As both teams' players became increasingly agitated, the coaches couldn't stay calm.
Although Schaaf instructed his players to increase intensity and physicality, he didn't want them to behave recklessly and get booked!
Seeing some non-essential defensive actions resulting in unnecessary bookings left him speechless.
So, he gestured for the players to calm down.
On the other side, Klopp shouted at his players, urging them to play smarter and not fall for the opponents' traps.
Werder Bremen wasn't a direct competitor to Borussia Dortmund. Paying such a high price against such a team wasn't worth it for them!
On the bench, seeing players from both sides continuously getting booked, especially the Dortmund players, Lin Quan almost burst out laughing. Both Kehl and Kirch were defenders, so them receiving yellow cards was good news for him.
With those yellow cards, they would surely be cautious in defense in the second half, not daring to commit fouls easily.
This would allow him to break through more freely!
The first half quickly ended without Werder Bremen equalizing or Borussia Dortmund capitalizing on their lead. The score remained 1-0.
After the second half began, Werder Bremen made personnel adjustments.
Number 10, Lin Quan, came on, replacing Ignjovski who had been booked.
Seeing Lin Quan coming on, fans on online forums immediately became excited.
"He's on, finally!"
"This game isn't very exciting. If it weren't for those yellow cards in the first half, I would've switched off the livestream long ago!"
"Dortmund seems to be playing differently from last season. Did they change their tactics?"
"Hehe, with both sides committing crazy fouls in the first half, the game was stop-and-go. Dortmund couldn't unleash their fast-paced attack!"
"So, Schaaf seems to have some tricks up his sleeve, actually finding a way to limit Dortmund!"
"If it's not limited, why is the score 1-0? Dortmund is leading!"
"A small loss is a win. Conceding only one goal against Dortmund is not bad. Besides, Lin Quan hasn't even come on yet!"
Many fans pinned high hopes on Lin Quan, believing that with his skills, Werder Bremen could turn the score around in the second half. Some even thought Lin Quan could score a hat-trick!
This view naturally drew ridicule from Dortmund fans:
"Hehe, Dortmund isn't a pushover. Let him start first. A substitute dreaming of scoring three goals against Dortmund??"
Some mocked Lin Quan's substitute status.
"Mark my words, Klopp has already found a way to shut down Lin Quan. He won't score a single goal in this game!"
Others had high expectations for the magical Klopp.
Meanwhile, Dortmund's home fans booed Lin Quan as he was about to come on.
"The fans at Westfalen seem to recall the game 20 days ago. They're sending unprecedented boos to Lin Quan, who's about to come on!"
Seeing Dortmund's fans booing Lin Quan, Duan Xuan couldn't help but laugh and say, "The more the opponent values you, the more it reflects a player's strength and threat. Lin Quan scored a goal in the last game, caused a red card, and a penalty kick. He was a key figure in the team's comeback. It's understandable that Dortmund's fans are so wary of him!"
Tao Wei was looking forward to Lin Quan's performance after missing out on commentating the Telekom Cup. It was a bit regrettable for him. Who would have thought that a Chinese-descended kid would emerge so brilliantly in the Telekom Cup!
...
The fact proved that Dortmund's fans' anxiety was reasonable.
After Lin Quan came on, Werder Bremen's offensive threat immediately rose to a new level.
De Bruyne, who had struggled to find synergy with his teammates before, completely revitalized Werder Bremen's attacking line with a series of well-coordinated plays after Lin Quan came on.
Shortly after the start of the second half, Werder Bremen's right-wing attack was fully activated, forcing Dortmund to retract their defensive line and give up their left-wing attack to contain the opponent's offense.
In the 65th minute of the game, De Bruyne passed the ball to Lin Quan, who then dribbled forward.
After getting past Großkreutz, he faced Dortmund's midfielder Kehl.
Kehl had received a yellow card in the first half, which made him cautious in defense.
This significantly reduced his defensive ability, allowing Lin Quan to easily bypass him
Seeing his teammate being bypassed, Hummels and Schmelzer immediately double-teamed Lin Quan.
Both of them thought Lin Quan would make a forward breakthrough, but instead, he passed the ball back to De Bruyne.
De Bruyne shifted it to the left to Elia, who dribbled down the baseline and crossed the ball into Dortmund's penalty area.
Inside the box, Arnautovic couldn't reach the ball under the pressure of the defenders.
However, there was a lapse in Dortmund's defense at the far post, allowing the cleverly timed run of Lin Quan to find an opportunity. With a leap, he headed the ball into the net.
The score became 1-1, and Werder Bremen equalized 20 minutes into the second half!
Werder Bremen's attack flowed smoothly and effortlessly, leaving Schaaf, the coach on the sidelines, extremely excited. This was the attacking cooperation he had been dreaming of!
When he scored, Lin Quan was bewildered. He had originally planned to control the ball with his chest before taking a shot.
But seeing Schmelzer and Hummels charging towards him, he was worried that controlling the ball would give them time to disrupt the play.
So, he instinctively used his head to guide the ball, never expecting it to actually go in.
This was Lin Quan's first goal in the Bundesliga and his first headed goal in his professional career.
...
"We interrupt with a news flash: we have learned from the organizers of the Bundesliga that Lin Quan has already broken two records in this match.
He has broken the previous record held by Nuri Sahin for the youngest appearance in the Bundesliga at 16 years and 334 days, significantly reducing it to 16 years and 186 days.
In addition, the goal he scored also broke Nuri Sahin's record for the youngest goal in the Bundesliga.
Previously, Sahin set the record during the 2005 season when he scored against Dortmund at the age of 17 years and 82 days.
And now, Lin Quan has raised the bar to 16 years and 186 days. This record may remain unbroken for a long time to come!"
Duan Xuan was also excited today. Witnessing the birth of two records was rare for him, a seasoned Bundesliga commentator.
Tao Wei couldn't help but marvel. Players like Lin Quan couldn't be viewed with normal eyes.
Which normal player could break five records in a row?
Three records in the Telekom Cup, two records in the Bundesliga—breaking records seemed as easy for him as eating and drinking!
When Lin Quan scored and broke the records, Dortmund's big screen also displayed the relevant information.
The Yellow Wall fans were filled with mixed emotions upon seeing the birth of these records.
From the perspective of ordinary fans, they should naturally applaud a player who could achieve such feats.
But from the perspective of Dortmund fans, knowing that these records were set against their own team left them feeling as if they had swallowed a thousand flies—utterly disgusted!
Who would willingly let their team become the backdrop for the opponent's records?
Dortmund's fans were conflicted.
So, the atmosphere at the stadium fell silent, with no one booing Lin Quan.
But at this moment, among Dortmund's players, someone actually applauded Lin Quan.
As Reus returned to his own half, he saw the reminder on the big screen, paused for a moment, and then applauded Lin Quan.
The other Dortmund players hesitated for a moment, then looked towards their captain.
Hummels glanced at Reus, then at Lin Quan.
Although there was a bit of a grudge between them from their encounter in the Telekom Cup, as professional players, he didn't harbor resentment from those unpleasant experiences. He took the lead in applauding Lin Quan. Seeing the captain applauding, the other Dortmund players followed suit and applauded Lin Quan.
The audience in the stands also erupted into scattered applause.
Lin Quan was somewhat surprised. Seeing the opponent being so courteous, he felt it would be inappropriate to celebrate at their home ground.
So he gestured for calmness and then jogged over to Reus, giving him a warm hug.
"Thank you, Marco!"
"You're welcome. You earned it. But be careful next time, we won't let you score again!"
Reus hadn't forgotten that they were opponents now. While offering blessings, he also made his stance clear.
"Hehe, we'll see how your defense holds up!"
...
Lin Quan's record-breaking actions indeed stirred Dortmund.
After the game resumed, their defense against Lin Quan escalated, with a shadowing player almost constantly by his side.
Gündogan was originally Dortmund's midfield core, but in the second half, his main task was to mark Lin Quan.
With such tight marking, it became difficult for Lin Quan to receive the ball.
His teammates also hesitated to pass to him, causing Werder Bremen's front-line attack to slump.
On the other hand, without Gündogan's command and coordination in the second half, Dortmund's attack also faltered. Although they once besieged Werder Bremen's goal, they failed to change the score.
As time passed in the game, Klopp couldn't sit still.
He called for Götze to warm up, preparing to send him on.
(End of this chapter)