Capítulo 62: Penalty Shootout
After the conclusion of the fourth round of league matches, it was time for the German Cup games as scheduled.
Werder Bremen faced their first opponent in the German Cup, a team from the third division - Münster.
With a Bundesliga match against Freiburg just two days later, the team needed to save energy and avoid injuries.
In the match against Münster, Coach Schaaf extensively used substitutes and young players to preserve the energy of key players like De Bruyne, Lin, and Fritz, some of whom were on the bench, while others didn't even make the squad list.
Initially, they thought the opponent, being a third-tier league team, wouldn't pose much of a threat.
The match seemed to confirm this when the recovered Elia scored in the 45th minute of the first half.
However, the tide turned in the second half.
Münster's forward, Taylor, scored in the 54th and 81st minutes, turning the game around and pushing Werder Bremen to the edge.
Fortunately, Werder Bremen's young striker, Füllkrug, stood up and scored in the 85th minute, leveling the score.
At this point, Coach Schaaf hesitated. With little time left in the match, should he bring on Lin and De Bruyne to push for a late goal and try to win?
After some thought, he decided to wait and see, as the performance of the young players on the field in the final stages satisfied him.
Moreover, according to the rules, a draw would lead to extra time.
Extra time allowed for 30 minutes, enough time for adjustments through substitutions.
Eventually, the regulation 90 minutes ended with no change in the score, leading to extra time.
In extra time, Münster suddenly launched a fast break and again changed the score in the 96th minute, putting Werder Bremen behind again!
Unable to watch anymore, Coach Schaaf called Lin and De Bruyne, among others, to warm up and prepare to enter.
However, an unexpected event occurred at this moment.
Werder Bremen, eager to equalize, was mistakenly caught on the counter-attack by the opponents.
Seeing Taylor, the opponent's forward, speeding into their half with the ball, Papastasopoulos had to foul him to stop the attack, resulting in a red card.
Now Werder Bremen not only trailed by a goal but was also down to ten men.
Coach Schaaf was frustrated, sensing that the team might lose.
In response, he decided to bring on Lin and De Bruyne.
Seeing two key players coming on at once, Münster knew they were in for a tough fight.
They immediately tightened their defense, continuing their defense-oriented counter-attack strategy.
As they had played in the first half and scored two goals using this method, now leading, they felt that dealing with the opponent's frantic attacks would work in their favor.
Surprised by the opponent's defensive stance, Lin wondered:
"The roles are usually reversed when facing strong Bundesliga teams. It's unexpected that someone would use defensive tactics against us someday."
Breaking through the dense defense wasn't easy. After the substitutions, Werder Bremen's players actively engaged in passing and moving in the attacking third.
However, with many opponents in and around the penalty area, their passes were easily intercepted.
Even if the ball got through, there was little space for dribbling or shooting under tight marking.
Lin changed his strategy, trying to force fouls to win free-kick opportunities for the team.
But even this tactic seemed less effective. De Bruyne and his own free-kicks were either blocked by the wall or saved by the goalkeeper.
As time ticked away, and the team still trailed, Werder Bremen's players grew restless.
Münster's home fans were already prepared to celebrate, waiting for the final whistle by the referee.
In the 118th minute, Lin received the ball outside the penalty area. After drawing defenders towards him, he passed to De Bruyne on the left side. De Bruyne crossed the ball into the box, causing chaos in the penalty area.
Players from both sides struggled to get a touch as the ball bounced around, until, unexpectedly, it was kicked into the net!
After De Bruyne's equalizing goal, extra time ended with a 3-3 scoreline, leading to the final phase of the penalty shootout.
For Lin, it was his first time participating in a penalty shootout, feeling a mix of novelty and nervousness.
After deciding the order, the penalty shootout officially began.
Captain Fritz took the first penalty, a reliable kicker with outstanding skills and composure.
His successful penalty calmed the team and eased the tension for the following players.
The opponent also scored in their turn.
In the second round, De Bruyne stepped up. He shot powerfully into the bottom left corner, beyond the goalkeeper's reach.
It was Münster's player's turn for the penalty. Seeing Mielitz's determined look, he subconsciously felt a little intimidated. In addition, with the opponent equalizing in the last minute of extra time, he felt unsure about the consequences of missing the penalty before even taking it.
Mielitz noticed the opponent's hesitation and fear immediately. So, he adopted a confident posture, waving his arms and glaring at the opponent.
The referee reminded Münster's player to take the penalty quickly, further increasing his nervousness. He hurriedly took the shot, aiming for the lower right corner, but Mielitz had guessed the direction right and made the save!
This successful save boosted Werder Bremen's morale. Subsequently, the third and fourth players also successfully scored their penalties.
The players from Münster withstood the pressure and didn't concede any further goals, resulting in a 4-3 score in the penalty shootout.
The fifth player to take the penalty was Lin. If he scored, Werder Bremen would directly win the penalty shootout.
"Come on!"
"Don't be nervous!"
Teammates ran over to hug and comfort him one after another to ease his nerves. Despite not feeling nervous initially, Lin felt a bit anxious after their embrace.
He nodded firmly, placed the ball on the penalty spot, took a few steps back, and looked at the goalkeeper.
After the referee signaled for the penalty, he quickly gained momentum. The goalkeeper nervously watched his moves to predict the direction of his shot.
However, just as he was about to reach the ball, Lin suddenly slowed down. The goalkeeper thought he would use his right foot to aim for the left side of the goal, but Lin's change in rhythm threw him off. He used his left foot to gently roll the ball to the right side of the goal at a moderate pace.
Although the goalkeeper immediately adjusted, the ball had already rolled into the net by the time he dived to save it.
This move, borrowed from Messi's penalty in the 2022 World Cup final shootout against French goalkeeper Lloris, turned out to be quite effective for Lin.
In the end, Werder Bremen secured a hard-earned victory over a third-division team in a penalty shootout on the road.
They nearly faltered!
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