"Ye pulled off a beautiful feint to easily get past Uchida! I have to say, that move was incredibly smooth!" Mike couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
On the field, just as Ye dodged Atsuto Uchida, Jermaine Jones came charging in aggressively.
His stance made it clearâif he couldn't stop the ball, he'd make sure to stop Ye.
Even with his steel-like physique, Ye wasn't about to take that kind of full-force hit head-on.
So, Ye faked a pass.
Sure enough, Jones, in his rush, thought Ye was about to send the ball flying and jumped to block it.
But Ye's raised foot quickly dropped, and with a light tap, the ball rolled to the outside.
Ye opted for a dribble cut-in.
Jones was left behind, and the other defenders were at least two meters away. Ye didn't hesitateâhe swung his leg and unleashed a powerful strike!
"Boom!"
The ball shot toward the near post like a comet!
Everyone in the box assumed Ye would cross, and Schalke 04's keeper, Unnerstall, anticipated it too.
But to everyone's surprise, Ye went for the near post!
Matip, who had been marking Hummels, immediately abandoned his position to intercept.
Yet at such close range, Ye's shot was simply too fast.
Even with the risk of injury, Matip couldn't stop the ballâit zipped right past him...
At the very moment Ye kicked, Lewandowski in the box erupted angrily, yelling, "Don't shoot againâ"
"Swish..."
Before Lewandowski could finish, the sound of the ball brushing against the net echoed crisply.
That sound was like a slap to Lewandowski's face!
"Gooooooooooooal!!"
"A stunning goal from Ye, hailing from China~~~~~~~"
"Chen~~~~~~~!!!!"
Nearly 80,000 fans in the stadium roared Ye's name.
On the pitch, Ye paid no attention to Lewandowski. He sprinted to the corner flag, jumped high, spun in the air, and landed gracefully.
"Siu~~~~~~~~~~~"
The crowd, still chanting his name, erupted in unison.
The noise shook the stadium!
Hummels and the others rushed over immediately, and Götze mimicked Ye's celebration before hugging him tightly.
The entire Westfalenstadion turned into a sea of joy!
This goal was crucial for Dortmund.
After all, Schalke 04 had taken control thanks to their stamina advantage and had been effectively marking Ye.
Take the play before the goalâYe's speed was incredible, but Uchida managed to close in immediately. What did that mean?
It meant Uchida had been tracking Ye from the start!
And just after Uchida was beaten, Jones came charging in...
The defense was relentless, layer after layer!
They were determined not to give Ye a chance to shoot.
Repeated missed opportunities had frustrated Ye's teammates. But thanks to activating his "Guaranteed Long Shot" card, he silenced Lewandowski.
The match resumed quickly!
After Ye's goal, Schalke 04's players intensified their focus on him.
Jones practically stuck to Ye.
But Ye was smartâhe drifted wide.
As a shadow striker, he had the freedom to roam the pitch, while Jones, a defensive midfielder, couldn't afford to lose his position.
It was like Manchester Unitedâwhen Fred or McTominay lost their positions, Maguire's flaws became glaring.
Schalke 04 pressed forward once more.
35:24
Uchida sent in a cross from the wing. Raul won the aerial duel but nodded the ball backward.
Huntelaar attempted a header, but Weidenfeller leaped up and caught the ball.
41:12
Schalke 04 attacked again!
Draxler broke through on the right, but Schmelzer blocked his path. Draxler passed back to Uchida.
This time, Uchida didn't rush down the line but dribbled inside.
As he approached Dortmund's box, Kehl stepped up.
Uchida, however, sent a diagonal pass.
Baumjohann picked it up and immediately slipped it into the box.
Raul successfully broke the offside trap, facing Weidenfeller one-on-one.
As Dortmund fans held their breath, Santana slid in with a crucial tackle, sending the ball out for a corner.
That was closeâany misstep and it would've been a penalty!
Watching from afar, Ye could only admire Raul's skill, even at 34.
Still, playing in a top league at his age was a testament to his greatness.
42:21
Ye dribbled down the wing, searching for an opportunity. Uchida slid in, sweeping Ye off his feet.
But Ye wasn't one to let it slide. As he fell, he discreetly dragged his boot over Uchida's foot.
Uchida, the tackler, went down with Ye.
Ye's move was subtleâeven on replay, it was hard to detect!
The referee handed Uchida a yellow card, while Ye walked away unscathed.
But Uchida couldn't get upâhe writhed in pain.
Schalke 04 had to sub him out for Tim Hoogland.
Dortmund fans laughedâit was rare to see something like this.
The player who got tackled stood up after a spray of magic water, while the tackler was the one subbed off.
On the field, Ye wasn't one to mess with.
After being fouled five or six times, he finally got his payback.
Meanwhile, in Japan, commentators Kawaguchi and Yoshikawa exchanged uneasy glances.
"Ye is so sneaky! He must've used kung fu to injure Uchida!" Kawaguchi ranted.
Yoshikawa nodded. "I read about this in Chinese novelsâthey call it 'internal energy.' Ye must've used that on Uchida. He's a butcher on the pitch!"
But such absurd comments angered Japanese fans.
They admired Ye's skills and loved him for his talent.
The two commentators were flooded with complaints, and the station reassigned them.
Fans weren't satisfied until both were taken off air.
To Japanese fans, Ye was the pride of Asia.
How could anyone hate on a player like that?