"Nice! Hasebe is starting in midfield!" "
Hasebe! Fight! Fight!"
Someone who didn't know might think this person was overly dramatic, but he was actually Junji Ogura, a football commentator for NHK, known for his passionate commentary style.
NHK, a sports channel in Japan that usually only broadcast national team or World Cup matches, surprisingly televised this Bundesliga match.
Two weeks before the game, NHK started a massive promotional campaign, hoping to attract sufficient viewership with Makoto Hasebe, the Japanese player playing in the Bundesliga.
In 2008, more and more Japanese players were joining European leagues. However, compared to years later, Japanese players at this time were not yet competitive enough. Back then, Junichi Inamoto spent one season at Arsenal before moving to Fulham, Cardiff City, and West Bromwich Albion, his status far from the stable starting full‑back Sun Jihai at Manchester City, or Li Tie, the starting defensive midfielder for Everton, and the Crystal Palace legend Fan Zhiyi.
Later, Shunsuke Nakamura, the midfield core, could only secure a starting spot at Celtic in the Scottish Premiership and lacked sufficient competitiveness in top leagues. Takayuki Morimoto was playing for lower‑mid table teams in Serie A, at best a rotational player. Daisuke Matsui barely held a spot in a Ligue 1 relegation team, and Keisuke Honda was gradually becoming a key starter in the Eredivisie. As for players like Sho Ito and Kenji Fukuda, they almost exclusively played in Europe's second‑tier leagues.
Currently, the only player able to secure a starting position in a top league was Makoto Hasebe, the midfield general for Wolfsburg, a team contending for the Bundesliga title. It was said that he was summoning his compatriot Yoshito Okubo to Wolfsburg, but at this moment, Makoto Hasebe could only face the challenge alone in Germany. His opponent was a young star who had already made a name for himself in the Bundesliga and shone throughout Europe. The "Asian star" after Park Ji‑sung—Jin Hayes.
"This is a long‑anticipated East Asian Derby! Hasebe versus Jin! It's truly an exciting match‑up!" "Let's first look at the starting lineups for both teams!"
Wolfsburg, 4‑4‑2:
Goalkeeper: Diego Benaglio;
Defenders: Peter Pekarík, Andrea Barzagli, Jan Šimůnek, Marcel Schäfer;
Midfielders: Josué, Makoto Hasebe, Christian Gentner, Zvjezdan Misimović;
Forwards: Grafite, Edin Džeko.
Borussia Dortmund, 4‑3‑3:
Goalkeeper: Roman Weidenfeller;
Defenders: Patrick Owomoyela, Neven Subotić, Mats Hummels, Marcel Schmelzer;
Midfielders: Sebastian Kehl, Nuri Şahin, Jin Hayes;
Forwards: Mario Götze, Alexander Frei, Jakub Błaszczykowski.
"Now let's compare the core players of both sides, starting with our Hasebe! Our Hasebe is quite balanced in all aspects of his abilities. He excels more in defence and passing, serving as a commander in the defensive midfield and the team's offensive and defensive pivot.
In his youth, Hasebe was known as a talented attacking midfielder, but unfortunately, in Europe, he has lost his former sharpness and is more of a role player. However, Hasebe has now firmly established himself and is a cornerstone for Wolfsburg's title contention this season."
"His opponent is Jin Hayes—a true all‑round talent, almost perfect—" NHK commentator Junji Ogura's tone was filled with a hint of envy.
Jin Hayes's influence in Germany was something even the Japanese media knew a thing or two about. Anyone who watched European football had likely heard of Jin Hayes's name, and if they watched the Bundesliga, they were certainly familiar with him.
Last season's league assist king, this season he led Borussia Dortmund to defeat strong opponents, becoming the biggest contributor to their top spot in both the Champions League group stage and the league.
His ability was evident from his performance in matches: accurate shooting, able to score crucial goals in various difficult situations; dribbling, his signature skill, Europe's sharpest weapon; speed also impressive, often seen sprinting 80 metres with the ball from the backfield; his passes were always exceptional, how else could he become the assist king; last season his physique might have been fragile, but this season he could hold his own against Pepe; in defence, he often completed interceptions through anticipation.
From the Japanese perspective, a 16‑year‑old Jin Hayes becoming such a formidable player was simply remarkable. Before this "East Asian Derby," fans were praying for Makoto Hasebe.
...
On the pitch, if Jin Hayes saw NHK's evaluation of him, his expression would probably be very strange. His shooting was inconsistent, so how could they rate it as top‑tier just because he scored some difficult goals?
His speed also had a lot of room for improvement. Currently, he could at most rely on muscle strength for quick sprints within 30 metres; if the distance was slightly longer, he would be exhausted.
Not to mention comparing speed with Theo Walcott or Gareth Bale, even against some fast full‑backs in the Bundesliga, Jin Hayes would struggle to win against them, often being caught by full‑backs and having to dribble past them again.
His strength was not yet at maximum level; it was merely temporarily boosted by Steel Body. As for defence, he could at most intercept the ball by anticipating the opponent's movements. If someone used raw speed to beat him, or had too good footwork, Jin Hayes would also find it difficult to tackle.
The Japanese media might have overestimated him.
...
The match had already begun, with the home team Borussia Dortmund kicking off first. Jin Hayes took the ball and dribbled a couple of steps, already encountering his "East Asian Derby" opponent, Makoto Hasebe. Facing this Asian player, Jin Hayes attempted a step‑over to confuse him, gradually closing in to find a breakthrough opportunity.
Makoto Hasebe subconsciously looked at Jin Hayes. Only an Asian player who had played in the Bundesliga could truly understand how difficult it was to establish oneself here. He was once invincible in the J. League, dominating as a highly touted young talent.
He once thought he could come to the Bundesliga and continue to conquer. But after arriving, he found that wasn't the case at all.
What he considered talent was simply not enough in front of these Bundesliga players. So‑called talent was merely the foundation for encountering stronger players.
Within the Wolfsburg team, Grafite alone could easily outplay him. To establish himself in the Bundesliga, Makoto Hasebe could only position himself as a midfield role player, forming an offensive and defensive pivot through defence and passing. His relatively refined passing technique barely satisfied coach Felix Magath, who promoted him to the starting lineup.
But what kind of player was his opponent? At 15, he could already rely on his technical ability in the Bundesliga, and at 16, he was already leading his team in European competitions, continuously crushing multiple giants with large scorelines.
Seeing Jin Hayes, Makoto Hasebe subconsciously felt a bit inferior. In a slight trance, Jin Hayes feinted to the right, deceiving Hasebe's centre of gravity, then changed direction, going around from the left, easily nutmegging him. As he passed Hasebe, Jin Hayes even caught a glimpse of his dazed expression in his peripheral vision.
Too slow.
Makoto Hasebe regained his composure, but Jin Hayes had already brushed past him like a light breeze.
"No way!"
Being so easily tricked by a Chinese player, Makoto Hasebe couldn't maintain his composure. He gritted his teeth, determined, and sprinted back to chase him.
Jin Hayes had already carried the ball past midfield; Mario Götze on the left and Jakub Błaszczykowski on the right were charging forward, and striker Alexander Frei had already made a run to pull away the opposing centre‑back. Currently, the only obstacle in front was Wolfsburg's defensive midfielder, the Brazilian Josué.
Josué saw Makoto Hasebe quickly tracking back and decided that if he could slow down Jin Hayes, they could complete the defensive stop. The Brazilian unhesitatingly launched a sliding tackle, at a tricky angle, aiming to at least take out either the player or the ball. At worst, he could slow Jin Hayes down.
But Jin Hayes, while dribbling, had already been alert to his surroundings. The moment he saw Josué's sliding tackle, he flicked the ball up with his toe, simultaneously juggling it with his knee, and leaped into the air with remarkable agility.
"Incredible!"
Makoto Hasebe was stunned, thinking Josué could at least briefly block him, but the Chinese player had so easily evaded him.
"What a move! Jin Hayes is driving straight through the middle!"
The NHK commentator's voice rose with excitement. This wasn't just a Bundesliga broadcast—it felt like watching something special.
Josué's sliding tackle happened to block Makoto Hasebe's path, and Jin Hayes instantly shook off two pursuers, heading straight for Wolfsburg's heartland.
"Shit!"
Peter Pekarík cursed and rushed out of the penalty area, leaving only his teammate Andrea Barzagli to defend striker Frei. He tried to deal with Jin Hayes himself, not aiming for a tackle, but just hoping to slow down his advance and wait for teammates to support.
Before the match, coach Felix Magath had repeatedly emphasised: "When facing Jin, don't try to be a hero, don't try to tackle him alone. Use an encirclement to force him to the flanks."
Anyone who stuck out a leg to intercept the ball would inevitably be dribbled past. Pekarík kept this in mind, only blocking at the edge of the penalty area line, not rushing to tackle.
Anyway, Jin Hayes can't shoot... What?
With no one defending within three metres of the penalty area, any other midfielder would have already taken a shot. Jin Hayes, of course, couldn't resist the temptation. He had practised shooting for over a season in training; no matter how inconsistent his finishing, it should have some effect, right?
Planting foot distance, perfect; body lean angle, perfect; left arm swing amplitude, perfect; right leg swing amplitude, perfect; waist, thigh, calf exertion, perfect; right foot shape, perfect; point of contact... perfect.
Bang!
Cannon fire.
The football flew towards the goal with thunderous force. Diego Benaglio's heart tightened, and he instantly launched into a save. Both head coaches, Magath and Jürgen Klopp, simultaneously rose from their respective benches.
"No way?"
"Could it be…"
"Beautiful!! Jin!!"
"Could this goal…"
The moment Jin Hayes shot, Götze, Nuri Şahin, Mats Hummels, and other players were all full of anticipation.
"Jin Hayes shoots—"
Duan Xuan's voice cracked; looking at the momentum of the shot, it seemed promising. Fans were all expecting Jin Hayes to score a long‑range goal using conventional means. But at that moment, the ball took a bizarre curve and veered wide.
"Huh?"
Goalkeeper Benaglio was left awkwardly suspended in mid‑air, watching the ball curve around the far post, over Alexander Frei's head. He barely had to make any movement, allowing the ball to hit Frei's head and smash into the net.
The Westfalenstadion was first silent, then erupted in a heaven‑shaking cheer.
"Sigh, still not working?"
Klopp grimaced and shook his head. He had hoped Jin Hayes could shoulder the responsibility of shooting and scoring. But this was fine too; his crucial passing level was still on point. That outside‑of‑the‑foot assist was simply brilliant.
"Fooled again!"
Magath huffed, plopped back into his chair, and crossed his arms.
"Jin—that was an incredible goal!!"
Alexander Frei, who had initially lost confidence, felt as if he had rediscovered the feeling of scoring easy goals from last season. Jin Hayes must have wanted to help him regain his confidence—he must have assisted with a selfless spirit. Otherwise, why wouldn't he take the perfect long‑range shot himself? Even if his shooting was inconsistent, it should at least hit the target, right?
"Jin!! Thank you so much!!"
Frei simply squatted down and hoisted Jin Hayes onto his shoulders to celebrate, and teammates rushed over to join the revelry.
"Sigh, how did it turn into an outside‑of‑the‑foot pass?"
Jin Hayes was caught between laughter and tears. It was clearly a full instep shot with power just now, but perhaps at the moment of shooting, he subconsciously lacked confidence, and his foot contact was slightly off. Otherwise, it made no sense. He had to admit, sacrificing shooting ability was truly frustrating.
Carried on his teammates' shoulders, like a king receiving the adoration of 80,000 people in the entire Westfalenstadion, receiving the cheers and applause of all the yellow and black fans, Jin Hayes saw all this from his elevated perspective. Suddenly, he no longer cared whether he scored himself.
"Just tell me if we can win, who cares about the rest."
However, witnessing the Borussia Dortmund players huddled together in celebration, watching Jin Hayes, the "king" of this stadium, being worshipped by tens of thousands, watching him become a darling of the Germans within two weeks—Makoto Hasebe's illusion shattered.
What "East Asian Derby"? There was no such thing at all.
Two players who were not on the same level—how could that be called a derby?
***
A lot of China glaze but I toned it down as much as I could. I hope it's acceptable.