Mladen Petrić arrived at Borussia Dortmund in the 06‑07 season and became the team's top scorer that year with 13 goals, surpassing Alexander Frei. At the same time, Petrić was also the biggest contributor to Borussia Dortmund's successful relegation battle and the main striker for the former head coach, Thomas Doll. He had thought he could establish a firm footing at Borussia Dortmund. Later, he would use Dortmund as a springboard to join a big club before the age of 30.
As it turned out, in his second season at Borussia Dortmund, a 15‑year‑old Chinese player came on loan from Arsenal. At first, Mladen Petrić didn't take him seriously.
Chinese, 15 years old, fragile physique, terrible finishing. His only advantage was excellent footwork.
How could a player like this establish a foothold in the Bundesliga?
As a result, he secured a starting spot with a series of brilliant performances. To adapt to the flank breakthrough tactics centered around Jin Hayes, the forward combination had to be adjusted.
Alexander Frei was in good form. The target men, Diego Klimowicz and Sebastian Kehl, were both good at headers. Mladen Petrić became the team's odd man out. Aside from limited substitute appearances, Petrić sat on the bench for more than half the season.
Having been the team's top scorer the previous season, suddenly encountering such a change, it was inevitable that he would feel unbalanced. At the end of the season, with one year left on his contract, Petrić requested a transfer.
As it happened, Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans‑Joachim Watzke was cutting costs, so he set a fixed price of €5.3 million. That was how Petrić came to Hamburg.
Here, Petrić regained the treatment of a starting striker and an attacking core. In the new season, he was temporarily ranked fourth in the goalscoring charts, behind a number of prolific strikers.
This match against Borussia Dortmund was a battle Petrić had been looking forward to for a long time. Borussia Dortmund CEO Watzke was in the stands, and he could finally beat Borussia Dortmund in front of him. And that Chinese player, Jin Hayes.
After scoring, Petrić walked past Jin Hayes; he didn't hate the young man. Or perhaps it was more of a... envy. That's right. Envy, with a touch of jealousy. Why could he become the King of Borussia Dortmund at sixteen? He hadn't even gotten that kind of treatment at Westfalen.
"Well done! Mladen!"
"Look at those guys, and that Şahin, what is he pretending for!"
"We should beat them up hard!"
His teammates were celebrating wildly, but Petrić was very calm. The revenge was successful, but watching Borussia Dortmund unable to fight back, for some reason, he didn't feel much excitement. "The feeling of revenge should have been more satisfying—strange."
In the Borussia Dortmund camp, the players were already feeling a bit of self‑doubt. The good feeling of a winning streak had been shattered by two goals. Now they were all a bit dazed, not knowing whether to attack or stabilise the defence.
Especially Nuri Şahin.
Just now, his failed dribble leading to a turnover was the trigger for the second conceded goal. He bore at least half the responsibility. Şahin's eyes were already unfocused, immersed in the recent defeat, and his passing and organisation seemed hesitant.
...
"Nuri, Nuri!!"
Damn it. Jin Hayes simply rushed directly to Şahin's position, almost dropping back to the defensive midfielder area. Only then did Şahin see him and pass the ball over.
Unfortunately, there had been a perfect opportunity just now, but it was now completely missed. Jin Hayes could only try to dribble forward to look for opportunities.
After drawing a three‑man encirclement, he shifted to the left flank. Marco Reus was a bit anxious outside the penalty area and suddenly took a shot that was too straight, which was collected by the Hamburg goalkeeper.
"What the hell!!" Jürgen Klopp clutched his head in disbelief. "Are you all idiots!!"
"Calm down, Jürgen." Željko Buvač quickly reminded Klopp that if he had any excessive behaviour, it would be easy for the fourth official to record it. Being sent to the stands would not be worth it.
Fortunately, Borussia Dortmund's overall strength was still there, and they hadn't completely collapsed despite the poor form. The 2‑0 scoreline held until halftime. Jin Hayes finally breathed a sigh of relief.
...
The director's camera had been focused on the outstanding Petrić, and then it gave a close‑up of Jin Hayes. Under the lens, his brows were slightly furrowed, and his clear gaze captivated countless fans watching the broadcast. A whole page of posts instantly appeared on the Kicker forum.
"Wow! Jin looks so intense!"
"I have zero resistance to this kind of quiet determination."
"He looks like a movie star, I can't quite put my finger on it."
"He still looks good when he smiles, and he is handsome when he is focused—like Roberto Baggio."
These fans had originally been drawn in during the Ruhr Derby last season, when he dribbled through the entire Schalke 04 team. Jin Hayes's confident smile in the afternoon sun was very much like David Beckham back in the day. This was the first impression the Chinese teenager left on everyone. A high‑spirited, vibrant young genius.
At the Heinrich home, Jin Hayes on TV made Maria feel extremely heartbroken. "Oh my, this is the first time I've seen this child sad, my heart aches."
"It's not like you don't know Jin; the more adverse the situation, the more energy he can unleash. Just wait, he will be smiling in the second half." Uncle Hans wasn't panicked at all. He finished the beer in his hand in one gulp. "Another can!"
"Drink less, be careful about ending up in the hospital."
"Don't worry, my body is so strong, that's impossible."
Anna was also curled up on the sofa, hugging a pillow tightly. Her fair chin was covered by the pillow, and her blue eyes remained glued to the screen, unable to look away. She could only hear her own thumping heartbeat. She admitted that if the focused, determined Jin Hayes on TV were standing in front of her, her heart would race even faster.
"Did I not make him a lucky sticker recently? Sigh—"
Players are not allowed to wear any jewellery on the field, not even rings. Apart from gloves, Anna could only make stickers for his shin guards. Seeing Borussia Dortmund trailing by two goals and the team's morale low, Anna closed her eyes earnestly and prayed silently for the team. Her prayer was so earnest that her pink, delicate toes curled tightly while she was curled up on the sofa.
"I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
"Come on, Jin!"
It wasn't the first time Borussia Dortmund had trailed by two goals. Last season, they had been trailing Bayern by three goals, and in the end, they completed a stunning 4‑3 comeback.
However, last season, Borussia Dortmund were the challengers.
Now, Borussia Dortmund had a layer of "pressure" accumulated with every winning streak, and the burden on everyone's shoulders was getting heavier. Coupled with the fact that the Bundesliga leaders were being chased by Wolfsburg, Bayer Leverkusen, and Stuttgart, these young players were a bit unable to let go.
In such a situation, it was difficult for Jin Hayes to help his teammates just by chatting and talking. Only they themselves could untie the knot in their hearts. As for how to get everyone back on track? The simplest way is—scoring goals.
The problem is, in this state, how can they score?
Hamburg's marking on his solo runs was very precise. The dense defence in the backfield didn't give Jin Hayes space for a solo breakthrough. As long as Jin Hayes dribbled into the penalty area, the Hamburg goalkeeper and defenders were particularly cunning.
Even at the risk of Jin Hayes shooting, they would stand on the goal line and resolutely refuse to come out. They played very defensively, but it was effective.
Borussia Dortmund wasn't without a solution; Jin Hayes looked at Alexander Frei, who was silent in the corner. While the young players were doubting themselves, Frei's gaze remained calm.
"Hey, Alexander."
"Jin?" Frei was surprised by Jin Hayes's initiative to talk.
"In the second half, I need your help." Jin Hayes got straight to the point. Frei just smiled faintly.
"Aren't you afraid I'll miss the shot?"
"You are the experienced striker who has led the team through many matches." Jin Hayes chose his words carefully.
"That was also assisted by you; for several goals, I didn't have much of a role, just purely appearing in the right position." Frei was very humble.
"Now is not the time for modesty, Alexander. When everyone else is misfiring, I believe you can help the team."
"Sigh."
After a continuous goal drought and only two goals scored in the new season, the Swiss international also failed to regain his confidence. Perhaps he was gradually being phased out by Borussia Dortmund, perhaps he was declining and gradually becoming a fringe player. But when the heavy responsibility was placed on his shoulders, Frei would not retreat. His brothers needed him.
"Thanks, Jin, thank you for being willing to believe in me."
"Good brothers don't say these things, let's speak with goals."
"Okay, I will try my best to run into position, you just pass it."
The two high‑fived, both seeing the unyielding fighting spirit in the other's eyes. On the other side, Jürgen Klopp still wanted to talk to Frei. Seeing this scene, he realised there was no need; Jin Hayes had done what he should have done for him.
"It's really lucky to have such a smart player," assistant coach Željko Buvač sighed.
"Yes, he is truly a treasure."
...
2‑0, 70 minutes.
The score remained unchanged.
The 40,000 fans at Hamburg's home ground were already singing songs of victory, preparing to celebrate a win. Borussia Dortmund's offence seemed to have no improvement, only their defence had stabilised a bit, failing to give Hamburg opportunities.
"In these two matches, Borussia Dortmund seems to have encountered a goal crisis. The front‑court players didn't bring their shooting boots..."
"If the problem with their centre‑forward isn't solved, this situation will gradually become serious."
Oliver Kahn hit the nail on the head and discovered the problem. Scoring only relied on Marco Reus and Jakub Błaszczykowski, and occasionally needed Jin Hayes to turn the tide. If Reus got injured, or they encountered a strong opponent, Borussia Dortmund could easily misfire. Today's match was a very typical example.
"Alexander Frei seems to be out of form this season," Kahn almost sentenced Frei to "death."
But before he finished speaking, Borussia Dortmund immediately launched a beautiful attack. Nuri Şahin didn't linger on the ball in the final third; he adjusted his state and passed a highly penetrating through ball.
Jin Hayes cut diagonally into the half‑space, pretending to receive the ball with his back to goal. The Hamburg defender was just about to press up.
Little did he know that Jin Hayes didn't stop the ball at all, deliberately letting it pass through his legs. The Hamburg defender was caught off guard and was also nutmegged. By the time he reacted, Jin Hayes had already turned and dribbled into the penalty area.
"Beautiful!! A deliberate dummy to complete a pass! Jin's judgment of the ball's path has become supernatural!" Accompanied by Mehmet Scholl's excited voice, Jin Hayes dribbled past another defender in the box.
"Jin!! Left‑footed elastico, suddenly pulling to the baseline!" He had beaten the defender, but Jin Hayes's shooting angle was very small, and it was equally difficult to have a crossing angle.
Just as he was about to dribble into the six‑yard box, Jin Hayes flicked with the outside of his left foot without warning. The football grazed the grass and darted rapidly toward the penalty spot. Just as Reus, Błaszczykowski, Şahin, and others were tightly marked, the yellow jersey number 9 rushed out from the shadows.
"Oh no!" Mladen Petrić's heart skipped a beat. The taste he was most familiar with had returned. His former strike partner, facing such a pass, could never miss.
"Jin, thank you."
Bang!
A violent strike with the instep of his right foot—carrying dissatisfaction with the status quo and a desire for goals. The Swiss international's shot, crisp and powerful, whistled past. The goal net trembled. Hamburg's home ground fell deathly silent.
"They did it!! The ball is in!! A stunning blast! The tenacious Borussia Dortmund, despite the team being in poor form, have successfully pulled one back! Alexander Frei has finally broken his goal drought!"
2‑1.
"Nice."
"Great pass."
Jin Hayes and Frei high‑fived in the penalty area to celebrate. Compared to the wild teammates around them, these two seemed quite calm.
"It's stable now!"
Klopp finally breathed a long sigh of relief. Although they were still trailing on the scoreboard, the nervous ones had become the Hamburg fans. The sleeping beast had been awakened, and no one could stop the Yellow‑Black storm next.