You’re the real fastest man
An early conceded goal in the match made Ralf Rouss give up his illusions.
Before the game, he repeatedly emphasized to his players that as long as they could stop Ye Chen from scoring, they would be fine.
Even if he did score, they couldn't let him get three goals in a row.
As for winning… he never shared his real thoughts with his players because he himself knew the gap between the two teams.
Winning was unrealistic.
And the situation on the field also proved the difference in strength.
Besides Ye Chen breaking the deadlock, the possession ratio was overwhelmingly 80-20.
Dresden even found it difficult to bring the ball past midfield.
Of course, this was the difference between a Bundesliga champion team and a Bundesliga 2 team.
A world of difference.
Ralf Rouss immediately gave up on winning and shifted his team's focus to stopping Ye Chen from making football history!
They might not win the match, but could they at least prevent him from setting a historic record?
Kid from China, this is Germany!
On the sidelines, Ralf Rouss called Fiel over. "Tell Koch to keep a close eye on Ye, don't give him any more chances for long shots! Also, keep pressing him—his inside cuts are dangerous. Stay sharp until the end of the first half!"
Before this match, they had analyzed Ye Chen in detail.
His dominant foot was his right.
He had never scored with his left foot.
So as long as they blocked his path to the baseline, they would be fine.
But today, Ye Chen once again shocked both the fans and the visiting team.
Ye Chen, who had never attempted a left-footed shot before, actually curled one into the net with his left foot.
The key issue was that Koch, following the coach's instructions, had lunged at Ye Chen's right foot.
This highlighted the importance of tactical planning before a match.
If the tactical setup was wrong, it could have serious consequences.
Now, Ralf Rouss adjusted the defensive tactics again, increasing the pressure on Ye Chen and scrapping the focus on his weaker foot. The players were simply ordered to press aggressively and defend hard!
"Understood, coach!"
On the pitch, Ye Chen was unaware that Dresden had upgraded their defensive approach against him, and he continued his full-field movement, dragging two midfielders along with him.
His idea was simple—eventually, they would wear out!
Although Dresden had substitutes, Klopp had analyzed this before the match—the gap between their starters and substitutes was significant.
And defending was never easy.
The game continued.
Although Dortmund had scored one goal and gained the upper hand, this match was being played under a new tactical system, and the players still lacked some chemistry.
Ye Chen's active runs and positioning created several chances for the team.
At 26 minutes and 24 seconds,
Ye Chen received the ball on the left and passed it directly to Großkreutz.
The latter attempted a shot, but the ball hit the side netting.
At 27 minutes and 12 seconds,
Again, Ye Chen got the ball, but with no room to turn, he simply passed it sideways.
Gündoğan, arriving from deep, struck the ball decisively—just over the crossbar.
Klopp realized that despite conceding a goal, Dresden's defense remained disciplined.
They had no intention of attacking—even their striker, Poté, had dropped back to help defend in front of the box!
But if they abandoned attacking so early, how long could they hold out?
Dresden quickly gave an answer.
They could last until halftime!
Yes.
Despite Dortmund taking nine shots, only three were on target.
Ye Chen himself had taken two shots—both on target, one resulting in a goal.
But scoring a second goal was proving much harder.
Ye Chen finally understood why the system's task was to win by three goals to earn the silver chest…
This task was really tough.
After all, breaking down a compact defense was a challenge for teams all over the world.
During the halftime break, Klopp adjusted the tactics.
He moved Götze to the center as an attacking midfielder to strengthen central penetration and substituted Sven Bender for Chris Löwe on the left flank.
Großkreutz, who was originally on the left, switched to the right.
The experiment with the 4-3-3 formation was a failure.
But Klopp didn't blame Ye Chen—given Dresden's defensive intensity today, even Messi would struggle.
Dresden was doing everything possible to stop Ye Chen from making history…
Short of surrounding him with all ten players!
At halftime, Ye Chen made up his mind—not to worry about the hat trick.
First, he needed to complete the system's three-goal task!
If he couldn't break the record this time, he would try again next time…
But failing the task meant facing a penalty!
Wait!
When Ye Chen instinctively opened the task panel, he was stunned.
Apparently…
There was no penalty for failing this task!
"System, what's going on?"
"In this match, the host already has a strong determination to win, so there is no need for a mandatory task to stimulate your competitive spirit! However, failing to complete the task means no rewards, which in itself is a form of punishment!"
That made sense.
The silver chest rewards were valuable, and missing out on them would be a big loss!
After all, who would complain about having more money?
For now, he would just focus on completing the task…
After all, the system's rewards were real and tangible improvements.
However, the system hadn't set a task for Ye Chen to score a hat trick in this match, which meant it didn't expect him to succeed!
Or rather, the system didn't care if he made football history.
Such achievements were just extra glory—they wouldn't provide any substantial help to the host.
Let's not forget—the system's name was "Football God System."
Only real improvements mattered!
On the contrary, many players had won huge honors only to start slacking and declining.
Like Inter Milan's King Adriano and Ronaldinho!
Klopp also approached Ye Chen,
"Ye, they are using a Messi-style 'anti-Messi tactic' against you. I need you to adjust your approach on the field, and also—use the rules wisely! If they keep fouling you repeatedly, don't hesitate to exaggerate a little so the referee notices their rough play!"
A meme suddenly popped into Ye Chen's mind—
Messi lying on the grass with the caption: "I'm Messi, and I'm totally panicking."
Looking at the stats from the first half, Ye Chen had been fouled five times, with three of them called by the referee—but no cards were given.
Bundesliga 2 players might lack skill, but they were physically tough.
And they knew how to act weak.
Especially when the referee approached, the first thing they did was plead for mercy!
"I understand what to do, boss!" Ye Chen nodded seriously.
It's like how a crying child gets more attention.
If you act tough and sensible, people just ignore you and say, "You're so mature"—which is basically emotional blackmail!
"Keep it up. We'll keep supplying you with chances, but you must work harder to find space—only then can you get scoring opportunities!" Klopp said seriously.
Ye Chen nodded firmly. "I will. But more than my record, winning the match comes first!"
Klopp laughed. "You're overthinking it—they're just a Bundesliga 2 team! Oh, Ye, I also feel you haven't shown your best attribute this game."
"What?" Ye Chen asked while drinking water.
"Speed!" Klopp said in a deep voice. "Remember, you are the fastest man in the Bundesliga!"
"Pfft—"
Ye Chen spit out his water instantly.
"You're the real fastest man!"