บท 123: A True Man's Battle, Lewandowski, Don't Run Away!
"If only I hadn't been injured, then I could have helped the team on the field!"
Inside a residential home, a handsome blonde young man watched the live broadcast of the match on TV and sighed.
Seeing Lin running all over the field, Reus felt envious. Why is it that this guy always stays healthy, while I get injured four or five times in less than a season? There must be something wrong!
Despite Klopp's heart-to-heart talk with Götze in the locker room, and Götze's efforts in the second half to break out of the cage imposed on him, his efforts were largely ineffective. After most of the match, Werder Bremen's players had become even more proficient at this defensive tactic, and all of Götze's efforts seemed in vain.
Moreover, Lewandowski, due to his outstanding performance in the first half, also received special attention from Werder Bremen. Coach Schaaf brought on the young defender Pavlovic, whom they had purchased for a 'whopping' 650,000 euros during the winter break, to mark Lewandowski.
Pavlovic, tall and robust, though not very skilled, was very spirited. He had performed well against Bayern's Mandzukic at the Allianz Arena. Although his team had conceded five goals, he successfully contained Mandzukic, who did not score any of those goals, excluding Selassie's own goal.
Once on the field, Pavlovic immediately began a true man's battle with Lewandowski. Lewandowski found himself harassed every time he entered the penalty area. Fresh from the bench and full of energy, Pavlovic's tenacity meant he got knocked down but kept coming back, sticking to Lewandowski as if bewitched.
This frustrated Lewandowski immensely. Technically inferior, Pavlovic followed him everywhere, clung to him, and played a rough game without fouling. Lewandowski was infuriated, feeling choked by the relentless marking.
Götze was completely shut down, and Lewandowski was locked down by a tough man.
Dortmund's players tried hard to attack, but their efforts seemed more like noise than threat, with diminishing danger to Werder Bremen's goal.
It became clear even to the fans at Weser Stadium that Dortmund was out of options. This season, Dortmund's performance had not been as stellar as the last. They had lost four matches so far, including against underdogs like Hamburg and Wolfsburg, and strong teams like Schalke 04.
Their exceptional performance last season made them a prime target for study by other Bundesliga teams. Thus, this season, most teams played conservatively against Dortmund, with some even parking the bus, employing extreme defensive counterattacking strategies.
Faced with such tactics, it was very tough for Dortmund to win. A single conceded goal could lead to a loss.
In this match, Werder Bremen utilized tactics gleaned from teams that had previously defeated Dortmund, effectively countering Dortmund's strategies.
It appeared that Klopp's team had a long way to go if they wanted to become another powerhouse in the Bundesliga. They needed to diversify their tactical approaches instead of relying on a single successful strategy.
This season's Bayern was tough not only because of their deep bench but also because coach Heynckes tailored tactics to the specific qualities of his players, making it difficult for opponents to predict and counter Bayern's play.
At this point, however, Klopp was too concerned to think about tactics. He made a substitution, bringing on a forward and taking off a midfielder, in an attempt to bolster the attack.
Two goals down, only scoring could save the team. A single goal could reignite the team's morale.
With Dortmund's offensive capabilities, once their momentum was up, not even a three-goal deficit was daunting. A fired-up Dortmund was an unstoppable force on this planet!
Schieber was brought on in a crucial substitution in the 67th minute. His presence alleviated some pressure on Lewandowski, who found a fantastic opportunity to score in the 77th minute. Unfortunately, after being entangled by Pavlovic for much of the game, Lewandowski's condition was off, and his shot flew into the stands, causing an uproar among Dortmund fans.
Even Lewandowski himself was frustrated, unable to comprehend his miss. Klopp, ready to celebrate at the sight of the shot, froze as the ball sailed over, turning to punch the coach's bench roof in frustration.
The roof of the Weser Stadium's coaching bench was quite sturdy, taking the punch without issue, but Klopp's hand wasn't so lucky. Despite his attempt to conceal it by grabbing it with his other hand and maintaining a calm demeanor, his flushed face and the slight tremble of his hand betrayed his inner turmoil.
That punch must have hurt!
"The head coach of Dortmund, Klopp, seems quite
agitated, and the cameras caught him taking his frustration out on the roof of the substitute bench at Weser Stadium."
Taking advantage of the break in play, the commentators made light of the situation.
"Haha, the team is under pressure on the field, Klopp must be furious. But taking it out on the roof of Weser Stadium is hardly a wise choice. In this encounter, it looks like Klopp is completely outmatched with no hope of winning."
As time slowly passed, Dortmund's players grew increasingly impatient. In the 81st minute, as De Bruyne prepared to counterattack, Sahin, unable to steal the ball, pushed him in frustration. De Bruyne, about to turn and escape, was pushed down, sliding a long distance across the pitch.
Regretting his action as soon as he made it, Sahin became enraged upon seeing De Bruyne's 'exaggerated' fall, suspecting him of diving to draw a foul. Approaching to confront De Bruyne for his theatrical fall, Sahin pushed him down again just as he was getting up.
This incensed Werder Bremen's players. The typically reserved Hunt lunged with a kick aimed at Sahin's chest. Sahin dodged but still got clipped on the side, exaggerating his fall even more dramatically than De Bruyne.
Hunt's action drew the ire of Dortmund fans who quickly surrounded him, intent on attacking.
Werder Bremen's players wouldn't let their teammate be bullied, especially since the conflict was initiated by a Dortmund player.
They rushed to defend their teammate, and a large-scale scuffle broke out on the field, nearly escalating into a full-blown brawl.
The referee, about to show Sahin a yellow card, immediately pulled out the red card instead after seeing Hunt's kick, sending him off.
Werder Bremen's players protested this decision, upset that only Hunt was penalized and not any Dortmund players. The referee showed a yellow card to the protesting players, then produced another red card, heading towards the instigator of the conflict.
Sahin tried to explain, but the referee, face grim, ignored his pleas and showed him the red card, sending him off as well.
With each team down a midfielder, the number of players on the field dropped to 10 on both sides, but the situation didn't change much.
However, the conflict took about five minutes to settle, and by the time the referee restored order, the match was nearly over.
In the final minutes, Dortmund tried to attack, but Werder Bremen's united defense prevented any goals, forcing Dortmund to accept a defeat away from home.
At the final whistle, Weser Stadium erupted in joy. Numerous Werder Bremen fans cried with happiness; their team had advanced to the semifinals!
The opponents for the next match were also set; Werder Bremen would face Wolfsburg. If they could defeat Wolfsburg, they would reach the final for the first time in four years.
Their final opponents would be either Stuttgart or Freiburg.
Undoubtedly, this year presented Werder Bremen with the best chance to win the German Cup.
The traditional powerhouses of the Bundesliga had all been eliminated, and Werder Bremen stood as the strongest of the remaining four teams.
Immediately after the match, betting sites updated the odds for the German Cup—Werder Bremen topped the list with odds of 1.35!
After the match, reporters swarmed Lin for comments.
Having overcome the great challenge of Dortmund and advanced to the semifinals, Lin was in high spirits and agreed to the interview.
"Lin, how do you feel right now? Before this match, did you imagine you could defeat both Bayern Munich and Dortmund to reach the semifinals of the German Cup?"
Lin shook his head, smiling:
"To be honest, if someone had told us before these matches that we would face the two strongest teams in the Bundesliga, I doubt anyone would have believed we had a chance to win."
Surprised by his candid response, the reporters asked further:
"So, what do you think allowed Werder Bremen to overcome these giants and reach the semifinals?"
"It's definitely due to the entire team's thorough preparation, resilient fighting spirit, and teamwork—plus, a bit of luck," Lin replied.
The reporters laughed; the match against Dortmund was one thing, but their victory over Bayern was indeed lucky.
Seeing Lin attribute the success to the team rather than taking personal credit impressed the reporters.
"Lin, you're now in the semifinals, and the strongest opponents have been eliminated. Do you believe you can win the German Cup?"
"If I said we didn't have the confidence to win the cup, you'd definitely call me a hypocrite!"
Lin's statement made some reporters uneasy—they indeed had such thoughts.
"Yes, our goal is to reach the final and win the cup. It's not that we disrespect our opponents, but we have the heart of a champion,
and our desire for the cup is no less than anyone else's. Nobody should try to stop us!"
The reporters were astounded by Lin's declaration, a rare show of defiance from someone known for his modesty.
This was going to be explosive news!
The next morning, Lin saw the headlines in the newspaper at the breakfast table. Most of them were about the German Cup match:
"Declaration of Victory: Werder Bremen's Number 10 Vows to Bring the Cup Back to Bremen!"
"Lin: I'm Already Considering Our Opponents in the Final!"
"How Did Werder Bremen Eliminate Both Bayern and Dortmund? The Underdogs' Revolt?"
"Army Rising Strong, Can They Relive Their Glorious Days?"
"Is the Bundesliga Landscape Changing? What Does Werder Bremen's Rise Mean for Us?"
There was also extensive coverage of the less harmonious aspects of the match and Klopp's venting at Werder Bremen, which reporters used to craft headlines:
"Klopp Criticizes Werder Bremen's Rough Play, Suggests a Name Change to 'The Boxing Club!'"
"Dortmund to Appeal for Severe Punishment for Offending Players!"
"From Soccer Match to Boxing Ring: Werder Bremen and Dortmund Nearly Come to Blows!"
One particular report made Lin uncomfortable, as the journalists had placed him at the center of an unflattering photo, making him look like a bully on the field.
Seeing the picture, Lin felt more wronged than Dou E, a famous Chinese character known for her tragic story of injustice.
"I was trying to break up the fight, not start one!"
Okay, I really wanted to give Sahin a thrashing to defend De Bruyne.
But after Hunt kicked him down, Sahin just rolled around on the ground, denying me a chance to intervene.
And you took a picture of me looking fierce while I was just trying to calm things down?
Such malice!
But I have to admit, the photo does look quite imposing!
In the photo, Lin protected De Bruyne behind him, glaring fiercely at the Dortmund players who were causing trouble, like a hen guarding her chicks!
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