"......"
As the players emerged from the tunnel, the Nürnberg fans greeted them with enthusiastic chants.
The commentators passionately introduced the starting players for both teams.
Normally, an away player like Ye Chen wouldn't receive cheers, but when the announcer called out "Number 16, Ye," the entire stadium erupted in thunderous applause!
Clearly, they were welcoming the young prodigy soon to join the German national team.
Back home, on Gugu Sports, commentators Zhan Jun and Zhang were ready for the broadcast.
As the live feed switched to Gugu Sports, Zhan Jun's voice resonated immediately.
"Welcome to the 2011-2012 Bundesliga, Round 20. Today's match features Nürnberg at home against table-toppers Dortmund!"
"We can see Nürnberg sticking to their familiar 3-5-2 formation. Despite playing at home, the coach is prioritizing defense!"
"Dortmund, on the other hand, continues with their 4-4-2 formation."
"Nürnberg's goalkeeper is Fischer..."
"Dortmund made some rotations."
"Weidenfeller is in goal, with Schmelzer at left-back, Hummels partnering SubotiÄ in central defense, and Piszczek returning at right-back after a match off."
"The midfield four consists of GroÃkreutz, Kagawa, Sven Bender, and De Bruyne."
"The only constant is the striking duo â Ye Chen and Lewandowski!"
"Dortmund's new signings are on the bench â including Wang Chu (signed for â¬500,000), Mané (â¬1.5 million), and Azpilicueta (â¬6 million). The latest addition, Dutch center-back Van Dijk (â¬1.5 million), also makes the squad! At his unveiling, Klopp mentioned that Van Dijk wasn't brought in as a backup but to contribute immediately. Let's see if he gets a chance tonight!"
The match kicked off swiftly, with Dortmund starting on the ball.
Dortmund's tactics were simple â attack through the center.
They aimed to exploit the gaps in Nürnberg's three-man defense.
Right from the start, Dortmund pressed hard.
On the left, GroÃkreutz drove to the byline, but his cross mishit, landing at Nürnberg center-back Wollscheid's feet.
Wollscheid calmly passed to midfielder Hegeler.
But just as Hegeler received the ball, Ye Chen snuck behind him, stealing it cleanly.
Before Hegeler could react, Ye Chen took a step and fired a shot.
Schäfer managed to block it!
Gasps filled the stadium, and Dortmund fans clutched their heads in disbelief.
Meanwhile, Ye's girlfriend watched intently at home with her boyfriend.
She wasn't much of a football fan but felt disappointed when Ye Chen's impressive shot didn't score.
"Ah, so close!" She clenched her fists and playfully punched her boyfriend.
They soon realized Nürnberg fans around them were giving odd looks...
They quickly quieted down.
Though Dortmund didn't score, they earned a corner.
De Bruyne stepped up to take it while Ye Chen lurked at the far post.
Hummels rose to clear the ball out of play.
Hummels' aerial prowess was undeniable â his combination of anticipation, leap, and technique made him Dortmund's king of the air.
However, Lewandowski scored the most headers for Dortmund. His hat-trick of headers in a 6-2 win even set a record.
Rumors swirled that Bayern Munich was interested in Lewandowski. Unable to afford Ye Chen, they viewed Lewandowski as the next best option.
Lewandowski wasn't thrilled. "Seriously? I'm the second choice?"
Dortmund continued to dominate possession, frequently feeding Ye Chen.
At 6 minutes and 24 seconds, Ye Chen delivered a stunning long-range strike to break the deadlock!
De Bruyne crossed from the right, and Ye Chen received it.
Didavi closed in, but Ye Chen's quick cut inside created space.
He curled the ball beautifully into the net, grazing the post!
Ye Chen leapt onto De Bruyne's back in celebration, thrilling the Dortmund fans.
"What a strike!"
"It's in!" Zhan Jun's voice erupted, "Ye Chen's signature long shot makes it 12 consecutive games with a goal. He's closing in on the Bundesliga record of 16 straight matches!"
Fans at home clenched their fists in excitement.
In the stands, Ye's girlfriend hugged her boyfriend tightly.
Cough, cough...
Suddenly, a cough broke the moment.
Nürnberg fans around them stared in unison.
The camera caught the scene, drawing laughter from Dortmund fans watching at home.
What an adorable couple! And the girl was stunning.
With Ye Chen's goal, the match became much easier for Dortmund.
They displayed their dominance, shifting possession from 50-50 to 60-40.
Despite being at home, Nürnberg had to rely on counterattacks.
De Bruyne and Kagawa's control in midfield, combined with Ye Chen's technique, left Nürnberg's defense scrambling.
The second goal wasn't far behind.
At 17 minutes and 25 seconds, goalkeeper Schäfer booted the ball long, but SubotiÄ intercepted.
SubotiÄ passed to Hummels, who carried the ball forward before switching it to GroÃkreutz on the left.
GroÃkreutz drove to the byline and delivered a low cross, which Lewandowski tapped in.
Dortmund seemed poised for a rout, but surprisingly, that was the final goal.
Despite 15 shots and 8 on target, Dortmund settled for a 2-0 win.
Post-match, Ye Chen and Klopp attended the press conference.
Even after scoring, reporters questioned Ye Chen's form.
"Your scoring rate has dipped recently. Are you losing your touch?"
"A man never admits he's losing his touch," Ye Chen joked. "Besides, I'm still scoring every match."
It was absurd â Ye Chen scored consistently, yet people still doubted him.
But that was Ye Chen's reality.
Early in his Bundesliga career, he netted hat-tricks and even five-goal hauls. Scoring just one per game now seemed underwhelming...
But Ye Chen shrugged it off.
Opponents limited his space, sometimes marking him with three or four defenders.
Without his long-shot skills, scoring would've been tough.
Still, his performance earned him 200 system points, bringing his total to 385.
In a few more matches, he could unlock new positional training...
And that would only make him more dangerous.