When Cologne adopted a defensive stance, the match lost much of its appeal.
On the sidelines, Klopp urged Ye Chen to attempt more long shots.
However, with three midfielders blocking the way, plus Podolski and Sissi also dropping back to defend, Ye Chen found few opportunities to take shots.
Currently, Dortmund's only reliable long-range threat was Ye Chen, so Cologne focused on shutting him down.
But this only fueled Ye Chen's determination.
The more you deny me the shot, the more I'm determined to take it.
Ye Chen began attempting to dribble past defenders with skill.
Yet, a single player has limits. For every defender he bypassed, another stepped up, sealing off his shooting angles.
This is why breaking through dense defenses is a world-class challenge.
Of course, Dortmund fans were delighted. Leading by two goals, their team was relentlessly bombarding Cologne's goal.
Ye Chen understood that breaking through alone would be nearly impossible, so he actively sought to coordinate with Kagawa and Götze.
Despite their efforts, no goals came during the first half.
As the referee's whistle blew, signaling halftime, Ye Chen, the standout player of the half, high-fived fans excitedly as he headed down the tunnel.
Meanwhile, in China, Dortmund's fan forums were buzzing with activity.
Posts sprang up like mushrooms after the rain:
⢠"How did Tomoaki Makino dare to talk big before the match with this level of play?"
⢠"Ye Chen might be the most intelligent player on the pitch right now!"
⢠"Analyzing Ye Chen's first-half goals: The first was pure power, the second was pure wit!"
⢠"Come check out the girls who are into Ye Chen!"
⢠"Is Tomoaki Makino really this weak? (Video insideâit'll change your mind!)"
While some fans ogled the pictures of Ye Chen's female supporters, others reviewed Makino's defensive highlights.
As a player who made it to the Bundesliga, Makino Tomoaki was undoubtedly a key member of Japan's national team, once even securing a starting defender spot.
However, his lack of game time at Cologne over the past six months had relegated him to the bench.
Before joining Cologne, he was the defensive linchpin of Sanfrecce Hiroshima, scoring four goals in a season and earning a spot in the J-League's Best XI.
This caught Cologne's attention.
The key appeal? He was young!
Developing for a couple of years in the Bundesliga could allow him to return to the J-League for a profitable transfer.
But today's performance was a disaster!
Such a player should be dismissed as soon as possible!
Makino realized returning to Japan in disgrace would make him a national laughingstock.
Suddenly, with a loud thud, Makino dropped to his knees, groveling on the floor. "Boss, please give me one more chance! I beg you!"
But Solbakken's face remained cold. "Pollack, take him outside to cool down. And contact management to arrange his departure."
"Understood." Assistant coach Pollack stepped up to Makino, saying, "Get up. Useless fool!"
Makino cast a look of pure hatred toward Solbakken as he left.
It's all Ye Chen's fault!
Don't let me meet you again, Ye Chen. I'll make you pay!
As fate would have it, Ye Chen would indeed face Makino again in the futureâbut by then, everything had changed.
Heaven and Hell
The atmosphere in Cologne's locker room was ice-cold, while Dortmund's was jubilant.
"Well done, everyone!" Klopp praised the team, even giving Ye Chen a thumbs-up. "Ye, you were brilliant today!"
"Thank you, boss!" Ye Chen replied with a grin.
"Feeling confident about scoring one more? That'd make it four consecutive hat tricks!" Klopp's smile was radiant.
It was evident he was in an excellent mood.
With the team needing points and their primary striker injured, having Ye Chen lead the charge was invaluable.
"I... I..." Ye Chen hesitated. Just then, the system's prompt sounded in his mind.
"Ding! New random mission: Score another goal this match to complete a hat trick. Success will reward you with 100 points. Failure will deduct 100 points!"
Ye Chen's face twitched.
His current total was only 120 points, accumulated through nine goals in three matches. He had planned to save up for new boots, but it seemed the system was eyeing his points.
Damn it!
Do you think I'll just give in?
"What's with all the hesitation? Acting like a timid little girl!" Klopp teased, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course, I'm confident! Just watchâI'll definitely score a hat trick today!" Ye Chen clenched his fist and roared.
The system must think I'm powerless without my long-range shooting skill.
Well, guess what? Those 100 points are mine!