If Anna were to list the coolest and most spectacular goals she remembered, no matter how many years passed, her first thought would always be that thrilling night at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
The moment Jin Hayes dribbled past five players and scored with an overhead kick over the goalkeeper, Anna and her family jumped up in excitement. At that time, the entire neighborhood was filled with cheers from every household. Just when the fans were on the verge of despair, Jin Hayes gave them hope again.
The only regret was that there were too few away tickets, so Anna couldn't witness Jin Hayes's miracle in person. Watching the spirited Jin Hayes exude his charm on television, Anna was completely captivated.
"He's really handsome…"
…
"Jin! So handsome!"
"Kickass! Awesome!"
"How on earth did you do that?!"
In the locker room, the Dortmund teammates were still immersed in excitement, each coming over to hug Jin Hayes or ruffle his hair. Jin Hayes looked at himself in the mirror—his hair was a complete mess, sticking up in every direction.
*Reminds me of that Dictator Mbappe clip lol
"Lads, don't get too carried away. There's still a whole half to play!"
Dick Fuhren also walked into the locker room with a smile. "I have good news for you. There's been another goal in the other match! It's now 2–1 to Werder Bremen."
"Yeah!!!"
"Hold on, hold on. Even if Werder Bremen win, we still have to beat Bayern. So in the second half, continue to focus on defending Ribéry. Jin, you did well—keep it up. No problem with your stamina, right?"
"Don't worry, Coach. I feel like I could run all night."
"Good. The attacks from Ribéry and Lahm are down to you and Degen. Nuri, pay attention to linking up with the two flanks. When Jin draws defenders in, you can switch it to Marco on the left…"
Fuhren briefly went over the tactical adjustments. In the second half, Bayern would almost certainly double up on Jin Hayes, which meant Marco Reus on the left flank would be the most likely source of opportunities. He didn't have any complex tactical designs—just simple combinations and relying on individual quality.
In the home team's locker room, Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld was furious. The German iron tactician kicked a bench, and the Bayern players had rarely seen him so angry. They had already won the league, so losing the final game didn't really matter. Hitzfeld's rage seemed almost unwarranted.
In truth, after a falling-out with Bayern's chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge six months earlier, Hitzfeld had already decided to retire. He had originally planned to end his Bayern coaching career on a perfect note after a successful season. Who would have thought that his farewell party would be ruined by a young player from Dortmund?
"Mark him in the second half. At all costs."
Hitzfeld's voice was hoarse with fury.
…
Beep—
The referee blew his whistle for what felt like the dozenth time. The teenager lying on the turf looked quite pitiful. The Bundesliga was considered a relatively civilized league, but even so, it couldn't entirely prevent such violent fouls.
"Jin! Are you alright?"
In the 53rd minute of the second half, Jin Hayes had already been fouled multiple times by Bayern players. Ribéry's latest flying tackle brought Jin Hayes down hard, and players from both sides almost erupted into a large-scale confrontation. Team doctor Frank quickly ran onto the pitch to check on him.
"I'm fine. Just a bruise."
Jin Hayes lay on the ground, grimacing. He quietly thanked his enhanced physical conditioning. Six months ago, a tackle like that from Ribéry would have sidelined him for at least half a season. But after his physical attributes had improved, his strength, stamina, flexibility, and resistance had all been strengthened across the board. Ribéry had stamped on his ankle, but Jin Hayes had managed to avoid a serious sprain by relying on his muscle strength and flexibility—only some minor bruising remained.
"Thank goodness. Anna even asked me to look after you… Oh, by the way, here's something for you."
"What?"
Jin Hayes curiously took the sticker that Frank handed him. It was a lucky four-leaf clover.
"Anna drew and made it herself. It's been hot lately so she can't wear her gloves, so she made you shin guard stickers. She was going to give it to you herself, but I don't know why she insisted I hand it over. Are you two really okay?"
Watching Frank squat on the ground, clearly angling for gossip, Jin Hayes was speechless. "Brother, it's a match."
"Oh, right, right. When we get back, we'll have a proper beer and chat."
Frank pulled Jin Hayes to his feet, brushed the grass off his kit, and jogged off the pitch with his medical bag.
Jin Hayes stood on the field for a moment, looking at the simple but heartfelt sticker in his hand. He casually stuck it onto his shin guard.
This scene was captured by the television cameras.
Mehmet Scholl, commentating for German channel ZDF, breathed a sigh of relief. "Hahahaha, Jin is still in good spirits—he's sticking a sticker on his shin guard. It seems his injury isn't serious. He's been fouled multiple times in the second half, and the referee only gave Ribéry a yellow card. Bayern have strengthened their defense on the left flank, so Jin Hayes might face even more pressure. In a sense, this fifteen-year-old might directly decide the final Champions League ticket!"
In front of the television, the Heinrich family were all discussing next season's Champions League. Only Anna's gaze was fixed on Jin Hayes's actions on the screen.
He clearly still cares. So why has he been distancing himself from me lately?
She hadn't responded in time when Jin Hayes was good to her before. Now that he was indifferent to her, Anna couldn't let it go. Hugging a pillow tightly and curling up on the sofa, she watched the match on screen—but her mind was replaying every word she had said.
What exactly did she say that caused Jin Hayes's attitude to turn 180 degrees?
...
Hitzfeld's substitutions had some effect. Defensive midfielder Andreas Ottl was good at tackling and breaking up play, working alongside Zé Roberto, Ribéry, and Lahm to shore up the defense. Seeing that it was difficult to stop Jin Hayes's forward runs, Hitzfeld simply changed his approach—limiting Jin Hayes's teammates instead.
Forwards Alexander Frei and Mladen Petrić barely had any chances to receive the ball. Even if Jin Hayes broke into the penalty area and crossed, it was difficult to find his teammates. The box was too crowded, and he couldn't easily dribble past the goalkeeper into an empty net. He was forced to try shots himself, but they lacked accuracy. Dortmund's attacks were all thunder with little rain.
"Jin, another cross trying to find Frei, but Lúcio intercepts first!"
"Bayern Munich, who have already won the league, have actually parked the bus inside their own penalty area!"
*Diego Simeone smirking somewhere with Arteta
"Jin—he dribbles past Lahm, tight-angle shot himself… Oh, that shot was too wild, it flew straight into the stands! I've noticed, Jin prefers the difficult finishes—he scorns the easy ones."
Commentator Mehmet Scholl was even teasing Jin Hayes about his shooting. Jin Hayes, who had just blasted the ball into the stands, laughed awkwardly and jogged back.
There was a clear chance in the box just now, but my finishing is still consistently unreliable.
He carefully reflected on his few goals. Except for the spectacular overhead kick before halftime, the rest were extreme volleys from outside the area. Those kinds of opportunities are usually difficult to replicate—once-in-a-lifetime chances.
With only ten minutes left in the match, Bayern planned to apply pressure in the final period. Ribéry and Altıntop were gradually threatening Dortmund's goal. The visitors had to find a way to score another goal to secure the victory.
I'm getting a bit too fixated.
Jin Hayes had been so obsessed with breaking through and shooting himself that he had missed several opportunities. His teammates didn't blame him, but he suddenly realized—recalling Dick Fuhren's instructions. He seemed to have been immersed in the savior role, holding onto the ball too much in the second half.
I should trust my teammates more.
Seeing Bayern take a goal kick, Jin Hayes quickly sprinted back to his own half to defend.
"The match enters the final sprint phase. The score is 2–2—both sides have a chance to snatch a winner!"
"Lahm, Zé Roberto, Ottl, Schweinsteiger, Lahm—great play! Consecutive one-twos—to Ribéry!"
Bayern's crisp passing quickly reached the attacking third. Ribéry dribbled at high speed, received the ball, and cut inside. Right-back Degen was easily beaten by the French winger.
Just as Ribéry was about to break into the penalty area, Jin Hayes appeared in front of him from an unexpected angle.
This kid is relentless!
Ribéry was furious at the sight of Jin Hayes. He feinted to go down the outside, then suddenly changed direction to cut inside, trying to shake him off. But the moment Ribéry made his stop-and-turn, Jin Hayes immediately planted his foot and extended his leg, easily poking the ball away.
"How is that possible?!" Ribéry was shocked. His improvised move had been seen through by this teenager.
It's all stuff I've already done.
Jin Hayes calmly glided past a stunned Ribéry and dribbled toward the attacking third.
"Jin!! A perfect tackle! Dortmund have a counter-attack!"
"Beautiful!! A step-over and explosive acceleration to beat Lahm! Jin Hayes drives straight down the flank!"
The entire Bayern team retreated quickly to defend. From the overhead camera angle, a tide of red shirts surged toward the right flank, enveloping Jin Hayes.
In another corner of the pitch, unnoticed, Marco Reus was also sprinting like mad with his head down. He had already made countless lung-busting runs without complaint. Even if he didn't get the ball, he still charged toward the attacking third, expending every ounce of energy.
He thought Jin Hayes would still choose to go it alone this time.
But then the ball suddenly flew toward him.
"Great ball!!! Jin switches play to the left flank!!"
Accompanied by the excited cheers of the Dortmund fans, the moment Jin Hayes dribbled past Ottl, his sudden 45-degree cross-field pass caught the Bayern players completely off guard.
"Oh no!!"
Bayern's veteran coach Hitzfeld shot up from his seat in alarm.
A calm Jin Hayes had already spotted Reus's run. Using a perfectly weighted pass, he decisively switched the play.
"Go, Marco!!"
The ball, carrying heavy spin, curled over the heads of the Bayern defenders. In Lúcio's despairing eyes, Marco Reus controlled it cleanly and dribbled into the penalty area.
"Jin—Reus connection!! A killer pass!"
"Dortmund's sharp blade pierces Bayern's chest!!"
Amid commentator Scholl's roar, Reus comfortably adjusted his feet and curled a beautiful shot. Goalkeeper Michael Rensing dived desperately, but he was too far away. The ball sailed past his gloves, kissed the inside of the post, and bounced into the net.
"Gooooooooal—"
"Marco Reus—"
"Dortmund seal the deal and take the lead!! They hold their Champions League ticket in their own hands!"
"The Yellow and Black youth storm refuses to accept regret! These young players have seized their moment!!"
At that same moment, the entire city of Dortmund echoed with cheers and screams. Countless bars, large and small, erupted in pure euphoria.
Under the camera, the blond teenager Marco Reus sprinted toward Jin Hayes. Şahin, Hummels, and the rest of the teammates all joined in. They raced toward the away stands, sliding into a spectacular, synchronized celebration—each roaring with fierce intensity, as if declaring to all of Europe:
"Champions League!! Here we come!!"