So what if I'm just strolling around the field? My shots are guaranteed to go in.
Chapter 77 Youth Grand Final
"beep--"
The whistle blew, and overtime officially began.
Lin Fan passed the ball to Ilario, and Dortmund began to patiently pass the ball around.
As planned, Bayern retreated to their own half and adopted a dense 4-5-1 defensive formation.
Apart from Hoffmann roaming in the attacking third, the other nine players all returned to their own 30-meter zone.
Dortmund's possession surged to over 70% instantly, but they posed few real threats.
"Bayern's defensive organization is excellent," Zhang Xuan analyzed. "Even with one less player, their three lines remained very compact. Dortmund passed the ball around the perimeter, but struggled to find space to penetrate."
In the 92nd minute, Lin Fan attempted a one-two with Ilario, but Bayern midfielder Müller anticipated the move and cleared the ball out of bounds.
In the 94th minute, Webber broke through on the right and crossed the ball, but the Bayern penalty area was crowded with players, and the ball was headed away by the center-back.
In the 96th minute, Schneider took a long-range shot, which deflected off a defender and went out of play. Corner kick.
Dortmund took a short corner, and Keo received the ball and attempted to cross, but it was blocked again.
The game reached a stalemate.
"Dortmund needs to be more patient," Zhang Xuan said. "They control the ball, but they're not in a rush to attack. Bayern's players are expending more energy than them, and time is Dortmund's friend."
However, the young players on the field are already nearing their limits.
After a run, Ilario suddenly bent over, hands on his knees, panting heavily. His jersey was completely soaked and clung to his body.
Lin Fan also felt his legs grow heavy. Ninety minutes of high-intensity competition had exhausted his physical reserves, and every sprint felt like running through mud.
The situation is even worse for Bayern players.
Playing with one less player means they need to move around more to make up for the gap.
As a lone striker, Hofmann not only has to participate in the attack but also drop back to defend.
His running distance has exceeded 12,000 meters, which is an astonishing figure in youth competitions.
In the 100th minute, a Bayern midfielder suffered cramps without any contact and collapsed in pain.
The team doctor entered the field to treat the player, and the game was suspended.
"This is Bayern's first cramp, but it won't be the last," Zhang Xuan said.
"The physical exertion of playing with one less player increases exponentially. Dortmund must seize this opportunity."
The competition continued after the treatment ended.
Dortmund noticeably increased the pace of their attack. The ball was rapidly shifting between the left and right flanks, forcing Bayern players to constantly move laterally to cover.
In the 105th minute, Lin Fan received the ball in midfield and faced the defense of Bayern's defensive midfielder.
He had been observing his opponent for ten minutes—the defensive midfielder's steps were becoming heavy, and his turning speed was noticeably reduced.
Lin Fan pretended to pass the ball to the right, but suddenly flicked the ball to the left and accelerated to break through!
Bayern's defensive midfielder was a beat too slow to turn around and could only reach out and tug at Lin Fan's jersey!
"Foul! Yellow card!" Zhang Xuan shouted.
Referee Nacho blew his whistle and showed a yellow card to the Bayern midfielder. This was Bayern's fifth yellow card of the match.
The free kick was in a good position, about 28 meters from the goal, slightly to the left.
Lin Fan stood in front of the ball. He took a deep breath and observed the wall of players and the goalkeeper's position.
Run up, kick!
The ball arced through the wall of players and flew straight into the top right corner of the goal!
Bayern Munich's goalkeeper made a diving save, his fingertips touching the ball!
"Bang!"
The ball hit the junction of the crossbar and the post and bounced back into the field!
The Bayern penalty area was in chaos. Schneider attempted a follow-up shot, but the ball hit a defender and went out of bounds!
"Ah! The crossbeam!" Zhang Xuan cried out regretfully.
"Lin Fan's free kick had already passed the goalkeeper, but it hit the crossbar! Dortmund was just centimeters away from scoring!"
Lin Fan held his head in his hands, in disbelief. He had done his best, but luck was not on his side.
The Bayern players, still shaken, called out to each other and reorganized their defense.
The corner kick was taken and punched away by the Bayern goalkeeper.
"Whistle—" The referee blew the whistle to end the first half of overtime.
"The first half of extra time is over! The score is still 3-3!" Zhang Xuan summarized. "Dortmund completely controlled the game, but failed to convert their advantage into goals. Lin Fan's free kick hit the crossbar, which was the closest they came to scoring."
"Bayern held on to a draw thanks to their tenacious defense. But their physical condition has reached its limit, with several players suffering from cramps. The second half of extra time will be a real ordeal."
After a brief water break, without any halftime rest, the two sides immediately switched sides.
Maister used his second substitution, bringing on a midfielder to replace the exhausted Ilario.
"Leo has given it his all," Zhang Xuan said.
"His running distance reached 12.5 kilometers, which is an amazing figure in youth competition. Now, Dortmund needs fresh blood to maintain attacking pressure."
Bayern also made a substitution, replacing the cramped midfielder with their last substitute. They had already used all their substitutions.
"Neither side has a way out."
"The final fifteen minutes will decide the champion!"
The second half of overtime has begun.
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