บท 138: All Eyes on Lin
In the 33rd round of the league, Werder Bremen won 2-1 against Eintracht Frankfurt, extending their winning streak in the league to 10 games.
This achievement also set a new record for the longest winning streak in the club's history.
Lin scored a goal in this match, bringing his total goals to 40, tying Gerd Müller's record for the most goals in a single Bundesliga season, set in the 1971-1972 season.
If Lin scores again in the next match against Nuremberg, he will break this record and etch his name in the Bundesliga record books!
Lately, Lin has been intentionally holding back his goal-scoring urge.
He wants to maintain his hunger for goals to perform better in the German Cup final and help the team win the championship.
Moreover, Schaaf often substitutes him early when the team is leading, allowing younger players like Füllkrug and Petersen to gain experience.
As a result, Lin has scored only 12 goals in the second half of the season.
If he had maintained his first-half scoring rate, he would have broken the Bundesliga goal record long ago.
However, what's meant to happen will happen. If he can break this record in his last home game for Werder Bremen, it will be the perfect parting gift for the fans.
---
Before the last round of the league, most of the Bundesliga outcomes were already decided.
Bayern had clinched the title two rounds early, and Fürth was relegated.
The last relegation spot would be decided between Hoffenheim and Düsseldorf.
Given that Hoffenheim was 2 points behind Düsseldorf and faced Dortmund in the last round, their chances of relegation were higher.
Surprisingly, Hoffenheim managed a 2-1 comeback win against Dortmund, while Düsseldorf lost 3-0 away to Hannover.
Despite having a significant advantage, Düsseldorf squandered it. They only needed a draw to stay up but failed miserably.
In contrast, Hoffenheim showed resilience and defeated Dortmund, creating a miracle.
It was quite dramatic. Even though the champion was decided early, the relegation battle kept the Bundesliga interesting.
However, Hoffenheim hasn't fully secured their spot yet. They still need to compete against the third-placed team from the second division to retain their Bundesliga status.
If they lose in the playoffs, they will still be relegated.
---
May 18th, 7:30 PM.
Weser Stadium was brightly lit.
This was the final match of the Bundesliga season and the last home game for Lin and De Bruyne at Weser Stadium.
For the Parrot Army fans, this was their last chance to see Lin and De Bruyne in Werder Bremen's green jerseys.
To witness their farewell and possibly see Lin break the record, fans had bought up all the tickets.
Even the usually expensive scalper tickets were sold out.
Besides Werder Bremen fans, journalists and scouts also flocked to Weser Stadium.
The 40-year-old Bundesliga goal record might be broken in this match.
Reporters were eager to witness this historic moment.
As for the scouts, they were there to assess players and potentially sign them during the summer transfer window.
Lin's contract with Barcelona was expiring, and they hadn't agreed on a renewal, making Lin a potential free agent.
A player of Lin's caliber becoming a free agent was highly attractive to top clubs.
Given Lin's age, signing him could secure a team's core for the next decade.
No major club wanted to miss this opportunity, so many representatives attended the match.
"Hehe, your son seems very popular!"
In a VIP box at Weser Stadium, Bayern's sporting director Matthias Sammer made a double-edged comment.
"Yes, many fans have come to support him!"
Guardiola seemed to miss the hidden meaning in Sammer's words. He glanced at the packed stadium, feeling a bit envious.
He never received such treatment when he played at Camp Nou.
Lin's popularity among fans was enviable!
Sammer was speechless. He was talking about the many representatives from other clubs, not the fans!
Lin had scored so many goals and won so many matches for Werder Bremen.
It was only natural for him to have such high popularity.
What's so surprising about that?
If Lin achieved the same success at Bayern, the Allianz Arena fans would also shower him with applause and cheers.
---
As the announcer introduced the players, the excitement in Weser Stadium grew.
After introducing the other players, the announcer passionately said:
"There is one player who, just after joining the team and donning Werder Bremen's green jersey, humiliated the Bundesliga giants with an incredible hat-trick in an away game!"
Hearing this, Sammer's expression turned sour.
The fans around the box laughed heartily, recalling that exhilarating victory over Bayern in the Telekom Cup.
"There is one player who often steps up when the team is in danger, helping them out of crises!"
The big screen started showing highlights of Lin, wearing the number 10 jersey, scoring goal after goal to save the team from precarious situations.
"This same player, in his first season with Werder Bremen, has scored 47 goals across all competitions!"
The big screen displayed a montage of Lin's goals in the Telekom Cup, German Cup, and the league.
Unknowingly, he had played 39 matches for Werder Bremen and scored 47 goals.
Both his total season goals and his average of 1.2 goals per game significantly broke the club's records.
Had he stayed longer, he would surely have broken Werder Bremen's all-time scoring records and become the club's top scorer.
"Loudly tell me, what is his name?"
The announcer raised his voice, asking the audience.
"Lin—Quan!"
Over 50,000 spectators shouted his name in unison.
Hearing his name, Lin waved to the fans and walked onto the field.
Honestly, he was a bit surprised to be introduced last and to receive solo applause and cheers from the fans.
He felt deeply moved and even more determined to gift the fans with a victory and a new record as a farewell present.
As Lin took to the field, the cheers grew louder, with over 50,000 fans giving him a standing ovation.
The fans sincerely thanked him for his contributions this season and wished him well in his future endeavors.
Nuremberg's players looked at Lin enviously. At just 17, he had achieved more than most of them could in a lifetime.
He might even break the single-season Bundesliga goal record in this match.
The difficulty of breaking this record was evident from the fact that it had stood for forty years without being challenged.
Gerd Müller set this record during his peak, the same year he scored 85 goals in a calendar year.
No one had come close to this record since then.
Now, in this match, this 17-year-old was poised to challenge it.
While others anticipated Lin breaking the record, Nuremberg's players didn't want to be the backdrop for his success!
So, they decided that losing the match was acceptable, but letting Lin score was not.
From the start, they adhered to this principle.
When other Werder Bremen players had the ball, they hardly faced any defense.
But the moment the ball reached Lin, two or three Nuremberg defenders would swarm him.
Their intention to prevent Lin from scoring was written all over their faces.
Seeing their tactic, Lin didn't force it.
He used their focus on him to run, pass, and pull defenders away, creating opportunities for his teammates.
Breaking the record was important, but winning the season's final game was more crucial.
If he broke the record but the team lost, the achievement would feel incomplete.
With Lin's help, in the 36th minute, De Bruyne capitalized on a great chance and scored, putting the team ahead 1-0.
The team thought Nuremberg would push hard to equalize, which would mean they'd focus more on attacking and less on defending Lin.
But surprisingly, Nuremberg didn't seem to care about winning.
Losing the match didn't matter much to them.
As long as they didn't suffer a heavy defeat, they were fine.
After all, it was the last game of the season, and their points secured their place in the league. A loss wouldn't hurt them.
Werder Bremen soon realized this.
Even though they tried to create chances for Lin to break the record after taking the lead, Nuremberg's defensive focus on Lin rendered their efforts futile.
Lin couldn't get the ball because he was constantly marked by two or three players, leaving him no chance to showcase his dribbling skills.
"Why can't Lin score today?"
"Yeah, the first half is almost over, and he hasn't had a single shot!"
The Werder Bremen fans grew anxious. While they cared about the game's outcome, they were more concerned about Lin breaking Gerd Müller's record.
But it didn't look like he had any chance to break it based on the current game.
"Nuremberg's defense is too focused on Lin. Wherever he goes, two or three defenders follow, making it impossible for him to get the ball."
"Seems like Nuremberg doesn't want to be part of Lin's record-breaking moment!"
The TV commentators joked about the situation:
"If it were me, I'd do the same.
If Lin broke the record against my team, Nuremberg would become infamous for it, and not in a good way."
While the commentators understood Nuremberg's tactics, the fans and journalists waiting for a big story couldn't accept it.
"Score one!"
"Score one!"
The fans started chanting.
At first, it was a small group, but more joined in, and soon the whole stadium was chanting.
The fans' demands added pressure on Lin, but N
uremberg's relentless defense left him without chances.
As Lin struggled, De Bruyne's earlier goal gave him an idea.
So, he shouted to his teammates:
"Forget about me. I'll draw their players to our half. Use the advantage of numbers to overwhelm them!
If I can't score today, let's at least give them a thrashing!"
Werder Bremen's players nodded. Nuremberg's unbalanced defense was clearly disrespecting them!
Even if they weren't as skilled as Lin, they weren't weak. Such defense tactics were insulting.
So, they changed their strategy, focusing on their own scoring opportunities instead of passing to Lin.
This change quickly paid off.
In the 43rd minute, Werder Bremen attacked from the left. De Bruyne delivered a perfect pass, and Petersen scored with a clever shot.
The score became 2-0!
Just as Lin had planned, he drew the defenders to his own half, creating space for Petersen's goal.
Despite hesitating, Nuremberg's players followed him.
Lin had shouted loud enough for them to hear his plan.
They understood his intentions but still didn't dare ease their marking on him.
The cost of this strategy was another goal conceded.
In the second half, Lin repeated his tactic, drawing defenders back as Werder Bremen attacked.
This time, Nuremberg's players hesitated longer.
But they quickly resumed their intense marking on Lin, giving him no room.
De Bruyne, observing while dribbling, would have passed to Lin if the marking had eased.
But it didn't, so he passed to another teammate.
In the 55th minute, Werder Bremen extended their lead.
Unchallenged, De Bruyne fired a high-quality long shot from outside the penalty area, scoring the third goal.
This goal weakened Nuremberg's resolve.
If someone had pressured De Bruyne, that goal might not have happened.
But with three players marking Lin near the halfway line, their defense was stretched thin.
Three players were marking Lin far from their goal while they were defending with just seven against ten.
As Werder Bremen attacked again, Lin repeated his decoy run, but Nuremberg didn't fall for it.
The markers on Lin dropped from three to one, with the other two staying near midfield.
Seeing this, De Bruyne and Lin exchanged a glance, knowing this was the chance to break the record!
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