Before going on stage, Bruce was still full of confidence, thinking about how to attack and showcase his strength. But once he stepped onto the court, he realized he was mostly playing defense.
Although Liverpool hadn't fielded their strongest lineup, their significant advantage from the first leg and relatively low attacking intent meant Dundee United's overall strength dominated the game, leaving Bruce and his team largely focused on defending.
In the 47th minute, the opponent's new signing, Joe Cole, broke through with the ball, forcing Bruce to sprint back and block him. By the 53rd minute, Gerrard and Lucas exchanged passes in midfield, and Bruce had to take on the role of defensive midfielder again, intercepting and disrupting the opponent's plays.
After more than ten minutes of relentless defending, Bruce finally got on the offensive in the 64th minute. Lucas took a long-range shot from outside the penalty area, which was blocked, but Armstrong quickly picked up the rebound and made a diagonal pass directly to Bruce.
"Armstrong makes a long diagonal pass to Bruce. It's a combination between two young players, but the pass looks a bit too long," Motson commented as Dundee United finally mounted an attacking opportunity in the second half.
Armstrong's pass was indeed slightly overhit. From his previous performances, it was clear that, although he was a year older than Bruce, he still seemed a bit nervous—after all, this was Anfield. His pass was made purely for safety, aimed at avoiding the intercepting player rather than ensuring Bruce could receive it cleanly.
But Bruce had been waiting for this moment. He was ready. The instant the ball left his teammate's foot, he accelerated and reached it before the Spaniard, Pacheco.
With the opponent's back to the goal, Bruce took advantage of the situation, dribbling and accelerating past him with precision.
"Bruce! There he goes! That pass was perfect. These two young players seem to have amazing chemistry," Motson exclaimed. Of course, he had no idea that Bruce had only joined the team a little over a week ago—hardly enough time to build such a connection.
After getting past Pacheco and pushing forward, Liverpool's full-back Martin Kelly came rushing toward him.
Looking up at the 190 cm tall defender, Bruce felt confident. At 175 cm, he wasn't the tallest, but with his agility, he didn't think this would be too difficult.
Sure enough, with just two quick feints, he threw Kelly off balance and slipped past him effortlessly.
"Bruce Lee! This young lad has dribbled past two players in a row. Liverpool's defense looks helpless against him," the commentator exclaimed.
Bruce carried the ball toward the corner flag, made a subtle adjustment, and swung his leg to deliver a high cross.
In the center of the goal area, Dundee United's Irish forward Jon Daley leapt for the header, but under Carragher's tight pressure, his effort went high and wide—failing to threaten the goal.
"Shit!" Peter Houston cursed from the sidelines. Liverpool wouldn't offer such an opportunity often. If they didn't capitalize now, who knew when—or if—they'd get another chance.
However, he still shouted encouragement from the sidelines: "Well done! Keep playing like this!"
"As a striker, if you can't make your shots threatening in a one-on-one situation with a defender, then you're absolutely unqualified," Motson began, analyzing the attack.
"But Dundee United's young Bruce performed quite well. He successfully tested Liverpool's defense and exposed their vulnerabilities."
"Kelly played as a center-back in Liverpool's youth team, but after joining the first team, Hodgson had to use him as a makeshift left-back due to the team lacking a proper player in that position. This was a major weakness in Liverpool's defense. The 190 cm tall Kelly struggled against those agile and quick wingers."
Houston, on the sidelines, was still regretting that their earlier attack hadn't scored. But five minutes later, Bruce created another chance. Armstrong noticed that his pass to Bruce had been effective, so he took the ball again and actively combined with him. They executed a perfect one-two, giving Bruce another opportunity to face Martin Kelly one-on-one.
"So, he once again used his agile footwork to get past his opponent and delivered the ball before the rest of Liverpool could close him down.
The cross was of good quality, but unfortunately, Dundee United lost the header once more, with Slovakian Skrtel winning the first ball for Liverpool and securing their goal.
"After two consecutive breakthroughs down the wing, the 17-year-old Dundee United player showcased an impressive performance with his crosses."
"I just checked—this player came from Crystal Palace's youth academy and was only loaned to Dundee United this summer. Remarkably, this is actually his first professional game."
"I don't know why Crystal Palace loaned him to Scotland, but based on what we just saw, I believe he has the potential to establish himself in the Championship."
Motson was still praising Bruce, but the situation on the field was starting to turn against him.
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson, who had just taken over that summer, was growing frustrated with the 17-year-old player, who was clearly being used to gain experience but was making repeated breakthroughs on the wing and delivering crosses. From the sidelines, he began berating 20-year-old Martin Kelly.
Liverpool vice-captain Carragher came over to comfort Kelly, then pulled him aside for a quiet word. After that, Bruce's time on the field became much more difficult.
Every time he got the ball, opponents would rush him and knock him off balance, even in relatively safe positions. He could no longer advance freely and break through the defense as he had before.
Clearly, Carragher had advised his younger teammate to use his physical advantage to dominate Bruce. At 175 cm, Bruce was more agile, which had previously helped him break past defenders. But facing Kelly, who stood 190 cm tall and weighed 90 kg, made things far tougher. Bruce, weighing just over 60 kg, simply couldn't withstand that level of physicality.
"It seems Kelly has found a way to deal with this little guy. It's obvious that his body is too frail to withstand anyone."
"But based on his performance just now, I believe Bruce has a bright future. He's very talented on the wing, and as long as he grows older and stronger, we'll definitely have a chance to see him in the Premier League."
Motson's words perfectly summarized Bruce's situation. Martin Kelly had already been humiliated twice and was clearly holding a grudge against Bruce. From now on, he would keep a close watch on him from every angle, using his physical advantage to try to leave Bruce helpless.
But as the match neared its end, Bruce saw a glimmer of hope.
Dundee United didn't have many attacking options and could only rely on the most basic long balls and crosses.
In the 86th minute, full-back Sean D'Arone received the ball and sent a long pass to center forward Jon Daly. Both being Irish, they shared a certain understanding on the field.
Jon Daly blocked the ball in the aerial duel, forcing Liverpool full-back Glen Johnson into a foul, which awarded Dundee United a free kick in the attacking third.
The free kick was on the left side, 34 meters from the goal. The distance was a bit long, and the angle close to the wing, so it didn't seem like a major threat.
Dundee United's original first-choice free-kick taker, midfield maestro Scott Robertson, had already been substituted. Currently, both Armstrong and striker Goodwill were available to take the kick, but Bruce felt confident he could handle it himself.
Since unlocking the Beckham card, he had been practicing free kicks. Although the card's fusion level was progressing slowly—only 21% so far—he believed his free-kick skills were already superior to Armstrong's and Goodwill's.
"How about I take it?" he asked, stepping forward.
However, neither of the two players standing near the ball showed any intention of backing down.
Generally, when the primary free-throw taker was unavailable, the players on the court would either discuss and decide who would take the shot, or the head coach would designate one directly.
"Bruce, let Bruce take it!" The head coach's voice from the sidelines finally made the two players step back.
Bruce knew this was because he had been practicing free kicks almost every day since arriving at Dundee United, leaving a good impression on the head coach. Moreover, during these extra training sessions, he had made sure the coaching staff could see him practicing.
"Dundee United's young Bruce is stepping up to the ball. Is he going to take the free kick?" Motson's voice carried a hint of surprise at the announcement.
"His breakthroughs on the wing have already left a strong impression. If he can also master free kicks, he definitely has the potential to become a top winger."
"Of course, this could also be a tactical free kick. After all, Bruce has already demonstrated excellent crossing ability."