Chapter 627: The Unyielding Kanté
After Bruno landed, he glanced toward France's goal. The ball was still trapped in the net, slowly rolling downward, while Hugo Lloris, who had just made a desperate dive, was sprawled on the ground.
There was no doubt—the ball was in!
Turning back, he saw an overjoyed Cristiano Ronaldo running toward him for an embrace. But instead of celebrating with Ronaldo, Bruno spread his arms and sprinted toward the section of Portuguese fans behind the French goal. Jumping over the advertising boards, he ran straight to the stands, vigorously waving his arms at the crowd.
The fans erupted in cheers, their voices reverberating through the stadium.
Before long, Bruno was surrounded by ecstatic teammates, who patted his head and shoulders while yelling in his ears.
"Well done, brother! Fantastic!"
"Champions! Champions! Let's go!"
On the sidelines, coach Fernando Santos was momentarily stunned when the ball hit the net. For a second, he sat frozen, but then he jumped up from his seat in excitement.
Beside him, assistant coach Ilídio Vale was even more animated, almost running onto the pitch. He threw his arms in the air, sprinted in celebration, and then turned to Santos, shouting, "Did you see that?"
Santos, beaming with pride, replied, "Yes, I saw it!"
The two exchanged a celebratory high-five.
Bruno and his teammates waved toward the Portuguese fans in the stands before jogging back to their positions. Meanwhile, the French players had already lined up to restart the game.
For France, conceding an early goal was unexpected, but it wasn't entirely discouraging. After all, they still had the entire game to equalize and possibly take the lead.
As the Portuguese players settled back into position, the initial burst of adrenaline began to fade, and the stadium's atmosphere gradually calmed. However, the Portuguese fans were still singing songs dedicated to Bruno, their cheers echoing loudly.
When the game resumed, the Portuguese players appeared somewhat distracted, still reveling in the excitement of the early goal. A misstep by William Carvalho, whose pass to José Fonte was nearly intercepted, sent a shiver down their spines.
France, however, showed no signs of being disheartened. Their early setback only fueled their determination. On the sidelines, coach Didier Deschamps gestured energetically, urging his players to turn the tide and show Portugal what they were capable of.
Bruno, having scored, became the focal point of France's attention. Every player in Europe's top leagues knew about Bruno's brilliance and his pivotal role as Portugal's midfield maestro.
Before the match, Deschamps had specifically instructed his team:
"Shut Bruno down, and you shut Portugal down. Ronaldo and Bernardo Silva will be forced to fight alone, and their team's three lines will fall out of sync. Don't give him an inch!"
Portugal's early goal gave them an inflated sense of confidence. They began to assume that winning this final might not be as challenging as they initially thought.
But when they repeatedly passed the ball to Bruno, the reality set in. France wasn't going to let him operate freely.
France's defensive strategy was clear—Bruno would be marked relentlessly.
When Bruno dropped deep to receive the ball, Olivier Giroud or Antoine Griezmann would step up to press him, cutting off his ability to turn and forcing him to pass backward.
When he moved into the French half, he faced N'Golo Kanté or Paul Pogba. If Bruno shifted to the wings, at least one of them was always close, preventing him from receiving or distributing the ball easily.
This persistent pressure created significant challenges for Bruno.
Kanté was widely regarded as the best defensive midfielder in the world. The phrase "there's no getting past Kanté" wasn't just a joke—it was a testament to his extraordinary defensive capabilities.
As Bruno's club teammate at Manchester United, Kanté often shielded him, allowing Bruno to focus on orchestrating attacks. Back then, Bruno admired Kanté's skills but never fully experienced them from the opposing side.
Now, with Kanté as his opponent, Bruno finally understood the frustration of those who had tried and failed to break free from his suffocating defense.
In addition to Kanté, Pogba posed his own set of challenges. Known for his all-around abilities, Pogba was a formidable midfielder, equally skilled in attack and defense.
Even in this alternate timeline where Pogba remained with Juventus instead of joining Manchester United, he was still considered one of the best midfielders in the world. Rumors suggested that Real Madrid, after failing to sign Bruno, were eyeing Pogba as Luka Modrić's successor.
Several times, Bruno barely had the ball at his feet before it was disrupted by Pogba or stolen outright. Even when Bruno managed to keep possession, the constant harassment from the French midfield duo affected his passing accuracy.
With Bruno neutralized, Portugal's attack lost its rhythm and direction.
Ronaldo resorted to aimless runs up front or attempted solo efforts, often passing back when he couldn't break through. Bernardo Silva, unable to get the ball, seemed increasingly isolated from the team's play.
Portugal's once-formidable attacking trio fell silent after their early goal.
By the 10th minute, France had taken control of the game. After dispossessing Bruno, they launched attack after attack.
Meanwhile, Bruno struggled to find his rhythm. His influence on Portugal's offense diminished, making him resemble more of a defensive midfielder than their creative lynchpin.
Portugal's initial goal had lulled them into underestimating the difficulty of this match.
In the stands, French fans grew more vocal, their chants drowning out the Portuguese supporters. Having recovered from the shock of the early goal, they were now firmly behind their team.
Bruno recognized the root of Portugal's problems: himself. His inability to perform at his usual level had disrupted the entire team's play.
As the midfield general, it was his responsibility to stabilize the team and restore their rhythm. But France's relentless marking, particularly from Kanté, left him struggling for space and time.
Kanté, knowing Bruno's tendencies intimately, seemed to anticipate his every move. Pogba, on the other hand, treated Bruno like a mortal rival, employing every trick to unsettle him.
Between the two, Bruno rarely had the chance to control the ball. Each time he received a pass, he was forced to quickly release it and move again, searching for another opening.
Desperation led Bruno to experiment, asking Bernardo Silva to drop deeper and take on more playmaking duties. But the results were underwhelming.
After 15 minutes, France dominated the statistics.
Possession: 57% to France, 43% to Portugal.Shots: France 6, Portugal 1 (Bruno's header).Shots on target: France 3, Portugal 1.Passing accuracy: France 77.3%, Portugal 51%.
The numbers starkly reflected Bruno's struggles and the impact of France's defensive strategy.
Deschamps' plan was working perfectly. On the sidelines, Santos couldn't help but admire the French coach's meticulous preparation. Deschamps had clearly studied Bruno and Portugal in detail, crafting a strategy that combined man-marking with zonal defense.
The execution was flawless.
Santos sighed inwardly. In hindsight, he realized his own preparations were insufficient. He hadn't considered an alternative game plan, relying solely on Bruno to orchestrate the attack.
He had overestimated Bruno's ability to shake off pressure.
No single player could keep up with Bruno's movement, but an entire team? That was another matter.
Santos shifted his focus back to the field, watching as his players struggled under France's relentless pressure.
He began contemplating adjustments, searching for a way to break free from Deschamps' tactical stranglehold.
(END CHAPTER)
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