Performing a Miracle, Reversing to Win the Championship

After Lin Quan left the field, De Bruyne stood at the penalty spot.

The team's usual first-choice penalty taker was captain Fritz, but knowing how close De Bruyne and Lin Quan were, Fritz voluntarily gave this penalty to De Bruyne.

On a normal day, De Bruyne might have declined.

But today, he didn't refuse.

The chance his friend had fought so hard to create—he absolutely couldn't waste it!

This goal wasn't for himself; it was for Lin Quan, who had been forced off injured.

Standing at the penalty spot, De Bruyne took a deep breath.

After observing the goalkeeper's positioning, he began his run-up.

He chose to aim for the far corner. The goalkeeper guessed the right direction, but his save was a fraction too slow, and he couldn't stop the ball.

De Bruyne slotted it home, leveling the score at 3:3!

At the 59th minute of regular time, Werder Bremen had equalized.

With just one minute left in regulation, plus stoppage time totaling less than five minutes, if neither team could change the score, they would head to a penalty shootout!

Neither side seemed willing to accept a draw, so after the restart, both teams launched attacks almost simultaneously.

Dortmund's players had been running all match, and many were now hitting their physical limits, gritting their teeth to keep going.

But with one man sent off, their attacking numbers were reduced, making it hard to break through in set-piece play.

Werder Bremen wasn't much better off. Playing two days in a row, after a long journey and poor rest, their stamina was already inferior to their opponents'.

So both sides' attacks lacked that final edge.

The 60 minutes of regular time quickly ended. With no winner decided, the match still hung in the balance.

The referee awarded two minutes of stoppage time—a relatively short amount.

For both teams, it might only be enough for one attack each.

In the first minute of added time, Dortmund pushed to the edge of Werder Bremen's penalty area.

Reus had the ball and was planning to break through and shoot himself, but he saw Lewandowski calling for it in the box.

Choosing to trust his teammate, he immediately passed it over.

Werder Bremen's defenders read the intent. Substitute center-back Sokratis Papastathopoulos anticipated the move, sticking out his foot to poke the ball to a teammate before Lewandowski could receive it.

Serey received the ball and quickly passed it to winger Elia, who took it on the flank and sprinted full speed toward Dortmund's half.

As he crossed midfield, the referee glanced at his watch. Only a few dozen seconds remained—this might be the last attack of the match.

Elia knew time was tight, so he didn't dare stop, charging down the sideline without pause.

Dortmund's flank defense was thin, giving him enough space and time to push the attack near their touchline.

Once his teammates charged into the box, he'd whip in a cross—success or failure rested on that one ball.

Like Lin Quan, Elia was running on empty. By the time he reached the sideline near the opponent's backfield, he was already gasping for breath.

Dortmund's fullback Kirch had rushed up to intercept him.

So he had no time to dribble to the byline. With a sweeping pass, he sent the ball to the center.

At the edge of his vision, he seemed to spot a teammate in a green jersey charging forward.

He wasn't sure the pass would reach him, but at this moment, he could only trust his teammate!

De Bruyne was sprinting with all he had. Nearing his physical limit, he felt his legs like lead, each step agonizingly heavy.

But he refused to give up on this attacking chance.

With the opponent's goal in sight, he clenched his teeth again, pushed himself to the max, and reached the pass before the defender.

Dortmund's backline defender rushed up immediately, having learned from Hummels' earlier foul in the box.

Without letting De Bruyne enter the penalty area, he fouled him just outside the box to stop his advance.

It was a tactical foul. The referee didn't hesitate to show a yellow card, then, after a moment's thought, awarded Werder Bremen a free kick.

He had seemed ready to blow the final whistle, but seeing Werder Bremen's number 6 already getting up from the ground, ball in hand, heading to the foul spot, his heart softened. He gave them one chance to take the free kick—a reward for that never-give-up fighting spirit.

"Do you want me to take it?"

Fritz came up to De Bruyne and asked.

He could see De Bruyne had little energy left.

Taking a free kick in this state would make it hard to perform at his usual level.

"No need, thanks, Captain. I'll do it myself!"

De Bruyne refused the captain's kindness. Knowing this was the team's last attack, he didn't rush the kick.

He waited for the opponent to set up their wall, and for the referee to step back and blow his whistle, signaling he could take it, before slowly backing up.

As he retreated, he closed his eyes, thinking about how to strike this ball.

Suddenly, he recalled the theoretical knowledge Lin Quan had shared with him during their Knuckleball practice earlier.

Back then, it had felt difficult to understand and execute, but now, standing on the pitch, that knowledge seemed to come alive, no longer so hard to grasp.

So De Bruyne made his decision: he would attempt the most difficult Knuckleball.

On the bench, Lin Quan, who had just come off the stretcher with an ice pack and was receiving treatment from the team doctor, saw De Bruyne's retreat distance and his heart skipped a beat:

Is this guy really going for a Knuckleball?

He's already out of stamina—can he still kick a Knuckleball over 100 kilometers per hour at this point?

Lin Quan doubted it. De Bruyne's choice seemed a bit reckless!

He wasn't usually the type to act like this...

Could it be... because of me?

Uh...

Is he trying to avenge me?

The thought is nice, but this shot probably won't go in... Holy shit!!!

Just as Lin Quan was about to say De Bruyne wouldn't score, the latter unleashed a Knuckleball of exceptional quality.

The ball sailed over the wall, arcing high into the air.

Dortmund's goalkeeper, Langerak, judged that the ball's trajectory would carry it over the goal, so he didn't bother jumping. He didn't think it posed any threat.

But just as the ball seemed about to clear the crossbar and fly into the stands, it suddenly dipped, grazing the underside of the post and curling eerily into the net.

Dortmund's goalkeeper stood frozen in disbelief!

How the hell did that go in?

Was that even possible?

Not just him—all 22 players on the pitch, including De Bruyne himself, were stunned by the result.

The difference was that, once the shock wore off, Dortmund's players hung their heads in despair, unable to accept such a cruel outcome.

They had fought tooth and nail for the entire match, only to watch their rivals claim the trophy on their home turf!

Meanwhile, Werder Bremen's players, after recovering from their astonishment, charged at De Bruyne like madmen.

Lin Quan leaped off the bench, abandoning his ice pack, and joined the other substitutes as they sprinted onto the pitch.

The referee had no intention of adding extra time. The two minutes of stoppage time were already up, so as soon as the ball was kicked off again, he blew the final whistle.

The 2012 Telekom Cup champion was the Parrot Legion—Werder Bremen!