Chapter 319: Free Kick Goal, A Hat-trick in the World Cup Final!
Lin Quan's goal was a heavy blow to the German team's morale. Following that goal, Bosque made Spain's first substitution of the match. He replaced the veteran Xavi with the 22-year-old Koke to increase the midfield's robustness and further contain Germany's counterattacks. This adjustment proved effective, and after the game restarted, Germany found themselves at a disadvantage in midfield, their players increasingly anxious. Their attacks were no longer calm or patient, leading to a very disorganized offensive effort that failed to penetrate Spain's defense or pose any serious threat. Their anxiety also led to defensive errors and yellow cards.
In the 63rd minute, Schürrle, unable to stop Lin Quan, committed a foul from behind and received a yellow card from the referee, Rizzoli. Two minutes later, Müller also received a yellow card for a tackle on Xavi Alonso. The German players' mindset, combined with the scoreline, left the German fans feeling extremely restless, almost foreseeing the inevitable defeat if the team continued in this manner.
Seeing this, Klose, the team's oldest and most experienced player, stepped up. During a break in play, he calmed his visibly distressed teammates by reminding them of West Germany's miraculous comeback in a World Cup final, encouraging them to keep hope alive. "We've made miracles happen on this stage before, we've been at our lowest, but we're on the path to revival. Being two goals down is nothing; just be patient, we still have time!" Klose's words seemed to have a magical effect, calming the team and reigniting their hope.
As play resumed, the Spanish players noticed a sudden increase in the Germans' determination. Their challenges became more aggressive, even frantic, risking possession with every slight delay in passing. The German players also used their physical advantage to engage in body challenges, making it very uncomfortable for the Spanish players and leading to mistakes.
In the 71st minute, a passing error in the Spanish defense allowed Müller to intercept and pass the ball to Özil at the edge of the box. Under pressure from Spanish defenders and just before falling, Özil managed to pass the ball into the box. Klose received the ball with his back to goal, closely marked by Ramos, unable to turn. He passed it back to Kroos, who took a shot that deflected off a defender's leg. Casillas was wrong-footed and could only parry the ball away, not secure it.
Klose was there for the rebound, using his body to block the ball into the net. 2-1! Germany pulled a goal back, adding suspense to the match! Immediately after scoring, Klose didn't waste a second. He grabbed the ball and ran back to the center circle, urging his teammates to quickly reset and restart the game. With Germany still behind, there was no time to waste celebrating. They needed to continue the attack and try to equalize. Now was not the time for celebrations.
"Beautifully done!" Merkel, visibly excited, stood and clapped vigorously. The Spanish Prime Minister's mouth twitched slightly; was there a need to be so excited over just one goal? The score was still in Spain's favor. Despite this, he couldn't help feeling a bit uneasy: Hold on, Spanish boys! Just 20 more minutes, and the championship is ours!
"Keep it up, just like that!" On the sidelines, Löw saw Klose's goal and clenched his fist, waving it forcefully. The timing was perfect—there were still about 20 minutes left in the match, maybe 25 with added time. That was enough time for another goal. Löw was confident in his team; if they could maintain their morale, scoring was not an issue. They had shown this capability in their previous game against Brazil.
As predicted by Löw, the German team's morale surged after pulling back a goal. They played as if energized, launching a fierce attack on Spain. In the 73rd minute, Müller received a pass from Kroos and delivered a cross from the left side of the box. Klose, a bit slow due to fatigue, couldn't reach the ball in time for a tap-in. Two minutes later, during a corner kick opportunity, Kroos' corner found Höwedes, whose header hit the post and went out. This series of attacks had Spanish fans on edge, feeling breathless as they watched the headers flying toward their goal. Thankfully, the post came to the rescue at the last moment, preventing an equalizer.
At this moment, Spanish fans could empathize with Brazilian fans from a previous match—watching Germany in full attack mode was truly terrifying.
"Hold on!" "Just a few more minutes, and victory is ours!" Spanish fans couldn't help but pray internally, wishing for a time accelerator to speed through the final agonizing minutes.
On the sidelines, Bosque realized the situation was unfavorable for Spain, so he quickly made a substitution. He replaced the tiring Xavi Alonso with Martínez, a like-for-like replacement. Martínez, with his fresh legs and extensive reach, joined Koke to form a solid barrier, effectively protecting Spain's defensive line. This substitution immediately impacted the game, effectively stopping Germany's attacks from the midfield.
Germany also made a personnel change; Löw substituted the tired Klose for the younger Götze. Götze's entry changed Germany's formation to a false nine, perplexing some fans who felt Germany was now playing more like Spain than Spain itself.
As Klose made his way off the field, exchanging a high five and hug with Götze, he turned and clapped to the fans, acknowledging what was likely his final World Cup appearance. At 36, it was unlikely he would play in another World Cup. Since his debut in 2002, Klose had participated in four World Cups, scoring a record 17 goals in total. From a stunning hat-trick in his World Cup debut to a crucial goal in his final match, Klose had consistently proved his knack for scoring in key games.
Now, as the old guard passed the torch, it was up to a new generation to carry on. Whether they could match the achievements of players like Klose remained to be seen.
Götze's entry did not change the difficult situation in midfield, where Koke and Martínez continued to dominate. Forced to keep attacking from the wings, Germany tried again in the 76th minute with Schürrle crossing from the left, but Müller and Götze both missed the ball.
Spain quickly countered, with Lin Quan charging towards the German half. With most German players having pushed forward, their defense was exposed, giving Lin Quan a significant amount of space to accelerate towards the goal.
As the match approached the 80th minute and Lin Quan surged forward, German fans were stunned. Was this man made of iron? Did he never tire? While other players showed signs of fatigue, Lin Quan seemed untiring, like a tireless monster still full of energy after a long and intense game.
This sight instinctively filled German fans with fear; their goal had already been breached twice, could it happen again?
As Lin Quan sped forward, Diego Costa smartly moved to his flank to distract the defenders and provide cover. Simultaneously, players like David Silva and Koke also sprinted forward, intensifying Spain's attack.
Boateng and Hummels exchanged glances, knowing they couldn't delay any longer. Hummels decided to commit a tactical foul to stop the Spanish counter. At this point, even a yellow card was a better outcome than allowing a breakthrough.
Lin Quan saw through their intentions and passed the ball to Diego Costa before making a decisive run forward. Costa faced Boateng, and knowing each other's strengths from previous encounters, chose not to attempt a dribble but instead played a one-two with Lin Quan, returning the ball to him.
Hummels, slower and more fatigued, couldn't turn as quickly as Lin Quan. By the time Lin Quan received the ball back, he had already outpaced Hummels, who, in desperation, tripped Lin Quan from behind.
The referee immediately blew his whistle, running over with a stern expression and showed Hummels a yellow card. The Spanish players protested, arguing for a red card since Lin Quan was about to be through on goal, which likely would have resulted in a score. They felt that Hummels' foul from behind to prevent a clear goal-scoring opportunity warranted a red card.
The referee, however, stood firm, warning the Spanish players to back off or face their own cards. Seeing the referee's resolute stance, the Spanish players relented. They had crowded around the referee partly to advocate for their teammate and partly to waste time.
They also hoped to pressure the referee, making him question or even regret his decision, potentially biasing future calls in Spain's favor. This tactic, often used by Barcelona players, was effective in club competitions, so the Spanish national team adopted it. However, World Cup referees, typically top officials from various countries, were more confident in their decisions and backed by FIFA, making them less susceptible to player influence.
While Lin Quan wasn't one to engage in deceitful tactics, he didn't mind using the free kick opportunity to delay the game. With Spain's squad aging and only three substitutions available, every minute was precious.
"Should I take it, or will you?" With both Xavis resting, Spain's free kick options were limited. Iniesta and David Silva discussed the situation with Lin Quan.
Lin Quan assessed the goal from about 35 meters out—a good position for a direct shot. "I'll take it. Just provide a distraction, and I'll try to shoot directly."
The teammates nodded, spreading out to draw the defenders' attention away from the direct shot. However, the Germans weren't fooled twice; they ignored the decoys and concentrated on defending against potential headers from players like Ramos and Piqué.
Ramos, remembering Lin Quan's promise, was particularly active, anticipating a pass that would allow him to score. The Germans, wary of Ramos' heading ability, tightened their defense against him, even drawing Neuer's focus.
Ramos appreciated Lin Quan's strategy, giving a thumbs-up for the distraction. Lin Quan stepped back, took a deep breath, and signaled his teammates to get ready.
Seeing the signal, Ramos was overjoyed, believing the ball would come to him. He increased his activity, drawing even more attention.
At that moment, Lin Quan charged the ball and, under the gaze of a billion viewers, kicked it powerfully toward the box. The ball sailed in a beautiful arc, clearing the wall and dropping towards the goal.
The German players realized too late that it wasn't a cross but a direct shot. Neuer, eyes wide, focused intensely. Though distracted by Ramos, he was most cautious of Lin Quan, having been beaten by his free kicks before.
With only a moment to react and decide, Neuer chose to guard the right side of the goal, anticipating a curve like the one that had beaten him before at Camp Nou. However, the ball didn't swerve as expected but instead dropped sharply, brushing the crossbar and plunging into the net—an elevator shot.
After a brief silence, the stadium erupted in deafening noise. Spanish fans worldwide went wild as Lin Quan scored his third goal of the match with a free kick, completing an unbelievable hat-trick in the World Cup final.
The score was now 3-1. Germany's brief comeback was quashed, and the gap was widened once again.
(End of Chapter)