Conceding an early goal forced Ralf Loose to abandon any illusions.
Before the match, he repeatedly emphasized to his players: as long as Ye Chen doesn't score, they'll be fine.
Even if he does score, they mustn't let him score three.
As for winning? Ralf didn't share his true thoughts with his players, knowing well the gap in strength between the two teams.
Winning was unrealistic.
The match on the field only confirmed this disparity.
Besides Ye Chen breaking the deadlock, the possession ratio was 80â20. Dresden could barely advance past the halfway line.
This was the chasm between a Bundesliga champion and a second-division team.
An unbridgeable gap.
Ralf Loose immediately shifted focus from winning the match to preventing Ye Chen from making football history.
If they couldn't win, could they at least stop him from setting a record?
"This is Germany, young man from China!"
On the sidelines, Ralf Loose called Feyer over. "Tell Koch to stick closer to Ye. Don't let him take long shots! And keep pressing him hard. His cut-ins are deadly. Don't ease up until the first half ends!"
They had analyzed Ye Chen in detail before the match:
⢠Preferred right foot.
⢠Never used his left foot for shots.
As long as they denied him the inside path, they'd be fine.
But today, Ye Chen gave both the fans and the visiting team a surprise.
Ye Chen, who had never scored with a left-footed cut, curled in a stunning shot.
Koch had followed the pre-match instructions to tackle Ye's right foot. That mistake highlighted the importance of targeted tacticsâwrong analysis could be disastrous.
Ralf Loose quickly adjusted the strategy, canceling the directive to exploit Ye's weaker foot. The players were now instructed to press him aggressively with overall strong defense.
"Understood, coach!"
Ye Chen remained unaware that Dresden had intensified their defensive efforts against him. He kept running tirelessly with two midfielders chasing him across the pitch.
His thought was simple: eventually, I'll wear them out!
Although Dresden had substitutes, Klopp had analyzed their squad before the matchâthe gap between their starters and substitutes was substantial.
Defending wasn't easy.
As the match continued, Dortmund had the advantage with an early goal, but they were still adjusting to the new tactics. Player coordination wasn't perfect yet.
Ye Chen's off-the-ball movements created numerous chances for the team:
⢠26:24: Ye Chen passed the ball on the left flank to GroÃkreutz, whose shot hit the side netting.
⢠27:12: Ye Chen, unable to turn after receiving the ball, passed it horizontally to GündoÄan, whose shot went just over the crossbar.
Klopp noticed that despite conceding, Dresden's defense remained organized. They weren't even attempting to attack; their striker, Porter, had retreated to help defend near the penalty area.
But how long could they endure?
Dresden soon provided an answer: until halftime.
Despite nine attempts from Dortmund, only three were on target.
Ye Chen had two shots on goal in the first half, scoring one. But a second goal? It seemed increasingly unlikely.
Realizing this, Ye Chen began to understand why the system's task was merely to win by three goals in exchange for a silver chest. It was a tough challenge.
Breaking through a compact defense is one of the hardest tasks in football.
At halftime, Klopp adjusted the strategy.
⢠Götze moved to central attacking midfield to enhance penetration through the middle.
⢠Sven Bender was subbed off for Christoph Löwe on the left.
⢠GroÃkreutz shifted from the left to the right.
The 4-3-3 formation experiment was deemed a failure, but Klopp didn't blame Ye Chen. With Dresden's defensive intensity today, even Messi would have struggled.
Dresden was doing everything possible to prevent Ye Chen from setting a recordâeven stopping short of surrounding him with ten players!
Ye Chen decided to focus on completing the system's task of winning by three goals, leaving the hat-trick for another day.
Failing to complete the task would mean losing the chest reward, which in itself was a penalty.
"Wait," Ye Chen suddenly realized as he opened the system's task menu. The task didn't carry a penalty for failure.
"System, what's going on?"
"Since the host has the determination to win this match, no mandatory task is needed to ignite your will to win. However, failing to complete the task means no reward, which is its own form of penalty."
That logic made sense. Missing out on a silver chest's rewards would be a significant loss.
But the system not requiring a hat-trick suggested it wasn't confident in Ye Chen achieving the recordâor simply didn't care about his place in football history.
"Don't forget," the system reminded him, "it's called the Football God System. Only tangible improvements matter."
Indeed, many players who achieved massive honors became complacent, starting their decline. Adriano and Ronaldinho came to mind.
Klopp approached Ye Chen during the break. "Ye, they're defending you with a strategy similar to the 'Messi blockade.' You need to adapt and use the rules to your advantage. If they keep fouling you, don't hesitate to make it obvious so the referee notices their rough play."
Ye Chen imagined a meme: Messi lying on the ground with a caption, I'm Messi, and I'm panicking.
Statistics showed Ye Chen had been fouled five times in the first half. Three were called, but no cards were issued.
Dresden's players weren't highly skilled, but they were physically strong and adept at appearing harmlessâpleading with the referee whenever he approached.
"I know what to do, coach!" Ye Chen nodded seriously.
It was like the saying: The child who cries gets the candy. If you're strong and mature, people might ignore you while praising you for being "understanding."
"Keep it up. We'll keep supplying you with chances, but you'll need to run even harder to find space," Klopp said earnestly.
Ye Chen nodded. "I will. But the team's victory is more important than my record."
Klopp chuckled. "Don't overthink it. They're just a second-division team. But Ye, I don't think you've shown your greatest strength in this match."
"What's that?" Ye Chen asked while drinking water.
"Speed!" Klopp said firmly. "Remember, you're the fastest man in the Bundesliga!"
"Pfft..." Ye Chen spat out his water.
"No, you're the fastest man!"