章 51: Comeback and victory
De Bruyne stood at the penalty spot to take the penalty.
Originally, the first penalty shooter in the team is Captain Fritz, but Fritz knew that De Bruyne had a good relationship with Lucas, so he voluntarily gave up the ball to De Bruyne.
Under normal circumstances, De Bruyne would likely decline, but today, he didn't refuse.
He understood that this is a rare opportunity that he couldn't waste.
This goal isn't scored for himself, but for Lucas, who had retired due to injury.
Standing at the penalty spot, De Bruyne took a deep breath. After observing the goalkeeper's position, he began his run-up.
He chose to aim for the far corner, and although the goalkeeper guessed the right direction, he was a bit slow to save the ball and failed to catch it. De Bruyne accomplished it overnight, rewriting the score on the court to 3:3!
In the 59th minute of the regular time, Werder Bremen equalized the score. With less than five minutes remaining in the game, including injury time, the result hung in the balance.
If neither team could score again, a penalty shootout would decide the outcome.
Neither team seemed willing to accept a draw, so after the match started again, both sides launched attacks by coincidence.
Dortmund's players ran tirelessly throughout the game. Many of them were nearing their physical limits but gritted their teeth and persisted.
However, due to a player being sent off, their offensive power decreased, making it difficult to penetrate the opponent's defense in positional play.
Werder Bremen faced a similar situation. They had played two consecutive days without adequate rest. Their physical fitness is inferior to that of their opponents.
As a result, both teams struggled to maintain their attacking momentum.
The 60 minutes of regular time passed quickly, and with no change in the score, the game remained in suspense.
The referee added 2 minutes of stoppage time, which is relatively short. It might only be enough for each team to launch one more attack.
In the first minute of extra time, Dortmund pressed forward towards Werder Bremen's penalty area. Reus dribbled the ball and intended to break through and take a shot himself but saw Lewandowski asking for the ball in the penalty area.
Choosing to trust his teammate, Reus immediately passed the ball. Werder Bremen's defenders anticipated the pass and Papastathopoulos, the central defender who came off the bench, intercepted the ball before Lewandowski could receive it and passed it to his teammates.
Selassie quickly passed the ball to winger Elia, who sprinted towards Dortmund's half after receiving the ball on the wing.
As he crossed the midfield line with the ball, the referee glanced at his watch. There were only a few seconds remaining. This could be the last attack of the game.
Elia, aware of the dwindling time, didn't dare to hesitate and rushed forward along the sideline.
The opponent's defense on the wing left enough space and time for him to advance the attack towards the opponent's goal line.
When his teammate rushed into the penalty area, Elia made a cross, and the success of the play depended on whether his teammate could convert it into a goal.
Like Lucas, Elia is exhausted at this point and gasping for breath as he ran near the opponent's goal line.
Dortmund's full-back, Kirch, hurriedly rushed up, ready to intercept him.
Elia didn't have time to control the ball along the baseline, so he swept it and passed it towards the middle.
In his peripheral vision, he saw a teammate in a green jersey rushing forward.
Although he isn't sure if the ball would reach his teammate, he had no choice but to trust his teammate at this crucial moment!
De Bruyne is running desperately, his physical fitness reaching its limit. He felt his legs as if they were filled with lead, making each step excruciatingly difficult.
However, he refused to give up this attacking opportunity. Seeing the opponent's goal within reach, he gritted his teeth and charged forward with all his strength, receiving the pass from his teammate just before the defenders could intervene.
Dortmund's defenders in the back immediately closed in, having learned their lesson from Hummels foul in the penalty area.
Before De Bruyne could enter the penalty area, they fouled him just outside, strategically halting his progress.
This tactical foul earned a yellow card from the referee without hesitation. The referee gave the yellow card to Dortmund's defender and free-kick to Werder Bremen.
"Do you want me to take the free kick?" Fritz approached De Bruyne and asked, recognizing that De Bruyne is low on energy.
In this situation, taking a free kick would be challenging for De Bruyne to perform at his best.
"No, thank you, Captain. I'll handle it myself!" De Bruyne declined the captain's offer. He knew that this is the team's final attack, so he isn't in a rush to take the free kick.
After the opponent formed a wall and the referee blew the whistle to indicate that the free kick could be taken, De Bruyne started to retreat slowly.
During his retreat, he closed his eyes, contemplating how he would execute the free kick. Suddenly, he recalled the theoretical knowledge that Lucas had shared during their practice of the knuckleball.
Back then, understanding and executing it seemed challenging, but now, on the field, that knowledge came alive, appearing less daunting.
With determination, De Bruyne made a decision. He would attempt the most difficult version of the knuckleball.
On the bench, Lucas, who had been stretchered off and is receiving treatment from the team doctor, saw De Bruyne gradually moving away and a thought raced through his mind: Is this guy going to attempt a knuckleball?
Can he still strike an elevator ball at a speed exceeding 100 kilometers per hour in this state?
Lucas had doubts, finding De Bruyne's choice a bit audacious. He never thought of De Bruyne as such a character before.
Could it be because of me? Is he trying to seek revenge for me?
Uh... Is this guy seriously going to score the goal?
Lucas is about to express his doubts, but to his surprise, De Bruyne executed a high quality knuckleball.
The ball soared above the wall and flew high. Dortmund's goalkeeper, Langerak, judged that the ball would clear the goal and decided not to jump to save it. He didn't consider it a threat.
However, as the ball approached the crossbar and seemed destined for the stands, it suddenly dipped, clinging to the lower edge of the goal frame, and strangely found its way into the net.
Dortmund's goalkeeper is dumbfounded! This shot is unbelievable!
Did he just scored the goal?
Not only him, but all players on the field, including De Bruyne, are stunned by the outcome.
The difference is that after Dortmund's players regained their senses, they are disheartened, unable to accept this cruel result.
They had fought valiantly throughout the game, only to watch their opponents snatch the championship trophy right in front of them.
And in the aftermath, the Werder Bremen players, once they regained their composure, stormed towards De Bruyne, celebrating with him in wild jubilation.
Lucas, unable to contain his excitement, leaped from the bench, and joined his teammates on the field.
The referee, recognizing that the allotted two minutes of stoppage time had expired, decided against granting any further additional time.
Thus, he blew the whistle to signal the end of the game after the subsequent kick-off.
With a stunning comeback, Werder Bremen emerged as the champions of the 2012 Telekom Cup!
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