The outside world only sees Ye Chen scoring goals, but Ye Chen knows how difficult those goals were!
Against Dresden, when he was double-marked, there was almost nothing he could do.
If not for activating the long-shot guarantee card, he felt it would have been impossible to crush the opponent's confidence and ultimately score five goals.
The turning point in the match against Stuttgart actually came when he unintentionally knocked KuzmanoviÄ down.
Dortmund's defensive core was Lars Bender, while Stuttgart's was KuzmanoviÄ!
Gentner, who came on later, had to mark Kagawa, giving Ye Chen a breather.
But when Rüdiger entered the game, Ye Chen quieted down.
The verbal taunts were nothing, but Rüdiger's marking in off-the-ball situations almost shut Ye Chen down.
Take that counterattack for exampleâYe Chen simply couldn't shake him off at first.
The most frustrating part was that Rüdiger treated him like a girlfriend, wrapping him up directly!
Of course, not literally, but by spreading his arms to block Ye Chen's acceleration and clamping down on his arm at the crucial moment, making him uncomfortable.
Although he eventually scored, it was thanks to the long-shot card.
The key thing is, Rüdiger was only 19 at the time, and with his physical condition, he could easily overpower Ye Chen...
Rüdiger's foul also became a textbook example of solid defense.
No matter what, after Ye Chen was subbed out, Dortmund's offense stalled. Other teams would surely start copying this strategy.
Why do so many talented players get sidelined by injuries? It's not because they want to get hurt, but because of the physical toll from constant fouls.
A small injury every three days, a major one every five.
How can you perform well under such conditions?
It's nothing but a fantasy!
To reduce injuries, he must improve his physical resistance!
Just like Son Heung-min in later years.
He's also Asian, but his physical attributes allowed him to compete against Premier League defenders.
In his past life, Ye Chen watched several Spurs games specifically to study Son.
Son wasn't just fast; his technique, physicality, and fearless spirit made him successful in the Premier League.
By comparison, Wu Lei's physical resistance lagged far behind.
Of course, after two years in La Liga, Wu Lei also became more resilient. This was evident when he returned to the national team.
Many Chinese players fear physical contact, and defenders often neglect technical training.
This results in losing possession even without pressure.
Why did Xie Hui dare to implement the "press and attack" strategy? Because when Chinese players face high pressing, their lack of footwork makes them panic and helpless.
Even though Ye Chen didn't know how Xie Hui's coaching turned out, his ideas were undeniably refreshing in Chinese football.
In terms of physical intensity, the Bundesliga ranks second only to the Premier League.
The Premier League is the most physically demanding, La Liga emphasizes technique and attack, and Serie A is defense-focused but tends to have older defenders, making physical battles moderate.
Ligue 1 is the most diverseâa mixed bag of technique and physicality, but not excelling in any particular area.
In terms of physical intensity, the Bundesliga stands second.
To gain an edge in upcoming Bundesliga matches, Ye Chen must focus on physical training.
Moreover, the Champions League knockout stage was approaching, and Ye Chen needed to adjust his form to shine on that stage.
To be honest, he looked forward to the Champions League more than the second half of the league season.
Once in the knockout stage, the Champions League became a grand event across Europeâwith hefty prize money.
Let's not forget, Ye Chen had signed a deal with the club.
A goal in the Bundesliga earned him â¬6,000, but a goal in the Champions League brought â¬10,000!
It used to be â¬5,000, but the renewal brought a symbolic increase.
After just a few games, Ye Chen had earned â¬78,000 in goal bonusesâequivalent to nearly 700,000 yuan!
Besides goal bonuses, there were also assist bonuses, appearance bonuses, and win bonuses. Soon, he could collect the Player of the Month award, the Best Young Player award, and the Bundesliga Team of the Month bonus.
Football was clearly a lucrative career.
That's why so many players dreamed of playing in Europe!
Of course, to stay within Dortmund's salary cap, the club offered Ye Chen plenty of perks, resulting in these bonuses.
But Dortmund gladly paid upâYe Chen's rising fame boosted the club's commercial value.
Though the shirt sponsor, Puma, was locked in, training gear sponsorships were open, as well as front-of-shirt ads.
If you can think of it, clubs can sell it!
When it comes to making money, Watzke is a genius!
Take Signal Iduna Park, for example. Fans just call it Westfalenstadion, but Watzke sold the naming rights for â¬5 million.
The official name is Signal Iduna Parkâthough few remember it.
Back on track, Ye Chen decided to start training for the next ten days.
But first, he needed to buy some equipment.
Ye Chen grabbed his phone and started shopping online.
Fortunately, online shopping was well-developed abroad, or Ye Chen would have been frustrated.
The system's training plan was the most suitable and scientificâeven the best personal trainer couldn't match it.
Like the last intense training session, exhausting but injury-free.
Many athletes push too hard and cross the line, resulting in injuries.
That's why those 50 points were worth every bit.
Who knows when the next hell-level training card will drop?
Maybe Ye Chen wasn't entirely normalârather than fearing the extreme training, he found it exhilarating...
Especially the feeling of collapsing into sleep right after training, with nothing to worry about.
Seeing his stats visibly improve made him crave another round.
"Ye, why are you up so early?" As Ye Chen browsed, Lina slowly opened her sleepy eyes, staring at him cutely.
Ye Chen smiled, leaned over, and kissed her before she could react.
"No, I haven't brushed my teeth..."
"It's fine, neither have I." Ye Chen smirked.
Training starts with morning exercises...
After all, a good day starts in the morning!