After repeated verification on the training ground, Jin Hayes finally reached a conclusion. His guess was correct. The price of a perfect free kick was indeed 'Mental Strength'.
To be precise, it wasn't just direct free kicks. Jin Hayes could achieve 100% accuracy on any set piece, including penalties and corners. Before taking the shot, Jin Hayes could preset the effect of the ball in his mind.
Whether it was a curved ball into the top corner, a knuckleball strike, or a powerful piledriver, he only needed to visualise the entire set-piece process in detail. Then, he could replicate it with precision in reality. The more detailed the mental rehearsal, the higher the probability of a goal.
In the last match against Schalke 04, Jin Hayes had preset his free kick trajectory right before taking the shot. The result perfectly overlapped with his preset without the slightest deviation, but the entire rehearsal process drained Jin Hayes's mental strength immensely.
The higher the difficulty of the free kick and the more perfect the quality of the shot, the more mental strength it consumed. The moment he scored that free kick last time, Jin Hayes felt as if he had stayed awake for 24 consecutive hours, pulling a complete all-nighter; his head felt swollen during the day, and he had a groggy, dazed sensation.
In this state, it was difficult for him to maintain enough focus on the pitch, making it naturally impossible for him to be effective.
The good news was that the price of the third awakening wasn't permanent like the first two. It was a time-limited debuff. He just needed a good night's sleep, and the next day Jin Hayes would still be full of energy and as sharp as ever.
Of course, Jin Hayes still needed more trials to accumulate data and experience. Specifically, under the debuff state, what was the proportional relationship between rest time and his own condition? Could the impact of the debuff be reduced through training? Jin Hayes would have to wait to slowly draw those conclusions.
In short, at least for now, free kicks could not be considered a regular weapon. Otherwise, he could just dribble to draw a foul and then fire off a series of free kicks in the final third. Even peak Barcelona wouldn't be able to handle it and would be humiliated in minutes—how would that even be fun anymore!
"It's a pity I can't enjoy being an unbeatable figure on the pitch." Regretful as he was, Jin Hayes quickly accepted the fact. For now, he would treat free kicks as his ultimate move, to be brought out at critical moments to seal the deal.
If the match was too intense and had already consumed enough mental strength, he might not be able to kick a perfect free kick, leading to a failure to score; or perhaps he'd score a perfect free kick at the start to lead 1-0, but then, due to his poor condition, the opponent would score three goals in a row to turn the game around. These were all possibilities.
Exactly when to use it, and whether to use it, required Jin Hayes to make on-the-spot judgments based on the situation of the match, which was a great test of his ability to read the game.
"Having one more lethal weapon in the arsenal is better than nothing."
Even after Borussia Dortmund defeated Schalke 04, they still couldn't pull away from Wolfsburg. Felix Magath's team had been cutting through opponents like vegetables, surprisingly achieving a 10-game winning streak. The gap between the two sides remained a very delicate 3 points. At the post-match press conference after Wolfsburg's 1-0 victory over Karlsruhe, Magath declared war on Borussia Dortmund from afar.
"We have never withdrawn from the title race. Until the final moment of the season, it's impossible to know who will emerge victorious. Now Wolfsburg has a complete squad with a reasonable lineup, and every player is maintaining good form. I feel our combat effectiveness is stronger than some unbalanced lineups that rely on the efforts of individual players." The so-called "unbalanced lineups that rely on the efforts of individual players" was clearly aimed at Borussia Dortmund.
More than one media outlet was talking about Borussia Dortmund's problem: over-reliance on their young talent. Bild pointed out after the Ruhr Derby: "Jin made some mistakes in the second half, which shows that the young man has reached his limit. Borussia Dortmund has no choice but to keep his attendance as high as possible during this dense schedule—whether this will squeeze the form out of the young player remains to be seen. But we can already see some signs of instability."
Before the second leg of the Champions League knockout stage between Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal at home, Jürgen Klopp even approached Jin Hayes for a private talk with some concern. "Jin, do you want the medical team to check for any hidden issues again? Are you really sure you're okay?"
"Coach, don't believe those media lies. I can definitely start." Jin Hayes was exasperated. How could even Klopp be influenced by the media?
"Are you sure?"
"Don't worry. If I feel I'm not fit for the match, I will definitely bring it up. After all, it's my own career, and I'm responsible for it."
"That's good then—" Klopp breathed a sigh of relief. Jin Hayes was indeed reassuring enough, even a bit too easy to manage.
Before signing with Borussia Dortmund last season, Jürgen Klopp had been a bit worried about Jin Hayes. Players who become famous at a young age are usually troublemakers, thinking they are invincible and acting recklessly, yet they are pampered by fans and the club. Coaches can't do anything about them. If a star player and a coach clash, it's usually the coach who has a hard time.
As it turned out, Klopp's worries were unnecessary. Jin Hayes was simply the most mature 16-year-old kid he had ever seen. Talking to him always felt like an equal exchange with a seasoned professional in his thirties. Klopp often found himself wondering if all young talents from that part of the world were this composed, or if Jin Hayes was simply an exception.
Once he was sure Jin Hayes was fine, Klopp put him in the starting lineup without hesitation. The upcoming match against Arsenal would be another tough battle. With a score of 3-3, anything could happen.
...
"Why does it feel like Dortmund is just a village? It's far inferior to London."
"How many cities in the world are bigger than London?"
"True enough."
The bus drove through the streets of Dortmund. The Arsenal players visiting Germany looked curiously at the street scenes outside; this was their first time in Dortmund. In history, Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund had only met in the 2002-2003 Champions League. That group of players was long gone.
Core players like Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, and Ashley Cole had left the team one after another. Only manager Arsène Wenger and starting centre-back Kolo Touré were still with the team. Touré had long forgotten the situation back then.
Wenger still remembered it was the 02/03 Champions League group stage; Arsenal beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 with goals from Dennis Bergkamp and Freddie Ljungberg. In the second leg at Westfalen, Borussia Dortmund scored two goals, Nwankwo Kanu helped Arsenal pull one back, and they eventually lost 3-2 to Borussia Dortmund. The atmosphere of the Westfalen 'Hell' home ground was still fresh in Wenger's memory.
"Hopefully tomorrow—God bless."
For this pitch adaptation training, the bus drove to the Westfalen Stadium. On the exterior of the west side of the stadium, there was a huge player poster. In the picture, Jin Hayes had his arms crossed, his eyes flashing with the conviction of victory, his presence commanding attention.
"Jin really is quite handsome."
"He's so popular here. I see many fans wearing the number 10."
"This kid has really made it."
"He earned it with his skills. How can you say he just 'made it'?"
The Arsenal players inadvertently started discussing Jin Hayes.
This left Wenger with mixed feelings.
If only he had been firmer back then, if only he had used his resignation to force the board to appeal, maybe they could have applied for the Special Talent Clause. If Jin Hayes had obtained a work permit, he would definitely have had a place in the squad.
With Arsenal's lineup plus Jin Hayes's attacking power in the final third, Wenger really would have had hope of returning to the invincible form of those years. Manchester United, Chelsea—they'd all have to step aside. The Champions League would also be within reach. What a pity...
Wenger leaned back in his seat, feeling somewhat melancholy. Fortunately, he quickly pulled himself together and directed the team's warm-up training on the pitch.
"Speed up the passing rhythm, faster!"
"Cesc!! Don't hog the ball, look up early!"
"Robin!! Pay attention to your teammates' positions!"
"Where's the movement? How many times have I said it? Move after passing! Why are you still standing there?"
Wenger's roars echoed frequently on the pitch, and the Arsenal players looked at each other. Why had Wenger become so irritable? It seemed the pressure for tomorrow's match was truly immense.
At the Dortmund Training Base, the situation was much the same. Klopp was like an angry bear, storming over to Mario Götze with large strides.
"Mario? Do you know how to pass? Did you look at your teammates' positions? Do you play like this in a match too?"
"I, I—" Götze's youthful face turned red; the kid was almost in tears.
"Alright, alright. It's normal for a forward to take a shot. You guys continue the offensive and defensive drills."
Assistant coach Željko Buvač quickly pulled Klopp away. "Jürgen, what's going on?"
"Sorry, the pressure has been a bit high lately. Help me apologize to Mario later."
"I won't. If you want to apologize, go yourself."
"You—" Klopp gritted his teeth.
The pressure of the league, the Champions League, the team's form, and injuries were almost making Klopp suffocate. Only now did he realise what it felt like to be a manager in the top flight. It was much easier back in the 2. Bundesliga with Mainz. "What about tomorrow?"
"Don't worry. Jin's training form is very good. Let him perform."
"Listen—" Klopp looked at Jin Hayes, who was dribbling and breaking through with ease in the middle of the pitch, and suddenly had an illusion. It seemed like he, as the coach, didn't have much significance; whether the team won or not depended entirely on Jin Hayes.
After strengthening the squad with new signings next season, perhaps he could design a more reasonable and effective tactical system. One that both utilised Jin Hayes's advantages and integrated him organically with the team. That would be the complete form of Borussia Dortmund. With Borussia Dortmund's current level, they were at most a Champions League quarter-finalist. For this season, this was all they could do.
"If we have to rely on the kid, so be it. As long as we win." Champions League Round of 16, the decisive second leg. The nerves of both Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal had been stretched to the limit.