Chapter 250: Balotelli (No Offense to Anyone with This Chapter Number)
After practicing free kicks for over two years, Bruno has significantly improved, scoring several goals from set-pieces, although he has rarely scored from long-range free kicks. Today, playing against AC Milan, Udinese was very confident, which made Bruno want to try a long-range free kick as a way to challenge himself and add some excitement to the game.
No matter how realistic the simulations in training, they can never match the thrill and pressure of an actual match. This kind of challenge is the best motivation for Bruno. He slowly retreated, keeping his eyes on the goal, patiently seeking that almost intangible feeling—a sense that can only be developed through long-term, continuous practice.
All eyes in the stadium were on him, watching his every move. The referee set up the scene, and since the distance was quite far, AC Milan did not put up a dense wall, focusing more on marking the other Udinese players. Udinese's players did their best to cooperate with Bruno.
As the referee blew the whistle, the Udinese players moved quickly to distract the defenders. Bruno took a deep breath, rushed forward, and kicked the ball with his right foot.
The roar of the Udinese fans was overwhelming, yet the thud of Bruno's kick was still audible.
"Ah, Bruno goes for the direct free kick..."
The ball flew swiftly from Bruno's foot, with a low arc, just over the head of the farthest AC Milan player. Spanish goalkeeper Diego López watched it closely, ready to make his move. The ball was fast and stable, without much swerve. López thought, "It's a quality free kick, but I'll save it!"
Feeling confident due to the distance, López was sure he had enough time to judge the ball's trajectory and react. He felt strongly that he would at least deflect the ball if not catch it. But as he dived, the ball suddenly dipped, an almost imperceptible change that threw López off. His hands missed, and the ball slipped underneath him into the net.
Goal!
"Goal!!!"
"It went in!!!"
"Oh my God, a 36-meter direct free kick, and it went in!!!"
"Bruno! From Bruno, a long-range missile that pierced AC Milan's goal!"
The stadium erupted in shock and cheers. Bruno himself was initially in disbelief, only certain of the good contact he made. He watched Diego López dive, but it wasn't clear if the save was successful until he saw the ball in the net. Then, pure joy overwhelmed him.
He sprinted along the sidelines, arms wide like an airplane, basking in the roar of over 40,000 Udinese fans chanting his name, celebrating the spectacular free kick.
...
"Did you see that? He actually scored it!"
Fans around the world watching the live broadcast erupted in cheers.
It was unbelievable! Thirty-six meters from goal, and from a tough angle, yet Bruno nailed it. This goal marked another skill Bruno had mastered—free kicks!
While he had scored free kicks before, they were mostly from around twenty meters. But this one, from thirty-six meters, was a testament to his skill.
"Oh my God, the quality of this goal is phenomenal."
"The replay shows just how fast it was, and it dipped right near the goal, a signature technique Bruno learned from Juninho."
"Unbelievable, a 36-meter missile!"
"This free kick was not only precise but also incredibly fast, with a late dip that deceived Diego López."
"Defenders in Serie A must be dreading this. Bruno was already dangerous with his dribbling, precise crosses, and shooting. Now, even his free kicks are top-notch. This free kick alone puts him among the top free-kick takers in Europe."
"Bruno really has no weaknesses now."
"Not 'almost'—he truly has no weaknesses. And he's very fit, rarely injured, and incredibly disciplined in training. He's a nightmare for defenders."
Every team would love to have a player as versatile as Bruno. Which defender would want to face such a comprehensive attacker? It's a nightmare!
...
Just two minutes in, Bruno's stunning long-range free kick gave Udinese a surprising lead against AC Milan. But Milan, being a top-tier team, quickly regrouped and launched a counterattack.
Mario Balotelli, freshly loaned back to Milan, seemed particularly motivated by Bruno's goal. In the 6th minute, Balotelli was fouled by Badu, giving Milan a free kick about 26 meters from goal.
Balotelli grabbed the ball, clearly intent on taking the kick himself. Known for his free-kick prowess, no one contested him. Balotelli took his shot, a powerful banana kick that curved over the wall and into the near corner past Karnezis.
The Friuli stadium fell silent, then erupted in boos and shouts as Balotelli provocatively celebrated his goal. Bruno, however, remained unfazed by Balotelli's antics, recognizing the quality of the shot even if it wasn't as impressive as his own.
...
Balotelli's stunning free kick tied the game, boosting Milan's morale and leading to a relentless assault on Udinese. In the 10th minute, Montolivo's through ball found Bonaventura, who chest-trapped and volleyed it into the net, making it 2-1.
Conceding two goals in under five minutes left Udinese reeling. Milan pressed on, dominating the match, but fortunately for Udinese, the score remained 2-1 as luck favored them.
After thirty minutes, Milan's momentum slowed, and Udinese began to regain control, launching attacks on Milan's goal. However, by injury time, the score was still 2-1, with Udinese trailing.
Just as it seemed they would enter halftime down a goal, Milan scored again. In injury time, Bonaventura's corner found former Udinese player Cristian Zapata, who headed it into the net from 11 meters out.
3-1!
The Friuli stadium was left in stunned silence.
(End of Chapter)
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