The more you desire to achieve something, the harder it often becomes to accomplish it.
In the first half, everyone was deliberately trying to pass the ball to Ye Chen, but he was constantly marked by multiple players.
As a result, Dortmund's attack lacked fluidity.
The once electrifying Westfalenstadion, ignited by Ye Chen, gradually fell silent.
Fans continued to sing and cheer for Ye Chen, but something felt off.
Even Zhan Jun, broadcasting live, sighed, "Dortmund is trying a new approach today, giving Ye Chen a lot of freedom, but the results don't seem promising."
Zhang Lu nodded in agreement. As a former coach, he had a deeper understanding.
He got straight to the point, "The issue today actually lies with Ye Chen."
"How so?"
Zhang Lu paused to gather his thoughts before explaining, "Dortmund is a team known for their fast, agile style, combining wing play and central attacks. Their standard formation is 4-2-3-1, with the attacking midfielder as the playmaker. But today, they switched to a 4-3-3, making Ye Chen the focal point of the attack. GündoÄan is unfamiliar with this setup, and Ye Chen is being tightly marked by Dresden's double midfield pivot, Soléga and Schulz. This is why Dortmund's offense has stalled."
"Dortmund did adjust later, letting Götze and GroÃkreutz play as makeshift forwards while Ye Chen moved to the wing. However, they aren't as effective as Ye Chen in the striker role. Ye Chen's cut inside and shot was brilliant, but if he tries again, the opponents will anticipate it. They won't allow him to shoot freely. Dresden's strategy is clearâstop Ye Chen from scoring, even if other Dortmund players have the ball."
Zhan Jun nodded, "So, does Ye Chen still have a chance to break the world record?"
"It's difficult. As you said, the Bundesliga is one of the top five leagues. Why would they let a Chinese player break a world record?" Zhang Lu sighed.
Zhan Jun's eyes lit up with realization, "So all these big-name guests aren't here to witness Ye Chen make historyâthey're here to see him fail?"
"Not necessarily, but the chances of setting the record are slim."
Hearing this, fans watching at home grew anxious.
Discussions erupted on Dortmund's fan forums.
"I was wondering why so many VIPs showed up!"
"Coach Zhang makes sense. If Ye Chen breaks this record, it's great for him and Dortmund, but a disgrace for the Bundesliga."
"I'm a student in Japan. Many people here say the Bundesliga isn't as strong as the J-League anymore."
"I feel bad for Ye Chen. His opponent isn't just Masashi Nakayamaâit's the entire Bundesliga!"
"No wonder players hesitate to play abroad. There's too much behind-the-scenes politics!"
"Come on, Ye Chen! You've got this!"
"If Ye Chen makes history, I swear I'll buy his official No. 16 jersey!"
"I'll buy one too!"
Fans were cheering for Ye Chen in their own way.
Back at the Westfalenstadion, fans returned to their seats.
Lina's small face was filled with concern.
"Ye, you have to push through!"
With just 45 minutes left, could Ye Chen make history?
Whistle!
As the referee's whistle signaled the start of the second half, Dortmund's strategy visibly shifted.
They returned to their familiar 4-2-3-1 formation. Götze orchestrated play from the center, and Dortmund's attack flowed seamlessly.
48:14
Schmelzer's throw-in found Ye Chen on the left flank. Soléga and Schulz were once again guarding him closely.
Ye Chen, calm as ever, swiftly drove forward.
His blistering pace of 99 allowed him to break past the two defenders and reach the byline.
But then?
Soléga and Schulz blocked his cut-in route and closed off the crossing lane.
At best, they'd concede a cornerâanything to prevent Ye Chen from shooting.
Ye Chen read their intentions clearly.
As three defenders converged on him, he executed a dazzling backheel pass.
The ball rolled to Schmelzer, who had surged forward.
Schmelzer, part of last season's Bundesliga Best XI, excelled on both ends of the pitch.
Without hesitation, he passed the ball to Götze at the top of the box.
The two defensive midfielders had been pulled wide, and Koch had drifted left toward Ye Chen.
This left the top of the box unprotected.
Stoll, the center-back, rushed forward to cover, but at that very moment, Götze slotted a through ball to GroÃkreutz, who made a diagonal run into the box.
GroÃkreutz found himself in acres of space, facing the goalkeeper one-on-one.
With a simple, unchallenged finish, he slotted the ball into the bottom corner.
Heusl dived but barely brushed the air. Dortmund extended their lead to 2-0.
GroÃkreutz hugged Götze, who was beamingâhis assist earned him â¬3,000, enough for a night out.
Yet, Ye Chen wasn't smiling.
Dresden's intentions were crystal clearâDortmund could score, but Ye Chen could not.
They wouldn't even let him near the box.
"Ye, that backheel pass was pure genius!" Schmelzer grinned as he approached Ye Chen.
"Ugh, it's tough," Ye Chen replied, visibly frustrated.
Fuming, he punched the air.
Seeing this, Soléga and Schulz exchanged smiles. On the sidelines, Ralf Loose smirked.
Ye Chen was getting frustrated.
If his mindset wavered, could he still score?
The cameras caught the moment.
After the replay of the goal, the broadcast highlighted Ye Chen's frustration.
The commentator observed, "Despite Dortmund's goal, Ye Chen doesn't look happy. Understandably soâunder Dresden's tight marking, he's drifting further from the goal. Scoring will only get harder."
"With 40 minutes left, Ye Chen needs two goals to break the record. His frustration is natural."
"Dresden's tactics are working. They've effectively neutralized Ye Chen."
"Four consecutive hat-tricks is an incredible feat, but he's still just a 17-year-old."
"His record might end here. Five straight hat-tricks are too much to ask."
"That's lifeâfull of regrets."
As Ye Chen's composure slipped, even the commentators doubted him.
Götze approached to console him, "Ye, there's still time. Don't worry!"
Ye Chen shook him off, "I'm fine. Leave me alone!"
His pre-match ambition of scoring five goals now felt like a distant dream...