At Westfalenstadion, the young Chinese player was being celebrated by his teammates, who surrounded him at the centre. Yellow banners waved from all four sides of the stands, and a surging yellow tide formed an overwhelming tsunami, almost engulfing Manchester United's players on the pitch.
A song, starting from the south stand and gradually spreading across the entire stadium, echoed in the sky. The entire stadium formed an excellent surround sound system. The fans' singing was clearly audible.
"He is the magician from the East, he is the saviour in the yellow and black light!"
"His first touch and evasion are like a tango, and his nutmeg on the byline is a deadly poison!"
"A tornado destroys the opponent's defence—"
"Jin Hayes! Jin Hayes!"
"Westfalen crowns you!"
Cristiano Ronaldo blew the bangs from his forehead, stood at the centre circle, and watched everything before him with his hands on his hips.
Annoyed. Very annoyed. Extremely annoyed.
Manchester United conceding a goal was nothing, but the scorer was that Chinese kid. The most crucial thing was that the way he scored the free kick was clearly something he learned from him.
I was the first to use this move! Damn it!
"Ronaldo, how do you feel? That kid scored in your style—honestly, it was a beautiful shot."
"Piss off, puta! Get lost, get lost, get lost!"
Rooney wasn't angry after being cursed at by Cristiano Ronaldo. He even wanted to mock Cristiano Ronaldo a bit, but he was afraid of being caught smiling by the cameras and causing news after the match, leading to an angry hairdryer treatment from the old man.
"What do you say? Ready to enter beast mode?"
"Of course, remember to pass me the ball."
"Bro? Do you really think of yourself as the King of Manchester United?"
"Am I not?"
"You wanker! Suck my balls!"
Rooney unhappily spat on the grass nearby and secretly gave Cristiano Ronaldo an internationally recognised friendly gesture.
"If I pass you the ball again, I'm a dog."
*Yes, very cringey.... But I'm not good at insults lol.
"Brother, you're the best."
After a short verbal spar with Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo's frustration eased slightly, and he smiled, giving him a thumbs-up.
"What a scoundrel." Rooney spread his hands helplessly.
Banter aside, he still had to pass the ball once the match started. In Sir Alex Ferguson's tactical system, Cristiano Ronaldo was the attacking core in the front, the team's primary finisher, and the entire team had to play around him. If both had a 50% chance of scoring, Rooney needed to prioritise passing to Cristiano Ronaldo. Only if Rooney's own position was exceptionally good would he choose to shoot himself.
Rooney found it hard to imagine Manchester United ever lacking goal-scoring forwards. Now, wearing the Red Devils' number 10 jersey, Rooney prided himself on being a goal-scoring machine, fully capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of scoring. The proud and arrogant Rooney was still somewhat unconvinced.
To win, and to strictly execute Ferguson's tactics, Rooney willingly sacrificed his chance to shine, giving all the limelight to this scoundrel. However, this show-off was leaving in the summer, and he would have plenty of opportunities to be Manchester United's sole spearhead in the future. Since he wanted to hog the limelight, then let him have it before he left, and let's try to win a championship together.
Cristiano Ronaldo had already scored two goals, and only needed one more to complete a hat-trick. As the Borussia Dortmund players finished celebrating and returned to the field, Rooney, standing at the centre circle, was already contemplating his goal-scoring strategy. At the same time, Cristiano Ronaldo, with the ball at his feet, stared intently at the Chinese teenager 9.15 metres away, his gaze like a torch.
Kid! I remember you! Today, I'll show you what a true world-class superstar is! I admit you have some skill, but compared to me, you're still far behind!
1-2.
The first half had already entered the 40th minute, with a maximum of 6 minutes left until halftime. Jin Hayes had decided to strike while the iron was hot, attempting to use the surging morale to once again fiercely attack Manchester United's penalty area, aiming to equalise before halftime. However, he noticed that Cristiano Ronaldo, not far away, seemed to be staring at him.
Is there something on me?
Jin Hayes looked down but found nothing amiss. Why was Cristiano Ronaldo staring at him? Was it because of the free kick just now?
Jin Hayes did not avoid his gaze, instead meeting Cristiano Ronaldo's eyes directly. On the battlefield, courage is the most important thing. Absolutely no backing down.
What if you're a Ballon d'Or winner? What if you're a Champions League champion? I play against the elite.
"Uh—"
The two stared at each other for a moment, and Cristiano Ronaldo suddenly realised that this teenager seemed to have a strong competitive spirit, his fierce gaze full of aggression. Cristiano Ronaldo was the first to break, shifting his gaze, and losing the invisible battle of wills between them.
"Childish."
Cristiano Ronaldo muttered in a low voice, just as the referee blew his whistle. He nudged the ball to Rooney and quickly charged forward, ready to completely destroy this overconfident kid with an actual goal.
...
Wow!
The moment the whistle blew, Nuri Şahin could no longer hold on, his legs giving out as he collapsed to the ground. Jin Hayes looked at him, utterly bewildered. "Dude? It's only been half a match, it can't be that bad, right?"
"Don't mind me, just let me sleep here for a bit."
Şahin was too exhausted to move.
"Guys, it looks like he's done for. Let's carry him back to the locker room together."
"Alright!"
Mats Hummels leaned over, staring at Şahin, his face full of mischievous smiles.
"No, I'll do it myself!"
Şahin reluctantly got up and walked with his teammates toward the locker room.
...
The first half ended at 45+1 minutes, with Borussia Dortmund temporarily trailing Manchester United 1-2. In the final few minutes, Jin Hayes had still planned to equalise. But Manchester United's pressure was too great, and the entire team had to drop deep and defend. High pressing was impossible; the players lacked the physical stamina, making it difficult to form a tight encirclement.
Furthermore, Manchester United's midfield passing was too incisive; a simple through ball, and Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Nani were all excellent at breaking through. Their individual combat ability was extremely strong. Leaving large spaces in the back for them was too dangerous.
Jin Hayes's free kick had angered the Premier League hegemon, Manchester United, and they launched a furious onslaught in the final stages. Cristiano Ronaldo had 3 consecutive scoring opportunities, 2 headers and 1 long-range shot, all nearly resulting in goals. Fortunately, goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller and the goalpost worked in perfect harmony, repeatedly keeping Cristiano Ronaldo's shots out, giving Borussia Dortmund a glimmer of hope for an equaliser.
However, the Borussia Dortmund players were like the defenders of a besieged fortress. Just as they were about to be overwhelmed by the relentless assault, the referee, like a saving force, ended the half with his whistle. Nuri Şahin almost knelt before the referee at that moment.
"The first half was like this, how are we going to play the second half?" Şahin had to both defend and push forward to attack, and his stamina was already completely depleted.
"Let's go back and rest first. We'll worry about the second half in the second half." Jin Hayes was also physically and mentally exhausted. However, after these 45 minutes, his confidence had greatly increased. Even gods have weaknesses; Manchester United was not invincible.
Before the match, from the media to the fans, everyone overwhelmingly predicted that Manchester United would beat Borussia Dortmund in both legs. Jin Hayes was determined to prove that Manchester United could be defeated.
...
"The first half is about to enter injury time, and Manchester United is launching an all-out attack. Borussia Dortmund is pinned in their penalty area and can't get out."
"Carrick controls the ball on the outside, passes to Fletcher, then to Ryan Giggs."
"Veteran Ryan Giggs tries to break through, but can't get past Dedê——Beautiful!! A one-two with Rooney!"
"Ryan Giggs bursts into the box! A chipped pass!!"
"Cristiano Ronaldo—"
He Wei's heart skipped a beat, and his volume instantly soared. Fans in front of their televisions all flinched in fright.
Manchester United's continuous siege in the last 5 minutes was simply suffocating. The Red Devils' domain unfolded, and the Champions League champions, the holders of the throne, showed the whole world what a powerhouse and a championship squad truly meant.
Cristiano Ronaldo was firing on all cylinders, his repeated shots almost going in. This time, he was lurking in an extremely dangerous position. Manchester United's continuous passing had thrown Borussia Dortmund's penalty area into disarray. Darren Fletcher's forward run drew away centre-back Mats Hummels. Cristiano Ronaldo, outside the penalty area line, suddenly burst forward, and facing Giggs's chipped pass, he rose like a phoenix from the ashes, descending like a divine soldier.
"It's over————"
"Oh no!"
1-3?
Manchester United was about to extend their lead, achieving a dream start with three away goals. All Borussia Dortmund fans felt their hearts sink by half at this moment.
I must score!! I am the best in the world!!
Cristiano Ronaldo gritted his teeth, powerfully heading the ball in the air. With a belly full of fighting spirit, he unleashed a deadly blow with immense force.
No! Absolutely not allowed!
Jin Hayes had burned himself out to pull one goal back, and his teammates had exhausted their stamina to prevent Manchester United from succeeding.
How could I surrender? I will defend this stadium! I will preserve a glimmer of hope for the entire team!!
In desperation, goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller's inner flame suddenly erupted. Infinite power in his legs allowed him to leap into the air, almost springing up with impossible speed, and just before the ball crossed the goal line, he forcefully blocked it.
"Weidenfeller!! A world-class save!!" The fans, who almost had a heart attack, were brought back to life again.
"OHHHHH—"
"Bravo!!"
The entire stadium erupted. Everyone in the stands rose to their feet, cheering wildly for Weidenfeller. Hummels, however, didn't stop to celebrate, quickly clearing the ball out of the penalty area with nimble feet.
Nuri Şahin's lungs felt like they were bursting, but he still gritted his teeth and charged towards the second ball.
"It's not over yet!! We can still counterattack!!"
He looked back at Jin Hayes and Mario Götze in the front, then chested the ball down. Facing Carrick's pressing, Şahin recalled the clever trick Jin Hayes taught him: he flicked the ball with his toe to the left, suddenly hooked it back in mid-air, then dribbled it through Carrick's legs to complete the breakthrough.
"Şahin!! Borussia Dortmund still has a counterattack!" In the final minute of injury time, Şahin, having gotten past Carrick, disregarded everything and unleashed a long pass.
"Go!!! Jin!!!"
The ball transformed into a cruise missile, accurately finding Jin Hayes's head. Nemanja Vidić, the strong Serbian central defender, was like an iron tower, constantly trying to use his body to jostle Jin Hayes and push him out of position. Normally, an average player would have been pushed aside, and those with weaker physiques might even be knocked flying. But the 16-year-old kid beside him was a monster. Vidić couldn't budge him.
"How could this be!" Vidić looked at Jin Hayes with a surprised expression. It was at this moment that Jin Hayes glanced back at the incoming ball, without any fancy or unnecessary touches. He simply gave a light tap with his toe before the ball landed, nutmegging Vidić and slipping past him.
"Damn it!!"
Vidić was caught off guard, and Jin Hayes slipped past him like an eel. By then, he had already entered the penalty area, and it was too late to foul him.
At such a crucial moment, Jin Hayes instinctively wanted to continue dribbling past Edwin van der Sar and score into an empty net in his most familiar way, but the 'Perfect Free Kick' in the first half had consumed too much mental energy. After getting past Vidić, Jin Hayes was already feeling a bit dizzy and disoriented, causing him to dribble purely on instinct, making it difficult to concentrate on an extreme dribbling move.
"Damn it!"
He caught a glimpse to his left, where Götze was simultaneously making a run.
If you are truly the key player who scored/will score the winning goal in the World Cup final, then it's up to you! Götze!
As Van der Sar rushed out, Jin Hayes had already swept the ball across to the other side with one kick.
"Hey, hey, hey! Götze!!"
Two 16-year-old players, making their Champions League knockout debut, reaching the quarter-finals for the first time against the formidable Manchester United. In the dying seconds of first-half stoppage time, these two rising stars joined forces for a powerful strike, aimed straight at Manchester United's heart. As Götze twisted his body, pushing the ball towards the goal with the inside of his right foot, time seemed to stand still at that moment.
…
In the second half, as the Manchester United players walked onto the field, there was no change on the massive scoreboard.
BVB 1-2 MUN
2' ——— C. Ronaldo
25' ——— C. Ronaldo
39' ——— Jin Hayes
Every Manchester United player looked grim, as if they had just been battered by a storm. Especially Cristiano Ronaldo, his face was visibly dark.
"You got yelled at, didn't you? Wasting so many chances."
"Get lost, I'm annoyed."
"I finally found some space, I could have shot myself, but you had to raise your hand and ask for the ball. And then you couldn't even score—"
"Shut up! Wayne, just you wait, see how I score in the second half!"
Rooney glared at the Portuguese man, who was on the verge of exploding, felt that the tension was high enough, and simply shut up. If he added more fuel to the fire, the guy would completely explode, and the effect would be counterproductive.
It had to be admitted that Borussia Dortmund's fighting spirit was incredibly resilient. Their two goals in the first half were purely due to exploiting their opponents' lack of big-game experience.
After the kid scored with a free-kick, and the team's morale soared, Borussia Dortmund's defence became a major headache for Manchester United. Rooney tried his best but couldn't help Manchester United score. Even before halftime, Borussia Dortmund launched a brilliant counter-attack.
Nuri Şahin sent a long pass to the front, and the kid controlled and dribbled past. Such a long pass, yet he handled it with ease, a light touch with his toe at the moment of stopping the ball, nutmegging Nemanja Vidić as he went around him, breaking into the box and crossing to the other side.
Mario Götze also charged up, and a push-shot almost went in. Fortunately, the goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar remained calm in a desperate situation, accurately judging Jin Hayes's passing intention, moving quickly to the weak side and diving to save, tipping the ball out for a corner with his fingertips from an extreme distance.
Borussia Dortmund's near-certain goal opportunity left everyone at Manchester United with lingering fear. Just now in the dressing room, Sir Alex Ferguson's hairdryer treatment made a reappearance; Wayne Rooney had rarely seen the old man so furious this season.
Manchester United was leading away from home, yet the Sir still berated them mercilessly. They had to show Manchester United's true strength in the second half. Rooney was ready, giving his all to thoroughly defeat this tricky opponent.
Standing on the centre circle, waiting for Borussia Dortmund to kick off, the two 16-year-old youngsters in front of him, who missed a certain goal in first-half stoppage time, must be feeling terrible, right? What a pity, both of them performed very well, just a bit unlucky.
Rooney felt a little sorry for them.
...
"Mario."
"Huh?"
"Don't be discouraged, let's go again, we can win!"
"Okay!"
Standing in front of the centre circle, Götze's eyes were slightly unfocused. He was still immersed in the regret of missing a golden opportunity in the first half, but was interrupted by Jin Hayes. The 16-year-old German quickly patted his face to wake himself up. That's right! Just as Jin said—let's go again.
Beep!
The second half kicked off. Jin Hayes swept the ball with the inside of his foot to Alexander Frei, then quickly turned and charged forward. Götze, who missed a crucial goal in the final moments of the first half, gritted his teeth and charged forward, his youthful face filled with determination. Jakub Błaszczykowski, the Polish winger known for his speed, had been unable to make an impact in the first half. Now, his eyes also gleamed with intensity. He sprinted at full speed.
The moment the second half kicked off, Borussia Dortmund's youth storm erupted unexpectedly. The black and yellow tornado swept towards the Red Devils.
"Oh no!!"
Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, and Darren Fletcher all pressed forward simultaneously, intending to stop Şahin immediately. But Şahin was a madman. He didn't stop the ball, didn't observe, and simply launched a long pass directly to the front.
"I'll take it!!"
Facing the incoming ball, Vidić roared. He was tricked by the kid in the first half, almost causing a major mistake, and was scolded mercilessly in the dressing room. This time, he vowed to stop that guy no matter what.
As the long pass was about to reach the edge of the box, Vidić and Jin Hayes both jumped to contest the header. A frontal interception was the advantage of a centre-back; a forward usually had no reason to win the ball over a centre-back's head. But today, Vidić encountered no ordinary player.
[Jump Enhancement]!
Infinite energy gathered in his legs, his knees slightly bent, coiling on the grass. Then, Jin Hayes suddenly sprang up with immense power, as if equipped with rocket boosters, shooting up above Vidić's head.
"Man!! WTF?!"
Vidić, in mid-air, looked at Jin Hayes, who was half a head taller than him, his eyes already questioning reality.
"Jakub Błaszczykowski!!"
Jin Hayes lightly headed the ball towards the sideline, and the black and yellow figure turned into a gust of wind, overtaking Patrice Evra. The French left-back tried his best but couldn't hold him back. Borussia Dortmund's unexpected burst of energy from all players within 10 seconds of the second half kickoff caught Manchester United's players by surprise.
Błaszczykowski had never imagined that he would one day stand on the Champions League quarter-final stage. With so many talented teammates around him, creating such a golden opportunity, he would absolutely not allow their efforts to be in vain. Using his excellent speed, he successfully created a one-body-length advantage, received Jin Hayes's header, and burst forward with the ball, cutting diagonally into the penalty area.
"Fuck me! Jesus!!"
The old Scottish man on the coaching bench couldn't hold back any longer. He had defended against Borussia Dortmund's most effective counterattacks in the first half, but who said they couldn't launch a lightning attack at the start of the second half?
Ferguson shot up, his glasses askew on his nose. But he didn't bother to adjust them, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the pitch.
Błaszczykowski cut diagonally into Manchester United's penalty area, but the Manchester United players, though flustered, did not panic. Rio Ferdinand quickly covered to intercept Błaszczykowski, while Vidić landed and ran back to Ferdinand's position, marking Alexander Frei while also keeping an eye on Jin Hayes's movements.
Defensive midfielder Michael Carrick sprinted back to the edge of the box, getting close to the most dangerous player. Captain Gary Neville ran diagonally, constantly tangling with Götze. For a moment, Borussia Dortmund's quick counter-attack was successfully defused by Manchester United's tight defence.
"Ah?!!"
Jürgen Klopp was stunned. Borussia Dortmund's attack was already unexpected enough, who would have thought Manchester United's defence would be so impenetrable?
After landing, Jin Hayes immediately charged into the penalty area, with Carrick closely following him. Not far away, Vidić was watching intently, and even Ferdinand's peripheral vision was on Jin Hayes. The moment Błaszczykowski passed, they would surely rush up to form a pincer movement. Everyone knew that Jin Hayes was the key player responsible for the final pass and creating scoring opportunities in the attacking third.
Indeed, Błaszczykowski kept feinting but couldn't break past Ferdinand, the world-class centre-back. Błaszczykowski lacked confidence in his own ability and instinctively passed the ball back in a reverse triangle to Jin Hayes.
Seeing this, Carrick immediately moved to intercept, and Ferdinand quickly left Błaszczykowski to defend Jin Hayes. Vidić also closed in, surrounding Jin Hayes while blocking the passing lane to Frei behind him. Evra immediately tucked in, cooperating with his teammates to form an encirclement.
If this peak Manchester United defence were a human immune system, the Reds would likely never fall ill. Fast, precise, and remarkably well-coordinated teamwork had completely neutralised all of Jin Hayes's options.
Seeing Borussia Dortmund's carefully planned lightning attack about to fizzle out—with both desperate offensives in the first and second halves on the verge of being smothered, and team morale threatening to collapse once more—Jin Hayes knew he had to act.
[man of steel]!
He activated the physical enhancement, his entire body hardening like forged steel. Carrick collided with Jin Hayes and felt a tremendous shock ripple through his frame, his internal organs rattled by the impact.
Now!
Using the half-second of Carrick's recoil, Jin Hayes stepped forward to shield the ball. He didn't bother to control it—instead, he flicked it with his heel, executing a confident turn. He never even glanced at the ball's position, nor did he track the distance between Carrick's feet. He completely emptied his mind, surrendering control to the instinct of his divine ball control. The ball threaded perfectly through Carrick's legs, and Jin Hayes glided past him, slipping into the penalty area.
"Damn it!!" Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidić cursed in unison, their thoughts perfectly aligned.
The two towering centre-backs formed an insurmountable wall before Jin Hayes, making a direct breakthrough from any angle seem impossible. He was already inside the box, and they dared not commit a foul—at the very least, they had to hold their ground and block his path.
But Jin Hayes was seeing red. Even if the Hulk himself stood before him, he would have smashed through. After activating man of steel, his stamina had already dropped significantly. Before it could recover, he was running on fumes. Facing the impossible, Jin Hayes became utterly ruthless, gritting his teeth and triggering man of steel a second time.
The side effects of overdrawing his stamina almost made him black out. He could have collapsed right there in the penalty area. Instead, Jin Hayes bit down hard on his tongue, using the sharp pain to force his will into focus, and blasted a hole through the city wall.
"Ah?!!!!"
Nemanja Vidić and Ferdinand's encirclement was actually breached—a gap opened. Jin Hayes pulled the ball with his left foot to evade Vidić's tackle, simultaneously flicking with his right to complete a roulette nutmeg. The perfect fusion of skill and power had created the only possibility out of the impossible.
"Jin Hayes!!!" He Wei was on his feet.
At that moment, commentators across the globe struggled to find words for what they had just witnessed. Like all fans, they watched with wide eyes as Jin Hayes completed his astonishing breakthrough.
"Shit!" Edwin van der Sar, normally unflappable, could no longer maintain his composure in the face of such an improbable feat. He rushed out to intercept.
By now, Jin Hayes was running on empty. He glimpsed Mario Götze on the other side and swung his leg, intending to cross—replicating the near-miss from the first half. But Van der Sar had already shifted his weight, ready to dive.
"Ah ah ah ah—But—!!!!"
The power of the Westfalen faithful seemed to converge on Jin Hayes's body. Anna's gaze from the stands transmitted the last shred of energy to him. In his extreme state, Jin Hayes transformed into a force of nature, forcefully flicking the ball and accelerating. As Van der Sar dove to the side, Jin Hayes executed an extreme one-footed spin in front of the six-yard box, evading the keeper's gloves, then turned and pulled the ball, charging towards the goal.
At that moment, the entire world seemed to disappear. Jin Hayes entered a void—everything around him faded to darkness. Only the football at his feet and the goal ahead remained.
"No one can stop me!"
"Even God won't help!!"
With both stamina and mental energy completely depleted, Jin Hayes stumbled, relying solely on willpower to carry the ball to the goal line.
"We, Borussia Dortmund, do not give up.Sorry, but I'm going to win this match."
Thump.
A gentle push-shot on the goal line. The ball rolled into the net.
BVB 2-2 MUN
2' ——— C. Ronaldo
25' ——— C. Ronaldo
39' ——— Jin Hayes
46' ——— Jin Hayes