Ye Chen has set a new record in football history!
At this moment, he is the pride of China!
But at the same time, he has completely angered the players of Düsseldorf.
As the match resumed, two players flanked him tightly from the left and right before he could even get the ball.
At 6 minutes and 21 seconds, Ye Chen received the ball in his own half, and forward Rösler came in with a sliding tackleâan action that could easily break a leg.
Although Ye Chen dodged it, he still fell heavily to the ground.
The referee hesitated for a moment and showed a yellow card instead of a red one.
However, this warning didn't seem to have much effect.
At 7 minutes and 24 seconds, after receiving a pass from GündoÄan, Ye Chen passed the ball to GroÃkreutz on the right.
But Fink tackled him to the ground again with a sliding challenge!
Klopp couldn't hold back any longer. Initially, he wanted to push Ye Chen to his limits, but now he had no choice but to substitute him...
Thus, Ye Chen was substituted out of his second German Cup match after less than 8 minutes!
There was no choiceâif Ye Chen wasn't taken off, he might not be able to leave Düsseldorf on his feet today.
Dortmund fans gave him the loudest applause and cheers.
Unfortunately, Lina couldn't attend the match because it was her last day of exams at school...
Otherwise, after such an incredible performance tonight, she might have rushed to get a Düsseldorf jersey to celebrate!
Maybe even partied five times throughout the night...
As Ye Chen stepped off the field, Wang Chu on the bench immediately bumped fists with him. "Chen, you're amazing!"
Mané, sitting next to him, flashed a bright smile. "You're incredible, Brother Chen!"
Wang Chu suddenly laughed. "Mané, didn't I teach you another phrase? How does it go?"
"Trust... Brother Chen... and you'll... live forever!" Mané said in awkward Chinese.
Trust Brother Chen and you'll live forever?
Ye Chen's mouth twitched slightly. The next moment, he clasped his fists together. "Same here!"
"Same here!" Mané burst into laughter.
The three of them sat on the bench, chatting and laughing, having a great time.
By halftime, they took a shower since their match was practically over.
Once Ye Chen stepped off, Daniel Thioune returned to the sidelines.
"Cover the defense!"
"Push forward, press harder!"
"Watch your tackles, don't get booked again!"
The match returned to normal, but since Dortmund was already leading 5-0 after just six minutes, they didn't seem eager to score more goals...
Düsseldorf wanted to attack, but Dortmund's defense was rock solid.
As time ticked away, Ye Chen continued chatting with Wang Chu.
"Do you think you can keep up with this kind of intensity?" Ye Chen asked.
Wang Chu nodded. "I think I can manage!"
"Any plans for Christmas?" Ye Chen continued.
"Mané and I are staying at the club to train. We want to make the first team as soon as possible!"
Ye Chen nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, keep it up!"
Lina had invited him to Norway to spend Christmas with her family.
But Ye Chen felt it was too soon.
After all, they had only been together for less than six months...
Still, he had nowhere else to go!
Maybe staying at the club to train was the best option?
"Beep!"
The first half ended quickly, and Ye Chen walked towards the locker room with the team.
Just then, a familiar voice called out.
"Ye Chen! Ye Chen! Over here!"
"Hmm?" Ye Chen raised his eyebrows. That voice sounded too familiar.
He turned his head and saw a familiar face...
Round, with a flattering smile plastered on it.
Isn't that the king of match-worn jerseys?
"Wang Tao?" Ye Chen furrowed his brows.
"Yes, it's me! I want to schedule an exclusive interview. Are you available?" Wang Tao's smile grew even brighter as he shouted.
"Sorry, no time."
Ye Chen dashed back to the locker room without waiting.
It wasn't that he didn't want to do the interviewâhe just didn't want his match-worn jerseys flooding the market...
"Wang Chu! Wang Chu!"
Seeing Ye Chen run off, Wang Tao shifted his attention.
Wang Chu glanced at him but quickly darted into the locker room without a word.
He didn't know why Ye Chen was avoiding Wang Tao, but he followed suit.
Mané wasn't called, but he happily trotted in after them.
Over time, Mané and Wang Chu had grown close.
He knew that not only was Wang Chu a great player, but he was also a good person.
And Ye Chen treated him well too... In fact, Mané had heard that Dortmund signed him because of Ye Chen's recommendation.
In other words, Ye Chen was his benefactor!
Thus, their little trio was formed.
"Ye, why were you running so fast?" Kagawa Shinji looked at Ye Chen with admiration. "Your five goals today were incredible!"
"It was alright. I just wanted to shower because I feel gross."
"Oh, need me to grab you a towel?"
"No need, thanks!" Ye Chen grabbed a fresh kit and walked into the locker room.
This was just a small interlude.
The match soon ended.
The final score was 6-1!
At the start of the second half, Lewandowski scored a header from a lofted pass by Kehl.
Düsseldorf managed to score a consolation goal in the 86th minute.
By then, Owomoyela was probably already daydreaming about his vacation and got caught off guard.
Brock finished with a powerful shot.
The two coaches shook hands.
Daniel Thioune forced a smile. "Dortmund is just too strong. And Ye... he's terrifying. I never want to face him again!"
"Haha, are you not aiming for promotion next season?" Klopp laughed.
"We were confident... but after this match..." Thioune sighed. "I should've forfeited before kick-off. My players' morale wouldn't have been crushed this badly."
Klopp patted him on the back. "Keep at it!"
Thioune wasn't wrong.
After this match, Düsseldorf's attendance dropped below 80%, and the team struggled for weeks, going winless for five matches.
It wasn't until round 24, when they thrashed Karlsruhe 5-0, that they regained form and eventually earned promotion through the playoffs...
But some fans never returned.
One even admitted he had nightmares about Ye Chen.
He was just that scary!