances like this was unacceptable!