I wonder if a corner kick counts as a long-range shot?
The match has reached its climax!
Both head coaches have completed their substitutions!
Werder Bremen's coach, Klaus Allofs, made two changes, bringing on Prödl to replace the heavily outplayed André Wolf.
At the same time, he substituted Ekici for Bargfrede, who was struggling with his stamina.
A midfielder and a full-back were replaced to add fresh energy to the defense.
It seems that Allofs is satisfied with his tactical setup today, as he has not changed his approach so far.
On the field, Ye Chen had possession of the ball, and the newly substituted Ekici immediately closed in to prevent him from taking a long shot.
However, Ye Chen shifted the ball to the side and decisively took a shot before Ekici could extend his foot to intercept!
"Boom!"
The ball shot toward the goal like a bolt of lightning, but Bremen's goalkeeper, Mielitz, was highly focused and leaped into action.
Just before the ball could enter the net, he managed to deflect it away with great difficulty.
As he landed, Mielitz even performed a stylish roll—it was clear that he was in top form today!
The commentator shouted excitedly:
"Another long shot from Ye! What a strike!"
"But Mielitz didn't let it in—what a brilliant save!"
"Dortmund wins a corner kick!"
"Ye's long shots are absolutely brutal—I love this kind of shot!"
Unlike curling long-range shots, Ye Chen's shooting style was all about raw power.
Every strike was a display of sheer force and beauty!
And for the fans, such shots were pure enjoyment.
However, just as the commentator finished speaking, the referee's whistle suddenly blew!
The camera turned back to Ye Chen!
"Oh my God! Ekici committed a foul on Ye Chen even after he had already taken his shot!"
"The referee has called a foul—Dortmund gets a free kick!"
"But Ye doesn't look too good!"
Right after taking his shot, Ye Chen had his attention on the ball.
But in the next second, without any warning, he was knocked down hard!
Ekici appeared to be going for the ball, but his studs landed directly on Ye Chen's foot!
Ye Chen grimaced in pain—it was cleats with metal studs, after all.
And since he had just taken a shot and was in a relaxed state, he had no time to brace himself.
Ekici quickly got up, putting on a concerned expression, "Are you okay? I couldn't stop myself!"
But his eyes betrayed a cold and disdainful look.
It was clear—he did it on purpose!
Yet Ye Chen had no time to argue, as he was writhing in pain on the ground…
That kick was absolutely brutal!
The big screen replayed the off-ball foul, and the commentators immediately got fired up.
"My God! That was a deliberate foul! That should be a straight red card!"
However, the referee showed some leniency and only gave Ekici a yellow card.
This time, it was Ekici who protested.
"Referee, I couldn't stop in time, and I already pulled back my foot!"
The referee, however, remained cold and firm.
"Do this again, and you're getting a red card!"
The referee was not so easily fooled!
The team doctors sprayed some Yunnan Baiyao on Ye Chen's foot.
After confirming that his ankle wasn't injured, Ye Chen got back on his feet.
Of course, this excellent free-kick opportunity wasn't his to take.
Shinji Kagawa stood over the ball, while Ye Chen stepped off the pitch briefly before re-entering with the referee's permission.
Unfortunately, the shot didn't go in!
But Ye Chen knew—he had to be careful now…
The opponents were clearly increasing the intensity of their defense against him.
And sure enough, in the next five minutes, every time Ye Chen got the ball, at least two defenders closed in on him, tackling with extreme aggression.
Ye Chen was knocked to the ground over and over again!
Many female fans back home were brought to tears.
But Ye Chen got up again and again!
He was like an unyielding warrior!
And yet, seeing this only made people's hearts ache for him…
Ye Chen knew exactly what they were trying to do.
Simply put, they wanted to scare him—to make him afraid to dribble.
But was Ye Chen afraid?
Not at all!
His "Iron Man" attribute was no joke!
78:24
Naldo launched a long ball from the back, aiming for Pizarro up front!
However, Dortmund's center-backs, Hummels and Subotić, both rushed to the same spot!
Though they managed to head the ball away, it didn't travel far.
Rosenberg was the first to react and gained possession.
Pizarro immediately made a run forward.
Rosenberg delivered a precise through ball to him.
Vice-captain Weidenfeller made a bold decision to rush out of his goal, spreading his arms wide like a massive net, lunging toward Pizarro.
But Pizarro remained composed—he gently flicked the ball with his toe.
The ball arced over the diving Weidenfeller and landed in the net!
"Gooooooooooooooal!"
"A terrible mistake from Dortmund led to this goal!"
"A brilliant chip from Pizarro!"
"Pizarro!!!!"
"Pizarro!!!"
"Pizarro!!!"
The Werder Bremen fans erupted in celebration.
At this point in the match, a goal like this was very likely the game-winner!
Up front, Ye Chen let out a sigh.
He had already taken three long shots today.
He had hoped to use his "Long Shot Must-Score" card to clinch a last-minute winner, but now it seemed there was no chance for that!
No matter—equalizing was the priority now!
Watching the Bremen players celebrate, Klopp made his final substitution.
Leitner came on for Lewandowski!
Taking off a striker for a midfielder at this stage?
What kind of tactic was this?
In reality, Klopp was taking a gamble!
At the same time, he wanted to see if Ye Chen could be relied upon in this crucial moment!
Yes, after Lewandowski went off, Dortmund switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Ye Chen as the lone striker.
The match resumed.
Trailing behind, Dortmund launched an all-out attack.
Meanwhile, Bremen chose to sit back and defend.
This was the best-case scenario for Ye Chen.
Why?
Because if they were willing to sit back, he could take as many long shots as he wanted!
84:24
Ye Chen received the ball at the edge of the penalty arc.
Top-tier Bundesliga defender Naldo blocked his inside cut, while Papastathopoulos closed in from the right!
But Ye Chen took a shot from a narrow angle!
"Boom!"
The ball deflected off Papastathopoulos' foot and went out of bounds!
Dortmund won a corner kick!
"Chinese boy, I've studied your playstyle. You're destined to lose this match!" Naldo sneered at Ye Chen.
But while he spoke so confidently, his mind told a different story.
In the Bundesliga, his one-on-one defending was excellent against most strikers, and there were only a few he needed to double-mark.
Dutch international Huntelaar was one.
Bayern's Mario Gómez was another.
But this 17-year-old kid?
Yet if they didn't double-mark him, his speed and dribbling were a real problem!
"Oh, really?" Ye Chen smirked.
Glancing at his [Long Shot 4/5] (0/1) counter, his smile grew wider.
"Shinji, can I take this corner kick?"
He wondered—does a corner kick count as a long shot?