Chapter 255: All's Fair in Love and War
On the afternoon of October 19th, Central European Time, FIFA announced the 23-man shortlist for the 2015 Ballon d'Or. Surprisingly, despite reaching the Champions League final, Udinese and Juventus only had two and one players nominated, respectively.
From the Champions League-winning Udinese squad, captain Di Natale and midfield maestro Bruno Fernandes made the list, while Juventus had only Paul Pogba nominated. In contrast, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich, who were eliminated in the semifinals, each had five players nominated.
This shortlist sparked considerable controversy. In a year without a major international tournament, having only three players from the two Champions League finalist teams seemed absurd, leading to widespread questioning of the credibility of the FIFA Ballon d'Or. Additionally, the ongoing FIFA scandal further tarnished the organization's authority.
...
Both teams' starting players lined up in the tunnel, ready to enter the pitch. Di Natale hugged Naldo, the veteran Brazilian defender who played for Udinese during the 2013-2014 season before moving to Wolfsburg on a free transfer.
As Dieter Hecking walked through the tunnel, the camera focused on him. When he passed Bruno Fernandes, who was using crutches the previous day, he stopped and glanced at Bruno. Now, Bruno had discarded the crutches and appeared perfectly fine. Hecking realized they had fallen for Guidolin's bluff.
All the talk about a severe injury and being out for at least a month was false. To make matters worse, media outlets had captured Bruno using crutches on three separate occasions from yesterday to today. It was utterly shameless.
It's just a Champions League group stage match; was this level of deception necessary?
Emerging from the tunnel, Hecking spotted Guidolin.
"Quite the coincidence, Mr. Hecking," Guidolin greeted him with a broad smile.
Coincidence, my foot! Hecking glared at Guidolin and sarcastically replied, "Hello there, Mr. Director."
"I knew you'd misunderstand," Guidolin said, putting on a contrite expression. "Believe it or not, this morning, the medical team checked Bruno and guess what?"
Hecking stared coldly.
"He's healed! Bruno made a miraculous recovery just in time for the game!" Guidolin exclaimed, feigning disbelief in his own luck.
Hecking felt an urge to smack Guidolin with his shoe. "Tricks won't win you the game. We'll see," Hecking muttered, shaking Guidolin's outstretched hand before turning away.
Guidolin smirked inwardly. Ever heard of "All's fair in love and war"?
...
Amidst the deafening roar of the crowd, the players took to the field. The cameras focused intently on Bruno Fernandes, trying to gauge his condition from his facial expressions. After being subbed off due to an injury against Verona, Udinese had announced that their vice-captain was severely injured and would be out for a long time. Even as the team traveled to Germany, media captured Bruno with crutches, reinforcing the narrative of a serious injury.
However, when Udinese revealed their starting lineup that afternoon, Bruno was listed among the starters. The whole world realized they had been deceived by Udinese and Bruno.
Bruno maintained a calm demeanor. As one of the most scrutinized players in football, he had mastered the art of concealing his emotions and controlling his expressions.
"Let's look at the starting lineups," the commentator said.
Wolfsburg (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: 1 BenaglioDefenders: 15 Träsch, 18 Dante, 25 Naldo, 34 Ricardo RodríguezMidfielders: 22 Gustavo, 23 GuilavoguiForwards: 7 Caligiuri, 10 Draxler, 11 Max KruseStriker: 12 Dost
Udinese (starting lineup):
Goalkeeper: 31 KarnezisDefenders: 89 Piris, 5 Danilo, 3 Maguire, 2 CanceloMidfielders: 27 Widmer, 6 Iturra, 7 Badu, 8 Bruno Fernandes, 4 AdnanForwards: 10 Di Natale, 77 Thereau
"And there's a big surprise, Bruno is starting! Clearly, Guidolin's previous statements were a smokescreen," the commentator chuckled.
...
Di Natale lost the coin toss to Wolfsburg captain Benaglio, so the home team Wolfsburg chose the side, and Udinese got the kick-off.
"Good result," Guidolin nodded. "We have the initiative."
Portoluchi glanced at Guidolin, saying nothing. If Di Natale had won the coin toss, Guidolin would have said they scored the first goal. Losing the coin toss and getting the kick-off was now called having the initiative. Either way, Guidolin had his reasoning.
From the start, Udinese took control. Using the kick-off to their advantage, they kept possession firmly, knowing the match at Volkswagen Arena would be a tough battle.
Guidolin had drilled into his players the importance of patience. Hence, Udinese didn't rush to attack but instead maintained possession, passing and moving, slowly wearing down the home team.
Wolfsburg, experienced and prepared, began the game by tightening their defense, focusing on solidifying their backline before launching attacks.
Before the match, Hecking had sternly warned his players of the grueling battle ahead, stressing the importance of fighting till the last second. This was the first time he explicitly told his players that Udinese was their direct competitor.
...
"Hecking looks puzzled," the commentator noted.
He noticed that Bruno, who should be positioned behind the two forwards based on the Verona game strategy, was playing deeper, almost like a deep-lying playmaker.
"Bruno is playing deeper today, almost like a holding midfielder, reminiscent of Milan's playmaker Pirlo," the commentator said.
"Yes, it's very similar. At Milan, Pirlo had Gattuso protecting him. Today, Bruno has Badu," another commentator added.
The camera zoomed in on the Udinese bench, catching Guidolin with a satisfied smile. This was the tactical shift he had planned. If Bruno's injury was a smokescreen, his position switch was an even bigger surprise.
Guidolin knew that Hecking had likely analyzed Udinese's previous games thoroughly. He wasn't foolish enough to use the same tactics repeatedly. Bruno's deeper role opened up numerous new tactical variations.
With Badu providing cover, Bruno orchestrated from the middle. Adnan and Widmer on the wings had distinct styles, one focusing on speed and the other on precise passing. This setup provided ample support for forwards Di Natale and Thereau.
...
Bruno received the ball in midfield, with Gustavo closing in. With a quick half-turn and feint, Bruno shed his marker and passed to Widmer, who returned the ball to Bruno. This time, Bruno passed back to Widmer before continuing his forward run, setting up a one-two.
"Mark him!" Benaglio commanded the defense.
Guilavogui tracked Bruno, but Widmer, ignoring the space created by Bruno's movement, delivered a long cross-field pass to the opposite side.
"A beautiful cross-field switch!"
Bruno and Widmer's interplay on the right had drawn Wolfsburg's defense, leaving Adnan open on the left.
Adnan controlled the ball beautifully and sprinted down the wing. Träsch moved to intercept, with Gustavo closing in for support. Adnan passed inside to Bruno, who feigned a pass to the right, causing Rodríguez to pull back towards Widmer.
But Bruno faked the pass and sent the ball left. Adnan acted to receive it but let it go through to an onrushing Cancelo.
"Cover him!"
"Stop him!"
Bruno's feint, Adnan's dummy, and Cancelo's run had Wolfsburg's defense scrambling.
...
Cancelo sprinted down the left, passing inside when Dante approached. Adnan received the ball near the edge of the box and passed to Bruno, who then found Widmer with a diagonal ball before moving forward for a one-two.
Wolfsburg's players weren't fools and knew they couldn't allow such simple combinations near their box. Guilavogui stuck to Bruno while Rodríguez closed in on Widmer.
Widmer passed inside to Thereau, who held the ball up and backheeled it into the box.
At the same time, Widmer continued his run into the penalty area, and if he reached the ball first, he would have a clear shot on goal.
"One-on-one!" the commentator exclaimed. No one expected Udinese, who had been patient with their build-up, to suddenly spring such a well-executed move, breaking Wolfsburg's defense wide open.
Naldo rushed in, while Rodríguez came from behind, seemingly set to intercept Widmer before he could threaten.
"Widmer is surrounded!"
Naldo blocked Widmer's shot angle, and Rodríguez's pressure left Widmer with no time to adjust.
Instead of shooting, Widmer chipped the ball over the defense, curving it around Benaglio and into the path of Di Natale at the far post.
...
"Di Natale! He's completely unmarked…"
None of Wolfsburg's defenders, not even Benaglio, noticed Di Natale's position. It wasn't a defensive lapse; they had simply prioritized stopping Widmer.
Naldo's block left Widmer without a shooting angle, a successful defensive move. In such a scenario, Widmer didn't seem capable of threatening the goal. Given Widmer's position, a pass to the nearby Thereau seemed more likely, who had Dante marking him.
No one expected Widmer to delicately chip the ball to the far post, where Di Natale awaited unmarked. With most of the goal open, Di Natale easily controlled the ball with his chest and volleyed it into the net.
...
"Thereau! With a backheel!"
"Widmer! Crosses! Beautiful!"
"Di Natale! Shoots!"
"GOOOOOAAAAAL! Udinese scores!"
"1-0! Di Natale puts Udinese ahead!"
"1-0, and the goal seemed so easy, as Wolfsburg's defense was completely breached."
"Adnan, Bruno, Widmer, Thereau, Widmer, Di Natale!" the commentator excitedly listed.
"All of Udinese's attacking stars were involved in the play, showcasing seamless teamwork and leaving Wolfsburg's defense in tatters."
Udinese fans at Volkswagen Arena erupted in cheers, while the players celebrated with Di Natale at the corner flag.
Wolfsburg's players stood stunned, unable to believe they had conceded so early. They had defended with full effort and yet found themselves down within five minutes.
Their defense, despite their best efforts, had been outclassed, leaving them bewildered and demoralized.
(End of Chapter)
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