Chapter 325: The European Red Dragon
On the evening of July 6th at 9 PM, the first semifinal of the 2016 European Championship kicked off between Portugal and Wales at Lyon's Stade de Lyon.
As Bruno and his teammates warmed up on the pitch, he noticed that the stands were already packed. Around twenty thousand fans wearing burgundy jerseys were supporting Portugal, while another twenty thousand fans in dark red jerseys were there for Wales. The rest of the colorful crowd consisted of neutrals.
The team's jersey choices for the match were surprising. Although Portugal was the designated home team, they opted for their green away kits, while Wales wore their black and gray away kits as well.
After completing their warm-ups, both teams returned to their respective locker rooms for a twenty-minute rest before the match officially began.
By the time the European Championship reached the semifinals, all teams had suffered various degrees of player loss, either due to injuries or yellow card suspensions. For Portugal, key defender Pepe was sidelined with an injury, and midfield anchor William Carvalho was suspended due to accumulated yellow cards. Wales also faced significant absences, with their main left-back Ben Davies and midfield playmaker Aaron Ramsey both suspended.
Wales' performance in this European Championship had been remarkable. In their first appearance at the Euros, the Red Dragons had been unstoppable. They topped their group ahead of England, defeated Northern Ireland in the round of 16, and impressively knocked out another dark horse, Iceland, 3-1 in the quarterfinals.
This match between Portugal and Wales was highly anticipated, especially the battle between Real Madrid teammates Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, which could significantly impact the game's outcome.
...
When Ronaldo and Bale led their respective teams onto the field, the crowd erupted in deafening cheers. The team captains exchanged pennants and participated in the coin toss.
Ronaldo remembered the words of his coach, Santos, who had instructed the team to attack as much as possible. Therefore, he deliberately lost the coin toss to allow Bale to choose sides, giving Portugal the kickoff.
Ronaldo then gathered his teammates and simply said, "Let's attack and score as many goals as we can, guys!"
Understanding that leadership comes from action rather than words, Ronaldo left it at that and returned to his position.
The players took their places, ready for the kickoff. Ronaldo and Nani stood over the ball, while Bruno gestured to Ronaldo, indicating that he would push forward immediately from the midfield.
Ronaldo nodded in acknowledgment.
The referee and the fourth official synchronized their watches, and the referee blew the whistle to start the match.
...
Bruno received the ball but did not immediately pass it forward. Although Portugal's style favored minimizing back passes and lateral passes, instead pushing forward aggressively, Santos had granted Bruno full tactical freedom. Bruno could decide the next move, including passing back or sideways if necessary.
Santos trusted Bruno so much that he didn't assign him a specific position. On paper, Bruno was an attacking midfielder, but his teammates knew he had the freedom to move anywhere—left, right, forward, or back—based on the situation.
By playing deeper, Bruno could connect with the defense and solidify their backline. By moving up, he could join Nani, Sanches, and Ronaldo to pressure the opponent's defense.
Santos rarely gave Bruno detailed tactical instructions. He would outline his general strategy before the match, and Bruno was responsible for executing the details during the game.
After assessing the situation, Bruno turned and passed the ball back.
...
The ball was passed among the defenders three times before it returned to Bruno's feet. By then, Wales' previously compact formation had opened up as they rushed forward, following their coach Chris Coleman's directive to maintain pressure on Portugal.
Seeing this, Bruno passed the ball to the advancing right-back Cancelo and followed up with a forward run.
Cancelo combined with João Mário on the wing, executing a one-two pass to continue the attack. Just when everyone expected a cross, Cancelo unexpectedly swept the ball across to the middle of the penalty area.
Bruno received the ball without hesitation and unleashed a powerful shot. The ball, struck with his right instep, rocketed toward the goal!
The ball, like a cannonball, whizzed past Wales' center-back Collins, who even felt the wind against his ear.
Wales' goalkeeper Hennessey saw the ball coming but barely had time to react, instinctively raising his hand. He felt a sharp pain in his wrist as the ball struck his hand and deflected over the crossbar, landing on the advertising boards behind the goal.
"Bruno's shot! What power! But it was too straight…"
"Bruno's unexpected long shot caught Hennessey off guard. What a pity… but it was a beautiful strike!"
The commentators collectively praised Bruno's effort.
...
Hennessey clutched his wrist where the ball had hit, looking at Bruno and thinking he needed to be extra vigilant against his powerful shots.
Then he turned and shouted, "Corner! Watch the defense!!"
Bruno, no longer focused on Hennessey, slowly walked into the penalty area, ready to contest the corner kick.
Bruno's long shot had earned Portugal a corner, but his teammates couldn't capitalize on the opportunity. Nani's corner kick was met by no one and was securely caught by Hennessey, who quickly launched a counterattack for Wales. Their coach, Coleman, had stressed the importance of offensive play to avoid being pinned back by Portugal.
However, Wales' attack ended in disappointment as Robson-Kanu's shot sailed into the stands.
Portugal reorganized their attack.
Bruno signaled to goalkeeper Patricio to pass him the ball, and the Portuguese keeper complied.
Bruno received the ball, turned, and advanced forward, executing a one-two pass with the young Renato Sanches, who had come back to support him.
After passing to Sanches, Bruno continued his forward run. Sanches, without turning, used the outside of his foot to flick the ball back to Bruno.
...
Bruno picked up the ball, facing Wales' defensive midfielder Joe Ledley.
Ledley, a 29-year-old from Cardiff City's youth academy, had made his debut for Wales in 2005 and was known for his strong defensive skills and man-marking abilities, epitomizing a classic box-to-box midfielder.
Seeing Ledley charge toward him, Bruno feigned a pass to the right. As Ledley shifted his weight slightly, Bruno quickly pulled the ball back with his left foot, sending Ledley off balance. Bruno then pushed the ball forward and darted past his opponent.
Having beaten Ledley, Bruno didn't pass but surged forward, targeting Wales' defensive flank.
Wales' Andy King, seeing Bruno's aggressive approach, rushed to intercept.
Bruno had anticipated this scenario. Since beating Ledley, he had been calculating the unfolding situation in his mind. He noted Sanches moving to the right after their one-two pass while João Mário drifted towards the center.
During his dribble, Bruno observed the opponents' positions. With Ledley out of the way, Wales' defense appeared vulnerable, and well-timed passes and runs could exploit these gaps.
Bruno intentionally carried the ball towards the right flank.
When King approached, Bruno passed the ball to Sanches, who had positioned himself wide.
Sanches received the ball, feigned a wide attack, but then cut inside. As Wales' left-back Neil Taylor and center-back Collins focused on him, Sanches suddenly delivered a perfectly timed through ball, slipping past Taylor's outside to João Mário.
A brilliant diagonal run and pass!
(End of Chapter)
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