Chapter 286: Taking Control
Bruno had been staying behind the scenes, carefully observing Arsenal's defensive positions and his relatively unfamiliar opponent, Coquelin. Previously, Özil would occasionally come up to defend when Bruno received the ball, but now he seemed indifferent. Coquelin, on the other hand, focused more on the active Immobile, even though Immobile hadn't made a significant impact since the start of the game.
After eight minutes of observation, Bruno finally decided to take charge and lead the team. Immobile was just a decoy to mislead the opponents into thinking Bruno would only focus on defense while Immobile was the actual playmaker. But that wasn't the case.
When Udinese attacked again, Bruno signaled for the ball at midfield. Di Natale, seeing Bruno asking for the ball for the first time in the match, knew what he was planning and passed the ball back without hesitation. As Bruno received the ball, Coquelin's attention remained on the moving Immobile, who was also signaling for the ball, reinforcing Arsenal's assumption that Immobile was the core player.
Bruno made a move as if to pass to Immobile, causing Coquelin to move towards Immobile and leave the center open. But just before kicking the ball, Bruno pulled back, faking a pass, and pushed the ball forward instead. He was ready to charge straight through the middle.
Coquelin, realizing too late, turned back to intercept Bruno. As Coquelin approached, Bruno used the outside of his foot to pass the ball to the now wide Immobile. After passing, Bruno didn't stop but accelerated forward, aiming for a one-two with Immobile. Coquelin didn't follow Bruno but covered for center-back Koscielny, who had stepped out to challenge Immobile, leaving a gap that Coquelin had to fill.
Immobile passed the ball between Koscielny and Coquelin towards Bruno. Arsenal's other center-back, German captain Mertesacker, stepped up to intercept Bruno, knowing he couldn't allow him to receive the ball, fearing either a shot or a pass back to Immobile.
Di Natale, positioned diagonally ahead of Bruno, appeared ready to receive the ball. Immobile continued his run, seemingly setting up a one-two with Bruno. However, instead of receiving the pass, Bruno let the ball go through his legs, surprising everyone, including Mertesacker.
Mertesacker hadn't anticipated this move and watched as the ball passed by him, looking over his shoulder to see Di Natale, number ten, running into the open space. Mertesacker felt a chill of realization.
"Antonio Di Natale! He receives the ball in the box, and shoots!" The commentators and fans were on edge. Arsenal's goalkeeper, Petr Čech, made a spectacular save, tipping the ball just wide of the post.
"A brilliant save by Petr Čech! The most dangerous chance so far comes from Udinese! Di Natale's shot almost gave the visitors the lead!" Mertesacker, relieved yet contemplative, glanced at Bruno, who stood with his hands on his head in disappointment. It was a beautiful play and but for Čech's save, Arsenal would be trailing at home.
He suddenly realized that the whole idea of Immobile being the core was a ruse. Bruno had always been the true playmaker for Udinese.
"Bruno passes to Immobile and runs forward… Immobile passes back… a one-two play? No! Bruno lets the ball through! Di Natale is in the box! He shoots! Čech saves it! An outstanding display of attacking and defending!"
The commentators and fans were ecstatic, but the players felt differently. Udinese's players were disappointed; Arsenal's players were shaken. Di Natale, with his hands on his head, regretted the missed opportunity. Bruno, initially raising his arms to celebrate, now crossed them behind his head, clearly dismayed.
Bruno had hoped that this beautifully coordinated attack would allow Di Natale to score, giving Udinese an early lead and boosting team morale. Despite the missed chance, Di Natale turned to Bruno, giving him a thumbs up to acknowledge the clever dummy.
When Koscielny stepped up to challenge Immobile and Bruno made his run, Di Natale anticipated that Mertesacker would also step up to challenge Bruno. This left Di Natale an opportunity to exploit the space left behind.
The difficulty was that he couldn't call for the ball, which would attract Arsenal's attention. He had to rely on Immobile to pass towards Bruno and Bruno to intuitively let the ball through. This coordination required a high level of understanding.
Di Natale appreciated Bruno's dummy but couldn't help asking why Bruno had let the ball through.
"Instinct and chemistry," Bruno replied, a response that Di Natale liked. Udinese earned a corner, and Bruno, the team's best set-piece taker, stepped up. Despite not blaming Di Natale for missing the chance, Bruno felt the missed opportunity keenly, thinking that an early goal would have proven to his teammates that defeating Arsenal wasn't just a dream.
Shaking his head slightly, Bruno prepared for the corner. Udinese's corner didn't pose a significant threat to Arsenal. Di Natale leapt high but headed over the bar. Čech waved it off without even jumping.
As the team ran back, Immobile faced Bruno, silently asking, "Who's organizing this match?" Bruno pointed to himself, saying, "For now, it's me." Immobile nodded in agreement.
Having spent over a month with Bruno, Immobile didn't always listen to other teammates, not even captain Di Natale. But he rarely opposed Bruno's decisions. Guidolin's strategy to integrate Immobile into the team by having Bruno mentor him had paid off, developing a strong rapport between them.
Not only did Bruno help Immobile integrate, but the more Immobile saw Bruno's skills in training and matches, the more he admired him. Bruno, despite claiming he wasn't a genius, showcased world-class skills and football intelligence, such as instinctively knowing to let the ball through to Di Natale.
Immobile felt that Bruno's football awareness was almost innate, as if he inherently understood everything happening on the pitch without even looking. This sense of the game, a mix of talent and intuition, left Immobile in awe.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/cortez10