Chapter 254: Turning the Tide
At the 55th minute, Guidolin finally couldn't sit still any longer and sent Bruno to warm up.
In reality, the Udinese coach had considered making a substitution at halftime, but changing players at halftime can be a psychological blow to the substituted player. This is why Guidolin refrained from making the change earlier. Substitutions in the first half without injury are seen as a humiliation, while halftime changes can feel like placing the blame. Either way, it can impact the player's morale.
At the 60th minute, during a break in play, Bruno stood on the sidelines and replaced Marquinho. The Brazilian midfielder was initially brought in as Bruno's backup, but today's game showed that he was not an adequate substitute for Bruno.
Bruno's entry onto the field immediately put the 42,000 Verona fans on edge. Verona's coach Mandorlini knew the threat Bruno posed and continuously shouted instructions to his players, reminding them to closely mark Bruno and not give him any space.
Greco was the first to face Bruno and was most troubled by it. He wasn't confident, not knowing how best to defend against him. If he stood too close, Bruno could easily evade him; if he stood too far, Bruno might seize the opportunity to get the ball.
Udinese's response was the opposite of Verona's. Bruno's return to the pitch lifted the team's spirits, giving them a focal point for their tactics. With thirty minutes left, equalizing or even reversing the score was still possible. Moreover, everyone could feel that Verona's energy had significantly waned after an hour of high-intensity pressing.
...
The ball quickly returned to Udinese's possession. Bruno moved to the left side of the penalty arc, raising his hand to signal for the ball. Iturra promptly passed the ball to Bruno's feet.
Bruno, always aware of the defenders, received the ball with his right foot, made a quick adjustment, and feigned a shot. Greco, who had been marking Marquinho, was unprepared for Bruno's movement. Seeing Bruno about to shoot, he rushed to block.
But Bruno didn't shoot. Instead, he shifted the ball further inside and then struck. The ball flew past Greco towards the bottom right corner of the goal, with a noticeable bounce.
Verona's goalkeeper Rafael was distracted by Bruno and Greco's movements, not expecting Bruno to change his mind and shoot after an additional step inside. The shot was precise, targeting the bottom right corner. Rafael's dive was too late, and the ball hit the net.
1-1!
"GOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!"
"Just one minute after coming on, with his first touch, Bruno has equalized for Udinese. It's unbelievable!"
"He's like an unstoppable scoring machine, with Verona's defenders looking like mere obstacles he easily bypassed."
...
After scoring, Bruno didn't rush to celebrate but quickly retrieved the ball and ran to the center line, high-fiving his teammates along the way. He had been studying Verona's defense from the sidelines and knew their tactics inside out.
Marquinho sat on the bench, dumbfounded as he watched Bruno run back, unable to believe his eyes. He had struggled so much against Greco, who now seemed helpless against Bruno. It was a huge blow to Marquinho's confidence. As a Brazilian, he had always believed in his abilities, but today's game showed him a level of skill and impact he hadn't imagined.
Anyone watching the game might have thought Greco had suddenly become weak or was playing poorly on purpose, but Marquinho knew it wasn't Greco being weak; it was Bruno being incredibly strong. He had neutralized all of Greco's potential responses.
This goal was a massive psychological blow to Greco, who had been performing well until then.
...
"Udinese has the ball again."
"Iturra moves forward and passes to the left."
"Bruno receives the ball on the left corner of the penalty area, slips past Greco, and cuts inside…"
"Beautiful! Bruno shifts direction again, squeezing through between Greco and Marcos, and enters the penalty area…"
"A fantastic solo effort!"
"Bruno is in the box, crosses to the center, Di Natale…"
"Goal!!!"
"GOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!"
"Udinese takes the lead in the 67th minute!"
"Bruno! Since coming on, Bruno has scored one and assisted another!"
"We can clearly see how crucial Bruno is to Udinese from this game!"
"Verona's defenders, Greco and Marcos, couldn't stop him, allowing Bruno to break through and dismantle their entire defense."
"Morais is understandably frustrated, kicking the ball into the net out of anger. Verona's defense against Bruno seems like paper compared to earlier."
Mandorlini was visibly frustrated, running his hand through his hair and heading back to the bench. He knew immediate adjustments were needed.
Within ten minutes of Bruno entering the field, Udinese had turned the game around, scoring twice. Verona's intense first-hour pressing had taken a toll on their stamina.
Mandorlini quickly called Eros Pisano, a 28-year-old defender loaned from Palermo last winter who had performed well for Verona. Mandorlini hoped Pisano could strengthen their defense and ideally contain Bruno's impact.
He substituted the attacking Brazilian midfielder Matuzalem, replacing him with the defender Pisano. This defensive move was necessary given Verona's situation. Mandorlini knew from earlier matches, especially against Lazio, that their team could crumble in the final minutes. Against a potent attacking side like Udinese, he couldn't afford to take risks.
Mandorlini's strategy was clear: prioritize defense to avoid further collapse and wait for counter-attacking opportunities.
...
But just as Mandorlini prepared the substitution, the game took another turn. In the 72nd minute, Udinese launched another attack. Bruno, facing Greco and Marcos, feigned an inside cut before flicking the ball outside, accelerating past them.
"A brilliant split move…"
Bruno sprinted past Verona's defense, catching up to the ball near the left side of the penalty area, and crossed low. Di Natale anticipated the pass, heading it home from close range, 3-1!
"Another comeback! Udinese has done it again, turning a deficit into a lead!"
"From 0-1 to 3-1 in just twelve minutes!"
"Verona can't keep up with Udinese's tempo. Can they stabilize?"
"Mandorlini makes a change, bringing Pisano on for Matuzalem, switching from a 4-3-3 to a 5-3-2 formation."
"This defensive adjustment shows Mandorlini's awareness of the problem."
...
Despite the comeback, Udinese didn't let up. Guidolin substituted Teodorczyk for Iturra, a bold move showing their intent to push forward.
Shortly after the substitution, the game changed again. In the 77th minute, Udinese intercepted the ball in midfield, quickly countering with a long pass to the left. Bruno chased it down, heading towards the penalty area. Greco, in a desperate attempt, slid in from behind, bringing down Bruno outside the box.
The harsh challenge sent Bruno rolling on the pitch, alarming Udinese's players. Di Natale and teammates rushed over, with the captain furiously pushing Greco and yelling at him for the rough tackle. Verona's players also crowded around to support Greco, leading to a heated confrontation.
The referee stepped in, signaling for Udinese's medical staff to enter and showing Greco a red card, sending him off.
"Verona's players are losing their composure! Especially Greco, whose reckless challenge might lead to further punishment. This was a very irrational foul. But Udinese and Bruno must learn to protect themselves."
"In just over ten minutes, Bruno has transformed the game, leading Udinese to three goals. This has frustrated Verona, leading to harsh tackles."
"Let's hope Bruno isn't seriously injured."
...
As Bruno was stretchered off, Udinese's staff and players gathered around. They saw blood covering Bruno's right shin, staining his sock, but the medical staff indicated it wasn't too serious, just a cut.
"It looks worse than it is, just a surface wound," the medical staff reassured Guidolin.
Bruno sat up, seeing the cut wasn't deep, just a scrape. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"I saw him coming, but didn't expect him to be so aggressive," Bruno chuckled.
"He probably didn't mean it, or you'd be in worse shape," the medic replied.
Guidolin decided to replace Bruno with Badu. With the score at 3-1 and Verona down to ten men, it was safer to protect their star player from further harm.
So, Badu came on for Bruno. In just 19 minutes, Bruno had orchestrated Udinese's three goals.
...
Udinese continued to pressure Verona, with Felipe, Cancelo, and Verona's Marcos and Hallfredsson all receiving yellow cards. Cancelo almost got into a scuffle over the earlier tackle on Bruno.
But the score remained unchanged, with Udinese winning 3-1 after trailing 0-1.
At the post-match press conference, Guidolin criticized Greco's foul as a dangerous, unnecessary tackle.
"Our medical staff managed to stop the bleeding, but we need further tests to assess the injury. It looks serious," Guidolin said, visibly upset.
If Bruno were at the press conference, he'd have applauded Guidolin's performance. His exaggerated concern was tactical, ensuring future opponents knew Udinese would not tolerate such fouls.
By dramatizing the injury, Guidolin protected his player and sent a message to other teams not to target Bruno with dangerous tackles.
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