Chapter Summaries

After Bayern recovered from a defeat to Stuttgart, Su Dong helped the team beat Leverkusen and Hamburg while discussing Germany’s young goalkeepers. He watched Manchester United and Liverpool advance to the Champions League final, and the chapter left him congratulating Rony on his decisive semifinal goal.

• Bayern lost 2–0 to Stuttgart, and Su Dong urged his teammates to recover quickly from their Champions League elimination.
• Su Dong scored against Leverkusen in a 2–1 Bayern victory, then told reporters he believed Bayern would win the Bundesliga and compared Adler with Neuer.
• Su Dong scored twice as Bayern beat Hamburg 3–2, though Heynckes remained unhappy with the team’s defensive problems.
• Su Dong watched AC Milan beat Manchester United 2–1, but Rony’s late goal sent Manchester United through to the Champions League final on aggregate.
• Liverpool defeated Chelsea on penalties to reach the final, and Su Dong texted Rony congratulations and encouraged him to keep pushing.

Su Dong finished the Bundesliga season as Bayern's Golden Boot winner and Best Player, then welcomed his friend Pepe to the club as Bayern began rebuilding for the next campaign. He traveled with friends to Athens for the Champions League final, where Rony's supposed gift left him furious.

• Su Dong scored twice against Borussia Mönchengladbach, then scored against Cottbus as Bayern secured a 3–0 victory.
• Su Dong scored and assisted twice in Bayern's 5–1 win over Mainz, after which Bayern celebrated the Bundesliga title and Su Dong received the league's Best Player award.
• Heynckes and Hoeness said Bayern was preparing a major rebuild, and Bayern signed Pepe from Sporting Lisbon for fifteen million euros.
• Su Dong welcomed Pepe to Munich, and Pepe said Su Dong had been the key reason he chose Bayern.
• Su Dong traveled with Wang Chuqing, Pepe, Mendes, and others to Athens to watch the Champions League final and became furious when Rony revealed his surprise.

Su Dong spent the night before the Champions League final watching match footage in the hotel room Rony had arranged for him and Wang Chuqing, leaving their friends baffled. On May 23, Manchester United and Liverpool began a tense final that remained scoreless and evenly matched through the first half.

• Su Dong found that Rony had booked him and Wang Chuqing a romantic couples’ room, but the hotel had no alternatives, so they stayed there.
• Rony and the others arranged for boxes of Durex to be sent to Su Dong’s room, while Su Dong avoided temptation and watched match footage as Wang Chuqing slept.
• The next morning, Su Dong admitted he had watched football all night, and he and Wang Chuqing acted as though nothing unusual had happened.
• Rony heard that nothing had happened between Su Dong and Wang Chuqing and was disappointed, though he thought their restraint suited Su Dong.
• Su Dong watched the Champions League final at Athens Olympic Stadium as Manchester United faced Liverpool, and neither side gained the advantage in a tense first half.

Rony scored the winning goal as Manchester United defeated Liverpool to claim the Champions League, strengthening his candidacy for major individual awards. After celebrating with Su Dong and Wang Chuqing, Su Dong traveled through Greece with Wang as Real Madrid beat Barcelona to the La Liga title and Su Dong finished as the top scorer in La Liga, the Bundesliga, and the Champions League.

• Rony headed in Giggs's corner in the eighty-first minute, giving Manchester United a one-to-nil victory over Liverpool and the Champions League title.
• Su Dong and his friends praised Rony's physical development and discussed his chances of winning the 2007 World Footballer of the Year and Ballon d'Or awards.
• Rony thanked Su Dong for supporting him through the backlash after the World Cup, then teased him about his feelings for Wang Chuqing, who admitted she understood him and was still working toward their relationship.
• Su Dong and Wang Chuqing spent two weeks touring Greece while the La Liga title race came down to its final round.
• Raul scored a late winner as Real Madrid beat Zaragoza three to two, while Barcelona drew two to two with Espanyol, allowing Real Madrid to claim the championship.
• Van Nistelrooy finished one goal behind Su Dong, who became the first player to win the Golden Boot in La Liga, the Bundesliga, and the Champions League in the same season.

Wang Chuqing returned to Shanghai and reunited with her parents, who worried about the man she loved and wanted to meet him. The chapter ended when Su Dong arrived at the Wang family home and introduced himself to Wang Qingquan.

• Wang Chuqing surprised Wang Qingquan and Yu Qiulan by coming home, and they welcomed her with a meal of her favorite dishes.
• Wang Qingquan asked Wang Chuqing about Su Dong after hearing that Lao Zhou had seen him at the airport, and she concealed that they had traveled together.
• Wang Qingquan and Yu Qiulan urged Wang Chuqing to return to Shanghai and questioned whether the man she liked truly cared for her.
• Wang Qingquan asked Wang Chuqing to arrange a meeting with her suitor, and she said she would find a chance to ask him.
• Wang Qingquan spotted a tall stranger outside the courtyard, and the man introduced himself as Su Dong.

Su Dong visited Wang Chuqing's parents, who approved of him, and the couple began dating openly. After their relationship warmed during their time together in Shanghai, Nuno Cruz, Vito Scala, and Grant Downing arrived, and Su Dong turned his attention back to summer preparations and Bayern's transfer news.

• Su Dong visited Wang Qingquan and Yu Qiulan with thoughtful gifts, answered their questions, and earned their approval as Wang Chuqing's boyfriend.
• Wang Chuqing kissed Su Dong goodbye, and they exchanged affectionate messages and made plans to spend the next day together.
• Wang Chuqing accompanied Su Dong to train, and Su Dong told his parents about their relationship; Yang Xiuyu and his father expressed their approval.
• Su Dong and Wang Chuqing spent their days together, leaving Su Dong unusually cold toward Nuno Cruz, Vito Scala, and Grant Downing when they arrived in Shanghai.
• Su Dong resumed preparing for the summer season as news came in about Bayern's latest recruitment progress.

Bayern signed Frank Ribéry and Arjen Robben while reshaping the squad around Su Dong, adding Miroslav Klose and promoting Mats Hummels and Toni Kroos. Robben's arrival broke Ribéry's transfer record, leaving Bayern with a formidable attack and renewed ambitions in the Champions League.

• Frank Ribéry flew to Munich, completed his medical, signed with Bayern, and said Su Dong and Bayern's sincerity had persuaded him to join.
• Su Dong welcomed Ribéry by phone and thanked Zidane for helping him buy two bottles of Château Latour.
• Hoeness and Rummenigge announced that Bayern would keep strengthening the squad and pursue a team capable of competing for the Champions League.
• Bayern sold Roy Makaay to Feyenoord and Santa Cruz to Blackburn, then signed Klose and promoted Hummels and Toni Kroos to the First Team.
• Arjen Robben chose Bayern over Real Madrid, joining from Chelsea for €35 million and setting a new Bundesliga transfer record.

Soo Dong traveled to Prague for a football game advertisement before joining Bayern’s preseason camp, where the rebuilt squad prepared for the new season. Captain Kahn announced that this would be his final season and urged the team to win another Champions League trophy with him.

• Soo Dong toured Prague with Wang Chuqing, met David Silva, Ribéry, Quaresma, and Klose while filming the game advertisement, and flew with Ribéry and Klose to Munich.
• Soo Dong said goodbye to Wang Chuqing and reported to Bayern before joining the team’s training camp in Donaueschingen.
• Bayern’s strengthened, youth-oriented squad began preseason training under Heynckes, who focused the camp on building fitness.
• Kahn called a dressing-room meeting, announced he would retire at the end of the season, and asked the team to win the Champions League in his final campaign.
• Bayern’s medical and coaching staff created a detailed fitness plan for Robben, including daily gym sessions with Soo Dong.

Heynckes refined Bayern Munich’s 4-2-3-1 tactics around Su Dong, with Ribéry and Robben attacking from the wings. In Hong Kong, Su Dong revealed that he had a girlfriend, then scored twice in Bayern’s 3–0 win over São Paulo before the team returned to Germany.

• Heynckes trained Bayern in a 4-2-3-1 that used Su Dong as the central attacking focus, with Ribéry and Robben stretching defenses from the wings.
• Bayern traveled to Hong Kong for the Return Cup, where Su Dong drew a large welcome despite torrential rain.
• At a fan event, Su Dong confirmed that he had a Chinese girlfriend and asked the media to respect their privacy.
• News outlets reported Wang Chuqing’s name and occupation while mostly refraining from exposing further details.
• Bayern defeated São Paulo 3–0, with Su Dong scoring twice and substitute Klose adding a goal.
• Hummels and Toni Kroos impressed as substitutes before Bayern returned to Donaueschingen.

Bayern sharpened their new attack during preseason, with Su Dong forming effective partnerships with Ribéry and Robben. He helped Bayern beat Schalke 04 and Stuttgart to win the German League Cup, and the team returned to Munich with its first trophy.

• Bayern won several warm-up matches, then came from behind to beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 2–1 as Su Dong scored and assisted.
• Su Dong developed attacking combinations with Ribéry and Robben, while Heynckes built Bayern's tactics around their differing strengths.
• Su Dong scored and assisted Robben as Bayern defeated Schalke 04 2–0 to reach the German League Cup final.
• Su Dong assisted Ribéry and scored from Marcelo's cross as Bayern beat Stuttgart 2–0 to win the German League Cup.
• Bayern officially returned to Munich after winning the preseason trophy.

Su Dong reunited with Wang Chuqing after a month apart, then returned to Bayern training, where Robben shared his ambition to become the club’s number-one star. The chapter left Robben determined to overcome his injuries and challenge Su Dong, who welcomed the competition but doubted Robben could surpass him.

• Wang Chuqing waited outside Säbener Straße and warmly embraced Su Dong when he arrived from training camp.
• Su Dong and Wang Chuqing returned to their home in Grünwald, but Pepe arrived with his girlfriend and interrupted their reunion.
• Heynckes tactfully reminded the Bayern players to show restraint during the league season, while Marcelo’s clueless remarks embarrassed Ribéry.
• Robben trained hard with Su Dong and said he wanted to complete a season without injuries.
• Robben declared that he would outperform Su Dong and become Bayern’s number-one star, and Su Dong welcomed his ambition while confidently predicting he would remain ahead.

Bayern nearly suffered a German Cup upset against fourth-tier Burghausen, intensifying concern about the team’s finishing. In the Bundesliga opener against Rostock, Su Dong scored twice in the first half as Bayern found their rhythm.

• Bayern conceded to Burghausen, then Klose equalized before Kahn saved two penalties to secure a shootout victory.
• Heynckes criticized Bayern’s poor finishing, while Beckenbauer warned that the team had been overconfident.
• Bayern started their league opener against Rostock with Kahn in goal and Su Dong, Ribéry, and Robben leading the attack.
• Ribéry crossed for Su Dong to score Bayern’s opening league goal in the fourteenth minute.
• Su Dong scored again from Ribéry’s through ball in the twenty-eighth minute, giving Bayern a two-goal lead.

Bayern crushed Rostock 4–0 in the Bundesliga opener as Su Dong scored four goals, while the club’s executives and European media praised the team’s new attacking strength. The victory sent Bayern to the top of the table, and Werder Bremen manager Schaaf challenged them to prove themselves at Weser Stadium.

• Lahm’s shot was parried by Wichit, and Su Dong scored from the rebound to complete his hat trick and put Bayern 3–0 ahead.
• Ribéry, Schweinsteiger, Modrić, and Lahm combined to set up Su Dong’s headed fourth goal.
• Bayern’s executives praised Heynckes’s tactics and discussed how Ribéry, Robben, and Su Dong were adapting to one another.
• Kicker, Bild, and L'Équipe praised Bayern’s victory and attacking players while noting concerns about the squad’s depth.
• Bayern’s 4–0 win sent them to the top of the Bundesliga table as other leading teams had mixed opening results.
• Schaaf called Bayern’s performance an illusion and vowed Werder Bremen would beat them at Weser Stadium.

Bayern faced Werder Bremen at Weser Stadium, where Heynckes’s side aimed to control the tempo and exploit quick counterattacks. Su Dong scored twice in the first twenty minutes, leaving Bayern with a 2–0 lead.

• Heynckes had told Bayern to vary their pace and counter quickly instead of competing for possession.
• In the sixth minute, Mascherano won the ball and Modrić launched a counterattack, while Su Dong’s movement opened a gap in Bremen’s defense.
• Robben cut inside and passed to Su Dong, who held off Naldo and Mertesacker before scoring past Wiese.
• Bayern stayed composed after taking the lead, and Schweinsteiger intercepted the ball in the twentieth minute and passed to Ribéry.
• Ribéry played a through ball to Su Dong, who evaded Naldo and beat Wiese to score his second goal.

Bayern crushed Werder Bremen 5–0 as Su Dong scored twice, assisted Robben, and gave Ribéry a penalty to score. Bayern remained top of the Bundesliga after two dominant wins, while the media proclaimed them champions-elect and Heynckes insisted there was still work to do.

• Modrić sent the ball to Su Dong, who launched a counterattack and assisted Robben for Bayern’s third goal.
• Schweinsteiger scored from long range before halftime to give Bayern a 4–0 lead.
• Su Dong won a penalty in the second half and gave Ribéry the chance, which Ribéry converted.
• Bayern finished the match with a 5–0 victory, with Su Dong contributing two goals and an assist.
• German and Spanish media praised Bayern’s strength and predicted they would win the title, while Heynckes said it was too early to claim the championship.
• Kahn praised Su Dong’s scoring and joked that Bayern’s players were betting on how many goals he would score.

Bayern defeated Hannover 96 6–0 as Su Dong scored four goals, bringing his Bundesliga total to ten after three rounds. The chapter then turned to the Champions League draw, where Bayern's second-pot seeding made them a feared potential opponent for the top seeds.

• Su Dong scored a header from Ribéry's free kick in the seventh minute to put Bayern ahead against Hannover 96.
• Su Dong scored twice more before halftime, completing a hat trick and giving Bayern a 3–0 lead as Lala was sent off.
• Su Dong scored his fourth goal in the second half, then left the pitch to a standing ovation as Heynckes brought on Klose.
• Van Bommel and Robben added goals to complete Bayern's 6–0 victory, while Bild praised Su Dong as the team's world-class attacking core.
• Su Dong declined UEFA's Champions League awards ceremony invitation, called Rony to congratulate him, and explained his absence.
• Bayern's second-pot seeding drew concern from Europe's top clubs, while Su Dong said Bayern would focus on winning whoever they faced.

Bayern gathered at Su Dong’s house to watch the Champions League draw, which placed them in a difficult group with Real Madrid, Lazio, and Olympiacos. The team left the evening focused on a demanding run of fixtures, beginning with an away match against Hamburg.

• Pepe and Marcelo persuaded Su Dong to host a team-building gathering, and players, families, Rummenigge, and Heynckes filled his house.
• Rummenigge photographed the gathering for Bayern’s official website, while Heynckes praised the team’s shared determination to prove itself and win.
• Su Dong argued that Real Madrid or Gunners would be preferable opponents, explaining why he considered both manageable.
• The draw placed Bayern with Real Madrid, Lazio, and Olympiacos, with their opening Champions League match away at the Bernabéu.
• Heynckes and Rummenigge warned the players to stay focused and avoid injuries during international duty before Bayern’s upcoming fixtures against Hamburg, Schalke 04, and Real Madrid.

Bayern faced Hamburger SV’s aggressive, foul-heavy tactics in a chaotic North-South derby that neutralized their attack. The first half ended scoreless, and Bayern’s players lost their composure after the break while Su Dong stayed calm and waited for an opening.

• Hoeness urged referees to protect Bayern’s technical players, but Beiersdorfer rejected special treatment and De Jong and Jarolím promised Hamburger SV would defend fiercely.
• Hamburger SV disrupted Bayern’s midfield with repeated fouls, and Guerrero received a yellow card after a challenge on Mascherano.
• Löw, Bierhoff, and Flick watched from the stands as Bayern struggled to create attacks and the first half ended nil-nil.
• Heynckes scolded Bayern at halftime and instructed the players to spread out, pass, and avoid losing their tempers.
• Schweinsteiger retaliated after play resumed and was substituted, while Van Bommel also lost control soon after entering the match.
• Hamburger SV continued fouling Su Dong, who remained calm and waited for an opportunity.

Bayern worked to create better crossing chances for Su Dong against Hamburger’s organized defense. In the 72nd minute, Su Dong controlled Marcelo’s cross under pressure from three defenders and scored to give Bayern the lead.

• Su Dong told Ribéry to combine with Marcelo on the left and asked Robben and Lahm to attack from the right while Modrić and Van Bommel occupied Hamburger’s midfielders.
• Bayern tried crosses from both flanks, but Su Dong struggled to control Lahm’s high delivery as De Jong harried him.
• Ribéry and Marcelo combined on the left, and Marcelo sent a lower cross toward the near post after Su Dong signaled for it.
• Su Dong shoved past Reinhardt, brought Marcelo’s cross down amid pressure from Reinhardt, Mathijsen, and De Jong, then shot into the goal before falling.
• Su Dong’s goal put Bayern ahead in the 72nd minute, and his teammates rushed to celebrate as Hamburger faced the decision of whether to attack.

Su Dong scored twice as Bayern Munich defeated Hamburger SV 2–0, stunning the coaches and fans with his strength, technique, and speed. After the match, Germany coach Löw regretted that Su Dong had chosen to represent the Chinese National Team instead of Germany.

• After Su Dong's opening goal, Stevens sent Choupo-Moting and Zidan on as Hamburger SV switched to an all-out attack.
• Lucio dispossessed Guerrero, and Modrić sent a long pass behind Hamburger SV's advanced defense.
• Su Dong sprinted past Mathijsen, reached the ball, and scored past Rost to give Bayern a 2–0 lead.
• Löw learned that Su Dong had rejected approaches from Portugal, Spain, and Germany because he wanted to play only for the Chinese National Team.
• Bayern beat Hamburger SV 2–0, and Su Dong received applause from both sets of fans and the coaches in the stands.