Soccer: I became Bruno Fernandes.

Chapter 327: The Real Core of Portugal

"2-0! Portugal extends their lead in the 24th minute, with a goal from Cristiano Ronaldo's free-kick. He and Bruno coordinated perfectly on that free-kick, showing a great understanding between them. This puts to rest any rumors about their alleged discord," the commentator announced.

In the stands of Lyon Stadium, Portuguese fans jumped up, cheering with their arms raised as they saw the ball curl past Hennessey into the net.

"Well done, Ronaldo! Well done!"

On the other side, Welsh fans fell silent. Their team had been hit hard twice in the first 25 minutes, and they were at a loss for words.

On the pitch, Ronaldo celebrated his goal with his trademark celebration. This was his sixth goal of the tournament, putting him ahead of Bruno at the top of the European Championship's scoring chart.

As Ronaldo was celebrating, Bruno approached him, stretching out his hand and smiling widely, "Great job!"

Ronaldo, surprised to see Bruno as the first to celebrate with him, instinctively extended his hand. Their hands clapped together with a loud smack.

Immediately, their teammates swarmed around them, hugging them tightly.

"We scored again, hooray!"

"Well done, Ronaldo!"

"Great teamwork!"

...

The players' excitement was matched by coach Santos on the sidelines, who sprang from his seat, vigorously waving his arms.

Given the current situation, it was almost certain that Portugal would defeat Wales, which meant Portugal would reach the European Championship final for the first time in twelve years. Twelve years ago, Portugal had narrowly missed out on winning the championship on home soil. In the subsequent two tournaments, they hadn't made it to the final. Now, after twelve years, Portugal was once again on the verge of challenging for the European title.

What made Santos even happier at this moment was the excellent coordination between the team's two key players, Bruno and Ronaldo. They had clearly communicated before the free-kick and celebrated together after the goal, debunking any rumors of a rift between them. With the last internal discord resolved, Santos could focus all efforts on external opponents.

Despite leading by two goals, Portugal didn't hold back. One goal wasn't safe, two goals weren't safe either. If they could score more, why not keep scoring? Three, four, five, six… who would complain about too many goals?

So, even after taking a two-goal lead, Portugal continued their relentless attack on Wales. The Welsh team, overwhelmed by Portugal's aggressive offense, could only retreat and defend, turning into a defensive turtle.

...

Just three minutes after Ronaldo's goal, Portugal launched another attack. Bruno passed the ball to Ronaldo, who received it with his back to the goal at the edge of the box. Welsh defender Collins suddenly slipped, allowing Ronaldo to quickly turn and penetrate the box. He then sidestepped another defender, Williams, before taking a low shot from fourteen meters out. Hennessey managed to make a difficult save.

In the 33rd minute, Bruno sent a long pass from the back to Ronaldo, who headed the ball to Nani. The Welsh defenders raised their hands, signaling offside, but the linesman didn't flag, and the referee didn't whistle. Nani was onside! He carried the ball into the box and shot from eleven meters out, but Hennessey made another save.

After making the save, Hennessey jumped up, waving his fists and shouting at his defenders, "What are you doing? How can you let him into the box so easily!!"

"He was offside!" Williams retorted.

"But the linesman didn't flag!" Hennessey pointed to the linesman, "You should never give up on the play!"

"Alright, alright…" Another defender, Neil Taylor, stepped in to calm things down.

On the other side, Nani, who had missed the one-on-one chance, covered his face in frustration.

...

Until the end of the first half, Wales couldn't organize any effective attacks. They were completely overwhelmed by Portugal's relentless offensive waves. Some of the Welsh players even had a look of bewilderment in their eyes as they left the field.

The Welsh players couldn't believe they were trailing by two goals at halftime. The scoreline was bad enough, but what was more demoralizing was that they couldn't find any advantage on the pitch. If not for the Portuguese attackers' wasted chances, they could have been down 0-4 at halftime.

On the other hand, the Portuguese players were beaming with joy as they left the field. They hadn't expected to lead Wales so comfortably by two goals.

In the midst of the noisy fans, both teams quickly left the pitch and headed to their respective locker rooms. They had fifteen minutes, and this break was crucial for Wales if they wanted to turn the game around in the second half.

Could they complete a miraculous comeback from a two-goal deficit?

...

In the visitors' locker room, Welsh coach Coleman was venting his frustration, not just because of the scoreline, but also because of the team's performance. Fans might care more about the score, but a coach always focuses on the process and the performance on the field.

From the process and the performance, a coach can tell whether his team still has hope of equalizing. If the team isn't outplayed on the field and the goals conceded were due to bad luck, then a 0-2 scoreline isn't a problem. With tactical adjustments, they could turn the game around in the next forty-five minutes.

But Coleman didn't see any positive signs from the first half. His team was being dominated by Portugal, unable to fight back, with few shots and barely any threatening attacks. The busiest player wasn't a forward but the goalkeeper, Hennessey…

Based on the first forty-five minutes, Coleman couldn't find a way to defeat Portugal. He was furious because the team was outplayed and outscored. How were they supposed to play the rest of the game?

"...Look at how you played in the first half! I counted; you only had four shots in forty-five minutes, and only one was on target. Our attacks were toothless, leaving our defense under tremendous pressure. Portugal is an attacking team; they excel at offense and only at offense. If we could pressure their defense, we could turn the game around. But you didn't do that at all!"

...

Coleman's words left the Welsh attackers speechless. They knew he was right. Their performance in the first half was far from satisfactory. They had few chances and wasted the ones they got.

However, the players had their own thoughts. They felt the situation couldn't be solely blamed on them. Despite Portugal's offensive focus, their defense wasn't weak, especially with Bruno playing a crucial role. He was like a monster, appearing in the Welsh box during attacks and then forming a defensive barrier in front of his defenders when needed, making it hard for Wales to penetrate.

Coleman scanned the room, sensing what his players were thinking. He had noticed Bruno's performance too. The new Ballon d'Or winner had been exceptional over the past two years, outperforming even Messi and Ronaldo. He had brought his outstanding club form to the European Championship. In the group stage and knockout rounds, Bruno had scored five goals and provided three assists, making him the tournament's standout player.

Aware of this, Coleman had kept a close eye on Bruno during the match. From the first half, it was clear that Bruno was the core of the Portuguese team. He played a pivotal role in both attack and defense.

...

It was evident that for Wales to beat Portugal, they needed to make adjustments targeting Bruno. If they could nullify Bruno, or at least limit his influence, they could disrupt Portugal's play.

Bruno was the heart of the Portuguese team, organizing attacks and contributing to defense. He was the true core, not just an offensive or defensive leader, but the central figure around whom the team revolved.

Like Beckenbauer once was for Germany, Bruno was the linchpin for Portugal. However, this also made him Portugal's "Achilles' heel." If Wales could neutralize Bruno, they could stifle Portugal.

With this in mind, Coleman planned his adjustments for the second half, focusing on strengthening their midfield defense to contain Bruno.

(End of Chapter)

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