Chapter 320: Fight to the Death
The entire Toulouse stadium erupted in celebration. Portuguese fans poured out of their seats, all chanting Bruno's name in unison. The commentators from Portuguese television were almost on their knees, their exclamations echoing through the media box.
"Brilliant Bruno!"
"I am lost for words! Bruno, I really want to bow down to you!"
"Absolutely stunning!"
"Whenever the team needs you, you always step up. You are almost omnipotent!"
"Bruno's performance is simply phenomenal! Simply spectacular!"
...
The commentators, the fans in the stands, and those watching on TV were all in awe of Bruno's goal. Even the players on the field were astonished. The Belgian players were shaken, while the Portuguese players could hardly believe it. Every Portuguese player rushed towards Bruno, all with a sense of worship and reverence.
On the field, Belgium's number 7, Kevin De Bruyne, clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, watching Bruno celebrate wildly. He could hear the crowd chanting Bruno's name.
He was not satisfied!
...
It wasn't just De Bruyne who was unsatisfied; Belgian coach Marc Wilmots was also frustrated. After seeing Bruno score twice to put Portugal ahead, he quickly ordered substitutes Carrasco, Batshuayi, and Fellaini to warm up.
It was clear that the Belgian coach was planning to make some changes.
In the 65th minute, Belgium made their first substitutions, replacing two players at once. Wilmots brought on Atletico forward Carrasco for right-winger Mertens and Batshuayi for Lukaku.
This was a clear signal to strengthen the team's attack!
With Belgium falling behind once again, they were forced into a desperate situation. If they wanted to stay in the European Championship, they had no choice but to attack!
Facing Belgium's frenzied assault, Portugal once again retreated to their half, continuing their strategy of counter-attacks. However, unlike the first half, this time they found it much harder to create chances.
With fatigue setting in and Belgium's tactical adjustments, the game's dynamics shifted.
...
Carrasco was very active after coming on, quickly creating a chance on the right side of the box with a shot that nearly broke through Portugal's defense.
Santos soon made adjustments as well, bringing on young Renato Sanches to replace Joao Mario, also bolstering their attack.
Clearly, Santos had no intention of just defending against Belgium's full-on assault. He aimed to strengthen Portugal's counter-attacks, seizing the opportunity to score while Belgium was pressing hard.
Santos knew that with Belgium's powerful offense, relying solely on defense to maintain a 2-1 lead until the end was unrealistic. They needed to strengthen their counter-attack and take advantage of Belgium's aggressive push to score another goal.
However, Portugal couldn't score before Belgium equalized.
In the 78th minute, Belgium leveled the score. During an attack, Hazard's breakthrough was blocked by Cancelo, resulting in a corner kick for Belgium. De Bruyne's corner from the right was cleared, but Hazard retrieved the ball at the far post, dribbled past a defender, and crossed from the left. Batshuayi was there to slot it home from 4 meters out.
2-2!
Batshuayi celebrated with a backflip.
...
Leading twice and being equalized twice, both the Portuguese players on the field and the coaching staff felt immense pressure.
Under this pressure, Portugal quickly conceded another goal.
In the 80th minute, Belgium launched a quick counter-attack. De Bruyne passed the ball, Hazard cut inside from the left, evaded Cancelo, and fired a low shot into the bottom right corner.
3-2, Belgium took the lead!
Now, it was Portugal's turn to be on the brink.
Both coaches made more substitutions.
Wilmots replaced Hazard with Fellaini, switching Belgium to a 4-3-1-2 formation to strengthen their defense.
Santos, on the other hand, had to bolster his attacking options, bringing on Quaresma for Andre Gomes.
At this point, Portugal had four forwards on the field: Ronaldo, Nani, Renato Sanches, and Quaresma.
Clearly, Santos had decided to go all out!
...
Bruno could feel his energy depleting as the game progressed.
He hadn't kept track of how many meters he had run; he wasn't interested in that. Nor had he thought in detail about how to create another opportunity. There was no time for that now.
Nainggolan, Witsel, and Fellaini formed a wall in front of Belgium's defense. For Bruno, these three midfielders were constantly on him like glue, always sticking to him.
Without shaking them off, any effort was futile.
As the game entered the 85th minute, Bruno noticed Nainggolan and Witsel starting to lag behind.
This was expected.
Bruno had covered a lot of ground in this match. Not only Nainggolan and Witsel, but even Bruno himself was feeling the strain, running on sheer willpower.
...
Belgium's three midfielders, Nainggolan and Witsel on the wings, with Fellaini in the middle, had clear roles. This setup ensured that wherever Bruno went, he was immediately marked by one player, with a second ready to close in and double-team him.
Under normal circumstances, Bruno could receive the ball but struggled to turn around. Holding the ball too long led to immediate pressure and loss of possession. So, Bruno kept running, hoping to wear them down and wait for a chance when Nainggolan or Witsel couldn't keep up.
He believed that if he could turn and face the defense, he would have a chance.
He knew Ronaldo and the others would back him up!
...
Gradually, Bruno lost track of time and everything else. He only felt his body heating up.
He kept running, waiting for an opportunity, believing that perseverance would bring hope!
He always believed that the world was fair. If skill wasn't enough, hard work and effort could compensate.
He also believed he would get another chance.
Even though it was already the 88th minute and Belgian fans were preparing to celebrate victory, at that moment, Belgium attacked down the left, 30 meters out. De Bruyne attempted a cross-field pass, but William Carvalho intercepted it, deflecting the ball slightly.
Nani, nearly exhausted, gritted his teeth and chased the ball.
He looked up and saw Bruno!
...
As Nani received the ball, Bruno sprinted forward, pointing ahead.
Nani understood and passed the ball.
However, due to fatigue, Nani's pass came off as a half-volley instead of a ground pass.
This type of ball was difficult to control and receive, making the next move tricky.
Bruno cursed inwardly but rushed forward anyway.
Nainggolan, too tired to react quickly, lagged a step behind Bruno. He chose to stay behind Bruno, ready to intercept as soon as Bruno controlled the ball.
Bruno noticed Nainggolan's position and strategy. He also saw Fellaini closing in. Their coordination was familiar; if he stopped the ball, he would be double-teamed and forced to pass back.
But this time, Bruno had no more time, so he decided to take a gamble.
...
Facing Nani's pass, Bruno judged its trajectory and instead of stopping it, flicked it with his right foot.
He quickly moved to block Nainggolan with his body.
This brief block caught Nainggolan off guard, giving Bruno a crucial moment.
Sometimes, football is all about split-second decisions, and this momentary pause meant Nainggolan couldn't catch up.
Bruno sprinted towards the left edge of Belgium's box.
The ball followed him to the left edge of the box, but Fellaini was closing in.
The towering Belgian midfielder gave Bruno no room to breathe.
But Bruno, confident in his skill, controlled the ball as it landed, taking it forward and feinting a cross, forcing Fellaini to follow.
Then, Bruno suddenly stopped.
With a quick change of pace, Bruno controlled the ball.
At the left edge of the box, it was a one-on-one between Bruno and Fellaini.
(End of Chapter)
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