Soccer: I became Bruno Fernandes.

Chapter 11: Transformation in Adversity

As November approached, the weather in Italy became unpredictable. And much like infected by this uncertainty, the situation in Serie B was also becoming increasingly volatile.

First, in the tenth round, the mighty Sassuolo was stunned by Cittadella, who was in the lower half of the table. And nearing November, the only remaining undefeated team in Serie B, Novara, was also halted on their own turf by Ascoli, a mid-table team.

Although the difference in the table between Novara and Ascoli wasn't much, considering Novara had 4 points deducted and still was the only undefeated team in Serie B, many thought Novara would have good chances of staying unbeaten away.

However, at the Roberto Bettega stadium, Novara's team seemed to be in a dreamlike state, with a terribly low performance, and was defeated by Ascoli with a scoreline of 0-2, conceding two goals in the second half of the match.

Bruno was limited in this match, facing tough physical resistance from Ascoli, leading to a physical battle where his technical advantage couldn't shine through.

With the midfield engine unable to rev up, Novara's attack faced issues and couldn't generate threats.

This defeat seemed to have shattered the morale of Novara players, and the team lost their mood completely.

In the first match of November, Novara suffered another unexpected defeat at home against Cittadella. Facing the only team that had beaten Sassuolo this season, Novara fought hard at home. They adopted the same strategy as Ascoli, shutting down Bruno's game. And they managed to break the deadlock in the first half with a quick counterattack in the 38th minute.

Although Novara tried to counterattack at the start of the second half, the team's hope faded when midfielder Romano Perdinone received a red card in the 54th minute, ruining Novara's hopes.

In fact, Perdinone's second yellow card was related to Bruno. He got involved in a physical altercation with Cittadella players in the midfield, resulting in a loss of possession.

To prevent a counterattack from Cittadella, Perdinone was forced to commit a tactical foul.

Two consecutive defeats stemmed from the tight marking on Bruno in the midfield, showing Bruno's importance to Novara.

As the season progressed, Bruno's characteristics were gradually discovered by Serie B teams, and his weaknesses were exposed, especially his lack of physical strength in duels.

When facing Novara, teams adopted specific tactics to counteract him.

Previously, Bruno was in good form, and despite being marked by opponents, he still led Novara with an excellent performance. However, in the last two matchdays, Bruno's performance had declined, making it difficult for Novara to maintain itself.

Two consecutive defeats caused Novara to descend in the table, dropping from 11th place to 15th, just three points above the relegation zone.

To make matters worse, Novara faced a powerful opponent at this time: Sassuolo!

This Sassuolo-based team had been playing in lower divisions for most of its 91-year history. But after the phone tapping scandal, Sassuolo had a chance for development. They first ascended to Serie C in 2006, then ascended to Serie B for the first time and continued their ascent.

After consolidating in Serie B for several seasons, Sassuolo began to challenge Serie A from last season. They finished the season with 80 points, just behind Pescara and Torino with 83 points each, but in the promotion playoffs, Sassuolo lost to Sampdoria with a global scoreline of 2-3, missing the chance to ascend to Serie A.

This summer, Sassuolo continued to strengthen, with a clear goal: Serie A!

Since the first matchday, Sassuolo had been leading the standings with an impressive record of 10 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses in the first 13 matchdays, leading by 3 points.

The Sassuolo team was very strong, with their captain Maniani as a key player. This Italian midfielder, who was about to turn 28, was the spiritual leader of the team, controlling the game's rhythm.

Additionally, they had the vice-captain and center-back Terranova, the best center-back in Serie B. He was strong in one-on-one defense and had good cover awareness, and although he wasn't very tall, he didn't lose out in aerial duels, showing skills that could secure him a place in Serie A.

And upfront, Sassuolo relied on their talented winger Berardi, who, like Bruno, was one of Serie B's revelations this season, both considered the emerging stars of Serie B this season.

At the Stadio Mappei Tricolore, Bruno experienced what it meant to fight against a strong team.

Although Novara was at a disadvantage in the first half of the match, they could still stand firm under Bruno's leadership. However, as the game progressed, Sassuolo's team depth became evident.

In the 63rd minute, Novara made a defensive error resulting in a penalty for the home team, which was converted by Terranova; barely three minutes later, Sassuolo's offensive duo, Maniani and Berardi, created the second goal.

In just 3 minutes, Sassuolo's trio defeated Novara!

A week later, Novara suffered another away defeat by 1-2 against Vicenza, experiencing their fourth consecutive league defeat!

In the last match of November, Novara again lost at home 0-1 against Livorno. And then, on the first day of December, Novara lost 0-1 away against Modena.

Six consecutive defeats! A streak of six consecutive defeats lasting 32 days left Novara plunged into despair.

Meanwhile, Novara fans couldn't help but lament in despair: What is happening to Novara?!

At the beginning of the season, when Novara was undefeated in the first 11 matchdays, fans celebrated, and some even began to dream of the team returning to Serie A next season.

But when the team faced this wave of six consecutive defeats, fans finally realized the cruel reality of football.

This is a world where only strength matters, where luck can give you a momentary victory, but in a long season, you can only rely on your absolute strength to reach the top.

When they drew with Varese, Novara was still in the upper half of Serie B in 11th place. But after this long streak of six defeats, with the deduction of 4 points, Novara remained stuck at 15 points, ranking 19th in Serie B.

At this point, what Novara fans were thinking was no longer whether the team could return to Serie A next season, but whether the team would return to Serie C next season!

As Novara plunged into despair, Bruno also faced great criticism and doubts about himself.

At the beginning of the season, when Bruno was providing assists and scoring goals, helping Novara climb in the standings, he was the favorite of Novara fans, a hero on everyone's lips.

He himself was full of confidence, thinking that Serie B wasn't a big deal, that it was a waste of his talent to play in Serie B.

At that time, he undoubtedly had an arrogant attitude, with 5 goals and 7 assists in 8 league matches, creating 1.5 goals per game, his stats were explosive.

However, during the streak of six consecutive defeats that followed, he couldn't contribute with goals or assists, finally facing the cruel reality, and Serie B wasn't a place where he could do whatever he wanted.

After losing against Sassuolo, Bruno felt a bit disheartened, as the team he led was completely dominated by the opponent, unable to counterattack.

However, his spirit was that of an adult who had been hit by society, and he soon realized the situation.

Over the next twenty days, despite facing overwhelming criticism from Italian media, who blamed Bruno, Novara's offensive core, for the losing streak and the abrupt fall in the standings, Bruno maintained his determination.

He continued diligently receiving the basic football training from the Master Training System and continued accepting the specialized physical training provided by coach Teslar.

When December came, Bruno's body data showed that he now measured 1.80 meters and weighed 75 kilograms. When he joined Novara, he was only 1.77 meters tall and weighed 62 kilograms.

In less than four months, he had grown 3 centimeters and gained 13 kilograms in weight.

And most importantly, the weight gain wasn't fat, but real muscle.

In confrontations during the match, he was no longer easily brought down by opposing defenders in physical duels, and his ability to hold the ball in high-contact situations improved significantly.

(End of chapter)